by queenofdreams | May 5, 2020 | Hypnosis, Uncategorized
There are innumerable myths and stories surrounding hypnosis. It’s perceived as somehow magical and mystical – a profound and yet somehow unknowable experience. Ideas like you can’t be tranced or will struggle with trance if you’re analytical (which is absolute nonsense); that hypnosis is like sleep (it’s not) or that you have to be lying down to achieve trance (you don’t) – just to give you some examples.
Most of these myths and preconceptions are harmless, but they can also affect you and your ability to trance, even if you don’t realise it or fully appreciate their impact.
If you go into the trance experience with the expectation that you are going to struggle or find it difficult then you’re suggesting to yourself that this is what you should and will experience. Your mind is incredibly powerful. It shapes your reality so if you prep it with negative ideas then these can very easily potentially translate into a negative reality.
Setting out with preconceived ideas of what trance is or how it should be/feel can also be counterproductive. Granted there is so much misinformation floating around (trance is sleep, etc) that it can be difficult not to pick up on common assertions/assumptions about hypnosis and how it works (1980s cartoons are also awash with “hypnosis” scenes) and assume that this is how hypnosis is supposed to play out. But if the reality doesn’t align with your expectations of what you feel trance “should” feel like then this can throw you off, make you doubt your experience and once again, sets you up for failure which is obviously not what we want!
Whilst it is important to learn about hypnosis so you can understand the experience and what to expect, it’s also important not to be led astray by the plethora of misleading information, assumptions and downright fiction that is floating around.
The problem is – if you know little to nothing about hypnosis (which isn’t a bad thing – everyone has to start somewhere) how do you separate the genuine information from the assumptions and misleading information that abounds? How do you ensure you’re giving yourself the best possible shot and not setting yourself up to fail by being misled by misconceptions?
You can take steps to ensure your success by making sure you critically evaluate the information you receive about hypnosis. What is the source? Is the source likely to be legitimate? Credible? (E.g. has the information come from an experienced hypnotist? How do you know they are experienced? A recommendation? Do you trust the person who made the recommendation?)
I know this seems like a lot of additional effort to go to – giving critical consideration to every piece of information – but doing so will pay dividends. You’ll be much better placed to understand what to expect which in turn will allow you to feel less nervous and more confident in your experience.
You can also try reaching out to experienced hypnotists with carefully thought out questions. Most experienced hypnotists will be happy to answer one or two simple questions but be mindful that you’re making use of their time/expertise so don’t be surprised if they request to be reimbursed – especially for more detailed questions/ more time taken up. Even if they don’t, it is polite to offer to show that you appreciate them sharing their knowledge with you. Especially as it is directly benefiting you.
At the end of the day, you can bolster your chances of success with trance by taking time to research and filter information. Knowledge is power after all. The more you know and understand, the less nervous and more comfortable and confident you will feel which in turn will allow for more success and opportunities with trancing.
Now – go forth, learn, and most importantly – have fun!
by queenofdreams | Jan 24, 2020 | Hypnosis, Uncategorized
Can I just start by saying how much I absolutely love working with people who are sceptical
of hypnosis. I’m not kidding – it is so rewarding being able to see people who came to me as
sceptics embrace the empirical evidence that tells them that they have just experienced
something that perhaps only an hour before they thought was impossible. To see for
themselves the positive changes and to be incredulous at the newly discovered possibilities.
One of my favorite things about hypnosis is that you don’t have to “believe” in it to work. It’s
not like a religion – you don’t have to have faith. All you need is an open mind – and
sometimes not even that. Because hypnosis is a natural state which just about everyone
has experienced to varying degrees – whether they realise it or not (ever driven on auto-pilot
and arrived at your destination without being fully aware of how you got there?) – my job as a
hypnotist is not to “do” anything to you. All I need to do is teach you how to capitalise on
skill you already posses. If you’re open to learning a new skill then the rest is easy.
The easiest people to impress are those that doubt hypnosis exists at all – give them simple
instructions to follow and if they do they can see and experience first-hand evidence that
they are capable of enjoying hypnosis. Slightly more difficult are those who have attempted
and struggled. I had a case recently with someone who told me that various people had
tried to hypnotise them before without success. They had come to the conclusion that it
could not be done. An hour later, the same person emerged from a deep trance with a big
smile on their face. My secret? Tailoring the experience to suit the individual. Because this
person had been so convinced that they were incapable of enjoying hypnosis, the resultant
experience of it was, for them, even more profound.
Sceptics have everything to gain and nothing to lose by enjoying hypnosis. You don’t need
to believe it will work – as long as you’re capable of following simple instructions you can see
for yourself first-hand the results. You get to experience something totally unique and can
utilise the experience to make positive and long-lasting changes in your life.
If you are curious and would like to know more, drop me an email today at info@queenofdreamshypnosis.com
by queenofdreams | Jan 16, 2020 | Hypnosis, Uncategorized
This is somewhat of a “how long is a piece of string?” question as there are many factors that can affect how long the effects of a trigger last.
Some of these can include:
- The skill of the hypnotist who implants the trigger
- The willingness of the subject to accept the trigger/how comfortable they are with the trigger
- How easily the trigger can be integrated into day to day life (e.g. if it is simple/beneficial and can be used regularly then it may well last longer than a strongly sexual trigger that the subject is not entirely sure about and can only be used in very particular situations.
Personally speaking I have one hypnosis subject who I tranced many years ago (before becoming professional). I gave him a fun trigger to have a pleasurable response upon seeing a particular candy bar. Years later (approx 2-3 years after I had ceased hypnotising him ) he sent me a message to say that the trigger was still as effective as ever. More recently I have had clients come to me for a live session after a lapse of a few months and been surprised at how effective the triggers I gave them in previous session/s still are.
As a hypnotist, if you want a trigger to be effective and to last then you need the clients subconscious to be on board with what you’re asking – after all, it will be the subconscious mind who will be implementing the response to the trigger.
Firstly, keep the trigger simple – don’t make it overly complex or with multiple steps to take effect. Simple is effective and easy to implement. Secondly, allow the trigger to be pleasurable. We all want to enjoy pleasure, right? So give your subject a new opportunity to enjoy pleasure with the trigger. This can be sexual or non-sexual pleasure (there’s a myriad of different types of pleasure you can make use of), but if you are aiming for sexual pleasure for the love of god think very carefully about when/how the trigger will be implemented. You don’t want your subject to be accidentally triggered at an inappropriate moment. This is one of the reasons why almost all the triggers I give my subjects only work when I say them. For those that aren’t, I ensure that I word the instructions for the trigger in such a way that there is no way they will cause problems and/or embarrassment. Typically a statement along the lines of the client enjoying the trigger only when appropriate to do so. If saying something like this make sure that you have a good understanding of what the client considers to be appropriate. If in doubt, don’t give them the trigger.
by queenofdreams | Nov 7, 2019 | Hypnosis, Uncategorized
***trigger warning: this blog contains details relating to inappropriate triggers used on a minor***
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Those of you who know me know how I pride myself on my ethics, especially when it comes to hypnosis. It is very important to me that my clients know and feel safe with me. That they understand that their well-being is my priority.
Recently someone added a comment to a blog I wrote. I didn’t feel that the comment was appropriate to allow in response to the blog itself due to potentially triggering content, but I have included it below as an illustration of why ethics are so, so important in hypnosis (I should add that the story below is essentially “hearsay” as I have no way to independently verify what the original author has claimed occurred):
“At a stage show a couple of years ago at the Hypnothoughts Live conference in Las Vegas, a 15-year old girl was among the participants. She was implanted with a trigger that when her shoulder was touched, she would orgasm. After the show, people (men) kept coming up to her and touching her shoulder – it was VERY distressing to both the girl and her mother, who was present.
This should have been a NO-NO! It was highly improper and unethical, on the part of the hypnotist, especially with a minor and not to have removed the suggestion!”
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why the above behaviour is incredibly inappropriate and that in itself makes the alleged event even more dismaying. It is so obviously, blatantly unethical and downright predatory – not only of the hypnotist but the men who chose subsequently to take advantage. The fact that the individual in question was also a minor makes what transpired even more heinous.
I simply cannot emphasize enough how important ethics is in hypnosis. Your hypnotist should make you feel safe and confident in their abilities as well as satisfied that they are placing a significant emphasis on your well-being. Trust your gut. If something feels “off”, even if you can’t put that feeling into words, you do not need to proceed. If you are in trance and the hypnotist suggests something that you are not comfortable with, you are not obliged to follow through. What will most likely happen is that you will snap out of trance at which point you can verbally object to the hypnotists suggestion. If the suggestion you were uncomfortable with wasn’t a deliberate ploy on the hypnotists part then they should be able to calmly talk through with you what happened and why, take this in to account and be mindful moving forward. They shouldn’t ask or encourage you to trance again until you feel comfortable and confident to do so. If the suggestion was deliberate (sadly bad, unethical hypnotists do exist as the above story illustrates) then you have the option to walk away altogether.
I think part of the problem is that people feel that once they are in trance they lose all control and feel as if they have to follow through with triggers and commands, even if they are not comfortable with them. This is simply not true. You always have a choice. It doesn’t matter how deeply you are tranced. If this is an area of concern for you then I would recommend listening to a free mp3s I have – “Art of Control”. If it makes it easier for you, listen through the first time without trancing to make sure you’re comfortable with the content. Doing this won’t prevent you from being able to achieve and enjoy trancing to this recording when you are ready to.
If you are a hypnotist reading this – please be mindful of ethics and ethical implications of what you’re doing and/or want to do. Your subject is placing their trust in you. Please don’t abuse it. Your subjects physical and mental well-being should be your top priority.
Thoughts? Comments? Please share below.
by queenofdreams | Oct 18, 2019 | Hypnosis
We’ve all seen those stage hypnosis shows where people seem to be tranced instantly and deeply with just a single word and made to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things. Looks impressive, doesn’t it?
Of course, what they don’t tell you is that the subjects are either faking it or have been carefully selected by the hypnotist because they are naturally highly susceptible to suggestion. Stage hypnosis is like the porn of the hypnosis world – showy and overhyped. Yes it *could* happen in normal day to day life but the odds are astronomical. hypnosis can be “real” but that doesn’t necessarily make it realistic.
Full disclosure – I am not a big fan of stage hypnosis (I know, surprising, right? Haha). I find it’s often exploitative and the potential lack of consent makes me uncomfortable (for those rare somnambulists who are exceptionally susceptible to trance they may not be able to consciously consent to the request to go up on stage, for example).
Stage hypnosis, like porn, has its place. It’s showy and entertaining. It can be exciting to watch, sure, but it can also give unrealistic expectations of what to expect, which can be very unhelpful when trying to achieve your goal.
Just as there are arguments to be made that porn leaves open the door for unrealistic expectations of how men and women should behave and what sex should look/feel like, stage hypnosis does the same. It makes it look as if everyone should be able to trance instantly, that hypnosis is big and showy and dramatic.
More negatively, it can also scare people. They may be worried that they would/could be made to embarrass themselves and/or be forced to do something that they are not comfortable with. This is not true, but if you don’t understand hypnosis and how it works and stage hypnosis is your only experience then it is easy for incorrect inferences to be made.
To use a porn parallel, I’ve heard it said that porn gives women an unrealistic expectation of how quickly a plumber will attend a call out and come to their house. Likewise if watching porn is your only experience of sex you’re going to have a pretty warped view of how things should play out.
Porn and stage hypnosis are entertainment. They can be fun and enjoyable but they don’t accurately reflect the depth of potential and possibilities that exist, nor the richness of the actual reality.
If not appreciated for the entertainment they are then both can also lead to unrealistic expectations which can have negative impacts and knock-on effects.
Having said all that, this doesn’t mean that what you see in stage hypnosis isn’t achievable. Given time and a hypnotist you trust many of the triggers, etc, you see played out on stage can be recreated and enjoyed. What’s important is to realise that this doesn’t happen instantly. You need to learn to run before you can walk, so enjoy the journey and enjoy the entertainment for what it is.
