***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.