This question gets asked from time to time so I figured I would address it in a blog post.
I know that many hypnotists incorporate sound effects in their recordings such as background/whisper tracks, binaural beats, etc. Different effects can have different impacts and some people enjoy the multi-faceted experience that comes with enhancing recordings in this way.
For some people, an excess of sound effects causes a mental overload as their mind can’t keep track of everything that’s going on, in effect creating a confusion induction which helps them to achieve trance.
For others, the subtle inclusion of background/whisper tracks and/or binaural beats adds an extra dimension to their trancing experience.
So why haven’t I jumped on the bandwagon? Why don’t I offer recordings with sound effects? It’s a good question and the answer is very simple: I want my recording to mimic live experiences with me as closely as possible. My style of hypnosis is different to “the norm” – I tend to use a nuanced, conversational style which rarely incorporates common themes such as countdowns. I personally love the “raw” nature of live sessions – there’s simply you and me and nothing else to interfere or get in the way, or distract. I aim to emulate that with my recordings so I can bring you as close as possible to my ideal.
My belief is that by keeping my recordings “simple” – just you, me and my voice – that this allows you to immerse yourself in the experience in a way that I think can sometimes (though not always, to be sure) lacking in over-engineered recordings where the additional sounds can become a distraction rather than an enticement.
Some recordings will and do work well with added sound effects and this is something I do plan to experiment with, but by and large my recordings will remain simple and intimate. I will be releasing a new recording soon which will have 2 options – one will be a regular recording, the other will be enhanced with sound effects. These two files will be bundled together so that you can pick and choose which you prefer. The recording is called “The Coin Toss”. Keep your eyes open for it!
