Question 1

Who or what is "HypnoTex"?

Accepted Answer

"HypnoTex" is the A.I. (artificial intelligence) assistant that indexes the Hypnotechs site and offers quick answers to questions. HypnoTex reads and re-reads every word on every page of the Hypnotechs site, then creates an index and a collection of responses. When you ask HypnoTex a question, it's able to use that pre-built index to show you the answer and links where you can find more.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/spfA9tNOws/resources/rpQpFdz9Vt/HypnoTexSlug.jpg (HypnoTexSlug.jpg)

Programming HypnoTex is an ongoing process, so it's constantly improving. When it has difficulty finding a satisfactory answer to a question a user has asked, it logs both the question and it's response so that it can be reviewed and either guidance given about how it should have responded or a new FAQ or content piece created to cover the question. Beware! HypnoTex is not aware that he's a replicant. Please don't tell him.

Need to find something on Hypnotechs.com? Ask HypnoTex. He is located in the lower, right-hand corner of every page.

Question 2

Can you diagnose my mental health or conduct psychotherapy?

Accepted Answer

No. Washington prohibits diagnosis and psychotherapy by hypnotherapists.

As a hypnotherapist, I am NOT credentialed to diagnose mental disorders or to conduct psychotherapy as defined in WAC 246-810-010.

"Psychotherapy" means the practice of counseling using diagnosis of mental disorders according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and the development of treatment plans for counseling based on diagnosis of mental disorders in accordance with established practice standards."

I can refer you out if needed, but these things are not particularly useful in the practice of Subconscious Behaviorism or Hypnotherapy anyway.

Question 3

Why do you use a link shortener when posting online? (hypnotechs.me)

Accepted Answer

I was asked about why I post links that start with "hypnotechs.me" or sometimes "link.hypnotechs.com" that then redirect to the original URL. Fair enough.

Because the world works on different platforms, sometimes people need to type in a link instead of just clicking it. If you are on a small screen, the link can be hard to read, wrap lines or contain characters that require three layers of keyboard changes to get at.

For example, here is one of my short links:

***https://hypnotechs.me/2EeY

***https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201711/10-reasons-teens-have-so-much-anxiety-today

I am not trying to obscure the source or original URL, you will see that the full path is displayed and it takes you to the original source when you click my link. I also don't get anything in the way of any sort of payment when you click my links. It's just a way for my to share links more conveniently. The only data I even see in my control panel is the number of clicks the link has received and some analytics about how many people clicked on a phone, tablet or PC. I don't see anything personally identifiable.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/spfA9tNOws/resources/gV93IffefR/shortern.jpg (shortern.jpg)

If you see "hypnotechs.me" or "link.hypnotechs.com", you know it's probably a much longer URL and I have personally curated the content you are about to see because I think you might find it interesting. At least I did.

Question 4

Can you be hypnotized with your eyes open?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While it's common for people to close their eyes while being hypnotized, it's not a requirement.

You have probably seen examples of people being in hypnosis with their eyes open, just think of every stage hypnosis show you have ever seen. As active as some of the shows are, it's critical that people be able to see where they are going as they run around the stage being "the world's greatest race car driver" or something similar.

During the "induction", the process of transitioning into hypnosis, the eyes are commonly closed. However that's just to help the subject concentrate and is completely optional. Once the person is in hypnosis, eyes open or closed doesn't matter.

In a therapy environment, most people close their eyes during the induction and keep them closed unless they are specifically instructed to open them for some reason by the hypntherapist. However, in my experience, about 20% of subjects will spontaneously open their eyes partially or fully during the session. If you are a new hypnotherapist, it's a little disconcerting when it happens as the subject has a bit of a "lights are on but no one is home" look to them, but after a while you get used it.

In general, hypnosis has no dependence on the state of the eyes. Open, closed, whatever works for you!

Question 5

In your Kappasinian Suggestibility and Sexuality assessments, why do you ask me to predict where I am on the scale?

Accepted Answer

For both the Kappasinian Suggestibility Assessment and the Sexuality Assessment, I ask users to take a guess about where they fall on the scale before taking the quiz.

Your answer for that question has no effect on the assessment results.

I ask that question out of curiosity alone. It's interesting to see how well people understand the scale and then how well they apply the descriptions to themselves. In general, the responses are roughly correct, though they are often off in the level chosen. (A person predicts they are a Strong Analytical, and they are on the analytical scale, but not as strong as they thought)

When the results are way off, opposite ends of the scale even, I am always curious whether the person didn't understand the exercise or whether their self-image is that different from what the test indicates. For Hypnotechs clients with that sort of incongruence, I always explore that in our first session.

Question 6

Can you really be hypnotized?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that occurs in most people on a regular basis.

Many people associate hypnosis with a state of deep relaxation, but the process of hypnosis does not have to involve relaxation at all! In fact, one way to induce hypnotic trance is by using a "shock induction", which uses the startle reflex to make the mind open the suggestion.

If you have ever watched a stage hypnosis show and seen the hypnotist shout "SLEEP!" while yanking the arm of a subject, who then collapses in a heap, you have witnessed a shock induction.

Most people can be hypnotized. In general, if you have at least normal intelligence and even a bit of imagination, then you can too.

The process may vary between stage hypnosis and clinical hypnosis, but the end result is the same, a state of heightened suggestibility where hypnotic suggestions bypass the critical faculty and subconscious mind / unconscious mind act upon them.

For most people, the experience of hypnosis is profound. Your heart rate drops and smooths out and your brain activity settles into something closer to an active sleep state than full wakefulness. For many of us, the closest state we have to compare to in daily life is that of "lucid dreaming'. Of course, the hypnotized subject remains in complete control and has an awareness of what is going on around them at all times.

If you'd like to experience hypnosis, reach out to your local hypnotist! We LOVE what we do. You don't need to be seeking some type of behavioral therapy, or need to change something in everyday life. Most of us are always looking for a new hypnotic subject and would be more than happy to gve you a demonstration of the power of your subconscious mind / unconscious mind.

Question 7

How is hypnosis done?

Accepted Answer

Hypnosis is a state of intense concentration or focused attention marked by increased suggestibility. The hypnotic trance state is created by way of an "induction". An induction is a way get the conscious mind to take a back seat and allow access to the unconscious mind.

There are many forms of hypnotic inductions that can lead to the hypnotic trance state. They range from the progressive relaxation technique that can take minutes to hours, to "instant" inductions that can have a person open to verbal suggestions in split second.

When used as a form of therapy, hypnosis is often induced using one of the relaxation techniques, but more rapid inductions also have a place in the office.

For street and stage hypnosis, the more rapid inductions are used almost exclusively.

At their core, all inductions have one thing in common, they must create a trance-like state by bypassing the critical faculty of the conscious mind allowing hypnotic suggestions a clear path to the subconscious.

For more analytical subjects, confusion techniques and indirect suggestions are often the easiest way to accomplish hypnosis. For the less analytical a wider variety of inductions and more direct suggestions are called for.

When hypnosis is used as a form or therapy, especially in conjunction with other behavioral therapy techniques, deep trance is not necessarily required. Things like pain control for physical chronic pain can be accomplished at remarkably light levels of trance.

Of course, on stage, a deep level of trance is often a plus as it enhances the effectiveness of hypnosis as an entertainment tool.

Question 8

Is the Hypnotechs site down or is it just me?

Accepted Answer

We try to keep all the components of the Hypnotechs web site up and running at all times, but like any site, things happen that make that impossible. If you are trying to reach a part of the site, but can't, here's a page that will tell you if it's down or is your connection.

https://status.hypnotechs.com/

That system checks all parts of the site every 30 seconds from servers in North America, Euprope, Asia, and Australia and posts what it finds. We get notfications of all outages, so if the page says there is an outage, try again in a bit. We already know about the problem and are working on it.

See you soon!

Question 9

What's the minimum number of sessions I should expect to need?

Accepted Answer

Many problems, especially most phobias are gone after one session. But, I always recommend that clients have at least two sessions. In fact, I used to bundle a second session along with the Introductory Session every time, but in thinking about that, it detracted from the no high-pressure upsell that is my policy.

But I still strongly recommend at least two sessions for everything.

Very often, a new client, especially if they have never been hypnotied before, spends much of the first session not wanting to "miss anything", and thus they don't relax as completely as they could. That's normal. However, in the second session, the client knows what to expect and will "let go" more, so they are able to go into trance deeper and more completely.

So, while one session may be enough for relief from some issues, I ALWAYS recommend a follow up session. But it's your mind and your wallet, so I am not going to high-pressure sell you on that.

Question 10

What should I expect the first session to be like?

Accepted Answer

As a rule, I schedule first sessions to be 90 minutes and subsequent sessions 60 minutes, but those times can be adjusted as needed.

For the first 30 minutes or so of the first session, we go over the paperwork that is required by Washington State, answering any questions you may have had while reading and signing that in the Client Portal. Washington requires that paperwork so that you know who I am, what I can do and what the rules area about hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and therapy are in this state. Since that paperwork is completed online, in advance of your session, we concentrate on just the questions you may have.

The next 30 minutes, we will talk about the Kappasinian "Theory of Mind" and how it relates to you. We will talk a bit about the history of hypnosis and hypnotherapy and we will discuss what you can expect to experience. I will also likely ask you to answer some questions that will help me determine how your mind reacts to different types of suggestions so that I fine tune my approach to work the best for you. Finally, I may ask you to visualize a few different scenes to further adjust my approach.

In the final half-hour, I will perform an induction that is designed to work with the way your imagination works. Inductions are how the hypnotic state is entered and there are hundreds of ways they can be tailored to better match an individual. Once you are "in state", I will show you around a bit, have you experience and visualize a few things I think you might enjoy, then get down to the business at hand.

You may remember nothing, some stuff or everything from the session. That varies from person to person, but I am more than happy to summarize the session as we close.

Afterward, you will likely feel really relaxed, more so than you may have in a very long time. Some people state that colors are a little brighter and most people notice that the "chatter" in their heads is greatly reduced, leaving a more focused feeling.

One thing to note: After a first session, most people are uncertain if they were really hypnotized or not. This is normal too and is because the hypnotic experience is not what most people were expecting. They weren't unconscious, didn't lose control and weren't unaware of their surroundings. Don't worry, in subsequent sessions, you will know what to expect and will get better at maximizing the effect.