Question 1

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 2

What and when is "World Hypnotism Day"?

Accepted Answer

"World Hypnotism Day is celebrated on January 4th of every year and a day designated by the hypnosis community for demystifying hypnosis and celebrating the possible positive effects.

Hypnotechs celebrates this day each year by booking free ""Introduction to Hypnosis"" sessions all day.

You can read more here: Hypnotechs World Hypnotism Day

Question 3

What Does It Feel Like To Be Hypnotized?

Accepted Answer

Focus

Probably the most common element of hypnosis an intense level of focus. When James Braid coined the term "hypnosis" in 1841 he quickly realized that wasn't quite the right name, since hypnosis has very little to do with "hypno", or sleep. He tried to rename the state "monoideaism" or "single focus", but it was too late, "hypnosis" had caught on. People who have been hypnotized report having been able to concentate with singular effectiveness, often to the exclusion of everything else.

Open-mindedness

In the hypnotic state, we call it "trance" as a sort of shorthand, much of the critical factor of the conscious mind has been bypassed. That doesn't mean that that the hypnotized will fall for anything, they won't, but rather that a principle we call "trance logic" is in play. You won't fork over your deepest secrets, but you might be willing to connect the dots leading you down the path to beleive that going to the gym is going to be a fun adventure that you have actually been looking forward to experiencing for a long time.

Detachment

Hypnotized people have an easy time letting things go. It's easy to take a step back and watch a reply of something that got you really worked up, but do so as an observer and actually create a commentary on what might have been done differently. Imagine experiencing something very stressful. Now imagine watching that same thing on TV. That is the same sort of detachment that many people experience in hypnosis.

Sensory Changes

I LOVE this one. Synesthesia is common. Synesthesia is a mixing up of your senses. Some people can "see" sounds while in trance. Others experience smells as sounds. Synesthesia doesn't happen for everyone, but it's pretty common and even if you don't experience it, sounds are often more intens, colors brighter, light often has "halos" around it and so on.

Relaxation

Okay, hypnosis is not relaxation and relaxation is not hypnosis. Hypnosis can occur in ways that would seem to preclude relaxtion, like onstage in front of hundreds of people. But, in a therapy environment, relaxation is the number one sensation that most people report feeling. Cares and troubles fade into the distance and just don't matter anymore.

Question 4

Do you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

I do not.

I'll be honest with you, I looked into it, briefly and it looked like a mountain of paperwork, especially with the changing insurance landscape these days. Maybe there's an easy way to do it and I will figure that out down the road. In most cases, the rates I charge would have to be dramatically increased so that the insurance companies could get their cut and I could cover the time for all the extra overhead. In one example, that increase would have been FIVE TIMES my normal rate. I just can't justify that.

For now, it's cash, check and pretty much every major credit/debit card you might carry.

A number of my clients have reported that they are able to submit reciepts from Hypnotechs to their insurance company for reimbursement under the "alternative medicine category". If you choose to try that, all the information you should need is on my credentials page, license number, location and so on.

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

What is an "induction"?

Accepted Answer

"Induction" just means an "entry point". Dictionary.com defines it as: "the process or action of bringing about or giving rise to something".

A hypnotic induction is just a technique to transition a subject into a hypnotic trance. There are hundreds of techniques that work.

Some inductions happen slowly, relying on relaxation to ease the subject into a trance. Others use the "startle reflex" to surprise the client into transitioning into a trance. Still, others use a monotonous action, like a pocket-watch swinging to bring about a trance.

The best induction is the one that works for you. Some people react better to one method than another and it's my job to figure that out before we start.

Question 7

What's this I hear about twins?

Accepted Answer

A few years back, I had the chance to have a pair of twins in my office who where interested in exploring their bond using hypnosis.

I was hooked.

I have had many couples in my office exploring hypnosis together, but I am fascinated by the bond shared by twins. I have now had many pairs in, "identical" and fraternal and while each person has left no doubt that they are unique, the connection between them, especially the identical twins is astounding.

Know some twins who would like to try something new? Have them reach out to me. Please! :)

And to that orginal pair, who were so brave as to come try it out the first time, I am in your debt.

Question 8

Does everyone respond to hypnotherapy?

Accepted Answer

Anyone with even average intelligence and a bit of imagination can be hypnotized to one degree or another. Once hypnotized, if the therapist knows what they are doing, therapy can be conducted in a way that works best for the client.

There is a range of susceptibility to both hypnosis and hypnotherapy, but in general, "yes", virtually everyone will respond. In some cases, a person may be only capable of only light levels of hypnotic trance, but the good news is that most therapies can be conducted at even Stage 1 on Arons Scale of Hypnotic Depth.

Hypnosis almost always requires a willing participant. If you actively resist or work to prevent trance, then you would be the exception to this. You can actively resist being hypnotized and there is virtually nothing I could do about it.

Question 9

Does hypnosis work best on someone with a "weak" mind?

Accepted Answer

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The more intelligent and imaginative you are, the better subject you are likely to make.

Question 10

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.