Modern Hypnosis: Theory and Practice

Title: Modern Hypnosis: Theory and Practice
Author: Masud Ansari
Format: book
Source: gift
Price: free
Rating: mixed

Modern Hypnosis gets the prize for the least aptly named book I've read in a long time.

Well, perhaps that's unfair. The book is about hypnosis, but there is little in this self-published tome that can be regarded as modern in its approach.

Though originally published in the nineties, this book's obligatory chapter on the history of hypnosis ends before 1960, as though there have been no significant developments in hypnosis since that time. Furthermore, the chapter closes with the American Medical Association and its British counterpart approving the use of medical hypnosis. Unfortunately, the chapter fails to mention that both organizations have since reversed that decision, a regrettable fact that is nonetheless significant, especially when we consider rumors that some hypnotists have landed in hot water for claiming AMA approval on their websites.

Of course, something very significant in hypnosis history did happen in the 1950s: Dave Elman published his famous book and trained thousands of doctors and dentists in the use of his methods. But Ansari neglects to mention Elman anywhere in his book. I'll get to my suspicions as to why that is in a moment.

There are other aspects of this book that strike the modern reader as outdated. The author persists in using academic terms such as "subject" and "susceptible," a practice that is fading outside of academia for good reason. The connotation of these words implies that hypnosis is something a hypnotist does to a passive "subject," whose ability to enter trance is characterized as "susceptibility," the same word we use to denote a weak immune system.

The description of hypnosis as though it were a disease dovetails nicely with the misconception that some people are immune to hypnosis, that is, "insusceptible." I find that the hypnosis community falls into three opinion groups on this topic. There is the academic group, who arrived at this notion through a series of clinical trials that fail to consider the artistic and individual nature of trance induction. There is the group who take the attitude that everyone can enter hypnosis, and it's up to the hypnotist to facilitate that. And there is the group of hypnotists who hide behind their failure to find the right induction with the claim that "the subject is not hypnotizable." Rather than problem-solve or admit that they are not all-powerful and all-knowing, they simply claim that the deed can't be done. All in all, it's a top-down view of hypnosis that is neither accurate nor useful.

In keeping with this approach, the author presents considerable information on the various depth testing scales that academics have devised. To his credit, Ansari does admit that some authors question the utility and accuracy of depth scales.

Another early chapter in the book describes the conditions necessary for hypnosis. The author then advises the reader on how to arrange an office, what color to paint the walls, what kind of sounds to have, and so on. While I agree that I much prefer to do a session in my carefully arranged office, it's ridiculous to suppose that those conditions are necessary. I've done powerful change work in settings that were perfectly the opposite of what Ansari says are necessary—noisy, hot, uncomfortable, and full of distractions. My client was even wearing a corset, which Ansari recommends should be loosened prior to induction. (When I read that sentence, I immediately checked to see in what century the book was written.)

The chapter on induction starts with eye fixation and then discusses a number of the standard inductions of the first half of the twentieth century. Not surprisingly, there is no mention of Elman. A brief but scornful section on rapid inductions repeats all of the worst stereotypes of stage hypnotists and discusses the old "cut-off-the-blood-to-the-neck" hypno-trick as being representative of rapid induction methods. It's ironic that Ansari writes with disdain about the theatrics of stage hypnotists, yet later advocates casually cutting or burning a client's hand in order to test anesthesia. Who's showboating now?

Overall, I get the impression that the author is doing his best to fit in with the academic hypnotists. This group is characterized by their disdain for stage hypnotists, their reliance on antiseptic terms such as "subject," their complete refusal to acknowledge the value of Elman's work, and their insistence that hypnosis should only be practiced by members of their degreed brotherhood. I call this group the "priest hypnotists" because they call people like me "lay hypnotists." (More on this in another post.)

Ansari claims doctoral degrees in hypnosis and psychology, but a little investigation has shown that the degrees are not from accredited institutions—in other words, from a legal and academic standpoint, they are fake. The author might be an extremely skilled and knowledgeable hypnotist, but when it comes to the academy, Ansari is a wannabe.

Modern Hypnosis: Theory and Practice is not entirely without utility. Any examination of hypnosis through another's eyes may shed light for the reader, and a studious hypnotist may find a nugget of gold even in a trash heap of worn-out information. It was possibly worth the price I paid for it--but then again, I got it for free.

Psychic Development for Beginners

Title: Psychic Development for Beginners
Author: William W. Hewitt
Format: book
Source: Half-Price Books
Price: $8.60 (Amazon)
Rating: Good

Psychic Development for Beginners might not initally sound like a hypnosis book, but don't let its title fool you. A follow-up to Hewitt's Hypnosis for Beginners, this book applies self-hypnosis techniques to developing psychic ability. Like Hewitt's hypnosis book, it follows a simple, easy-to-read format, and it is strewn with a wealth of charming and illuminating anecdotes that are perhaps the book's greatest strength. Fortunately, it avoids the cumbersome filing system and tendency to talk-down to the reader that marred Hewitt's work on hypnosis.

In truth, this book has better instructions on developing self-hypnosis than many others I've read. Hewitt calls it "going to your basic psychic level," which is another way of saying "going into a light trance." One of his first exercises involves a self-induction visualization that concludes with a post-hypnotic trigger for returning to that level any time the reader counts down from three to one. That on its own is worth the price of the book.

(I typically tell my self-hypnosis students to choose a trigger that appeals to them, and I think Hewitt's method could have been improved by such an option.)

Interestingly, Hewitt repeats the balloon-releasing deepener from his hypnosis book, only this time he admits that it relates to the chakras. Another technique I gleaned from this book involves visualizing a conversation with a person you are having difficulty with; I've found that it works for clients in hypnosis as well as it works for me in self-hypnosis.

The book boasts of 44 psychic exercises—self-hypnosis exercises really, some of which don't have much to do with being psychic but are nonetheless useful. So far, I have only pursued a few of them, but the book offers years of development in a concise, easy-to-use format.

Hypnosis for Beginners

Title: Hypnosis for Beginners
Author: William W. Hewitt
Format: Book
Source: Half-Price Books
Price: $9.32 (Amazon)
Rating: poor

Hypnosis for Beginners was the first how-to book on hypnosis I read, and to this day, I have a love/hate relationship with it.

One of the things I love about this book is that the author's personality shines through in his writing; for the most part, Hewitt comes off as a kind, warm, caring individual who is looking back on a long career in hypnosis and offering what advice he can. Perhaps my favorite portions of the book are the anecdotes he relates about interesting, amusing, and sometimes astounding experiences he had as a hypnotist. These stories, such as one that involves helping a young woman recover from sexual assault or one that involves using self-hypnosis to perform near-miraculous healing, can be extremely inspiring to the aspiring hypnotist. Similarly, the author works to impart an ethical sense to his reader, arguing against exorbitant fees and stating that he maintains a strict rule of no more than six sessions for any one issue. He also describes with considerable revulsion an electric shock machine, intended for aversion therapy, he inherited when he took over another hypnotist's office; in fact, he refused to sign for it and insisted it be removed before he would move in.

Another fine quality of this book is that the initial chapter lays out the bare basics of how to be a hypnotist, from how to set up an office to what tone of voice to use, in simple terms, thus living up to its title. It does not delve into complicated definitions of hypnosis or explore debate about what is actually happening during hypnosis. This book keeps it simple.

Besides the introduction and the anecdotes, most of the book consists of scripts, and that is its biggest downfall in my opinion. Though the scripts are carefully organized into subsections called 'routines,' which the author advises keeping on 4 x 6-inch note cards for easy organization, this filing system is overly laborious and makes for onerous reading. Even worse, most of the suggestions, deepeners and even the inductions are ninety to one-hundred percent direct suggestion. Complex issues such as weight loss are handled by handing the client a strict diet and hypnotizing him or her to follow it; in one case, the author used hypnosis to make a client repulsed by her favorite snack food, so that she actually gagged when trying to eat it. When compared to other methods I've encountered, Hewitt's seem antiquated, overly simplistic, and in some cases cruel.

Despite the flaws in the scripts, I did find a few gold nuggets in the mud; several techniques I gleaned from his book have proved useful. One of the best involves the client visualizing a beach on which important affirmations are slowly written in the sand by the client. Another is a deepener in which the client releases balloons one at a time. (The balloons are in the colors of the chakras, though the author does not admit to this in the book.)

The scripts and techniques are not the only archaic part of the book. Though published in 1997, this text reflects the author's experiences dating from the 1970s to his retirement in 1992, so all technology described was nearly out-of-date even at the time of publication. He advocates the use of cassette tapes and apparently has never heard of the Internet or even a personal computer. His section on what to charge is similarly dated, though his admonitions against greed are timeless and admirable. Interestingly, he does advise the hypnotist to insist on payment in advance.

Perhaps the greatest flaw in this book is a flaw of omission. While the author briefly dispels a number of the common hypnosis myths, he fails to mention that many people remember their first session in its entirety, and that the subject typically remains aware throughout the process. These may seem like basic concepts to an experienced hypnotist, but to someone who has only this book to work with, who is following the author's instructions to the letter, omitting this information can make success feel like failure. In my case, it may have set back my study of hypnosis by several years.

All in all, the book was probably worth the bargain price I paid at the used book store. The simple introduction to hypnosis is concise if incomplete. The practical instructions are generally out-of-date, but the inspiring anecdotes make up for it. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to a new hypnotist, at least not without several caveats. Considering the low price of the book, the fact that it is published by Llewellyn, and the frequency with which it keeps turning up at used book stores, I suspect it may befuddle new hypnotists for years to come.

The Worst is Over

Title: The Worst is Over
Author: Judith Acosta and Judith Simon Prager
Format: Book
Source: Half-Price Books
Price: $4.84 (Amazon)
Rating: Good

The Worst is Over is a critical text on "verbal first aid," the application of hypnotic and NLP techniques to emergency and other medical situations. Aimed primarily at medical personnel but applicable to people in all walks of life, this book first explores the mind-body connection and then gives protocols for handling various situations. At all times, the book is grounded in practical advice; it emphasizes that verbal first aid and treatment go hand-in-hand with physical treatment.

In addition to exact protocols, the book lays out a sequence which is useful for any hypnotist to know: gain rapport, extend the contract, and give therapeutic suggestions. Because people in emergency situations are already in an altered, highly suggestible state, this simple format does not require knowledge of inductions or deepeners. For the same reasons, it's important for medical personnel to be aware of the dangers of saying the wrong thing in critical moments, and the book does an excellent job of preparing the reader to say the right thing. The methods in this book are worth internalizing, so that the reader can use them even in a highly stressful situation. Just remembering the title can be key in helping any trauma victim move past a disaster and into the healing zone.

Although the book is all about techniques which are employed in hypnosis, the authors avoid using the "H-word" for most of the opening chapters, and then mention it only lightly. One suspects that the authors get better reception from medical personnel by not coming right out and using the word "hypnosis"; it's a sad truth that even with decades of clinical research, hypnosis still struggles with a negative reputation in some quarters.

After addressing emergency situations, the authors go on to show how to apply similar techniques to pain management, chronic conditions, emotional disturbance, suicide attempts, and even grief counseling. (For this reason, a minister friend of mine was quite intrigued by the book; he instantly recognized its applications in pastoral care.) A final section gives valuable advice on using the techniques on oneself, recognizing that a caregiver needs internal mechanisms for dealing with the stress helping others. Again, though not aimed specifically at hypnotists, the recommendations of this section are valuable to anyone who practices therapeutic hypnosis.

Considering how affordable paperback editions of this book are, there's no reason every hypnotist shouldn't have it on the shelf.

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis?

Title: Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis
Author: Steven Heller and Terry Steele
Format: Book
Source: Amazon.com
Price: $12.89
Rating: Excellent

Despite being nicknamed "The Wizard," the late Steven Heller presents his ideas and observations based on a lifetime of innovative hypnosis in an extremely down-to-earth, clear, concise fashion. The somewhat facetious subtitle—There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis—is drawn from one of the many anecdotes he uses to illustrate his methods; in this particular case, a Pavlovian psychology professor scoffed at a hypnosis experiment Heller proposed, exclaiming, "That will never work because there's no such thing as hypnosis!"

Early on in the book, Heller addresses this question and explains that if people define hypnosis according to the prevalent but fiction-based stereotypes, then there is indeed no such thing as hypnosis. However, he goes on to make the argument that real hypnosis—in the form of what he dubs "hypnotic transactions"—is ubiquitous. Indeed, he puts forth the argument that all learning and most behavior follow a hypnotic pattern. He illustrates how useful it is for a therapist to analyze behavior in this way to facilitate change.

As a side note, the introduction to the book, provided by one of my favorite authors, the late Robert Anton Wilson, presents the ubiquity of hypnosis beautifully. That introduction alone was worth the price of the book.

With an approach similar but parallel to Erickson's, Heller uses numerous teaching stories to convey his message, and the title comes from one of them. In it, he relates that his young son was plagued with a fear of nighttime monsters. Rather than spend countless hours trying to reason with his son or discount the boy's fears, Heller went to the hardware store and bought materials to make a "magical monster-repelling stick." He then taught his son a "magical" ritual for banishing the monsters, which the boy performed for a few nights in a row. Within the week, the son returned the stick, saying he no longer needed it. Heller's point with this story is that addressing irrational, unconscious behavior with rational, conscious therapy is largely a waste of time.

Heller presents a number of fascinating methods in this book. I've decided to extract and summarize several of them for my own use, including techniques for clients "too tense to relax," a method for anchoring a calm response, and a fascinating technique involving two contradictory anchors that cancel each other out.

Written at an easy to understand level but chock full of profound observations and effective techniques, Monsters and Magical Sticks has much to offer anyone from the neophyte to the master hypnotist.

What This Blog is All About

When I first started studying hypnosis several years ago, I found that simply searching for knowledge on the Internet yielded a huge volume of information, mostly ads for different products, books, and training programs.

I soon began to suspect that a large amount of what was offered was terrible, but I was sure there had to be something worthwhile out there as well. As a neophyte, I had no idea what was good and what wasn't.

Most "review" sites weren't much help. There are, for example, several advertisements masquerading as hypnosis review blogs here on blogspot. They're easy to spot because they have only one entry, pushing only one product.

So I've started this blog to review books, DVDs, CDs, workshops, and other hypnosis education materials. I'll tell you where to get them, roughly what they cost, and how I acquired my copies. If I received a free copy or otherwise have a connection to the author/seller, I'll disclose that. And I'll tell you what I think about them, even when it ain't pretty (and sometimes, it ain't!)

I don't sell any of these products, and I don't get a kickback if any of them do sell.

You might ask how can I be unbiased in reviewing something I receive for free. Wouldn't I owe someone a good review if they gave me a free copy of their book? Not at all, and here's why:

If a book is good, and I say it's good, then I'm not failing in my duty to give an honest review, even if I received the book for free.

If a book is terrible, and I have to suffer through reading it, then the author has given me nothing of value, so I'd have no incentive to write a favorable review. Got it?

Now, if you are someone who sells hypnosis books, CDs, DVDs, training, tools, and so on, and you'd like me to publish an honest review of your materials, just drop me a line at HarmonyHypnotist AT gmail DOT com.