Frequently Asked Questions

Hypnosis is still a craft that remains open for exploration. Even the most powerful and successful hypnotists are making new discoveries every day. Honestly, I would be concerned if someone walked into a performance for the first time without any doubt or questions. Hopefully this will answer some of your questions.

 

 

 

 

What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis manages to change the way your brain interprets experiences. Hypnosis can change your perceptions, your thoughts, your behaviors and your feelings. A hypnotic state is a deep level of concentration. You will be extremely focused and pay attention to everything the hypnotist says while tuning out everything else going on around you including the audience. You will still be able to hear and see everything. Once you are hypnotized you become extremely suggestible. It is at this point that the hypnotist introduces new ideas and commands to you. Those ideas or commands are absorbed by your subconscious mind. While your conscious mind might ordinarily object to, is easily transmitted into your mind. Now your subconscious mind accepts the suggestions and/or ideas. Your conscious mind is where you analyze and criticize. You also can judge and reject ideas. But under hypnosis your subconscious mind is in control and your conscious mind is out to lunch so you absorb the information being presented to you without questioning it. That is why the people on stage do what the hypnotist tells them and why hypnosis is so effective with stop smoking, losing weight, pain management etc.

What is the Difference between Meditation & Hypnosis?

Meditation the motivation is to focus on yourself with no particular goal in mind. The process of meditation is that you enter an altered state and then focus on yourself. During hypnosis your motivation is to focus on something outside of yourself with the goal in mind to enjoy the new behavior. As you enter the altered state you receive suggestions. In hypnosis you get to the meditative state and then go deeper where you can do some work on yourself by changing a thought, idea or behavior. In meditation you simply stay in the meditative state.

Will I quack like a duck?

Yes, if you’re in a really bad hypnosis show. In a quality hypnosis show the participants will be asked to do fun, good natured things such as speak in a foreign language, forget things or even lose body parts like your belly button.

I don't think I was really hypnotized but just playing along on stage?

I get this response a lot. You don't go deaf and dumb when you get hypnotized, you actually become hyper aware.  You enter a state where you follow the directions of the hypnotist.  You still hear and know what's going on, it just sounds like a good idea so you do it. Roughly 15% to 20% of people will remember exactly what happened on stage after being pulled out of hypnosis, but it definitely does not mean you were not hypnotized. Because of the induction I use, if you weren't in a state of hypnosis you would've popped the other subjects around you out of trance.

Why couldn't I get hypnotized on stage?

It could be a number of things. The person next to you was up there messing around. Your friends and/or audience members could have been laughing or being loud and it was distracting. You may have even had to use the restroom. The number one reason people pop out of hypnosis during my shows is because they have to use the restroom. Just because you were not hypnotized on stage doesn't mean you can't be hypnotized. Remember, it is a show and there is only so much time to get everyone put into hypnosis so I have to go with the best subjects under these circumstances. Every time you try it gets easier. Don't give up.

Before the induction part of my show, I always go into greater detail about some of the fears and questions about hypnosis. But as always, feel free to shoot me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions. I would love to clear up any confusion!