Now, who would have thought that an oddly-named book of 102 pages could be so good? If you want to learn the art of impromptu hypnosis, this little book, Reality is Plastic, is a wonderful way to learn it.

Read my Reality is Plastic review.

This book, with its accompanying DVD, will teach you some amazing skills in hypnotism, including those rapid inductions that I despise. (However, I do like the ones in this book and agree with his methods! How’s that?)

Anthony Jacquin is a British hypnotist who teaches hypnotism in a very pragmatic manner that suits me just fine.

Read my review of Reality is Plastic and I hope you get the book.

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It was James Braid (1795-1861) who both destroyed the superstition of “animal magnetism” and constructed the preliminary foundations of scientific hypnotism. He demonstrated, namely, that no invisible “fluid” passes between the practician and his subject in trance, and that the entire phenomenon depends simply on suggestion.

Nothing illustrates this achievement better than the following incident related by Bramwell “One day Braid called on a London physician who used mesmerism in his practice. The latter told him that he had been obtaining wonderful results from the use of magnets, and offered to demonstrate this on a subject who was at that moment in a state of mesmeric trance.

He asserted, for example, that when he touched the subject’s limbs with the magnet, this produced catalepsy; and, certainly, what he had predicted, happened. Braid, in his turn, stated that he had an instrument in his pocket which was quite as powerful, and offered to prove this by operating on the same subject. He then informed the doctor, in the subject’s presence, that when he put the instrument into her hands it would produce catalepsy; and it at once did so, just as in the former instance. Having terminated the catalepsy by means of passes, Braid placed the instrument in another position, and stated that it would now have the very reverse effect—that the subject would not be able to hold it, owing to paralysis of her muscles: this, as well as many other experiments, was successful.

Braid then privately explained to the doctor the real nature and powers of his apparently magical instrument. It was nothing more than his portmanteau-key and ring, and its varied powers were merely the result of the predictions which the subject had heard Braid make. The experiments, he said, simply illustrated the power of suggestion during hypnosis: neither magnet nor portmanteau-key played any real part in them.”

I have a new favorite TV show: Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. And, anyone reading this may start to say, “Okay… but what’s that got to do with hypnotism, Bryan?”

Good question. And the answer is nothing.

And everything.

Confused? Good. Here’s what I mean…

Hypnosis is about change, right? Change in habits. Change in life. Change.

Okay, so I am watching these shows (they are very addictive) where the restaurant owner is hemorrhaging money by the thousands every week. Some will lose their homes very soon. And, in comes Ramsay to the rescue.

It’s a reality TV show, so I really don’t know if they pay him to come to their restaurant, but he shows up to save the day.

First, he eats a full meal from the menu. Usually, it’s awful. He observes the staff, the patrons (if any) and how the place looks. He’ll check out the kitchen and the staff and then comes back the next day.

Then, the fun happens! He basically rips their heads off (with the F-word almost every 5 seconds!) and shows them the filth in the kitchen, how badly the meal was prepared, how some of the food in storage is poisonous, how the wait staff and management was inept and on and on and on.

The funny thing is that Ramsay, who owns many, MANY successful restaurants and pubs all over the world and is a world-class chef, does know what he’s talking about.

But, do they listen with rapt attention waiting to scrap their beloved menu, decor and such? Ha. Nope. They fight him tooth and nail.

Now, you would think that if you were about to lose your house and business that you would probably listen to this bloke, right? I mean… RIGHT?

But fights break out and words are shouted… it’s a real hoot to watch!

Anyway, so what has this got to do with hypnosis?

These people HATE CHANGE. They just hate it!

And, so will many of your clients and people you hypnotize. Even though they are hugely overweight or smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day… well, they think they know better.

And they will fight you tooth and nail.

So, like Ramsay, you need to stay your ground. If you let them placate you — and they WILL! — you’ll get no change at all. Watch the show; you’ll never see Gordon Ramsay accept anyone placating him! He’ll leave the place the way it is, sinking into deep $%*@, before he let’s them have their way with things.

Make sure your hypnosis subjects or clients stay the course with any program they are on. If they keep doing what they’ve done in the past, they’ll just keep getting the same results.

You may even see this occasionally on the show. In the final few minutes of the show, he revisits the restaurant he “fixed”. Many are doing amazingly well. Some have exceeded his expectations, too!

Some are still struggling because they didn’t do the program he set out for them.

Some are gone and out of business.

Isn’t this an amazing metaphor for your weight loss (or other) clients? Do you see it now?

From WKMG, Orlando, FL:

ROME, Italy — A mysterious bearded man in Rome is wanted by police for using hypnotism to mesmerize cashiers and bank tellers while he steals thousands of dollars.

Unbelievably, close-circuit TV inside the store showed the robber walking up to a supermarket cashier and apparently “hypnotizing” her before he stole her cash!

The authorities believe that this same person may be responsible for bank robberies, too. One bank teller said the man leaned over and told her to “look into my eyes,” the report said. The next thing she noticed was her money drawer was empty.

[Are you kidding me?!?]

Another cashier handed over more than $1,200 after she said she became mesmerized by the man.

WKMG reported that the victim’s don’t remember any of the theft, only that their actions “seemed natural at the time”.

_________________________________

Okay, folks…

You know and I know that this isn’t possible. Perhaps… some collusion is in play here?

What do you think?

Bryan

So, what’s the connection between cigarettes and Martians?

Many people wonder why I have the idea that being a stage hypnotist is one of the most important skills a clinical hypnotist needs. At a recent seminar with Scott McFall for his mentorship program (ask me if you are interested in hypnosis mentorship, by the way!) the topic of stage hypnotism was discussed. One of the conclusions is that if you know how to hypnotize your subjects on stage, you will be a better hypnotist in your clinic or office.

Why is that?

Well, first… you need to have the attitude of the stage hypnotist. Meaning, you need to know who to keep and who to kick off the stage. Sometimes, in your office, it’s important NOT to accept a client. Sometimes, people come into my office just to challenge me. I have better things to do than to talk to these people and, like I do on stage, I send them away.

Second, do you realize that if you can have a group of people acting like Martians on stage that you are skillful enough to get almost anyone to quit smoking cigarettes? Yep! It’s really that easy.

But you need to be as convincing and confident as you are on stage. This takes time and practice and rehearsal.

Don’t know stage hypnotism? Take a class. I studied with Dr. Scott McFall in Bismark, ND. (If you are interested, email me as he will only take people who are recommended.)