NEWS FLASH – The Sky is Not Falling and Hypnosis is Safe! – Scintillating News Sells!

NEWS FLASH – The Sky is Not Falling and Hypnosis is Safe! – Scintillating News Sells! 

Every few years, the news media jumps back on the ignorance band wagon and looks to demonize hypnosis and hypnosis shows.  And yet, I continue to be amazed by the media’s actions.  I really shouldn’t be, especially when we continue to see the media creating news, rather than objectively reporting it.

In the latest “Sky is Falling” reporting, we have the case of a young man at an after-prom event in Nebraska who is at the center of the story.  For those who may have missed it, the student volunteered to participate in a comedy hypnosis show that was part of a safe and sober after-prom event.  The news station posted a short video clip that shows the student falling to the floor.  It is clear in the video that this student did not strike his head, nor does it appear that he sustained any other injuries.   The student claims that he did not remember anything from the show and that he had a difficult time emerging from hypnosis.  He was later taken to the hospital where he was found to be uninjured, did not sustain a concussion and did not appear to be under the influence of any substances.

The parents, who were not present at the show, raise some questions regarding the appropriateness of having hypnosis show and the lasting impacts of the experience on their son.  These are common questions that hypnotists answer and ones that the news media chose to ignore in their reporting.

For many people, their exposure to hypnosis are what they see from Hollywood and do not at all represent the reality of what hypnosis really is.  In fact, if these facts were widely known, the mystique and excitement of the movie or TV show, would be crushed and a literary tool of suspense, and mystery would be gone.

So, the question really comes down to what is hypnosis?  Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that each of us experiences on a daily basis.  It lies between the awake state and the sleeping state and characteristics of both, yet it is neither.  The use of the word “sleep” tends to lead people to mistakenly believe that the volunteer is asleep or unconscious.  Actually, the opposite is true.  Hypnosis is a state of super-focus and concentration where a person has engaged the power of the sub-conscience mind.  The hypnotized person is hyper-aware.  They hear everything around them, have all their senses, and will ignore those suggestions that are against their principles and moral beliefs.  Simply, a person in hypnosis will not do or say anything they would not do or say in their fully awake state.  This is 180 degrees from where Hollywood would like us to think about hypnosis. Often, Hollywood depicts hypnosis as a state where the person is being controlled by some Svengali-like character.  Plainly stated, it is not!   Yet, we want to be titillated and entertained.  Since most people don’t understand the workings of the human mind, directors and writers play on this ignorance and reinforce the stereotypes found In pop culture.    The hypnotist has no “super-powers”.  Rather, the trained hypnotist has studied the way the human mind works, the physiology of the brain and the mechanisms that aid a person’s path into the hypnotic state and works with those mechanisms to achieve the enhanced trance state.

Hypnosis is one of the most misunderstood conditions of the human mind.  It is for this reason that there are so many false accusations by an uneducated media and general public.  One of the most common myths is that of being stuck in hypnosis.  You can no more get stuck in hypnosis than you can get stuck in sleep.  Even if something were to happen to the hypnotist during a show or session, the hypnotized person would either spontaneously pop out of hypnosis or would enter into a natural sleep state and awaken as they would from any regular sleep.

In the most recent story that has been making the rounds, the volunteer says that he does not recall the events of the evening.  This too is very common in hypnosis and often depends on the depth of the trance state.  Since hypnosis involves the sub-conscious mind, it is common that a person is not consciously aware of the events.  There are therapeutic benefits of this state that the clinical hypnotist uses to achieve the important changes that the client is seeking.  In the case of the stage hypnotist, most will give a suggestion to help their volunteer remember and enjoy their time on the stage.  As with sleep or conscience states, the hypnosis state is not at a constant depth.  The depth achieved is the result of the state of receptivity of the client/volunteer, the process employed by the hypnotist, as well as the physical condition of the volunteer.

There are tremendous benefits of being in this state.  First, it is incredibly relaxing.  In a state of hypnosis, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are in a state of balance.  This helps to achieve the depth of relaxation that is difficult to achieve in other ways.  This is why people commonly see volunteers on stage slumping or seeming to “melt” out of their chairs.

Hypnosis is achieved through one of two mechanisms; fatigue of the nervous system or overload of the nervous system.  In the first instance, the hypnotist or hypnotherapist will generally employ a talk-based patter such as progressive muscle relaxation or having the person focus on too many items at the same time.

The second method, which often is the most dramatic looking, and which is a result of taking advantage of the body’s fight/flight/freeze mechanism, is commonly called an instant induction.  These are inductions that employ an arm-pull/drop, body-drop or similar physical movement that causes the firing of the amygdala.    While it looks dramatic, the hypnotist is using the volunteers’ body mechanics to achieve the result.  The force used is the same as shaking hands with someone.  It is a “split-second” induction that allows the trained hypnotist to insert a suggestion at the exact moment the sub-conscious mind is off balance and seeking direction.

Hypnosis is safe!  The news story plays on the ignorance of people with respect to the safety of hypnosis.  Hypnosis, when performed by a trained hypnotist, is safe for both therapeutic and entertainment purposes.  It is NOT mind-control.  People in a state of hypnosis are fully aware of what is going on around them and even what they are doing.  They have full free-will and can choose to not accept the hypnotist’s suggestion, just as easily as they choose to accept and act on it.  There is no feeling of hypnosis, but there is a feeling of relaxation, peace and calm.

Hypnosis is NOT mind-control!  Contrary to myth, Hollywood and media sensationalizing to sell more movies, books and papers, hypnotized volunteers will not do things that are against their morals or closely held beliefs.

I am not saying that the media is completely at fault for reporting on instances where the hypnotist has done something that resulted in an either performing an inappropriate or dangerous routine or has failed to properly instruct their volunteers to act in a safe manner.  In those situations where the problem is caused by hypnotists that are either poorly trained, ignore their training, or allow their egos to override their common-sense, it is critical that the light be shined on the event.  However, there is often a rush to judgement and a need to gain audience that is accomplished with “disaster” headlines and over-blown reporting.

I recently addressed this matter in my YouTube vlog (video blog) Hypnosis Hangout Episode 7 – Trouble Waking Up Hypnotists.  (link to VLOG – https://youtu.be/vV5lEFR4tLw )  In the video, I specifically call on hypnotists to take Immediate action to insure they are protecting their volunteers and performing age and venue appropriate skits.  In so doing, they help to eliminate the sensationalized claims and return the industry to the prominence of being a safe and highly sought after, premium entertainment experience.  Removing the opportunity for negative publicity improves demand for shows and removes fears created by Hollywood, stereo-typing, and a news media hungry for audience engagement.

For More Information be sure to email – show@hypnomarc.com

About the Author:

Marc is an award winning, certified stage and clinical hypnotist, author and motivational speaker with experience entertaining both large and small gatherings.

Marc uses his skills and talents in a variety of areas that include self-improvement or clinical hypnosis, motivational speaking, and comedy stage hypnosis.  He has worked with individuals and corporations throughout the United States to improve outcomes in personal lives and organizations.

As a clinical hypnotist, he has helped people resolve sleep issues, lose weight, stop smoking, deal with long held fears, deal with stress and anxiety, manage pain, improve sports performance, eliminate addictions, and improve sexual function.

His performance resume includes appearances on live shows for Refinery29 Live and Elite Daily’s TrashED.  He has performed at comedy clubs, the Monroe County Fair (MI), the Osceola County Fair (Kissimmee, FL), the Red River Valley Fair (Fargo, ND), and for schools, proms, graduations, conferences, conventions and corporations.  He was a featured performer for New Jersey’s premier First Night Celebration – First Night Morris for New Year’s Eve 2018.

Marc’s book, “Staying in the Moment – Helping Students Achieve More Through Mindfulness Meditation” helps educators, parents and students get better results in the classroom through the adoption of mindfulness exercises as part of the curriculum.

For more information about, or to book an appointment with Marc visit his website: www.hypnomarc.com or email info@hypnomarc.com.

Change Your Thoughts

I’m sure that most of us have heard this quote from Mahatma Gandhi

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”

During my time as a high school teacher in an alternative high school environment,  I had the challenge of changing the way my students viewed themselves, their abilities to achieve their goals, and move their lives from that of chaos and confusion to a more orderly and sane life.  As part of the work that I did with them, I developed some exercises and lessons based on Sean Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.  Those habits – “1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw” – were completely foreign concepts to them, as to many adults I encounter. 

You are probably asking yourself what any of this has to do with hypnosis?   I promise that I will tell you in a moment.  Along my journey to perfect my skills as a hypnotist, I came to fully understand the power of language in shaping our thoughts, emotions and behaviors.  In simple terms, picture your mind as an iceberg.  The part that you see above the water, about 10% is our conscious mind.  The conscious mind is the rational mind that judges the information we are receiving and deciding whether it is true or false, whether we should believe it or not. This is where our short-term memory resides.   The other 90% of our mind, the subconscious mind, is like a hard-drive that is switched on at (or before birth) and records everything that goes on around us.  It notes every experience and feeling.  It regulates our body functions, and does not require us to be aware of its functioning.  This is the emotional mind.  Our behaviors are controlled by our subconscious mind.  This is important since our subconscious mind, that part of our mind that makes up 90%, relates all behaviors to emotions.  As a hypnotist, I work with language to help my clients reach their maximum potential by replacing negative emotions and behaviors with positive habits.   These changes bring about dramatic impacts in the lives my clients who are dealing with things such as anxiety, stress, pain, fear, inability to stop smoking, or lose weight, or want to perform better in work or sports.

It is our focus that becomes our reality.  If we are focused on negative outcomes, we surely will miss the positive opportunities.   I had a sign in my classroom that read: “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE – THERE IS ONLY FEEDBACK!”  That does not mean that students did not earn D’s or F’s, but rather the grades they earned gave them feedback about what they needed to do to improve their performance.  Did they need to study?  Did they need to come to class?  Did they need to spend time with me asking questions on things they did not understand?  That was their job and my expectation.

A friend of mine, Colin T. Fisher, who is also a Master Hypnotist and Law of Attraction Coach from the UK (www.TheRealLawOfAttraction.com), shared with me his book – Dreams into Reality.  The book consists of a series of 12 poems that take you on a journey of self-discovery and reinforces what I have demonstrated to clients, the incredible power of their minds to achieve anything they focus on.  As a hypnotist, I work with you to create positive feelings that replace the negative ones that hold you back. 

Begin focusing on the positive, today.  Do what I teach all my clients to do, begin with a simple practice of mindfulness meditation and see how your life will improve.  Here’s a link to my simple guided mindfulness meditation recording that has helped my students, my friends and my clients.  

Mindfulness Meditation Practice - Week 1

What Goes Into Pricing A Comedy Hypnosis Show?

The first question that I usually get from clients is about the cost of having me perform for their event. This is fully expected since each of us is cost conscious, especially when planning a major celebration. In my opinion, the question should be – “Where am I getting the most ‘BANG’ for my entertainment buck?” So, let me help you understand some of that equation first.

WHY A HYPNOSIS SHOW? Many times, hypnotist entertainers are measured against other entertainers such as caricature artists, fortune tellers and tarot card readers. Perhaps you are comparing me to magicians or similar acts. These are all common considerations. However, when you consider the following you can easily see how a HypnoMarc comedy hypnosis show is really cost effective. If, you have a face painter or caricature artist for your event it takes that artist about 10 minutes per guest to complete their work. That means they are only able to entertain about 6 guests per hour. On a per hour basis of entertainment, it would cost you far more than my show. The same equation goes for fortune tellers and tarot card readers.

When comparing my show to that of mentalists and magicians, once again, the comedy hypnosis show comes out on top as the entertainment winner. My comedy hypnosis show uses your guests as the STARS of the show. People in the audience have an instant connection to those on the stage and become deeply enthralled by the mystery of the mind and the comic responses of those experiencing the wonders of hypnosis. It is a show that your guests will remember, laugh and talk about for years because hypnosis is REAL and their experience is unique!
The question that you asked is what goes into the pricing? As a professional hypnotist, I am trained and certified as both a clinical and stage hypnotist. I continually keep up my training and take additional courses (CEUs) to maintain my professional liability insurances and skills. Of course, these courses have a cost. I participate in professional development programs at hypnosis conferences throughout the year. HypnoMarc, LLC. is a regular business that has expenses for phone, travel, advertising, agency fees, professional sound equipment, travel, and show costumes and props. As a business, I need to turn a profit in order to pay my personal bills. And, unlike many other performers who you may consider, you don’t have to ask about insurance. I provide each client with a $2 million liability policy that protects you and your property in the unlikely event there is a problem.

BEWARE OF BOOKING THE CHEAPEST! Most entertainment buyers are savvy enough to question why one performer is priced so much less than their competition. Usually it is an indication of a beginning entertainer who lacks the experience and the ability to develop and bring current or new routines. It doesn’t mean they are bad, just their shows are not as polished. Frequently they are using inferior sound equipment or don’t have those touches that make the show special for you!

For me, your event is much more than the typical 60 minutes of performing before your guests. Before I come to your event I am customizing skits and routines that are for YOU. I work to make each show special for your guests and that requires time. The setup and breakdown of each show requires about an hour on each side. This means that I am really present for more than 3 hours. It is the attention to detail that ensures your satisfaction with the performance. The reality is that when you consider the cost per guest and the engagement in the event, you will find that I am far less expensive than a movie, ball game, or casino night.

Let’s talk! Let’s see how together we can make your special event – REALLY SPECIAL.

QUESTIONS TO ASK OF YOUR ENTERTAINER

  • What Training Do You Have?
    • Unlike other entertainers, I continually train for the benefit of my Stage and Clinical clients.
  • Have you had any insurance claims?
    • My typical hypnosis comedy show is a very active show.  At all times, I am hyper-focused on maintaining safety of my volunteers and audience. While accidents can happen, planning and proper instructions go a long way to preventing them.  I am a retired EMT and Emergency Management Instructor who has planned and executed events for more than 25,000 people, where safety was our first concern.
  • Are you safe around my students and family?
    • As someone who spends a great deal of time interacting with students for events such as, Post Prom parties,  Project Graduations and Sober Nights, I understand your need to have a performer that has been checked.  I provide a copy of my NJ State background check certificate to those schools and youth organizations that request one.  Can the other performer do the same?
  • Is your show appropriate for my group?
    • Each of my shows is prepared with the venue and the audience in mind.   I won’t be performing a late night show for your daughter’s Sweet 16 Party.  My shows are about having fun and making sure you are happy.
  • I am with a not-for-profit group with a limited budget, Can you donate a show?
    • Ask me about how you can put the FUN back into FUNdraising.  I have a special package that gives you an opportunity to maximize your returns without risk.  In fact, I am happy to share my FREE report – The Top 5 Tips to Maximize Your Fund Raising Efforts – Just text FUNDRAISING to 44222 enter your email and you will instantly receive my FREE no Obligation report that can show you how to boost your efforts $2000, $3000 or more.