I first became interested in hypnotism as a child, thinking that the most valuable use for it would be to get people to do whatever I want them to do.  That seems to be a very appealing notion for a youngster—to have such power!

Later, as a teenager, I wanted to use it for myself in order to overcome shyness and become a fabulous success.

Some years after that, and after a few bumps in the road, I finally settled down to study Hypnotism and practice it as much as possible and really learn it for myself. The learning began when I was able to let go of wanting any material gain from hypnotism. Hypnotism is a fascinating natural gift that anyone can have.

Now that I am fully established in my practice, with much experience and strong ties to the community, I find that my self-hypnosis is stronger than ever, and it translates to the work I do with clients.

This year I had to get really honest with myself. I had gotten so busy in my practice that my personal habits were slipping. I do a lot of business networking—really, a lot of networking!—and everywhere I went there was another buffet, dessert, a bagel and some cookies. I put on about 20 pounds without noticing much, and I stopped working out.

Of course, there were many indications that my condition was changing, because I listen to my body.

At some point I realized that I stopped practicing the principles that I preach. No one is going to want to hire a fat hypnotist. And if I’m not willing to do the work to improve my Life, how could I ask anyone else to do it?  No. If I am to be a true Inspirationist, I must live the principles and have them alive in my Life.

These days I am practicing self-hypnosis every night, right before sleep. I have learned—and I have proven—that whatever the conscious mind thinks about just before sleep, is repeated all night long in the subconscious mind.  Of course, there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. I teach my clients how to do it for themselves, for the best success they can have.

I make sure that my learning and effort to improve myself has the most altruistic goal: to be of service.

So, how does altruism work for a businessman who is a professional hypnotist? Simple. The clients I serve must pay, because they must give something in return for the value they receive. That is true for everything in Life. To get love one must show love. To earn money, one must sell something of value. To get anything, there must be effort, willingness to trade—a transaction of some kind.

My time and effort have great value because of the effort I continue to expend to improve myself, my knowledge, and my expertise. 

I charge for my services because I am willing to apply every bit of knowledge and effort to every client who sees me.  I am working for them, I love what I do, and I am always eager to help them get what they need.  My goal, always, is to teach them how to use Hypnotism for themselves.  Once you receive the great gift of Hypnotism, you can never lose it or forget it, and no one can take it from you.

I have expanded my business to include group hypnosis sessions and workshops that I provide to the general public, and I’m thrilled to say that this foray into the community has been very well received! 

The next workshop will be held on December 15 in Red Bank, NJ, and I would love to see you there.

Tags: Events, Hypnotherapy by James
No Comments »

Welcome to the end-of-year season!  This is the time of year when we all go inward for introspection.  Hopefully, we assess ourselves, decide which changes we will make, and begin fine tuning ourselves and our lives.  Now that we’re here, let’s take a look at the positives and the pitfalls of making New Year’s Resolutions.

First, the pitfalls.  New Year’s Resolutions are laughed at.  They are both the joke and the punch line.  A great many people just don’t believe that lasting change is possible, so they will deride your efforts to make positive changes.

Every year at the gym, right after the New Year, there is increased traffic due to people wanting to get into shape right after the holidays.  We expect this traffic.  You want to know what the joke is?  They will all be gone in about a month.  These folks even have a name: “Resolutioners.”  It is well known that most people will not sustain the changes they plan. Here’s a tip: only tell the people in your life who will be supportive, and who are also interested in making changes for the better!

A resolution means perseverance and determination.  Changes don’t have to be painful, but the effort that you put in is equal to the results you will get.  Don’t get caught up with distractions from your goal!

Here are some ways you can reinforce your decision to change for the better.

Watch your self-talk.  Whatever doubts you have are expressed in the way we talk to ourselves.  All doubt comes from the conscious mind.  The unconscious does not argue; it only does what we tell it to do.  As you are making changes in your life, change the way you talk to yourself.  Talk as if you are a great coach to yourself.  You love yourself and you want to have the best life you can get, right?  Be a positive influence upon your own mind.

Give yourself positive reinforcement.  Now that change is in the air, give yourself the best possible chance by seeking opportunities to practice the principles that you know are right for you.  You will probably be better off making new habits and changing People, Places, and Things.

Encourage yourself to change by changing the little things: routes traveled, daily rituals and routines, and personal habits.  By doing this, new opportunities for lasting change will come into your consciousness.  When this happens, give thanks!  This is your powerful subconscious mind guiding you toward the changes you want!  Give yourself the gift of change, and go for it!

Tags: Hypnotherapy by James
1 Comment »

“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” You might recognize this affirmation, originated by Émile Coué almost a century ago.

Affirmations are ideas packaged into neat phrases that are used for the purpose of self-improvement. They are typically used as meditations just before sleeping or immediately upon awakening. The theory is that the idea will act upon the subconscious, causing desired changes. This effect has been produced and replicated hundreds of times in clinical studies.

But what if your affirmation isn’t working? It might be because the exact wording doesn’t match your suggestibility. Suggestibility varies greatly among all of us, so when it comes to affirmations, one size does not fit all. Not even close.

Are you the type of person who bristles when being told what to do? If so, it’s possible that your subconscious will reject a direct suggestion. However, even if your subconscious resists authority, there’s a way that you can present it with new ideas that it will accept readily.

Think of your subconscious as a child of about 10 years old. Even a stubborn child can be motivated—it’s all in your presentation. If you let a child think they came up with an idea on their own, they’ll probably jump all over it. Keep in mind that approximately half the population is very OK with authoritarian affirmations (direct suggestions), and can accept them at face value and get results, no problem.

How can you determine your own suggestibility? That part isn’t so simple for the uninitiated, but it’s possible. If you are highly empathetic or sympathetic, if you can easily imagine physical sensations in your body, and if you are usually outgoing and eager to converse, it’s likely that you will respond to direct suggestions. Conversely, if your emotions don’t translate quickly into physical sensations, or if you tend to have difficulty connecting immediately with someone else’s emotional state, it’s likely that you’ll have more success with indirect suggestions.

Coué’s affirmation above is a direct suggestion. If you don’t have success with it, change it to an indirect suggestion and try it again for a week or so. Here are some examples: “Every day, I can get better…” or “It’s possible that every day, I am getting better…” Does your subconscious require a super indirect suggestion? Here you go: “Every day, in every way, I can give myself permission to allow myself to consider that I am getting better and better.”

Remember, your subconscious mind doesn’t analyze or evaluate, it just does what you tell it to do when you’re speaking its language. So try your affirmations as both direct and indirect suggestions, and see which one works better!

Tags: Hypnotherapy, Uncategorized by James
3 Comments »

How’s it going? How was your holiday season? I’m in touch with quite a few people who had their share of stress over the New Year’s holiday. I wish I could get them into my office for 2-3 sessions because I know I can give each of them a great tune-up! It’s now the New Year, and millions of people are eager to change a whole bunch of things in their lives.

As we long for change and new beginnings, we also resist change at some level. People who resist change manage to hang onto the old, reject the new, and repeat their previous experiences with each new season and setting.

Most of your behaviors are automatic, or subconscious. These include bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, and blinking—plus a range of unwanted behaviors. How do you know which behaviors are automatic? Simple: they are the ones you can’t explain. You simply don’t know why you can’t stop or replace them with behaviors you desire. Sometimes you make up reasons and excuses such as, “I was raised that way,” or “I’m just too old to change,” but deep down you know that the subconscious desire is too strong for you to change with just plain willpower.

Your subconscious is the part of your mind that has always paid attention and never sleeps. It has learned many lessons, and it likes to act on those lessons at all times. Unfortunately, the subconscious also learns lessons that might not be good for us.

Over the years many of us learn to over-eat, for example. We learn to rely on any number of quick fixes and mood-altering situations. If you can relate to this and are having a devil of a time reforming your behaviors, welcome to your Subconscious Mind! It’s where your hidden desires demand to be satisfied. It’s an amazing and wonderful place. I know, because I work there full-time.

There’s another way: Hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is a way into the subconscious in order to remove unwanted behaviors, alter your Life Script, and improve general wellness.

Hypnosis is science, although it seems like magic. In the hands of a skilled, educated professional working with a motivated client, the results are fascinating. When you succeed with hypnotherapy, you understand the infinite power of your own subconscious wisdom, and you recognize that you are powerful. At the moment that your conscious desires and subconscious capacity for learning align, you become unstoppable! Right now, whatever condition you are in, I assure you that your internal resources are abundant, and they are accessible to you.

Hypnosis is commonly known to work wonders for people who want to quit smoking or lose weight. It’s also great for reducing stress and anxiety. Did you know it can help you re-write your Life Script? Yes, you can change your subconscious expectations of how much you earn annually, general health and conditioning, even the kind of people you will attract into your life. You can use hypnosis to improve your golf game, heal faster from surgery, and deal with grief. The subconscious, while in hypnosis, is ready to learn new lessons and change the course of your life.

If this sounds hard to believe, it’s because you’re thinking about this with your conscious mind. Your conscious mind is the part that reasons, analyzes, and uses willpower. Your subconscious, on the other hand, only does what you tell it to do—when it opens up for learning.

For a professionally trained hypnotist, the process is simple, short term, and highly effective. We can help you unlock your subconscious, because we have the keys to the front door.

Tags: Hypnotherapy by James
1 Comment »

I can do anything I want.

It’s true!  I can do anything, go anywhere, get anything, and meet anyone I desire.

This, for me, is the beginning of all the positive changes I make in my Life.  It seems paradoxical, but in order to push past my limitations, I first consider the range of abundance before me in all directions. [Read more →]

Tags: Hypnotherapy by James
2 Comments »

We’re in this together, and I always go first. I’ve never failed to put anyone in a trance, as long as they were willing to experience the process.

I’ve heard the relationship called “trance partners,” and that makes sense to me. Whenever I conduct a session, I always go into a light trance. I can’t go deep because I’m the guide. That means I always go first. I lead you in, and at the end I lead you out again.

Hypnotic trance isn’t the same as relaxation or meditation. [Read more →]

Tags: Hypnotherapy by James
No Comments »

As a summertime man who lives on the coast of New Jersey, I miss the summer months when I can forget about coats and gloves, and go for a drive with the top down.  This year I’m trying something new:  I’m doing whatever I can to appreciate the beauty of the changing seasons.  Mother Nature has her way, and she is consistent.

As the seasons change in a temperate climate, one day the temperature drops considerably, suddenly getting our attention.  If we had been watching more closely, we would have seen the signs of change all along.  The first day of autumn can seem like a typical summer day.  Then a day comes that’s nothing like summer, and we become conscious that the seasons are changing all the time.

I have this theory that people are seasonal, too. [Read more →]

Tags: Hypnotherapy by James
1 Comment »