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.

I love it when the uninitiated think I can get control of their minds and “make” them do things such as quack and wag their tails.  Why aren’t they more concerned that I can make them detail my car and paint my dining room?

Or the belief that I can find out their secrets.  The secrets that I’ve already heard from conscious, earnest clients up to this point would probably disappoint most voyeurs.  I’m afraid that there’s nothing there that I haven’t experienced myself, or seen someone among my family or friends go through.  No, most deeply-guarded secrets are not so scandalizing, at least to me.  And the imagination is not stranger than Real Life.

A lot of people tell me they can’t be hypnotized.  Fair enough!  If they dig in with stubborn resistance, there’s no way anyone can hypnotize them or even persuade them to sit in my office.

And among clients who willingly submit to the process, sometimes I have trouble keeping a straight face.  One gentleman, who admirably came in to let me help him quit smoking, explained that he enjoys smoking a joint with his wife most nights.  He’s not an addict; he uses it the way some people enjoy having a drink at the end of the day.  He asked, “can you make me quit cigarettes but still let me smoke pot?”  The answer is YES!  Tobacco and mary jane are two totally separate things–and one was desired and the other despised by the client.  The mind will have no confusion there.

But ignorance is also detrimental.  If a person will hold to erroneous beliefs, I won’t be able to show them  how wonderful hypnosis is, and what it can do for them.  I won’t be able to share this gift with them.  They will never learn that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, and what they get from me is a new skill that they can use, on their own, for the rest of their lives for many issues that will arise.  It’s like getting an Owner’s Manual for the mind!

Lastly, here’s something I like to point out at the beginning of every session: Hypnosis is just a word.  It describes a very natural state of mind that everyone enters into and out of, many times every day.  Whatever that state is, we can learn to use it and control it to a great degree.  Once we learn to manage that state, we learn that it is the key to the most powerful parts of our minds.  It is the way to align all the parts of mind and body, and the way to becoming unstoppable!

In the hypnotism part of sessions with clients, I do most of the talking.  Sometimes we have a simple conversation, but that’s rare.  Usually clients answer some questions with very short answers.  Depending on the depth of the trance, they may not say anything.

Feedback is essential.  During the trance I always test my clients’ depth by observing their responses to certain suggestions.  At the lightest level of trance they will lose control of simple motor functions.  At the deepest levels they will experience hallucinations and negative hallucinations (not seeing something that is there).  I always test.

The feedback I need is immediately after the trance.  I want to know what their experience was like for them, if they were comfortable, if there was any idea or impulse or memory they want to talk about.  I want to know whatever impressions they had that they might want to talk about.  I want to know what hypnosis was like for them.

I don’t ask these things out of curiosity; I ask because the information is essential to their success, and to the way I will conduct the next trance session.  For example, if I know what their individual idea of hypnosis is, I can suggest it to them and they will be able to slip into that state more easily and quickly.  Their answers to my questions also reveal whether I went too quickly or too slowly of if they need concrete or more accurate instructions and descriptions.  Sometimes they pick up on subtleties that I miss, because they are extremely attentive to certain details while in the trance state.

I won’t know most of this information if I don’t ask, because during hypnosis they are sitting passively in a chair, physically relaxed.  Of course, there are many signs that I can see: rapid eye movement, changes in breathing, especially in response to suggestions of physical relaxation, abreactions, fidgeting, etc.

Abreactions are physical movements in response to suggestions.  They can vary in intensity, and they are always significant and must be explored if the client is to be successful.  I always ask about physical reactions, because I need to know what was going on at that time.  It may have been their subconscious reacting in some way–or they might have been physically cold or uncomfortable.  It’s essential that I find out more, so I can help them succeed in the best possible way.

Sometimes certain words or phrases are distracting to them because they remind them of specific situations.  I like to snap my fingers as a cue, but some clients are startled by that, so I’ll do something else such as a gentle knock on my wooden desk.

Feedback closes the loop of communication with my client.  A few simple explanations and descriptions from them help me to understand what to do differently in order that they achieve what they set out to do!

Can you guess what I’ll be talking about? Think it has something to do with Hypnosis, Hypnotism, or Hypnotherapy?  Good guess!

I’ll give a description of what hypnosis is, explain the Theory of Mind, and the process of hypnotic induction.

Would you like to learn how to hypnotize yourself, and use affirmations that you can write for yourself?  OK!  I’ll cover that, too.

But wait!  There’s more!

We’ll try the technique together and discuss the outcome.  This part is always surprising because individual experience varies widely.  I will explain why there is variation, and you will be able to identify what your learning style is, and your preferred pattern of suggestibility.

I will describe and we will discuss how to use self-hypnosis to increase your sense of gratitude and wellness within your own little spot in the Universe.

I will supply some affirmations and explain how to use them in conjunction with self hypnosis. I will tell you the best times to use these techniques (hint: within 30 minutes of bedtime!).

If you go, I guarantee I’ll give you 100% of my best effort, and we’ll have some fun, because if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it!

I hope you can make it!

Visit HWPN at their website, hwpn.org for more information about the organization and to locate wellness practitioners in your area.