By Adriana James and Ewan Mochrie – Guest writer
This is the second article in the series dedicated to our very successful and knowledgeable Master Hypnosis Trainers who graduated this year. In Part One
of this article I argued about the covert struggle in the minds of some people when thinking about hypnosis. Since Hollywood still stubbornly presents hypnosis as “power over” people (movies sell better this way), but does not give us the understanding of the fact that power over presupposes cooperation from the people to be hypnotized, many are left to believe the myth.
Movies don’t say that hypnosis alone has not made anybody do anything against their will. They don’t say that if hypnosis were to be all is made to be in the movies it would probably be illegal and they do not say that you cannot claim in a court of law that you robbed a bank because somebody hypnotised you and made you do it.
Because it does not work this way! In fact once you learn about hypnosis you realize that YOU have the power to accept or resist trance and it is only up to you. You know when hypnotic techniques are used by the person, advertising or TV shows in front of you and you know what to do to reject all these suggestions if you don’t agree with them. Once you demystify hypnosis you realize that is easier to resist than to do.
But once you learn it, you also realize its incredible benefits for relaxation, getting rid of stress, even quitting smoking or assisting in changing other unwanted behaviours.
My point is also that we need to realize that we are spending most of our daily activities in trance anyway. We do!
When you drive you’re in trance. When you watch television you’re in trance and all the advertising messages go straight to your Unconscious Mind becoming suggestions. Two months later you buy the product thinking that you chose it … but it was the advertising surreptitiously getting in your Unconscious Mind while your Conscious Mind was tired and out of the way. You know when! When you’re on the couch relaxing and watching TV….
We are very proud of our Master Hypnosis Trainers. They are using these skills in integrity to really help people understand and learn hypnosis and its benefits for personal use, either in a coaching or training context.
Below you have a very well written explanation and transcript of the hypnotic technique Ewan Mochrie used in his demonstration at the end of the Master Hypnosis Trainer’s Training this year in Henderson, Nevada. His demonstration is worth watching – Ewan is not only an expert Hypnosis Trainer but he is also fun and entertaining to watch! Enjoy!
Who Was James Braid ?
By Ewan Mochrie
Born and educated in Scotland Braid moved to Manchester England 1828 to open a surgical practice there. In 1841 he observed a public performance of Animal Magnetism by travelling Swiss Mesmerist Charles Lafontaine. As an aside it is thought that Lafontaine’ autobiography influenced George du Maurier who wrote the novel Trilby. Maybe not well known today but when it was published it was the second best-selling novel of its time behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula. One of the most alluring characters with the novel was Svengali, a roguish, masterful musician and hypnotist.
Anyway back to Braid he attended Lafontaine’s demonstration in order to debunk it. But having been invited upon stage check the condition of a Magnetised subject he did conclude that the state that the individual was in was not the same that he was in at the start of the demonstration. He however concluded that the state was not cause by anything to do with Lafontaine but rather with eye fixation.
Braid went on to experiment upon himself and his wife and went on to coin the term Hypnosis and as such is credited as being the father of Hypnosis. Braid’s techniques and thinking went on to influence the Liébeault and Bernheim school of Nancy in France.
James Braid’s Induction
- Get a bright object – a button, a bottle cork with a metallic end or such like – Braid used a Lancet case
- The hold the object between your thumb, fore and middle fingers of your left hand.
- Hold it 8-15 inches from the eyes of the subject at such a position above the forehead as may be necessary to produce the greatest possible strain upon the eyes and eyelids.
- Enable the subject to maintain a steady fixed stare at the object – (probably for around 2-3 minutes).
- The pupils will at first contract; they will then shortly begin to dilate.
- After they have dilated to a considerable extent and have assumed a way motion, extend the fore and middle fingers of the thumb of the right hand, a little separated towards the subjects eyes should close involuntarily with a vibratory motion.
- If this is not the case or if the subject allows the eyeballs to move, desire him to begin anew giving him to understand that he is to allow the eyelids to close when the fingers are again carried towards the eyes.
- But that the eye balls must be kept fixed in the same position and the mind riveted to the one idea of the object above the eyes.
- It will be generally found that the eyelids close with a vibratory motion or become spasmodically closed.
- After ten or fifteen seconds have elapsed, by gently elevating the arms and legs, it will be found that the patient has a disposition to retain them in the situation in which they have been placed , if he is intensely affected.
- If this is not the case desire him in a soft voice to retain the limbs in extended position.