This is the first problem with Hypnosis and I’m sure everyone who studies it has come across it. How do you get your friends/family to allow you to practice on them??? Every time I ask my friends they always respond with a look of worry and resounding ‘No way’ (One of them won’t look me in the eyes any more).
I feel people like Peter Powers have not help but there must be some way…if only I can hypnotize them to say yes…
I feel I am not getting any further in my studies as I am at the point where I need some hands on practice, so to speak.
It’s a catch 22 because my friends know I am practicing so they are worried I will screw up and leave them brain washed or something, but I have not got the knowledge or confidence yet to try and hypnotize a stranger.
Any help will be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ben

You can't make someone if they don't want to. Period! And to try and manipulate them into agreeing into participating is wrong.

Hi looch
You are right. I just wondered if every one else has had this problem at the start. It just seems impossible to get anybody to be a willing subject

Have you tried EVERY friend?

I wouldnt do it for anybody, but I have one or two friends that if they asked me I'd go for it.

You can't ,make some one wish to paticipate but you can convince them that it's totally safe and to their benifit.

H.W

Hi everybody

No I have not tried every friend but most of them (The ones I see on a regular basis). I just can’t see McGill having this problem (or you Hypnotic Winter) when you both started out. I thought people would be jumping at the chance to be hypnotised and I wondered if it was just me or my choice in friends. I think I need to work on my selling technique.
I need to sell them the idea!!! Make it out like I am doing them a big favour in me hypnotising them…easier said then done I fear.
I will let you know how I get on

Hi,
Just a thought here...

I have always found it best to NOT work with friends and family when one is working out the effectiveness of an induction, etc.

The reason is simple. Since these people already know you and obviously have attatchments to you and feelings for you it is difficult to guage the sincerity of the effect on them.

Some may "play along" somewhat out of fear of hurting your feelings.

To get a more honest reaction, approach a friend and have them put together a gather of thier friends with whom you may not be as closely associated.

When you ply you trade on these people, you will be able to more accurately see the effect of what you are trying to do.

One other reason you may be having difficulty finding willing "victims", is that it is likely some of the people you are approaching may have seen a hypnosis show that was done in poor taste and without regard to the feelings or morals of those who were on stage.

I can't count the times I was on tour and would pull into a town and think I was going to kill because the club was packed only to find out that I was going to have one heck of a time getting subjects on stage because some bozo had gone through the same town a few months back and made people do some rather demeaning and savage things.

I always managed to pull out of it but it took some hard sell. One of my best methods of doing this was to decry anyone who felt they had to entertain by abusing the subjects.

People in my audience seemed to agree with me when I came out with the statement "It does not take any imagination to be a pig". "I consider myself a tad bit above that sort of performance".

It seemed to work well.


Cheers, Steve Santini

When I first started I was in college, the clas shad about 20 to 25 in it, I told them that I wouldn't hypnotise them insted I would use some suggestability tests one them, that solved the problems at the start, promise them you won't hypnotise them, simply stick their hands together or make them fall over etc, I used to stick a few guys hands together and leve them like that when the lectureer came, in, it used to get a few laughs.
Do not abbuse trust though, if some one allow's you to hypnotise them to stop smoking only do not abuse that trust, if every one elese see's you are trust worthy and will not make them do any thing abuseive people wil begin to trust you.
SANTINI, I can totally relate to your experience, I was banned from two public housed due to the owners having trouble with hypnotists in the past they have hired and once seen a bad hypnosist nearly kill a girl.

H.W

Hi all,

Please pardon me for posting without first introducing myself. My name is Steve Santini and I live in Canada.

Starting when I was 13 I began performing escapology. I did escapes for many years and still do.

However, when I was in my early 20's I started performing hypno/ment shows across Canada. I did these for almost 20 years and still do in nightclubs, colleges,universities,fairs and exhibitions, and theatres.

While in the past I have usually posted on the "All Tied Up" section of the Café, I thought I would maybe drop in here from time to time and impart some of my personal experience (if it could be of use).

Today is my first posting to this thread and hopefully I can add to the discussions in a positive way.

Cheers, Steve Santini

Hi Steve,nice to read you.

Mr. santini is a very well respected performer here in Canada and has done numerous TV spots over the years, as well his advice should be regarded as "priceless" you cannot escape that!!


cheers,
andrew gerard

It's fine to begin by practicing on friends. In the beginning, you'll need to memorize scripts and procedures and bits of business. Even if your friends don't want to be hypnotized, you can practice your scripts and such on them. If they're trustworthy, even ask them for advice (e.g. "how can I come across more confidently?").

Hi Andrew,

Thank you very much for the kind words. It's nice to be here!

Steve Santini

By the way, I should once again apologize for my typing and spelling, I may be a hypnotist but I'm still dyslexic, I draw great strength from knowing one of the greatest hypnotists that ever lived(Milton Erikson)was dyslexic,it was his example that showed me I could be as good as anyone,and not let this thing hold me back.

H.W

As has been posted here a number of times the best way is to get some training to avoid embarrassing and potentially dangerous situations occurring.

That said, the only way is to just do it in front of a live audience perhaps after getting invited to a party.

Let them know a hypnotist is coming to the party and just pretend you are one even if you don't feel like one.

But only after you have had some training, only studying from a book is asking for trouble.

I don't do any shows now (although I get offered them from time to time) because of the insurance situation in here in the UK.

I used to overcome the reluctant volunteers by stating I wouldn't start the show until the seats were full. I didn't need to decry any other hypnotist. Just wait a couple of minutes and the tension disappeared and volunteers always appeared in their own time..

Perhaps I should have made myself more clear...

By "decry" I did not mean any performer by name but rather that particular performing style , (i.e. rude and crude), if one can indeed even call it that.

I have found that if an audience sees early on that you are telling them their own fears and allaying them, it means to the audience that you have some understanding of commonly held concerns.

By showing in a verbal way you care and are aware, you help to establish some small level of trust.

Also,having people aware that you are a hypnotist in advance of a performance or appearance only helps things to work along.

Like I have always said, the "suggestion" begins the moment they read the poster or newspaper advert telling when and where you are going to perform.

The mere fact they show up shows there is at least some desire to watch and some desire to be part of the show.

Odds are the people who go to your hypno show have seen a number of them before. They know you rely on audience members to make it fly. And they also know that by merely being there they may be one of the one's who ends up participating onstage.

Never miss the chance to see the suggestion at work and put it to work for you far in advance of your ever having taken the stage or having spoken the first words into the microphone. In reality, it begins much earlier than this.

Steve Santini

Again I have to agree with every single word SANTINI, it's nice to have another person specializing in hypnosis on here.

H.W

Where can you learn Hypnosis? I've wanted to learn that since I was a little kid. I know someone, Fred Rosenbaum, who knows it, but he didn't want to show it to anyone of us.

Brian

I don't disagree, there are also suggestions by implication. "I am not going to start until these chairs are filled"(you then point to the chairs and wait). There are people in the audience who are predisposed to volunteering (showing off). And the longer you wait before you start the show (only a few mins) puts pressure on them to volunteer, plus their friends who know them well also put pressure on them. They usually give in which is what they wanted in the first place. You can use group dynamics to your advantage and make your job much easier. There are more than just verbal and non verbal suggestions you can utilize.

Group manipulation is really useful.

My presentations have content in them anyway to remove fears of being hypnotized. The group manipulation above is a really easy and powerful way to overcome much resistance as described above.

At the end of the day whatever works for you. I just like to find ways to do more with less.

The implied suggestion is the show won't happen without them specifically. that's how the pressure builds.

I've seen and used most methods including Shrinks, I find it all depends on the situation, one night I could only get one volunteer, after I had hypnotized her and had her perform a few harmless routines 4 more people volunteered.

H.W

On an another forum the same question was asked and this a reply that came for Mark Lewis:

"It is worth mentioning that there is an excellent little book by a deceased British mentalist on this very subject. I forget the title but it is by Stanton Carlisle and was published by Supreme.

I knew Stanton personally and he was an old pro. Anyone who is in this category is worth reading.

What makes the book particularly good is the fact that he tells you how to actually go about practicing it. Contact mindreading has the same difficulty in practicing that stage hypnotism has. You need someone to practice on. It is not easy to persuade people to stand there helping you for hours on end.

Classic forcing cards has the same difficulty. I have always thought that the Thumb Tie is a most wondrous trick but have never been able to learn it because it does need someone to help you practice it.

The Carlisle book tells you how to go about practicing without having to have someone to practice on.

Incidentally to practice stage hypnotism without live people you just have to rehearse to the tables and chairs at home and once you have it perfect you have to have the gumption to go ahead and do it."

The book is: Master-Mentality by Stanton Carlisle.

Hope this helps.