First I must say that I consider myself to be an Expert in the area of … Hypnotic (and Magical) … I say this not out of a sense of ego, but because although I am not an …
First I must say that I consider myself to be an Expert in the area of providing Hypnotic (and Magical) Entertainment. I say this not out of a sense of ego, but because although I am not an entertainer myself; Providing, Producing & Directing Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment has been my Exclusive Business Focus for nearly 15 years now. I am also a certified professional hypnotist, but I would NEVER profess to be a “Hypnotic Entertainer”!
I have worked with a wide variety of Stage Hypnotists over the years in very many capacities. After a few years I came to one conclusion… All Hypnotists are certainly not created equally!
The entertainment provided within the Fair, Festival & Event Industries is certainly a reflection of the knowledge of the individuals whose job it is to actually secure & book the talent. Unfortunately, over the years I have found that many people in these jobs do not know what they need to know when it comes to booking Stage Hypnotists. Most individuals in those positions simply know that having a Hypnotist is a crowd pleaser. They are right in their thinking on the one hand… having a Stage Hypnotist perform a few times each day during the run of an event is most certainly a drawing act. Many attendees return repeatedly to the event just to see the Hypnotist. I can state this from personal experience, since about 20 years ago, I myself was what I now call in the business… a “hypno-junkie”. These are the people who are so fascinated by Hypnosis Shows that they just can’t seem to get enough of them. So began my business career & involvement in providing this type of entertainment, although I used to “pretend” to hypnotize my friends in the dressing room of my Home Ec Class in Junior High School.
Let me begin by stating that MOST of the individuals who sell themselves as “Hypnotic Entertainers” are simply people who have either studied hypnosis in one way or another, and/or received certification of some type… many by attendance at a weekend seminar. Know that Hypnosis is NOT governed or regulated on a National level, and VERY FEW states regulate it in any way whatsoever. Obtaining Certifications and/or Registrations with local or national Hypnosis organizations is VERY easily achieved… therefore ANYONE can call themselves a Hypnotist, with or without any type of study, knowledge or “certification”.
Just drink that in for a minute. I could train & prep YOU (in just a few hours) to get on a stage and perform a Hypnosis Show. Would you consider yourself qualified as a Stage Hypnotist / Performer… I think not! But that is exactly much of what is on stages across the country today in my Industry! That is a pretty scary thought isn’t it… since we are dealing with people’s psyche in these shows?
Having some virtually worthless Hypnotic “certification” certainly does not qualify an individual to be knowledgeable enough to actually handle an abreaction (a negative emotional response) should it occur during a performance (which it does frequently).
Most certainly, having some “certification” DOES NOT MAKE THEM AN ENTERTAINER… and I am here to say THAT is one HUGE difference that buyers of talent need to look at ! Is this individual that you are about to hire, an “Entertainer” first and foremost, who simply uses Hypnosis as his tool to entertain with? OR Is this individual you are about to hire a person with some easily obtained “paper” credentials who is TRYING TO BE AN ENTERTAINER?
Some buyers of talent are very hung up on the Hypnotist having “paper credentials”, when most of these buyers don’t realize how worthless it really is. Point in fact is that having that “paper” is absolutely NO INDICATION of what you are actually buying in the way of suitable entertainment for your event & attendees!
In my personal business of delivering Hypnotic Entertainment, I am affiliated with only one Featured Performer. I frequently look for QUALITY & QUALIFIED Stage Hypnotists whose services I can use in cases such as double bookings for my own Featured Show. I rarely find those individuals, since the Quality Acts & Performers are generally as booked up as we are. I am very frequently approached by other Hypnotists who want me to book them… so I acquire their promotional materials… I go see their “shows”… and I repeatedly turn them down! I will not attach my name to “entertainment” such as that delivered by most of these “ hypnotic performers”.
Look for the “Entertainer” qualities first. Is he/she charismatic? What types of High Venue & Events have they performed for or do they spend most of their time in a Hypno THERAPY practice? Do they have many years of studying the mind and Hypnosis behind them, or are they what I call a “weekend wonder”? How long have they actually been performing… most entertainers started out as a child in some way or another. Is their show active? Do they musically choreograph their shows? Are they “clinical” in their appearance & delivery? Is their “show” merely a “demonstration” of Hypnosis instead of an entertaining performance? Are they trying to “sell you” by using the fact that they are “certified”?
Very importantly… what about the Ethics involved… is the material and routine structure of their show appropriate for your attendees and audiences? I cannot tell you how many times I have seen Stage Hypnotists crossing that line at family style venue. I have often watched them at Fairs, performing skits that were sexual in nature and very inappropriate for family shows. I have watched Stage Hypnotists seriously degrade and humiliate their volunteers… all in the name of “fun”. I have watched Hypnotists elicit negative emotions such as anger & the like from their subjects in shows. Folks, our subconscious minds take in & remember EVERY sensatory experience in our lives… therefore it may be long after a performance when a volunteer has a negative experience due to their involvement with a Hypnotist Show.
As artists & entertainers I believe that we have a great responsibility to provide & deliver positive & appropriate performance, especially in the family environments. Factually speaking, I couldn’t tell you how many times, sometimes months or years after a show, I have had a volunteer tell me how their life changed for the better in some way as a direct result of their having been in one of our shows. THAT is what should be the “norm” for Stage Hypnotist acts. We simply bring their inner child out to play for a while in a very responsible & entertaining way… AND we leave them feeling empowered by their experience with the shows I offer. I simply wish that all Stage Hypnotists took this as seriously as I do… and I wish that all buyers of talent knew what to look for!
Our minds are simply incredible and very powerful. Stage Hypnosis is a terrific form of entertainment… when used properly, and by a real “entertainer”!
There are plenty of Stage Hypnotists who sell themselves “cheaply” and unfortunately this is often a primary consideration & criteria of buyers of talent. I am simply here to say that this is not an area of performance where you want to cut costs – Spend the money and hire a Pro or please don’t hire it at all! After monitoring numerous related factors for well over a decade I urge you to ask the hard questions when contracting this type of act for your event.
The fact that I am in the Magic Business as well… I say to you…. don’t believe most of what you see and/or hear in the promo materials of some of these performers. Illusion is as much a part of my business life as is the Hypnotic portion. Know that anything can be made to “appear” to be something it is not… and that is the key… “appear to be”!
I have even personally had individuals whom I mentored in Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment list MY business achievements as their own on their websites… I have documented where they have removed my photo from actual newspaper stories & replaced it with their own photo on their promo, and so on and so forth.
My point is that we live in a very electronic age where things can be easily and readily altered and changed to give the receiver of information an impression that is anything but honest. Don’t buy into the illusion… but Do continue to buy quality entertainers! Integrity Does Matter.
We all owe it to the people who attendee our events to deliver Positive Entertainment Experiences. We ALL need more humor in our lives, and Stage Hypnosis is a wonderful type of entertainment that fills that need. All I can say from my perspective of the Business of providing these shows, is Please Be More Thorough when considering whom you contract within my industry. I believe that if all of us in the Entertainment Business work together to deliver & provide empowering performances, we will be contributing to the uplifting of society as a whole… and THAT I consider to be an element of REAL SUCCESS!
I will leave you with a verse that I penned a number of years back – it speaks (albeit metaphorically) to my involvement with Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment… I call it The Magic of You… and it goes like this…
In All Of Creation You are Unique and
Dreams Can Be Had For Those Who Seek.
Our Lives Are But A Simple Illusion…
Tainted By Perception… and Delusion.
So Believe In the Power and the Truth and the Light
Because the Key is Within… The Key of Vision & Clear Sight.
Transform Your Reality & Awaken Your Soul and
Cease Not Belief In Your Own Personal Goal…
Because Treasures Await For You To Find
Simply Pass Through The Open Window Of
Your Very Own Subconscious Mind.
The Miracle is There…
The Dimension May Be New…
But It Has Been There All Along…
Because IT IS THE MAGIC OF EACH & EVERY ONE OF YOU