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Where can I find in depth, academic quality, material on hypnosis.

I wish to delve into the murky depths of hypnosis and require some serious material. I am currently performing a number of effects creating an illusion of suggestion/reading of body language and a number of true psychological forces (forcing cards psychologically etc).

I am not looking for rehashed rubbish that you find all over the internet. I am looking for properly written, succinct texts on putting people into a state of hypnosis/high state of suggestability.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and help
Notting

You're probably best off going on a course.

Notting,

full fledged hypnotism is mere wording. It ties in with nlp to the highest extent, which opposed to SOME peoples views is not rubish. Linguistics is the meat to any successful hypnotism.

I would suggest reading up on Milton Erickson, who was the founding father of the use of hypnotism in the medical field. His books cover a wide array of material, be it wording & anchors to physical gestures and muscle control. Very interesting prospects he has,

best,

kirk

If you've seen any of my posts before on TM then you'll probably know what I'm about to say - but Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell's 'Hypnosis and Trance States: A New Psychobiological Explanation' is a good resource. Hypnotic inductions occasionally - but not always - work off a script of some kind; but once you understand why they work (as the said monograph pretty conclusively demonstrates) you'll understand how they work.

I second Tomo's advice - a course run by a legitimate and reputable trainer is your best option. No matter what 'non-state theorists' may say, and no matter what your personal view on the thing, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

I would do more research now finding credited teachers to train you than on the actual subject. There is a considerable amount of filth being sold out there that will hinder your studies.

I would suggest if you are looking for a few books... (with is about as effective to learning hypnosis is as learning card sleights over the phone with someone who barely speaks your language) check out the EARLY works of Richard Bandler, John Grinder and that lot. Specifically...

Trance-Formations, Patterns of the Hypnotic Technique, Frogs into Princes, and Bandlers book on Submodalities.

But I would more highly suggest any book written BY Milton H Erickson. And be weary of books written by other authors about him. (ALWAYS check reviews from multiple sources.)

You could read all of these books, and still be a poor hypnotist. You must have live personal training. It is a must to understand the art. Further, it takes time and practice to get really good. So be prepared.

I also recommend the aforementioned Milton Erickson, but if it's stage hypnosis techniques you are after I suggest reading Ormond McGill's New Encyclopedia Of Stage Hypnotism which can be purchased from Amazon and Jonathon Chase's Deeper and Deeper.
Both are excellent books which give you methods for using suggestion techniques both verbally and physically psychological. Ormond McGill's book in particular is excellent and very comprehensive and even includes some more dangerous methods which are printed for 'information purposes'.
Results in inducing what is believed to be hypnosis does depend a lot on the operators personality and command of language. I also suggest reading some of Kenton Knepper's suggestion based material to see how the subtle use of words can be used to coerce people's minds to think and see things in the way you want them to.

Un-lurk…

Tomo is right. Get yourself on a course. Check out pricing…don’t go over £ 400 or so and make sure you get the equivalent of 3 weekends work ( e.g. 6 days ) for your money. As the bodies that regulate this ( Ahem…actually it is an unregulated field, so don’t fall for the hype ) say you should put in a certain amount of hours. I have a “ Clinical Certificate in Hypnosis “ by doing a course like this. By doing a course, you will get used to doing inductions and also experience how hypnosis feels you’re self. This is invaluable. Several of the people who attended the course now “ do “ hypnosis for a living.

Sorry, this is a real soap box subject for me, as so many people are offering the impossible via hypnosis.

What you should get for your money is experience. After that, it is up to you what path you wish to take. You can read the rest out of books…and if you want some academic type works ( as in Doctors who work in veterans hospitals in the States and use this medium as a form of therapy ), I’ll give you the recommended titles then. But after that I reckon you could find your own way.

There is so much bunk associated with hypnosis…and quite rightly so. Ooh, how I kept my self to such a short post on the subject astounds me.

Then again, if you don’t want to fork out £ 400, nose around Amazon for hypnosis books. To be honest, for £ 20+ and buying a couple of books, you will be able to learn how to do inductions and you will be surprised how easy it is to hypnotise people. All that you have to remember it how to talk…low and slow. Easy !

Don’t get sidelined with NLP, it’s just hypnosis with nobs on. But that is just my opinion.

Hypnosis can be really rewarding, phobias are my bag. The pleasure I get from helping to lessen or getting rid of an irrational fear from some one…and charging nothing, in most cases… far out weighs what I would receive performing stage hypnosis, but that is just me… its horses for courses and people make good money from doing stage hypnosis…and good luck to them. Some of them are super entertainers.

It’s the snake oil salesmen and saleswomen, who offer past lives, recovered memories and get rid of all your problems with the magic bullet of hypnosis that really get my goat. Sorry…I started ranting there !

If it’s what you want to do, good luck in your search. The main thing you need is experience and practice. Get hypnotised yourself first, get to know what it feels like and what to expect…and not to expect. A course offers you this…then again you can learn to do it from really any decent non academic book.

Just remember….don’t believe the hype !

…Re-lurk

I also recommend going on a course if you can afford it. If you want to train as a hypnotherapist, look here:
http://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/training/default.asp


Otherwise the best beginner's book I've come across is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hypnosis" - I wouldn't try anything more advanced to start with. After that, my favourite practical book as a hypnotherapist is "Hypnotherapy: A Client Centered Approach" by Mary Lee Labay.

Two more serious books: on Ericksonian techniques, "Ericksonian Approaches" by Battino and South is very good. I can also recommend "Hartland's Medical and Dental Hypnosis" by Heap and Aravind.

I find most NLP books, especially those by Bandler and Grinder, extremely indigestible, but I can recommend "NLP Workbook" by Joseh O'Connor.

The Ormond McGill book already mentioned is THE book on stage hypnotism. It's quite useful for therapists, too.

Barry

Thanks for all of your responses folks. I am going to have a look at all of the books recommended and see what sort of material is most useful. I am going to do an search for academic journals on the subject at my university as well, so I will let you know how I get on with that too.

Thanks
Jamie

Trick of the mind by Deren Brown has some great starting information and he gives you a copmprehensive list on the best sources for further reading

I would suggest maybe PM Mark Lewis and/or Craig Browning (both regular contributors to TM). Both are serious advocates of books in general and so will no doubt have some worthwhile recommendations.

I get the impression Mark is not exactly a fan of Derren Brown. I am just "discovering" DB as his TV shows have only been shown in Australia "I think?" for a few months. I think he is very good so I would imagine his book is also worth a read as recommended by I.D

It is true that I am not a fan of Derren Brown. I have seen him twice on television and once on some Youtube clip. He does nothing for me. I think it is his dry as dust personality and somewhat British manner. It is hard to put into words. In fact I actively dislike his work and find him agonising to watch. I hear his material is strong but that sort of thing has no concern for me. Tricks do not interest me. Personalities do. And he doesn't have one.

I was willing to defer judgement on his live shows because people working live are often far better than on television but I hear that he uses vulgar jokes and low class patter so I have no time for him.

I have never seen him do hypnotism and I don't want to so I cannot comment on that.

I second the Ormond Mc'gill book and I recommend it thoroughly. I also recommend studying "They Call it Hypnosis" by Robert Baker which will tell you what "hypnosis" really is. A bunch of baloney. But perhaps we won't get into that. As anyone knows I am not the argumentative type.

Incidentally with all due respect to In Kaleidoscope I think NLP is a load of codswallop too. I base my opinion purely on the fact that I saw one of the founders (Bandler or Grinder-I know not who) walking around a psychic fair and the chap was wearing a pony tail. Anyone wearing one of those abominations has no credibility with me. Besides he looked terribly crooked. It takes one to know one you know.

First you have to decide which type of hypnotist you are going to be. A hypnotherapist is an entirely different animal than a stage hypnotist. I am a stage hypnotist who has performed hundreds of successful shows and a few unsuccessful ones. I know wherof I speak.

I do little therapy but have stopped people from smoking on quite a few occasions and know a bit about that. As for awful things like Past Life Regressions that Brucekitty does not approve of I have done many of those too in Ireland where I got massive publicity in the doing of such. It was part of my psychic business rather than a therapy thing.

I do believe "hypnosis" is a great benefit for people who have all sorts of problems but it is the inherent power of suggestion and the relaxation factor that is doing the work rather than the non existent "hypnosis"

I am at present writing a book on the subject which will no doubt be as brilliant as every other work I have penned. However you cannot buy it from me yet since I do not take preorders.

However I do have a video course on DVD regarding the subject. It comes in the form of 3 sixty to ninety minute tapes (I cannot remember how long they are) and a wonderful 90 minute audiotape on the subject. It really is the best material in the business. The cost is a mere $150 plus a mere $10 to cover the postage costs to anywhere in the world. I do take Paypal. You can either send me your e-mail address and I will arrange a Paypal invoice for you or if you have an account already with paypal then just send the money to my e-mail address which is on my website at www.marklewisentertainment.com

Not that I am the type to indulge in blatant advertising of course.

mark lewis wrote:It is true that I am not a fan of Derren Brown. I have seen him twice on television and once on some Youtube clip. He does nothing for me. I think it is his dry as dust personality and somewhat British manner. It is hard to put into words. In fact I actively dislike his work and find him agonising to watch. I hear his material is strong but that sort of thing has no concern for me. Tricks do not interest me. Personalities do. And he doesn't have one.

Oh dear! Maybe you do need to be English to appreciate Derren. Dry as dust personality? Perhaps his tongue-in-cheek humour can only be appreciated on this side of the Pond.

His live shows here were sellouts. In fact, he received an award for one of them.

Barry

Well, as to Derren's success... I'll just say that he's a damn good promoter (a.k.a. seller of horse puckey) and leave it at that... DB and I have exchanged words in the past about some of his more questionable antics of hype... I do find him interesting but certainly not as spellbinding a performer as you UK groupies tend to make him.

Mark has already pointed out the bible of Stage Hypnosis but if you want to know about "real" hypnosis, formal training and getting certified is about the only way to go. There are several forms of induction technique and as Richard Busch points out in his egocentrically titled BUSCH FACTOR, most of us want to see it as it has been wrongly depicted by Hollywood and stage performers over the years vs. that it really is or can be.

When it comes to stage hypnosis however, the prime ingredients are;
Balls Larger than a Bull Elephants
Being Able to Think on Your Feet
and the willingness to "Go There"

In other words 90% of what you see on stage is bogus... to coin a phrase.

Look up Jerry Valley via Google, he has a decent Hypnosis Course as does Richard Webster and of course Bob Cassidy's treatment THE TRUTH ABOUT STAGE HYPNOSIS (or something like that).

Craig Browning wrote::lol: Well, as to Derren's success... I'll just say that he's a damn good promoter (a.k.a. seller of horse puckey) and leave it at that... DB and I have exchanged words in the past about some of his more questionable antics of hype... I do find him interesting but certainly not as spellbinding a performer as you UK groupies tend to make him..

i'd be interested in who you would class as a spellbinding performer in today's magic-market craig...especially as Luke Jermay works with him on his shows...