FIND THE ANSWER NOW! ARCHIVES

Q: "...Speed seduction, does it work? If so then shouldn't there be laws against it or shouldn't NLP be regulated by law? My concern is this: there are people out there who are pathologically bad, ...who will abuse and misuse such techniques hurting others and helping only themselves."

Answer: Ross Jeffries coined the phrase "Speed Seduction" about 8 years ago, as I recall. In some ways I have a lot of respect for Ross. He is bright and very focused in his work. It's my opinion that the vast majority of "success" of SS is because of expectancy. For the same reason that amulets, protection devices and the placebo response make a difference to some people, so, I believe it is with SS. Let me add that I think and I know for a fact that many of the tools that is taught in SS are actually very useful persuasion tools. However they cannot be shown scientifically to cause even a large minority of people to respond by having sex from the majority of recipients of the SS techniques. In other words SS will work for some men, sometimes in maneuvering women into having sex with them, but it is very unlikely that women who wouldn't have sex with someone anyway, would because SS techniques were "applied" to them. Many women *want* to have sex but they want to have sex with a man who displays certain powerful traits like personal mastery and social mastery. Knowing SS techniques often instills a sense of certainty in the men learning the techniques, giving them the air of personal and social mastery. Therefore it becomes very fuzzy as to what the women are finding attractive about the man.

This said, remember that many of the strategies are legitimate persuasion strategies and we cannot legislate against persuasion and influence because all communication is persuasive (or not) to some degree.

NLP should not be regulated as long as it is not taught as a primary therapeutic modality. If it is being taught as a career path, then the trainer must have a licensed school in his state or be teaching for a licensed school in his state. If not, he is teaching NLP illegally. If NLP is being taught as a personal growth framework, then there is no need for regulation or school licensure on the part of the trainer. As for the learner, it should be known that many of the tools of NLP have been tested and are complete failures when tested in real life. Most people don't take the time to discover what works and what doesn't and why. This is why in our certifications and home study courses we only teach that which we have shown to be effective in clinical and real life research.

Finally, people can abuse the techniques of NLP in a very unethical and manipulative fashion. People also teach others to take megadoses of Vitamin C, destroying their DNA, tell others that drugs don't hurt them, tell others that they can do all sorts of things that are blatant lies. (Herbal Viagra? Tinnitus Pills? Cancer Cures?) There's a lot of garbage out there and I recommend people read Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer every month to gain a good perspective on how to evaluate claims of the con men (and women) taking advantage of others.

Thanks for your question.

Q: "Are there any home study hypnosis certifications?"

A: There probably are. We offer a Home Study Course for hypnosis and it's one of our best selling products. But we don't offer a certification for viewing the videos. Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic intervention and we won't certify anyone for therapeutic interventions without witnessing that person's work. Note: No one else who is legitimate in the hypnotherapy training profession will either. It's not ethical. It's not what you'd want for yourself. Second note: NLP is a bit different. It is a motivational and success technology and therefore home study certifications in NLP are far more justifiable.

Q: "Can hypnosis cure cancer?"

A: There is no evidence that shows that hypnosis can cure cancer. There is significant evidence that shows that someone who has cancer will benefit in possible length of life from seeing a therapist or participating in group therapy. There is also evidence that shows that people who have cancer can have significant pain reduction from coaching and hypnotherapy. This is discussed in our Mind Body Therapy Home Study Program.

Remission is always possible with cancer, especially early stage cancer. However, as cancer progresses, remission becomes less likely. Whoever you see as a hypnotherapist should have a very good working relationship with your medical doctor. NEVER see anyone in place of your medical doctor.

Q: "I'm trying to remember something that was shown to me briefly last week. Can hypnosis help me recover that information?"

A: Maybe. I've personally done some work with clients that amazed me in what we were able to recover. I've also experienced numerous situations where we could recover nothing. All of this is in line with current understanding of the brain and how memories are formed. It really boils down to: Was the information encoded? If it was, we have a reasonable chance to recover the memory. If it wasn't, there is no chance.

An example will help. If you look at a page of Encyclopedia Britannica for 10 seconds, and then want to remember that page's contents tomorrow, you won't be able to. If you read it entirely and understand it thoroughly, you have a reasonable chance to remember the information and an even better chance to remember it with hypnosis.

Q: "Can phobias come from womb experiences, past lives or traumatic events in childhood?"

A: This question could take days to answer. There is no evidence to show that phobias come from womb experiences BUT I believe it is possible that some few people's phobias do indeed have such an origin. That is my opinion and not a fact, by the way. Children are born with two basic phobias. The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. We are probably not going to be able to attribute those to womb experiences so it's more likely that we are evolutionarily prepared for those fears. (Survival instincts...) Can phobias come from past lives? No. BUT the interpretation of a person's phobias could be constructed by an individual to attribute that phobia to a past experience in a previous life. It would be necessary for the person to entertain such a belief in the first place. Phobias are fear responses and are generated from the amygdala. Just because a person has a phobia eliminated during past life regression therapy doesn't mean the phobia came from a past life. (That's probably obvious but necessary for the beginner to understand.) Finally you ask, can early childhood experiences cause phobias? Yes, they can and often do. Sometimes the phobia will lie dormant for years because there is no environmental stimulus for the phobia. This is very common for obscure phobias. Desensitization can help in these cases. This can be done in trance through regressions toward the original causes but not as regularly in what is called "regression to cause."

Q: "Can hypnosis cure tinnitus?"

A: Having done it myself and for a few others I offer a hesitant "maybe" response. I've worked with several thousand people in helping them with their tinnitus in one capacity or another. The hesitancy is that most tinnitus is not likely to simply go away because it is suggested away. In fact, traditional suggestive therapy is largely a waste of time for tinnitus reduction. Long term metaphor hypnotherapy will help. Long term regression therapy will also help desensitize (habituate) the person to the tinnitus making it less important and ultimately offering a decent opportunity for remission. HOWEVER: Even though I can report MANY cases where hypnosis alleviated tinnitus rapidly. I can report many cases where Prozac, Pamelor, Zoloft, Effexor, Paxil alleviated tinnitus rapidly. I CANNOT tell you that these were the majority or even a large minority. Most of the time, tinnitus reduction is a lengthy process. If you have tinnitus, read the bookTinnitus: Turning the Volume Down), watch Tinnitus: Turning the volume Down, three tape video program I produced on tinnitus, and listen to the Tinnitus Reduction Audio Program. IF after six months you have utilized all the strategies and techniques for tinnitus reduction (including medications, trt, etc.) and you still don't have relief then try and get here to Mpls. and see us. Always remember: If you do everything that can be done that we teach you in the videos and utilize the Tinnitus Reduction Program you PROBABLY will be much better in one year and have a reasonable shot a remission depending on your current state of hearing, how long you've had tinnitus, etc. See a medical doctor before a hypnotherapist and have ALL the tests done that I recommend in the book, audios and videos.

Q: "Can you make someone have sex with you with hypnosis?"

Why would you want to do that? Isn't it better to know that the person desparately wants you instead of having been manipulated into sex? Better: Read Irresistible Attraction and listen to the Irresistible Attraction Audios and watch the DVD by the same title. Learn what really turns on members of the opposite sex and DO those things.

Q: "I am a student at Wayne State University in Detroit. I am in a class on Negotiation Theory. We are using Robert Cialdini's book. I'm writing a paper on body language and how it relates to negotiating. Can you suggest where to find scholastic information on research in this field?"

Robert who? ;^) Oh, yes! That other book on influence! Some good resources for you would be the following texts:

• Interpersonal Adaptation: Dyadic Interaction Patterns by Judee K. Burgoon, Lesa A. Stern, and Leesa Dillman
• Successful Nonverbal Communication: Principles and Applications by Dale G. Leathers (Third Edition)
• Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction by Mark L. Knapp and Judith A. Hall (Fourth Edition)
• Nonverbal Communication: The Unspoken Dialogue by Judee K. Burgoon, David B. Buller, and W. Gill Woodall (Second Edition)

Q: "What is 'repression'?"

Repression refers to a memory or set of experiences that for some reason is not currently available to "you" or your client at this moment. Some people have completely repressed years of their life. They currently have no memory for periods or people, or both. However, this can and does change through the use of various techniques and strategies. "Lifting repressions" can provide miraculous changes within individuals.

Q: "What is Ego State Therapy?"

A: An ego state (Watkins 1997) can be defined as "an organized system of behavior and experience whose elements are bound together by some common principle, and which is separated from other such states by a boundary that is more or less permeable. Ego states are generally experienced in normal people as normal mood changes."

Ego State Therapy is also known as Parts Therapy. Imagine that you are going to make a major purchase such as a car or house. Part of you wants to, and part of you doesn't, each for its own reasons. The job of the hypnotherapist is to find out what is in the true best interest of the client as a whole, and then help negotiate a settlement between the disagreeing parts so they will buy the item or not, and go on without further distress about it.

The therapeutic goal of the hypnotherapist is NOT to fuse all parts together into one ego, but to integrate them so they continue to be valuable to the survival of the individual and work in tandem for the mental and physical health of the whole person.

Watkins defines Ego State Therapy as, "the utilization of individual, family and group therapy techniques for the resolution of conflicts between the different ego states that constitute a 'family of self' within a single individual." (Watkins 1997)

Q: "Can I, as a hypnotherapist help men with impotence problems?"

A: Impotence is an awkward and uncomfortable subject for many people. There is a good chance that hypnotherapy can help someone with impotence. You will need proper training in this area in order to be skilled enough to help. I recommend the New Hypnotherapy Handbook, which has a chapter devoted to this topic, and also the Miracles of Hypnosis will guide you through creating powerful hypnotic change. Another helpful source is Hypnoanalytic Techniques by John G. Watkins.

When working with clients in this area, your first consideration is to be sure your client has had a thorough physical exam. Your case analysis should be thorough. You will need to determine the type of impotence he has. You need a clear understanding of each of the types of impotence, the causes and effects.

Here are a few DON'Ts:

• Don't make false promises.
• Don't work with anyone who has any kind of medical condition, be it emotional or physical without a proper referral.
• Do not be afraid to ask for a referral.
• Never, ever prescribe anything. Not even aspirin or vitamins.
• Never diagnose.

Case Analysis. Ask questions of elicit pertinent information. Determine if you can help, and demonstrate how you can.

Hypnoanalysis. Do the tough work. Remember the power of hypnosis has been shown to create powerful effects.

Closure: Heal the Wound. Move your client into the future, using future pacing hypnotic metaphor, imagery and suggestion.

You need to become an ally with your client and help him find the cause of his problem. Often, this will bring insight, which in some cases can effect a cure by itself without conscious intervention.

You can find an Impotence Questionnaire, a script for Impotence Stress, and information about standard impotence treatments in the New Hypnotherapy Handbook.

Special thanks to Christopher Devin Hastings for providing the above information!

Q: "What is an ototoxic drug?"

A: An ototoxic drug is one that can create problems in hearing, and can also cause tinnitus. Ototoxic means "ear poison". A common offender is Ibuprofin, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory. Naproxen is another common one. Some antibiotics are ototoxic. (If the name of your antibiotic ends in "mycin", you have a suspect.) The good news about anti-inflammatory drugs is that when you stop taking the medications, there is an excellent chance the tinnitus will quiet soon after. The bad news is that in the case of antibiotics, the damage to hearing and tinnitus is more than likely permanent.

Less common offenders are diuretics, oral contraceptives, quinine, street drugs, alcohol, nicotine, some anti-anxiety drugs, and some anti-depressants like Elavil.

If you are taking any of these kinds of drugs and have tinnitus that is bothering you, then it would make sense to speak with your medical doctor about alternatives. Even aspirin can induce tinnitus.

Q: "How can I understand what my husband is going through with his tinnitus?"

A: Until a person has experienced tinnitus, there literally is no way to explain the distress and frustration experienced. It certainly is possible to reproduce the noise of tinnitus on a synthesizer or possibly in an audiologist's office. You could turn up the volume and match the pitch of your tinnitus and let someone listen to it. There is, however, something very different in listening to a distressing sound for a few moments knowing that in seconds it will be turned off and that of living in a seemingly endless and maddening noise that you think will never quiet. Suffering from tinnitus goes beyond distress for many. The noise can be maddening. Many have committed suicide because of it.

There are millions of people all across the world who are suffering from tinnitus. There is no objective method of measuring how "bad" someone has it.

I do, however use a system to evaluate the distress caused from tinnitus. This system can be found in the book, Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down.

Q: "How can I help my Dad get rid of his tinnitus?"

A: There are several ways you can help a loved one who is dealing with tinnitus. If you are a child living at home, you can offer to help around the house, or in any way you can think of to reduce stress.

If you have the ability to do some research on the Internet, read the articles on this site along with the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on this site. Pass this information along to your loved one.

The book, Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down is a great resource for current information and treatment options. The Tinnitus Reduction Program can be a help to someone who wishes to pursue self-hypnosis as an option in reducing the volume of their tinnitus.

If, after pursuing the above options, your loved one is still distressed over their tinnitus, they may want to consider a consultation with a hypnotherapist trained in helping clients with tinnitus. For a referral, call 612-616-0732. Thank you for your question, and good luck helping your Dad.

Q: "What is the 'Dave Elman Induction'?"

A: Dave Elman was a stage hypnotist who eventually taught some medical doctors and a number of dentists hypnosis. For many years he was considered an icon in the field of hypnosis. Elman, like all stage hypnotists used many different inductions. The one style of induction that has most become associated with Elman is one that includes eye closure, fractionation, catalepsy and mental relaxation. This form of induction is useful at relaxing a client fairly quickly. In a moment we will show you one example of how a "Dave Elman" induction might be scripted. Realize however that this is only one representation of how you induce trance in the tradition of Elman. One cautionary note is advised here as well. We no longer teach inductions that involve touching due to legal issues revolving around intimate contact. Before we come to an actual Neo-Elman like induction let's talk a bit about what an induction is.

The purpose of an induction is to assist a client in shifting from one state of mind to another state of mind. In hypnotherapy, we often refer to this as 'trance'. In some countries, practitioners may actually refer to a trance state by the term 'hypnosis'. Learning the 'Dave Elman Induction' is much more involved than simply reading the words off a piece of paper. Inductions involve and demand the awareness on the practioner's part of all the physiological responses of the client. Dave Elman was a hypnotherapist who practiced in the 1950s and 60s. This induction is representative of his fine contributions to hypnosis.

Now. Take a long deep breath and hold it for a few seconds. As you exhale this breath, allow your eyes to close and let go of the surface tension in your body. Just let your body relax as much as possible… now....

Now... place your awareness on your eye muscles and relax the muscles around your eyes to the point where your eyelids just won’t work. When you are sure that they’re so relaxed… that as long as you hold the relaxation, they just won’t work, hold onto that relaxation and test them to make sure the eye lids stay closed… good.

Now… this relaxation you have in your eyes is the same quality of relaxation that I want you to have throughout your whole body. So, just let this quality of relaxation flow thorough your whole body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Now, we can deepen this relaxation much more. In a moment, I’m going to have you open and close your eyes. When you close your eyes that’s your signal to let this feeling of relaxation become 10 times deeper. All you have to do is want it to happen and you can make it happen very easily. Okay now, open your eye… now close your eyes and feel that relaxation flowing through your entire body, taking you much deeper. Use your wonderful imagination and imagine your whole body is covered and wrapped in a warm blanket of relaxation.

Now, we can deepen this relaxation much more. In a moment, I’m going to have you open and close your eyes one more time. Again, when you close your eyes, double the relaxation you now have. Make it become twice as deep. Okay now, once more, open your eyes …close your eyes and double your relaxation… good. Let every muscle in your body become so relaxed that as long as you hold on to this quality of relaxation, every muscle of your body will not work.

In a moment, I’m going to have you open and close your eyes one more time. Again, when you close your eyes, double your relaxation you now have. Make it become twice as deep. Okay now, once more, open your eyes… close your eyes and double your relaxation… good. Let every muscle in your body become so relaxed that as long as you hold on to this quality of relaxation, every muscle of your body will not work.

In a moment, I’m going to lift your (right or left) hand by the wrist, just a few inches, and drop it. If you have followed my instructions up to this point, that hand will be so relaxed it will be just as loose and limp as a wet dish cloth, and will simply plop down. Now don’t try to help me; you have to let your arm simply be calm and limp. Let me do all the lifting so that when I release it, it just plops down and you’ll allow yourself to go much deeper. If subject helps to lift hand say: No let me do all the lifting, don’t help me. Let it be heavy. Don’t help me. You’ll feel it when you have it.)

Now that’s complete physical relaxation. I want you to know that there are two ways a person can relax. You can relax physically and you can relax mentally. You already proved that you can relax physically, now let me show how to relax mentally. In a moment, I will ask you to begin slowly saying the alphabet backward, aloud, starting at the letter Z. Now, here’s the secret to mental relaxation: With each letter you say, double your mental relaxation. With each letter you say, let your mind become twice as relaxed. Now if you do this, by the time you reach the letter X, or maybe even sooner, your mind will have become so relaxed, you will have actually relaxed all the rest of the letters that would have come after X right out of your mind. There just won’t be any more letters. Now, you have to do this, I can’t do it for you. Those letters will leave if you will them away. Now start with the idea that you will make that happen and you can easily dispel them from your mind.

Now, say the first letter, Z and go deeper relaxed.

Client: Z

Now double that mental relaxation, let those letters already start to fade.

Client: Y

Double your mental relaxation. Start to make those letters leave. They’ll go if you will them away.

Client: X

Now, they’ll be gone. They fade into black and they go far, far away. Push them out. Make it happen! Good. Now listen carefully …

The client will have made the letters disappear. You can now begin your hypnoanalysis or briefly explain how hypnoanalysis works to your client and send her home if this is her first trance experience. The Dave Elman Induction has the benefit of regularly producing a somnambulistic state in a fairly short amount of time.

Thank you for your question!

Q: "I am planning on specializing in pain control for athletes. What are the best hypnotic tools I can use for excellent results? Also do you have a good script for when Guided Imagery is called for?"

A: An excellent tool for pain reduction in athletes, which a client can use on their own when needed, is Misdirection of Attention. The client is urged to focus all of their conscious attention onto some other task or project (game or sport, as applies). This is not to be confused with the 'just ignore it' advice so often given. Attention and pain are directly related to each other. Change the focus of attention and you change the conscious experience. When attention is completely flowing in another experience then pain is not experienced.

As a hypnotherapist you can offer posthypnotic suggestions to pay closer attention to the desired activity each time the client consciously begins to experience their pain. The client must allow experiencing pain to not be a failure but a reminder to focus their attention elsewhere.

A reminder that athletes should be given a clean bill of health from their medical doctor before seeing you.

Guided Imagery is another tool that will work well with your clients. Below is a script which appears in the book, Hypnotherapy Handbook.

Filtering Away Pain

Imagine a filter...maybe it looks like a transparent coffee filter...maybe it looks like a silken light...however your filter looks for you...it's just perfect.

Now imagine stepping onto that filter. See how it circles the place where you are standing. Now watch as it slowly moves up your body...filtering out any pain. It slowly moves up your body and simply filters out and removes any pain in your body.

See as it rises over your feet. Feel how gently it is removing any pain from that area of your body. See as it rises over your ankles. Feel how gently it is removing any pain from that area of your body. See as it rises over your shins and calves. Feel how gently it is removing any pain from that area of your body. See as it rises over your knees. Notice how it slowly moves up your body...over your knees and simply filters out and removes any pain in your body.

See is it rises over your thighs. Feel how gently it is removing any pain from that area of your body. See as it rises over your hips...slowly moving over your hips gently removing any pain or discomfort in your hips. See the filter as it gently moves up your body. See as it rises over your abdomen and stomach area. Feel how gently it is removing any pain from that area of your body.

See as it rises up past your lower back...up along your chest as it rises up the trunk of your body. Feel how it gently removes any pain or discomfort from the trunk of your body.

See and feel as the filter gently moves up along your shoulder and upper back area. Feel how it filters out any pain or discomfort in this area of your body. Notice how it slowly moves and filters out any pain in your body.

See and feel as the filter now gently moves down and up again along your arms and hands. Feel how the filter is removing any pain or discomfort in your hands and arms. Feel as the filter continues to move up and over your neck area. Feel as the filter gently removes any pain or discomfort in this area of your body.

Feel and see the filter as it now gently moves up and over your head and pulls out any remaining pain or discomfort in your body.

And now imagine that a soothing golden light flows over your body soaking into every pore and cell bringing with it healing and regenerating energy.

Dissociation is a blend of techniques that create a different experience in the mind than that which is being experienced in reality.

Return the client to an earlier time when they were not experiencing pain. Reassociate them to this experience as fully as possible. By finding a time which is positive and pain-free, they will experience less pain for two reasons. One, his body will experience more good hormones such as serotonin which tends to correlate with less pain, and secondly it provides a new set of experiences for the brain to focus on.

One other great technique is to Manipulate the Duration and Intensity of the Pain. You can for example, create a mental image of a fuse box with switches. There are two switches for each part of the body from head to foot. By flipping one switch you reduce almost half of the pain. Flipping the second switch reduces almost all of the pain. Have the client practice in his mind with flipping one switch and do not have him flip the second switch until he shows some kind of success with the first.

For more techniques and information about pain control, see Pain Control with Hypnosis in our catalog.

Q: "I am fairly new to hypnotherapy and I'm finding with several clients they present a certain problem, but during 'intake' or 'case analysis' as you call it, they say that everything in their life is 'okay'. How do I break through this barrier and find out more from them?"

A: Sometimes there will be a lack of responsiveness in the client. Maybe they have understated their difficulty. Sometimes they will even put up a 'front'. In cases such as this, it is necessary to delve deeper. I call this Secondary Case Analysis. Here are some questions that would be fitting in this situation:

• "If you were free from this (symptom/problem) how would your life be different?"
• "What is your most common emotion?"
• "Who is hurting you? Who has hurt you?"
• "What phrase or words best describe your attitude toward life?"

Q: "I have heard the term 'learned helplessness'. What does this mean?"

A: Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. authored the book, Learned Optimism. In it, he describes 'learned helplessness' in this way :

"Life begins in utter helplessness. The newborn infant cannot help himself, for he is almost entirely a creature of reflex. When he cries, his mother comes, although this does not mean that he controls his mother's coming. His crying is a mere reflex reaction to pain and discomfort.

"The last years of a normal life are sometimes ones of sinking back into helplessness. We may lose the ability to walk. Sadly, we may lose the mastery over our bowels and bladder that we won in our second year of life.

"The long period between infancy and our last years is a process of emerging from helplessness and gaining personal control. Personal control means the ability to change things by one's voluntary actions; it is the opposite of helplessness.

"Many things in life are beyond our control - our eye color, our race, the drought in the Midwest. But there is a vast, unclaimed territory of actions over which we can take control - or cede control to others or to fate. These actions involve the way we lead our lives, how we deal with other people, how we earn our living - all the aspects of existence in which we normally have some degree of choice.

"The way we think about this realm of life can actually diminish or enlarge the control we have over it. For example, if we think we are helpless to make a difference in what our children become, we will be paralyzed when dealing with this facet of our lives. The very thought, 'Nothing I do matters', prevents us from acting. When we overestimate our helplessness, others forces will take control and shape our children's future."

Dr. Seligman's book is a comprehensive study of 'learned helplessness' and how to overcome it, thus the title of the book. Seligman addresses how 'learned helplessness' relates to depression in both men and women. It is a fascinating book, and I highly recommend it. Thanks for your question!

Q: "I find myself once again at the end of a relationship where the guy cheated on me. I know I have a pattern going on here. I need to find someone who will be true to me, not these losers. I know it is important to know before-hand what qualities, etc. to look for in a person. I'm having trouble with this. What are the EXACT questions I need to ask myself in order to be sure what and who I want?"

A: The Attraction Principle says that we will attract those things into our life which we are projecting. So, are you letting your light shine? In Irresistible Attraction, Chapter 11 is titled Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem. Are you conveying a sense of self-confidence? Do you project that you are good at what you do and are proud of who you are? Only once you are satisfied with who you are and where you are headed can you be truly prepared to know the kind of person you are searching for in your life.

These are the questions you will want to ask yourself:

• How would you describe your ideal mate?
  
• What characteristics would you want them to have?
  
• In what ways will they be similar to you?
  
• What is it in you that this person will find attractive?
  
• What is it in you that might prevent this person from finding you attractive?
  
• What can you do to fully be more attractive to your ideal mate?
  
• In what ways will your life be better when you are together?
  
• In what ways will your life be worse when you are together?
  
• In what ways do you feel yourself blocking them from coming into your life?
  
• In what ways do you feel outside forces blocking them from coming into your life?
  
• Is there anyone in your life who meets the criteria for being your ideal mate?
  
• How will you know when you have met your soul mate?
  
• What will you be willing to do to be better prepared to have your ideal partner in your life?
  

Q: "What does the term genomics refer to?"

A: Genomics is the body of research done by the Human Genome Project (HGP). HGP's goal is to locate the 35,000 or so human genes. The HGP's inception was in 1990 and is expected to finish in 2003. It is estimated that the work is 90% complete.

According to Alan Guttmacher, M.D., of the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, MD, "...in about 10 years, a child will probably have the inside of his cheek swabbed by his pediatrician, who will have the swab tested to determine his predisposition to various genetic diseases. We might be able to say that a child has an increased risk of having his arteries harden but a decreased risk of diabetes. This information would lead to diet and lifestyle changes or even giving him certain medicines to maintain his health."

Information will be available about breast, prostate, and colon cancer, and we'll learn more about the causes of autism and asthma.

The above quote appeared in the April 2001 issue of Child magazine.

Q: "Are there certain areas of communication in which most people fail miserably?"

A: In the book, Irresistible Attraction, I describe 8 types of Highly Unattractive Communicators. Do you see yourself in any one of these?

The Argumentative Communicator
Do you enjoy playing the devil's advocate? Are you constantly offering your opposing opinion when it is not asked for? Do you find yourself saying the word "but" often in conversation with others? You may be an argumentative talker. When you continue to oppose the comments of your listener, you run the risk of making them feel wrong, stupid, or uninformed.

The Comparison Maker
Comparison happens when I share a thought or feeling with a friend, and it might be something personal, or something that I am looking for understanding about. The friend will offer up a response that tells me she doesn't really care about what I have to say. It might go like this, "I have been talking with my boss about how to handle these negotiations with Sally. I tried to get in to see him yesterday and he acted like he didn't want to talk to me about it." Friend responds: "I know just what you mean! I had a boss once who..." If you find yourself always looking to compare an event in your life with your friend, you can now change this nasty habit and develop your communication skills!

The Better Than Talker
A Better Than talker is similar to the Comparison talker, but with a more condescending tone. The Better Than talker is not comparing for the purposes of being compassionate, but for creating superiority. They are interested in feeling superior to the person they are speaking to, and that requires the listener to become inferior. Any hope for connection is lost.

The Hear My Old Baggage Communicator
There is a need for sympathy in some people that begs for pity. If you recognize this in yourself, take a look at why you need sympathy from others. The appropriate place to take these challenges is a qualified therapist. With the exception of recent events that demand sharing sympathy, (losing a job, death of a loved one) there is little place for running through old baggage in conversation.

The Judgmental Communicator
If you judge others, you may think that you are doing it to gain rapport, or be on their side. However, you may alienate yourself by showing your lack of self-respect. Speaking judgmentally is a dead give away to others that you have issues of incompetence and insecurity. Don't play into it. Respond in a way that strengthens your position of self-respect and self-esteem. If someone is criticized in front of you, you can respond with something like, "Jim has always been helpful to me, and I've learned alot from him. Maybe he just needs a hand right now."

The Interrupting Communicator
When someone interrupts you, you know that they were not interested in what you had to say. It is quite a clear message. You know that they believe that what they had to say is more important than what you have to say. When you are communicating with others, take a breath when they are finished. Let them know you are taking in what they said, and appreciating it. To stop interrupting others may be the single most important communication lesson you will ever learn.

The Complaining Communicator
You feel bad when you are around complainers. If you are a chronic complainer, you will instill constant negative feelings in others and will push them away, rather than draw them near. Complaining is best left to customer service reps. Avoid it in conversation with loved ones, or those you would like to love.

The Gossiping Communicator
Gossip is probably the most evil, deadly, miserable way to communicate. Don't use it, don't participate in it, and don't respond to it. Here is my take on who you are as a gossiper. You are very insecure. Your self-esteem is dependent on finding the fault in others. You world exists in a space of the small, weak and petty. There is no bond I want to share with you by participating in your gossip. The key to great communication is mutual disclosure that is respected and appreciated.

If you avoid the eight styles of negative communication and focus your attention on your partner, you will begin to charismatically communicate with those around you!

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: "What is hypnotic suggestibility?"

A: Hypnotic susceptibility, suggestibilty and what causes the big differences among people:

Hypnotic susceptibility is a measure (the thermometer) of hypnotizability, of trance depth and the response to suggestions among individuals. Susceptibility is literally calculated by the number of suggestions (increasingly more difficult) to which the correct overt response is made. Research into susceptibility is broad and in some ways definitive. There is a wide and varied response among individuals as to how susceptible they are. About this there is no question. (The kinds of responses sought after include experiences of everything from simple eye closure to positive and negative hallucinations.)

Susceptibility is often correlated to success or failure in outcomes in the therapeutic setting. For example, highly susceptible people in trance tend to be able to experience pain relief to a greater degree than morphine. There are positive correlations to asthma relief and hypnotizability. (Interestingly there is no correlation between hypnotizability and smoking cessation and weight loss success/failure.)

In this nutshell look at susceptibility, it should be noted that the various scales like the Stanford scales measure hypnotic talent. Those with high scores do not always achieve deep trance and even those who have low scores, sometimes can and do achieve deep trance.

So what then is suggestibility if susceptibility is the measured response to suggestions?

Suggestibility is the actual responses to suggestions. It is the behavior not the "thermometer." The behavior is what is being measured.

Obviously, people do not have to be in a formal trance to respond to suggestions. In fact, research shows that on average, people who are responsive to hypnotic suggestion are also responsive to waking suggestion and the opposite holds true as well. Trance induction is less important than waking suggestibility in determining response to hypnotic suggestions, but research also shows that trance induction IS important in some individuals. For example: There is a significant minority of the population that shows improved suggestibility with trance induction.

The full gamut of susceptibility tests takes about 60+ minutes to administer and is usually precluded in the clinical setting because of limited usefulness in such a setting. (The tests typically include suggestions for postural sway, three calls for ideomotor response, five challenges to overcome various types of paralysis, a positive hallucination, and amnesia.) A slightly more recent set of tests includes suggestions for age regression, a dream, three positive hallucinations and a negative hallucination. This is from Form C of the Stanford Scales of Hypnotic Susceptibility.

Andre Weitzenhoffer who was the original author of the Stanford scales has influenced my thinking in the utilization of testing in clinical practice. He simply recommends against the routine assessment of hypnotic ability with clients. I agree as anything that creates more doubt in an already potentially traumatized mind probably will not aid in recovery/healing/performance.

But why is there such a difference in hypnotizability from person to person?

Cutting edge research probably holds the answer. "Hypnotic responsiveness may depend on the ability to inhibit the irrelevant stimuli that evokes responses that are incompatible with current goals (or the mapping between an irrelevant/disruptive stimulus and its response) in order to actively maintain task-relevant information." Daniel David, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania, 2001

In a nutshell this up to the minute research reveals that many people simply cannot suppress irrelevant stimuli from a task at hand. This is called cognitive inhibition. One specific type of cognitive inhibition is called negative priming. Negative priming refers to the inhibitory effect of ignored stimuli.

This yet un-replicated research indicates that the more negative priming => greater hypnotizability. I suspect that it will be replicated but that is just a guess and not a fact.

I hope that this very brief summary of susceptibility and suggestibility is helpful in understanding the wide differences among individuals in hypnotizability. Further I hope that it reinforces the greater theme that people who need your help with their daily problems still may find that help through your work as a hypnotherapist in spite of the facts of hypnotizability. Many factors go into the process of healing, recovery, and performance aside from hypnotizability. These include expectancy, desire, motivation, beliefs, etc. The therapist has many possible tools and measures of potential success of which susceptibility on the part of the client is only one element.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: "With all the sex sites on the web and 'speed seduction' and stuff, it seems romance has all but died. What are men truly looking for in women, beyond the obvious, and what about women?"

A: Let's begin with women. Women rate "love" as the most significant need they want fulfilled by a man. However, reality is different from our beliefs. Women seem to truly be attracted to other characteristics and traits long before love develops.

So, what attracts a woman to a man?

There is no question that a woman will respect and look for a man who works hard. If a man works hard at his job, it shows he is reliable and can provide for her.

Women become drawn to men who persist. People who persist tend to succeed. That is one reason why women ultimately say 'yes' to persistent men.

Men who have risen to the top of their field are attractive to women. Power is an aphrodisiac and money buys stability and allows for a flexible lifestyle.

Women look for potential in a man. Does he have an advanced education? Is he intelligent? Street-smart? Interesting?

Women like their men best at about 6 feet tall. Research shows that men in the 5'11" to 6'2" range are held in highest esteem by women.

Very few women marry men who are younger than they are. The most comfortable range for women is a man about 4 years older than her.

There is something magical that happens when a woman sees a man who treats children well. Women have an inborn need to have their children protected and nurtured. When a man does this, a woman is naturally drawn to him.

The last two traits we'll talk about are the Power of Nice and the 'C' word: Commitment. It is pretty obvious why a woman looks for these.

What do men find irresistible in women?

Brace yourself. Men are driven in large part by their desire to have sex. Surprised? Men do not find women attractive because of their wealth, success, or potential for achievement.

We know men think differently than women. Men are attracted to a woman with an hourglass figure, clear complexion, full lips, smaller nose, larger eyes, arched eyebrows and narrower jaw.

Men are attracted to younger women and tend to marry women significantly younger than they are.

These are the ideals men and women have for each other. To find out what else plays a role in attraction, see the book Irresistible Attraction.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: "How do proxemics enter into the persuasion process? Also, which of your books were published in Poland?"

A: It is very important to position yourself in the best possible way when preparing to persuade someone. Subtle aspects of communication can be very influential... or not. For example, you may have read in the book, Irresistible Attraction, that which side you sit opposite of another person is critical to how they perceive your communication. I have discovered through research that if people sit opposite of each other so that their friend is on their right side, that the friend is more comfortable. When people are comfortable they are more likely to build rapport, trust and liking. When they are distrustful, they tend not be receptive to the ideas of others.

Through research, we have discovered that people who sit (across from you) to the left of you will not respond as well as people who sit to the right of you. There are exceptions but they occur only about 10% of the time. The reason for the difference in response is that when someone sits to your left they are "experiencing you" more with their right brain. The brain in large part is more "emotional" than the left. Most emotional responses in human beings are negative and therefore you are more likely to trigger off negative emotions than positive...and more likely to trigger emotions in general when sitting to someone's left.

Conversely when someone sits (across from you) to your right they are accessing more of their left-brain. This is typically the part of the brain that seems to be related to more logical and linguistic function. (Fewer emotional triggers.)

How can you use this? If you are going to ask for a raise, simply sit so that your employer is across from you and off to your right. If you are going to ask for a sale or a date or a "yes response" in general you want to sit so your partner/counterpart is off and to your right. If you wish to trigger emotions (of which some could be positive but you can't predict that!) you want to sit across from someone and off to their left.

The gravity of such a simple strategy is significant beyond belief. People will often say "yes" or "no" simply based upon where they are seated in response to you and not to your message. Now, imagine that your message is good AND you control which side of the brain you can stimulate the most!

You can find more information about proxemics in the persuasion process in Psychology of Persuasion and Talk Your Way to the Top.

The Psychology of Persuasion and Talk Your Way to the Top are available in Polish from Jacek Santorski & Co. (Sztuka porozumienia: Twoja droga na szczyty, Psychologia perswazji: Strategie i techniki wywierania wplywu na ludzi)

Thank you for submitting this question!

Q: "Where did the concept of the meme arise?"

A: A meme is an idea that passes from one conscious mind to another and spreads. Howard Bloom does an excellent job of explaining how memes have been around for centuries in his book, The Lucifer Principle. Bloom talks about the "gene meme", the one that tells us that blood is thicker than water, that our own (whatever that may mean) are most important to us. Where did this meme arise?

Bloom describes an experiment with rats. First, understand that rats are obsessed with those who share their genes. Relatives are very important to rats. They protect each other, as long as they are related. But, rats will hunt and attack nonrelatives. How do they know who they are related to? How can they tell who shares their genes? They aren't able to check each other's DNA.

Each rat nest has its own odor. All the smells of the nest blend together to make a specific aroma, which each rat wears like a perfume. Chances are if two rats sport the same smell, they are carrying the same genes.

Enter the experiment. A scientist removed a rat from his nest, carefully obliterating the scent he carried. He then rubbed the rat in shavings from another nest, giving it the smell of a stranger. He returned the rat to its own home, back where it belonged with its own brothers and sisters. What happened to the rat? The brothers and sisters bared their teeth and lunged, killing the "stranger".

Early humans must have had the same problem. How to tell who is related, who not? Humans began to show external signs. But, instead of relying on scent, like the rat, humans were more inventive, using ideas, manners, morals, and peculiarities of clothing and dress. Memes were the equivalent of the rat's perfume.

Read The Lucifer Principle for more intriguing information about memes. Also, check out Virus of the Mind by Richard Brodie, another good source of information about memes.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: "Are things such as happiness (or tendency toward depression) and intelligence heritable (passed down from generation to generation)? What is a good resource for researching this type of information?"

A: In the book Happiness: What Studies on Twins Show us About Nature, Nurture, and the Happiness Set Point by Dr. David Lykken, these questions are examined and thoroughly researched.

Dr. Lykken discusses the fact that people who go to work in their overalls and on the bus are just as happy on the average, as those in suits who drive to work in their own Mercedes. And, though men hold the reins of power in our society (albeit a perilous grip!), they are not any happier than their female counterparts. In spite of racism and poverty, African Americans enjoy on average the same feelings of well-being as do white Americans.

Psychologists David Myers and Ed Diener reported in 1995 that there is no appreciable correlation between happiness, on the one hand, and social status, income, gender, or skin color on the other.

How can we explain the simple fact that success - whether winning a medal, getting that promotion, making more money than the Jones', getting that law degree - does not actually bring us to that promised land we had hoped and assumed it would? Darwinian theory seems to suggest an answer. The ancients had no bank accounts, there were no CEOs. They did have tribal chiefs, however. What if each chief had felt so proud and content and continuously happy that he ceased striving, having new ideas, solving problems, doing the kinds of things that got him to his status to begin with? What if each success diminished initiative? And what if a bad experience, a failure, continued to hurt just as intensely every single day? Would people made like that be likely to survive and leave their genes for the next generation?

Our ancestors differed in their ability and talent for happiness in order for their "happiness genes" to be passed along selectively to us. People today still differ in their average feelings of well-being (psychologists term this hedonic level). Nearly all psychological traits and tendencies such as irritability, extroversion, aggresiveness, enthusiasm, fearfulness, even IQ - vary over time in response to different stimuli and circumstances. For example, when you are tired or sick, you won't have the same potential to do well on an IQ test. Happiness is variable in this way.

So, how is it possible to estimate the extent to which a trait is determined genetically? Stature is a good trait to begin with, because it is pretty well accepted that how tall one is must be at least in part determined by one's genes. This is where human twins come in. If we were to take a random sample of 1,000 adult male MZ (monozygotic or "identical") twins and measure their heights, some of the men would be shorter or taller than their cotwins because of little glitches in their development in the womb. Some will differ in height because of an accident or illness that affected one and not the other. A few may even have been adopted away at birth and raised by parents who gave them different quality of nourishment growing up.

Environmental differences can have an effect on stature. Similarity is measured with a range from 0, when the twins are no more alike than random pairs of men, to 1.0, if both members of each pair have identical scores. In this experiment it was found that the MZ twin correlation for stature is about .90, and it is concluded that heritablity of stature in adult males is 90 percent.

In his book, Dr. Lykken describes the famous set of adoptive twins known as the "Jim twins", because each twin had "coincidentally" been named Jim as babies. It turned out that there was an astonishing set of similarities between these twins adopted out to different families at birth. Both men had divorced women named Linda and then married women named Betty. Each had a son named James Alan (one spelled it James Allan), both had dogs as youngsters named Toy. There were pictures of each twin smoking a Salem cigarette in his basement woodworking shop. Both men had built a white wooden bench around a tree in the yard. Both men drove Chevrolets, were chain-smokers, chewed their fingernails, drank Miller Light, had worked as deputy sheriffs in their counties, and enjoyed stock car racing but disliked baseball!

Nearly all psychological traits or tendencies that can be reliably measured turn out to have heritabilities ranging from about 25 to 80 percent. Among persons of European ancestry - for IQ, extroversion, neurotic tendency, musical talent, creativity, and other interests, even religiousness - from one-fourth to four-fifths of the variation from person to person is associated with genetic differences between those persons.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this fascinating question!

Q: "What is the 'truth language pattern' and who is it most effectively used with?"

A: The "truth language pattern" entails making a series of statements you know your listener will say "yes" to - mentally or aloud - before requesting what you want. An example would be, "You specified a two story house with a grand foyer and circular staircase. This school district is the best in the state for your three children. You are pre-approved and anxious to move, as are the sellers. (Therefore) Make your offer and I will present it this evening, and you will get the home you've dreamed of and deserve to have."

This language pattern is excellent in the sales arena, and also good for persuading audiences. It can work in one on one situations, as well.

You can find more on hypnotic language patterns in Psychology of Persuasion.

Thank you to a reader in Jacksonville, FL who submitted this question.

Q: "What level of effectiveness have you found in your practice when dealing with a combination of vertigo and tinnitus and what strategies have you used?"

A: Hello to our good friend in Australia who submitted this question! I use the strategies outlined on the 3 tape video set Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down, which can be found in our on-line catalog, combined with the tactics outlined in the 12 tape audio set called Miracles of Hypnosis. I will refer you to those programs in the catalog. As for results:

Except in cases of severe vertigo we get excellent long term results. Severe vertigo (24/7) has proved to be stubborn. Long term results with tinnitus and hyperacusis is excellent using the strategies detailed in the programs above. It is an extremely complex and involved long term regimen of medication, auditory habituation, self hypnosis, hypnotherapy, hypnoanalysis, that leads to the success we have experienced.

Thank you for submitting your question!

Q: "Do you move in synch with a person you are mirroring or do you move in the exact opposite fashion?"

A: You move in synch with the client. Just like a mirror. Research has verified and validated synchronization. It works. An excellent video showing this skill in relationships is "Irresistible Attraction", found in our online catalog.

Thanks to our reader who submitted this question!

"Q: Why are alpha waves considered to be a hypnotic state?"

A: Let's start here:

An electroencephalograph is an instrument that lets researchers get a print out of patterns of brainwave activity. (Usually referred to as EEG.) The EEG can be used to help these researchers study sleep and dreams and periods of arousal.The EEG can show us where a brain function is about to take place if you have enough electrodes hooked up to a person's head! With a 60 minute EEG sample you have enough data to diagnose brain dysfunction. This is called Neurometrics. (For example: the brainwave activity of your average alcoholic is easily distinguishable from your average schizophrenic, someone with epilepsy and someone who has mild cognitive impairment.)

Next: There are four basic "waves" that are measured.
Beta: 14-28 cps (cycles per second)
Alpha 8-14
Theta 4-8
Delta 1-4

Here is a scenario:
You are getting undressed and ready for bed: brainwaves measure say 15 cycles per second. You get in bed, relax and are ready for shut eye: brainwaves measure say 10 cycles. You fall asleep. You are now in stage one sleep. Brainwaves are about 5 cycles. Stage two: You get sleep spindles. Say bursts of 15 cps. Then your brainwaves slow to 2 cps and you are officially crashed. REM sleep happens and the EEG looks like you are awake.

I don't consider an "alpha state" a hypnotic state. I consider the daily alpha we experience when our eyes are closed (9-11 cps) and we are relaxed as a "relaxed state" and not a "hypnotic state." A relaxed state is one and only one "state of mind" which are arguably all trance states.

A few quick miscellaneous thoughts:

1) Alpha waves are definitely not considered to be a hypnotic state. There are states of mind and trance is usually best referred to as a dissociative state or a narrowing focus of attention. You could also define trance as a receptive frame of mind.

2) Alpha "waves" are one of four ranges of electrical activity in the brain...or at least part of the brain.( An EEG can measure Delta in one part of the brain and Theta in another ) Alpha is not as "fast" as Beta and therefore becomes associated with "trance" by people who believe that trance is something that happens when you relax your toes, thighs and nose. Even so, the idea that alpha ==> hypnosis is a complete misnomer and we have no evidence for this.

3) When individuals have been identified as "inhibited" or "unihibited", shy or extroverted...there are relationships between alpha wave patterns and the identification.

Finally. There is some sketchy research into trance inductions of the old fashioned close your eyes and relax. But is this any more than a standard 10cps wave pattern that happens every day in the same state?

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: A recent college grad with thousands of dollars in student loans asks how she can come to Minnesota and intern with us here, foregoing hypnotherapy certification training?

A: I wish I could help you, but I can't. It would be unethical to allow someone to work with clients who wasn't trained in hypnotherapy. Part of the evaluation process in interning is that of knowing how you are correctly or incorrectly applying the skills you learned in the advanced certifications. I strongly suggest you go to the certification training and then move forward to the intern and mentoring processes.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question. For information on how to apply for a certification training, see our on-line Flyer

Q: "What is the most effective strategy I can use on myself in order to accomplish something I know is important but am not motivated to get started?"?

A: The first strategy is to use a swish pattern and create new neural links between specific old behaviors and specific new behaviors. After I used my special version of the swish I went from writing one book in four years to writing 7 books in 4 years. You can learn the power-swish on the NLP Home Study Course.

You can also utilize covert conditioning processes finding the target behavior you need to change and taking it to it's ultimate destiny and associating all the emotions you can with that result. Then, take out the minor change of activity toward your new behavior to it's ultimate probable destiny and associate all the emotions you can there.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: Several readers have asked if hypnotherapy/hypnosis can be utilized as a complementary therapy for diabetes?

A: Diabetes is a multifaceted disease. Its causes range from genetic to environmental to dietary…or all three.

First and foremost: diabetes is a potentially life threatening disease that needs to be treated and monitored by a medical doctor. You might be able to help as a hypnotherapist and you might be able to help yourself with self hypnosis. I am going to limit my comments about diabetes because of this: If someone with diabetes succeeds at lowering their blood sugar with self hypnosis or hypnotherapy and they continue to pump the same amount of medication into their body, what happens? Right. It isn’t good. Therefore, you need to work with a therapist who is an expert in diabetes and not simply any Joe on the street. Next, anytime you undertake a treatment program of any kind for diabetes you must carefully monitor and record your blood sugar levels and share changes with your medical doctor. (positive and negative results.)

Here are some facts about hypnosis in the treatment of diabetes:

1) There are reported cases of the elimination of diabetes in hypnotherapy.
2) Reducing stress with hypnosis can lower blood sugar levels.
3) Reducing food intake with hypnosis can lower blood sugar levels.
4) Hypnotherapy can fail and therefore to change medications without a doctor’s approval could prove disastrous.
5) No script has ever been proven to help diabetes but utilizing suggestive therapy may help with the symptoms as noted above.
My only firm recommendation I can give you for a hypnotherapist working with diabetes is Devin Hastings in St. Paul, Minnesota, who you can reach through my link page Here.

Thank you to the readers who submitted this question, or a variation thereof.

Q: "What is hyperemperia?"

A: Hyperemperia refers to a heightened state of awareness.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: "Coma, Esdaile, Ultra Depth states: what are they?"

A: James Esdaile was a surgeon and a "hypnotist" who worked in India in the mid-1800's. Up until anesthesia was discovered, he induced trance in his patients with mesmeric type hand and arm motions to perform surgeries when possible. The experience his clients had while in trance is what we as hypnotherapists have tried to duplicate and now call the Esdaile State.

The hypnotic state is induced very differently than Esdaile's method, of course, but the results may be similar. In the 1800's about half of all people died during surgery. Esdaile's success rate for surgery was almost 8 out of 10. Esdaile was doing something right. When Esdaile arrived back in England, Esdaile's colleagues were unable to replicate Esdaile's work. Esdaile was branded a charlatan and his career was destroyed.

One hundred years later Dave Elman was a stage hypnotist who eventually came across "the hypnotic coma state", which he later found seemed to be very close if not identical to the Esdaile state. As Elman taught doctors how to use this state there was great excitement about the possible uses of such deep trance among his hypnosis seminar participants." As more doctors learned how to induce this trance state (and similar other "states") , the number of childbirth's with reduced pain and dental surgeries with no anesthesia rose greatly in those practices. There was definitely reason to be excited about this Esdaile/Coma state.

Coma State originally referred to a situation in stage hypnosis where someone appears to be in a coma. The person in such a state doesn’t respond to suggestions including the suggestion to be wide “awake” and alert. We researched this state in our deep trance project over the last two years. Our research validated previous claims that this “state” or experience is one of joy or euphoria that one doesn’t wish to exit from. Our criteria in evaluating a coma state was one that the person would NOT accept a suggestion, body parts remained wherever we placed them and that they were anesthetized. There were other experiences that we learned occur in this “state” as you will read in the research article on this website.

The term Ultra Depth is registered like Coca Cola. Because it is a registered brand name the use of it’s identification as a “state” is not appropriate. There was a hypnotist named Sichort who had subjects reach such a “deep state” that they had REM (we have replicated this finding in some subjects here at the Minnesota Institute of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy). However, Sichort claimed that subjects entering this state had no recall of what happened during the “state.” We did not find that to be true in our research.

We believe that in deep trance states like “Esdaile”, that some surgeries are possible for some people. In other words the individual is literally anesthetized while in trance. For further information about deep trance see our research article on this website HERE.

Thank you to our reader who submitted this question!

Q: "Can you point me to a detailed description of the NLP Spelling Strategy?"

A: Dynamic Learning, an excellent book by Robert B. Dilts and Todd A. Epstein, describes this strategy quite well.

To summarize the strategy:
1. Be sure to have the correct spelling of the word either directly in front of you, or above eye level and to your upper left (or right if you are left-handed).
2. With eyes closed, think of something that makes you feel confident, familiar, and relaxed. With the feeling at its strongest, open your eyes and look at the correct spelling.
a. If you had placed the correct spelling in front of you, move your eyes up and to the left (or right) and picture the correct spelling in your mind.
b. If you had placed the correct spelling to your upper left, take the correct spelling away, but keep your eyes up and to the left and continue to see the correct spelling in your mind.
3. Look at your mental image and say (or write down) the letters you see in your mind. Check what you have said or written with the actual image. If any letters are missing or wrong, begin again with step #1.
4. Look at your mental image and spell the word backwards (say or write the letters down from right to left). Compare what you have said or written to the correct spelling. If you have difficulty, or have misspelled the word, go back to step #2
Dilts and Epstein provide these helpful hints:
A. When you picture the word, make it in your favorite color.
B. Make any unclear letters stand out by making them different in some way - bigger, brighter, etc.
C. Break the word into 3 letter groups and build your picture 3 letters at a time.
D. Picture a familiar background around the letters.
E. With a long word, make the letters small enough in your mind so you can see the whole word easily.
F. Trace the letters in the air with your finger and picture at the same time the letters in your mind.

Here, I would like to include Appendix C: Research Studies on the NLP Spelling Strategy from Dynamic Learning by Dilts and Epstein.

"In many ways the NLP orientation toward 'mental programming' makes it easier to adapt effective learning strategies to computerized instruction. In fact, I (Dilts) have made the basic spelling strategy into a computer program. The program follows the basic format described in Chapter 6. It shows the student the correct spelling of a word in a color selected by the student. The student is instructed to look up and to their left hand side and visualize the word in his or her mind's eye. After typing in the word left-to-right, the student is instructed to type in the spelling starting on the right hand side and moving to the left. The program is quite simple but has demonstrated significant results.

"In fact, this program was researched at the University of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada in order to test the basic tenets of the strategy - and the NLP model. The research began with the selection of 44 average spellers as determined by their scores on a PRETEST composed of made-up nonsense words. All of these students had scored roughly the same on the test.

"The research procedure consisted of using four variations of the computerized spelling strategy (this served to avoid differences in the influence of the experimenters in giving instructions). The first version showed the various spelling words and gave the instruction to visualize the word while looking up and to the left (VUL). The second version had the instruction to visualize the words and look down and right (VDR) - a position the NLP model associates with feelings instead of imagery. The third version instructed students simply to visualize the words with no reference to any eye position (VIS). The final version simply instructed the students to study the word in order to learn it (STU), thus using whatever strategy they were already using. The students were divided randomly into four groups of eleven. Each different group used one of the different computer programs to learn made-up nonsense words (so there would not be any chance that they would already know the word). They were then tested on the words they had learned (POST-TEST).

"The results showed a 20-25% increase in the correct spellings of the students who had looked up and to the left and visualized (VUL), a 10% increase in the ones who had been instructed to visualize only (VIS), the students who were instructed to study the words (STU) - thus using their previous learning strategy - stayed roughly the same, as one would expect, but the scores of the students who were instructed to look down and to the right, (VDR) while visualizing (i.e., to an inappropriate accessing cue) worsened by about 15%."

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Thank you to a reader in the UK for this question!

"Q: What is Darwin's theory of sexual selection?"

A: In the book, The Evolution of Desire, by David M. Buss, this question is explored thoroughly. In brief, Darwin wondered why animals developed characteristics that would appear to hinder their survival. The elaborate plumage, large antlers, and other conspicuous features of some animals seemed costly in the future of their survival. Darwin's answer was that the peacock's displays evolved because they led to an individual's reproductive (this author's emphasis) success, which would provide an advantage in the competition for a desirable mate (and continuance of the animal's genetic line). The evolution of characteristics due to reproductive benefits, rather than survival benefits, is known as sexual selection.

To learn more about how to apply some of the concepts of the evolution of mating, see Irresistible Attraction.

Thanks to a reader in the U.K. for submitting this question!

Q: "How important is the way we look in the way we are treated - in business - and life in general? Is there research in this area?"

A: Did you know that in university settings, professors who are considered physically attractive by students are regarded as better teachers on the whole than unattractive professors? Attractive professors are also more likely to be asked for help on problems. These same attractive professors also tend to receive positive recommendations from other students to take their classes and also are less likely to receive the blame when a student receives a failing grade! (Romano and Bordieri, 1989)

Did you know that marriage and dating decisions are often made with great weight placed on physical attactiveness? A wide variety of research indicates that men will often reject women who are lacking (in their opinion) in positive physical features. Women on the other hand place less significance in a man's physical attractiveness in considering him for a date or marriage. (Studies by R.E. Baber)

Did you know that in studies done on college campuses, it has been proven that attractive females (attraction as perceived by the professors) receive significantly higher grades than male students or relatively unattractive females? (Studies by J.E. Singer)

There is more evidence that shoes you must make the most of what you have physically.

Among strangers, individuals perceived as unattractive in physical appearance are generally undesirable for any interpersonal relationship! (Studies by D. Byrne, O. London, K. Reeves)

In one significant study of fifty-eight unacquainted men and women in a social setting, after a first date, 89 percent of the people who wanted a second date decided that because of the attractiveness of the partner! (Brislin and Lewis)

Among American women, the size of a woman's bust is significant to how both American men and women perceive the woman. Women with a "medium-sized" bust are considered to be more likable and have greater personal appeal than women with a large or a small bust. Women with a small bust are perceived as more intelligent, competent, and moral. Women with a large bust are generally perceived as less intelligent and less competent. (Kleinke, Staneski, 1980)

In yet another study, we find that young men who are obese are generally considered to be slothful and lazy. Both men and women who are obese are generally perceived to have personality characteristics that place them at a disadvantage in social and business settings. (Worsley, 1981)

Study after study reveals that how you look is critical to someone's first impression of you, and how they will treat you.

To learn and read more about body language and how you can use it to your advantage in business and personal relationships, see Talk Your Way to the Top.

Thank you to a reader in IA who submitted this question.

Q: What are the "six pillars of hypnoanalysis"?

A: 1) Transference: the common experience of the client viewing the therapist as someone in his or her past. It is the therapist's job to solve transference issues before continuing.
2) Regression and Revivification: once in trance, the client can be returned to the initial sensitizing event, and can see how his ego states have shaped his behavior and make a conscious decision to change.
3) Acceptance of the Client and His Ego States: By accepting the client and his parts in virtually an unconditional manner, rapport is built rapidly.
4)Contacting Ego States: Once in trance, contact the ego states.
5) Create an Environment of Safe Negotiation: Allow all various parts to feel comfortable with the outcome.
6) Abreaction Therapy: Allow the individual to experience release of "negative" emotions once and for all.

To learn more about the concepts discussed above, see Hypnotherapy Handbook

Thank you to a reader in PA for this question.

Q: What is the difference between a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist?

A: The definition of these terms is explained in my book The Hypnotherapy Handbook. I would like to expand the answer to include the definition of hypnosis and hypnoanalyst as well:

Hypnosis is first and foremost a field of study of changing behaviors and interpretations of experiences using the mind/brain. It is not a state of mind, or an experience.

Hypnosis can also be defined as an event whereby one person or "thing" (television, audiocasette, movie) bypassing the critical factor of the mind of another, creating a sense of trust and expectancy.

A hypnotist is someone who talks to a client after bypassing the critical faculty of the mind to offer suggestions in the hopes that the suggestions will be accepted and acted upon.

A hypnoanalyst is someone who listens to a client after bypassing the critical faculty of the mind (gaining complete trust and confidence) and is allowed to find the causes of the client's presenting problems and symptoms. The hypnoanalyst then utilizes hypnoanalysis to create change and foster healing in the individual.

A hypnotherapist is someone who does not have the skills and experience of the hypnoanalyst but has more experience and skills than a hypnotist. The hypnotherapist is one who helps others create change through behavioral modification strategies after bypassing the critical faculty of the mind.

To learn more about the concepts in the question above, see Hypnotherapy Handbook