Mike Mandel Hypnosis

Here is a link to a fantastic blog posting about a Slovenian swimmer, Martin Strel, who is the first man ever to swim the entire length of the Amazon river … all 3274 miles in 66 days. That’s 50 miles per day, folks. For Canadian readers, it’s over 80 km of swimming per day in some of the deadliest waters on earth.

How did he do it? Read the entire entry over at Tim Ferriss’ blog. What I found interesting, and the reason I’m posting this, is that Strel talked about using hypnosis to overcome the mental challenge of the task. In short, he says that there are plenty of swimmers who are more physically up to the task than he is, but the mental game is where people break down.

Quoting strel:

While I am swimming long distances I am rolling very interesting different films and stories in my head in order to forget about swimming and pains that I have in my body. Basically I am like a robot and if someone suddenly “wakes me up,” I usually get angry, because I fall out of my concentration. This “robot stage” is an ability of high-level concentration, which works like hypnosis. So I could say that if you want to forget your pains and action you have to know how to put yourself into hypnotism.
This hypnotized stage could last up to one hour on my swims and I can repeat several times a day. I needed many years to train/teach myself how to do it. I could not do this when I was younger.

Check out the original blog posting. Then consider learning self hypnosis. You might not end up swimming the Amazon, but I’m pretty sure you’ll improve your life with this skill.

Hello again,

First, a very quick and gentle reminder that if you send email to info@mikemandelhypnosis.com it does not go to Dr. Mike Mandel. Check the contact page again and you’ll notice his email is also specifically listed, and you should contact him directly for any inquiries into stage hypnosis or keynotes.

Now, I’m writing this post because I got an email tonight from a woman inquiring about the use of hypnosis for anxiety. Her son suffers from anxiety and she loves him enough to look for a solution, which i really admire. I know I’d go to the end of the world to help my two kids.

The question basically asked, “Can hypnosis help with anxiety”.

My answer is as follows: Hypnosis CAN help enormously, and often even eliminate anxiety. Hypnosis itself is simply a trance state. But what really matters is what the hypnotist does to help guide the patient WITHIN that trance state to solve his or her problem unconsciously. If you use self-hypnosis, then your own unconscious mind can actually play the role of hypnotist to help you solve your own problems. This is the ultimate accomplishment for a lot of people because they realize they can trust their unconscious to do the right thing.

Imagine that you suffer from anxiety and somebody tells you, “that’s silly, just ignore it … you are stronger than that” … will that help? Of course not. It will frustrate you like crazy perhaps even causing more anxiety. That is because you cannot usually solve an UNCONSCIOUS problem with a CONSCIOUS solution.

Anxiety, like many other problems, is an unconscious process. Something happens (a trigger) and you unconsciously respond by feeling anxious. The trigger was probably created by a specific event in your past that caused some sort of emotional trauma. Any time that trigger is re-played, the trauma and anxiety returns.

The solution also has to be unconscious. Hypnosis accomplishes unconscious change! That is why it works so well for so may people. One solution that a hypnotist would use is to bring you back in time to before you noticed the first instance of anxiety. You would imagine you were watching yourself go through the trauma from a safe distance. You would do a bunch of things, while in trance, that would serve to alter how that event affected your life. By changing what that event meant to you, you can completely alter its effect on you for the rest of your life. This is OFTEN used to overcome phobias (heights, water, airplanes), and anxieties (public speaking, for example).

For readers who understand NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), you may have recognized that I was describing the classic NLP “phobia cure” above. This is correct! And often a good hypnotist trained in Ericksonian hypnosis will use NLP tools within a deep hypnotic trance!

If you suffer from anxiety or know someone who does, then I think it makes a lot of sense to check out NLP and hypnosis tools. Mike’s CDs do teach NLP (the Peak Performance CD) and I would also say that the Stress Relief CD also has benefits to offer (particularly the lesson in self hypnosis, that can be applied to the anxiety).

If you are dead-set against the CDs for some reason, check out the sidebar for information on learning hypnosis. There are great book recommendations there.

Whatever you do, keep working on a solution. In my view, it’s better than what the medical industry will do to you with various prescriptions.

Live healthy.

I just noticed this new posting on YouTube. Speakers’ Spotlight posted this an an example of Dr. Mike Mandel doing a keynote presentation. As you watch this video, you’ll really begin to notice what makes Mike different from most other hypnotists. He is an amazing presenter. If you are not yet familiar with his CD products, you’ll find it quite easy to imagine how this presentation style has been elegantly used in creating this audio series.

We wanted to let you know that Dr. Mike Mandel is teaching a master-level class in Ericksonian Hypnosis in the UK on November 29/30.

You can get the details at the Eos Seminars website.

Last night I went to bed with a terrible sore throat. It was the third day of having this soreness, and it did not seem to be improving. Normally these things don’t bother me as much, nor do they last as long as this one did.

Most nights, whenever I feel that I’m not going to slip into an easy sleep, I use the method of self hypnosis that Dr. Mike Mandel teaches in the Stress Relief CD. If you have this audio recording, then you already know that you must define three things consciously before you go into trance. First, define the length of time you’ll be in trance. Then define the purpose of the trance, and finally define how you want to feel when you come out of trance.

Last night I decided to go into trance for 10 minutes and to do so for the purpose of boosting my immune response, specificallyto this sore throat. Finally, I defined that I would come out of trance sleepy, and ready for bed.

I use this skill regularly, so it is very natural for me now. It lasted almost exactly 1o minutes, and I came out feeling very ready for sleep. I do remember that sudden awakening, “Hey, the trance is over, I guess 10 minutes is up” … but I don’t have any memory of what happened after that, I just know I did not wake up all night.

The best part was waking up this morning. I had discomfort in my throat, but it was mild and there was no incredible pain like I’d had the three mornings before. Usually sore throats are worst in the morning. Mine was much better. It isn’t gone yet but it is not painful, just uncomfortable.

Anyway, my point in writing this is that I believe our unconscious minds are a lot more powerful than we know. Using trance to work on the immune system is something I believe in doing. In my case, I believe it improved my body’s ability to fight whatever viral infection I had in my throat.

I got a great question sent to me by email from a recent customer of Mike’s hypnosis CDs.  I thought I’d answer it here because it is a really common question.

Is it okay if your mind wanders during the hypnosis part? I listened to it today and I felt my mind drifting onto other things. Does concentrating really hard on just following everything said in hypnosis increase its effects? I would think so, but it was mentioned in the CD that ‘zoning out’ is okay because your unconscious mind is still following the CD. I just wanted to find out what someone else’s experience is like.

I have had this question from people at least 10 times over the last year. So for those of you wondering, it is probably the most common question.

It is totally normal for your mind to wander during hypnosis.  During the induction (this is the term for the process of getting into trance), your mind is focussed and you are following the instructions or comments of the hypnotist in a consious manner.  But what you may not realize is that Ericksonian hypnosis is designed to overload your conscious mind.  You see, you can only keep track of 7 plus or minus 2 “chunks” of information at any one time.  For some people it is 5, for some it is 9.  Beyond this, you can’t keep them in your conscious attention.  Hypnotists use this to guide you into trance (if you want to learn more, check out the side links on how to learn hypnosis).    As you begin to enter trance, you will feel like you are spacing out, or zoning out.  It’s completely normal.

Your unconscious mind can keep track of your breathing, your body temperature, your blood’s pH level, liver enzymes, and literally millions of other body functions.  Keeping track of a few words is child’s play for the unconscious mind.

So what does hypnosis feel like?  For me it’s a complex feeling.  I tend to feel heavy in the head, but light in the core of my body.  For other people it will be different, but you’ll get to know exactly what that particular feeling is like, and you’ll learn to calibrate to that feeling so you know immediately when you are in trance.  This will help you get there even faster in the future.  It’s awesome.

One last comment:  if you think you’ve fallen asleep while listening to Mike’s CDs, you probably did not actually fall asleep.  You can tell because when the CD track is over, you tend to “wake up” immediately.  If you were truly asleep, you would not wake up at the end.  You’d stay asleep.  This should be an excellent indication to you that you were in fact in a deep hypnotic state.

Enjoy your trance!

I got the following email from Linda Ferguson of NLP Canada Training.  For those of you interested in learning hypnosis, they have an upcoming evening course, and Mike Mandel also has a full two-weekend course coming up.

The email is reprinted here:

We are delighted to offer you three distinct chances to learn more about trances this spring.

Motivation: Introduction to Ericksonian Hypnosis

Thursday, April 10, 7:45 PM to 9:45 PM, 47 Queen’s Park Cres. E.

A rare opportunity to experience Ericksonian Hypnosis and learn how it works and how it shapes the practice of NLP.  Chris Keeler will demonstrate Ericksonian trance inductions, explain some of the background, and lead participants through exercises in rapport and language patterns. Come to relax, to learn, and to laugh out loud.

While recovering from polio as a young man, Erickson took a famous canoe trip. Throughout his career, he got people “unstuck” by getting them outside, climbing mountains or working in his garden.  We think Erickson would be pleased that we are offering this evening training by donation to Trails Youth Initiatives.

Mike Mandel Hypnosis

This site is the exclusive online store for Mike Mandel’s hypnosis CDs.  These CDs provide an easy, affordable entry into hypnosis.  They are relaxing, energizing and completely practical.  The trance on the Stress Relief CD is so thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable that it allowed me to fly comfortably through turbulence - and to stay comfortable on subsequent flights.  Visit the site to buy CDs and to learn more about Mike’s unique expertise in hypnosis.

Ericksonian Hypnosis Certification

Our main course offering in Ericksonian Hypnosis is this two weekend course taught by the incomparable Mike Mandel.  With more than 30 years experience, Mike offers hypnosis training that is elegant, effective and energizing.   He guarantees that advanced patterns will be explored, played with, and used to maximize fun.  This course is a celebration of the style, patterns and outcomes achieved by Milton H. Erickson, MD.

April 26/27 (9 AM to 5PM) and May 2 (7 PM to 10 PM) and May 3/4 (9 AM to 5 PM)

$1790 + GST

Working with the best in the field is expensive: working with less than the best costs more in the long run.  That’s why NLP Canada Training offers a no fees, no interest payment plan that can be customized to your finances.  We want you to be able to afford the best - and Mike Mandel is the best.

The following link is Linda Ferguson’s recent blog entry on two ways you could be wrong about hypnosis.  We thought it was worth sharing with readers.

People are either intrigued or vaguely put off when they find out that I run courses in hypnosis. Much of the emotion comes from misconceptions about what hypnosis is and when it is useful.

Read the rest here…

Last night I had the opportunity to watch Paul McKenna’s TV show “I Can Make You Thin”.  I heard about this TV show from a good friend, and fellow hypnotist who also trained with Mike Mandel.  Apparently, McKenna got the gig because he hypnotized Ellen DeGeneres in order to help her quit smoking.  It worked, naturally, because he used NLP along with Ericksonian Hypnosis (a very powerful combination).

I’m not sure if McKenna’s show is an ongoing program or just a special for a few weeks, but it is worth watching.  Last night’s episode was about emotional eating, and he interviewed several folks who all described over-eating due to the stress in their lives.

Stress is a killer, and over-eating due to stress is quite common.  Therefore, a “diet” is not a solution, and eliminating the stress certainly can be a MUCH better solution.

Obviously this is why we are fans of Mike Mandel’s “Stress Relief with Self Hypnosis” Audio CD. Eliminating stress to reduce excess weight is important.  Remember, stress is responsible for the majority of all illness!

We just found out that renowned hypnotist Mike Mandel is now represented by Speakers’ Spotlight, Canada’s best-known agency for booking corporate speakers.  Mike is a truly exceptional speaker.   If you visit Mike’s page on Speakers’ Spotlight you can check out his video (video link is in the left sidebar).