The $2 Book That Changed Everything

Looking forward to the future of hypnosis training… and looking back to the beginning…

As the year comes to a close and my 73rd birthday approaches, I’ve found myself thinking about where all of this started, how far it has come, and where it might be going next. It’s one thing to teach hypnosis for over twenty-five years, but something else entirely to look back and realize how the last decade has been the most surprising, fulfilling, and exciting period of all.

And to think it all began with a completely unplanned moment. A regular visit to a bookstore in Toronto. I couldn’t have predicted that picking up a two-dollar book would eventually lead to one of the most respected hypnosis training programs in the world, both live and online. At the time, it just felt like a curious little discovery. But it planted the seed for everything that followed.

So join me for a short trip back in time, as I trace how all of this began, how it evolved, and what might be coming in the years ahead.

It really started in the summer of 1965. I was a curious twelve-year-old boy living in Canada, and I had one all-consuming addiction: television. Canadian and American TV completely absorbed me. The commercials fascinated me because they weren’t part of the British programs I had been used to. The shows themselves - westerns, sitcoms, police dramas, game shows - pulled me in completely. I filled my brain with it all, watching daily in glorious black and white.

Sensing I needed a bit more balance in my life, my dad decided to nudge me toward something more enriching. He drove me to Coles bookstore at Golden Mile Plaza and told me I could pick out any book I wanted. It didn’t take long before I found one that grabbed my attention. The title was “The Key to Hypnotism” by Walter B. Gibson, and it cost around two dollars. That book changed everything.

I brought it home and devoured it. Then I found my first volunteer: Wayne Gibbs, who lived above McLean Animal Hospital. I followed the steps in the book as best I could, and to my amazement, it worked. Wayne entered a deep trance. His hand floated in the air, cataleptic and motionless. I gave him suggestions for anesthesia and then pushed a hatpin through his finger. It bled, but Wayne stared at it without blinking or reacting. He felt nothing. He stayed in trance the whole time.

That was the moment I was all in.

I realized hypnosis was something astonishing, and it immediately connected with my growing interest in card magic and basic mentalism. It had the same mystery and drama, but it was real. It made people experience something deeply. I knew I had to keep exploring it.

Over the years, I practiced on anyone who would let me. I tried new inductions, made up suggestions on the fly, and tested what worked and what didn’t. There was the time I hypnotized three people and convinced them that a friend from Jamaica was actually Mick Jagger. The chaos and laughter that followed were unforgettable. These early experiments helped me build a strong foundation, long before I ever thought of performing professionally.

By 1975, I had developed enough skill and confidence to appear on a talk show in Edmonton. That show led to the interest of several booking agents, and before long I was performing regularly. I mixed in mentalism effects and started working the high school, college, and university circuit. The shows kept coming, and so did the experience. And through it all, I just kept improving my hypnosis.

In 1992, I started hearing about something new to me at the time: Neurolinguistic Programming, or NLP. I was immediately drawn to it, especially because of its strong links to hypnosis and the work of Dr. Milton Erickson. I dove into the training, and this marked the beginning of my work in the therapeutic world.

A few years later, I met Derek Balmer, who became an important mentor. I earned my NLP Master certification and Derek soon asked me to be his “hypnosis gunslinger.” I said yes. I completely rebuilt his training program from the ground up. It was a rewarding collaboration, and it pushed me even further in terms of understanding both hypnosis and how to teach it effectively.

All the while, I was still performing shows internationally and speaking at corporate and government events. In 2000, the same year Derek passed away, I earned my NLP Trainer certification. That was a turning point. I started focusing more on training and less on performing. Something was shifting.

Then in 2013, everything changed again. I reconnected with Chris Thompson, who had studied both hypnosis and British Jiu Jitsu with me. Chris had an engineering degree, an MBA, and a solid career on Bay Street in Toronto. But he was willing to leave it all behind to work with me full time. That was the moment we launched the next chapter.

I stepped off the stage for good after nearly five thousand hypnosis shows. Forty plus years of live performance had sharpened my skills to a fine edge, but it was time to move in a different direction. Together, Chris and I created the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy and started offering training on our own terms.

And the world showed up.

Students came from Spain, the UK, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, Australia, China, the Czech Republic, and many other places. The hunger for high-quality, real-world hypnosis training was strong, and we did everything we could to deliver something both practical and powerful.

Twice a year, we run five-day live intensives in Toronto. For those who can’t attend in person, there’s an online option that covers the same material. The feedback has been incredible. We’re training people to become competent, confident hypnotists who are out there helping others overcome anxiety, eliminate phobias, manage chronic pain, and deal with everyday challenges.

Many of our students use hypnosis inside their existing fields, whether they’re therapists, coaches, doctors, nurses, or performers. Others use it to make real changes in their own lives. Every week we hear stories of lives transformed. People overcoming fears. Allergies and fibromyalgia disappearing. Athletes reaching new performance levels. Clients who finally find peace after years of struggle. It’s deeply rewarding.

So now, as 73 approaches, I feel a sense of grounded gratitude. I’m healthy, active, and fully committed to continuing this work with Chris for as long as it remains exciting and meaningful, which I expect will be many years.

And to think that it all started with a two-dollar book back in 1965. A single choice that opened the door to a lifetime of exploration, connection, and transformation.

- Mike Mandel