So you want to learn to hypnotize people?
That’s not surprising, since hypnosis is undergoing its biggest boom since the 1880s, when Bernheim, Charcot and Braid were the giants of the hypnotic art. That was the era of the early hypnotic pioneers, who took Mesmerism, and began to turn it into a genuine science.
Hypnosis almost vanished with the advent of psychoanalysis and talk therapy, but it bounced back with a vengeance. Today, the interest in all aspects of hypnotism is huge, with perhaps 95% of all the hypnotists who’ve ever lived, are alive right now.
That means it’s easier to learn hypnosis at this point in history than ever before!
In addition to this blog post, there are a couple of really great Youtube videos of ours that will help you in this journey. Check them out below.
Best Ways to Learn Hypnosis
Hypnosis: Which Style Should You Learn?
In this article, we’ll be looking at hat you can do to become an amazing hypnotist in record time. We’ll tell you about the tools available, so you can begin your hypnosis journey today.
So ask yourself…
Why do you want to be a hypnotist?
There are lots of great reasons…
Perhaps you’re fascinated by the whole subject and want to approach it as a hobby first, to see if you really enjoy it. Or on the other hand, you might be a psychologist or professional therapist who’s heard about the power of hypnosis, and want to add it to your toolbox of change techniques.
Maybe you’re interested in stage hypnosis, and would like to become a full-time hypnotic entertainer, traveling the world for free on cruise ships, or doing huge shows in theatres or at colleges and universities.
Perhaps the idea of forensic hypnosis has caught your interest, because you saw a documentary where a professional hypnotist worked with police to help solve a major crime.
Or maybe you’re not sure…
You might be interested in hypnosis because you want to learn to hypnotize yourself and make changes in your own life, which is a really great reason!
In truth, you may have a lot of reasons for your interest in learning hypnosis. Hypnosis is such a fascinating field that people get into it for one reason or another, but wind-up learning a wide variety of applications. For example, many stage performers have built excellent skills, and gone on to become first rate hypnotherapists.
And then there are the hypnotherapists who enjoyed their work so much, they eventually began to do stage shows as a second career.
But here’s an interesting point…
Regardless of what kind of hypnosis most interests you, it really doesn’t matter. That’s because one of the smartest things you can do is to acknowledge your interest, and simply start to learn how to hypnotize! The application can come much later as you develop some solid skills.
It’s good to mention at this point that there are different styles of hypnotic technique.
Hypnosis Styles
On one end of a very long spectrum, you have what’s known as paternal hypnosis. This is the kind of in your face, commanding style, and was typical in old-school stage shows in the mid 1900s. This sort of hypnotist was extremely authoritarian, bringing his forceful personality to his act, and a lot of mysticism too; spinning spirals and swinging watches.
The other end of the hypnosis spectrum is maternal hypnosis. This is a much gentler method, involving relaxation, guided imagery, subtle language patterns, and even metaphors. This kind of hypnosis is the kind that therapists usually do. Rather than obeying commands, this method offers options to the subject to activate unconscious resources to produce change.
Whichever style you decide to use will depend largely on your personality and demeanor. A tiny and delicate hypnotist would be perceived as ridiculous if he or she chose the paternal method.
On the other hand, if you stand six and a half feet tall, have a booming voice, huge terrifying eyes, and wear a Dracula cape, the maternal style probably wouldn’t be the best style of hypnosis for you!
In hypnosis, the best thing is adaptability. You need to be able to shift gears as the situation demands it, being more gentle or direct, as needed. In any case, you can figure that all out later, once you decide what kind of hypnotist you are.
So how can you learn hypnosis?
Lots of ways!
Let’s look at the least expensive methods first, and then work our way up from there.
How to Learn Hypnosis for Free
Obviously, unless someone pays you to study hypnosis, there’s nothing less expensive than free! And the great news is, there’s a lot of free stuff out there.
Check out your local public library. Not only will you find books on gardening, chess, and how to speak Chinese, but chances are good you’ll find one or two books on hypnotism too. Whatever books you find, borrow them all. Almost any hypnosis book will have something of value, although you may have to dig a bit to find it, especially in older books.
Generally speaking, the newer books will tend to have the best information for you. Whether you’re interested in hypnotic inductions, or want more of the scientific theory, the newer the book, the firmer the foundation it will rest on.
There are also a ton of hypnosis videos on YouTube, but here you have to be a bit careful. Videos are not always what they seem, and if a method seems too good to be true, it probably is. You should be skeptical of videos where people go up to perfect strangers with no conversational preamble, yell “Sleep!” and then make the person quack like a duck. Hypnosis is amazing, but it’s not magical.
Nevertheless, there are some great hypnosis videos on YouTube. Look around and see what you find. Our channel is an excellent place to start!
Let’s not forget podcasts.
There are some solid hypnosis podcasts that will give you real nuggets of hypnotic gold, like our very own Brain Software Podcast. Once again, there are a lot of them, so it’s a good idea to check their listener ratings before choosing one or more to listen to.
You might also want to look into Facebook hypnosis groups, or other social media sites. Typically, people with the same interests congregate together, so you should have no difficulty finding other hypnotists. The great thing about online groups is you’re almost certain to find people of all skill levels you can learn from.
So let’s move from the free stuff to the low cost options…
How to Learn Hypnosis at a Low Price
Books are generally a good source of inexpensive information. Used bookstores like abe.com have a huge inventory of hypnosis books, both old and new. They make it easy to find out of print books, and you can shop from anywhere in the world.
And while we’re talking about bookstores, it would be ridiculous to forget Amazon! A search here will typically give you dozens and dozens of pages of hypnosis books, and it’s a great place to find the newest books.
Udemy provides an inexpensive option for online courses. Although there’s some good stuff here, you do tend to get what you pay for, and a twenty dollar course will not be equal to one costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Online Hypnosis Training
In the midrange we have online trainings, going much further than a simple course. These trainings are premium offerings from the best in the field, often providing the option of some kind of certification. Premium online training will be affordable, but comprehensive, with hundreds of videos, and will take you from absolute beginner to hypnotic wizard.
Look for trainers who have vast experience, as well as worldwide recognition and credibility with their peers. Premium online training also provides access to private online communities, giving you an ongoing membership experience.
Then there is the top of the heap; at least as far as expense goes, which is live training.
In-person Hypnosis Training
In-person training, and hypnosis conferences, provide the most exciting learning experience imaginable! That’s because there’s nothing quite like interacting with the world’s best hypnotists and trainers in a live classroom environment. This can be pricey, however. Once the cost of travel and accommodation are added to the training fee, you may well be looking at several thousand dollars.
So where do you start?
Start wherever you are!
You might begin by reading books by recognized hypnosis authors; Milton Erickson, John Overdurf, Richard Bandler and John Grinder provide a great starting point. There are also older books by Walter B. Gibson, Harry Aarons, and Konradi Leitner that still have value.
If hypnotherapy is your interest, check out the older books by Gil Boyne, Dave Elman, Leslie LeCron, and Charles Tebbetts. Modern authors like Freddy Jacquin, Roy Hunter, James Tripp, and Melissa Tiers have also written excellent books that are well-worth buying.
While you’re reading up on the subject, you should practice as much as possible. At first it might be hard to find volunteers to test your abilities. Family and close friends will typically be difficult to work with; at least in the beginning, as they’ll find it difficult to take it seriously.
If you press on though, you’ll begin to get a reputation as a hypnotist, and that will go a long way to smooth your hypnosis road. As your confidence increases, you’ll find that most people are good subjects, because you’ll have the flexibility to flow with the situation, no matter what.
As you continue to read, and practice with whoever will permit you to, you can supplement your learning with YouTube videos and online trainings, to keep getting better and better.
Perhaps you’ll find a mentor; somebody who’s gone further down the hypnosis road that you have. A good mentor can give you shortcuts and inside information; the inner secrets of hypnosis! This can save you a lot of time and fast track your hypnosis education.
Mentors can be expensive though, because they’re good at what they do, and they realize their value. They also have the disadvantage of teaching only their particular style of hypnosis. For that reason, an online training school is a better option, and a much better investment than a mentor. That’s because a world-class online training got where they are by being very good at what they do: Teaching hypnosis.
So we recommend you apply as many learning methods as you can afford. Read and buy books, watch videos, join groups, attend conferences, and learn from the best.
And your hypnotic journey will never end...
Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy
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