You are getting sleepy...

Is at all a scam or can hypnotism actually be beneficial? Now I’m not talking about ‘stage hypnotism’ where a ‘magician’ of sorts, like Darren Brown, works their voodoo magic on some ‘unsuspecting’ member of the audience, most likely a stooge. Even though it’s thoroughly enjoyable to watch, we all think oh, it’s a bit fake. I want to see if it can actually cure help people with anxieties, phobias and even aid a pain free childbirth.

To research this properly for you lovely people, I purchased Paul McKenna’s Number One Best seller Instant Confidence book with a free Mind Programming CD. It sounds impressive. I haven’t read the book yet, id just skimmed through. It’s just another self help book, nothing special. The ‘Mind Programming CD’ is the best bit. It’s a self hypnosis CD with 30mins of powerful mind altering technology,or something like that. I had a go with an open mind. You have to lie down, turn everything off, close your eyes and get comfy. Oh it says you shouldn’t listen whilst driving or operating heavy machinery (makes it sound like the real deal, all professional).Then it begins.

You relax deeper and deeper following his voice. he just tells you to progressively relax your body. and this happens in waves. He sounded really seductive, like a smooth late night radio DJ.I thought he was gonna play some Luther Vandross in the middle! I can’t tell you what he was saying as I honestly cant remember. It’s like you’re in a daydream. You can hear him talking but you don’t know what the heck he’s on about. And he loves playing with your surround sound, it really freaked me out. He speaks in your left ear, then your right. He Sounds like he’s spinning around your head. The weirdest bit is when he has two different conversations in each ear and you try to listen in but you just can’t, it’s up to you ‘subconscious mind’ to hear it, apparently. When it came to ‘waking up from my trance’ he kinda shouted ‘now wake up’. It startled me but it may be because I was ‘so under’. I did felt really calm afterwards.

Sceptics will argue that it’s all mumbo jumbo and if it really worked then it will be used much widely to help the general public. Well I’ve found out you can get it on the NHS if you suffer from depression, anxiety, phobias or a deep set trauma and if a doctor refers you but they prefer to try medication or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) sessions first.
According to the Daily Mail, Mothers are being taught how to hypnotise themselves before giving birth in a NHS 18 month trial. When I read it I was like, wooah are you serious? And it looks like they are. A lot of women have claimed it was a magical, pain-free experience. If any of you have watched that Scrubs episode where Turk attempts to conduct a hypnotised surgery, you may be believe otherwise.You never know they may swap Epidurals for pocket watches! And sorry, I will not be rushing to try this theory out for you guys!!

I think the only reason why it ‘works’ is because the people participating in the hypnosis really believe it works; it has quite a placebo effect. I must admit I was shocked by how much of a sureal experience the CD was.They may have been some subliminal messages mixed in there though. *Paul Mckenna is the best* *He has never tricked people using this CD into 'donating' money into his account**Paul McKenna is a sexy beast*


I’m going to try it out for another month and see if I become a little less shy as a result of this.

Let me and Hypnotoad *All hail Hypnotoad* know your thoughts on Hypnosis.