Recently I interviewed one of the ORIGINAL Street Hypnotists and he is ****ED! He is ****ed by what the modern day
Street Hypnotists aka Lurking Creepers have done to the industry!

Discover why he has claimed that Street Hypnosis is "Killing the industry and suffocating the art form"

http://www.hawaiihypnosis.org/podcasts/s......exposed/

Antonio

Seems harsh.

So be it.

I've yet to hear any good guests on this. How about getting some of the bigger names in the business? Or at least some from here on the Café that are quite experienced? Mindpunisher, Danny?

Now THAT'S harsh.

I'm confused. If there are no good guests on my podcast's then why do you keep on listening?

Shout out to Anthony Jacquin, James Tripp, Igor Ledochowski, Stephen Brooks, Reg Blackwood, etc. I guess you guys aren't big names in the business. HA!

I don't think we are in the same business to be honest. Most of the above are about repackaging crude hypnosis to appeal to amateurs who haven't a clue what they are being sold. My clients tend to be highly professional and have no need to stick someone's hand to a table. They want to be the best they can be in business and sport. My performance hypnosis is the same its professional not for amateurs.

I guess its beyond your target market. A market in which I don't want a name.

And we really need to listen to a podcast to tell us about the negative effects of street hypnosis? Ive been saying that since it crawled out of the gutter.

Heres the thing though. More and more I get pms asking for advice from those that bought into these courses. They now realize its not where they want to go or that the courses are not really that good.

Although I have heard there have been advancements made in the impromptu field. I believe they are sticking hands to heads now.... Marvelous stuff I'm not worthy to podcast alongside you guys.

No offense meant to any of your guests and no I really haven't listened to more than a bit of one or two I believe, mainly because of the exact point I was trying to make. I've yet to find any of your guests exciting or interesting to entertaiment hypnosis. These names seem to be important to you and the the world of kids and amateurs as Mindpunisher describes, but I wouldn't consider them the biggest names in the world of entertainment hypnosis. Many of them are not from the U.S. which since you are in the states and this is a U.S.-based forum, I would think you would st least have a mix. I've yet to see any big name American stage hypnotists. Perhaps you had Nongard but he also has other interests.

Everything seems street, clinical, NLP, or newfangled trends, where are the real full-time hypnosis entertainer/performers?

Seems like this is just you doing interviews with those you are a fan of, and really has little to do with true entertainment hypnosis, which after all is what this forum is supposed to be about. You've had plenty of the trendy, how about some stage hypnotists?

Like Mindpunisher, I've been hearing more and more from the same guys that used to be all hot and bothered with this new trendy, newer stuff, which they've either run their course with, or have been extremely disappointed with their results, and are now wanting to discover more about the stage stuff many here have been discussing and performing for years.

I don't expect you to change your interests, but if in fact you are trying to serve the community, you are missing the boat. Many want to learn much more about stage and entertainment hypnosis than "sticking your hand to the table".

Let's just clear up a few things.

I'm 44 and this year celebrate my 20th year as a full-time professional entertainer.

I have well respected, well attended live training courses on hypnosis which I have presented in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. They are attended by hypnotherapists, stage hypnotists and other performers.

I also tutor privately the same kind of people here in New Zealand and saw one when I was in the UK.
I've had people travel here to New Zealand from India and the UK specifically for these purposes. As far as I know, one of the UK guys is here on these forums but usually not very active or vocal.

The only under 18s I have ever trained in person were TWO truly exceptional individuals.

I have no problem teaching amateurs, as I too was once an amateur before I took the plunge (with help from The Prince Charles Youth Business Trust) all those years ago.

For those who can't see me in person (or as a reference source for those who can) I had a couple of my training sessions filmed. I edited them, transcribed them and put them online (together with a whole library of other educational material) at a price-point to dissuade those less serious about their education. I also offer Skype tutoring and once again, some here on this forum have participated in that, although I respect their right to remain silent about it.

Most of my trainees aren't the types who hang around on forums hero-worshiping me, but some of my products for mentalists have been publicly well received by that community and one buyer of my hypnosis training, a US based recent Emmy Award winner has been kind enough to name-check me a few times on social networks.

This evening, I am seeing a group of disabled children with a view to potentially carry out regular weekly stage performance workshops with them.

This weekend, I have a fundraising hypnosis gig for a children's toy library in a fairly isolated rural community which was badly affected by a series of devastating earthquakes we have had here, starting in September 2010.

In addition to these, so far in July, I have had five other paid gigs which I don't consider too bad considering that as a consequence of those same earthquakes, I lost my home, office and most of the city of Christchurch where I live and several of my contacts, acquaintances, friends of friends from the New Zealand media world were tragically killed.

So consequently, I have interesting stories and that means I get asked to speak about my life and my work on podcasts and other broadcasts, even though I live and work in parts of the world outside of the United States. (Yes. There really is a whole world out there.)

Seriously, I can understand why some might think many of you here come across as sounding bitter if this is the only place you have to voice YOUR opinions and tell your stories.

I wonder who would do a podcast about rubbish stage hypnotists? I don't suppose anyone would be so dumb as to over generalise, would they?

HK

I hope none of that rant was directed at me.

I like Reg. I do not doubt his training is top drawer. His experience as a stand up comic carries just as much weight as his experience as a hypnotist, if not more. That said I did not like the tone of the podcast. Too much negativity. We should encourage amateurs rather than slag them off.

Leveraging hypnosis out of the confines of stage has breathed life into it rather than smothered it. It has opened it up to a new generation who do not wish to do the traditional hypnosis act. It is also a stepping stone for those that do.

Let's face it the traditional stage hypnosis act has been cloned for half a century with few true innovators.

Regarding thoughts about not getting paid. I know dozens of magicians and mentalists who get paid more and get more work than they would otherwise because they offer walk around hypnosis as part of their services.

I want to make budding hypnotists better rather than squash them for not being instantly unique. It takes time to develop an act and performing persona. The run up to that often involves doing some of what you have seen those you admire doing. This is the same in many creative arts. I respect anyone who finds the courage to have a go and is prepared to learn by asking questions and adapting what they do based on experience.

Anthony

Anthony, I agree 100% that "we should encourage amateurs rather than slag them off."

Respectfully, however, you don't say what we should encourage them to do.

Should we encourage them to do what the show claimed some are doing, just stopping random people on the streets and attempting to hypnotize them?
Should we encourage amateurs to stick people's hands to their foreheads or to a trash can?
Should we encourage them to call themselves "hypnotherapists" and help people change their behaviors?

I don't think so.

I do think we should encourage amateurs to GET REAL TRAINING. You know, like taking the trainings you offer.

Unlike magic, you can't improve your abilities in hypnosis by standing in front of a mirror and endlessly practicing your sleights so that you'll know your angles and won't get caught. You have to practice hypnosis with other people.

Can you imagine someone saying, "I'm just starting in magic and I want to do this trick that I've only read about?" Totally ridiculous. And yet, that's the essence of what some people are suggesting people wanting to learn hypnosis should do.

Who are the people really encouraging amateurs, the ones who say, "just read a book and go do it" or the ones encouraging people interested in hypnosis to get training? The vast majority of those who just read a book, or watch some videos, have limited success at best or simply fail in their attempts. As a result, most of them do NOT continue with hypnosis. On the other hand, those willing to save their money, find a training, and learn the art, because they put so much into it, are far more likely to continue and succeed. Do all IROBs (I Read One Book) fail and do all people who take training succeed? Of course not. But for most people, actually taking a training is far more likely to result in long-term success than the read-a-book-and-do-it approach.

If people go down to the section of the Café where people offer tricks for sale, you'll often see that some people are selling effects within days or even hours of the effect being on the market. It's as if people buy them just to find out how it's done and then sell them. For most people, the read-a-book-and-do-it approach is far more likely to teach you ABOUT hypnosis rather than how to actually PERFORM hypnosis. Books and videos are fantastic for expanding upon a person's training, but I don't want people just to limit themselves to only knowing about hypnosis any more than I would support the "masked magician." I want to encourage amateurs with an interest in hypnosis to get trainings so they can become effective and entertaining hypnotists.

So yes, I encourage people to get training and become good at hypnosis. That's real encouragement because it is the most likely approach to short term and long term success.

I have to disagree with Kraig. I think the best way to pick up just about anything is to go out and start doing it. I have encountered plenty of people who get so bogged down in training they never go out and do anything. I am one of the read one book brigade, and I know others. At least it gets you out doing something.

After fifteen years I did two days of training with Anthony, and his sort of approach (which brings many new people into the business) does work. It works extremely well. Not everyone has the time or the interest to pursue a long and often irrelevant training programme.

Although I have never accosted a stranger on the street to hypnotise them, I have hypnotised at close-up gigs, and at festivals and fairs. Impromptu hypnosis can be great fun. It can also allow you to do more things in a traditional stage show. These days I tend to hypnotise one volunteer within a minute or so of starting a show, and doing some impromptu stuff with them. This forms a nice contrast with what comes later.

There is a place in the business for the street hypnotists. Perhaps not on the street, though...

Tony with GOOD training you DO go and do it. But more importantly you do it correctly so you learn quicker. Can you please tell me one thing more you can do with street hypnosis that you cannot do on stage? As far as I can see street hypnosis involves about half a dozen or maybe less basic phenomena stunts over and over?

If you mean more I think you mean more gigs? Then that might be true.

The vast majority attracted to street hypnosis appear to be amateur enthusiasts and magicians who don't really want to learn hypnosis. And mostly just want to feel powerful in public by getting attention with no payment.

I think it attracts the wrong people for the wrong reasons. and it just looks terrible. In fact the meeting I went to just looked really sad.

I can understand the attraction for marketing such courses though. Its an easy market with low expectations I mean they will have an orgasm if they stick a hand to a table or get someone to forget their name. Its a strange phenomena hobby or whatever you want to call it.

It just doesn't appeal to me on any level.

MP, the chief appeal is as an opener for the stage show. On Saturday I was doing a 40th birthday in a pub. Tough crowd - the show was a surprise to the birthday girl, and she didn't want it. Within a minute I had grabbed one man from the audience and I went into a street routine. Nothing fancy - his arm rose, his hand stuck to his face, he giggled uncontrollably, he couldn't remember his name. I got a quick laugh, but more importantly demonstrated that I could do what I claimed. So when I called for volunteers a few minutes later, the chairs were full fast. And that is not common in a rural Irish pub.

It also helped give a bit of a texture to the show. It wasn't all just a panel doing things. The one on one gave variety. As I said, I don't do it on the streets. If no one is paying, I'm not playing.

I think that is theatrically poor. Jump to later in the show and those sorts of routines then jump back and ask for people and do an induction. Has no flow and makes no sense to he.

Maybe for the area it is perfect I can not say. But as a theatrical presentation it is fairly disjointed.

I am not saying it is right or writing. It is obviously right for you so cool.

Only checked this topic today...jeez such harsh comments being thrown.
Well in any case I guess that many ppl failed to grasp the real problem Reg was trying to pass on the podcast which is exactly what kraig was pointing: amateurs learning the bare minimum and running outside "to play" with a camera on their shoulders and "hypnotizing" every single chap they can catch and that's one of the fundamental problems I've discussed with Reg in the past.

For the bitter professionals: Reg was kind enough to mentor me throughout my hypnosis path when he had no reason whatsoever to do so...he knew I had bought several products from other hypnotists and was learning by myself. Despite that, he took his own time to guide me towards the right direction by taking into consideration what I had learned (good and BAD) and guided me so I wouldn't make the same mistakes that most beginners do. Everything he taught and offered me was at NO charge whatsoever. Reg just saw a young man who wanted to learn and study hypnosis and avoided that I would become another street hypnosis case.
I very much doubt any of the top stage hypnotists in this thread would even bother in providing the same guidance to anyone as they're above every single amateur out there.
It's nice to complain about situations when you do nothing to change them but when someone goes and "makes a podcast" saying it, everyone says it's pointless and that person knows nothing on the subject. The fact of the matter is that Reg took his time to record this podcast and shared his opinions (which I haven't seen anyone say that are wrong).

David

Danny, on paper I might agree with you. In practice it works out very well in the sort of pub environment I find myself performing in. If I was doing a theatre or student show, I would do it differently. But my pub shows have improved substantially since I have begun doing it this way. Getting one person up breaks down inhibitions, and gets everyone's attention before I call for the main volunteers. Pubs want a good laugh for an hour, rather than a carefully structured show.

DavidSena, I can't speak for the others, but whenever an amateur or beginner contacts me I give them every help and guidance I am capable of. When I was booked for my first show and didn't have a clue what to do Adrian Knight, a very talented pro, took the time to explain the basics to me. Barry Sinclair, a legend in the business, has answered honestly any question I have ever put to him. We are not all ogres!

that's not street hypnosis you are doing its a show its stage hypnosis its not street. that's what everyone forgets. Street hypnosis is just watered down stage hypnosis usually performed very badly. Strett hypnosis is about acosting complete strangers in public places and trying to hypnotize them..

Pubs just want a laugh and not a structured show? What does that mean. Stage hypnosis is about getting laughs !