Im hoping it was sarcasm.

NightSG had the perfect response. I'm sure it was sarcasm but that is how people here feel about hypnosis.

Never mind that a good hypnosis course cost less then an illusion and you can do a full show with it. If it isn't cheap, easy and right now why bother. I mean, all we do is talk right?

This is why the No BS Convention and why after all of the bs I have had to deal with from that mindset I will never produce another one.

As a fellow producer I would like to hear more about this, whether here or by PM. Best of luck with the event!

Yea it is sad that it will not be produced again. Darn sad for the future of the art.

Mindpro--I'll send you a pm as well.

Here is my favorite example of why I'm not doing it anymore:
(these are actual things that I have encountered)
"I can't afford to attend the seminar, but will you help me finish writing my business coaching seminar?"
"So what if your wife has 2 theater degrees she's still a ****"
"I don't see why I have to prove I can do what I'm talking about."
"I'll just watch youtube videos"

While I could go on and on I won't. I will continue to keep teaching and mentoring my students. Offering guidance where I can. I won't be producing again because in the end the negativity isn't worth it to me.

That's a shame. Sorry you had to deal with that, kevinuncanny.

I appear at many of these types of events based on my background in the areas of entertainment business success, 2/4 Walling, and working with and understanding agents and agencies, press and media for entertainers, as well of course stage hypnosis, and I have found what Keven is saying is true in 95% of these events and not just in the hypnosis industry as I've done all kinds of other entertainment industry related events and conventions (comedians, DJs, magic, mentalism, etc.) and this "know-it-all" mindset of today's beginners and newbies is the worst I've ever seen.

I have been asked repeatedly to produce a decent industry event for mentalists and won't because of the same issues. I have found it easier just to bring my knowledge and experience to the stages of others events and consult them if asked. Chris is right, it really is a shame.

Thanks Chris, I appreciate that.

Mindpro - I won't be appearing at other events. My reputation and show gets me invites to a lot of events but I'm not going to be around things in the industry I can't support.
ie: people teaching things they have no real world experience in
people teaching things are against direct medical guideline
people teaching others to be unsafe during a show

I feel like I would be a hypocrite if I supported anything like that

It's a sign of the times. Having recently changed careers in the "day job" side of life, I've been exposed to more and different people in the last couple years than I had thought I might at my age. I don't want to turn down the road of generational bashing because it isn't just "millennials" with the "new and improved" attitude. We are seeing a broad societal shift in the way people view themselves and each other.

Really, it depends on the total plan; if you're purely stage, then a few hours and 1-2 scripts may meet your needs for the foreseeable future. OTOH, every stage hypnotist I've met has had at least some interest in hypnotherapy, either as a sideline business, retirement option, or just because some of them have knack for working with people that don't necessarily respond well to - well, for lack of a better descriptor, marriage counselors with a 16 hour hypnotherapy class certificate to wring a little extra cash out of down time at the office.

IMO, even someone not planning to do any hypnotherapy beyond stop smoking sessions would be very well served by learning a lot more about psychology in general, and habit modification in particular, instead of picking the fastest, cheapest "learn hypnotherapy while you sleep or in your car or while you sleep in your car" course available and watching a couple YouTube videos about smoking cessation script writing while they're designing the business cards. At least enough to know when there's something they're going to need outside help with, rather than wasting the client's time and money on complete guesswork.

If you ever meet me you will see a guy with ZERO interest in hypnotherapy. None. Don't dabble in it because 99% of it is quackery. I won't be associated with it.

Mind you this is an OPINION and not a fact. The quackery part not the me not being interested part. You will never see the stop smoking stuff with my name on it ever. I make enough money with not having to hang out a fake shingle based on 16 entire hours of training.

Mind you my only psychology training comes from college coursework.

It's that 1% that I'd like to see get a meaningful boost, though. Sort of like chiropractic; every bone-cracker with a fancy storefront in a mall is promising to solve everything wrong with your body and soul by realigning your pinky toe joints, but then once in a while you find some guy in a middle-of-nowhere office who just says "I'm just here to make your back hurt a lot less. If that makes you happier, maybe you'll fix the other stuff for yourself." I want to see a lot more of that guy in both fields.

Instead, it seems like there are two extremes in hypnotherapy; you've got the whatever-sort-of-counselor with a cheap certificate just so they could add it to their services offered list, (Call them and listen for the keyboard noise as they Google for scripts when you ask them about common stuff.) or the "eliminate cancer with the power of your mind" guy that promises anything you're willing to pay for. (Bring your reading glasses; he's got so much fine print you'll have a migraine by the time you read half of it. "Your mind won't allow the energy to flow because your body isn't aligned. Let me refer you to a chiropractor.")

Don't get me wrong; IMO, the counselor isn't far from the right track, but it's like watching a mechanic who bought the cheapest diagnostic computer available and then only uses it as a last resort, plus has to read the manual every time. At the other end of that part of the spectrum is the pure hypnotherapy type that doesn't take the time to just have a conversation with the client and fully identify the problem. ("So you only chain smoke at the bar when you're nervous about talking to women?") The ideal should be somewhere in the middle, with active listening and hypnosis being roughly equal tools in getting to the desired outcome.

Have you given any thought to adding stage therapy, or maybe a dramatic spinal adjustment to your routine?
(No kidding, we used to have one on the highway out of town advertising party magician, fortune telling, life coaching and hypnotherapy from a house with a TransCamaroBird on blocks in the side yard. I kept waiting for them to add chiropractic to the sign, fix up the Winnebago out back and take their show on tour.)

Yea that about sums it up.

That does sum it up to a large degree. But there are skilled therapists out there too. Who can get results where traditional routes fail. And within those skilled therapists there are variants in the levels of skill. That is the problem. But Therapy and stage should never be mixed. I had a therapy/coaching practice off and on for 30 years. I have worked with large sales companies, government projects professional sports people all kinds of business people. I also did the stage full time for part of that time around 10 years. I never mixed the two. But I still think its a good thing to learn as much as you can about the subject and related skills. Apart from being interesting it does give someone an all round insight into the subject. Is it necessary to be a stage hypnotist? No you don't have to its up to the individual. I also trained with lots of people over the years. You can never stop learning. It just depends on what you want from it personally. I just have one of those obsessive minds that once I take something up I go in-depth. I believe it makes me a better hypnotist all round than I would've been otherwise.

Therapy and stage I also do not believe should ever be mixed. I don't think it is a natural extension at all. Just because I can entertain in no way makes me a qualified therapist.

And neither does the ability to lead one into trance. Also having a 16 hour course does not make one a qualified therapist.

Offering "cures" and behavior modification without actual study is crazy and should have laws against it. I think performers diminish themselves by dabbling in it when they are not qualified. Also the 99% who are the norm also similarly diminish themselves.

I never said it was a natural extension of stage hypnosis. I was saying hypnosis is a HUGE subject. I also never said offering "cures" with no study was viable. I said there are very skilled therapists/coaches/hypnotists out there among the crap. I also said extended study and interest in the subject as a whole and also training with many different people with good reputations is a desirable thing if you want to become a better "all round" hypnotist. Of course if all you want to be is a stage hypnotist you don't need to go beyond that. But to say ALL hypnotherapists or everybody who uses hypnosis in other applications are no good is simply not true. And perhaps someone who has never gone beyond stage hypnosis isn't really qualified to make that statement. Its also worth pointing out that many medical people will support and even give referrals to hypnotherapists and at the same time condemn stage hypnotists as quacks and dangerous. A lot of stage hypnotists would also fall into this category.Many medical doctors would say all stage hypnosis is dangerous and are quacks. I don't agree with that but its true. Many years ago I was on a news item defending stage hypnosis from exactly those attacks from the medical profession.

Less defensive. I never said you said anything. Find a qualified therapist dude.

When all you have is "find a qualified therapist" why bother? If you don't have anything constructive personally I would just say nothing. Being a stage hypnotist with no interest or study in therapy doesn't make you qualified to advise anyone about therapy. Like I said before many medical doctors would refer someone to a hypnotherapist while condemning stage hypnotists as quacks and dangerous. Would they be qualified enough to make that assessment? Going by your logic? When I was practicing as a therapist I had insurance for £5 million and doctor referral numbers for both the NHS and Bupa. That's the National Health service ran by the government and also Private health insurance. So doctors could refer their patients to me.

What are you babbling about? Be less defensive.

If I am not a doctor, but an attorney, am I qualified to file a medical malpractice suit?

You don't have to be a therapist to spot a quack. Sorry. But keep babbling on as if it is relevant.

People can say what they like. I am an entertainer and nothing more. Seems like a pretty straight forward claim.

If you are not a quack, but one of the 1% that is qualified then so be it let it go. Seriously why are you arguing?

Many medical doctors believe stage hypnotists are quacks and dangerous. Just because you are only an "entertainer" doesn't make you immune from those labels. Personal Injury Attorney's only deal with the legal aspect and totally rely on medical reports from highly qualified specialist doctors who also understand injury law because of the high risks involved going to court. I know this because I have had a personal injury attorney as a marketing client for five years now and help them find cases. I thought this was a discussion when did it become am argument?