Take a look at the opening of this 1/5/10 article in the Telegraph:
“Trainee hypnotist puts himself in trance using mirror”
Helmut Kichmeier, 27, was found by his wife, Joanna, staring into thin air after the bungle in their north London home as they prepared for a tour.
Mr Kichmeier, whose stage name is Hannibal Helmurto, had learned the skill to put himself into a somnabulistic trance to help him swallow multiple swords on stage.
He had been taught the skill by hypnotherapist Dr Ray Roberts to assist in a new act for the Circus of Horrors show.
But as he practiced the skill in front of the mirror at 10am he set himself into a deep sleep until 3pm, when he was found by his wife.
It was only after she phoned Dr Roberts and put the receiver to Mr Kichmeier’s head that he was able to be talked out of the trance. Click here to read the rest of this article.
Puh-leeze! A person does not get stuck in a trance state as this article implies. Nor does a person enter a “deep sleep” from hypnosis, unless perhaps self-hypnosis is being used as a tool for overcoming insomnia. A trance state is a natural state, and while the goal of hypnosis is to access the subconscious mind, there needs to be enough conscious awareness present for the subject to participate in—or, in the case of self-hypnosis, to direct the process.
Some of my clients are surprised to hear that they will not feel so deeply altered while in trance and will maintain a sense of control and awareness during the experience. Some glaze over when I go through my “pre-talk” because they have already been educated, but with the media and stage hypnotists feeding into so many misconceptions, hypnotherapists can’t risk a client going into trance without fully knowing what to expect.
Kichmeier’s wife said that her husband looked like a zombie, staring at himself in the mirror.
“I tried to ask him what was wrong but he didn’t answer and it was then I looked at the sofa behind him and saw a book named Hypnosis Medicine of the Mind.
“It was opened on page 45 and a chapter named hypnotic anaesthesia and I realised there was something wrong.
“At first I panicked and tried to talk to Helmut but he didn’t respond.
“It was only then I noticed a letter next to the book a letter from his mentor, Dr Roberts, and I knew what I had to do.”
How convenient that there was a letter next to the book so that she knew what to do. Gee, maybe I’ll draft a letter to give to clients when I teach them self-hypnosis. “If you notice your loved one is despondent, call me immediately.”
And here’s another myth in the article:
A person under hypnosis only responds to a voice of authority and as Dr Roberts had taught him the skill he was able to talk him down.
When physician Franz Anton Mesmer discovered the practice of hypnosis—what was then, in the 1700′s, called mesmerism—he didn’t really know how it worked. He assumed he had a special power to control others, had a big ego, and, unfortunately, developed a pompous authoritative style, which he taught to his disciples, and they taught to theirs. Luckily more enlightened contemporary hypnotists came to realize that, in fact, some clients will be put off by a voice of authority, in which case a permissive style is more appropriate and effective.
This may have been a great publicity stunt for Mr. Kichmeier, but it does damage to a legitimate field that is aiming to empower and heal.
