On Saturday I watched “Now You See Me” (2013), a movie about a group of magicians who show off their presumably magical skills by engaging in criminal activities.

I felt a bit eerie watching this, especially during the scene where hypnotist, Merritt McKinney (‘The Hermit’), uses Hypnosis to his own benefit. There is a scene which shows him imparting a post-hypnotic suggestion, encouraging selected audience members to believe that they are football players on the field. He activates this suggestion, and the audience engages immediately in the ‘rough and tough’ associated with being a football player, which The Hermit uses to escape from the baddies.

I know it is just a movie but as a registered practitioner I find it frustrating that a lot of my clients, having seen such parodies of Hypnosis, believe that Hypnosis can be used to “control” people, which is very much NOT the case.

I regularly get questions such as:
“Will I cluck like a chicken under Hypnosis?”
“Can you get me to drink a glass of vinegar?”
“Will I disclose things that I don’t want to talk about?”

Every client under Hypnosis has the CHOICE to either take up or reject a suggestion.

In light of the above, I would very much like to encourage you to read more about Hypnosis on my webpage – I sourced this information from the South Australian Society of Hypnosis, which I highly recommend, especially if you are interested in Hypnosis for yourself as a treatment option for a problematic behaviour. For the record, real Hypnosis can be very effective in helping people take control to quit smoking, lose weight, manage anxiety or beat depression.

Gina Huisy MAPS (2014).