Saturday, February 9, 2008

The Opposite of Self-hypnosis

Is hetero-hypnosis the opposite of self-hypnosis? I think the term “hypnotism” covers it. We don’t need the hetero- prefix. The only word I can think of with hetero is heterosexual. So hetero-hypnosis is hypnotism of a client by a practitioner of the opposite sex. I guess that’s why we need insurance.

Since all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, then we don't need to have a term for it. Or do we? I am thinking it would be nice to have a term that means a hypnotist acts as a facilitator during the client or group's experience of the receptive state known as hypnosis.
I usually just call it "hypnotism."

Are most clients female? Are most hypnotists male? Things have changed a lot at the National Guild of Hypnotists. 11 years ago most of the presenters were male and all of the stage hypnotists were male. Now things have begun to even out a bit.

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