Ask anybody on the street what they know about hypnotism, and you'll most likely get a reply about people on stage clucking like a chicken or barking like a dog. The most common stereotypes about hypnosis are the image of the volunteer as a powerless victim and the hypnotist as some kind of voodoo master, bending the wills of his subjects to his every command. Even the most educated folks tend to know little about hypnotism and what it's really all about.
Stage hypnotism has a long history, and these stereotypes are mostly derived from the early part of that history when hypnotists created the persona of being powerful and mystical. Magicians did the same thing. Part of drawing a crowd back then was having people believe that you really had some kind of unique ability or supernatural quality. People didn't buy tickets for something fake; they wanted something real and astounding. Today it's widely understood that magic shows are just an illusion, yet many people still believe that hypnotists have power over their volunteers, and there's a level of fear for some people.
As the members of the hypnotism community who practice consulting hypnotism (also called hypnotherapy by some, personal coaching by others) strive to make hypnotism a separate and distinct profession, there is also a growing movement to distance themselves from stage hypnotists. Many practitioners believe that stage hypnotism gives the broader profession a bad name. Some would even go so far as to suggest that stage hypnotists should be excluded from some of the professional associations.
I absolutely understand the concerns that my colleagues have with how the stereotypes associated to stage hypnotism get applied to consulting hypnotism, as well. However, from a broader perspective I would assert that stage hypnotism benefits the profession more than it harms it, and those same professionals who wish stage hypnotism would just go away are taking for granted the benefits they get from it existing.
As a stage hypnotist, I travel all over the United States. I perform for audiences as large as 600 people. When I perform, I always do a brief educational talk before I start the show. I explain the myths and misconceptions about hypnotism, talk about the benefits of being hypnotized, and share some of the ways that people can use hypnosis to increase their wellness. Basically, I do a little live commercial for hypnotism at every show. At almost every show that I do, somebody comes up to me after the show and asks a few questions about how hypnosis could be used for a specific need they have in their life. I answer that question to the best of my ability, and then I tell them how they can find a certified hypnotist in their area. I'm generating leads for colleagues that I don't even know.
Now the counter-argument is, "Yes, Paul, but every time some other hypnotist does an 'R-rated' show or some inappropriate act in their show they're scaring away people and making our profession look bad." It's a faulty argument, though, as it's not really about stage hypnotism; it's about poor professionalism.
We live in a culture that values entertainment. There is no better way to impress people with the potential of hypnotism than a stage show. When people get that "wow" factor from seeing a live show that is appropriate and compelling, done in a classy way, they are going to leave that show more open to the possibility of using hypnotism in their own lives.
I've sat through meetings at conventions and trainings on several occasions where people didn't know that I perform stage hypnotism in addition to consulting hypnotism, and when it finally came up in conversation their body language would change, or they would get that disapproving look in their eye. These people don't understand the potential that stage hypnotism has to promote the other side of our profession.
We need more stage hypnotism, not less, but we also need to put more peer pressure on our colleagues to conduct themselves in a manner that properly represents our profession. When we see inappropriate and unprofessional behavior, we need to speak up. That is the truest sort of professionalism.
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