First I must say that I consider myself to be an Expert in the area of providing Hypnotic (and Magical) Entertainment. I say this not out of a sense of ego, but because although I am not an entertainer myself; Providing, Producing & Directing Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment has been my Exclusive Business Focus for nearly 15 years now. I am also a certified professional hypnotist, but I would NEVER profess to be a “Hypnotic Entertainer”!

I have worked with a wide variety of Stage Hypnotists over the years in very many capacities. After a few years I came to one conclusion… All Hypnotists are certainly not created equally!

The entertainment provided within the Fair, Festival & Event Industries is certainly a reflection of the knowledge of the individuals whose job it is to actually secure & book the talent. Unfortunately, over the years I have found that many people in these jobs do not know what they need to know when it comes to booking Stage Hypnotists. Most individuals in those positions simply know that having a Hypnotist is a crowd pleaser. They are right in their thinking on the one hand… having a Stage Hypnotist perform a few times each day during the run of an event is most certainly a drawing act. Many attendees return repeatedly to the event just to see the Hypnotist. I can state this from personal experience, since about 20 years ago, I myself was what I now call in the business… a “hypno-junkie”. These are the people who are so fascinated by Hypnosis Shows that they just can’t seem to get enough of them. So began my business career & involvement in providing this type of entertainment, although I used to “pretend” to hypnotize my friends in the dressing room of my Home Ec Class in Junior High School.

Let me begin by stating that MOST of the individuals who sell themselves as “Hypnotic Entertainers” are simply people who have either studied hypnosis in one way or another, and/or received certification of some type… many by attendance at a weekend seminar. Know that Hypnosis is NOT governed or regulated on a National level, and VERY FEW states regulate it in any way whatsoever. Obtaining Certifications and/or Registrations with local or national Hypnosis organizations is VERY easily achieved… therefore ANYONE can call themselves a Hypnotist, with or without any type of study, knowledge or “certification”.

Just drink that in for a minute. I could train & prep YOU (in just a few hours) to get on a stage and perform a Hypnosis Show. Would you consider yourself qualified as a Stage Hypnotist / Performer… I think not! But that is exactly much of what is on stages across the country today in my Industry! That is a pretty scary thought isn’t it… since we are dealing with people’s psyche in these shows?

Having some virtually worthless Hypnotic “certification” certainly does not qualify an individual to be knowledgeable enough to actually handle an abreaction (a negative emotional response) should it occur during a performance (which it does frequently).

Most certainly, having some “certification” DOES NOT MAKE THEM AN ENTERTAINER… and I am here to say THAT is one HUGE difference that buyers of talent need to look at ! Is this individual that you are about to hire, an “Entertainer” first and foremost, who simply uses Hypnosis as his tool to entertain with? OR Is this individual you are about to hire a person with some easily obtained “paper” credentials who is TRYING TO BE AN ENTERTAINER?

Some buyers of talent are very hung up on the Hypnotist having “paper credentials”, when most of these buyers don’t realize how worthless it really is. Point in fact is that having that “paper” is absolutely NO INDICATION of what you are actually buying in the way of suitable entertainment for your event & attendees!

In my personal business of delivering Hypnotic Entertainment, I am affiliated with only one Featured Performer. I frequently look for QUALITY & QUALIFIED Stage Hypnotists whose services I can use in cases such as double bookings for my own Featured Show. I rarely find those individuals, since the Quality Acts & Performers are generally as booked up as we are. I am very frequently approached by other Hypnotists who want me to book them… so I acquire their promotional materials… I go see their “shows”… and I repeatedly turn them down! I will not attach my name to “entertainment” such as that delivered by most of these hypnotic performers .

Look for the “Entertainer” qualities first. Is he/she charismatic? What types of High Venue & Events have they performed for or do they spend most of their time in a Hypno THERAPY practice? Do they have many years of studying the mind and Hypnosis behind them, or are they what I call a “weekend wonder”? How long have they actually been performing… most entertainers started out as a child in some way or another. Is their show active? Do they musically choreograph their shows? Are they “clinical” in their appearance & delivery? Is their “show” merely a “demonstration” of Hypnosis instead of an entertaining performance? Are they trying to sell you by using the fact that they are “certified”?

Very importantly what about the Ethics involved… is the material and routine structure of their show appropriate for your attendees and audiences? I cannot tell you how many times I have seen Stage Hypnotists crossing that line at family style venue. I have often watched them at Fairs, performing skits that were sexual in nature and very inappropriate for family shows. I have watched Stage Hypnotists seriously degrade and humiliate their volunteers… all in the name of “fun”. I have watched Hypnotists elicit negative emotions such as anger & the like from their subjects in shows. Folks, our subconscious minds take in & remember EVERY sensatory experience in our lives… therefore it may be long after a performance when a volunteer has a negative experience due to their involvement with a Hypnotist Show.

As artists & entertainers I believe that we have a great responsibility to provide & deliver positive & appropriate performance, especially in the family environments. Factually speaking, I couldn’t tell you how many times, sometimes months or years after a show, I have had a volunteer tell me how their life changed for the better in some way as a direct result of their having been in one of our shows. THAT is what should be the “norm” for Stage Hypnotist acts. We simply bring their inner child out to play for a while in a very responsible & entertaining way… AND we leave them feeling empowered by their experience with the shows I offer. I simply wish that all Stage Hypnotists took this as seriously as I do… and I wish that all buyers of talent knew what to look for!

Our minds are simply incredible and very powerful. Stage Hypnosis is a terrific form of entertainment… when used properly, and by a real “entertainer”!

There are plenty of Stage Hypnotists who sell themselves “cheaply” and unfortunately this is often a primary consideration & criteria of buyers of talent. I am simply here to say that this is not an area of performance where you want to cut costs - Spend the money and hire a Pro or please don t hire it at all! After monitoring numerous related factors for well over a decade I urge you to ask the hard questions when contracting this type of act for your event.

The fact that I am in the Magic Business as well… I say to you…. don’t believe most of what you see and/or hear in the promo materials of some of these performers. Illusion is as much a part of my business life as is the Hypnotic portion. Know that anything can be made to “appear” to be something it is not… and that is the key… “appear to be”!

I have even personally had individuals whom I mentored in Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment list MY business achievements as their own on their websites… I have documented where they have removed my photo from actual newspaper stories & replaced it with their own photo on their promo, and so on and so forth.

My point is that we live in a very electronic age where things can be easily and readily altered and changed to give the receiver of information an impression that is anything but honest. Don’t buy into the illusion… but Do continue to buy quality entertainers! Integrity Does Matter.

We all owe it to the people who attendee our events to deliver Positive Entertainment Experiences. We ALL need more humor in our lives, and Stage Hypnosis is a wonderful type of entertainment that fills that need. All I can say from my perspective of the Business of providing these shows, is Please Be More Thorough when considering whom you contract within my industry. I believe that if all of us in the Entertainment Business work together to deliver & provide empowering performances, we will be contributing to the uplifting of society as a whole… and THAT I consider to be an element of REAL SUCCESS!

I will leave you with a verse that I penned a number of years back - it speaks (albeit metaphorically) to my involvement with Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment… I call it The Magic of You… and it goes like this…

In All Of Creation You are Unique and
Dreams Can Be Had For Those Who Seek.
Our Lives Are But A Simple Illusion…
Tainted By Perception… and Delusion.

So Believe In the Power and the Truth and the Light
Because the Key is Within… The Key of Vision & Clear Sight.

Transform Your Reality & Awaken Your Soul and
Cease Not Belief In Your Own Personal Goal…
Because Treasures Await For You To Find
Simply Pass Through The Open Window Of
Your Very Own Subconscious Mind.

The Miracle is There…
The Dimension May Be New…
But It Has Been There All Along…
Because IT IS THE MAGIC OF EACH & EVERY ONE OF YOU

About the Author

As a cert/reg professional hypnotist; although NOT an entertainer; my biz since 1990 has EXCLUSIVELY been producing, directing, creating, etc Las Vegas Style Hypnotic & Magical Entertainment. I’ve served NV. Casinos (Flamingo Hilton, Casablanca etc),Fairs, Corporations,Events(Fiesta Bowl etc) Theme Parks(Six Flags etc)Talent Buyers (Mt. High Ent., TBN etc)… Please Visit http://www.carmacoproductions.com

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As a wedding magician, one can have great opportunities in marketing his or her skills. There are many ways for one promising magician to do that.

- For example, during the awkward period while waiting for the couple’s arrival in the venue of the reception, you can help lighten up the tension by providing entertainment. Sometimes it may take a while for the newlyweds to come to the reception, and it is not a good idea for every one to be in a room that is full of almost complete strangers waiting for the couple to arrive. A magician like you can help ease this problem, and may become a vehicle for people to talk and laugh.

- In several receptions, there is an emcee or a show band hired to entertain the guests. However, watching a magician can be a nice alternative for the usual dancing. While guests are eating their dinner, a magician can give 45 minutes of laughter and amusement. Cool tricks can be performed such as floating roses that can be offered to the wedding bridesmaids.

- It pays to do some research. Find out if there is quite a number of children going to the wedding reception. If so, then a magician can make a special show for the children, providing a nice diversion for them while their parents mingle around.

- These tips may bolster a wedding magician’s reputation as a creative one when it comes to performing on wedding occasions. Now to be more productive while one is relatively free from wedding gigs, or just about any occasion, why not create some promotional brochures for your target market. Send out the brochures to make this not-so popular kind of magician gig more patronized.

- One might want to make a small “wedding planner” brochure, providing information on food arrangements, flower services, on renting a tuxedo or gown, among others. In the brochure, put in an article on how magicians can provide great entertainment in wedding receptions. Leave some room for your advertising. Distribute these to establishments that cater to such occasions. They would be happier to post the brochure if it includes their establishments in the brochure.

- Ensure that the magician can be contacted easily. The important contact details such as the phone and fax numbers, as well as the magician’s website, if any, and his or her email address/es should be included in the brochure, too.

About the author:

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com

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Even though hypnosis has been around officially since the 1700s (Franz Anton Mesmer), there are still questions as to its validity and benefits. For the most part, these questions stem from fear and ignorance. Regarding this subject, it is generally assumed that what you don t know can hurt you. People s viewpoints on hypnosis vary according to what their experiences have been and what they ve heard.

I am a stable, responsible, levelheaded, intelligent person. I am also a licensed hypnotherapist. One of the requirements for finishing hypnotherapy training was to go out and practice what you ve learned; my obvious targets in this endeavor were primarily my family and friends.

My oldest child staunchly refuses to have anything to do with hypnosis, even now (I ve been a hypnotherapist for 6 years.). She is not a child; she is in her early 30s and is a successful video producer. Still, she says that she s not going to do something that might get her lost somewhere and unable to return.

My second child has volunteered to be hypnotized by me numerous times. He loves the experience. He enjoys how relaxed it makes him feel, and he believes that he derives great benefit from it.

My third child is aloof about the whole subject. He doesn t validate or discount it one way or another. He s just to busy to give it a try.

I am curious about people who draw conclusions about hypnosis when they haven t actually experienced it in some way. It baffles me how a person can discount it when hypnosis has not negatively impacted them or someone they know.

I ve had people tell me that hypnosis is the devil s work , yet I know of pastors who practice hypnotherapy in their counseling practices. I ve had professionals say to me, Yes, but does it actually work? Well, does dieting actually work? Does imagery actually work? In order for something to actually work the user has to have a certain amount of belief in it. So, whether or not hypnosis actually works depends on the belief of the subject and to some degree, the skill of the hypnotherapist.

 You cannot get lost while hypnotized. There is no place to get lost to. You do not leave your body or your mind behind and go off somewhere.

 No one can put thoughts into your head or make you do things that you would not ordinarily do. Your own core values cannot be violated by another; if, under certain circumstances, you could be moved to bark like a dog or cluck like a chicken, then a hypnotic suggestion to do so would not violate your core values.

 Others cannot take over or control your mind. Your mind has 2 components: the conscious mind, which is the objective part, assists you in making daily decisions and analyzing data. The subconscious part is subjective, and this is where your creativity and abstract thinking lie. The subconscious is inclined to believe what you tell it. For instance, if you think something, then to your subconscious mind, that is so. It does not analyze facts; if you think it, then it accepts it as fact. If you think that others can control your mind, then for you, that is true. But only because you allow the idea to be a fact for you.

 Anyone can be hypnotized. What happens when you re watching television and someone tries to get your attention? Have you ever been driving down the road, only to look around and see that you ve gone much further than you thought? When you focus your concentration to the point where everything else is screened out, then you are in a state of hypnosis. Hypnosis narrows your focus and concentration. You do that when you are intent in a conversation, or performing any activity that decreases your awareness of things outside of yourself.

Hypnosis is not a mystery. It is not evil, and it is not mind control. It is simply a way to temporarily bypass the rational mind in order to facilitate desired changes. Many, many people have successfully undergone hypnosis and achieved their goals.

Rita Ballard, C.Ht. is a hypnotherapist licensed in the state of Washington. Trained in the Erickson methods, Rita uses hypnotherapy to assist others in achieving their goals. Of primary importance are the spiritual aspects of a person: who they are and what they mean to themselves. The movement towards self actualization is the passion behind Rita s work. Visit her website at www.ritaballard.com, or email to: hh@ucmax.com.

Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved. You may use this article in part or in its entirety as long as you include the resource box. Please notify me if you reprint. Thank you.

philonoist@earthlink.net

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