2019-01 - Hypnosis Amsterdam Meetup

Today was the fourth Hypnosis Amsterdam Meetup, with an incredible 22 people joining us. It was lucky that I had a (temporary) location that could fit them all.

Location

Because of rebuilding on the 1st floor, there was a very nice corner mostly screened off with a lot of chairs accessible. It was much quieter than the restaurant upstairs, but unfortunately could only be used this one time.

If you know a better place, let me know!

Structure

So, thanks to the feedback on the previous meetups, I've made this one much more structured. Planning (social) breaks, workshops and feedback time.

Matsuru asked to participate in showing/explaining as well which was very much appreciated.

• *If you want to present something at this meetup, please contact me.**

Workshops

After every workshop there was a break for some socializing, practicing and anything else needed. Some people did some practicing or trancing with new people. It was very nice to see everyone mingle.

Playing With Deepeners

Matsuru showed a nice induction combining Ericksonian patterns with more traditional deepeners.

• Not knowing, not doing
• Conscious/unconscious dissociation
• Arm lowering equating to a deeper trance
• Seeding trance phenomena
• Subtleties that enhance the effect of the traditional countdown deepener.

The second demo was an induction showing off some various ways of confusing and helping someone go into a nice trance. Using word association to describe their current state and then helping them past it.

Hypnosis Without Induction

A short explanation and display of how you can use almost everything as an induction. Including using spatial anchoring (tying a place to a feeling) to be awake or in trance.

Next up were some examples of "waking trance" with the whole group, using magnetic fingers and heavy/light hands.

Fun Fractionation

Discussing this was a lot of fun. Pulling someone in and out of trance repeatedly can easily be used for very intense and deep trance. The demo for this linked hands moving down to falling into trance with a shock of pleasure. Because the shock was deliciously intense it caused some good confusion as well. The subject no longer quite knowing if they were up or down.

The questions after this one were especially interesting.

Feedback Loops

For the final workshop it was again time for more audience participation. This time in the form of coming up with various feedback loops. While the intention was to keep it focused on hypnosis, some of the mentioned loops rang very true. Some of the loops mentioned:

• Relaxation to trance to relaxation.
• Pleasure you give makes you feel good.
• Obedience to pleasure to trance to obedience.
• Laughing to happiness, happiness to laughter.
• (common negative one) - Staying inside because you feel bad, bad feeling because you stay inside.

Feedback

As always I invited feedback for the meetup. It took a bit of time to get everyone started on this, but the amount and quality of feedback was fantastic!

• Have some information readily available (agenda, basic stages of hypnosis, example induction).
• Consider a primer section, a half hour before the meetup start for inexperienced people.
• Consider more/different group exercises.
• Set up practice sessions by matching hypnotists and subjects.
• Repeat questions so that everyone hears them.
• Allow for others to do an induction to get feedback
• Help/ask the subject to describe what happened.
• Ask the audience: "What do you think happened?"

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Thank you all for coming, your participation and feedback.

See you in March!