Hypnotherapists have long given their patients hypnosis recordings to listen to between sessions either as a supplement for treatment or instead of teaching them self hypnosis.
Commercial hypnosis CD’s should not be seen as a substitute for live, one-to-one hypnosis sessions but on the other hand they enable you to benefit immediately from hypnosis, sometimes just by clicking a few buttons. You can occasionally you can get considerable benefit, especially from repeated listening. In fact the great advantage of these recordings is that you can enjoy listening to them again and again and the in many cases the hypnotic suggestions will become even more deeply embedded each time.
So if you’re thinking of buying a hypnosis recording what are the most important things to look out for?
Insist on hearing an audio sample. There are so many sources of hypnosis CD’s now that you’d think the days of buying one without having listened to at least a small sample are over – but this is far from the case! Even some of the largest, longest established websites offer no listening facilities.
Make sure you can listen to at least a segment of the recording, or an example of the author’s work regardless of all the hype, advertising rhetoric, and offers of money back guarantees. Otherwise there is a strong risk you will have purchased something dreary at best and at worst unusable. It’s so straight forward for any web designer to set up audio samples on the internet these days – like cooking a can of beans! Ask yourself…what have some of these large providers of hypnosis audio got to hide when they make it so difficult or impossible to listen to a sample of their work?
Make sure you like the sound of the hypnotist’s voice. If there’s anything about the voice that jars or irritates you – it’s almost certainly best to stay clear and go somewhere else. The typical Hollywood or media portrayal of a hypnotist is mostly fiction – there’s no such thing as a set type of voice for a hypnotist. Some people are impressed by weirdness – don’t be, because this has nothing to do with genuine hypnosis!
Voices can be high or low and regional accents are fine – so long as you find them pleasant. It’s probably best to go for someone who sounds friendly, relaxed, natural and sincere. Theatrical voices are okay, (like say a professional actor reading out a ‘talking book’) however, steer away from someone who is obviously trying hard to sound ‘mysterious’, ‘hypnotic’, powerful or ‘overly soothing’. Also you might want to avoid those who adopt an unnaturally deep vocal delivery.
This kind of thing may sound impressive to some, but it is most likely affectation and has nothing to do with the usual vocal delivery used by most hypnotists in a therapy setting, or for that matter by stage hypnotists. You may like voices that seem to have been made to sound ‘thicker’ using studio techniques, or that adopt an authoritative tone – if any of this stuff impresses you or appeals to you then fair enough…go for it…but you should be aware that it’s unlikely to make the hypnotic experience itself any more powerful or effective than a natural voice
Above all, if what you hear sounds occasionally sounds stilted because it’s someone obviously reading from a script…stay well clear! This is an indication that you may not listening to a competent, or even a genuine hypnotist.
Be wary of recordings that have a lot of emphasis on special effects. This doesn’t mean you should steer clear of them altogether but some titles bombard you with echo effects, reverberation, panning (side goes from left to right) and similar studio tricks. Though fine in moderation, don’t make the mistake of assuming that these effects necessarily make the hypnotic suggestions any more powerful or the content more effective. More likely than not, they are being used to conceal the poor quality of the content, or a lack of real life experience on the part of the hypnotist! Once again, these effects have little to do with real hypnosis and are far more likely to be favoured by the newcomer than the professional.
The quality of music and sound effects – if any – in the background is important. Some seasoned and talented professionals can get away with no musical accompaniment whatsoever, but if music is absent completely, it is more likely to be down to the fact that little time, trouble or dedication have gone into the production. Getting hold of suitable music for hypnosis is tricky to say the least – for many reasons:
i) If a hypnotist publishes several titles it will become boring for the listener if an identical, or almost identical music backdrop is used for each title. Imagine buying the whole set and finding the same music on each title! (It happens). It would be like watching several films on DVD and finding they all had the same soundtrack! This scenario is an indication that the whole approach and production has had little thought or effort put into it and/or is being done on the cheap. Some hypnotists use the sound of the sea for every recording they produce….this can be boring!
ii) Expense. Copyright laws mean that the hypnotist may have to pay royalties of up to 50% for the right to use somebody else’s music in the background, so to get round this some use no music or poor quality music.
iii) Some recordings use ‘royalty free’ music that you’d normally hear playing in supermarkets – known as ‘muzak’ – which you should avoid at all costs as it is usually pretty dreadful. If you listen to a number of hypnosis samples you’ll soon come across music that sounds so corny even your granny wouldn’t like it! Be open minded though, remember, as with the voice, if you like the music or sound backdrop, that’s what counts.
iv) Make sure you get to hear some of the music or sound effects before you buy. The right kind of music to accompany hypnosis could come from almost any kind of musical genre but the best stuff is likely to create an effect rather like a gentle film score can do. Simple, evocative music that can powerfully enhance hypnotic content and visualisation.
Generally speaking the music should be fairly simple with minimal percussion so as not to detract from what is being said. Some hypnotherapists still insist that music should be absent, but used properly it can elicit very powerful feelings and emotions. It’s a bit like the movies – silent movies have their place but films are usually a lot better with a good soundtrack.
Satisfy yourself that the recording is by a reputable, qualified, professional hypnotherapist.
This is no small matter. A badly phrased hypnotic suggestion can do considerable, permanent damage. During hypnosis the subconscious mind can often take instructions quite literally, even extracting the wrong part of a phrase.
If an unskilled hypnotist were to say:
“Everytime you wake up you will feel ablaze with happiness”
He or she may have the best of intentions, but the subconscious mind may take it all literally and take the ‘feel ablaze ‘ bit as a command. Consequently, on waking up a good hypnotic subject may feel as if they are actually on fire! An extensive knowledge and experience of avoiding damaging suggestions is vital. Even stage hypnotists with phenomenal hypnotic talent have sometimes not had sufficient training or experienced in using hypnosis as form of therapy before embarking on making a series of CD’s or tapes – so beware. (It should be pointed out that there are many stage hypnotists who have considerable ability and experience as therapists in addition to being entertainers).
As with any other field, whether it is acting, music, or medicine -you are much more likely to get quality from a professional hypnotist.
The hypnotist is qualified, but does he or she have genuine experience of successfully treating people in one to one situations?
This should never be assumed. Is there a way, for example that you can currently arrange a live hypnotherapy appointment with this person, regardless of price? If not, beware, it is possibly an indication that the hypnotist is not practicing and may have in fact never treated more than a couple of people since they did their training.
Cheap v. expensive recordings
A good quality recording (say a hypnotic relaxation or de-stressing CD) can be a life investment – not just for yourself but possibly your entire family!
Be especially careful before you opt for a very cheap recording – because it could quite easily end up doing you more harm than good. It may seem like a bargain – but you would be well advised to treat your mind with the respect you would treat your body. Ask yourself, would you let a cheap plastic surgeon with doubtful credentials operate on your body? It may work out okay but is it really worth the risk? As with everything else in life, you usually get what you pay for. Remember, hypnosis is not a gimmick, it is a real and potent power – treat your mind with the respect you would treat your body!
Did you know that there are now many entrepreneurial amateur hypnotists on the internet and on eBay who have purchased hypnosis scripts from extremely doubtful sources? They have then made their own amateur recordings and franchised out the rights to these recordings to hundreds of other individuals who are busy marketing these recordings for a few dollars or pounds, some even believing that they are selling quality products. Things to watch out for are CD labels which have a very gaudy, basic design and/or are of the ‘stick it on at home’ variety.
You might be wondering why this kind of situation isn’t outlawed. This is because it is extremely hard – and many are now even saying impractical – to regulate hypnotherapy in the same way as we regulate say, medicine or dentistry. After all, who is to say what makes a good hypnotist/hypnosis script and what makes a bad one? Some believe that hypnosis is as much of an art as it is a science. Also, there are so many different, conflicting approaches and techniques plus new methods being developed all the time that standardisation is not only impractical but possibly even undesirable.
Imagine a hypnosis recording designed, written and vetted by various committees of hypnosis experts! Chances are it would be safe…. but also incredibly dull, unimaginative and far less effective! Let’s hope it never comes to that. Thankfully, there are no set ‘hypnosis procedures’ like there are medical or psychiatric procedures, and hopefully there never will be. Some hypnotists will rely on hypnotic suggestions or commands, others will simply regress you, while others will talk to your “inner child” and so on, and so on….you will have to take your chances from those who are releasing their hypnosis recordings. As with most forms of therapy….who is to say which approach is the best?
Hypnotic content can be a complicated area for lay people – well beyond the scope of this article – but remember, today’s maverick may have some brilliant new ideas that will someday become mainstream.
Ironically, free hypnosis recordings are more likely to be safe and effective than cheap ones! But again, be very cautious…are you really serious about overcoming whatever problem you are seeking help with, (e.g. self confidence?) Isn’t it worth investing a few pound or dollars in something decent? If some talented individual has produced an effective, commercially viable solution to your problem – maybe following years of experience and dedication – do you really think they’re going to just give it all away free?
Free offerings tend to divide themselves into three categories:
i) Quality recordings given away to entice you to join a newsletter or mailing list to promote the main titles in a catalogue. These may be perfectly acceptable and give you a good opportunity to audition the hypnotist fully before making a purchase. A bit like a promotional music single, released in order to get you to buy the album. However, if there are a large number of free titles being offered – be a little more cautious, they may fit into the next category below…..
ii) Recordings given away because, quite honestly, no-one has wanted to listen to them, let alone purchase them! The quality of sound is likely to be poor. As with the cheap stuff, look out for hiss, uneven vocal sound, clicking or saliva sounds, and poor content. This is more likely to put you off hypnosis for life – so steer well away. It’s the hypnosis audio equivalent of completely legal free music sites on the internet…it’s unlikely you’ll find anything you like!
iii) Recordings released by academic and intellectual type hypnotists who have no commercial interests or aspirations. If you are lucky you might find a gem or two here…but it’s a bit like spending two hours hunting for something in a public library…why not just invest £12 or so and buy a quality commercial release!
Cheap and free hypnosis recordings often have poorer quality audio but In fact audio quality isn’t such an important issue. The quality of the hypnosis content itself is what matters and whether you like the sound of the voice, music and so on. Some recordings go on about being made in professional studios but a small degree of audio ‘hiss’ and the odd click shouldn’t matter that much.
Ask yourself….will you enjoy repeated listenings?
Apart from those titles that are only aimed at one listen, such as for stopping smoking, there needs to be to be something compelling and enjoyable about the content, music (or visualisation if employed) to encourage you to play the recording on a regular basis to obtain the full benefit. Repetition is often a key element in hypnotherapy and possibly the greatest advantage of recorded hypnosis. If you are using hypnosis audio in the hope of overcoming a serious issue you may think that you’ll be motivated to keep replaying the recording, but in the real world it’s unlikely you will bother unless you really enjoy the experience. Listening to some of the best stuff is like experiencing a brief but very pleasant holiday from the comfort of your armchair, at worst, it can be like receiving a long winded, dry and bossy lecture on self help, whilst being subjected to symbolism or some other technique (favoured by the hypnotist) that simply doesn’t appeal to you or work on you.
Should you judge a book by its cover?
The first thing you may notice when visiting a website selling hypnosis audio is the quality of the CD cover artwork – more often than not it is surprisingly plain and amateurish. That shouldn’t matter though, you might think…so long as the content does the job? Actually it does matter – sadly, poor artwork is frequently a reflection of the quality of the product itself which you will soon notice in the sound and content of the recording. It’s a bit like reading through a dull uninspiring, hastily put together brochure for a therapist. Don’t be surprised if this reflects the quality of the therapy.
Sometimes artwork for individual titles is missing altogether. Also, if you opt to purchase a CD instead of an Mp3 download, don’t automatically assume you will even be getting ‘luxuries’ such as a proper CD case, (or any CD case!) inlay card, or different covers for each title (if you are filling up your shopping cart with a number of CD’s). Years ago I worked for a music publisher and used to feel a little resentful that the A and R department would spend little time listening to cheap demo recordings sent to them by songwriters and bands who were hopeful of signing a publishing deal. I observed that when demo recordings were made in much higher quality and at more expense they would get far more time and attention from the A and R people.
I used to reason that “surely one of the cheaper demos could just as easily be the star of the future”, but after a year in the job I realised I’d been naïve. Where there is talent and quality you will almost always find that more trouble, investment, time and bother are put into things. It’s the same with hypnosis audio. If the creator of the recording just puts together cheap artwork on an old computer then they are either in a hurry, or more likely, not taking their product seriously – and neither should you.
Bear in mind though that a CD scoring zero for packaging and presentation could still contain a great recording. This is another reason why it is so important to be able to listen before you buy.
This brings me to comment on the recent internet fashion of releasing hypnosis audio only in Mp3 format and dispensing with CD’s and individual artwork altogether!Some of the retailers concerned publish dozens or even many hundreds of Mp3 titles, offering you help with every ailment under the sun. This approach has its advantages, for example, if you have a particularly unusual problem you may find they have just the right title for you. But again, be cautious – quality is by no means a sign of quality. In fact a lot of this stuff is actually made to a formula. Sometimes, a common script is used for the introduction, the ‘deepener’ and awakening sections and a few minutes of appropriate suggestion are slotted somewhere into the middle of the recording.
This certainly does not mean that all retailers with very big catalogues are guilty of this or that they should be avoided… but I leave it to you to judge whether you think a ‘conveyor belt’ type of operation is likely to be conducive to quality. Perhaps it was inevitable that this big business trend would evolve, but to me it represents the least attractive end of the current hypnosis audio spectrum and is furthest away from the thoroughness of the traditional, live hypnotherapy session.
You are more likely (but by no means certain) of finding quality nearer the other end of the scale. Here you will find hypnotists who focus on producing a much smaller series of CD’s, (or ideally both CD and Mp3 versions). Ideally they will have had individual, imaginative artwork designed specially (as you’d expect if purchasing a music album). In this scenario you are also more likely to find that the hypnosis content for each individual title truly is individual has been produced with appropriate care. In fact the content may have evolved with the benefit of research and experience before being released. In some cases you can confidently purchase several titles from the same series and expect a variety of inductions, visualisations, musical accompaniment and so on.
Remember, hypnosis recordings should not be treated as a substitute for live sessions!
However convenient and powerful, they cannot be tailored to your individual needs and situation like one to one hypnotherapy. Human beings are complicated and it is always worth investing the proper time and money (assuming you have it) in overcoming problems using the best tools available.
Hypnosis recordings are a great tool, and in many cases can help you completely overcome your problems and release your full potential but don’t expect miracles every time!
At the end of the day go for what you enjoy
Ignore all the hype and boastful copy you will come across on the internet. Even if feedback and testimonials are available – read it all with caution because the internet is rife with fake feedback. Genuine testimonials tend to contain less clichés or slang and are also less neat and tidy.
At the end of the day YOU are the best judge of a hypnosis recording whoever it is made by. If the first one you get hold of doesn’t work, don’t give up on hypnosis, try another, or why not consider seeing a professional for a series of one to one live sessions? Hypnosis really does work.
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