What do you think the future of hypnosis holds? Here are some predictions I think will come true in 2014. Agree or disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
1.) Stage Hypnosis finally gets a little status – I spend a lot of time in Las Vegas, and the stage hypnosis shows with Kevin Lapine, Anthony Cools and Marc Savard are going strong and still packing the house. But more importantly than that, as the old timers from the 1950’s and 1960’s who toted the party line that stage hypnosis is a misuse of “psychological power” have mostly died off or are long into retirement. As a sign of a new appreciation for the art of performance, a recent fine arts doctoral student at Bowling Green State University did her doctoral dissertation on stage hypnosis! And don’t forget to see me perform with John Cerbone at the Orleans Hotel this summer in Las Vegas as part of HypnothoughtsLive.
2.) Hypnosis becomes bigger than just hypnosis – Hypnosis has always been an “umbrella word” with a lot of different approaches, methods and theories. But the movement towards hypnosis as a “distinct profession” seems even more remote now than ever before. Michael Yapko released his seminal book, Mindfulness and Hypnosis last year and the recognition that hypnosis has far more in common with meditation seems to be the new realization for clinical hypnosis. Additionally, the fields widespread endorsement of techniques such as E.F.T. and hypnotic integration into a coaching rather than therapeutic model of helping seem to me to be trends that are taking hypnosis practitioners into a new future. Hypnosis has always been a part of other professions from ministry to counseling to teaching and even sales. It has never been restricted to “hypnosis only”. And I like this future.
3.) Hypnosis will become more popular – As hypnotists learn new methods of integrating hypnosis into other models of client care (i.e. coaching, contextual psychology, complimentary therapies and even yoga) even more people will become familiar with hypnosis, and the result will be an even wider acceptance and recognition of its value.
4.) More people will access online hypnosis – My YouTube self-hypnosis sessions have been viewed by millions of people (yes, literally 5 million+). But I was one of the first to buck the outdated belief that “online or TV hypnosis is dangerous”. This was a popular misbelief among hypnotists as recently as 2007, which is of course rooted in the idea that “hypnosis is something I do to you, rather than something I do with you.” As a result of the incredible popularity of YouTube hypnosis sessions, iTunes downloadable sessions and even only Skype sessions, not only will it become more popular, it will be experienced by more each year. And to think, I was chastised back for “showing inductions” in online video just 8 years ago. My how times change!
5.) Hypnosis training will get better and better – New conventions (such as the HypnothoughtsLive convention in Las Vegas in June of 2014) and in depth online training programs like our new SpeakEricksonian.com training will give new opportunities to learn new methods and approaches. But more importantly, the media of the internet has rooted the outdated ideas that seemed to proliferate for so long. Gone are the days of “proprietary systems” of hypnosis and people thinking they are well trained because they followed a “guru” hypnosis teacher and in are the days of multiple resources ranging from live training to high quality online training to help improve hypnosis training.
6.) Rates for hypnotists will increase – I have recently raised my rates, and although I have not done a survey, I keep seeing hypnotist establish rates that are higher and higher. Well trained individuals who seek continuing education and represent themselves as professionals will be in high demand in 2014 and will command premium rates for their services.
–Richard Nongard, December 2013
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