I’ve been practising self-hypnosis for almost two weeks now and I am clucking like a chicken at the sight of mustard or roses. No, not really — it turns out hypnotism is nothing like my assumptions had led me to believe. I haven’t stared at a single rocking pendulum or swirling monochrome image (to my slight disappointment), but instead have been engaging in the practice alone with just the support of a few new apps on my phone. And, it’s working.
The majority of my understanding of hypnotism has been through movies and TV. I once watched a live Paul McKenna show in the West End where members of the audience were brought up on stage and made to act ridiculously — one man could only talk in a made up Martian language and a woman believed she was a cheerleader for the entirety of the show. I remember thinking I wouldn’t have been so easily put under, that I was made of stronger stuff.
