Generally, there is a bit of conflict between hypnotherapists who use hypnosis in a clinical setting for therapeutic purposes and stage hypnotists, who are essentially entertainers.
Some hypnotherapists put down the stage hypnotists because they fear that they will give people a false perception of hypnosis. This is because stage hypnotists tend to present hypnosis in a very mystical way. They use a lot of powerful wording and do a very quick induction, which can look quite frightening and scare people off from hypnosis all together. Not all stage hypnotists are like this; there are exceptions to everything. Ormond McGill, known as the Dean of American Hypnotists, did stage shows for 30 to 40 years but was also very involved in the therapeutic side. You do not get the name ‘Dean of Hypnotists’ if you are not a very respected practitioner.
This is similar to Paul McKenna, who also worked as a stage hypnotist. He has since moved away from hypnosis merely for reasons of entertainment and is now highly respected in the field of hypnotherapy. I, like McGill and McKenna, am not against stage hypnotism. Of course I would prefer if as part of their show the hypnotists mentioned something about the positive benefits of hypnosis (although many do actually sell their own hypnosis CDs, usually the common ones such as stop smoking, self confidence, and weight loss). The bottom line is that judgement, I think, comes down to the operator and the ethics and methods involved in the hypnosis being practised.
Personally, I think if a stage hypnotist is in a room of people who want to be there and want to get involved and the hypnosis is not done in a rude manner – then that’s fine. I do not have a problem with it. I think it can actually help promote hypnosis. People can certainly become more aware of its power.
Then again, people can also think it is more powerful than it really is when they are exposed to some outrageous applications of hypnosis. If they see someone go from normal to dancing like Elvis Presley they might get a perception that is blown out of proportion. The main thing to understand is that these are two entirely different applications of hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy is a part of psychotherapy, whereas stage hypnosis is just show business. At the very least, stage hypnosis should give credit where credit is due. Stage hypnotists should tell the audience about the benefits of therapeutic hypnosis, and then allow them to be entertained in a respectful manor. Just as people should keep in mind when they see an entertainer that hypnosis itself can be very beneficial when applied in a clinical manner.
The two are very different entities; don’t let one influence your opinion of the other.
