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“LET'S MOVE THINGS FORWARD”
BY SCOTT DALY, FORWARD HYPNOSIS
Consider your mobile phone for a moment. A modern
miracle. If you could show your smartphone to your
ancestors they would likely consider it magic. The ability to
have a face to face conversation with someone on the other
side of the world, taking photographs, listening to music,
banking and finding out the weather. There really is an app
for doing just about everything these days. The first iPhone
was released in June 2007, and during the course of the
next eleven years the technology has evolved exponentially.
There have been around twenty new iPhones since 2007 and
each new model is faster, more powerful, and more useful
than the last.
Although I picked the mobile phone as an example, the same
brisk advancements can be observed in so many different
industries today. So, what has this got to do with hypnosis?
Well, for a lot of people nothing, and that is my point. I am
frequently left feeling frustrated by the lack of progression
demonstrated by some people in the hypnosis profession.
The words hypnosis and hypnotism were popularised in
English sometime during the middle of the 19th century and
unfortunately in more than 150 years it has often struggled to
move with the times.
This point was brought home to me recently when I attended
the UK Hypnosis Convention. It is a fantastic event that
attracts the best minds in hypnosis from all over the globe.
I noticed however, that for every hypnotist that is pushing
things forward, considering new evidence, testing their
work and being courageous enough to accept new ideas and
understandings, there seems to be ten more who seem content
to be defined by outdated thinking, old-fashioned notions and
obsolete techniques. I believe this has a part to play in why
hypnosis has sometimes fallen foul of a less than sparkling
reputation. It’s these antiquated attitudes and opinions that I
strive to challenge and change.
My journey into hypnosis started whilst I was at school. I
stumbled across a book written in the forties that pledged to
teach you how to hypnotise using the ‘principles of modern
scientific hypnosis’. On my website it says ‘Professional Modern
Hypnosis for Change and success’. There is no doubt that the
word modern encompassed completely different ideas and
concepts when used in the forties to how I see it now, but
I guess I have always had a desire to stay true to the values
held by the author of that first book. I’m convinced that if he
were here today that his ideas about what constituted modern
hypnosis would be vastly different also.
I went on to read countless books about hypnosis from all
manner of perspectives, from its early beginnings to the most
recent viewpoints. I have always been a firm believer that the
books you don’t read won’t help you, but I also know that if
you read a book about boxing, lace up your gloves and jump
straight into the ring, you’d better call Mum and tell her that
you’ll be late for dinner. The most important thing to me when
it comes to pushing hypnosis forward is actually doing it. Not
talking about it or reading about it, but actually doing it.
I have hypnotised people in airports, dentists waiting rooms,
tattoo parlours and many other places besides. It is not some
strange scary, spiritual ritual that has to be kept behind the
closed doors of the therapy room. I will never shy away from
an opportunity to show someone how incredible and enjoyable
hypnosis is. I will never make an excuse that you need to be
lying down, that there’s not enough time, it needs to be silent
or that there are no candles, or whale music or any of the other
excuses I’ve heard in the past. I firmly believe that more people
should be aware of hypnosis and the potential it has to make
positive changes.
If only hypnotherapy progressed like the mobile phone.
Forward Hypnosis is based in Ness, Cheshire. Scott works
with people every day, helping them to overcome their
limitations, unlock more of their potential, and achieve
their goals.
To find out more visit www.forwardhypnosis.com
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