How exactly is Mr Catley going to be “working people into a daze”? Does he have a fun fair next door to his office where clients get to ride on the waltzers? Of course the fault for that phrase doesn’t lie with Mr Catley and, if the phrase was the unprompted work of the journalist who wrote the piece, I appreciate that they were just trying to link boxing with hypnotherapy by using a pun that, when you deconstruct it, doesn’t actually make any sense. Sorry, I studied “Critical interpretations of texts” at university- a course that could well have been called ‘the science of reading too much into things’- but I really am getting fed up with this idea that hypnosis is something someone “does” to someone else.

Have you seen Susan Hepburn’s website? Far be it from me to disparage anyone or their work but is that Flash intro with the eyes and the hypnotic spiral graphic really necessary? Assuming her words were said in that order and not taken out of context, was it really right and proper for Hepburn to use phrases like: “it’s simply a way of putting thoughts into the subconcious mind”? Ok, ok, it’s to do with the mind so of course it’s about thoughts. But imagine for a second that you don’t know anything about hypnosis. Doesn’t the idea that someone else can put thoughts into your mind sound horrific? Am I reading too much into this or could that statement not end up being falsely translated as: “someone else invades your mind and changes your thoughts”?

“Deleting files in the subconscious” is another phrase of Hepburn’s (if they are her words quoted directly and not taken out of context). Doesn’t that sound horrific too? The idea that someone can come along and “delete” things that are in your mind. A lot of people who work with hypnosis use the phrase: “the mind is like a computer”. Unfortunately, people miss the word “like” and assume they said: “the mind is a computer”. The mind is not a computer. To some extent, a computer is a raw, rough copy of the mind but the mind is not a computer. The mind is, to some extent, LIKE a computer. I’m a bit like George Clooney. I’m a man, I’m a human being, I breathe air…see, I’m LIKE George Clooney. But I am NOT actually George Clooney.

Another phrase I don’t like from the article is: “I simply put that into your subconcious mind”. To me, that just seems to imply that the client is passive. I’ve achieved a lot in my life but those achievements only manifested because I thought I could make those changes and do those things. People could encourage me, advise me etc and I was and am grateful for their love and support. But my friends did not and could not put the idea that I was going to succeed into my head without my consent. People can put the idea that I’m attractive in my head but, unless I want to have that thought and want to think like that for myself, that thought will just be rejected, whatever state I’m in.

My last little quibble on the Hepburn piece is the phrase: “I make you believe you can do it”. Erm…nope. The word I object to is the word: “make”. She doesn’t make anyone do anything. If you could make people lose weight without their co-operation, we wouldn’t have people with weight issues anymore.

I’m not trying to disparage anyone or anyone’s work. As I said, Hepburn’s words could have been taken out of context and/or changed around to help create a “good story” rather than an accurate news piece. Also, I have no way of knowing what Hepburn’s intent behind her words actually was. Once you get past the Flash intro, Hepburn’s website is good and the FAQ section is good and clearly deals with the misconceptions about hypnosis that some people have.

Also, it is quite clear that the “false image” of hypnosis is not, by and large, the fault of hypnotherapists. That said, I think hypnotherapists (excluding Adam Eason and Glenn Harrold. I say “excluding” these guys because, over the years, I’ve seen what they do and I know how hard they work to fight against the “false image” of hypnosis in the media and elsewhere. I cannot speak for those I have not observed or do not know but I am certain Adam and Glenn are not lone soldiers in the fight) should try harder to use every chance they get to dispel the myths about hypnosis. It might sound over dramatic to say it but this really is an “image war”. A war between fact and myth that needs to be fought. Not to convert people into a certain way of thinking or to get everyone to “use” hypnosis. No. The point of the “image war” is to defeat the nonsense and give people a chance to make an informed choice based on the facts.

I woke up my girlfriend by accident last night by shouting out: “we need to re-model the mind!” She tutted, whispered: “here I am worrying about my job and my money whilst my boyfriend wants to re-write psychology”. I don’t want to re-write psychology. So please, pyschologists, put those weapons away. I just think that the model of the mind where we split it into conscious, subconscious etc is or has become contaminated. The merchants of nonsense have found their way in and they have done a good job of contaminating the words and the concept.

When people talk about the different parts of the mind they are, in essence, entertaining an idea. This concept has lead to people using terms like: “speaking to your subconcious mind”. First of all, there’s just the 1 mind so that phrase really means “speaking to your mind”. Secondly, there is no difference between the mind and the person so that phrase really translates as: “speaking to you”. The mind is part of the person. The mind is the person. For a start, everyone’s brains are different. Take my brain out of my body and it still looks like my brain. It’s still a part of me.

Ah, but the person has a body. The mind doesn’t have a body so it must be different from the person. Erm. Nope. The body is the person. My body is Martin. My mind is Martin. If you want to get spiritual about this, my spirit is Martin. I am Martin. This is the point I am trying to make here: talking about the subconscious and conscious parts of the mind has just, by and large, served to make people confused, worried and/or scared. People say that the subconscious part of the mind is the part of the mind that people aren’t necessarily aware of at any one time. That sounds terrifying. A part of my mind that I know nothing about. Oh cripes! Crubs, chief! Using these phrases just gives the impression that there is a part of our mind which somehow has its own agenda outside of our control and could possibly be used against us.

I’m not being critical of people who use such terms and phrases. I’m saying that the terms people have available to them to explain the truth and facts of this issue often end up making things more confusing and, in some cases, scary. I’m saying we need new terms, words and phrases.

A threat to the mind is a threat to the person because the mind is the person. In reality, the conscious mind has foot soldiers armed and ready against any threat to us and the subconscious has tanks and a weapons arsenal the like of which you have never seen before. All ready to be deployed in your defence because deploying in your defence is deploying in its defence because you and it are the same thing.

In hypnosis, you do not lose control. You gain control. The irony of the “false image” about hypnosis is that hypnosis is a technique someone can use to give themselves more control over themselves. It puts the Captain on the bridge of the ship.

Ok, reading this back, there just might be one or two people who think I’ve lost it. I haven’t. I’m attacking nobody and I’m insulting nobody. I’m just fed up to the back teeth with the “false image” of hypnosis and I think it really does need not just to be tackled but defeated in battle.

Adam and Glenn H and others are great people and I trust their kindness and compassion towards others. But this isn’t about me trying to get more business for hypnotherapists. This is about liberating people from nonsense myths so they can make informed and educated choices about things that can HELP them achieve their goals. If we can do that then people can achieve more of their goals and make a positive difference in the world. That really would have the darkness in this world on the run.