Hi Dien,

> Thanks, wow, an interesting reply!

Your welcome. Of course, having a father with a PhD in Psychology and who is also a clinical psychologist an clinical hypnotherapist, means I've got first-hand insider info.

I know what works. What doesn't. What can and can't be done. And what the overall realities are as far as people's perceptions in general go.

For instace. The article said "... the evidence for hypnosis as an aid in quitting smoking is equivocal."

And yet the success rate of hypnosis helping people quit is very very high.

So why the differece of opinion?

Simple: The article was looking at it from the point of view of "Involuntary responses."

If I do not want to quit smoking, then all the hypnosis in the world will do no go (and the article will be right). On the other hand, if I do want to quit but find it tough, then hypnosis will be a great help (and the article will be wrong).

FACT: You can NOT make a person do something against their will using hypnosis.

Mesmer, the guy who invented mesmerism, and mesmerism itself is an interesting subject. And deserving of its own seperate discussion.

Hypnosis is a tool. A tool for change. It is not anything like what you perceive it to be - unless you already know.

No-one counts to three, snaps their fingers to awaken you, and suddenly you're different and can feel it. You won't feel empowered like you would after going to a Robbins seminar. And, in fact, you may not think anything actually happened at all.

Can it help you be successful?

Again I say, "YES".

Note, however, that success is a POV thing. What you mean by success and what I mean may be two completely different things. And what is the thing you want to be successful at?

Successfully quit smoking? Successfully approach that girl you've got your eye on but up until know have been too shy? Sucessfully remain calm under trying conditions? Successfully break your obsessive compulsive behaviour? Something else?

Hope this helps some more.

Michael Ross.