Lately, i've run across a number of what i call "capture and subvert" recordings and videos. These products offer either a "sample" of a hypnotist's work or a full session and at the end of the session, without any warning or concern for the listener, the hypnotist tries to "install" in the listener adverse reactions to any other hypnotist who may try to work with them.

Some of these triggered reactions run from telling the listener that they will only react to the hypnotist on the recording to trying to get the listener to experience severe nausea, headaches and even vomiting should anyone else even try to hypnotize the listener in the future.

Some also try to subvert any triggers that the listener may have with another hypnotist so that they will only work for the person who made the recording and will no longer work for the original hypnotist who put them there in the first place.

All without any warning to the listener before this is pulled on them at the end of the trance!

My questions to the group are:

1) How ethical is this? I thought informed consent was the ethical and proper way to go, but this seems to be the way things are going out there - and some pretty well-known "names" out there are pulling these tricks.

2) Have any of those who are doing this given any thought to how badly they could be screwing up someone's therapeutic situation with another hypnotist?

3) And since when is giving someone a bad headache (some actually state that the headache will be a migraine!) considered polite or ethical when consent is not obtained beforehand? Migraines, for those who don't get them can be completely debilitating and may have additional effects including sensitivity to light, sound and also include nausea and vomiting, just for the record.

I can name names and recording _title_s if people are interested.

Any feedback on this?

Sub5

I know that a few years ago there was some of that sort of thing going around, and I have a good idea of the specific recording you may be referring to. Mostly I would rather not name names here because it would most certainly cause some hard feelings of one sort or another. Rather please take it up in private with whomever you may have concerns.

That being said you do make a good point in that it is important to pay attention to who you allow into your mind, and I respect the rights of individuals to make those kinds of decisions.

I know that Nikki Fatale has made a point of suggesting that listeners should always listen through a recording once before attempting to go into trance with it for their own protection.

From an ethical point of view, yes I would agree its not too cool if its hidden. I also know of instances where this sort of thing exists in recordings, but the hypnotist has provided amble warning such suggestions are in the recording. Is it ethical at that point? Again I think that is a personal thing to an individual.

I would say from my point of view for myself, my expectation is that the written de_script_ion fits what is actually on the recording. If it were not and I felt strongly enough that I had been wronged, I would likely provide suitable feedback to the hypnotist directly.

My comment on being able to name names was simply to show that this is a real problem with some real people. I would not do so, simply because the possibilities of these same people going legal on my head are too high to risk that, so no worries there.

It's more than one hypnotist that has done this, however and they are on both sides of the pond.

Another thing - what about "female" hypnotists who are actually, biologically, male, but who are posing as female and not disclosing that fact? There are at least two of those that I am aware of, and that is the old "rhino in the room that nobody wants to talk about," too.

Does this sub-culture need a "truth in advertising" policy, much as it supposedly has the "safe, sane and consensual" one?

I know that I am not very happy with someone trying to give me the screaming vomits and skull-crushing headaches if I decide to sample another hypnotist's work - or if I decide to go to a therapist for something and the therapist decides that hypnosis or anything like hypnosis would get the job done.

In fact, it is something that I view as unethical and pretty damn immoral - and that's saying a lot, considering where I'm saying it and what I'm saying it about.

sub5