QUESTIONS - (Those frequently asked by clients)

1- What exactly is GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis)?
2- How does a person become hypnotized?
3- What is a "FIXATION DEVICE"?
4- What are some of the specific techniques used to guide someone into a hypnotic trance for the first time?
5- What is a "hypnotic trigger?"
6- What is a posthypnotic suggestion?
7- How many kinds of GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) are there?
8- What is "Stage Hypnosis" all about?
9- Once I have been hypnotized, is there a way to bring me back into a hypnotic trance without going through an entire induction?
10- What does it feel like to be hypnotized?
11- What is meant by a "State of Consciousness" or "State of Awareness?"
12- Once I have been hypnotized, can I be forced in to doing something I don't want to do?
13- Why will some hypnotized people do certain things while under guided imagery that they would not do when they are conscious?
14- How can I know if I would be a good candidate for GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis)?
15- How can I know if someone will be a good facilitator for me?
16- How can I evaluate a hypnotist's level of experience?
17- How important is rapport to the hypnotic process?
18- Are there any situations in which GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is not the best option?
19- How many GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) sessions will I need before I see results?

1- What exactly is GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis)?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: If you asked this question to 10 Facilitators, you should consider yourself fortunate if you only receive 10 different responses! There is no universally accepted definition of what guided imagery actually is. Attempting to define "guided imagery" is like trying to give a complete explanation for the existence of "beauty." We know that beauty is real. Each of us knows about certain people or items we would say are beautiful. A person may even know some of the reasons she/he believes a certain object, idea, or person is beautiful. None of these things make it any easier to comprehensively declare what "beauty" truly is.

In spite of the ambiguity about what hypnotism truly is, I will tell you a few things I believe to be true about GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis):

#1- GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is an intentionally induced state of deep relaxation for the conscious mind and increased receptiveness to certain kinds of suggestions for what is known as the subconscious mind or is called the unconscious mind.
     Simply put, GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is an altered state of mind. What does that mean? It means that you are not awake, not asleep, and not dreaming. Where are you in this altered state? I do not know. Neither does anyone else. It is rather like electricity. We can harness it, use its power, but not quite fully understand it. What we do know is that HYPNOSIS WORKS! And like electricity, when the power of GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is properly handled in an appropriate way, it is extraordinarily helpful and useful!
#2- Hypnotism often involves engaging, I.E. stimulating, or suppressing, in other words relaxing, the conscious mind.
#3- One goal of GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is to give the subconscious mind an opportunity to express itself.
#4- One of the primary purposes of GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is to give suggestions (to the subconscious mind or conscious mind or both) which the hypnotized individual considers beneficial.
#5- GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is a heightened state of concentration, focus, and awareness.

2- How does a person become hypnotized?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: The process of becoming hypnotized is often called an "induction." In an individual's first GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) session, often some type of a fixation device will be initially utilized as a focal point for the attention of the person's conscious mind, then relaxation is induced through breathing, soothing music and the words that I would use to guide a client into a hypnotic state. In any subsequent interactions with the facilitator, a "hypnotic trigger" may be employed to quickly guide the client back into a hypnotic trance state of relaxation.

3- What is a "FIXATION DEVICE"?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: In an individual's first GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) session, the client's attention may be directed to, or allowed to settle upon, a particular perceivable object. This sensory stimulus used to center one's conscious attention span is called a fixation or induction device, point, or tool. A fixation point can be virtually anything the "individual to be hypnotized" can perceive. For example, a fixation point can be a spot on the ceiling or wall, the flickering flame of a candle, or a swinging crystal pendant. These are just a few examples of fixation tools. As the client's consciousness remains rapt upon the induction device, the facilitator often gives the client suggestions encouraging him/her to relax more and more. You may even find yourself relaxing more and more as you devote your attention span to my well chosen, wisely woven words.

4- What are some of the specific techniques used to guide someone into a hypnotic trance for the first time?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: There are a number of basic techniques and numerous combinations of these elemental approaches used by hypnotists to guide a willing person into what is called a "trance state." Some of these techniques are:

#1- SENSORY FOCUS. The person to be hypnotized is encouraged to focus their conscious attention on the activity of one of their body's sensory systems. Frequently it is suggested that the client focus their vision on some particular object. A fixation point. As mentioned above. It could be a pretty, little pendant. It might be a smoothly spinning spiral. Perhaps it will be a lovely candle. When it comes to nonvisual stimuli, sometimes the facilitator will suggest that the person focus on the physical sensations associated with one's breathing. The possibilities for a useful perceivable sensory fixation point are virtually limitless. When a person finds the specific sensory stimulus appealing, it greatly aids the induction process.

#2- EQUILIBRIUM ALTERATION. This kind of induction involves giving the client suggestions that their body is comfortably being rocked or moved in some manner. As the virtual movement of the body continues, suggestions that the individual feels more and more relaxation are offered. Just take a moment or two and imagine yourself comfortably sitting in the most relaxing rocking chair you can picture and feel in your mind.... Now imagine and feel this wonderful rocking chair being soothingly moved back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Yes, and now feel your body experience the oh sooo peaceful sensation of increasing relaxation as you are easily and peacefully being ever so gently rocked back and forth and back and forth and back and forth...

#3- MENTAL CONFUSION. In this kind of hypnotic induction, the facilitator seeks to confuse the conscious mind and thereby permit the individual's subconscious to come to the forefront. For example, a person may be told to count backwards from 100 to zero. While the client is performing this task, from time to time the facilitator will tell the individual what the next number in the sequence will be. This number is different from the one the person's conscious mind believes is next in line. As this type of trance induction proceeds, it becomes easier for a person being hypnotized in this way to first, accept the hypnotist's suggestions concerning the next number in the sequence and second, to simply accept suggestions from the facilitator regarding other things.

#4- PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION. In one form of this sort of induction, the client is given suggestions that he/she is experiencing more and more relaxation as time passes. In another genre of "progressive relaxation" an individual's various body parts are relaxed in a specific sequence and frequently one by one. Progressive Relaxation is often used during self-hypnosis or in what is commonly called "guided meditation" or "guided imagery."

5- What is a "hypnotic trigger?"    Back To Questions

ANSWER: It is a perceivable sensory stimulus to which has been attached a posthypnotic suggestion for the hypnotized individual to return to a hypnotic trance state. Suppose after being hypnotized, the client is told to come back to a deeply hypnotized state whenever the individual hears the facilitator/hypnotherapist say the word, "harpsichord." In this scenario, the word "harpsichord" would be this particular person's "hypnotic trigger." A hypnotic trigger can be anything the previously hypnotized man or woman can detect and distinguish from any other stimulus.

6- What is a posthypnotic suggestion?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: A suggestion given to a hypnotized person and intended to be carried out by that individual at some later time. Let's say that after I have soothingly mesmerized you I give you the suggestion that whenever you hear me clap my hands three times, you will think of and say the word "monopoly." Once you have come out of your trance, the statement concerning your response to the sound of my hands clapping thrice is for you a PostHypnotic Suggestion (abbreviated PHS.) A "PHS" is frequently given to prompt some action by the client. A hypnotic trigger is a particular variety of PHS.

7- How many kinds of GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) are there?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: For purposes of this discussion, all types will be classified as either "assisted/classical hypnosis" or "self-hypnosis." In assisted GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis), a hypnotist's skills are used to help the client accomplish some goal desired by the individual who wishes to be hypnotized. The desired outcome is often to bring about some change in the individual's thought patterns, belief system, emotional state, or actions. Smoking cessation and reducing one's nervousness about public speaking are two examples of instances in which assisted GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is used. Hypnotherapy is classical or assisted GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) used by a currently licensed medical or psychological professional proficient and trained in GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) to affect behavior modification or to help the client handle some particular emotion, thought, or memory.

Self-hypnosis occurs when someone deliberately places oneself into a hypnotic trance without another person's aid. Self-hypnosis is an excellent tool for such things as heightening relaxation, improving concentration, and reinforcing a beneficial suggestion. Emile Coué said that, "All hypnosis is self hypnosis." He could not have been more right. What one receives from GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is entirely interconnected to what one puts in to GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis).

8- What is "Stage Hypnosis" all about?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: Someone who uses GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) as a means of entertainment is called a "stage facilitator." Except for the purpose for which the trance state is induced, there is little significant difference between stage hypnosis and classical hypnosis.

There are certain things a mesmerist does to increase the likelihood of getting good results from stage hypnosis. Setting up an appropriate and acceptable environment is a key factor in persuading and hypnotizing someone into performing some personally uncharacteristic behavior onstage. A Stage Hypnotist frequently relies upon charisma, showmanship, excitement, creation or amplification of an air of mystery, and a host of other factors to create an atmosphere conducive to motivating anyone willing to come onstage to act out the stage hypnotists commands.

STAGE HYPNOSIS SHOULD ONLY BE UTILIZED FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE HYPNOTIZED INDIVIDUAL(S) AS WELL AS THE AUDIENCE.

Neither the Stage Hypnotist nor any other kind of mesmerist exerts, or even possesses for that matter, any degree or kind of special or supernatural power over the willing participant(s) in hypnosis. As any reputable facilitator/mesmerist will affirm, "All hypnosis is self-hypnosis". Several factors must exist for stage and all other types of hypnosis to occur: A person must desire to be hypnotized, and the person being hypnotized must devote their imagination to the hypnosis experience. In many respects, a stage facilitator is like a good magician. In fact, many magicians are very familiar with using mesmerism.

The purpose of clinical hypnosis/Hypnotherapy is quite different from the goal of Stage Hypnosis. What is frequently called therapeutic hypnosis is solely intended to provide some benefit to the person experiencing hypnosis. Bear in mind, the belief that one can change or achieve a goal is a major first step in getting what you desire. A caring, competent, creative, perceptive, and well-versed Hypnotist/Hypnotherapist frequently can help you more successfully reach your goal.

9- Once I have been hypnotized, is there a way to bring me back into a hypnotic trance without going through an entire induction?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: Yes, to do this the facilitator can use what is called a "hypnotic trigger." This is a perceivable sensory stimulus to which has been attached a posthypnotic suggestion for the individual to return to a hypnotic trance state. Suppose after being hypnotized, the client is told to come back to a deeply hypnotized state whenever the individual hears the facilitator say the word, "harpsichord." In this scenario, the word "harpsichord" would be this particular person's "hypnotic trigger." A hypnotic trigger is to mesmerism what an abbreviation is to speech or writing.

10- - What does it feel like to be hypnotized?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: There is no universally simple or complete answer to this question. When you are under hypnosis you might not feel any different than you do right now - or, you may feel the way you do just before drifting off to sleep. You know, that wonderful, relaxed feeling when you don't want anyone to disturb you. You are floating, delightfully drifting along, and it feels oh so gooood! You are not asleep when you are under hypnosis. However, you may look as if you are soundly sleeping. If someone came in during one of our sessions, that person might say, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know someone was sleeping in here." You would probably hear them. But because you are feeling so good, you would probably not even open your eyes. Keep in mind however, that you are more focused, more centered, and concentrating more than at any other time. For example, I have had a client under when an earthquake occurred. As I was forming my thought- "Oh my, an earthquake!" my client was up, alert, and ready to move! The subconscious part of yourself can hear when you are under hypnosis--but consciously, you may not. Some people hear everything I say. Some of my clients think they heard everything I've said, and then when they come back for their next visit they say, "Where was I when you made that recording for me? I know I was in the room with you but I hardly remember you saying the things on the recording. I hardly heard anything!" Some clients, during our session hear nothing that I say. Most of my clients drift in and out, hearing some specifics and than drifting away- until my voice slowly comes back to their awareness and they think to themselves, "Oh! Nina's still talking. I'd better listen." But, part of the mystery is that you do not have to deliberately listen. Your subconscious mind is always listening. So trust yourself. Whatever you do will be just right for you. Keep in mind that after all you read here and all that I have expressed to you on these pages that most people I hypnotize "for the first time" sit up after hypnosis and say to me, "I don't think I was hypnotized. I heard everything you said."

Various people feel hypnotic relaxation in differing ways. One person's limbs will feel as heavy as lead weights. For another individual that person's body feels as light as a feather floating freely in a gentle, soothing breeze. A third hypnotized person may notice some degree of a tingling sensation. Still a fourth mesmerized party may to some degree become numb. Slight muscular twitches or deep abdominal breathing can be indicators of a deepening hypnotic trance.

11- What is meant by a "State of Consciousness" or "State of Awareness?"    Back To Questions

ANSWER: The four presently known states/levels of consciousness are Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta. In the "Beta" (or regular waking) state, a person possesses the highest degree of what we commonly call "conscious" awareness. In the "alpha" state, an individual is able to experience light hypnotic trance. Someone in the "Theta" state is in a deep trance or lightly sleeping state. The "Delta" state is the designation for the state of deep sleep.

For any degree of hypnosis to occur, the person being hypnotized must be in either the Alpha state of awareness or the Theta trance state. More specifically, keep in mind that we are all electromagnetic beings. We generate scientifically measurable units of electrical energy per second. In BETA where we both are now (I hope) we are alert and producing about 40-45 energy units per second. While in BETA state of consciousness we are not totally focused, nor are we able to concentrate 100%. For instance, as you are reading this right now you may also be watching the time, thinking about what you might have for dinner, wondering if the check you expected in the mail has arrived, etc. etc. When you are in the ALPHA state you drop down to approximately 10-14 energy units per second. Everything in this state slows down...and you are 100% focused and 100% concentrating. You are now in the healing place. And the learning place. Sometimes while experiencing hypnosis, you drop down into THETA.

Moving into and out of a hypnotic state is not as unusual as many people believe it is. For instance, while experiencing the monotony of driving, sometimes a person will unknowingly go into what is called "white line" or "highway hypnosis". While in the white line hypnosis trance state, a driver may pass by a required turn or exit and not become aware of doing so for some time.

12- Once I have been hypnotized, can I be forced in to doing something I don't want to do?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: No. A person can not be hypnotically compelled to do anything against his or her will or contrary to their value system or that which would violate any ethical or moral standard of belief. Nor can someone under hypnosis be forced to do anything the person subconsciously considered dangerous or offensive. The Council of Mental Health of the American Medical Association approved hypnosis as a safe practice with no harmful side effects in September of 1958. Please note - we often underestimate the ability of the subconscious mind to protect us and to protect itself.

13- Why will some hypnotized people do certain things while under hypnosis that they would not do when they are conscious?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: Because there is sometimes a vast difference between what the subconscious mind desires or is willing to do and what the conscious mind chooses to do. The conscious mind is frequently influenced by: societal expectations; familial obligations; and direct or indirect peer pressure from one's friends, family, colleagues, etc.

The subconscious mind is much more attuned to what the specific individual desires, feels, and perceives. Once the subconscious is allowed and enabled to express itself, what previously has been locked inside it can now come forth. An individual's conscious mind may know that family and friends may respond negatively, if he/she got up on a stage and started to sing. Once that person's subconscious mind has been unencumbered, that same individual might stand up in front of a crowd of strangers and put on a solo singing performance! The subconscious portion of one's being is also the seedbed of intuition and imagination. Some artistic individuals do their best work when their subconscious self is closer to the surface of their minds. According to an ancient, Latin saying, "In vino veritas," (English translation, "In wine truth.") Hypnosis can be an effective tool for discovering, developing, and displaying one's true self.

14- How can I know if I would be a good candidate for GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis)?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: "Garbage in, garbage out" is a saying common in the world of computer programming. This miniature maxim also has applications to the realm of hypnosis. What someone brings to the hypnotic induction is a significant determiner of whether or not a specific individual is a good hypnotic candidate and what a particular person receives from the hypnosis experience.

Some of the chief characteristics which aid in entering a trance and in the enjoyment of GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) are:

#1- A STRONG DESIRE TO BE HYPNOTIZED.
#2- A VIVID IMAGINATION.
#3- THE CAPACITY TO REMEMBER AND FOLLOW UP TO SEVERAL SIMULTANEOUS SUGGESTIONS.
#4-A WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN SELF-EXPLORATION.

15- How can I know if someone will be a good facilitator for me?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: Human beings enjoy many kinds of food, such as pheasant under glass or an In And Out burger. The same can be said for tastes in music or clothing styles (like your favorite outfit.) There is no such thing as a particular food, one genre of music, or a single article of clothing which every person will declare is the cream of the crop. There are simply swarms of hypnotists out there in cyberspace and in physical reality. There are myriads of induction styles and techniques for eliciting GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis). Neither any facilitator nor any induction style will be perfect for everyone.

Suppose you meet a facilitator who makes one or more of the following claims:

#1- "There is ONE KIND OF GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) which is always better than all others."
#2- "I AM THE BEST HYPNOTIST for every client."
#3- "GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) is always the best means of helping you handle any problem you have."

One of the following conclusions is true about anyone making any such promise(s) or giving any guarantee(s) of this sort:

#1- This person does not know as much as he or she should about how human beings interact with hypnosis.
#2- This individual is not being truthful.

16- How can I evaluate a hypnotist's level of experience?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: Find out what training the professional facilitator has in the hypnosis arena, as well as in any other possibly related discipline, such as psychology. Here are some possible queries to pose with respect to the subject of training:

#1. Which hypnosis-related and/or other degree(s), diploma(s), certificate(s), etc does this individual currently hold?
#2. With what usage(s) of hypnosis (E.G., activity performance enhancement, stress management, memory recovery, reduction or elimination of some unwanted behavior(s), etc) is the facilitator most adept?
#3. How long has this individual been practicing hypnotism?
#4. How many clients has this hypnotherapist worked with during their career?

NOTE: Checking out referrals and reading testimonials can give you a sense of a hypnotist's level of experience. It is not a positive portend, if someone has been a practicing facilitator for some years and no one is willing or able to vouch for their ability, professionalism, honesty, etc. Reading credible testimonials and when possible asking questions of someone who has been hypnotized by this particular professional can be an effective means of ascertaining this person's character and competence. Keep in mind, however, that any referral the facilitator gives you or any testimonial seen on a hypnotist's website will always paint them in a good light. The only way to certainly know how you will respond to a particular facilitator is for you to actually interact with them.

17- How important is rapport to the hypnotic process?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: In my judgment, "Being a good facilitator is like being a good dance partner. One must know and properly mesh with the partners moves." Likewise, that someone is an excellent facilitator does not guarantee this person will be the right facilitator for you. Personality traits, someone's induction style, the hypnotist's background, and numerous other factors can combine to create the right rapport between facilitator and potential hypnotic client. It is YOUR RIGHT to decide which factor or factors you deem important. Stated succinctly, "The facilitator should be someone you would want to know, even if this individual was not a professional or unpaid facilitator/hypnotherapist."

18- Are there any situations in which guided imagery is not the best option?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: Yes. This is a very important question. There is a saying, "The right tool for the right job." No tool is the perfect instrument for every task. Likewise, neither any hypnotic technique nor guided imagery itself is right for each and every circumstance. Hypnosis can be an effective agency to reduce or eliminate the sensation of pain. Physical pain is frequently a means of indicating something is amiss in one's body. Always utilizing guided imagery to neutralize physical pain could keep someone from perceiving, and subsequently acting upon, vitally important information about that person's physical condition. Hypnosis can aid an individual in managing that person's emotional state. A specific emotion can be an indication that something is not right in one of someone's interpersonal relationships. If such is the case, then simply soothing oneself with a guided imagery session will do nothing to resolve the underlying root cause(s) of a particular feeling, desire, thought, craving, etc.

A good facilitator should be discerning enough to know when using guided imagery is not the best solution. Your facilitator/hypnotherapist should also be honest enough to willingly acknowledge that such is the case. If hypnotism is not the best means of handling a specific situation, the facilitator should be able to provide the client with a referral to someone else {For example, an M.D., psychiatrist, clergyperson, etc} who is better suited to meeting the client's particular need(s).

19- How many GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) sessions will I need before I see results?    Back To Questions

ANSWER: The short answer: Hypnotism or hypnotherapy is normally short term. Excellent results are very often obtained within 2 to 4 sessions. My detailed answer: In your first session, you can at least expect to become more relaxed than you usually are. The significance of this is difficult to estimate. Increasing one's relaxation can be an important first step in sharpening your general mental focus. It can also be a prelude to finding a solution one seeks. GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis)can assist you with transforming a previously undefined goal into something which is more concrete and emotionally compelling to you. Linking positive and powerful emotions to a desire often paves the way and sets the stage for long-lasting change.
As your subconscious mind becomes more attuned to accomplishing a hypnotically enhanced desire, thoughts which stimulate actions necessary for achieving the desired behavioral changes will spontaneously spring into your consciousness. Such subconscious promptings must be followed by the requisite actions to alter old behavior patterns and/or to reach some desired outcome. The degree to which this is done goes a long way in determining how many GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis) sessions someone may need.

Consequently, I cannot say for certain how many sessions a particular person may need. The number of hypnotic sessions required to achieve a client's goal(s) is dependent upon a number of factors. Some of these considerations are:

#1- What goal or objectives does the individual seeking to be hypnotized desire to attain?
#2- How much progress toward the client's stated purpose is made after each session?
#3- What impediment or hindrances to the outcome sought by the individual being hypnotized must be overcome?
#4- In addition to mesmerism, what else is being done to assist the GUIDED IMAGERY, CREATIVE VISUALIZATION (Certified Hypnosis)client in achieving what this person seeks to accomplish?
#5- What degree of desire does the individual being hypnotized have for the client's stated goal?

CONCLUDING COMMENTARY: It is up to you to exercise due diligence and do the proper research on any facilitator with whom you may interact. It is your responsibility to ask any and all relevant questions to any facilitator you are seriously considering working with. For example, have the facilitator explain in layman's terms the meaning of any unfamiliar guided imagery-specific terminology or phrase he or she has used. You should pay attention to the answers you receive, the way in which your legitimate queries are answered, and the hypnotist's willingness to answer your questions.