---

Articles!

A Whole Lot of Shaking "Goin' On"—Just Give Them Permission!
© 2011 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include the Author's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

I recently returned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and as usual, it was an exciting stay. The seminar attendees were some of the most enthusiastic participants I’ve ever had. One of the programs—a one-day training, entitled, “Hypnosis Mastery”—had over 140 attendees. It was the first day of an 8-day, Hypnosis Certification Program.
So what does all this have to do with my article in this issue of “Unlimited Human”? First of all, trainers can now be less concerned about cross-cultural training, because Western jargon permeates the developed countries. Although people in Kuala Lumpur have great respect for their culture, they are influenced by Western culture, including many of America’s most popular TV shows—“Desperate Housewives”, “The Apprentice”, “Two and a Half Men”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Iron Chef”. And these people are more aware of U.S. politics than many Americans. The West has truly infiltrated most of the world! And, as trainers, this makes our job so much easier.

Like many trainers, I often begin with having the group do a self-evaluation. Questions like the following help them clarify their precise needs and goals. “What specific skills/abilities do I need to take me where I want to go?” “What internal/external obstacles/hurdles are preventing me from achieving this right now?” “Are there any qualities that I’ve observed in others, that if I had, would enable me to more quickly attain my goal?” “What quality, skill or ability do I already have, that having more of would excite and motivate me, and make my life more compelling?” “What skill, ability or behavior do I need in my life right now that would make me feel more purpose-driven?” “How do I measure disappointment and failure, verses accomplishment, achievement and success?”
Key questions could include: 1. What do I want to feel? 2. What would make me feel that? 3. How can I work toward it?

Buckminster Fuller said, "Everyone is born a genius. Society de-geniuses them."
According to my main hypnosis mentor, Gil Boyne, readiness for change depends on three basic factors:

---

Get Over Your Speaking Fears and Attract More Clients than You Can Handle, Even in a Struggling Economy!
© 2011 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include the Author's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

A question I’m often asked lately is, “With our struggling economy, how can I attract more clients?” So let’s help you generate that “attraction”.

The best way I found to create a great client base is through visibility, by conducting 1½ or 2-hour, low-cost, hypnosis previews (mini seminars). “Simple”, you might say! Yet, I can’t tell you how many times I hear the following statement, “I get so nervous presenting in front of a group, and can’t seem to get over it.” According to the Virginia Education Association (Roger Seip), more than 75 percent of Americans surveyed report that they suffer from  “glossophobia”, a debilitating fear of public speaking. You would think that a professional hypnotherapist would simply hypnotize him/herself to overcome this issue. I can tell you from experience that it’s often easier to help another person, than to help oneself. But you CAN free yourself from this anxiety! So let me offer some tips to help tone down those nerves.

Trembling lips…sweaty hands…a mouth that is as dry as a bone…if this is how you feel whenever you are on a stage in front of an audience, you are not alone. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s joke is not far from the truth—"Given a choice, at a funeral most of us would rather be lying in the casket than delivering the eulogy." But does it really have to be that way? Absolutely Not! The first thing that you need to convince yourself of, is the fact that you are not the only one in the world suffering from performance fright. Many well-known and renowned orators also started off with butterflies fluttering about in their stomachs, when they first started addressing large audiences. Some of whom include—Abraham Lincoln, Margaret Sanger, and Winston Churchill. The first time Demosthenes, the renowned Greek orator, made a speech in the public assembly, it was a disaster! The famous Roman orator Cicero said, “I turn pale at the outset of a speech and quake in every limb and in my soul.”

Over time, as they found themselves more often in situations where they had to address ever-growing numbers of people in an audience, they overcame all these fears and emerged as dynamic speakers.

Can you be that champion presenter, whom you have set yourself up to emulate? Do you think you could leave audiences spellbound by your words, each time you addressed them? Of course you can! And the following tips will help you shed the performance fright you may currently be experiencing.

Prepare
Simple, yet very powerful in its implication. Remember that if you are to deliver the goods effectively while addressing a public gathering, with little or no performance anxiety, you must prepare the subject matter well. This is particularly true when you expect the session to be an interactive one, with audiences likely to pose questions. If you find yourself at a loss for words on the theme of your presentation, it is very likely that other forms of stage fright will also emerge, worsening the situation. Therefore, it is imperative that you prepare very well, whenever you are scheduled to make a speech or presentation.

Well Begun is Half Done
Remember to begin your presentation on a high note. If you ooze confidence right at the outset, chances are good that you will maintain that right through and also keep your audience captivated. Beginning on a high note has numerous advantages, as it improves your own self-confidence, as well as augments the confidence that the audience perceives you have. Confidence (not arrogance) is a very attractive quality, which helps you to immediately connect with your audience.

Focus
This is an absolutely vital aspect of the entire public speaking and presenting endeavor—you must focus your attention completely on the audience, as well as the subject matter. Digressing too much on to inconsequential matters will fritter away the attention of your audience fairly quickly. The focus that we are talking about here, also holds true for the time you are preparing for your presentation. Distractions will affect the quality of your content adversely. You might even include a factually incorrect statement into your speech. So, make sure that you focus completely on the job at hand.

Eye Contact
It is important that you maintain eye contact with your audience. This will keep it engaged with all that you have to say, and will also give audience members the feeling that you really care for them, and would like them to benefit maximally from your speech.
But what if the audience number is reasonably large, to the extent that you can barely see them, let alone see their eyes? Or what if you are presenting your speech in a very dimly lit room? Obviously, eye contact would be difficult in such settings. Yet, even in such scenarios, it’s important to give the impression of maintaining eye contact with them…look in the direction of their eyes, speak with a feeling that you are speaking directly to their hearts, minds and souls, with their eyes being the windows to all of the aforementioned. You can be rest assured that not only would you have captured the attention of your audience, you would in all probability have left them spellbound, with any signs of stage fright safely tucked away into oblivion.

Keep it Light-Hearted
However technical or complex the subject matter of your speech may be, keep the proceedings light-hearted. An occasional joke or wisecrack (in good taste) will certainly not do anyone any harm, and will in fact boost your own confidence considerably. Also keep in mind the fact that, the more complex the subject matter on which you are speaking, the lesser will be the attention span of your audience, unless you are addressing a very elite group of people who have a very close association with what you are talking about.

Honesty is the Best Policy
Do you believe in what you are presenting? Are you honest? Sincere? Genuine? Unpretentious? Humble? Modest? Down-to-Earth? Unaffected? Natural? I recently worked with two politicians who wanted to appear more genuine in their interviews. My initial questions to them were, “Do you truly believe in your message? Is it truly part of your makeup? Is it truly who you are?

Some More Hints
The more important one thinks the consequences of a performance are, the more performance fright he/she could experience. Think about speaking to a group a people who are listening to music with earphones, about a topic that you don't care about, in a situation that has little or no importance to you. Could you possibly be frightened in that setting? Of course not!
Remember also, that performance fright is an extension of the fight-flight response. It is normal, natural and even helpful, when used positively. It can add tremendous power and impact to what might otherwise be a boring presentation. By definition, nervousness is actually an "excitation of the nervous system." That means it’s excitement! Almost all of the great speakers get this excitation. Continue Reading

---

Exude Entrancing Charm and Charisma in your Trainings!
© 2009 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include the Author's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

There's a Spanish proverb that says, " Don't speak unless you can improve on the silence." But improving on the silence is more than just opening your mouth and letting your lips, tongue and breath, form words. While presenting has a lot to do with the ability to speak correctly, and refer to the appropriate subject matter and content, it also has a lot to do with exuding a certain charm and charisma, which is truly entrancing, magnetic, compelling, captivating and persuasive. Some presenters stand out from the rest, and command and grasp our attention, while others, even though they seemingly remain correct on all basic dimensions, fail to make that one big impression that would make all the difference—speaking straight to the hearts of the group.

It reminds me of what Nelson Mandela once said, "If you talk to a man in your language, you speak to his mind. But if you talk to him in his language, you speak to his heart." Charismatic speakers always speak to the hearts and captivate the very being of their listeners. They have an intuitively, active pulse and rhythm in their words and inflections, tuned into on what moves their audience, creating and feeding off an entrainment, that enables participants to feel—"he/she is talking to me!" Which goes well with what William Butler Yeats said, "Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people."

This is particularly true of many self-help and business coaches, as well as spiritual gurus. Keep in mind the fact that these people cannot even hope to progress in their profession, without the aforementioned charisma, charm and magnetism. Their emotionally-charged words have to have the power to sway their audience in the direction in which they would like them to move. As Pearl Strachan said, "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs."

So, does it imply that these individuals are "con men"? Are they out to fool us? Yes, some of them are. We can also answer, "No", at least not necessarily. Just as there are good and bad apples, there are always the wily and deceptive lot, who are out to fool people and make unscrupulous gains by manipulating their emotions. Yet, there's a lot to learn from both. And I would hope that there are many— and a lot more— good apples, good people, than the bad ones—good people who are genuinely out to help others attain the goals, hopes, desires and dreams, they have sought out for themselves. These people legitimately need the assistance of the above mentioned coaches and gurus, and us, the trainers.

Charisma helps magnify, expand, and bring to the fore, the support that we were talking about. Without this charisma, even the most honest, direct, sincere and genuine of attempts to lend a hand to those in need of assistance, often fail to make the desired impression.
In a business context, you can compare charisma to marketing. Can you equate marketing to cheating? In some cases yes, but in most, probability not. Marketing is simply about highlighting the benefits of various products, and also making sure that there is the much needed visibility and awareness around, and understanding of that product. It is this top-of-the-mind recall that can determine frequent purchases by potential customers, of the product in question. In the same way, a charismatic trainer manages to enthuse, stir up, stimulate and motivate his or her audience to such an extent and frenzy that it simply cannot have enough of him/her. Things get to a stage where the audience equates charismatic presenting with the imagery of the presenter. Attempts are often made to even emulate the person, as he or she manages to attain a levitated state of existence, being and reality, seemingly on a higher pedestal from the norm. Continue Reading

---

Dealing with Troublesome Seminar Attendees!
© 2009 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include the Author's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

I'm often asked the following questions: "Do I ever get hecklers or trouble-makers in my talks or seminars? And if so, how do I handle them?"

I feel blessed that I haven’t had a real trouble-maker or major problem person in my seminars for longer than I can remember. I’ve happily been attracting people of great quality and character. Occasionally, there are a few who really need more therapy than training, but a display of compassion and a little "tough love" usually takes care of any issues. Yet something happened a few years ago at a Conference that was quite the contrary.

I was excited about giving my talk on “Celebrating Opportunity”, yet the equipment problems and a disruptive table in the back of the room were enough to dampen any speaker’s sparkle. The wireless microphone had a popping and buzzing sound, so I had to use a hand-held, wired one, with a short cord no less. To top things off, a table in the back of the room was getting more attention than my speech, due to the loud conversation of one of the attendees. Normally, I would have simply walked up to the table and do my best to win over the talker by engaging in the conversion, but the short mike cable didn’t allow for much mobility. I tried a “dramatic momentary silence”, but that only opened the door for the person’s even louder conversation. In hopes of disarming the talker, I was about to bring the obviously needed attention to the table by acknowledging its “wonderful celebrity”, when a sudden hush took over the room and the attention was back on my talk. It was smooth sailing from that moment on, and I enjoyed delivering the message in a passionate and fun way. I found out the next day that a conference attendee actually walked up to the table (out of my view) and scolded the loud-mouth perpetrator. She said to the loud-talking woman, “We paid to come here and hear George speak. You are a presenter at this conference. You should know better!” Pretty strong words, don’t you agree? There’s no need to tell you who the “attention-seeking-talker” was. I’ll just say this, “She must have needed more attention than she was getting!” How sad.

In this case, I don’t deserve the credit for defusing the disruptive individual. The talker was put in her place by a conference attendee - an even better scenario.
There are basically four types of people that you will have in an audience. The concept of four temperaments is centuries old, and can be traced back over 5,000 years to the traditions of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. Dr. Carl Jung described four behavioral styles-the Intuitor, Thinker, Feeler, and Sensor.

In their book, "The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four Basic Business Personalities and How They Can Lead You to Success", Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dr. Michael J. O'Connor, discuss four basic business personalities, the "Dominant Director", the "Interacting Socializer", the "Steady Relater" and the "Cautious Thinker".
Another popular business model is that of the "Emotive", the "Director", the "Reflective" and the "Supportive". More proof that there's really "nothing new under the sun". Let's use this model for its simplicity. Continue Reading

---

"You are just fooling people to feel better", he said!
© 2006 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

Sometime ago I was conducting a seminar on Stress Management for a company.  During one of the breaks, I was approached by a very well-dressed, articulate man, with an extremely determined look on his face.  He told me that he was a corporate trainer and stated that what I was teaching was not “reality”.  I asked what he meant by that statement.  And he responded, “You know as well as I do that all the people here are really being fooled into feeling better”.  The statement took me aback momentarily.  I was so tempted to say, “I’m sure that you don’t mean ‘all’ the people because you are leaving the two of us out of the scenario”.  “George, hold your tongue”, I thought.   This would have sounded like a “smart alec” response, and I was certainly not about to share my “Blink”.  How do I get myself in these situations anyway?  It’s been said that, “We attract what we project”.  So maybe it’s because I absolutely “love” a good debate.

I’ve mentioned in previous articles, that when dealing with a perceived verbal attack by someone, I instinctively step into “second person” as quickly as possible.  This enables me to better understand a person’s motive.  Naturally, it’s just my perception of their motive, but it helps soften any of my potential defense mechanisms.  The corporate trainer said, “Fooled”.  By definition “to fool” means to “deceive, trick, or dupe”.  Was I really fooling these people?  And what if I were?  They were learning a lot of useful techniques, feeling good and having fun.  Shouldn’t that be what’s important?  I asked “Mr. Corporate Trainer” whom I’ll call “Joe”, what his specialty was, and not surprisingly he said, “Stress Management”.  Gee, I just love having a learned critic in my class – NOT!   This man did appear to be very articulate, and seemed to have a great deal of knowledge and experience, so I decided to have a good, healthy interaction. Continue Reading

---

Using the MBIS (TM) Method with the Performing Artist
© 1997 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

Some of you know that before I delved into a fulltime hypnosis career, I was a fulltime professional musician and taught music at Five Towns College and York College of the City University of New York. So this stuff is very close to my heart. The market has never been greater for work in this field. This includes working with actors, dancers, vocalists, instrumentalists, comedians, the list is endless. Virtually everyone in one of these fields eventually falls into a slump, and you as a hypnotist, are there to help. The MBIS ™ Process is actually a hypnotic ritual that I developed about 18 years ago.

Performers have often spoken of “a sense of power,” occurring at the apex of the peak performance experience that transcends their ordinary levels of ability and that seems to come from outside them. They have often described how at moments of peak performance, they felt consumed by the momentum of the performance itself, as though they were acting automatically, their minds and bodies like instruments perfectly tuned to the moment. They describe how the actual performance itself took over, and how they became perfectly and totally synchronized within it.

A well-know British surgeon of the last century, Sir James Paget, once timed a piano performance of a “Presto” (a very fast musical composition) by Mendelssohn. The pianist played 5,995 notes in four minutes and three seconds, or more than 24 notes per second. Now that’s pretty fast! But there’s much more. Each note required at least two voluntary movements - lifting and pressing - as well as the side-to-side movements required for change of direction. Dr. Paget estimated that no fewer than 72 distinct actions per second were required. Wow! Continue Reading

---

The Strength of Any Person is in his/her flexibility
© 2004 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

I experienced something during the end of January that I feel needs attention for the benefit of all people involved in the Healing Arts - the aspect of "Synergy". I had a heated discussion with an NLP Trainer.  Perhaps, it was actually a debate.  He claimed that NLP was much more effective than “simple hypnosis” (his words), and said that he used NLP exclusively!  “How can you compare Mapping Across with Submodalities to giving basic suggestions to a hypnotized subject?” he asked.  “Then there’s the aspect of Anchoring – Chaining and Stacking.  And what about the Visual Squash and the Fast Phobia Cure?” he continued.  “In typical 18 or more-day NLP trainings, only 2 days are usually devoted to hypnosis.  Obviously, NLP is much more important and involved,” he demanded.

I did everything I could to control myself from grabbing this guy by the neck and screeming, "Wake up!" I usually do my best to go into “second person” when discussing (debating) something with someone.  What could this person be thinking, feeling, seeing, and what could be his/her motivation, outcome, self-talk?  This NLPer was obviously very adamant about his convictions, and didn’t show any signs of flexibility.  He must have been suffering from amnesia, because he seemed to have forgotten the NLP Presupposition, “The element in any system with the most flexibility will be the controlling element and have the greatest influence” - the Law of Requisite Variety. He was so rigid that our more than two-hour debate didn't even make a dent in expanding his thinking. He would say things like, "I've seen so many so-called 'trained hypnotists' work who couldn't even utilize effective hypnotic language," and "Give me a person with a problem, and I'll solve it without even knowing what the problem is. What hypnotist could do that?" This guy was so wrapped up in himself, that when I sarcastically said, "I really admire your humility," he answered, "Thank you, I'm not the bragging type." Continue Reading

---

"Hypnotherapist" or "Hypnosis Consultant"? The choice is up to you!
© 2006 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

I am often asked about the uses of hypnosis in the corporate sector. So let me tell you what I've experienced. Hypnotherapists who are so attached to the word "hypnotherapist" could find that it may not open too many doors in the corporate arena. There’s been a “buzzword” in the field of hypnosis for a number of years, and that word is “hypnosis consultant”.  It might have stemmed from the New Jersey law that required hypnotherapists who were not licensed as mental health practitioners to change their title to “hypno-technician” and/or “consultant in hypnosis”.  What term you use depends on the laws in your state, and specifically how you want to want represent yourself.  I like terms like “peak performance consultant”, “hypnotic sales consultant” and the above “buzzword”, “hypnosis consultant”.  In my experience, many business people are not looking for actual therapy (they often already have personal shrinks), but rather simply want to gain a winning-edge in the careers.  This is not to say that they don’t need therapy, but if I approached them as a hypnotherapist, they would have looked elsewhere.  The other fringe benefit is that doing hypnotherapy can at times be extremely draining, while hypnotically educating, motivating and programming an individual is often extremely uplifting.  Personally, after doing one of these sessions, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world! Continue Reading

---

Using Music to Enhance Your Hypnotherapy Sessions/Presentations
© 2006 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

The great psychic and healer, Edgar Cayce, stated that "sound" would be "the medicine of the future." In order to see the future, we sometimes have to look to the past. Music, for the ancients, served to create balance, harmony and health, and to alter moods and behavior patterns. Our ancestors knew that everything in the universe is in a state of vibration, and metaphysics teaches us that we are a microcosm of the universe - that we have all energies within us. Every cell in our bodies resonates sound and can respond to any other sounds outside our bodies. Over the years, there has been a continual rise of programs on the market that are going back to the roots, utilizing so-called "primordial sounds," such as heartbeats, water, dolphin clicks and sacred instruments from Tibet and Japan. Also used are the resonances of the electromagnetic vibrational patterns recorded by NASA Voyager I and II space probes as they passed the outer planets of our solar system. When played through loudspeakers, these form haunting three dimensional "soundscapes," resembling our basic primordial sounds. Perhaps there is a basic "Dial Tone of the Universe" in which these sounds play a major role. The ancient Hindus said, "Nada Brahma" - "the fundamental reality is sound."

Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher, conceived of the universe as a vast musical instrument and advanced the theory that all things - animate and inanimate - were constructed upon harmonic patterns. He further showed that it was possible to translate these patterns into groups of notes called "chords," and that specific sequences of sound can actually accelerate our healing energies. In Don Campbell's book, “Music and Miracles," Dr. Donald Epstein, D.C., reminds us that "the origins of chiropractic are tone and vibratory waves in the body. Listening to the breath and voice as spinal adjustments are made gives us insight into the emerging awareness that the body itself is tone." Yes, sound does vibrate in everything, hence it affects everything. You may use music to help your clients to relax, and create positive affirmation-accepting states. With music playing in the background, you might say to your client, "Take a deep breath and close your eyelids down....allow my voice to take you on a journey of relaxation and well-being....as I continue speaking, allow yourself to turn further and further inward...taking that special journey of new discoveries...new understandings...new realities...bringing together your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual energies...allow the things that I say to help create the necessary balance within you...as your inner creative mind allows specific changes to take place... simply because you allow these special changes to take place . . . . . changes that bring you closer to that special magnificence that you know you truly are . . . . . Continue Reading

---

When Ignorance Becomes Enlightenment!
© 2006 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

I didn't expect to have a debate right after Halloween, but I'm always open to an interaction, even when it's with a person of staunch rigidity!

It’s been said that Halloween originated as a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain. Immigrants brought it to North America in the 19th Century.

To this day in much of the Western World, children dress up as ghosts, ghouls, witches, warlocks, vampires, goblins, and more. Why would I bring this up? Well, I do have my reasons, and for some of you, the following might be a bit controversial. It is, however, important that you have a good argument for the use of hypnosis if it's ever attacked by uninformed religious zealots.

Some of you may know that I’m a student of world religions, and I do my best to understand, explore and experience their teachings. During my many trips abroad, I’ve had the privilege and honor of visiting numerous Churches, Mosques, Hindu Temples, Buddhist Temples, etc. And I’ve met so many open-minded people who were actually intrigued by hypnosis and its uses. Well, just the other day I had a debate with a Deacon from a Baptist Church in New York, about the integrity of hypnosis. He claimed that hypnosis was anti-Christian, and the work of the Devil. I said that it was not anti-any religion, not the work of the Devil, and in fact could actually help enhance a person’s connectivity with a Divine Presence. It was all about a person’s “intention”. The Deacon vehemently denied this possibility. Following are a few highlights from what I had said in defense of hypnosis: Continue Reading

---

Effective Uses of Imagery
© 1996 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

I cannot overstate the importance of training your clients to better utilize imagery, especially if you're focusing on sports hypnosis. Although my primary focus is sports in this issue, the techniques can be adapted to virtually any client. Like the question above from Lawrence, I often hear the following questions from participants in my seminars: How can I get my clients involved in imagery itself? What do I do with clients who say that they can’t visualize?

The brain and nervous system deal in mental images. It was Aristotle who said, “The soul . . . never thinks without a picture.” Since we all dream, and in dreams the predominant sense modality is visual, we all are capable and do, in fact, experience visual imagery. It is rare to find a person without this ability. However, as we grow older and rely less and less on fantasy, this ability begins to dissipate. Many people end up having a very limited ability in the visual mode and, hence, feel that they are unable to image.

It should be pointed out to these people that imagery involves all of the sense modalities, and an athlete, who perhaps has trouble seeing an image, may feel it very strongly. The more senses you involve, the greater the impact of the imagery. It is important, however, to understand that the success of imagery procedures is determined not only by the ability to form vivid images but also by the ability to control these images. If the individual can produce vivid images but is unable to control them, he/she cannot fully utilize their effectiveness.

I use the following four basic steps when using visualization and guided imagery exercises with a client:

1. Hypnotic relaxation exercises, since a relaxed mind can produce clearer images;

2. Imagining exercises, letting the images come to the client rather than forcing them to appear;

3. Focusing exercises to help the client sharpen his/her inner vision and awareness and to control these images. These exercises become mental visual ''workouts'' that tune up the mind, clear up inner vision, and help the clients gain mastery and control over their inner images;

4. Body/Sensory awareness exercises, suggestions that the clients see, hear, smell, touch/feel and taste their images. Basically, the client uses all five sense modalities. Continue Reading

---

Use Your Body to Support Your Words!
© 2010 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

In this article, we remind you about the absolute importance of syncing your body language and movements, with your speech.
A lot of people simply fail to understand and appreciate the fact that when they speak, their audience is not only listening to them intently (assuming of course that the speakers are captivating enough to command such attention!), but is in fact making a note of each and every move that they make.

Does it require a scientific background and theoretical knowledge of body language and its nuances? No, it does not. Over time, most of us develop the uncanny knack of gauging what the other person is really trying to say or imply, simply from the body language that the person in question is conveying. It does not require deep or intense understanding of the principle of body language. That said, it would do you as a public speaker, a great deal of good, if you did know about the finer nuances of body language. Just as body language can be gauged by the audience, it can also be manipulated by the speaker. Do not assume that we are alluring towards faking or cheating the audience. Instead, what we are hinting at, is to understand the finer gradations of body language so that you can use it appropriately and effectively towards making maximum impact with your audience.

Make A Note Of Mannerisms That You May Have
When it comes to body language, a lot of us are not even aware of the signals that we give out, or the gesticulations that we make. This is particularly relevant to some of us who have been noted to have some peculiar and rather queer mechanisms. For instance, a lot of people have the rather annoying habit of twiddling with their pens while speaking. Some might constantly play with their hair, while others repeatedly take their glasses on and off.

So are these mannerisms best avoided altogether? Well, not necessarily. If your speech has the intense riveting power that you think (or hope!) it really does, there is every chance that your audience might not even notice these oddities that you sub-consciously allow yourself to indulge in. At the same time, while reminding ourselves of the rather short span of attention that most individuals in contemporary times seem to have, you can be assured that these mannerisms of yours serve as catalysts for the audience’s distraction. For instance, if your speech is getting way too long and the audience is actually getting bored, then there is every chance that it would be on the lookout for faults in your speech delivery; towards this end, your queer mechanisms end up getting noticed and you might just end up being labeled as a poor public speaker. Continue Reading

---

Creating a Manchurian Candidate—Fact of Fiction?
© 2012 George Bien All Rights Reserved
Note: To use this article, you must include George Bien's full name and link to https://georgebien.com

This may well be the most controversial article I have written for Unlimited Human Magazine. However, as professionals, we should not “tip-toe” around controversy.
My wife Elena and I recently interviewed 32 of the top hypnotherapists in the world. My only regret is that, between time constrictions and scheduling issues, we were unable to interview more of the “Giants” in the field. We will be interviewing another 10 or so in New York in the near future. All this for a documentary film on hypnosis, scheduled for release some time in 2013.

From what I heard, a number of the interviewees felt that some of the questions were a bit provocative. Perhaps they felt that hypnosis should only be shown in a positive light, as some of the questions were a bit controversial, and involved certain fears or myths about this modality. Hey, one has to make an interviewee think, and this was an opportunity to allay, or at least clarify, some of these concerns. Here is one of them: “Concerning Sirhan Sirhan, and the Robert F. Kennedy assassination—although, no credible evidence has ever been discovered that would indicate Sirhan’s actions were the product of a hypnotized mind, there are people who believe that there were questions left unanswered. In fact, RFK assassination conspiracy writers are actually supported by two hypnosis experts, Dr. Milton Kline and Dr. Herbert Spiegal. Both agreed that Sirhan was hypnotized. Dr. Kline said, ‘hypno-programming assassins cannot be done consistently, but it CAN be done.’ Dr. Spiegal believed, ‘It is by no means simple, but under the right circumstances it is definitely attainable…….Sirhan, being an outstanding hypnotic subject, was probably programmed through hypnosis to shoot Senator Kennedy and to experience a genuine amnesia of the shooting.’ What is your take on this?” From the expressions on the faces of some of the interviewees, I could tell that they were “caught off guard” by this question.

The interviewees were told that, if they felt uncomfortable with a question, we would simply move on to the next one, and a few displayed an obvious discomfort, and asked that we move on. The answers that we did get indicated that the interviewees felt it was possible only if Sirhan Sirhan already had an innate, inherent capacity to perform such a heinous act. I agree completely. However, let us delve a bit into just how much a person can be influenced. In addition, can in fact, a “Manchurian Candidate” be created, and to what degree?

Some years ago, I was asked for my personal definition of hypnosis, and I came up with this one: “Hypnosis is an escape mechanism, caused by focus or distraction, interest or boredom, joy or sadness. It is this escape into inner self that can create power or debility.” Let’s see to what degree we can capitalize on this.

Let me ask you a question. Would you be willing to walk naked in the streets of New York City, during “rush hour”? Probably not! But, let’s “up the ante”! What if you were offered $1,000? Still, no? How about $10,000? $100,000? What if it meant the life of a loved one? For many people, each offer would probably bring them closer to a willingness of performing that “au natural” display, wouldn’t it? If the “stakes” are high enough, there are very few things people wouldn’t do. Some years ago, my wife and I were watching “Medium”, a popular TV show that ran from 2005 - 2011, about a woman, Alison Dubois (an actual person), who attempts to solve mysteries using her special gift—the dead send her visions of their deaths or other crimes while she sleeps. The show usually begins with one of these dreams, and the dream in this show was about a motivational speaker, so you know that it caught my attention. The speaker was offering money to audience members for their willingness to “make good” on his requests. He would say things like, “$50 to the first person who will show me an American Express Card!” And he would give the money to the first person who responded. “$100 to the first person who gives me $2 in quarters!” he yelled. He kept “upping” the stakes! He then looks at a woman in the audience, and says, “$10,000 if you take off all your clothes!” She says, “No way!” So, he continues to “up the ante”, “$50,000!” She still doesn’t do it! “$100,000, in cash, and you know I’m good for the money!” he yells. At this point, her husband says to her, “Honey, we really need the money!” Yet, she still says, “No!” The speaker then screams out, “One million dollars in cash!” At which point her husband jumps on her and begins ripping off her clothes, and screams, “$1,000 to anyone who helps me!” This got me thinking about six interesting words, “What are you willing to do?”, if the stakes are high enough? For some people it’s money. For others, it’s safety and security. Then, there are some people would do almost anything for “fame”.
There is a show on “Crackle TV” called, “Who Wants to be on a Reality Show”? It highlights some of the most ridiculous, humiliating, and degrading behavior some people will engage in for their 15-minutes of fame. And this degrading behavior is for the world to see, and will haunt them for years! Now, you might be thinking that these people would probably do the same thing after a few drinks. Well, maybe. Then again, maybe not! And there are those people who would “pull all the stops” for an “ideal”—family, “love of country”, etc., and truly, put their very lives on the line! So, here is our first premise: People will do things, often way out of their comfort zones, if the stakes are high enough. Continue Reading

Personal Hypnosis Sessions in New York
Click Here
Personal / Custom Hypnosis CD and MP3
Click Here

Create your "Dynamic Video"!
Click Here

Click Here for George Bien More Articles

---

Resources for the Hypnotist!

Resources for the Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist, Clinician!

---

Back to top

George Answers!

February 2007

Dear George,

“I know that you are both a hypnosis and an NLP trainer. When working with clients do you favor any of the two. If so, which one, and why? This is probably a very elementary question for you, but I'm newly certified and would appreciate your input.”

Thank you for your time.
-Darlene

 

Dear Darlene,

You bring back a lot of memories of when I was first certified. Almost every question I had was probably elementary for a seasoned pro, but the answers were important and eye-opening for me. In those days I met some extremely pompous, self-aggrandizing hypnotherapy trainers, but the majority of the ones I met were very humble and eager to share. William Ward said, "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." I hope that I can rate high in this hierarchy with my answer.

It's been said that all learning begins with the simple phrase, "I don't know". And a person's eagerness to learn contributes greatly to the outcome.

Let’s look at Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and how the process works. Richard Bandler said, “NLP is an attitude and a methodology that leaves behind a trail of techniques.” As you can see, in NLP techniques or patterns are last on the list. Before any technique can really be effective, the NLPer should first create rapport. Without this no technique will work. Within that frame is the “outcome.” Without a specific outcome, there’s no way of telling if the behavior is or isn’t relevant. And within that frame you must consider other outcomes, and if the desired outcome would conflict with other outcomes the client has, and/or the outcomes of important people in his/her life. This is ecology. It’s only then that one utilizes various NLP techniques. This is a wonderful structure to work within, and its effectiveness is self-evident. Continue Reading

---

March 2007

Dear George,

A friend of mine took your “Become a High-Powered Speaker and Trainer” workshop, and told me that you are a composite of some of the top speakers, also some actors, and even comedians, and you display an array of emotions when you present.  I’m told that I’m rather bland in front of a group.  How did you become a person of so many personalities?”

Thanks,
-Andrew

 

Dear Andrew,

Will the real George Bien please stand up!  LOL!  Based on your final question Andrew, I’m guessing that what you said is positive.  So, “Thank you.”  I would just like to add that I sure hope that if anyone sees a lot of personalities in what I do, they realize that it’s not Les Brown, Wayne Dyer, Terry Cole Whittaker, or George Carlin that they’re watching, but George Bien!

We all have multi-personalities.  Have you ever thought about a movie that you’ve seen, and gotten into the role of the leading man or woman?  I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard friends of mine imitate Robert DeNiro’s character Travis Bickle in the 1976 movie “Taxi Driver”, when he’s standing in front of a mirror saying, “You talkin’ to me?  You talkin’ to me?  You talkin’ to me?”  Or imitating Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan in the 1983 film, "Sudden Impact", saying "Go ahead, make my day!" We all go through the imprinting period, the modeling period and the socialization period.  We are all natural modelers, and we integrate what we like about others, and sometimes even what we don't like, into our own personalities.  The difference is in how comfortable we are in expressing the many facets of our personalities.

When I watch a great speaker (not just listen to, but watch) I automatically get into the role of what they might be thinking, feeling, experiencing, etc.  This is also true when I watch a great actor or comedian.  To be congruent, you must be associated to the actual experience, or at least to your perception of the experience.

There are number of reasons why a person might not be as expressive as they’d like to be, and two common ones are: 1) they’re uncomfortable displaying vulnerability in front of others; 2) they could have disconnected from their emotions in general because of the pain often associated with feeling.  Ask yourself if any of these possibilities hit home. Continue Reading

---

November 2006

Dear George,

"I'm a newly Certified Hypnotist, and I'm having difficulty separating myself from my clients. What I mean is I'm trying my best to disconnect emotionally. I was told that my emotions would only interfere with my objectivity, and that I must maintain an emotion-free attitude to maintain that objectivity. What's your take on this?"

-John
PS If you don't want to answer me, it's OK.

 

Dear John,

I'm a bit puzzled by your PS. Even if I didn't use your question in the ezine, why would I not want to answer you? I admit that due to the extraordinary volume of email that I receive, you'd have to be quite patient, and sometimes I do extend the patience of some writers.

Yes, you are correct in saying that as a hypnotist/therapist, you must be as impartial as possible, and maintain consistent objectivity. However, to disconnect from your emotions would make you no more than an automaton. Keep an open mind, avoid being judgmental to the best of your ability, conduct your initial calibrations based on sensory specific detail, then put together a recipe for effective change for the client. But you must bring yourself to this dinner table.

In previous e-zines, I’ve talked about getting out of one's own way. This, of course, is crucial. One does his/her best work when he/she allows the Heart of the Divine Intelligence to work through them. But John, the Divine Intelligence is working through YOU! To shut yourself off emotionally would mean that you wouldn’t feel the core of the Magnificence that would envelope the interactive therapeutic process.

Sometime ago, I did a hypnosis presentation for a wonderful, highly consciously-raised group of people. As is usually the case, people form the group volunteered to come up and have me work with them. It was an absolutely delightful group, yet there was one young lady who said that she couldn’t be hypnotized. My mentor Gil Boyne taught that three things are necessary for successful hypnosis: 1. an excitement of the imagination; 2. mental expectancy; and 3. rapport. This lady’s imagination was hardly excited (even after watching a demonstration with another audience member), and her expectancy was one of total failure to enter hypnosis. She believed this completely. All I had to work with was the rapport. I won’t go into the details of the 20-or-so minutes that I spent with her in front of the group, but the end result was that, not only did she believe that she was hypnotized, we also did some wonderful change work. John, do you think that this would have been possible if I cut myself off from my emotions? If I just went through the gestures of being a staunch professional hypnotherapist who did his best to exclude his feelings and sense of connectivity? Of course not! With all the credentials in the world, I would not have been able to reach this wonderful lady if I didn’t allowed myself to blend, unify, mix, merge, fuse, unite (need I say more) with the experience. Continue Reading

---

October 2006

Dear George,

"I received my hypnotherapy certification a few years ago and work full time as a hypnotherapist. I've developed quite a large clientele and see 20 to 25 clients a week. The sessions last about 2 hours. Now, here's my challenge: When my day off finally comes around, I feel so drained that it's difficult for me even get out of bed. Don't get me wrong, I love my work, and I'm doing a lot better than most of the hypnotherapists in my area, but I'm afraid that I might burn out. What would you suggest? Also, what techniques would you recommend one should use with people who have trouble with imagery."

Thanks in advance,
-Lawrence

 

Dear Lawrence,

Hey, it's only one question per customer. Just kidding!
I'm going to answer your second question first. You used the word "imagery". For a person to have trouble with imagery, he/she would have to be blind, deaf and paralyzed. And even in such an extreme case, they would probably experience some form of imagery. Imagery can be visual, auditory and/or kinesthetic. I believe that you mean "visualization", which is strictly visual.

We all know the old Chinese Proverb that says, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The literal translation actually is: “A picture’s meaning can express ten thousand words”.

Having a strong visual ability is a great asset. There are many therapeutic techniques, like the NLP “Fast Phobia Technique”, that work best visually. People are born with the ability to visualize but some lose a bit or most of that ability over time due to lack of use. Yet what is interesting is that often these same people actually see very well with their eyes closed when they dream quite vividly. My father will tell you that when he closes his eyes, he can’t see anything. Yet when asked to describe a car he previously owned, or a person he knew in his youth, he describes both quite well. His eyes also move up left, which in NLP terminology means that he is accessing visual-remembered information as a normally organized person. He has simply lost touch with an ability that he actually still has. An exercise you can do with your clients is to have them stare at an extremely well-lit object for a few moments (focus a lamp or flashlight on the object). Have them then look away and attempt to reproduce the image in front of them with their eyes open. After this exercise is satisfied, have them attempt to reproduce the image with their eyes closed. Then have them go back and forth - eyes open, then eyes closed - attempting to reproduce the image.

Below is my adaptation of a B. J. Hartman induction that can be used with people who can visualize but need a little help in boosting that ability. It can also be effective as a form of disguised hypnosis with a client who may have some fears about being hypnotized. Bernard James Hartman wrote a wonderful book, “A System of Hypnotherapy” (1980 Burnham Inc. Publisher).

While the client is still in the waking state, say the following: “What I would like you to do is to close your eyes and visualize or imagine some things, and when you do, let me know that you have done so by nodding your head. If you understand what I mean, please nod your head now. Good . . . . . Excellent. I want you to visualize or imagine a house . . . . That’s right . . . . Now, a tree . . . . good, very good. Now I’d like you to imagine a person . . . . That’s right, and now an animal . . . . Good.” After the client imagines each suggested picture, begin chunking it down (types of house; type of tree; type of person; type of animal). Continue this until the client is able to imagine or visualize a number of suggested objects. When the client successfully creates the suggested images, say to the client: “That’s good. Now just keep your eyes closed, and in your mind’s eye, see yourself as you are here, sitting in the recliner (chair, etc.), except for one thing - the image of yourself has his/her eyes open . . . .”

“My comments now will NOT be directed towards you. Rather, they will be directed to image of you in your mind’s eye. I want you to see that image of you with his/her eyes open, staring out into space . . . . . Staring so much that your image of you has a desire to close his/her eyes. Eyes tiring . . . . . oh so heavy . . . . . oh so drowsy . . . . . oh so sleepy . . . . . The image of you just wanting to close those eyes . . . . . feeling so good . . . . . yet so . . . . . . drowsy . . . . . so droopy . . . . . . so sleepy . . . . . . Now, just let me know by nodding your head, when that inner image of you closes his/her eyes. Eyelids . . . . . . so heavy . . . . . . so very heavy . . . . . . . so droopy . . . . . . so sleepy. Good . . . . . . now just go deeper into relaxation.” Gauge your suggestions based on your calibration of the client’s responses. Now let me answer your first question. Continue Reading

---

Dear George,

"Do you ever get hecklers or trouble makers in your talks or seminars? If so, how do you handle them?"

Thanks,
-Michael

 

Dear Michael,

This is certainly a timely question.  I feel blessed that I haven’t had a real trouble-maker or problem person in my seminars for longer than I can remember.  I’ve happily been attracting people of great quality and character.  Yet something happened at the 2007, IACT-IMDHA Miami Conference that was quite the contrary.

I was excited about giving my talk “Celebrating Change”, yet the equipment problems and a disruptive table in the back of the room were enough to dampen any speaker’s sparkle.  The wireless microphone had a popping and buzzing sound, so I had to use a hand-held, wired one, with a short cord no less.  To top this off, a table in the back of the room was getting more attention than my speech, due to the loud conversation of one of the attendees.  Normally, I would have simply walked up to the table and try to win over the talker by engaging in the conversion, but the short mike cable didn’t allow for much mobility.  I tried a “dramatic momentary silence”, but that only opened the door for the person’s louder conversation.  In hopes of disarming the talker, I was about to bring the obviously needed attention to the table by acknowledging its “wonderful celebrity”, when a sudden hush took over the room and the attention was back on my talk.  It was smooth sailing from that moment on, and I enjoyed delivering the message in a passionate and fun way.  I found out the next day that a conference attendee actually walked up to the table (out of my view) and scolded the loud-talking perpetrator.  She said to the loud-talking woman, “We paid to come here and hear George speak.  You are a presenter at this conference.  You should know better!”  Pretty strong words, don’t you agree?  There’s no need to tell you who the “attention-seeking-talker” was.  I’ll just say this, “She must have needed more attention than she was getting!”  How sad.

In this case, I don’t deserve the credit for defusing the disruptive individual.  The talker was put in her place by a conference attendee - an even better scenario.

There are basically four types of people that you will have in a seminar/audience.  Let’s start with the “Emotive”.  As the name implies, these people are emotionally-driven and are usually well-liked.  They’re people-people. They don’t like details. They are process-oriented and enjoy interaction.  They smile and gesture enthusiastically and are fun to be around.  The can see the big picture. They like getting attention. Continue Reading

 

Click Here for More of George's Answers to Questions

---