Hypnosis for charity and therapy

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32661, 17 July 1971, Page 18

Hypnosis for charity and therapy

charity, and lecturing, allows us to get our message across —that hypnosis can be tre mendously beneficial in over coming bad habits, such a smoking, nail-biting, and bed

“We lose a temnc amount of energy when we hypnotise several persons for entertainment We fast for 12 hours before each performance. Sometimes we mesmerise ourselves, when exhausted after a show 7 , and find ourselves greatly rejuvenated by selfinduced sleep,” said Rayco, a professional hypnotherapist for the last 10 years, in an interview yesday. Rayco, a Christchurch man, said that his proper name could not, for ethical reasons, be disclosed. He said he had “a lot of patients throughout New Zealand,” but when treating them always worked in with their doctors. When discussing himself and his work. Rayco uses the Royal, or editorial, “we.” “We are not allowed to ad-1 vertise, as the medical profession does not recognise us,” he said. “We charge a flat, minimum fee of $3 a consultation—and a consultation may take us an hour (the minimum) up to five hours. Rayco will give two performances in the Civic Theatre next Friday and Saturday. He is sponsored by the New Brighton Jaycee, ail the proceeds from the shows going to the Jaycee foreshore improvement fund and other community projects. "We do not stick pins in hypnotised persons that could cause tremendous psychological damage,” said Rayco. “It is all good, clean fun. The subjects are hypnotised to a level in which they are perfectly aware of what they are doing. They •will do nothing that they would not normally do in public. “Performing in public for

wetting. Hypnotherapy can also be most beneficial in the treatment of asthma and emotional disorders.” Rayco discovered by accident his ability to hypnotise. He was talking to a schoolboy friend—and the schoolboy collapsed in the road. A doctor found the boy unconscious. “Everybody has the ability to hypnotise—but some have more skill at it than others,” said Rayco. “It is like all the arts. You would take 20 minutes to hypnotise a person, whereas we would take us 20 seconds to two minutes. “From 10 to 18 per cent of persons are susceptible to hypnotism. We do tests of mesmerism on the audience at the start of a show to sort out those susceptible to hypnotism.” ; Rayco said he had never ■ hypnotised another hypnotist, . nor had he been hypnotised by . a hypnotist (except by him- . self). He knew of no other . hypnotist in Christchurch. As a result of public performances in Invercargill and Timaru, he had started “hypnotherapy clinics” there, and might start one in Christchurch after his! public performances next - week. f '