Stuart Taylor Hypnotherapy

The Art of Suggestion

All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
Edgar Allan Poe

The study of clinical hypnosis and the changes that can be made through positive suggestion began for me when I was a young boy and saw a street magician performing his variation on the classic ‘3 card monte’ - a confidence game involving two cards of the same value and a picture card. The participant is encouraged to place his bet on where the chosen card is after all three have been openly mixed by the performer. This particular version however wasn’t played for money and the magician ended his performance with the queen transforming into an ace. I watched his performance over and over and was quite simply mesmerised.

From that moment on I was hooked and spent every available moment reading about and practicing this new hobby. Just like any other would-be conjuror I soon discovered that it is not the trick that gains the applause but the presentation. A good magician knows how to encourage their audience to work with him, to bypass their critical faculties and simply allow themselves to enjoy the show. The true secret of the magician is therefore not the mirrors, the smoke or the misdirection; it is the power of suggestion.

As I studied more about the art and history of conjuring I found myself learning about the psychology of illusion and the deeper concepts behind hypnosis and how it harnesses suggestion. I began reading about the workings of the human mind and the clinical application of hypnosis. I was fascinated to discover how hypnotherapy can help people overcome psychological behavioural problems by literally re-thinking thought patterns for themselves.

Making the most of Psychology & Illusion

A new form of magical presentation termed ‘Psychological Illusion’ crosses traditional conjuring skills with clinical techniques such as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and hypnosis to perform ‘modern miracles for the mind’. This blend of misdirection utilises a modern understanding of the mind with some good old fashioned suggestion and is becoming increasingly popular as it entertains and enthrals modern audiences.

As a magician I have performed in many locations: on stage, in bars and restaurants, in the street – even on the radio (!) and I always enjoy the responses and sense of wonder that illusion can provide.

In my clinical practice I like to promote each clients’ creative expression to reinforce their personal belief that an outcome can be attained. It’s a simple reality but the more enthusiasm we can generate for a personal goal the greater the success. Re-setting personal beliefs about our ability and focusing on our personal goals can create amazing changes – it’s perfectly natural and doesn’t involve any magic but it sometimes seems to work and feel that way.

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool to help overcome a wide range of psychological concerns and behavioural problems and in my clinical work I am privileged to be able to help people along their path to personal success and delighted that my extended, practical understanding of the link between psychology, perception and illusion means that my lifelong love of conjuring can play a part in such a positive purpose - of course, when a client comes to me for hypnotherapy I don’t show them a magic trick but all those years of studying the finer points of magical techniques and observational illusion have taught me that what we tell ourselves and what we allow ourselves to believe really can make all the difference.

We don’t need a magic wand, a top hat or any props to learn about the power of the mind; we just need to understand how we can begin to use our powers of positive thought.

Having said that, if anyone ever wandered into the clinic asking for a magic trick I expect I could be persuaded!

Stuart Taylor DHP. HPD.