Before we even hope to do anything useful with hypnosis, it’s important to go through and explode some of the myths and misconceptions about trance. Contrary to the rumors about Anton Mesmer, Vampire lore, and far too many B-movies, hypnosis is not mind control (and no, I’m not just telling you that to set you at east so I can sneak up behind you and seize control of your mind, bwahahaha).

I can’t stress this enough: before you can learn how to use hypnosis to free yourself of the obstacles you’ve inadvertently placed in your own path, you need to let go of all the myths.

Think of it as clearing your workspace.

And I’m telling you upfront, don’t skip this step. I know, I know, I’m like many of you and I typically start playing with the new toy first and read the instructions only later, but in this case that would be a huge mistake. The point of a pre-talk in hypnosis is to get you ready for what’s coming. It prepares you for what to expect. It lays the groundwork for your unconscious mind to do the work that you want have done.