HYPNOTISM CLUB OF SAN JOSE CA

Hypnotism Club of San Jose California Social & Scientific Group 1953 Hypnotists International Exposition Board 1953-4 This second group was abandoned to permit Dr. North’s similarly conceived, qualification forum to take the lead in registering and qualifying Hypnotists. There was for a time a thrird group. Therapeutic Social Club Foundation of California Social & Scientific, Group 1954-5 [Modeled after a UK group that also provided helpful materials.] Our modification was to try a group hypnosis as a self help method, It did not seem to take off. Aftert a few tries at several locations around San Jose/Santa Clara, expansion was given up on and the group method became a occasional warming up ritual at the Hypnotism Club meetings. A free or low cost group therapy approach that had a methods and techniques already developed. My other commitments at this time blocked its implementation and it never came into being, It however led to a cooperative effort with Roberta C. ]an extraordinary woman with a background in nursing who had ideas along using hypnosis and group therapy as a approach that could extend her operation of a halfway house of ‘mental health ’ care, by reaching out directly to those who desire supportive help for mental or adjustment problems. She was operating a kind of mental help community of about 12 clients in a old mansion just north of San Jose State campus. It was an experiment with the idea that the clients themselves could be given a missionary like training in reaching persons in need and recruiting them into small groups which would in turn become part of a group therapeutic community for which they with some technical training in therapeutic club type group therapy, would in turn help others. Several classed of leadership and recruiting were actually held. The UK type therapeutic social club protocol was rewritten as to how to handle the meeting events and problems, such as controlling the person who monopolizes the meeting or verbally attacks inside the meetings. Importantly was, how to redirect the one who insists on focusing on unproductive banalities that helps no one. There are certain dynamic interactions that must take place before any advance that can be called therapeutic or even helpful. These dynamics need to take place need and must be encouraged. The ultimate goal would be social communities and therapeutic social clubs coming in to fill the gap in existing system that most of the time appears to deal with aftermath’s of social breakdown or mental illness. It was considered to becoming a religion or church, which was discussed and discarded, These efforts to establish such a forms and practical use of group therapy, included also application of hypnosis, self-hypnosis and was open to many other self help methods, that appeared in those years. This concept perhaps some what grandiose, still waits to happen as a movement. The Hypnotism Club of San Jose CA got off to a creditable start and lasted over several years. This was perhaps do to common interests and the entertainment value and the chance to be on a improvised stage, as the center of the groups supportive attention. Whatever the reasons, it was a play ground for the many wondrous phenomenons to be explored and the platform for divergent opinions was enjoyed and stimulated by the regular and occasional attendees of the Hypnotism Club it supported itself as a club, yet it strikes me as strange today, that it was a circle of friends that seldom became close friends. The group in action often offered ideas seemingly ‘far off the wall’, a fact that may serve as a kind of index of the mind set of those who attended the meetings of the Hypnotism Club in those years. The members, if you can call them that, (no dues, no rules, just show up to hear and see what is going on) would meet at usually at my home with coffee and doughnuts brought by one or another member. More public meetings and demonstration were held at a local down town Savings & Loan Building with free space. but one had to book too far ahead to meet our spontaneous urges to gather, and guest demonstrators who may show up or not. New attendees were sometimes notified, and recruited with ‘Ditto’ process printed flyer's posted at stores and launderettes, and post cards most printed by the now almost forgotten process of typed with an aniline purple ink carbon paper. When a master was laid on a gelatin slab, ink would transfer the absorbed ink to clean sheets of paper pressed on it, a process much used in grade schools before Xerox machines. This process was called ‘Hectograph’, as hecto = optimistically a ‘hundred’ copies, under perfect conditions you could make, usually only 60 readable copies and a new master had to be typed for a readable second run. Today San Jose’s stationary stores no longer stocks, ‘Ditto’ brand carbons, inks or the gelatin slab. Somehow Hypnotism as a subject, attracts many who do not care to be a torch bearer for it. This is one reason why no list of notables or the old mailing lists ( that I know of) survives from those days. ( 2007 is half a century later.) However some description of the attendees personality types or their apparent affiliations or focus of interests will serve to paint a word picture, giving some ideal as to the meeting mood created by those who attended and some clues as to how their very diverse interests found a platform in it. By far the numerically largest part were from San Jose State (now University,) young, bright, the best of psychology 101, including some of their teachers (no one had to give his/her academic connections. Just show up and going along with the fun, thrill or education of it, was all any one expected of you) . Of this college linked group, a interesting part named, possibly by one of there own teachers in the group as ‘the coerced’. This was because they were there, because it was a school assignment to write a first hand report on hypnosis or hypnotic phenomenon. It was noted the athletes [who asked about sports enhancement] [ the coerced group were generally hypnosis resistant to degree found amusing to other participants. Someone suggested it was because athletes were total body centric and not imagination endowed. Nearly all of the group went along with almost ritual invitation to follow along with the demonstrators suggestions and many tests of hypnosis depth that were often run through at a meeting.. Commonly---- Waking suggestion Lid closure Relaxation Sway testing Hand/finger interlock challenge Arm rigidity or arm drop The most suggestible were invited to try to imagine this [---with increasing difficulty levels] Quiet relaxed place-- Clouds form images, as if a---- Remember a dream-- Analyze your dream-- You are going back in time to-- The a volunteer subject or even the whole group, would then be pushed to achieve deeper hypnosis and to follow these image paths. Often the additional conditioning suggestions were–‘deeper and deeper-relaxation, safely-- no harm to you will happen’-- ‘you hear only my voice and will be able to ignore other voices, sounds of others, telephones or other distractions’ Sometimes the experiment was discussed openly before the group as the procedures was about to start, so the entire group and the final subject or subjects knew before hand what to expect and other times only the active demonstrator who may be a guest from outside, or group attendee or myself, knew what was to be explored and what scripts were to be used. We were at times unsure what was authentic and what was playing along. Of the attendees some were mechanics and housewives, preachers and police interrogators, occultists (telepathic and ESP) and yoga mystics and some more or less anonymous participants, usually attending alone, offering no special statement of what their interest or motives might be. Of importance there were the volunteers who were seeking help with a problem or inability to make a desired change. With the 'help seekers', it was usually, that they had a ‘bad’ habit, character flaw or phobia they hoped hypnosis would be able to ‘fix’. Stop smoking and weight loss was often a topic. ( Some actually succeeded in their desire-but not all.) When there were guest demonstrators, the demonstrator was usually described as a prestigious authority with near magical powers and would be asked to use his special hypnotic powers to try do the corrective procedure for this person or that who was attending or sometimes the experienced hypnotist brought his trusted well conditioned subject. (This was important for the suggested anesthesia demonstration, where large needles were plunged through the subjects hand with no pain and little bleeding.) When no demonstrator was present the group sprang to life with a collective enthusiasm to accept any volunteer try for the deepest hypnosis that that person was capable of. This was done with observing results of the multiple depth tests. The group seemed to have a collective intuition and unfailingly knew when to shut off the exploration. Who ever was taking the role a lead hypnotist, was reminded of the Club rule, to ‘undo’ all confusing or suggested ideas not important to carry forward in time some benefit and to suggest that their would be ongoing purposeful changes. "You will feel on awakening feelins of well being and comfort, and feel good about your experiences in the session." This is to avoid any post hypnotic occurrence of unfinished suggestions to appear inappropriately or cause twisted thinking. The members desiring often were given the chance at trying their hand at being the hypnotist, some for the first time The neophyte hypnotist being supported by the groups collective knowledge of procedural suggestions and methods from the sidelines. There were of course certain key figures to this group that provided the force behind what kept it going and who were to be ready to contact hypnosis speakers/demonstrations and call for an assembly of the group to to attend besides myself (Dr. Butler) was the innately charming Ruth R. a nurse and writer of short stories who carried the secretarial burden, and also made the contacts for soliciting the demonstrators in such away they found it painfully hard to decline the invitation. She also performed as the demonstrating hypnotist and on occasion as the subject, always entering the role of a perfect somnambulist, with quality dream analysis of her dreams or the dreams of others. Her skill as the hostess and the interest she took in those with differing human problems was what was behind her skill in managing the disturbed or distressed. She was the primary reason why there were no disturbances or ugly events in the seven years the club was active. In the periphery of the group were some called ‘the Shrinks’ which was because whether or not they actually did any depth psychology or psychoanalysis, it was because they consistently turned to psychoanalysis (Freud and Jung) as their authority for the explanations and case material-which fell outside of their own experience. This was do to their preference for finding a cause, a trauma, a complex, in the subjects childhood or life, as that explaining his symptoms or habits or even any social discontent he may evidence. These were therefore the main ones who preferred to use hypnotic age regression, or suggested dreams as their tools of choice and ‘releasing’ of the content of forgotten traumas in controlled present time as an adult distanced for the old hurts. This more than a few demonstrations included suggesting the reliving of traumas in order to achieve belated emotional release called ‘abreaction of the trauma’ by a sideline member. Such demonstrations are unforgettable and remain forever as reminders of the potential of hypnosis. Most who attended appeared to be informed as to key parts of hypnosis history, and had some knowledge of hypnotic phenomenon. Very few gave other than intelligent contributions in the discussion, which always followed a demonstration. Demonstrations often began with reminders of hypnosis history. For example a demonstration on induction technique would tell of physician James Braid (who gave hypnosis it's scientific name) had started his studies after witnessing in London, a demonstration by a Swiss ‘Magnetist” named Lafountain, and after calling the showman, ‘humbug; to his face. He came home and tied an experiment on his wife by having her fix her gaze on the knob of a tea kettle. And was dumbfounded when his wife showed all the characteristics of being hypnotized. With every new question raised. members frequently offered examples and thoughts from their own experiences, or from past reading of the work of others. It was an ambiance of multiple, sometimes scrambled hypnotism fragments, always somewhat mysterious, provocative, in the end held together by the search for a knowledge just out of reach. The concept, that which the more you learned of the more you became aware of what you don’t know. Some writers important at this period. Leslie Lecron [ Popularized writings, Hypnosis/Self Hypnosis] Milton Erickson [Major influence on technique and therapy uses,] George Estabrooks [ Major influence on technique and therapy.] Lewis Wolberg { influence for physicians medical use and hypnoanalysis] Andrew Salter [ Pavlov like approach] Clark Hull [Prestige Suggestion Experiments]] Ormond McGill [ Master Stage Demonstrator.] Henry Arons [ Showman, Practical Use Applications.] And many others from the historic period. The historic periods phenomena was related to: Mesmer (Animal Magnetism. ) Charcot ( Artificial Hysteria. ) Braid ( Nerve exhaustion caused form of sleep.) Bernhiem ( Suggestions Compounded ) Freud & Breuer ( Hypnosis Therapy with and without trance. Abreaction. ) --------------------------------------- Also discussed was and demonstrated the appearance of new recording methods, motion pictures, phonograph records, wire and tape recordings. All being reported as being used for trance induction, and on the spot recording of the hypnosis and therapy sessions. Some early recordings were used to playing back for therapeutic benefit in the non-trance state with the material uncovered in the trance and for which amnesia existed. One of our doctor members had, a then new, wire recorder system installed in his consultation room. I as well bought a 1953-4, model Recordio Brand 45 RPM disc recording unit with which one could cut these disks for home use. They were recorded by myself and some by Ruth R. These were custom made for a specific person and the content was based on a concept of reinforcing suggestions made for the specific problem.. These wax recordings had only a 50 times play life, which was adequate in most case., By the time of the quality decay a new recording could be made with appropriate script changes. Very few ever had a second record made, One case however had four remakes with scripts modified each time. Also interesting at this time was a demonstrated by a sales person, a friend of a member, who was selling a sleep learning machine. It was portrayed as way to educated you in selected subjects, languages etc. by a pillow speaker playing, of any educational text required to be learned while you sleep. The sales material was impressive, allegedly you would learn the subject incrementally faster and retained it longer following your day time study because you had sleep learned it some less than conscious level. As far as I know the sales person made no sales with our somewhat unorthodox group. ==================