Book Report: The Power of Hypnosis by Hans Holzer -- Hypnosis discussion and Some How-to

The Power of Hypnosis, How Mind-to-Mind Communication Works (c)1973 by Hans Holzer

Background Information: Hans Holzer, a tireless researcher of the paranormal, is the author of over 100 books on various aspects of the paranormal, and has been the inspiration for a number of TV shows about the paranormal. He often worked with well known spirit mediums, including Sybil Leek, who was quite popular in the 1960s. Most recently, his work with various mediums and haunted houses, has been revisited by the 2019 TV show, The Holzer Files (fittingly, 13 years after his death).
You can read more about Holzer on the web and here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Holzer

This book, The Power of Hypnosis, is a fairly slim volume of under 100 pages. 

As a hypnotist, I have to say I found parts of the book a little bit silly. I'm not sure if he's playing to the public fear of hypnosis, or whether he just had an antiquated view on the irresistible power of hypnosis. (old time psychologists feared that hypnosis had the power to easily control and even harm the unwary. This was probably based on Freud's belief that the subconscious mind was a kind of wild animal that the conscious mind was always fighting to keep under control, and hypnosis might allow that wild animal to slip the leash). So the book opens warning the public of "involuntary" hypnosis in the form of advertising, and you should constantly examine yourself for covert influences (to buy more oatmeal, perhaps?).

He recommends hypnosis for pain control and to help with mediumistic trances, especially to remove residual spirits after the seance, and gener4ally for therapeutic purposes, but not for past-life regressions or other psychic phenomena. (about a third of the way into the book, he finally admits hypnosis isn't really dangerous when done correctly). 

There is  fair bit of discussion of how to apply hypnosis and for what. He describes his own method of hypnotizing people, which is a simple, authoritarian narrative induction (he tells a story that puts people to sleep). He distinguishes three levels of trance depth with the second and third suitable for suggestions.Before discussing other, non-hypnotic phenomena, like reincarnation, Deja Vu and "time slips" where someone physically slips into another time and place! 

The chapter on Emotional Hypnosis is actually fairly interesting, in that he describes how emotional states can access the subconscious to dissociate the consciousness and facilitate trance, and how various practices like tribal drums, incense and even Frank Sinatra's singing can lead to a dissociative trance. 

BTW, despite the subtitle, "mind-to-mind communication" isn't mentioned until the last few pages of the book, and then only to say that hypnotic suggestions must bev persuasive to be effective. 

Worth mentioning is his chapter on "Silent Hypnosis" where he discusses how the eyes can project a beam of energy particles that can influence another person's mind directly! Ah, if only it were true! I presume he got this from some olde tyme mesmerists. He suggests experimenting with it by projecting commands silently with your eyes to get others to do things. 

Overall, this is a fun book about psychic phenomena. The approach to hypnosis is limited and antiquated, but his observations on the power of emotional suggestions as well as his extensive knowledge of practices around the world are thought provoking.