Here he was with a PhD in psychology and a medical degree less the medical internship and residencies from a top university augmenting his university salary by working the summer sales meeting circuit as the entertainment event. He rationalized that the money wasnât bad, he got to visit high end resort locations that he probably couldnât afford and there was at least a modicum of research value.
He was a hypnotist and a damned good one. There was science to what he did; it was far more than cheap parlor tricks or chicanery. After the first few gigs heâd become far less of an academic and more the showman. Thatâs what audiences expected; they wanted to be entertained.
Heâd explain the science---briefly---at the beginning of the show. Heâd ask for volunteers and have them sit in a semi-circle on stage. He had an evaluative routine he had developed to weed out those who simply couldnât be hypnotized. That part always bored the audience to tears but it was a necessary component. Thereâd always be a couple of jokers who, desirous of attention, would attempt to fake it and pretend to be susceptible. Heâd gotten very good at weeding them out too.
He always tried to explain the facts: (1) not everyone can be hypnotized; (2) no one can be hypnotized who doesnât want to be; (3) under hypnosis no one can be compelled to do something they donât want to do or something which violates their ingrained moral code; (4) under hypnosis, ones true character is impossible to hide; (5) the ability to be easily hypnotized is not a weakness---far from it---it can enable a person to efficiently control their own life and actions and (6) those who are susceptible and are successfully hypnotized become more susceptible with each additional episode in the future.
Tonight had been a good night. A tall, well assembled, strikingly pretty blond who didnât think she could sing stood up at the mike and sang a popular country song as if sheâd studied singing for years. A young manager who had the look and moves of a weasel acted like the money grubbing, greedy, sneaky rodent he really was on the inside. Most of the people in the audience probably werenât very surprised at his behavior---they just got to see it unmasked in all of its glory on stage.
Another woman, some sort of relatively senior manager with, he was certain, a reputation for being no nonsense and humorless entertained the crowd for several minutes with a series of sharply executed and borderline bawdy jokes. One guy got up and did a very respectable tap dance routine. Another reverted to toddler talk.
By the end of the show many in the audience were convinced that it was far more than a stage trick. He would always be invited to join the group at the bar; as those who had been successfully âput underâ swore up and down that they had no been faking, the skeptics fell by the wayside. Most who had been hypnotized had only hazy recollections of what they had done.
The very pretty girl whose singing prowess would have put Tammy or Loretta to shame had been one of the most susceptible subjects he had ever encountered. He was pleased when she sought him out at one of the many free bars. He was pretty certain that her response to post hypnotic suggestion would be profound.
Using his knowledge and gift inappropriately was not his shtick. It was a gift, for no matter how much you studied hypnosis, not everyone could âmake it happenâ. He was a good looking guy who usually had no problem finding attractive bed companions. Taking advantage of someone by lowering their inhibitions through hypnosis was immoral, unethical and just plain wrong.
He was pretty sure that he could bed down this sweetheart based on his own merits but fooling around at one of these meetings with the participants had a way of coming back to bite you in the ass. She pulled out a cigarette from a green box in her purse. He struck a match from a book conveniently placed at the back of the bar and lit it for her.
âDo you enjoy smoking or do you want to quit?â
âEnjoyâŚand want to quit. Actually, there are about four or five cigs a day that I genuinely enjoy. Certainly I find the one after a meal, the first one of the day and the one afterâŚother activities very pleasant. The problem is, I canât stop there and end up smoking a couple of packs a day---or more---out of habit. It kills my endurance---my wind.â
âOkayâŚletâs see. A little bit of a challenge since as susceptible as I believe you are to post hypnotic suggestion, getting you to quit would be very easy. Iâve done it hundreds of times. Getting you to the point wherein you only smoke the cigarettes you really enjoy is a bit more challenging. Do you want to try?â
âDo you work out of a clinic somewhere? I donât recall where you said you were from butâŚâ
âNo, thatâs not what I had in mind and no, Iâm essentially a college professor and researcher, not a clinician with a storefront. If you want to try, we can do it here.â
âIs this where you invite me back to your room for a private session?â She said with some combination of flirtation and taunting skepticism.
âWell, admittedly there are a lot of distractions here which we can work through but it probably wonât work if someone walks up and interrupts us during the process.â
âHow long would it take?â
âWith you, probably not more than a couple of minutes. I noticed a bank of reasonably roomy phone booths off the lobby. I doubt that anyone is using them right now as the liquor is beginning to flow. They have glass doors so your virtue would not be at risk.â
âOkayâŚwhat the heck? Why not?â
In a couple of minutes the two of them were sequestered in what was not quite as roomy a phone booth for two as he had anticipated. He could feel the warmth of her well appointed young body. Her feminine essence invaded his senses. His cock stirred; thanks to his extensive training and experience he was able to stop the trend and free his mind of carnal thoughts.
Thanks to her previous hypnotic state during the stage show it took less than half a minute to put her in a suggestive state. It took another three or four minutes to lay the foundation for the rather specific post hypnotic suggestion. When he brought her back to reality, she spoke.
âSo, how long is this going to take again?â
âWeâre done.â
âYouâre kidding me! I donât remember anything.â
âLetâs go back to the bar, put your box of Shermans⢠in front of you and see how itâs working.â
Half an hour later, the adorable blond with the picture perfect figure had not reached for a cigarette once.
âYouâre not consciously trying to resist reaching for a smoke, are you?â
âNo, not at all.â
âOkay, letâs try something.â he said, taking one of her premium smokes and lighting up.
âYou smoke? I would think youâd be able toâŚâ
âSelf hypnosis? Sure. Itâs actually easier than hypnotizing someone else. I can teach you that technique. Iâm like you; I enjoy four or five smokes in a day but donât smoke them every day. At that level the risk factors are virtually zero. Most habitual smokers really crave a cigarette when some nearby lights up. How about you?â
âNope. But youâre right. Normally as soon as you lit up Iâd be reaching for one.â