An Acorn Does not Worry about How to Grow into an Oak Tree, does it?

This case study has been published on professional journals in Canada and in Australia in Spring 2012.

While I love working with all different types of people, if you ask me any particular type that I love to work with, I’d say: “oh yeah, sure, yes, of course actors”.

Their dramatic characteristic makes them ideal subjects. They love acting, which is essential for hypnosis. They have experience working with different types of helping people such as agents and acting coaches, so they understand the value of my job. And let’s be honest, they are often gorgeous looking people.

Or maybe, I just watched too much of the TV series Necessary Roughness, and got carried away by Dr. Dani Santino, a psychotherapist, or the “hot hypno-chick” as my partner and I like to call her. Who does not love the idea of working with high profile clients? And the good thing about hypnosis, is that I can start anywhere and make professionals high profile.

I guess that is how my subconscious processes set the point of attraction. One day I got a phone call from Cynthia. She’s having an audition in 3 days and wants to make an appointment for her “performance anxiety” as soon as possible.

I realize she has to prepare for the character, so I tell her to prepare as much as she can first and only come to see me the afternoon of the day before.

She comes. I get her to talk about the character Tina first, and what she likes about her. She goes into a light trance by speaking about Tina. Before we start, I tell her we are going to do a mental rehearsal in trance, “so that not only your conscious mind, but also your subconscious mind, in fact, not only your mind, but also your body, your skin, every muscle, every cell, every fiber is going to remember the lines tomorrow. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to remember a thing. Tina will just come out of you the moment you walk into the audition room.” This is compounded and reinforced in trance, “They may call you Cynthia when you walk into the room, but that’s ok. You are good at acting, you can act as if you are Cynthia even though you know you are Tina for as long as you are in the audition room.”

It takes less than two minutes for induction. She’s in somnambulism very soon. I have her relax only deeper and deeper while I tell her this story of an acorn. From germinating, sprouting to growing bigger and bigger, until almighty, the acorn doesn’t seem to worry how it is going to happen, or whether it’s going to grow into an oak tree or something else. During the process of growing, there isn’t much work to do from outside – because you know how to act. Nothing can really stop an acorn from growing into an oak tree, because you know how to act. Given it enough soil, sunlight and nutrition as a whole supporting team, it is natural and inevitable that acorns are growing into a beautiful oak trees (maybe my lovely accent makes it sound like “actress” to her? Maybe it’s just her lovely subconscious willing to think so? I don’t know.).

It takes her a while to open her eyes. Her fingers are not working very well while she writes the cheque. “Is this normal?” She asked. “Oh, absolutely, just like Tina.” She laughs because she knows what I’m referring to. I suggest that she take a little walk in Stanley Park before driving home – “a therapeutic combo” as I always say to my clients.

At the doorway, I act as if I just remember something, “Oh yes, I want to tell you this. It’s not the panel’s job tomorrow to judge you, Cynthia, how well you can act.”

She looks at me, puzzled.

I go on slowly, “So you can set that idea aside. They only have one job, and one interest. It is to find Tina. And YOUR JOB, is to help them find her, because you have this secret. Only you know where they can find her.”

She nods her head, beaming.

The day after the audition, the phone rang, “I don’t know what happened. I was so calm. I connected with them the moment I walked into the audition room. This never happened before… I don’t even know exactly what happened. It’s like everything fell into place by itself… Oh my God, what they told my agency is unbelievable…