My husband quit smoking 18 years ago after attending a Stop Smoking Hypnosis session (he had been a 2-pack-a-day smoker for many years) so when we saw the advertisement in the local paper for a "Weight Loss Hypnosis Seminar" we decided to check it out. I mean, if it worked to inspire him to stop smoking then maybe it could work for weight loss, right? Of course I should note that his Stop Smoking session all those years ago was NOT a Gorayeb seminar.
Well after paying $49.99 each we were told to grab a workbook and sit down. The jovial seminar leader with a thick Jersey accent started off by talking about why we were overweight. No surprises here: We eat junk food, we don't exercise, we don't drink the right kind of hydrating fluids, our blood sugar isn't regulated (it rises and falls and when it crashes we lose energy). He injected a lot of humor as he went through all this, but we weren't hearing anything new. He recommended some dietary supplements, we circled the names in our workbooks, he said go to GNC tomorrow and buy them. But then he had another idea. He happens to know of one product that already has all these supplements in it, (Isotrim). His supply is low but he happens to have some with him tonight, and of course its much cheaper to buy from him tonight than to go on the company's website and pay the shipping and all. Then he conveniently took a break so that people could line up in the back of the room and purchase Isotrim. Neither my husband nor I got in line, but several people did. I did hear one person make a purchase of $560, I don't know if this was a 2,3, 4, or 6 month supply. Costly!
After the break it was time for the actual hypnosis session. The room went dark, relaxation music played, the Jersey accent disappeared completely as he quietly, calmly encouraged us to relax into the hypnotic state. At no time during the 30-minute session did I feel in any way transformed (nor did my husband). I was accutely aware at all time of external noises (cars on the highway outside, doors opening and closing in the hotel hallway, etc.) We were told to mentally repeat some affirmations such as "I will meet my goal weight of XXX lbs.By such-and-such month" (we were supposed to fill in the blanks mentally). We were to imagine a "magic closet" where we had clothing in our current size on down to four sizes smaller, we were to visualize ourselves wearing that smaller size clothing. We were told to focus on a food that we no longer wanted to enjoy and mentally repeat that we no longer liked it or wanted it. Finally we were told we would awaken feeling as refreshed as if we'd just had a full night of relaxing sleep. The lights came up, "hypnosis" was over. He assured us that it was normal if we had remained aware of outside noises and disturbances, that didn't mean we hadn't really been hypnotized! It was 9:15 and I was tired enough to go home and go to bed, didn't feel like I'd just woken from full rest.
Today I still want to drink my Diet Coke and sweets are still appealing. I have to say I got nothing out of this session, but my husband and I are out $100.
This "hypnotherapy" is just a ruse to sell overpriced vitamin supplements. Even though we paid the seminar fee I'm glad we did not fall for the sales pitch and buy the Isotrim and other supplements. I only wish I had looked on this website BEFORE attending the seminar rather than AFTER.
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