🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1992Dec12.125615.5196@eng.umd.edu> georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark) writes:
>A man named M. Michaluk, now deceased, used to hold free smoking-
>cessation clinics each Wednesday night at his Institute of Applied
>Natural Sciences (IANS). His success made him a local celebrity, and
>he appeared on all the local radio and TV talk shows. To schedule
>an appointment, you had to book two months in advance, since he was
>so popular.

Did he train a successor, George?  Is there anyone else who now
continues his methods?

It is also neat that Mr. Michaluk was so committed to helping people
stop smoking that he was willing to do that for no compensation.
*That's* really altruistic.

>I know three smokers, including myself, who quit cold turkey
>without withdrawal after attending one of these sessions. I had
>been smoking maybe two packs per day.

That's great...and dramatic!

[Some deleted]

>In a dimly lit room, the session began by our staring at a rotating
>spiral projected on to a big wall. Then Dr. Michaluk asked us to
>imagine ourselves in a variety of business and social situations,
>where smokers often smoke. Someone would offer us a cigarette, and we
>imagined ourselves saying, "No thank you. I don't smoke."

Can you give us any more details on the procedures he used?  Do
you have any further information about the specific *ways* he got
the group to visualize the appropriate images?  Were there other
post-hypnotic suggestions he made that might've been powerful
interventions, too?

[some personally convincing statement deleted]

>The amazing thing is that I went from two packs per day to being a
>non-smoker. There was no withdrawal at all. This happened in 1976,
>and I haven't smoked a single cigarette since.

That's GREAT!  Congratulations.

>I recommend group hypnosis over individual sessions because in a
>group you can remain anonymous, which is helpful if you are timid
>about others observing you while suggestions are in progress.

If the individual's needs and wants are unique from the other members
of the group, how would group hypnosis work?  And, I'm wondering,
did Mr. Michaluk observe you (along with 29 others), or did he
only have a specific pattern of induction he used, irrespective
of the group?  In other words, I wonder if he could've done the
same thing with a drapery hanging between him and the group of
subjects?
-- 
--Friday                               "There is in true beauty, as in
   Carol Anne Ogdin, Principal Designer     courage, something which narrow
   Deep Woods Technology                    souls cannot dare to admire."
     friday@netcom.com                            --William Congreve 

friday@netcom.com (Carol Anne Ogdin) writes:

>In <1992Dec12.125615.5196@eng.umd.edu> georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark) writes:

>>In a dimly lit room, the session began by our staring at a rotating
>>spiral projected on to a big wall. Then Dr. Michaluk asked us to
>>imagine ourselves in a variety of business and social situations,
>>where smokers often smoke. Someone would offer us a cigarette, and we
>>imagined ourselves saying, "No thank you. I don't smoke."

>Can you give us any more details on the procedures he used?  Do
>you have any further information about the specific *ways* he got
>the group to visualize the appropriate images?  Were there other
>post-hypnotic suggestions he made that might've been powerful
>interventions, too?

You know, it sounds like the guy was using kinesthetic 'images' --
imagining yourself in a situation and how you would react and
suchlike.  That would certainly explain why it would work well for
George, given my suspicion that he's a kinesthetic person.

>>I recommend group hypnosis over individual sessions because in a
>>group you can remain anonymous, which is helpful if you are timid
>>about others observing you while suggestions are in progress.

I actually had trouble in group hypnosis classes for the same reason
-- feeling self-conscious about the other people and were they
watching me and was I doing as well as they were and suchlike.  Your
mileage may vary.

In article <1992Dec12.173351.19050@netcom.com> friday@netcom.com (Carol Anne Ogdin) writes:

>Did he train a successor, George?  Is there anyone else who now
>continues his methods?

He was a consultant to the Georgetown University Medical School. He had
a few disciples floating around after his death from old age, but I no
longer recall their names.



>Can you give us any more details on the procedures he used?  Do
>you have any further information about the specific *ways* he got
>the group to visualize the appropriate images?  Were there other
>post-hypnotic suggestions he made that might've been powerful
>interventions, too?
>
Sixteen years have past, so I remember very little. I did purchase
several of his cassettes, which I still own, and I can tell you that
listening to an audio cassette is not as effective as being there in
person. The personal interaction is important. 



>If the individual's needs and wants are unique from the other members
>of the group, how would group hypnosis work?  And, I'm wondering,
>did Mr. Michaluk observe you (along with 29 others), or did he
>only have a specific pattern of induction he used, irrespective
>of the group?

My eyes were closed most of the time. I knew he was observing me,
though, because I heard his voice move to different areas of the
room, so nobody felt isolated.
B
A
>In other words, I wonder if he could've done the
>same thing with a drapery hanging between him and the group of
>subjects?

I doubt it. The relation was one of leader and follower, or teacher and
student. Had there been a physical barrior, the influence would have
been reduced to that of a pre-recorded cassette tape.

      This is amazing! I have 2 students who want me to use hypno
sis to get them to quit smoking. I'm inclined to be interested,
though my facilities at school aren't perfect, & I'd prefer to
work through an integrated program, of which hypnosis is just a
part.
      I think that when kids come to you with problems, it's
usually another, especially when they opt for a 'quick fix'. I'm
a firm believer in hypnosis, but not solo.
       Regards
                            Ian

Hello there!

I saw this newsgroup in the "new area" and it piqued my interest.   

SOrry for the waste of bandwidth, but could the Keeper of the FAQ please
e-mail it to me?

Thanks!

Peter Thomas

-- 
"I'll lose my beard when they shave it from my cold, dead face!"

Quote from the Razor's Anonymous Handbook