Hypnotist keeps audience under spell

Many Highlands County residents may know Jon Spiegel from the Carousel of Lights Christmas display on the Sebring Circle, or perhaps he or his cronies has scared you during the Halloween Terror Trail he puts together with the Highlands County Humane Society.

While it's common to see him out and about at the events he organizes and produces, Spiegel has a less well-known career-that of a professional hypnotist.

The entertainer with piercing blue eyes has been helping people tap into their subconscious for 20 years and currently performs hypnosis as both entertainment and therapy.

He does a lot of shows for high schools, which requires him to keep up with the latest teenage trends.

"My show is very fast-paced. I use a lot of music and I update the song list every two months. I have them text or make phone calls while under hypnosis," said Spiegel.

Eighty percent of this longtime Sebring resident's shows are done in Florida for private groups, graduations and fairs (although not the Highlands County Fair).

With that many shows, he's bound to have some interesting stories.

"I was doing a show four or five years ago at a Project Graduation," he recalled with a hint of a smile. "The show ended, and I was packing up my sound equipment when one of the chaperones came in and asked if I would look at one of the volunteers. They thought he was still in hypnosis."

The person was not under hypnosis but for some reason had hung onto one of the suggestions, that he had won a million dollars.

"He was becoming irate because they didn't have a million dollars to give him. He was inviting all of his friends to the Outback," Spiegel remembered. Spiegel quickly put the volunteer back under hypnosis and removed the suggestion.

The entertainer recalled another event at a high school where those he had hypnotized thought they were in the finals of the television show, "So You Think You Can Dance."

One of the teenagers did a complete back flip onstage. Spiegel later remarked to him about the stunt and asked him if he was a gymnast.

The teen was bewildered. "'What are you talking about?'" Spiegel recalled being asked.

Despite these stories, those under hypnosis are not in any danger, Spiegel assured.

"It's a consent state. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. The hypnotist serves as a guide, an instructor in how to go into this trance state of mind."

Spiegel compared hypnotism to sleepwalking, another state in which individuals are highly open to suggestion. He described hypnotism as being a level deeper than day-to-day trance-like states such as daydreaming or "zoning out." What is more, some people are more "suggestable" than others.

As far as not remembering anything you did while under hypnosis, Spiegel said that amnesia is typical, and he actually uses it during his shows to prolong the "magic."

"I end my show by removing all suggestions and triggers; then I suggest that they won't remember everything right away, but will remember it five minutes later. It keeps the show going even after the show ends."

Spiegel also dispelled some myths about hypnosis. A person does not lose control while in the trance nor will he or she do just anything the hypnotist says.

"Not everybody will take every suggestion," he said. "If they are not comfortable dancing, they'll reject that suggestion. Some guys won't put on the lipstick and wigs for the beauty pageant (portion of the show). They just won't do it."

While Spiegel does not perform any regular entertainment shows within Highlands County, he does work out of his office with clients who are struggling to quit tobacco, lose weight or overcome phobias.

Spiegel usually performs this type of therapeutic hypnosis during two sessions, and sends clients home with his 20-minute CD for reinforcement.

"With smoking, the first week they see a 30-50 percent reduction. That brings them back with a great attitude for the second visit," said Spiegel. After the second session, most will have eliminated the behaviour, Spiegel added.

Hypnosis is not 100 percent and some clients require follow-up, "but my success rate is pretty high because I do a lot of screening," Spiegel added.

The key to success: the person needs to really want to quit, and not be doing it grudgingly, for example, because of doctor's orders.

As far as weight loss, Spiegel said, "You are going to get results from one session-about 10-20 pounds. For a lot of people, that can happen." Weight loss patients are also screened and take home a CD.

Why does therapeutic hypnosis work when sheer willpower doesn't?

"Willpower is part of the conscious mind, that's why it doesn't work very well," said Spiegel. "The reasons people smoke, the reasons they overeat . . . they are in the subconscious. The subconscious is a recording device. It doesn't care what it records, but once it records it, it's automatic. For example, 'smoking relaxes me.' That becomes their reality. We go in and we simply disconnect the association between what they're doing and that emotion."

Spiegel can be contacted at 385-5181.