From another forum – felt the overwhelming need to blog it. Must be the work of the Devil! 
Another Mistress said:
I don’t think it’s morally correct to fuck with someone’s head. Simple as that.
Slide said:
Yet isn’t the many-faceted dynamic of BDSM based pretty much entirely around the art of glorious headfuckery? The trance state is not at all removed from the suggestible daze that we human beings wander around in all the time, and I think that any setting of a scene in a BDSM session, Pro or not, involves a level of light hypnosis by both parties, even if they’re both entirely unaware that they’re doing so. To create any sort of atmosphere between consenting parties in a session, a level of compliance and self-delusion is required to make it feel *real*. Consciously using hypnosis in the session is not too far separated from this, just intensifying what’s already there.
A Master said:
I’ve been watching this thread over the last couple of days with a fair bit of interest and it’s really interesting to see the variety in responses.
The media perpetrated stereotype of being taken into a subconscious mind state, having a seisure, your nose bleeding and having things pulled out of your subconscious which will destroy your life is frankly, ridiculous in the context of what is being discussed. It’s actually pretty damn ridiculous full stop, but hey – it makes a good scene in a film!
The idea that training is needed before you do these things is also wrong. As Susannah showed in one of her wonderfully knowledgeable posts based on clear experience, an intense connection can be there instantly and for some people these methods are more common sense than ‘dark magic’. When you understand how the brain really works, you can learn how to explore it to greater physical and emotional effect.
Although Kimberleys point which reiterated my last post questioning whether it’s “morally correct to make someone do something they normally wouldn’t do” is spot on, I think you’ll find that the techniques and reactions people imagine are employed and achieved with these ‘hypnosis tapes’ are very different from the reality. Phrases like hypnosis and NLP are being demonised as they are misunderstood, miscategorised and misrepresented by ignorance and the confusion for many of hundreds of other psychological techniques.
I find many people fear psychoanalytical methods and showmanship as they don’t understand it and feel intimidated by the fact that they suddenly feel like an open book with little to no insight of how, or why it works. That is why it works will within the context of D/s.
In terms of that psychoanalytical showmanship I’m personally a great fan of Derren Brown. To quote him: “I am often dishonest in my techniques, but always honest about my dishonesty. As I say in each show, ‘I mix magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship”
He is upright and moral in his stage acts and goes out of his way to disrepute those who prey on the innocent.
He studied Law and German at Bristol University and has no formal mentalism training.
Paul Mckenna on the other hand; the stage hypnotist and ‘self help expert’ who uses ‘NLP’ to “change your life in 7 days”, trained alongside the creator of NLP; Richard Bandler.
He bought a degree from LaSalle University for just over $2000 and eventually earned a business PhD here in the UK.
Now, I’m not going to speculate here on his character but just because someone has training, doesn’t, in my opinion necessarily make them moral.
Regards
Slide said:
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I also highly recommend this book. There are so many common misconceptions about hypnosis, suggestibility, and the perceived otherworldliness of the trance state, and this book explains the whole thing perfectly.