Day 176: Scott Lewis
“I think the thing that surprised me, though, was realizing how valid hypnosis is; how many medical research studies have proven the efficacy for so many things, and I’ve been able to use the performance aspect to show people what’s possible …”
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Toni Reece: Thank you so much, Scott, for agreeing to be part of the Project today, and before we begin, can you please introduce yourself?
Scott Lewis: Sure, Toni. My name is Scott Lewis. I have been a chiropractic physician for the past 22 years. I’m also a clinical hypnotherapist, and I’m based out of Las Vegas.
Toni: Well thank you, and Scott, when you think about the word inspiration, who do you think you inspire, and how does that happen?
Scott: Well, people I like to inspire, I use … obviously, I use hypnosis a lot, so I work with people that want to lose weight or quit smoking or make other changes in their life, and basically just by tapping into the power of the mind, the power of intention, and inspiring them to make these changes.
Toni: How does that happen? You said you use hypnosis to do that; can you help us understand how hypnosis can be inspiring, and how it inspires others? How does that work?
Scott: Sure, and that’s a great question. The example I always like to use is most people have had the experience themselves, or they know somebody that’s wanted to lose weight for an upcoming event — whether it’s a wedding or a high school reunion — and up until that point they are able to lose the weight because they are constantly visualizing how they’re going to look, how they’re going to feel, the compliments they are going to hear.
But once the event passes, they tend to put the weight back on, and it’s just … what hypnosis does is it just gets in the forefront of your mind whatever compelling reason you have for wanting to make these changes, and it locks it in. So even after a specific event passes, you can still do the things … you’re still inspired to make the changes that you need to.
Toni: How does that work that you do, or just what you do even personally, how do you help other people explore their potential?
Scott: Basically, I really believe that to be inspired and to explore your potential you have to know what you want. You have to be … it has to be something compelling for them. Usually when I work with people, I will interview them and really just get to the point of what really excites them, what do they want to accomplish, what changes do they want to make.
And then through hypnosis, it goes to a deeper level, and I can reinforce this exciting, compelling future they have through the hypnotic process. And hypnosis, too, there’s a lot of mystique and mystery about it, but it’s a natural experience we all experience several times a day — reading a book, watching a movie, daydreaming — it’s just focus and concentration.
Toni: What a great way to define for those of us who don’t know what hypnosis is, what it is, and so really that’s how you would define it – it’s focus and concentration.
Scott: Yeah, you know, I do the stage show, and I’ll make people into like Brittany Spears or Michael Jackson, and it looks … people have a different perception; but yeah, really all it is is focus and concentration. You could be watching a movie and you get involved in the movie, and you forget you’re in a theatre with other people. But if someone were to yell “Fire,” your attention would be broken from the movie and you’d be able to attend to what’s going on.
The same with hypnosis. It’s focus and concentration, but yet you still have a peripheral awareness of what’s going on. The reason it is so impactful, though, because you are focused, you are concentrating, and you can feel emotions like you would with a movie. It can be very, very inspirational.
Toni: And then just like … does it work the same way … would I be inspired by your work if I’m watching, let’s say, something that’s compelling and I’m in that moment — I guess that’s also part of it, you’re in that moment – so it’s whatever I’m taking on board at that moment is how you can then guide someone or help them uncover what’s blocking them or blocking their potential. Is that sort of how that works?
Scott: Exactly, yeah. You know, I tend to use just very positive, compelling futures for people, and just working through them with them to find really what it is. And then, yeah, when you’re focused and concentrated, you can also do physical gestures that link that experience, that emotion, with a physical gesture that you can use at any time during the day just to remind yourself of this exciting, compelling future that you have.
Toni: That’s very interesting. So Scott, when you think about inspiration for yourself, what do you need to be inspired?
Scott: Well, obviously, I use a lot of self-hypnosis. I’m a big fan of entertainment. I’m a big fan of … I do a lot of reading and just … I’m always looking for ideas. I’m a Pisces, so I guess that works perfect for the dreamer, but for me it’s a complete visualization process. And when I see something that inspires me, I incorporate that into my own self-hypnosis, and I imagine myself accomplishing what I want to. I’m constantly doing that.
Toni: The Get Inspired! Project has really become this dialogue about purpose and passion, and it wasn’t intentional, but it’s been really interesting how this is flushing out. And so with what you’re doing now, did you always know that this was going to be your purpose, or was this, you know, an evolution that’s happened with you, or was there a moment in time that you went “You know what, that works and that’s what I’m going to do and teach others?”
Scott: Wow, that’s a great question. You know, yeah, when I was a … actually the performance aspect was something that was always part of me, and when I was a kid I wanted to be a magician. And when I was in college, I saw my first hypnosis show, and that had just such an impact, and I knew that that was something that I wanted to do.
I think the thing that surprised me, though, was realizing how valid hypnosis is; how many medical research studies have proven the efficacy for so many things, and I’ve been able to use the performance aspect to show people what’s possible, and then help them in their personal and business lives with that.
Toni: So it was really watching it for you, and then putting it into practice.
Scott: Exactly. It was an evolution, but I was entranced by the performance aspect and then just pleasantly surprised how valid and what you can do to help others by using this power.
Toni: And would you say that that is … that you have found your purpose?
Scott: Yeah. One hundred percent. Truthfully, I enjoy it much more than … I don’t practice chiropractic much anymore. I enjoy performing, and I enjoy helping people use hypnosis to accomplish what’s important in their lives.
Toni: Wow. Now, how do you continuously explore your own potential?
Scott: You know, it may sound kind of corny, but when I’m working with people and when I’m on stage performing, I’m constantly … that’s constantly motivating me to achieve more, and it’s constantly giving me ideas. Every time I perform, someone will come up to me after a show and ask me if, you know, if I can help them with anxiety problems or a number of different things, and that’s what inspires me is just helping people as much as I can with the expertise I’ve gained by working with people and using hypnosis.
Toni: So your potential expands with the learning that you derive from everybody that you work with, but are there tools or techniques or methodologies that you tend to reach for as well to explore your potential?
Scott: Putting myself in the company of people that are doing really fantastic things. I go to a lot of seminars, and I’m constantly just trying to learn and incorporate a number of techniques that are presented there, and just constantly just being out and interacting with people. As far as specific techniques, I use the self-hypnosis a lot. I do a lot of writing, a lot of journaling — that helps me brainstorm ideas – and certainly a lot of visualization.
Toni: How would you connect what you need to be inspired as well as learning what you use to explore your own potential, how would you connect that then back to what you do for others? Is there a connection?
Scott: Well, I’m living with … I’m doing with myself what I do with the people that I work with, and it’s interesting. First, when I wanted to have my show on the Strip, I never thought that was possible until I actually really focused and saw that in my mind, that visualization. When that happened, I created having my own show. My second show ever, I was at one of the major hotels in Las Vegas, so for me, really the primary tool is just having this strong, compelling reason and just being able to visualize that, and that’s what I teach to other people. Hypnosis actually is a very simple process.
Toni: And for those who are listening, what is your show in Vegas?
Scott: Oh, I’m at the Riviera Hotel, and it’s my comedy hypnosis show.
Toni: Oh, okay, well thank you for that. Well, I’ll tell you, it’s been really interesting to hear the correlation between not only what you do by, you know, using the techniques that you do to help draw out other people’s potential, but also what you need. And that doesn’t always come through with the interviews, but for you it did, and it’s really something – there’s a great quote, “We teach what we need to learn.” It sounds like that’s what you do as well.
Scott: Oh, constantly. I like how you put that. Constantly learning. Nothing to me is more fascinating than working with other people and seeing them at this state.
Toni: That’s fantastic. Well thank you so much, Scott, for sharing this with us, and we will put a way to get a hold of you at the bottom of the interview; and good luck with your show and your practice, and thanks for joining us today.
Scott: Oh, thank you, Toni. It was a pleasure.
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For more information about Scott Lewis: www.freehypnosisprogram.com, www.myhypnosisdoctor.com
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