There is a comedy series out of the UK called "Little Britain" in which a stereotype seedy stage hypnotist character uses hypnosis in his everyday life to further his own ends. Things like getting out of parking tickets, convincing his girlfriend to order a cheese sandwhich instead of an expensive meal when they are out on a date, that sort of thing.

It's funny because at heart we all have this fantasy of being able to control other people.

The truth is that all of this and more is definitely possible using hypnosis, its just that the setting has to be right.

Dr Milton Erickson, deferred to as the father of modern medical hypnosis, was reknowned for his practical jokes on colleagues and could hypnotise clients and friends with a hand shake alone.

This is the same as stage hypnosis where a click of the entertainer's fingers puts the victims back to sleep.

I have seen people literally walk across burning coals, undergo surgery without anaesthetic, recount in minute detail actions occurring in other places, and overcome a host of illnesses.

The truth is that through hypnosis we can easily access a person's subconscious mind, the place where beliefs and operating systems are stored.

The bad news is for those of you with control fantasies that if people don't trust you there is no way they are handing over their brain's operating manual to you.

Perhaps you might like to try this simple hypnosis induction technique with someone who trusts you.

The key to successfully hypnotising someone is to link events occurring to you and your suggestions, as and before they occur.

Initially establish rapport, create a goal for the session (maybe they would like to have wonderful dreams tonight).

Ask them if they can remember going off in to a trance at any point in their lives, talk about those past school days when the afternoon sun was coming through the window and the clock was moving slowly and the lesson was about math or history or economics (I just drifted off myself there for a second).

Then get them to extend their hand with clenched fist holding a coin, talk about the feelings you know they will be feeling extending their arm such as fatigue, trembling, warmth, etc.

Link those sensations to you talking about them then lead and say as they get warm they will notice their hand starts to tremble a little and they will breathe in and feel it opening like watching a flower in the warm sun and know that when it does open they can watch the coin fall deeply into a lovely time of trance.

Then wait as long for as long as it takes to happen.

This sounds a bit spacey but is a tried and tested professional hypnotic induction script that pretty much guarantees trance creation attached to your suggestion.

Life is too short to be consumed by fear, doubt, ill health, poverty and the like.

The more you can learn about the incredible power latent within you the better.