Amy Marsh, Sexologist & Hypnotist

Category: Hypnosis-Erotic

Erotic and recreational uses of hypnosis

  • Why I Teach Erotic Hypnosis, But Don’t Do it With Clients

    Over the years I’ve gotten many requests from people who want me to hypnotize them for entertainment and fantasy purposes. But I just don’t do that! It would–frankly–violate my professional ethics as a certified sexuality counselor and certified hypnotist. In my dual professions, I must not engage sexually with clients (or students!). Doing a fantasy hypnosis session for a client, where the intention is to cause sexual arousal, would violate that principle.

    There are plenty of people who do provide fantasy hypnosis for a price however, and sometimes I wish I could be one of those folks. It would certainly be more lucrative…but I can’t. I would risk everything I’ve worked so hard for since 2009.

    I am not sure that all of the many people who have asked me for this over the years understand.

    But what I can do, is teach people to experience erotic hypnosis with each other, or to learn erotic self-hypnosis! And I truly love teaching this topic! From 2-6 hour group workshops to private couple’s classes, it’s absolutely one of my favorite ways to engage with people seeking more excitement and depth in their sex lives. The mind is the biggest sex organ, right? And what better way to stimulate the mind than with hypnosis?

    I’m teaching two introductory classes online, in April. If you’re interested in erotic hypnosis, this is a great way for you to start with it. You can attend these classes solo or with partners. See the Pleasure and Intimacy Page to pay tuition and enroll. You must do this in advance in order to attend.

    In May, I’ll be teaching Intermediate Erotic Hypnosis to those who have taken the introductory course. Stay tuned for those links, coming soon!

    Examples of How I’ve Taught Erotic Hypnosis classes in the past

    I’ve also appeared on blogs and in articles about erotic hypnosis, and written more than a few articles myself. You’re in good hands if you come to me as a teacher!

    Act now so you can get into one of my upcoming workshops, why don’t you?

  • Have a Hypnotic Valentine! (With My Book!)

    Have a Hypnotic Valentine! (With My Book!)

    So many reasons to get this book before Feb. 14! Give it someone you love!

  • Announcing Entrancing: Hypnotizing Your Way to More Pleasure, Romance, and Sex!

    Announcing Entrancing: Hypnotizing Your Way to More Pleasure, Romance, and Sex!

    Relaxing, affectionate, bonding, romantic, erotic: this book contains a full spectrum of suggestions and techniques for a natural, relationship-centric use of recreational hypnosis for fun and pleasure.

    Here’s what one of my colleagues had to say, after reading an advance copy:

    “No other sexologist is more qualified or, more impressively, as informative, supportive, and downright entertaining than Amy R. Marsh, Ed.D. to explain why hypnosis can be so effective at gaining greater insights into your sexuality, deepening emotional connections with a partner, reducing stress and anxiety, and open yourself up to infinite erotic possibilities.

    Entrancing: Hypnotizing Your Way to More Pleasure, Romance, and Sex! is amusing, enlightening, and educational in all the right ways – which I enthusiastically recommend to anyone interested in erotic hypnosis or merely looking for an exceptionally well-written, thought-provoking, and sexually-enlightened book.”

    –M.Christian, sex educator, erotica author, and sextech journalist

    In Paperback and Kindle eBook formats!

    I hope you enjoy reading and using the book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

    ☽☆☾

  • Sensuality–The Missing Ingredient

    Sensuality–The Missing Ingredient

    These days, in television and movies, “hot sex” (usually the cis-het variety) is always a face chewing kiss, absolutely no foreplay, a bang against the wall (or on a table), one hot thrust into an immediately lubricated orifice, a few more moans and thrusts, and then it’s over–both partners presumably satisfied and spent. The scripts always call for the female actors to orgasm in the time it takes to open a can of catfood. And no make-up was harmed in the filming of this sex scene. 

    Of course I realize that filmic treatment of sex–whether in mainstream entertainment or commercial porn–has very little resemblence to most incidents of real-life human sexual behavior, but I’ve long suspected that many other people don’t understand this and that they model their behavior and their ideals on this impossible scenario. They are also deprived of the message that taking time to inhabit their own sensuality and that of their partner offers greater opportunities for enjoyment.

    Common sense about cis-female and cis-male physiology and sexual responses aside (most cis-women do NOT orgasm at warp speed unless it’s with a vibrator on or near their clit, and no, lifting a partner up against a wall is not the most comfortable way to have vaginal penetrative sex…)–I find myself saddened about the lack of attention to sensuality as a key ingredient of embodiment and satisfying sex (of all kinds, not just PV penetration).

    It’s not that lust isn’t a great element of human sex, it’s just that it’s not the only element as the media would have us believe. And we have to understand that the greatest kindlings of lust arise from a history of desire and longing based on glances, flirtations, brief touch, fantasy, words, visual cues, and so on. It might be a brief history for some, but if you’re in touch with your sensuality, the match of lust struck to the kindling of sensuality sparks the brightest flame.

    Without sensuality, lust becomes boring–“Wham, bam. Here’s the false eyelash you dropped. Where’s a tissue? Thank you ma’am.” Meh.

    Many people are alive only from the neck up, with an occasional hyper-focus on their genitals. They’re missing the dream-like “erotic trance” of caress, kiss, suck, sigh, glide, smooth, rest, press, hold, grip, move, fuck, kiss, caress, climax, suck, sigh, hold, melt” with time out for a sip of water or wine (“never tasted so good!”) and a bite of fruit (“tell me again about the ripe peaches you picked…”). All the suspense that preceeded the first touch or kiss, all the desire-heightening gestures that are given the dreary name of “foreplay,” and the melting sensation of the afterglow (aptly named)–these are essential elements that so many miss and that most media never shows.

    Fractal_Sunny_flower3_5600x4200

    Sensual starvation is no fun. It’s half a life, unlived. But a sensual diet is easy to adopt. Revel in music, the movement of your own body as it walks or dances, and the utter dropping away of tension when you relax. Feel your own skin, enjoy how your thigh feels against your hand. Enjoy how your lover’s thigh feels against your groin. Inhale, smell, breathe. Let rain drop on your eyelids. Let sun warm your limbs. Pull the orgasm into the rest of your body. Imagine your eyelashes cumming.

    You can do it. And hey–looks like I’ve just written the start of another erotic hypnosis script. That’s one great addition to a sensual diet, but that’s also another blog post.

    Enjoy to the utmost what there is to enjoy in your day. Cultivate your pleasures, both large and small.

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  • Erotic Hypnosis Podcast Interview with Dr. Nazanin Moali

    Erotic Hypnosis Podcast Interview with Dr. Nazanin Moali

    So happy this interview has just been published on line. I had a great time talking with Dr. Moali! Give a listen!

    http://www.sexologypodcast.com/2018/03/06/erotic-hypnosis-with-dr-amy-marsh/

    Dr. Moali has interviewed dozens of super-interesting people. Please check out her list of topics and guests!

    And here are more media links about my work with erotic hypnosis as a sexual and romantic enrichment technique.

    Jeremy Glass describes his experience in Thrillist (and no, his brain wasn’t really “fried.”) This was in 2014, so one hopes he is now sufficiently recovered.

    The intrepid Krissy Eliot describes her experience as “The Big Bang” in the Bay Area Reporter (2015). Really, I’m flattered!

    Another podcast interview with Dr. Martha Tara Lee in Singapore (2015).

    My friend, the late Dr. David Pittle, interviewed me a few years ago on his podcast series, Joyful Authentic Living. Scroll down for the session with me. We touch on erotic hypnosis. He interviewed many other excellent people as well. I really miss David. Until last week, I had no idea he’d passed in December 2017.

    One of my old BlogTalkRadio episodes for Love’s Outer Limits, giving information about my survey of erotic hypnotists.

    And here are the links to my two Carnal Nation columns on this topic (below), written in 2010.

    Part One.

    Part Two.

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  • Romantic and Erotic Hypnosis

    Romantic and Erotic Hypnosis

    March 6, 2018 Update: Give a listen to this recent podcast interview with Dr. Nazanin Moali. I got to talk about one of my favorite topics – erotic hypnosis! (P.S. Dr. Moali has interviewed quite a number of really interesting people in her Sexology podcast series. Check it out!)

    I celebrated this past Valentine’s Day by offering a class in Romantic Hypnosis at a local senior center. I’m new in the area, and so I wasn’t upset when only three people showed up. It was a fine class anyway. Romantic hypnosis has a lot to offer people who are aging and/or dealing with physical mobility issues, as it’s a great way to bond and enjoy yourself even when “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

    So what is romantic hypnosis, anyway? It’s really very simple. In fact, it’s as simple as this:

    Affectionate and Romantic Words + Relaxation = Relationship Magic.

    And here’s how you do it. You can start by using a hypnosis script (there’s a sample below).

    Step 1: Ask your sweetheart to close his/her/zir eyes and to relax, breathe deeply, comfortably, and so on. Ask your beloved to listen to your voice, letting everything else fade away. This begins to create the slowing down of brainwaves that we call “trance.” Neither of you should worry about the depth of the trance. In fact, your partner can even “pretend” to be hypnotized and this can work beautifully to actually create the slower brainwaves!

    Step 2: Say good things. Tell your partner how much you love and appreciate him/her/zir. If you think you’ll be at a loss for words, write something down ahead of time. Or you can always find an appropriate poem or read a romantic passage from a book, telling your sweetheart to imagine that the passage is about them.

    Make sure you are speaking slowly, in a relaxed, calm way. Pause to breathe. Let your voice reflect your emotions.

    Step 3: Take about 5-10 minutes total, and then switch. Then notice how this simple exercise has amplified the sweetness of your connection.

    Here’s a sample script from the workshop. Its purpose is to emphasize comfort, emotional safety, closeness, bonding, being present with partner, and to affirm feelings of affection and love, attraction, sexiness, etc. It’s also great to reduce stress before sex and improve emotional confidence. (Note: don’t read the instructions that are capitalized, in brackets.)

    Script: “Closer”

    [INDUCTION – REPEAT 2 OR 3 TIMES]

    Take a deep breath in…hold…exhale slowly, and close your eyes. As you relax and breathe, allow your body to loosen up and feel a gentle, warm glow melting into your body. When you are ready, take another deep breath in… hold it at the top…and feel the tension leave your body and all the warmth streaming in. Once more, a deep breath in, hold, and as you exhale, bring your attention to the feeling in your eyelids, the relaxation of your eyelids as they are closed so gently down, flowing through your entire body, warming, soothing, relaxing… From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, relaxed, peaceful, comfortable…

    Bring your attention again to the feeling of your eyelids, feel how they are so relaxed they just won’t want to move, and then go ahead and give them a check, and then stop testing, and just let yourself melt again into the feeling of soothing, relaxing warmth.

    [DEEPENING]

    Every part of you is filling with a very slow ebb and flow of glowing, relaxing warmth. It is flowing into your cells, and nerves, muscles, bones, and every organ, filling every part of you, even the parts that feel cold or tense. That warmth is just melting away any tension in your body or mind, melting any resistance. You feel so relaxed, so relaxed…

    As I count now from 5 down to 1, you’ll be letting yourself go even more deeply into this warmth, relaxing twice as deep, or maybe even ten times as deep with each number.

    5… this warm glow is taking hold, soothing you and relaxing you, twice as deep
    4…it’s almost like a warm sun or star inside yourself, glowing with just the right amount of warmth, reaching your toes, your fingertips, every part of you, inside and out, letting you go twice as deep
    3…knowing that you can retain this warmth, glowing inside of you, knowing you can relax, twice as deep
    2…you may even be so warm and toasty that you begin to radiate like a heater, glowing and warming and glowing and warming six or even twelve inches outside your body, allowing for complete relaxation, twice as deep
    1…feeling so good, so comfortable, so relaxed, so comfortably warm.

    [CREATE A HYPNOTIC “SANCTUARY”]

    In this wonderful, deep hypnotic rest, I’d like you to now imagine go to a beautiful sanctuary of your own choice, a place of healing, power, and peace. Imagine yourself resting in this beautiful spot, feeling and sensing everything around you – the air on your skin, the sounds, smells, and colors. Imagine yourself resting in this spot and focusing only on the sound of my voice. Take my voice, my words, deeply into your mind and your imagination. Let these words drop into your heart and melt into the warmth that you are already feeling in your body. Let your subconscious mind enjoy these words, and all the feelings of love and affection they convey.

    [NOW: SHOWER WORDS OF LOVE, PRAISE, AFFIRMATIONS, ETC. OR READ THAT LOVE POEM. MAKE SURE ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE EGO-STRENGTHENING AND KIND.]

    Thank you for listening to these words so beautifully, and I feel gratitude for being able to say them to you while you are in this restful, peaceful state.

    [EMERGENCE]

    Now I’m counting you up from 1 to 5.
    Completing the integration of words of love with your subconscious.
    Beginning to allow yourself to come up out of trance, easily and gently.
    Eyes still closed, but bringing your awareness back into the room.
    Wiggling fingers and toes, stretching, feeling relaxed and refreshed.
    Eyes open, feeling good!

    [END]

    There, it’s really that easy. And please do try this at home! And don’t forget to take turns! If you like it, this is only the beginning of an erotic hypnosis adventure you can enjoy together.

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  • Catching My Breath After Catalyst Con West

    Catching My Breath After Catalyst Con West

    speaker3

    I came (well, not literally, unfortunately). I saw. I presented. Yes, it went well.

    Erotic hypnosis workshops taught by Dr. Amy Marsh
    Erotic hypnosis workshops taught by Dr. Amy Marsh

    But you know, I wish I had attended the entire conference. I arrived on Saturday morning, a day after the festivities had started, and never did lose my “new-girl-at-school-trying-to-catch up-and-fit-in” feeling. But with all the urgent confusion in my personal life (divorce finalizing, home sale coming up…), I didn’t feel I could be away more than a night. Plus, I’ve got some chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivity issues that require a certain amount of pacing.

    Still, I wish now that I’d gone for a couple more days – attended a pre-conference workshop on Thursday (so I could bond with a few strangers) as well as Friday’s opening plenary, networking events, and so on. It would have given me time to adjust, meet and talk with people, and relax!

    CatalystCon West was a rich mixture, and there were too many good workshops to see. There were always at least two in each time slot that beckoned to me. Hard to choose! My favorite presentations were from Anna Randall & Richard Sprott (Black and Blues: When Bruises Become Bruised Feelings), Robin Wilson-Beattie & Bethany Stevens (Toys for a Sex-Abled Life), and Alex Morgan & Monique Darling (Yes, All Genders…). Carol Queen & Shar Rednour were erudite and amusing (Writing Sex & Pleasure…) and Samantha Manewitz was also very good on the topic of abuse in kink communities (Breaking Silence…).

    My Sunday morning presentation, Hot & Hypnotic – Five Ways Erotic Hypnosis Can Rock Your Sex Life, was a lot of fun. I felt very well taken care of by the conference assistants and tech support. I also had a brief chance to say hello to Dee Dennis, whom I’d never met before. And then my room filled with mostly unknown faces and I was off and running. I truly love talking about hypnosis and sex! I like to work the floor, move, and enjoy myself when I present. People seemed to mostly enjoy what I did, though a couple of ropes enthusiasts challenged me on my caution about mixing hypnosis and actual bondage (a caution mostly for newbies, I admit – and mostly founded on trust issues). I also did a group hypnosis script on consent, which people also seemed to appreciate.

    Tweets comments for my presentation hashtag #cconhot included “excellent presentation” (from @TantrikaVanessa) and an exhuberant “2 min power pose!” with a happy face (from @MissHelena007). Others tweeted about certain aspects of content – myths and benefits (@car_ireland), using hypnosis without realizing it (@Desire_Guru), and so on. @car_ireland and @MissHelena007 tweeted that they felt “excited” and @MissHelena007 kindly said I brought “a wealth of knowledge and experience to the party.” I am very grateful to these lovely people who took the time to say a few words about my workshop on Twitter!

    After my presentation, energizing as it was, I felt in need of something restorative: a nap, or a shower, a cup of cocoa, or something! But I’d had to check out of my room early that morning, due to the timing of my workshop, so there was no place to go and recover. Alas!

    After attending a couple more workshops, I was exhausted and socially saturated by the time Sunday afternoon’s grand finale rolled around (Tea with Joanni Blank). I’d had some great meals with colleagues, some nice interactions in passing, and now I was ready for home. I decided to leave without saying good-byes, and just get myself over to the Bob Hope Airport so I could collapse into an uncomfortable airport chair for an hour before take off.

    I was at the airport for several extra, unexpected hours due to the horrible fires in Lake County, which had caused flight delays and cancellations throughout California. While in my little sex conference bubble, I was unaware of what was happening in Northern CA.

    Immediately upon my return I was unexpectedly plunged into a friend’s local political campaign, designing his website, Facebook page, and so on. It’s consumed the last week and a half of my life, even in the midst of divorce and home sale details. Today is the first day I’ve had a chance to reflect on my experiences at CatalystCon West.

    Would I do it again? Probably – but only on the West Coast. I’m less and less inclined to travel at all, unless it’s to Hawai’i!

  • Another OMTimes Podcast with Dr. Martha Tara Lee – August 20th

    Another OMTimes Podcast with Dr. Martha Tara Lee – August 20th

    You can find the show here. Listen in at 1 PM PSDT or 4 PM EST. Thanks!

    Erotic hypnosis workshops taught by Dr. Amy Marsh
    Erotic hypnosis workshops taught by Dr. Amy Marsh

  • “I Don’t Get Out Much” – But I’ll Be at These Fall Conferences

    “I Don’t Get Out Much” – But I’ll Be at These Fall Conferences

    Erotic hypnosis workshops taught by Dr. Amy Marsh
    Erotic hypnosis workshops taught by Dr. Amy Marsh

    I’m excited to be presenting at CatalystCon West this year. My topic: Hot and Hypnotic – Five Ways Erotic Hypnosis Can Rock Your Sex Life.  (Sept. 11-13, Burbank, CA). My Twitter hashtag for this event is #cconhot. 

    I’ve also been asked to present at the third annual Western Erotic Hypnosis Unconference, (Oct. 8-12 in Belmont, CA) but this is not yet confirmed. Part of the delay in confirmation apparently has to do with my request that the conference add “please be considerate and refrain from using fragrances” language to their awareness, website, etc.

    (CatalystCon already has “fragrance-free” as a standing policy for their entire conference! Why is this important? See this link to the late Julia Kendall’s list of the most common toxic chemicals found in scented products. )

  • Journalist gets his “brain fried” with erotic hypnosis and lives to write the tale.

    Journalist gets his “brain fried” with erotic hypnosis and lives to write the tale.

     

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    Jeremy Glass seems to be a pleasant fellow and he’s a journalist besides. A few months ago he contacted me about having an erotic hypnosis session so he could write about it for a well-known website for fashionable twenty-somethings. The well-known website didn’t publish it, but he just rewrote the article for another site and now you can find it here.

    Now, I didn’t actually do what I’d call an erotic hypnosis session with him. I don’t know him that well (in fact, I didn’t know him at all), so I provided what I’d call a sexual confidence building session, the kind I’d actually do for clients. And I’m amused by his account of his experience in his article. He says he was “brain fried” but I think what actually happened was a gentle buzz. But “brain fried” certainly makes a nice headline, and it also reminds me of eggs, which is unfortunate, as I’ve been on a liquid diet the last few days and I’m so very hungry…

    But I digress.

    However, I would like to make a teensy correction to his article. Actually, sometimes people CAN “jizz on command” in hypnosis (as Glass says) but I don’t think it’s something you can usually get to happen right away with a stranger. Ditto with non-jizzing orgasms. I sure wasn’t going to try it with someone I didn’t know, over Skype, for a lark – not even with a journalist. Just not my thing, if you know what I mean.

    Now eggs, I could get into those! Even with someone I didn’t know.

    But I digress. (With butter. Yum…)

    Egg256

     

    Other than that, I’m happy to have the publicity.

    So then I guess I should mention that in October I’ll be doing two more Erotic Hypnosis workshops in Berkeley. Please join me. They are reasonably priced. And fun.

    And in November I’ll be on the “Think Kink” program of the Society of Janus, talking about my survey of erotic hypnotists. The SOJ event will be held November 12 at the Center for Sex and Culture, 1349 Mission St, SF (btw 9 &10th St).

    And did I mention eggs? Yeah, I guess I did…

    (Fried egg by BozzyandJin, 2013, Creative Commons. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egg256.png)