We've all seen that people can do ridiculous things when hypnotized: squawk like chickens, talk to their shoes or even think they're Disney characters, as our very own Celeste Sepessy found out (see page 28).
But being hypnotized to orgasm, that sounded a little too unbelievable.
That's why SPM set out to interview Tempe's very own self-proclaimed erotic hypnotist Aaron Glotfelter. Glotfelter, 29, is a native Arizonan who started out as a computer programmer, but got into hypnosis after reading books in the library. Glotfelter openly calls himself a pervert, but says what he does for people is therapeutic.
SPM: What exactly is it that you do?
Glotfelter: I hypnotize people to have orgasms.
SPM: OK … but that requires a little explanation. Let's start with how you hypnotize them.
Glotfelter: There are a lot of theories and ideas about how hypnotism actually works. I think it's different for every person. Some people are excited by the idea of being hypnotized and can jump right into the process. Others need to be made comfortable and talked to first, and they need chances to change their mind before they will feel comfortable. One of my challenges as a hypnotist is that I'm also a scientist, so I don't surround the idea with mysticism. I think there's an evolutionary reason that people can be put into a suggestive state.
SPM: How do you find clients? You can't exactly take out an ad -- can you?
Glotfelter: Mostly, clients find me. I've put myself out there enough through public appearances and the Internet that people who are interested can find me. Also, hypnotists attend a lot of conventions, so we get exposure that way, too.
SPM: So, that's the hypnotism part. What about the orgasm part?
Glotfelter: That's complicated, of course. After all, people are complicated. Women are more open to the idea of having an orgasm without sex, because it's already more of an emotional and a spiritual experience for them. With men though, you can change the way they experience an orgasm and make it something that they don't associate with sex as well. It's actually very therapeutic for couples. It can build bridges of understanding between them when they understand how each other orgasm.
SPM: People just have orgasms sitting in front of you with their clothes on?
Glotfelter: It's a lot easier to believe when you've seen it. I mean, when you're there, and you're seeing it happen, that's when you realize it's really possible.
SPM: Are there other erotic hypnotists?
Glotfelter: Yes. We even attend conventions. You'd be surprised how much fun you can have when you get about 60 of us together in one place.
SPM: What's it like to be hypnotized?
Glotfelter: Well, we interact with the physical world through our senses. You can fool your senses into perceiving things that aren't there, and that's basically what hypnotism is. So, being hypnotized is really just perceiving a different reality than the one you were in before. It's different for everyone though, because humans are diverse by nature, or we wouldn't have survived as a species. The range of possibilities is endless.
