An Immersive Experience in the Heart of Toronto
Our shared hypnosis sessions are an easy and low-commitment way to experience hypnosis for the first time or to maintain a positive mindset after you’ve been a private client with us. No consultation or treatment plan is necessary: just pick a night, reserve your seat and show up!
Just as yoga classes are good enough for people who don’t need private yoga instruction, shared hypnosis is good enough for the most common concerns we see. This is nothing like group therapy: you will be sharing only your hypnotist, not your feelings or your deepest secrets. You can even invite a friend (or five).
Shown below, our 20-seat space is acoustically treated and isolated from the street, with controlled lighting and reinforced sound. Like a cross between a theatre and a meditation centre, it’s the world’s only permanent venue that’s designed for shared hypnosis experiences: both the environment and your fellow guests are dedicated to this purpose. Please observe that the chairs are oriented toward the hypnotist, not toward the others.
Each of our nightly classes is unique, since they are live and unscripted experiences. We consider them to be an reasonable alternative to private sessions, because the economy of scale gives you access to our practitioner at a fraction of the cost. Like our private sessions, we will show how to view yourself and the world like somebody who received proper guidance earlier in life. Unlike private sessions, shared experiences leave you with the validating impression that you are not alone in your problems. Clarity about what isn’t really you gives you the freedom to identify and live as your most authentic self.
Since we are leading from the front and speaking to the group’s common concerns and shared humanity, there’s no need to share your private thoughts with other participants, unless you really want to. It’s essentially “guided meditation,” but we use the word hypnosis because it’s a more candid description of what’s happening when we give you guidance for your inner world (we’ll leave meditators alone to quietly observe their own thoughts).
The current schedule for shared sessions is below. Click the links below to view a summary of each night’s core message:
| How to Manage Chronic Pain or Illness | Alternating Mondays at 6:30 p.m. |
| How to Be Self-Loving | Alternating Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. |
| Omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”) | Alternating Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. |
| How to Be Self-Motivated | Alternating Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. |
| How to Be Low-Stress | Alternating Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. |
Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the event starts at 6:30 p.m. sharp. We are located at 49 Elm Street, which is located close to SickKids Hospital and Dundas Subway Station. For privacy reasons, we do not livestream sessions online.
Shared hypnosis sessions are free for all members, of any tier. For non-members, each visit is $50 plus HST, with payment at the door.
Shared hypnosis sessions have a maximum capacity of 20 participants and no minimum (the event will proceed even if there is one participant). These are drop-in classes, but reservations are strongly encouraged so that we can plan for your arrival. During the registration process, you will have a chance to share specific requests or concerns.
To self-register, please use this button:
If you encounter any problems with the button above, you can use this link, or call us at 416-556-4068 (ext. 0) and we will register you manually. Online registration closes three hours before the start of an event, so you will have to phone us for last-minute registrations. This online service is only for reserving a seat: payment is at the door.
How Our Shared Hypnosis Sessions Work
Each session begins with your hypnotist briefly explaining what to expect, including an overview of the messages that will be communicated. Then we will take requests for specific messages to include, and these messages will be included if the group reaches a consensus. This ensures that each experience will be personalized based on the input of the participants, even if the basic message is similar.
The formal hypnosis segment lasts around 40 minutes. We will have your eyes open by the 60-minute mark in case you need to leave promptly, but there will be time for questions past the hour.
Please be mindful of other participants. Here are the rules:
- We will start precisely on time. Please plan to arrive five to ten minutes early to take care of payment.
- Masking is optional. If you are showing any signs of illness, we ask that you stay home (we will refund you if you have prepaid).
- If you cannot attend, we ask that you cancel your reservation to free up your seat for another participant.
- Do not wear strong fragrances, and please respect physical distancing.
- If you are prone to snoring, please do your best not to fall asleep (we will gently wake you if you do).
- Please do not bring young children. If you bring your spouse or a friend, they will have to pay for their seat.
- To respect the privacy of other participants, we do not allow recording of the session.
Unlike private sessions, drop-in shared sessions do not follow a specific treatment plan, and each participant will be at a different stage in their journey. Some people will need more visits than others, and you should come as often as you find necessary. Group sessions are not suitable for complex cases or people who are difficult to hypnotize. For private, individualized sessions, please contact our office for a free consultation and treatment plan.
Click here to watch an unedited representation of a shared hypnosis session from January 2023. The first eleven minutes are preamble, and the hypnosis portion starts after that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hypnosis really work in a group setting?
Yes. The issues that we address during shared sessions are societal issues that happen to manifest in various individuals—they are not yours alone. For example, most of us are not so lucky that we were taught the worldview of a self-loving, self-respecting person, and this has to be learned in adulthood. When we have our guests sorted correctly into the right groups, each guest will benefit from hearing the same message, in their own individual way.
To hear us speak about this paradigm in depth, please watch this lecture that Luke gave on May 27, 2023.
What are the pros and cons of shared sessions?
Shared experiences have two main benefits: First, you are left with a strong impression that your problems are not just yours, and are part of the human condition. Second, the economy of scale makes regular visits affordable for the average person, which means that you can complete more sessions at a lower cost.
On the cons side: In any group larger than one, we can only speak to the centre of the Venn diagram that describes everybody’s interests. If you require us to speak to very specific or very personal matters, private sessions are more appropriate.
Can anybody be hypnotized (in a group setting)?
Like most things, responsiveness to hypnosis can be plotted on a bell curve: around 15% of the population will be low in suggestibility, around 15% will respond exceptionally well, and the remainder will just be average. If you are concerned about how well you might respond to hypnosis, our group sessions are an inexpensive way to find out.
Why are shared sessions cheaper than private sessions when it’s the same practitioner who’s speaking from the same mind?
Prices are a function of supply and demand: A single practitioner can only see about 20 clients in a week for one-on-one sessions. In a group setting, he can help 20 clients in a single hour. On top of that, there is much more demand for private sessions, since groups are a new and uncommon service. Until we are selling out the room every night, the price for group sessions will be kept relatively low.
What is your photography and recording policy?
For privacy reasons, we do not allow audio or video recording of the session, nor photography that includes other guests. If you want to take a selfie, please be mindful that you are the only person in the shot, or that you have clear and explicit consent from others who might appear in it.
Do you do private or corporate events?
Yes, we can host events of up to 24 people. Please contact us to describe your needs.
Can I rent your space?
Yes. When it isn’t occupied, we have hourly and daily rates for renting our events room.
Non-Hypnosis Events
In addition to our shared hypnosis nights, we have regular weekly events for our members as well as members of the public:
- Self-hypnosis instruction
- 12-week coaching programs
- Mastermind and practice groups
- Social and networking mixers
- A book club, and more!
For an up-to-date events calendar, please see Vagaro: