We enter trance-like states more often than we’d believe. Falling asleep, waking up, conversing with others and scrolling through our phones are all forms of trance, according to NYC hypnotist Joel Elfman.

When coming across the word “hypnotism” one is likely to imagine a cloaked sorcerous figure swaying a swinging clock in front of their eyes, chanting, “You are in deep sleep,” as movies and entertainment have conditioned us to envision. Modern hypnotism is not quite as mystifying, but it can indeed be life changing. Hypnotist Joel Elfman uses his hypnotism skills to incite positive change in people’s lives. He can help modify habits and beliefs, and create confidence and relaxation for many people. The therapeutic technique of hypnotism has the power to “find or tune into people’s passions and purpose,” says Elfman.

Twenty years ago, Elfman wanted to make some changes in his life.

He had no idea how he was going to do it, until he had stumbled upon a newspaper in New York City advertising classes for hypnosis. Interested in science fiction and the power of the mind, this class changed Elfman’s life and prompted him to start a hypnotherapy career of his own. He had spent 100 hours of training through Neuro Linguistic Programming, a forty-year old method combining communication, personal development and psychotherapy. “What we are doing is based in science,” he told me.

“Basic rules of neuroscience show how the brain operates. When two or more sets of neurons (brain cells) fire together, they wire together. So a major requirement is intensity or repetition.”

Elfman went on to explain that the brain’s wiring could be altered through an intense and repeated stimulus. Thus, people have difficulty in their lives because of specific circumstances triggering their brain. “For example, imagine a young kid watching parents having a huge fight. The child cannot be afraid of the parents, because they are the child’s caregivers. In that moment of the fight, a friendly dog comes in, where the child connects that fear to the dog, and ends up having a phobia of dogs for the rest of their life.” Elfman looks at those moments in time and ties it differently to their life situation to help clients overcome their struggles.

Joel Elfman treats and helps cure a variety of mental, physical and spiritual issues.

Some common ones are helping clients quit smoking or overcoming alcoholism. He has helped clients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, teeth grinding, gaining confidence before an interview, and he has also treated cancer patients. He has gained success in helping clients overcome phobias, hoarding habits and even “itches they cannot seem to get rid of”. However, for medical or physical problems, he ensures the client consults a physician before treating them.

Joel Elfman is a unique hypnotist, in that he is a former massage therapist. His massage therapy background enables him to utilize his skills to physically relax clients who have trouble relaxing, which allows them to more easily enter a trance state. His sessions last an hour, which is longer than the typical 45 minute sessions provided by most hypnotists, and he includes an initial two package deal. The number of sessions depend on each individual, but Elfman generally finds success even after the first one. “Each person is unique, having different experiences and different triggers,” says Elfman.