Pros and Cons

• State requirements to practice hypnosis by Tony L. Floda, MEd, CPC, 8/6/98
  
  

Hi Tony and thanks. I was speaking with some of the representatives of the Florida Board for Profession Regulation a couple of days ago and I learned that they are hoping and still trying to tighten the rules more and eliminate the loopholes in the practice law. For one thing, the 10 hour minimum needed to (to which the 40 hours are added) for Qualified Practitioners under 491 licensees has been changed. The rule is now calling for 50 hours - period. In other words, they are getting tighter slowly. To my way of thinking, most people (including professionals) don't want to work to improve their craft. Most people want to go to a 3 day workshop and be prepared to zoom into the public arena. This is true for many many things in our world today. Consider not just hypnosis but therapy in general. In martial arts - to acquire just a brown belt in Karate one can earn this in just a few months -- in Aikido or any true Budo it takes a minimum of 2.5 to 3 years at least to earn only that low rank. So, which art has the most participants Karate or Aikido? You guessed it - Karate. In amateur radio one can get a CB license with a stamped envelope, but for a HAM Novice, Technician, General, or Expert class license it takes passing tests on theory and code skill and practice. Same story as in martial arts. And the same is true for learning a musical instrument, meditation, cooking, sewing, painting, pottery, engineering, singing, etc., the same applies. And unfortunately, the profit motive economy happily provides prepackaged foods, karaoke and pre-progammed instruments, paint by number pictures, prescription pills and other drugs, and so on.

Could everyone achieve some of those pursuits in time? I don't believe that the explanation is correct that encourages us (is this encouragement?) to think "some people aren't that talented or that smart." I just don’t believe that. People are very smart and very capable. True, there are only a few VERY smart folks like Buckminster Fuller, Bateson, Hawking, Newton, Marie Curie, etc., the rest of us, for the most part are all about equally capable but don't apply that capability and develop it. We don't make the time and take the time. Most people don’t embrace a higher purpose and find it. Yes, everyone can achieve SOME of those pursuits in time. But most people don’t chose to achieve ANY of those pursuits ever. They don’t think they can, they don’t think it is important, they don’t see how to do so, they have excuses, and we all let each other get away with selling ourselves short.

So.....back to the point....I don't think States can legislate in such a manner that they awaken the higher purpose in each of us. But I do think it is wise for them to attempt to set a low watermark and say, "look, if you haven't awakened to at least this much of a higher purpose (study, application, training, development, etc.) go away. Let's hold up an achievable standard and say "some sort of work and effort is a part of the improvement of humankind, we want to cherish that, uphold that loftier part of our history, and sanction that. Let’s select people who are willing/wanting to move in harmony with that." Otherwise, we reduce ourselves to our lowest common denominator and not higher one.

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