10 Questions with David Snyder

by Ryan Meehan and Matthew Lovecraft

As a world recognized expert in the field of Hypnotic Communication and Rapid Transformation Skills, David Snyder has authored more than fifteen different programs on how to use hypnotic techniques for Self-Improvement healing, persuasion, and influence. At the Action Chiropractic and Wellness Clinic in Solana Beach, California, David specializes in helping people rapidly overcome severe physical, emotional and behavioral problems using a powerful synthesis of the proven healing modalities. David has personally trained and worked with many members of the law enforcement, entertainment, martial arts and hypnosis communities, teaching advanced mind/body techniques for peak performance and persuasion. He is a certified hypnosis trainer, a member of the Society of Experiential Trance, and tirelessly works to develop training and educational opportunities designed to powerfully raise the skill level and professional status of hypnotists all over the world. Snyder is also the founder and creator of the trademarked system CPI:  Conversational Persuasion & Influence System. In addition to his many credentials in the field of hypnosis and NLP, David holds a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Southern California University of Health Sciences where he pioneered the use of hypnotic technique in combination with acupuncture therapy. David conducts seminars, trainings, and special classes throughout the United States on the topics of energy, persuasion, healing and martial arts. We are honored to have the very powerful David Snyder as our guest today in 10 questions.

ML:  Where did you go to chiropractic school; and how familiar are you with D.D. Palmer and magnetic healing as an early form of hypnosis?

DS:  I never went to chiropractic school. I attended Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier, California, just outside of Los Angeles. Southern California University of Health Sciences was formerly known as Los Angeles College of Chiropractic until they added the College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine to their program. I studied acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at SCU and Graduated with a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Magnetism and hypnosis have a long and sometimes colorful history. The use of magnetism in conjunction with hypnosis goes back way before Palmer to the era of Franz Anton Mesmer and before. Mesmer believed that his effects were produced via the use of “magnetic fluid” that could be passed from one human to another and manipulated in certain ways to produce curative effects. Magnetic fields do influence every level of human mind and body. The extent of that influence still hasn’t really been determined but suffice it to say I’m betting its far more than we give it credit for.

ML:  Have you ever performed a “traditional” stage show; and if so; in what type of venues did those performances take place?

DS:  The truth is that even though I am trained in stage hypnosis and use elements of it in my presentations all the time, I’ve never actually done a complete stage hypnosis show for entertainment. I like to think of what I do in my meetup events as therapeutic stage hypnosis and I don’t consider myself a motivational speaker, but rather a “transformational” speaker.  I want everyone in my audience to:

1. Realize what is possible for them.
2. Personally experience the effects of the techniques and methods I teach.
3. Realize they can get and keep what they want
4. Leave with the change that they came for, or at the very least, have the tools to make the changes themselves and the knowledge of where to go for more if they feel they need and are ready for it.

RM:  How would you best describe the importance of word placement in a statement or a question in order to get the most out of a conversation that you started? How critical is word placement with regards to NLP as a whole?

DS: How you structure your language is very important. In fact, the structure of your language is a mirror of the structure of your thinking processes. When we change the way we structure our language we impose a similar change on the way we are thinking. So in one context this kind thing is vitally important. On another level It isn’t as critical as many proponents of NLP would have you believe. Much of the importance with word placement is largely dependent on the outcome of your communication and the other tools you are bringing to bear on the subject. Cool linguistics by itself are often far from sufficient to create the effect you are going for. You need kinesthetic engagement – body feelings, emotions etc. Ultimately it’s the feelings in the body that your language generates that will determine how rapidly a person responds to you and in what direction that response goes. Language although very powerful, is still subordinate to the feelings in your body. If I change the body feelings you have, I change the perceptual filters your brain uses to process the language you are hearing or reading. In our systems we call this aspect – state control and it’s a much deeper level of tool than most people really understand and it will override language when used properly, or completely super charge your languaging when combined in the right order and sequence.

RM:  When you’re speaking at an event where your primary goal is to motivate individuals that are looking to achieve some sort of goal, how much do you stress the power of persuasion when it comes to helping those individuals get what they want and become better at their profession?

DS: Persuasion is the single most important skill a human being can possess. Whether that persuasion is directed at others or even more importantly at the self. Nothing happens in life until a human being makes a decision and actually does something. The degree to which I “stress” the importance of persuasion changes depending on what topic I am presenting on. Persuasion is always an element of what I do and teach. But sometimes it’s the direct topic of the training for how to use and facilitate persuasion in a given context and sometimes it is only the medium through which we create the changes in people that they come to us for. Does that make sense? As a hypnotist, Neuro-linguistic Programmer, Practitioner of Oriental Medicine, energy healer and life-long martial artist the one thing I have learned is that all human beings seek to have more control over their lives, to take the randomness out of their communication and enjoy more consistent successes in the attainment of their life goals.

ML:  How do hypnosis and the power of suggestion relate to paranormal phenomenon (i.e. the Floating Chair Routine and Pendulum Work) not just in recent terms, but historically as well?

DS: Well, I’m not sure I really understand this question. You ask about paranormal phenomenon, then ask about a “floating chair routine” a routine indicates to me that you are referring to some kind of mediumistic or mentalist “trick” which is categorically NOT paranormal phenomena. Pendulum work is once again a bit vague. Within the context of hypnosis pendulum work is used as a method of dialoguing with the other than conscious mind through a process known as ideomotor signaling. In the context of “paranormal” phenomena you are using basically the same mechanism only in this case the answers (in theory) are coming from a source “other than” the unconscious mind which is serving primarily as the conduit through which said information is being conveyed. Historically there has always been massive connection either overtly or covertly between hypnosis, suggestion and the paranormal. Once again the challenge in your question is that you use the term paranormal phenomena, and that can mean anything from poltergeists and ghosts and other forms of “preternatural or super natural activity”, to telekinesis, astral projection, remote viewing, psycho-metrics and beyond. If you are asking about the connection between hypnosis, suggestion and phenomenon connected to human faculties which people might consider “paranormal” such as telepathy, psycho-metrics, Telekinesis et cetera, then the thing we have to consider in this context is that these expressions of extended human faculties are the result of “trance states” that may or may not be generated directly through the use of a hypnotic process. All hypnotic processes involve a shift in consciousness. All energetic phenomenon in fact all human experiential phenomenon involves some form of trance and some form of “shift or transition” from one “state of consciousness i.e. trance, to another”. Trance and suggestion have been part and parcel of the human paranormal experience for as long as humans have been on this planet, and depending on what world view you subscribe to even before that.

RM:  You’re very involved in martial arts…What is your main area of focus in that practice; and at what skill level are you currently classified?

DS: I’ve been a martial artist most of my life. Over the course of that time my focus has changed significantly – and still does – but I think the best way to cover the full scope of what I focus on would be that “I am focused on optimizing my combative skills through synergy, experimentation and comparative analysis, pattern recognition and study, simplifying the learning process and accelerating how rapidly these skills can be learned. And then using the martial arts as a platform to connect all the fields of study I love with the goal of creating a synergistic method that allows me, (and ultimately my students) to tap into and practically utilize the true potential of their minds and bodies in a consistent, reliable and repeatable way. In short, to show people what is possible, and help them to actually be able to do it.” My art is an expression of my inner self and my vehicle for expressing that inner self in a way that is practical and useful. Sounds a bit poetic but there you have it. To date, my current C.V. Looks Like this:

9^th Degree Black Belt (Grand Master) Ryukyu Kempo – Kyushojitsu/Tuitejitsu

4^th Degree Black Belt Shaolin Kun Tao

2^nd Degree Black Belt Kosho Kempo Ryu Karate

1^st Degree Black Belt Phan Ku Ryu Jujitsu

Certified Instructor – Combat Systema

Certified Instructor –  Cinco Mano Escrima

Certified Instructor –  Modern Arnis

Certified Instructor –  Modular Blade Concepts (CSSD)

Brown Belt – Small Circle Jujitsu

I also have extensive training in Aikijujitsu, American Kenpo karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, and Chen Style Tai Qi.

RM:  Watching several of your online videos, I’ve noticed that you seem to have mastered the art of using a sense of humor in your presentations…When it comes to making people laugh at a speaking engagement, how do you know how much is too much?  In other words, do you ever catch the focus of your presentation drifting off into comedy as opposed to the techniques and practices that are the initial focus of the gathering?

DS: Not very often, I’ve found that when using humor effectively it’s very hard to spend too much time on it. Human beings need humor. We need to laugh we need to be playful. That’s how we tap into the latent potentials and capabilities within us. Humor enhances our ability to learn, pay attention and become fully absorbed in the materials being presented. It’s the little drop of sugar that helps the medicine not only go down but to actually work better faster. Helping us to retain what we learn because of the context and emotions implicit in it, and it’s just plain fun.

RM:  What are the primary differences between the techniques of speed seduction that you teach and those employed by other pick-up-artists such as Mystery or Lovedrop? When did you first get into the underground world that is the seduction community; and what is the most fascinating aspect of that movement?

DS: Well, let’s be clear I don’t “teach” “Speed Seduction” I will often compare and contrast different schools of thought regarding a specific application, in this case you are asking about attraction and seduction, of which Speed Seduction ™ is one such system or school of thought. I don’t know much about Lovedrop’s methods. I am a big fan of Mystery Method and its derivatives like Style’s Annihilation Method, also Real World Seduction by SwinggCat, and David D’Angelo’s Work. I still have a great many friends in that community now become “Industry”. And I owe a tremendous debt to the pioneering work many of those early contributors to that community shared with the world. I’ve been involved within the community practically since the beginning early 1990’s. Mostly as a lurker on the message boards and then ultimately as a peer within the community. I remember the days of message board groups like alt.seduction.fast, Mindlist, and others. I was around during all of it. Not always in the forefront, usually in the background, but always paying attention, studying and applying, experimenting and finding out which methods had merit and which stuff was just smoke mirrors and a hell of a lot of snake oil. The most fascinating aspect of the movement is the discoveries that they make that they don’t know they make. As I’ve often told my audiences…Never underestimate the creativity and inventiveness of a horny male! Much of my teachings and clinical techniques grew out of discoveries and methodologies honed and perfected in the pickup and seduction communities. These people are the most dedicated social scientists and experimenters that we have. Only their laboratory is NOT a laboratory or seminar room. It’s the most hostile, unforgiving, ass kicking behavioral environment human beings face: The Singles Bar. When things work in that context, you can bet it as a high probability of working in “other” contexts as well.

RM:  How does one take the first steps towards overcoming something such as anxiety via some of the methods you teach? Does a solution such as hypnosis only come to be ideal in certain situations as opposed to being a “cure-all” and if so, how do you go about determining which solution is right for the individual experiencing the anxiety in question?

DS: The first step is “point to where you feel it” human beings only generate behaviors in response to the feelings in their body. If you can point to where the feeling originates in your body you already have the single biggest piece of the puzzle necessary in order to change it. Hypnosis to me is a “Life Skill” just as important, if not more so than the ability to write your name, tie your shoes or wipe your butt. As the years go by I find less and less things that the applications of hypnosis can’t effect. Is it a cure all? Not yet. Does it have that potential? I believe it does. Certainly not in the form we see among classically trained hypnotists. But most definitely in the new approaches we see emerging, like with our spinning methods, aka Psycho-somatic Neuro Modulation. Hypnosis is constantly evolving as our understanding of the human nervous system evolves. With regards to anxiety. Anxiety is just a misrepresentation and misunderstanding that a person’s conscious mind has regarding a set of physical symptoms the nervous system is creating. You can zap most anxiety simply by changing the way you stand and breath. Other aspects go right to the subliminal structure a person is using to represent a situation to themselves. Think of it like the volume on a DVD being played too loud with your ear right next to the speaker. The fastest way to fix it is simply lower the volume (using the right mechanism) or moving the speaker further away (using the right mechanism). The trick of course is creating a gateway or interface that allows us to do exactly that. And that’s where hybrid disciplines like hypnosis, NLP and energetic modalities allow us to bridge that gap. Determining which approach is the best is based on the simple assessment I use during both my meetups and FREE thirty minute consultations.

RM:  Seeing as how you are someone who hosts many trainings and seminars throughout the country, I’m a little surprised by the availability of free content you provide on YouTube…Are there any areas of expertise that you don’t typically share in those videos because you still want to be able to have a product that you can sell at any given time? If so, what are they and why do you usually keep those under wraps for the online viewing community?

DS:  It’s not that I want to have a product…I have tons of products. I hoarded my information for close to a decade. I have zealously recorded every presentation I have ever done since 2002. That is a tremendous body of information that NO ONE would ever benefit from. And it took me almost ten years to realize no one was going to know about it, or be able to use it and it certainly wasn’t doing me any good just sitting on the hard drives. We literally have over 12 terabytes or more of archived information that was created over 10 years ago and is still cutting edge compared to what most people are doing out there today. You see I’m a little slow sometimes.  I fell into the trap that so many other teachers and trainers do:  That if you give stuff away for free then…

1. You won’t have anything else to teach
2. You won’t come up with anything new

I’m lucky, in that I actually see clients, do trainings, hold large events where I get to work with real live human beings in a “training wheels free” environment. I’m constantly coming up with new stuff, better ways to teach my older stuff and gaining new insights from the two simply because I’m still constantly studying and dealing with human beings who do “unexpected things” and that forces me to get creative and seek solutions my teachers couldn’t have known to teach me about. Human beings are my teachers and they are constantly teaching me how to help them (and myself) better. That’s why many of these trainers out there are charging large sums of money for their information and not giving people a chance to “sample” what’s being offered. I’ve always believed in providing results first and letting the people who’ve actually used and applied the stuff I gave them for FREE make their own decision about when to upgrade themselves to the next level of working with me. And the simple truth is, that the vast majority of people out there would practically never have the opportunity to work with me anyway and if my videos and information can help them then I can only count that as a good thing. Those that do get the help from my videos and realize they want more now also have a really easy and straight forward way to work directly with me at the level that they are comfortable with. I think that’s a win for everyone. But it’s something that NEVER would have happened if I’d just kept all that information locked away on a hard drive or DVD somewhere and never let it out. When you share what you have, the universe sees to it that you get more of what you share and I’ve found that to be absolutely true. So yes, sharing the videos with the world is yet another way in which I shamelessly and selfishly attract more great information and opportunities to learn and grow into my life…and it’s a heck of a lot of fun.

ML:  With regards to entertainers like Derren Brown who use magic and hypnosis in conjunction with one another, do you feel that this detracts or adds to hypnosis as a form of entertainment and/or therapy? How often do you find yourself mixing practices of any art or science when engaging in another?

DS: I think it both adds and detracts from one another. You see it really depends on which of the many hypnosis camps you belong to. If you are a “conservative” classically trained “hypnotherapist” as many out there are people who feel that hypnosis should only be used for “therapeutic purposes”, you might look at Derren Brown and see all the myths and misdirections and misrepresentations that entertainers like Derren engage in and think that hypnosis is a way of fooling and taking advantage of people. People who are professional entertainers might look at what Derren does and think “FABULOUS!” He’s really entertaining and giving that audience a wonderful experience and helping them to learn more about the power of their mind. Which one is true? Which one is the more valid? The answer is neither. Both simply are points of view. Now the truth is most people fall somewhere in between these perspectives and that’s okay too. I’ve never bought into the idea that hypnosis should ONLY be used to “fix” what’s broken. I’ve always maintained that the deliberate use of hypnotic technique towards the achievement of a specific outcome IS and will always be one of the most important life skills a person can have. Regardless of how Hollywood, Literature, and the Hypnotherapy Community choose to paint their vision of hypnosis, I’ll continue to promote as many different ways to use it as I can find.

RM:  Over the next ten years, what are some of the long-term goals you have set for yourself and how do you plan to achieve them? Is there anything in particular that you’d really like to try your hand at that you just haven’t gotten the chance to dive into because you’re such a busy guy?

DS: The next ten years are going to be exciting. I am very much a form follows function kind of person. So I know what I intend to happen in the next ten years but as to exactly what form that is going to take and what the end result will look like is hard to say. I intend to keep doing what I am doing, finding newer better faster ways to unlock the potential within myself and ultimately share those discoveries with others. As any good hypnotist knows you as the practitioner must always go first. So if I plan on showing people what’s possible for them and helping to alleviate as much suffering as possible, I damn well better be able to walk the talk. It’s a throwback from my early martial arts days, if you have doubts get on the mat do your thing and it either works or it doesn’t but at least you backed up what you said. I intend to continue putting out our videos and helping as many people to become trainers and facilitators in the protocols we develop both in the clinic as well as in our other theaters of operation. I do a lot consulting to the legal profession on highly advanced Specialized Human Influence Technologies. We will continue to help as many people as we can live happier healthier more fulfilling lives by creating real world solutions to real world problems. Ultimately I would like to see facilities and programs all over the world utilizing our systems and others both for FREE and as a paid service. I think there is plenty of room for both. Our demographic falls into 3 basic areas:

1. People who want help fixing their own stuff.
2. People who want my help fixing their stuff; and
3. People Are Truly Dedicated and Committed To Helping Fix Other People’s Stuff.

The third category is special to me and that’s because I don’t believe a person “chooses” that path. I think that path chooses you. That is the best picture I can give you for the future of “The World According To David”. Reach more COOL People, do More cool stuff and do cool things with other cool people who like to do cool stuff…Is that cool?

RM:  What’s up next for you in the remainder of 2015 and beyond? Anything big in the works that we should know about?

DS: Look for more trainings on a broader range of topics, more in-depth trainings on topics we’ve already presented. Levels of progression in skill sets we didn’t have before and of course we are working on actually doing some live streaming of our NLPPOWER Monthly Skill Building Master Mind Events where you can actually ask questions, interact and practice right along with our in-person members in real time. Overall 2016 is going to be a pretty exciting year. Bigger, Better, More Provocative, Politically Incorrect and Ridiculously Effective Approaches To Cutting through the B.S. And Getting The Life You Want… The Way You Want It!

Official Website:  http://www.nlppower.com/

David on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/david.snyder.5851

David on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidsnydernlp

Once again thanks for visiting First Order Historians and enjoying more of the internet’s finest in user generated content.

Meehan