EP043 Hypnosis and NLP with William T Batten

9th September 2026

William T. Batten returns to Akasha Talks, and this time we leave telekinesis and psychic phenomena behind to dive into two subjects we're both incredibly passionate about: hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

Will shares how his curiosity about hypnosis first began, the experiences that convinced him there was far more to it than the stereotypical swinging pocket watch, and how that journey eventually led him into NLP. Along the way, we both share some of the experiences that made us stop and realise just how strange, powerful and fascinating our interaction with the unconscious mind can be.

We explore what hypnosis actually feels like, why people can have profound hypnotic experiences without feeling like they've entered some unusual altered state, and some of the surprising ways these tools can influence our physical and subjective experience.

From there, we dig into what NLP actually is.

Rather than simply being a collection of language patterns, persuasion tricks or therapeutic techniques, Will describes NLP as a way of studying exceptional human behaviour and uncovering the unconscious processes behind it. What is someone doing differently that allows them to be exceptional at therapy, communication, creativity, sport, relationships or almost anything else? And once we discover that difference, can someone else learn it?

We also explore the idea that many things we think of as personality traits or natural gifts may be skills. Creativity, confidence, charisma, visualisation, attention and even aspects of how we construct our experience of the world can potentially be practised, refined and changed.

The conversation gets into:

• Will's journey from hypnosis into NLP

• Some of our earliest experiences of hypnotic phenomena

• Why hypnosis often feels much more ordinary than people expect

• The strange intersection between hypnosis, consciousness and what can sometimes feel a little like magic

• What NLP actually is beneath the techniques commonly associated with it

• Modelling excellence and discovering the unconscious components of skill

• Why experts often can't explain exactly how they do what they do

• Apprenticeship, embodied learning and the limitations of learning purely from information

• Whether creativity, confidence, perception and other seemingly innate qualities can be learned

• The different strengths of hypnosis and NLP

• Artistry versus precision when working with another person's experience

• How NLP and hypnosis begin to become things you naturally use in everyday life

• What to look for when choosing quality hypnosis or NLP training

• Why live, experiential learning can be so important

Toward the end of the episode, we also talk about the upcoming introductory NLP training Will and Cass will be teaching here at Branches of Healing. We discuss some of what people can expect to experience, including tools for stepping outside your own perspective and gaining a much richer understanding of another person's point of view.

If this conversation leaves you curious about what your mind is already doing outside of your conscious awareness, and what might become possible when you learn to work with those processes deliberately, this episode is a great place to begin.

Find out more about William T. Batten

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mr.william.t.batten/

Christian Hypnotism:
https://christianhypnotism.com/

Learn NLP with Will and Cass at Branches of Healing

Will and Cass will be joining me at my venue to teach introductory NLP training. You can find all the details here:

https://branchesofhealing.com.au/events/nlp1

Thanks for listening,

Lance