Hollywood’s Hypnotist to the Stars

I bask in the technicolor sunshine of a Los Angeles morning. The cheerful brightness of the sun rids the city’s residents of guilt. Nothing can be ugly or bad in California’s golden light. Everything looks better. The guilt of doing something wrong only settles in during the night. And so, on this particular glorious morning, I lit my usual cigarette. I would think about quitting tomorrow.

Smoking has been a part of my life for over a decade. These days I tend to smoke less, a pack can last me three days or so. But, within me there is an internal resistance to the complete expulsion of the habit. I can never completely quit. I have tried the various patches and gum. I have tried cold turkey. A big fear of quitting smoking for me was always the quitting part. I feared the pangs of withdrawal—waves of heated anxiety coasting up and down one’s body. I feared being short tempered and testy with my friends. Recently, I began mulling the idea of quitting smoking—full stop—again. Serendipitously over a later lunch, a friend referred me to Kerry Gaynor: Hollywood’s Hypnotist.

All those who I have met who had gone to Kerry swore by his hypnosis. They claimed their lives had changed. The process was easy. No withdrawal. Just like that.