I THOROUGHLY agree with your reviewer Stephen Lewis on his visit to the Paul McKenna Hypnotic Show - it does leave you feeling 'grubby' from the experience (June 25).

Unfortunately shows like this, using hypnotism for entertainment purposes, do not do the profession of hypnotherapy any favours just a lot of damage.

Being a clinical hypnotherapist I went to this show to see for myself the public reaction to hypnotism.

My conclusion was that the show was completely false.

Paul McKenna is a clever hypnotist and does an amount of good with his serious therapeutic work, but he diminishes himself and the profession by staging this type of entertainment show.

Hypnosis, used in clinical hypnotherapy, is a powerful healing tool.

I hope that the public is not too disenchanted about our profession by these performances.

I stayed until after the interval and then left, leaving Paul and his 'actors' milking the audience for their applause and gratification.

Yes it was a very grubby show and grubby experience.

P Wallis,

Hopgrove Lane North,

Malton Road,

York.

Updated: 10:33 Wednesday, July 04, 2001