Fiction: A Midsummer’s Daydream
The little self-standing tent sign that read The Midsummer Clinic for Hypnosis came up to his knee. Tony stopped and paused. What sort of hack believes in hypnosis? Sure, Toronto had its fill of tarot and palm readings, but this was just off Victoria and Adelaide, in the center of the financial district. Toronto was turning into a discount Gotham city now, with opioid addicts harassing passengers public transportation, soaring food prices, and no real housing strategy. Still, the sign was intriguing, a modern minimalist spiral, with a sans serif font, on a cool Klein blue background. He peeked at the other side of the sign, and it read — Walk-ins today! Unit 1111. Tony looked around to make sure there was no one he knew on the streets, stubbed his cigarette, and walked in.
The elevator doors opened and there was a big poster that read The Midsummer Clinic for Hypnosis — Unit 1111 this way! The clinic had a glass door, the walls were painted the same shade of bright blue, and the receptionist was a young woman dressed in a suit.
“Hi, welcome to The Midsummer Clinic for Hypnosis,” she said, “Don’t be shy, step up. Are you here for a walk-in?”
“Yeah, I passed by while on a break at work and I thought I’d check it out.”
“Great, have a seat. Morgan will be right with you.”
“Oh, how much time will this take? I do need to run back to work in a bit. And how much will it cost?”
“Don’t worry, Morgan will explain it all to you. Just scan this QR code to fill out our client intake details.”
Not two minutes later, a tall, young woman walked out. She was dressed the same way Elizabeth Holmes would dress: black turtleneck, blue jeans, black heels, and a long labcoat. Tony hoped that was simply coincidence.
“Come on over to my office,” she said, waving his hand.
After seating Tony in an extremely comfortable chair and some brief introductions, Morgan pulled out a tablet and started reading Tony’s intake form.
“I noticed that you didn’t put a reason for your visit, Tony.”
“Yeah, like I was saying, I was just passing by and was curious. Before we get any further, can I ask how much this will cost and how long it’ll take?
“Honestly, it depends on the scale of the problem and how successful it is. If you’re in a rush today, perhaps we can work on a smaller problem?”
“Sure. How about my smoking? I’ve picked it up again recently because I’ve been stressed out.
“Smoking is actually one of our most popular problems, but is quite a long process, and it would cost upwards of two thousand dollars, depending on how many sessions it takes.”
“Let me get this right, the longer it takes you to fix something, the more money it costs.”
“Doesn’t your plumber charge by the hour?”
“Okay, okay, how about something that can be done today, in about half an hour?”
“Tony, you have to understand that it takes a while to realize the effects of hypnotic treatment, and an averse mindset such as the one you’re taking now can be harmful.”
Aha. Tony had disproven this hack with facts and logic already. Why did he walk in here in the first place?
“That being said, some of the quicker treatments that are also popular are gratitude, relationships, and general happiness. Do any of these issues fall into a category you’d like help with?”
“Uh, sure. Honestly, I’ve been fighting with my wife a bit.”
“This seems like something we can have a bit of an effect in half an hour with. The rate will be a hundred dollars, that shouldn’t be an issue, correct?”
“Uh, yeah, sure. But it is mostly her fault.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get started then.”
Morgan reached behind her desk and pulled out a metronome, wound it a few times, adjusted the weight, and set it off on her desk.
“I want you to focus on the ticking noise and my voice.”
“Okay.”
“What’s your name?”
“Tony.”
“Where do you work, Tony?”
“Altitude Ventures.”
“How is work?”
“Stressful at times, but overall good.”
“What’s your favourite colour?”
“Blue.”
“What is your wife’s name Tony?”
“Stefania.”
“How long have you been married for?”
“Nine years.”
“Do you love her Tony?”
“I do.”
“When was the last time you told her that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you tell her that more?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why does she nag you Tony?”
“She says I don’t pick up after myself, and that I spend too much time at work.”
“Is this true?”
“A bit, but I do it to make good money to do the things that she wants to do, and buy the things she wants to buy.”
“What sorts of things does she like?”
“Bags, shoes, trips, meals out.”
“Does she like flowers?”
“She does.”
“When was the last time you bought Stefania flowers?”
“I can’t remember.”
This continued for ten more minutes, until Morgan snapped her fingers loudly, shocking Tony.
“When I snap my fingers again, you will be put in a suggestable trance, do you understand me Tony?”
“Yes.”
“When I snap them again after that, you will be taken out of this trance, do you understand?
“Yes”
Snap.
“Repeat after me: Every time I feel annoyed at Stefania, I will tell her that I love her.”
“Every time I feel annoyed at Stefania, I will tell her that I love her.”
“Every time I tell Stefania I love her, I will feel relaxed and remember that I love her.”
“Every time I tell Stefania I love her, I will feel relaxed and remember that I love her.”
“I will buy Stefania flowers today.”
“I will buy Stefania flowers today.”
Snap.
“Okay, we’re done here Tony, you can pay up front.”
“Really? That’s it?”
“Yep.”
“But I remember everything you told me!”
“That’s great! How are you supposed to buy Stefania flowers if you forget?”
“How was this even hypnosis?”
“Remember what we talked about Tony. Hypnosis works best with an open mind. How about this: pay nothing today, but if you honestly give the hypnosis a chance, and you become more patient with Stefania, call me and we can set up another session. Buy her the flowers today.”
Tony left the office in a rush. Stupid hack. He had ten minutes to get to his meeting. Then came an urgent email. Then he had another meeting. When he had a chance to look at the time again, it was already past seven. He packed up and called an Uber. Stefania was going to be upset that he didn’t call ahead again. Easy for her to say as a fully remote worker. He felt a pang of guilt. He really did love her, but things were so stressful right now. What was it that Morgan had said? Buy her flowers. He opened Uber again and added a stop at his favourite florist’s. He’d buy her flowers tonight.
A block away, Morgan locked the office door, walked to the elevator, and tore down the The Midsummer Clinic for Hypnosis poster that was covering directions for the rest of the units on the floor, including Morgan Frances, Couples Therapy. When she got down to the street, she picked up the folding sign too. Stefania had already transferred her the first half of the two thousand dollar payment to her therapy practice, and she would get the other half tonight. It was crazy how many “facts and logic” men were willing to believe in hypnosis, but were unwilling to give therapy a shot.
