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Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I got hypnotised to get over my fear of spiders – I couldn't believe the results
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HYPNOTIST Fraser Penman is a man on a mission to bring out the superhero in every Scot using his psychological knowhow. The 30-year-old hypnotherapist, who hails from East Kilbride, is setting out to help people be the best version of themselves. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 15 Hypnotist Fraser Penman wants to unleash the inner superhero in everyone Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Our fearful five met with Fraser to see if he could cure their worst phobias Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Our jittery journo Harry Williamson wanted to be cured of his fear of spiders Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Fraser gets to work curing our man Harry and reader Wendy of their arachnophobia Credit: Andrew Barr He not only credits hypnosis for his life in the spotlight but also for saving his life after suffering years of vicious bullying after being born with oculocutaneous albinism. Under his persona as Penman the Imaginator, he says he can cure people of their worst fears and transform their lives and use his skills to help people the way he helped himself. He is set to bring his amazing skills to the Edinburgh Fringe this year. So the Psychological Influencer gathered a small group of Scottish Sun readers, including our reporter Harry Williamson, and put his skills to the test. Our fearful five gathered with Fraser inside the Alona Hotel at M&D's at Strathclyde Park. They had all signed up to see if we could get rid of being afraid of the things that scare them most. All five of us suffered being petrified of things like spiders and snakes to sharks and public speaking. Soon Penman the Imaginator had them all under his spell, and he set about curing the worst fears. I joined fellow arachnaphobe Wendy Gifford, 56, to have our fear of the eight-legged critters taken away for good. When Amazonia zoologist Amanda Gott produced Val, a Chile Rose Tarantula, Wendy wasted no time in leaping from her seat. Meanwhile I was so petrified, I was glued to my seat he only managed to say "no" while shuffling back in the chair. But soon the cobweb of fear was about to be dusted away for good. I thought Derren Brown was fake until I copied him and made someone pass out, says albino hypnotist Fraser Penman We had both confessed we hated spiders all of our lives and would run-a-mile if we spotted one in the house. While put to sleep, Penman the Imaginator used his skills to convince Wendy and I the sight of spiders would no longer have us quaking in our boots. At a click of his fingers - we both woke up to find animal-expert Amanda had returned with Val the tarantula. And much to the shock of all who knew us, the previous spine-chilling reactions we had a mere five minutes before had completely vanished! 15 They met with Fraser at The Alona Hotel to put his skills to the test Credit: Andrew Barr 15 The hypnotist managed to get our group over their fears Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Wendy Gifford went from hating spiders to wanting one as a pet Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Our man Harry does what he never thought he could and gave a tarantula a high five Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Lewis Thomson felt like Ace Ventura after getting over his fear of snakes Credit: Andrew Barr Then I did something I never thought I would ever do, giving a tarantula a high five! I felt an overwhelming sense of amazement that I was confidently holding a creature I had been afraid of for over 20 years. I had gone from being completely petrified to being completely fascinated and even enjoying watching the furry critter as each leg walked over my hand. Not only that but I was surprised when I found myself asking Amanda: "Can I hold the spider again?" It was safe to say my fear of spiders had been well and truly cured. What is it like being hypnotised? BY HARRY WILLIAMSON When I first met Fraser Penman he told me he would change the way I view hypnosis. Before meeting the Psychological Influencer my view of it was probably the same as anyone else's. It conjured up images of mind control and performing daft stunts on a stage for friends and relatives to laugh about for years to come. But I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought it would be like a blackout with no sense of where I was or what was going on, and that admittedly made me quite wary when agreeing to do it. But the entire time I was hypnotised I was fully aware of my surroundings, where I was, who I was with and most importantly, what I was doing. Fraser explained in great detail how the hypnotic language patterns would communicate and influence our subconscious minds. To bust arguably the biggest myth of them all, I was fully aware of every single thing I was doing while hypnotised. Whether it was taking deep breaths, relaxing and going to sleep, raising my arms in the air, forgetting the number four existed or even the unthinkable like tackling my biggest fear and giving a spider a high-five. Everything I was doing just felt like instinct, like it was the right thing to do. I didn't feel out of control at any point. There is no mind control, no sinister energies, blackouts or dazed and confused looks after thinking you are the Prime Minister for the past five minutes. Fraser then removes all of the hypnotic instructions before you leave. On both occasions I was hypnotised, I ended up being wowed by the amazing feeling after it, almost a sense of disbelief, but once it sinks in the process gives you a real energy boost and puts a spring in your step. It is a totally relaxing and refreshing experience, which is probably why I was told the day you are hypnotised you are guaranteed to sleep like a baby that night. There is no real way to put into words if you never have experienced hypnosis, it truly is something that needs to be done to be understood. But what was even more amazing was Wendy, who was sent leaping from her chair at the sight of Val the spider now holding her and saying she wanted to get one as a PET and rather appropriately name it Webster. She said: "When I was holding the spider, I almost couldn't believe it was happening but I don't feel that scared of them now." Another miraculous moment came when Lewis Thomson, 32, went from rating his fear of snakes at a solid ten out of ten to loving one of the scaly reptiles. He was put under the spell during and soon met Ava, a Royal Python. His trembling fear of the creatured ended up slithering away as he proclaimed: "This is amazing. I feel like Ace Ventura!" Alrighty then. I thought Derren Brown was fake until I copied him and made someone pass out BY MATT BENDORIS FRASER Penman sat down with The Scottish Sun to discuss his journey to become the psychological influencer. He used Derren Brown was faking it - until he had a hairy moment when he copied the TV sensation's techniques and made someone pass out in a barber shop. The 30-year-old from East Kilbride, was training to be a primary school teacher when he became 'fascinated' with the Londoner's mind control techniques. He said: "I took a deep dive into the neuroscience behind it and I fell in love with it and taught myself about hypnosis through books and DVDs, which I watched a thousand times. 'Then one day I was in the barber shop getting a haircut and they were speaking about hypnosis and I piped up 'I'm a hypnotist' even though I'd never hypnotised a person in my life. 'I repeated what I'd learned from the DVD and this person dropped like a fly, unconscious, right in front of me. 'Inside my head, I'm thinking, 'oh my goodness, this crap works'. 'I quickly counted to three and woke that person straight back up. But that was the turning point for me.' But Penman's amazing skills can work the other way. Wendy Gifford, 56, came along to have her fear of sharks while wild swimming cured. But the self-confessed spider lover agreed to show how amazing Fraser Penman's power of the mind. In mere minutes he had her loving spiders to leaping from her seat and screaming "get it away". The amazing impact stunned her partner Michael Kiernan who said: "I can't believe that. She's never had a problem with spiders before, she actually loves them. That was just the first unbelievable moment of the day for Michael, who wanted his fear of public speaking to go away for good. 15 Our group of five all felt cured Credit: Andrew Barr 15 They were all left feeling amazed by the end Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Michael Kiernan got over his fear of public speaking and even addressed the room Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Fiona Chambers came to get over her fear of sharks and seals while in deep water Credit: Andrew Barr 15 Fraser was helped out by Amazonia zoologist Amanda Gott Credit: Andrew Barr Penman used his breathtaking skills to install a new confidence in the NHS nurse, so much so that he stood up and gave the goodbye speech to Fraser, the group, and the roomful of strangers working the event. He said: "I can really feel a difference and I'm not just saying that. "I would never have got up and spoken to a room before walking through that door today and I'll definitely be using this new confidence going forward." Even more Scots are set to discover the best version of themselves as Fraser takes his show to the Fringe this year. He told The Scottish Sun: "I am super excited ti change people's perception of what they believe to be true and bring out the inner superhero in everyone. "I'm putting a modern twist on an age old art and hopefully everyone who comes to the show will leave with some kind of connection." Penman – The Imaginator – YOU is on at The Gilded Balloon from July 30 to August 24.
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I'm a fear expert, here's how to cure your worst phobias
Scroll down to see how to get your hands on tickets WIN TICKETS I'm a fear expert, here's how to cure your worst phobias A TOP hypnotist is holding a special event to help cure Scots of their phobias. Fraser Penman from East Kilbride, was training to be a primary school teacher when he became obsessed with Derren Brown. Advertisement 1 Fraser Penman is performing this week And since discovering his hypnotic talents, he's been performing as Penman — The Imaginator. The psychological influencer will now hold a special event on Thursday to help terrified folk get over their fears of things like spiders and snakes. He uses innovative visualisation techniques to change your mindset in just a matter of minutes. By speaking to your subconscious on a deeper level, the certified hypnotherapist and mind reader can help you face your fears head on. Advertisement And we have 17 pairs of tickets up for grabs for the event. Fraser, 30, said: "Everybody can be hypnotised, it's just to what degree. 'They say younger people are more susceptible, but I've had 70-year-old women giving it laldy on the stage. 'Being hypnotised feels like the air that you breathe. It's different for everybody. Advertisement "But the best way to describe it is like you're almost daydreaming.' To be in with a chance of winning one of 17 pairs of tickets to the show, at the Alona Hotel, next door to Amazonia at M&Ds, simply answer the following question. People say I'm not fit to be a mother after 'abandoning' my sick child for 6 months - but I have an extreme phobia What is Arachnophobia a fear of? A. Snakes Advertisement B. Spiders C. Birds Email your answer and your name, address and daytime contact number to win@ Please put FRASER PENMAN in the email subject header. Competition closes at 2pm tomorrow, May 28. Advertisement
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I thought Derren Brown was fake until I copied him and made someone pass out, says albino hypnotist
HYPNOTIST Fraser Penman thought Derren Brown was faking it - until he had a hairy moment when he copied the TV sensation's techniques and made someone pass out in a barber shop. The 30-year-old from East Kilbride, was training to be a primary school teacher when he became 'fascinated' with the Londoner's mind control techniques. 3 Fraser Penman, who is known as The Imaginator. Credit: ANDY BARR 3 Fraser as a youngster growing up in East Kilbride with his big brother and poster for his new Edinburgh Fringe show. 3 Fraser puts Scottish Sun man Harry in a trance to help him get over his fear of spiders. Credit: ANDY BARR And after becoming hooked on Derren's Channel 4 shows, including The Experiments and The Specials, he would discover first hand that the telly mentalist was the real deal. He says: 'I've always been fascinated by Derren Brown - he has been a massive inspiration. 'I had no idea how he could influence the mind or change people's perception or the use of autogenics, which is a fancy way of saying a shift in mindset. 'He could make people believe or see or do the most incredible things simply by talking to them or looking at them.' He adds: 'So I got intrigued and discovered that there was this thing called hypnosis. And like everybody else, I thought, there's no way this is true. 'That was until I took a deep dive into the neuroscience behind it and I fell in love with it and taught myself about hypnosis through books and DVDs, which I watched a thousand times. 'Then one day I was in the barber shop getting a haircut and they were speaking about hypnosis and I piped up 'I'm a hypnotist' even though I'd never hypnotised a person in my life. 'I repeated what I'd learned from the DVD and this person dropped like a fly, unconscious, right in front of me. 'Inside my head, I'm thinking, 'oh my goodness, this crap works'. 'I quickly counted to three and woke that person straight back up. But that was the turning point for me.' Fraser now calls himself a psychological influencer and goes by the stage name Penman - The Imaginator, playing to audiences across the UK, US and beyond, while he will also be staging a special performance on Thursday May 29 at Alona Hotel by M&D's Theme Park in Lanarkshire. But not only did hypnotism change his career path, he also credits it with saving his life. Fraser, who grew up in the new town with folks Christne and Brian, both 63, and big brother Ross, 33, endured years of vicious bullying as a kid after being born with oculocutaneous albinism, which means he has no pigment in his skin and eyes. He explains: 'As you can tell by the bright white hair, I am albino, but I have the most severe level of albinism which means I'm visually impaired and cannot see enough to drive. 'Growing up, kids can be cruel. I experienced both physical and mental bullying from the age of eight 'Then when I was 14 I was attacked by a group of youths and kicked down a flight of stairs. 'It was at that point I didn't want to be part of society anymore. I put on fake tan and dyed my hair jet black - basically, I wanted to be anyone but me. 'Being bullied for something that was outwith my control was really hard to accept. It never left me.' He added: 'The reason I wanted to go into education was to make a difference for any other kids who were different. 'But then I was diagnosed dyslexic. It left me questioning, where do I belong in this life? 'I actually got so anxious and depressed that I was three days away from wanting to take my own life. 'But it was through the use of self-hypnosis that I gave myself one suggestion, which was 'you are enough.' 'The next day, I woke up, shaved off all my black hair, binned all my make-up and fake tan, walked to the shop in shorts, not caring how pale I looked. 'Fast forward six years, I'm now a certified clinical hypnotherapist, have performed in America and about to do a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe.' It's unlikely Fraser would ever be bullied now as he has sprouted into a lean, 6ft 5in, fighting machine as he's also a black belt in Taekwondo. Although he insists he's never had to use martial arts in self-defence, joking: 'There's no need to lift my hands. All I have to do is just click my fingers and put someone to sleep.' So can he hypnotise anyone? He replies: 'Yes, everybody can be hypnotized, it's just to what degree. 'They say younger people are more susceptible to it, but I've had 70 year old women giving it laldy on the stage. THE IMAGINATOR PUTS SUN MAN HARRY UNDER HIS SPELL HARRY is more of a Marv when it comes to spiders - emitting a piercing scream like the Home Alone villain during his close encounter with a tarantula. Actually he ends up turning the air blue when asked to get up close to a hairy arachnid at Amazonia in the M&D's theme park. Scottish Sun reporter Harry Williamson, 25, says: 'My normal stress level when it comes to spiders is around seven out of 10. 'The closer I got to the tarantula I would say that shot up to about nine out of 10.' But with a snap of Fraser's fingers, and some words of encouragement, Harry was then asked to pretend he was tickling the eight legged beastie like it was his bestie. Suddenly he is no more afraid of the Mexican Fireleg Tarantula than a domestic moggy. Fraser asks: 'And how do you feel now?' Harry beams: 'I feel fine. No fear at all.' But all that was about to change in an instant, with another click of the fingers, Harry is back in Marv mode again, jumping out of his skin, while screeching: 'Ya b*****d!' So what did it really feel like to be under the spell of Penman - The Imaginator? Harry explains: 'It was weird but everything that was done felt like instinct, as if it was the right thing to do.' Fraser adds: 'You never do something under hypnosis that you don't want to. But Harry will feel very relaxed now. Put it this way, he will sleep well tonight.' Unless he dreams about big hairy spiders. 'Being hypnotised feels like the air that you breathe. There's no pixie dust, magic potions or lotions. It's different for everybody. But the best way to describe it is like you're almost daydreaming.' Fraser is glad he embraced his albinism as it also means with his build and shock of white hair, he really stands out amongst other stage hypnotists. He says: 'Someone once told me, to be successful, you either have to be the first to do something or do something different. So why not be the most unique? 'Long gone are the days of fitting in society. I've decided standing out is pretty cool.' Fraser is now determined to follow in Derren's footsteps, as he continues to grow his fanbase and reputation. He says: 'Of course, I would love to be headlining in Vegas like Derren, but my main ambition is to put a modern twist on an age-old art. 'I want to make hypnosis and the psychology elements of what I do, approachable for all. DO you have a fear of spiders or snakes? If you do and want to beat it, then you can win a place at an EXCLUSIVE Scottish Sun event with Fraser Penman on May 29, from 10am to noon. Fraser uses innovative visualisation techniques to change your mindset in just a matter of minutes. By speaking to your subconscious on a deeper level, the certified hypnotherapist and mind reader can help you face your fears head on. To be in with a chance of winning one of 25 pairs of tickets to the show, at the Alona Hotel, next door to Amazonia at M&Ds, Strathclyde Country Park, simply answer the following question and tell us what you are afraid of. What is the full name of the 2006 movie starring Samuel L Jackson? A. SNAKES ON A PLANE B. SNAKES ON A CHAIN C. SNAKES ON A DRAIN Email your answer – along with the thing you are afraid of – and your name, address and daytime contact number to win@ Please put FRASER PENMAN in the email subject header. *Competition closes at midnight tonight. UK residents only, excluding any employees and their families or anyone professionally connected with this promotion. One entry per person. 25 winners will be selected at random from all entries received after the closing date. The prize is a pair of tickets to the Fraser Penman event on May 29, 10am-noon, at the Alona Hotel. Entrants must be over 18. No cash alternative will be offered. Prize is non-transferable. The Scottish Sun is under no liability whatsoever in connection with any loss, damage or injury which is suffered as a direct or indirect result of the prize. Usual rules apply. Editor's decision is final. 'The days of swinging a watch in someone's face while wearing a three piece suit are gone. I want to inspire people to believe in themselves and their dreams - to unleash the superhero within you.' And his new show called You is all about that. He says: 'This is something that's never been done before. It will be the biggest summer anthem party, without the drugs or alcohol, and taking hypnosis and mentalism and completely flipping it on its head. 'I wouldn't say I'm a poster boy for albinism, but I definitely want to inspire anybody who faced barriers in life as I did.' *Penman – The Imaginator – YOU is on at The Gilded Balloon from July 30 to August 24.
