I got hypnotised to get over my fear of spiders – I couldn't believe the results

Scottish Sun

03-06-2025

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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.
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Hypnotist Fraser Penman wants to unleash the inner superhero in everyone
Credit: Andrew Barr
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Our fearful five met with Fraser to see if he could cure their worst phobias
Credit: Andrew Barr
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Our jittery journo Harry Williamson wanted to be cured of his fear of spiders
Credit: Andrew Barr
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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!
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They met with Fraser at The Alona Hotel to put his skills to the test
Credit: Andrew Barr
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The hypnotist managed to get our group over their fears
Credit: Andrew Barr
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Wendy Gifford went from hating spiders to wanting one as a pet
Credit: Andrew Barr
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Our man Harry does what he never thought he could and gave a tarantula a high five
Credit: Andrew Barr
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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.
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Our group of five all felt cured
Credit: Andrew Barr
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They were all left feeling amazed by the end
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Michael Kiernan got over his fear of public speaking and even addressed the room
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Fiona Chambers came to get over her fear of sharks and seals while in deep water
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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.