From the desk of Vance Romane, Mind Power Update June 2, 2026
Disguised and Indirect Hypnosis of Trump, Robbins, Obama, Hitler, Morrison, Manson …
Why Some Public Figures Hold Our Attention Like a Spell – And We Don’t Even Notice
Many major public figures have consciously used hypnotic principles in their communication, staging, and personal image. Sometimes we call them charismatic, magnetic, and larger-than-life. Many of them are using hypnotic communication principles.
Some make events feel electric; lift your emotion in the room in seconds; make you feel like you are a special member of a community, “one of us;” “part of an exclusive group;” “this is our great future, and you are a privileged member.” Identification with the group is being part of “the tribe;” “a lifelong following” and a movement that can grow like wildfire. Logical thinking is cast aside and defending the group becomes the most important … techniques used for centuries. Understand the mechanics and you have freedom from this influence.
The key principle is that anyone who can rivet the attention of thousands or millions of people is using hypnotic techniques, consciously or unconsciously. The hypnosis is simply locking attention, adding emotion, suggestion, and rhythm. I interpret Tony Robbins presentations as a modern master hypnotic communicator at work. He is acknowledging how you are right now and telling you where you are going. He uses music, movement, and chanting. He associates claps, shouts, and gestures to emotions; uses rhythmic voice patterns; disguised hypnosis as “imagine your success and fantastic new life next year at this time” and much more.
Barack Obama used cadence (almost musical); strategic pauses; call and response rhythm; repetition “Yes we can,” voice tone shifts; suggestive imagery such as “we will rise” creating a group trance and suspending critical thought.
As soon as I watched Donald Trump for the first time, I saw the use of simple, repetitive language bypassing critical filters as in “fake news” repeated thousands of times; confusion so you are ready to grab the next sentence just for relief; labeling people; rhythmic speech; emotional anchoring with the raised fist; amplifying with emotion and crowd entertainment like a PT Barnam Circus with music, singing, dancing, humor and kiosks selling merchandise with his picture.
Jim Morrison of the Doors used repetitive chants; trance-inducing rhythms; poetic ambiguity forcing subconscious interpretation; altered mind state performance style and calls out to an audience for a response energy, mass participation.
Winston Churchill used repetition “Never give in, never, never, never…;” rhythmic cadence; emotional escalation; and symbolic imagery. These techniques may be used for good or evil. On the evil side, think Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, and cults.
So, we have affirming or pacing the person or group where they are at now and then leading their mind where you want to go; repetition; rhythm; emotional anchoring; identity-based messaging to feel part of an exclusive group; story induced trances with guided imagery and future success visualization; symbolic emotionally loaded words and focused attention control. Then, you can add the staging, costumes worn, the rituals, the scents that may be added to the air and much more to fully focus the attention. It’s often even easier to influence a large group than a single person.
Have a great summer!
Vance Romane
P.S. Although I’m mostly retired these days, I still make room for a few select private seminars each year – especially for charities, fundraisers, and causes that genuinely make a difference. If your organization is exploring a high‑impact event, feel free to reach out at romane@vanceromane.com for details.
