THE ADJUSTMENT CLINIC

Nehman Ramses looked at the audience. They were here because they all wanted to be here. The title of the seminar was “Motivation Brings Success”. The clientele list included MD’s, PhDs, product engineers and medical administration personnel from over eighteen drug companies. Only one company was the target–Wormwood Drug and Diagnostics. Only one client needed to be altered–Dr. Roger Umbo. The Chief Engineer in charge of formulation and production was one of the open-minded and willing subjects for today’s program. Ramses was eager to get started.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen.” Ramses had swept-back salt-and-pepper hair, a thin dark moustache and a mostly dark goatee.

A few attendees responded with a subdued “Good Morning.”

“C’mon people. Your bodies are present, let me hear the voices. Once again–welcome and good morning.”

A resounding return this time, “Good morning.”

“Everything about today’s seminar should motivate. Begin any interaction with your clients by getting their attention. Your second response tells me I now have yours.”

There was a murmur of agreement and many nods.

“The fact of your signing up for this seminar implies you are already on a motivation pathway for your respective companies and product responsibilities. Again, everything about today’s seminar is geared to stimulation in a positive direction. The very first action of your day has been the morning mini-breakfast. Providing caffeine and a light repast improves the mood. When you schedule a meeting with your investigative sites or your sales demonstration, a free meal will almost guarantee assembly of your intended audience on time. My first slide, as yours should be, is the agenda. Kicking off our meeting today and at three other points during our interactive session is our moment of meditation. I will alternate with my associate, Alicia Noire, who will institute the first introspective relaxation moments. Alicia, if you please.”

Alicia Noire, like Ramses, was a successful and skillful practitioner of both single person and group hypnosis. She was also a stunning silhouette of womanhood. Noire wore a mint green pant suit which suggested a perfect, lean figure. No emphasis was placed on her hips or bust line. Only smooth lines were projected during her slow, steady entrance to the podium. It was only the walk to the speaker platform which allowed the audience a visual experience of her seductive form. Now, standing behind the lectern her face became the focal point for the massed attendees.

“Good morning again.” The words were soothing with perfect projection from the lapel microphone. The sound engineer had worked two-hours before the meeting to assure flawless acoustics.

“Good morning,” the audience returned without shouting but reflecting her warm delivery.

Timing was essential. With food in their stomachs, blood flow would be shunted to their GI tract. This meant fifty-percent of maximal brain circulation allowed for the ease of verbal sedation and suggestion–the tool of hypnosis. Each meditation session would be following a meal as noted in the agenda. There was a mid-morning break, lunch, mid-afternoon break and a wrap-up meditation moment.

“I want you all to relax. A motivation speech is ineffective in a tense group. Breakfast with your collective presence starts the process. Let’s continue to erase any stress from your transportation and journey here. You are here and your office is not here. Let any stress from your job remain back at your desk. Relax. You’re here not there. Put all writing instruments down. Just listen and look. Look at me. Look at my face. Look at my lips. I am here and you are here. Relax. Everyone take a deep breath while mentally counting to ten. I’ll count aloud for you.”

Noire began counting, slowly stretching the beginning inhalation to the count of ten.

“Now have your mind count along with me as you exhale.” She counted slowly again. “Let’s do this again. Relax. Release thoughts of your workplace, your home, your hotel room. You are here. Let your eyelids get heavy and in your mind count again. Inhale.” She counted to ten for the breathing cycle.

Ramses noted all eyelids getting heavy.

“Again. let your eyelids close.” She counted more slowly. Carbon dioxide accumulation with the slow breathing would further allow for suggestion and hypnotic capture to occur. Noire repeated the sequence for five more minutes. “You will be receptive to our suggestions. The outside world will not impact on you today. Only today’s program will be your concern. When I tell you to open your eyes you will be totally focused on the program today. You will remember the key motivation principles which will stimulate your clients. By the end of the day we will all know each other as I know Roger Umbo. After the next breath open your eyes. Your mind is here with your bodies.”

The audience once again visualized their comely speaker. “Please turn off all cell phones, pagers and personal data assistants until you’re on your way back home.” Noire paused as she watched everyone comply. One person lagged behind the others. He seemed to be looking around to take direction. “I’ll now turn the agenda back to Dr. Ramses.” She walked from the stage as all eyes now followed Ramses to the podium. The audience was captured. All except one, Noire noted again.

Ramses continued on with his PowerPoint slides. He had watched Roger Umbo flinch and stare at Noire as she keyed his name. He would sensitize Umbo to his voice next–just before the break.

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Dr. Daniel Gater was almost late to the start of the seminar. His hearing aid battery was low and he needed a replacement. He missed the wake-up radio alarm in his room and missed partaking of the breakfast set up at the back of the room. As a Professor of Informational Psychology at Harmon College, he was writing a book on motivation techniques. The seminar by Nehman Ramses was accredited and the man had a reputation for delivering an effective course. At least that’s what one of Gater’s graduate students had told him. Gater’s specialty was directed at focusing the mind to processing information and imparting it to others effectively. It was what one had to do as a teacher of psychology–as a teacher of anything.

Gater came in during Ramses opening remarks and heard most of what he said but his hearing aid crapped out when the attractive woman began the meditation exercise. Gater liked the idea of purging the mind from accumulated stress and used opening humor himself to achieve open-mindedness for his lectures at the college. The major item nagging at his mind was getting a new battery for his hearing aid. The thought would not be purged until he got one. He could read lips pretty well but he was far back in the room and could only absorb bits and pieces of Alicia Noire’s presentation. One thing he didn’t understand was why the speaker singled out this Roger Umbo. He checked the roster of attendees. Roger Umbo was a production engineer for Wormwood Drug and Diagnostics.

Gater followed along matching the slide material with the copies of the PowerPoint pages in the course hand-out. Ramses was a good speaker. One thing was unusual about his style, however. He never asked if there were any questions and no one had yet raised their hand.