Episode 143: The Hollywood Hypnotist: Kevin Stone on Suggestion, Healing, and the Truth About Trance

Zach sits down with Kevin Stone—better known as “The Hollywood Hypnotist”—for a wide-ranging conversation that demystifies what hypnosis actually is… and what it definitely isn’t. Kevin shares how he first stumbled into hypnosis while looking for college credit at one of the only accredited hypnosis colleges (in Tarzana, California), then unexpectedly turned it into a decades-long career helping people change habits, manage pain, and overcome blocks. Along the way, Kevin explains how he got the “Hollywood Hypnotist” label (spoiler: it wasn’t self-proclaimed), why celebrities seek hypnosis just like anyone else, and how modern tech has made Zoom sessions not only possible—but sometimes even better than in-person work. Zach also brings his own experience into the mix, sharing a past-life regression session that felt less like “making it up” and more like remembering. That opens the door to one of the most fascinating parts of the episode: Kevin’s balanced take on past lives—skeptical about hard proof, but fully convinced of their therapeutic power—including a story about a wealthy client whose chronic shoulder pain disappeared after a regression revealed an “arrow-to-the-shoulder” trauma in a Gold Rush-era past-life narrative. Then Kevin flips the script: he argues Zach is already using hypnosis every day as a podcaster through “environmental hypnosis”—the power of attention, influence, cadence, and suggestion. And before the episode wraps, Kevin demonstrates just how quickly suggestibility can kick in with a simple “magnet fingers” exercise… right up until technology has the final word and the interview cuts out mid-offer. Zach closes the episode by promising to share Kevin’s special offer/discount details in the episode description once he gets them.

Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast · Zach Randes-Friedman