"Hypnotism is a magnified concentration based on a belief system," he explained. He runs Beyond Your Imagination Hypnosis and Massage Center on 8212 Ithaca Suite D5 in Lubbock Texas. 806-792-4164.

But Honea, or Dr. H, hasn't always been in the hypnosis business, though he has been in the entertainment industry for about 30 years. He started as a magician and made the switch to hypnosis after Sept. 11, 2001. It was cheaper. Besides, as fun as illusions are, they don't really make the impact quite like hypnotism does.

He's a trained professional and spends part of his time training future hypnotists.

Honea is also pastor of College Heights Baptist Church. He said many people assume hypnotism is "evil," but he assures that it's not.

"The first response is that it's of the devil," he said. "If they don't understand something, they assume it's bad."

Honea said hypnotism can be backed up biblically. Romans 12:2, for example, reads, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The "renewing of the mind" part, he said, includes hypnotism.

Honea is the only stage hypnotist in Lubbock. He performs across the country and uses stage hypnotism to entertain and to motivate. He said he never forces anyone into hypnosis; in fact, he said, that's not even possible.

"People who are on stage want to be. They want to have fun," he said. But it's not all fun and games. That's where hypnotherapy comes in.

Just ask Irabor. He wanted to quench his urge to turn to pornography when times got tough. The doctors couldn't help him. Neither could psychiatrists.

"I kept praying. I just needed somebody to help me," he said. "I went on the Internet and saw Dr. H. I read his profile and saw that he was a Christian man."

So he made an appointment. Honea told Irabor that hypnosis wouldn't magically take his addiction away, but it would help. After a thorough discussion, the hypnosis began.

Honea turned on light music and told Irabor to close his eyes and listen to his voice. He told him his eyes were getting heavy. His neck. His elbows. His shoulders. Before he knew it, Irabor was walking up a grassy hill with a weighty backpack on. The bag was getting too heavy. Irabor could feel the weight on his shoulders. Honea told him to take stuff out of the pack to make it lighter. It worked.

"He helped me get into my subconscious, and I conquered some of my weaknesses," Irabor said.

He hasn't looked at Internet porn in two months. He doesn't have the urge to look at it anymore, he said.

Meadows goes to Honea's church and had heard him talk about hypnotism. She had been lighting up for 15 years. She had tried the gum, she had tried limiting how many cigarettes she had a day, but it never lasted long.

But she was determined to change, and in 2006 decided it was her New Year's resolution.

"I got to the point where I was down to six a day (down from a pack-and-a-half). I thought I was doing well, but I could not get past that point," she said. On March 6 she went to Dr Honea for help. They spent 45 minutes talking about the issue.

"Then," Meadows said, "he hypnotized me." Honea gave her a copy of the CD he used during her hypnosis so she could listen to it when things got stressful.

"I used the CD several times over the next six weeks," she said. But Meadows never reached for a cigarette. It's been 10 months. Hypnosis, she said, is simple. It's positive reinforcement.

"If you're wanting to quit, it's just another positive reinforcement to get you to where you can quit and stay quit," Meadows said.

Dr. Honea said it's slightly more complicated than that. He explained that the subconscious is where long-term memories dwell. So, by attaching new, positive images to the subconscious, changes happen.

It's a science, he said. Dr. Honea noted that it happens to people every day. "Have you ever been reading a book and lose track of time?" he asked. That's hypnosis. So is spacing out and driving past your exit, Dr. Honea said. Learning how to use it properly, he said, can change lives.

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