Rick Teaches Mel Gibson Hypnosis

Perth Now - Rick Collingwood Teaches Mel Gibson Hypnosis

PERTH hypnotist Rick Collingwood is used to getting unusual requests, but even he was surprised when asked to teach his craft to movie star Mel Gibson.

Article published in 'Perth Now' (Sunday Times) - View Original Article Here

PERTH hypnotist Rick Collingwood is used to getting unusual requests, but even he was surprised when asked to teach his craft to movie star Mel Gibson.

Dr Collingwood has just returned from a 10-day stint training Gibson to hypnotise people at the Australian American actor-director's Malibu mansion.

After Gibson expressed an interest in learning hypnosis, his brother Chris contacted Dr Collingwood, who is the founder of the Australian Academy of Hypnosis, which is based in Perth.

"He's (Gibson) had an interest in hypnosis for many years and wanted to learn it," Mr Collingwood said.

He (Gibson) certainly picked it (hypnosis) up really quickly - he's a very clever man.

He's a very generous, benevolent man and helps a lot of people.

I taught him how to induce hypnosis in other people - I think he will use it by helping people who need it, maybe those in his church."

In 2003, Gibson built a church in Malibu that follows a strict strain of Catholicism and has poured millions of dollars into the secretive group.

Dr Collingwood said he had worked with many actors during his 16-year hypnotherapy career, but was surprised when asked to train Gibson.

While staying at the star's home, he also met Danny Glover, who was filming a documentary with Gibson, and got a few snaps with a sword from hit film Braveheart.

"It was a very interesting 10 days in a nice Malibu mansion," Dr Collingwood said.

He said Gibson was treated unfairly in the media and many rumours and stories in circulation were untrue.

"The rag mags like to invent interesting things," Dr Collingwood said. "When I was there they were saying he was watching the Academy Awards naked - it was all over the news but it was rubbish - I was sitting with him and his family and Oksana (Grigorieva, his girlfriend).

The way the media carry on about him being anti-Semitic is complete rubbish - I met his friends and some of them were Jewish."

Dr Collingwood used the trip to publicise his popular hypnotherapy CDs and will be moving to the US to expand his business.

He has also treated actor Joe Mantegna from hit drama series Criminal Minds for back pain.

Gibson's brother Chris lectures in neuro-linguistic programming and hypnosis and has just finished a book on the topic.