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In this fascinating episode of NZACH Talk Time, Meredith McCarthy speaks with author and storyteller Brownell Landrum, founder of the Cosmic Wish Experiment and author of The Art and Science of Wishing.
Together, they explore the deeper meaning of wishing — not simply as fantasy or wishful thinking, but as a powerful blend of intention, hope, ritual, storytelling, science, and aligned action.
Brownell shares how her curiosity led her to research over 70 scientists and explore how every wish may engage multiple areas of science, including neuroplasticity, anthropology, mirror neurons, psychobiology, the reticular activating system, and the power of collective intention. Meredith and Brownell discuss the difference between a goal, a prayer, and a wish, and how a “cosmic wish” adds science, repetition, emotional alignment, and purpose to the wishing process.
This conversation also explores the importance of peaceful, positive, and purposeful wishing; the role of ritual in human history; the power of group intention; and how collective hope can support resilience, meaning, and positive change. Meredith reflects on how these ideas connect beautifully with hypnotherapy, subconscious alignment, reframing, and helping people move beyond fear, limitation, and old belief patterns.
In this episode, we discuss:
The difference between a wish, a goal, and a prayer
What makes a wish a “cosmic wish”
Why repetition supports neuroplasticity
How the reticular activating system helps us notice opportunities
The role of ritual, storytelling, and collective intention
Why wishes need to be peaceful, positive, and purposeful
How wishing can spark hope and shift energy
The connection between hypnotherapy, subconscious alignment, and belief change
Why reframing difficult experiences can build resilience
How collective hope may help humanity move towards something better
This is a warm, thought-provoking conversation for anyone interested in hypnotherapy, manifestation, personal growth, spiritual development, neuroplasticity, storytelling, collective consciousness, and the science behind intention.
To learn more about Brownell Landrum and the Cosmic Wish Experiment, visit:
https://cosmicwishexperiment.com
https://brownelllandrum.com

To learn more about becoming a clinical hypnotherapist through the New Zealand Academy of Clinical Hypnotherapy, visit:
https://www.nzach.ac.nz
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may enjoy exploring the power of wishing, hope, and human potential.
Keywords
hypnotherapy, clinical hypnotherapy, NZACH Talk Time, Meredith McCarthy, Brownell Landrum, Cosmic Wish Experiment, the art and science of wishing, wishing, manifestation, intention, collective intention, collective consciousness, neuroplasticity, reticular activating system, power of hope, positive thinking, subconscious mind, mind body spirit, spiritual growth, personal transformation, storytelling, ritual, mirror neurons, psychobiology, law of attraction, manifestation science, peaceful positive purposeful, hypnotherapy podcast, New Zealand hypnotherapy, becoming a hypnotherapist, hypnosis and mindset, subconscious alignment, reframing, resilience, belief change, goal setting, prayer and intention, collective energy, wish circle

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In this heartfelt episode of NZACH Talk Time, Meredith McCarthy is joined by Barbara Banner, psychic medium, to explore grief, healing, spiritual connection, and the comfort many people feel when they sense a loved one is still near. Together, they discuss the emotional impact of loss, the ripple effects grief can have on families, and how signs, memories, laughter, and love can all play a part in the healing process.
Barbara shares her own journey into mediumship, her background supporting people in crisis, and her approach to helping those who are grieving feel lighter, more supported, and more open to the possibility that connection continues beyond physical death. Meredith also brings her own lived experience and therapeutic perspective to the conversation, reflecting on grief, remembrance, spiritual experiences, and the importance of keeping loved ones present in our hearts and stories.

https://www.bannermedium.com

This episode explores:
how grief can affect people emotionally, spiritually and psychologically
why laughter can sometimes help interrupt the heaviness of grief
how people may experience signs, dreams, synchronicities and felt connection
the importance of talking about loved ones rather than forgetting them
how spiritual beliefs can bring comfort during bereavement
why grief does not always move in a straight line
how healing can happen in both ordinary and deeply meaningful ways
This is a thoughtful conversation for anyone who has lost someone, supports grieving clients, or is curious about the intersection between grief, spirituality and healing. Please note this episode includes discussion of death, bereavement and emotional loss.
To learn more about NZACH training, visit:
https://www.nzach.ac.nz

If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may find comfort in it.

#GriefSupport #HealingAfterLoss #Mediumship #SpiritualConnection #Bereavement #BarbaraBanner #MeredithMcCarthy #NZACH #TalkTime #ClinicalHypnotherapy

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In this episode of NZACH Talk Time, Meredith McCarthy is joined by Peter McLaughlin, a US-based certified hypnotherapist and life coach from Blue Sky Hypnosis, for a fascinating conversation about regression work, past life experiences, grief healing, subconscious change, and the nature of reality. Peter is based in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and offers both in-person and online sessions. His work includes hypnotic regression, anxiety and stress, weight loss, and performance enhancement.
During this rich and thought-provoking discussion, Peter shares the deeply personal journey that led him into hypnotherapy after a serious health diagnosis changed the course of his life. What began as a search to better understand the mind-body connection became a lifelong exploration of healing, consciousness, and helping others uncover the deeper roots of emotional and behavioural patterns.
Together, Meredith and Peter explore why root cause work matters so much in hypnotherapy. Rather than simply addressing surface symptoms, they discuss the importance of helping clients safely uncover and process the deeper emotional material that may be driving unwanted patterns. The conversation also highlights the value of curiosity over assumption, the importance of staying truly connected to the client in front of you, and why effective hypnosis is often less about reading scripts and more about responsive, attuned therapeutic work.
This episode also moves into deeper territory, including:
regression as a therapeutic process for uncovering root causes
the role of the subconscious mind in symptom formation and healing
past life regression and spontaneous regression experiences
grief, loss, and the healing power of inner resolution
how perspective, memory, and meaning shape our emotional reality
spiritual experience, consciousness, and expanded views of healing
the relationship between suffering, growth, identity, and transformation
Meredith also shares moving reflections from her own life and practice, including experiences of grief, healing, and supporting loved ones through profound emotional and spiritual processes. Together, Meredith and Peter consider how hypnotherapy can create powerful opportunities for closure, reconnection, emotional release, and deeper peace.
This episode is for those interested in:
clinical hypnotherapy, regression work, subconscious healing, grief resolution, consciousness, spiritual experience, and transformational change.
Whether you approach these topics from a therapeutic perspective, a spiritual perspective, or simple curiosity, this conversation invites you to think more deeply about healing, memory, identity, and the wider nature of human experience.
About Peter McLaughlin:
Peter McLaughlin is a certified hypnotherapist and life coach, trained at the American Academy of Hypnotherapy and the NLP Center of NYC. He is the creator of Blue Sky Hypnosis, author of Becoming the Customer, and a former volunteer firefighter and EMT. According to his website, he works with clients in Florida and worldwide through online sessions.
To learn more about Peter’s work, visit https://www.blueskyhypnosis.com
To learn more about training in clinical hypnotherapy, visit https://www.nzach.ac.nz
If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with others who are curious about the deeper dimensions of healing and transformation.

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What if your thoughts are not just passing ideas…
but creative forces shaping your reality?
In this episode of Talk Time, Meredith explores the creative power of thought and consciousness — and how, as a clinical hypnotherapist, she works with this principle every day

Across this series, we’ve explored love over fear, unity and oneness, interconnectedness, and the illusion of ego. Now we arrive at something foundational:

Where attention goes, energy flows.

Every thought you think stimulates new neural pathways.
Every belief you reinforce strengthens a pattern.
Every dream begins as a conscious idea.

In this episode, Meredith unpacks:

• How conscious thought reshapes the brain
• Why belief must accompany desire
• The difference between the “doing” script and the “don’ting” script
• How focusing on what you don’t want strengthens it
• Why clear intention and strong emotion create momentum
• The role of synchronistic moments in life
• How manifestation works through aligned thought and feeling

Through personal stories — including her journey into art exhibitions and unexpected opportunities — Meredith illustrates how visualising, emotionally engaging, and consistently directing attention toward what you want can open unexpected doors

This isn’t about wishful thinking.

It’s about:

• Cleaning up your thought stream
• Becoming your own inner cheerleader
• Aligning emotion with intention
• Believing you are capable and deserving
• Understanding that you are more powerful than you think

As a hypnotherapist, Meredith helps clients shift limiting beliefs at a subconscious level — reinforcing empowering narratives that support confidence, clarity, and purposeful action

So ask yourself:

What are you giving your attention to?
What are you emotionally charging?
What are you daydreaming into existence?

Because strong emotion and clear intention dance together — and they create.

If you’re curious about becoming a clinical hypnotherapist and learning how to guide others in unlocking their creative power, visit:
www.nzach.ac.nz

If this episode resonated, comment below and share what you’re consciously creating next.

See you in the next Talk Time.

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Is your ego protecting you… or limiting you?
In this episode of Talk Time, Meredith explores the illusionary nature of the ego — and how it quietly shapes your decisions, relationships, confidence, and sense of worth
.
We often think of ego as identity.
But what if it’s more of a construct — a collection of beliefs built around fear, acceptance, achievement, and being “good enough”?
In this thought-provoking conversation, Meredith unpacks:
• How ego can be rooted in fear of rejection
• Why low self-esteem and inflated ego often come from the same place
• The difference between healthy ambition and ego-driven validation
• How ego can stop you speaking up or stepping forward
• Why burnout often hides behind achievement
• The impact of childhood conditioning on adult identity
• How to challenge beliefs that feel factual but may be fictional
Ego isn’t the enemy.
If we weren’t meant to have one, we wouldn’t.
But when ego runs unchecked, it can distort reality — making you feel either not good enough or superior to others as protection.
Many clients Meredith works with struggle with delicate self-esteem, overthinking, and fear of what others think

The common thread? A belief that worth must be earned.
This episode invites you to explore a different foundation:
“I am enough.”
Not because you won.
Not because you achieved.
Not because you proved something.
But because you are.
Through hypnotherapy, Meredith helps clients challenge ego-based beliefs and reinforce empowering truths at a subconscious level — creating sustainable confidence rather than fragile validation

If you’ve ever:
• Held back in meetings
• Felt crushed by failure
• Needed to win to feel worthy
• Burnt out chasing success
• Struggled with harsh self-criticism
This episode will resonate.
If you’re interested in training as a clinical hypnotherapist and learning how to guide others through powerful mindset shifts, visit:
www.nzach.ac.nz
Next week: The creative power of thought and consciousness — and how what you think shapes what you experience.
See you in the next Talk Time.

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Have you ever felt like a ship without a compass?
Like something is missing…
Like you’re meant for something more…
But you can’t quite name it?

In this episode of Talk Time, Meredith explores the deeper meaning of interconnectedness — not just with people around us, but across time, purpose, and soul experience

Many people report during near-death experiences that they review their life and feel they chose their journey — even their parents — to learn something specific. Whether you take that literally or metaphorically, it opens a powerful lens for therapy and self-reflection.

In this episode, Meredith shares:

• Why so many people feel disconnected or adrift
• The link between depression and lack of community
• The power of belonging and shared purpose
• How contribution dissolves isolation
• Why “finding your tribe” changes everything
• The difference between a job and a calling
• How she discovered clinical hypnotherapy — and knew instantly it was her path

Through a story of a community garden study, Meredith explores how working together toward something meaningful can shift mental health, belonging, and identity

We are not here to be singular.

We are here to:

• Connect
• Contribute
• Support
• Grow
• Serve

Interconnectedness isn’t abstract philosophy — it’s lived experience. It’s the ache in your heart when you know you’re meant for more. It’s the resonance when you finally find your place.

And sometimes, it’s the moment you walk into a room and just know you’re home.

If you’re questioning your purpose…
If you’re feeling disconnected…
If you’re sensing a calling but unsure what it is…

This conversation is for you.

If you’d like support, you can book a session online at:
www.meredithmccarthy.com

If you’re interested in becoming a clinical hypnotherapist and discovering your own calling through service, visit:
www.nzach.ac.nz

In previous episodes, we explored love over fear and unity or oneness. Next week, we explore the illusionary nature of the ego and how it shapes your experience of reality.

See you in the next Talk Time.

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What if separation is the illusion… and connection is the truth?
In this episode of Talk Time, Meredith explores the powerful concept of oneness — the understanding that we are deeply interconnected with each other, with nature, and with the greater field of life itself

Even when we feel alone…
Even when we feel different…
Even when others challenge us…
We are still part of something far greater.
In this reflective and grounding conversation, Meredith shares:
• Why separation is often a construct of the mind
• How humanity operates within a collective consciousness
• The unseen ways our thoughts and energy influence others
• Why difficult people can become our greatest teachers
• How judgement softens when we understand shared human experience
• The powerful metaphor of nature’s perfect timing
• What spring blossoms taught her about alignment and potential
Through the lens of nature — trees, breath, rivers, seasons — Meredith explores how our bodies mirror the earth itself, and how remembering our place within that ecosystem can bring peace, acceptance, and joy

When we begin to understand unity:
• We judge less
• We soften more
• We accept differences
• We feel less alone
• We trust timing
• We recognise we are part of something intelligent and ordered
This episode invites you to contemplate your place in the wider web of life — not as separate, but as deeply woven into it.
If you’re feeling adrift, disconnected, or questioning your place in the world, this conversation may offer a powerful reframe.
If you’d like support in exploring these ideas further, you can book a session online at:
www.meredithmccarthy.com
Or if you’re interested in training as a clinical hypnotherapist and learning how to guide others through profound internal shifts, visit:
www.nzach.ac.nz
Next episode: We continue exploring interconnectedness and what that means in everyday life.
See you in the next Talk Time.

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Who am I?
Why am I here?
What’s this all about?
These are questions many of us begin asking as children — and they stay with us throughout life.
In this deeply reflective Talk Time episode, clinical hypnotherapist Meredith McCarthy explores one of the most powerful truths woven through her 30+ years of practice: love conquers fear — but it starts from within.
So many people are unknowingly their own harshest critic. The internal dialogue running in the background can be septic, fear-driven, and deeply limiting. And when fear is left unchecked, it grows — fuelling anxiety, depression, phobias, and self-doubt.
But what if fear isn’t as solid as it feels?
What if it’s a construct — mind-made and dissolvable?
In this episode, Meredith shares:
• Why fear often operates like weeds in the emotional mind garden
• How your inner dialogue shapes your emotional landscape
• The power of becoming your own best friend
• How loving internal language rewires subconscious programming
• Why self-compassion unlocks your potential
• How hypnotherapy helps reinforce empowering beliefs at a subconscious level
Imagine walking down the street with your thoughts on loudspeaker.
Would you edit them?
When we consciously shift our internal narrative from criticism to compassion — from fear to love — something powerful happens. We step back into alignment. We move into our power zone. We begin becoming who we were always meant to be.
Love doesn’t start “out there.”
It begins within — one thought at a time.
If you’re curious about learning how to help others reprogram their inner dialogue and step into empowered living, Meredith also shares how you can train in clinical hypnotherapy through the New Zealand Academy of Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Next episode: We explore the concept of unity and oneness — and what that really means in everyday life.
If this resonated with you, like, subscribe, and share with someone who may need this reminder today.
Learn more about clinical hypnotherapy training:
www.nzach.ac.nz
Book a session:
www.meredithmccarthy.com
This episode is part of NZACH Talk Time — conversations exploring hypnosis, healing, self-awareness, and personal transformation.
See you next time.

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In this episode of NZACH Talk Time, Meredith McCarthy sits down with Roger Saxelby, a highly experienced clinical hypnotherapist and respected former trainer in New Zealand, to unpack one of the most essential skills in our work: the art of suggestion.
Together we explore how suggestion is more than just words — it includes expectation, body language, tone, pacing, safety language, and the way we build trust in the therapy space. Roger shares insights from decades in the field, including how early-life suggestions shape identity, why different clients respond to different approaches, and how therapeutic language can create powerful change.
We also discuss:
Why suggestion is a normal part of everyday life (and how it shapes belief)
Direct vs indirect suggestion (and when each works best)
The shift from authoritarian hypnosis to a more client-centred approach
Why scripts can be limiting — and why listening matters
How imagination fuels change: “imagine as if…” and future pacing
Metaphor and storytelling as a way to reduce resistance
Regression work: how safety language and permissions shape outcomes
The mind–body connection and how experiences can be held in the nervous system
Advice for anyone considering training in hypnotherapy (and what makes a great practitioner)
If you’re a hypnotherapist, a student, or simply curious about how language influences the mind, you’ll get a lot from this conversation.
✨ Interested in training to become a clinical hypnotherapist?
Visit https://www.nzach.ac.nz and explore the NZACH Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy.
👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and drop your questions or reflections in the comments.

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In this Talk Time episode, clinical hypnotherapist Meredith McCarthy explores the art of suggestion — one of the most important (and misunderstood) skills in therapeutic hypnotherapy.
Many people associate suggestion with stage hypnosis or authoritarian commands. In clinical practice, however, effective suggestion is subtle, collaborative, and deeply respectful of the client’s inner world.
This episode breaks down how storytelling, metaphor, pacing, and language are used to help clients move from old belief patterns into new possibilities — without force, pressure, or resistance.
In this episode, we explore:
The difference between stage hypnosis and therapeutic hypnosis
Why authoritarian suggestion often creates resistance
How storytelling and metaphor allow clients to “join the dots” themselves
Surface structure vs deep structure metaphors (and when to use each)
Why the client always has the answers — and how suggestion supports that
How post-hypnotic and future-paced suggestions plant change gently
The role of listening, curiosity, and unconscious bias in therapy
Why mirrored language strengthens intention and emotional alignment
Meredith also explains how belief change is shaped through language, emotion, and intention — and why strong listening skills are just as important as hypnotic technique.
Whether you’re curious about hypnosis, already working therapeutically with clients, or considering training in clinical hypnotherapy, this episode offers insight into how real, ethical change work happens.
If you’d like to learn more about training as a clinical hypnotherapist, visit https://www.nzach.ac.nz
If this episode resonated, please like, subscribe, and comment — it helps the channel grow and allows these conversations to reach more people.