Today is World Hypnotism Day.

And on this auspicious occasion, Castro Valley hypnotist Seth-Deborah Roth isn't above invoking a chicken-clucking joke to promote the benefits of hypnosis.

What better place to host the event than Castro Valley, where in 1925 its population of 5,000 was outnumbered 160 to 1 by chickens?

But back to the present. Roth swears no one will cluck like a chicken — the outcome, in jest, for people who submit to hypnosis — if they attend her free demonstration later today.

"Anyone who participates will not only leave relaxed and free of any stress," Roth pledges, "but they will sleep like a baby."

Roth is ready to put you in a deep, relaxing trance, helping participants use the power of their own minds to improve health and well-being.

A nurse and anesthetist, Roth has more than 30 years hypnotherapy experience in studying, teaching and working with patients.

She now has offices in Castro Valley and Pleasanton.

She is also a master stage hypnotherapist who recently taped a segment about hypnosis for the Discovery Channel.

Roth said she and hypnotists around the world will hold special events today to share their knowledge and skills.

Want to:

- Lose weight?

-Stop smoking?

-Manage pain?

-Improve yourself?

-Get rid of insomnia, anxiety, phobias and hypertension?

-Deal with upcoming surgery and recuperation?

-Help improve relationships?

Those are some of the life problems Roth and others in the honorable profession of hypnotism will tackle.

A little prayer to Hypnos, the Greek mythological god of sleep, wouldn't hurt either.

If You Go

What: World Hypnotism Day
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. today
Where: 2881 Castro Valley Blvd., suite 3
More information: hypnotherapyforhealth.com or (510) 690-0699

She tried shock therapy and dozens of medicines without relief, so her husband brought her to a free demonstration Thursday evening as part of World Hypnotism Day. Along with about 60 other people, they crowded into the Healing Institute at 2881 Castro Valley Blvd. to learn how to experience deep relaxation.

"You're not going under a knife or taking any medication. What do you have to lose?" her husband asked. "If my wife is responsive one time, I'm happy."

The demonstration was led by local hypnotist Seth-Deborah Roth, a nurse and anesthetist with more than 30 yearsin hypnotherapy — studying, teaching and working with patients. Hypnotism can be used to lose weight, stop smoking, manage pain and for self-improvement.

Roth guided the group through a series of exercises to help them feel how their subconscious thoughts create a physical reaction, including squeezing their hands together to release tension and experiencing the sensations of a lemon.

"I salivated even though I didn't taste the lemon," one woman said.

Roth then directed the room into a deep relaxation. Soft music played, the lights dimmed and those standing had a break to sit comfortably on the floor among the wall posters focused on reflexology and the nervous system.

"Deeper and deeper you relax," Roth said to the group in a calming voice. "The deeper you go, the better you feel."

Any nearby distractions were reimagined into positive cues.

"Any sounds around you actually help you to focus, for you are in control," Roth said.

With this exercise, she noted that 15 minutes of hypnosis is like three hours of sleep. She said that the experience increases the white blood cell count and explained how it can be used for pain and stress reduction.

Danielle Zaidel, 20, of Castro Valley said she came to find a way to avoid stress eating. The deep relaxation partly worked for her, and she said she would try it again.

"My body got heavy, but my mind wouldn't let it relax all the way," she said.

Debbie Jeffrey, 49, of San Leandro came to seek help in reducing stress. She does yoga and meditation, but says that hypnosis offers a deeper level of relaxation.

Jeffrey said she first discovered that hypnosis was "mind over matter" when she was a 105-pound high school student and a hypnotist came to her school. She was the volunteer example as the adult male hypnotist stood on her back while she supported herself stretched between two separated chairs.

There were no volunteer test subjects Thursday evening, just a room of quiet and attentive zombies.

Actually, Roth's husband, Ken, a medical doctor, explained that with hypnotherapy, the person has to want to be relaxed. This is different from the way an anesthetist can put anybody under with enough medicine.

"Nothing in the world is fact," Ken Roth said of Western medicine.

He added that he had to be convinced that hypnotherapy worked when his wife started practicing it, but he now also has a hypnotherapy license and said the field is gaining widespread respect within the medical community.

Seth-Deborah Roth also shared her hand-puppet, Dr. Moody, who resembled Einstein. Dr. Moody is used to help children overcome needle phobias, bed-wetting and to calm themselves before and after a surgery.

Roth offers one-on-one services at the Castro Valley office, as well as at an office in Pleasanton. More information can be obtained from her Web site, http://www.hypnotherapyforhealth.com, or by calling (510) 690-0699.