Prof. Erminio Di Pisa — Ipnosi con lo Sguardo/en

The Prof. Erminio Di Pisa is the Italian theatrical hypnotist who forms the link between Donato and Marco Paret. He studied directly with Maestro Dante Caravelli and developed a system of hypnosis that integrates direct gaze, induction via TV and radio, and theatrical mass hypnosis. Marco Paret is his direct student.

The book's preface: Maestro Caravelli

In 1973 Di Pisa meets Dante Caravelli in Milan — a seer, philosopher, and great hypnotist. He writes:

"In 1973 I had the fortune to meet a famous medium at a friend's house: Dante Caravelli. His eyes were flashing, large, yellow and fiery, strong as those of a tiger and, on command, icy as those of a serpent. One day, wanting to 'test' it personally, I voluntarily submitted to his hypnotic power. Without putting me to sleep, without removing my perfect awareness of everything I felt, I had to endure, despite my willful resistance, the strange ascendancy of the master. When these experiences, produced on me in a waking state, convinced me of the reality of hypnotism, I had only one goal: to study! to know!"

Caravelli dies on June 29, 1977, having written his own date of death fifteen days earlier. Di Pisa takes on the task of realizing the Master's dream: "My duty is to see the Master's dream realized."

The transmission chain is therefore: Donato → [Caravelli] → Di Pisa → Paret.

The technique of direct fascination

Di Pisa teaches fascination as a central technique. The description from his book is precise:

"The gaze, trained by the exercises already presented, produces in the people you fix at the root of the nose the phenomenon of fascination, that is, of suggestion."

Fundamental technical detail: the operator looks at the **root of the nose**, between the two eyes — not into the eyes. It is the subject who looks the operator in the eyes:

"When the hypnotist fixes a subject, do not think that he looks them in the eyes; he directs his gaze to the root of the nose, between the two eyes, and keeps them fixed and still, avoiding any blinking. It is the subject who must look the operator in the eyes."

On the importance of controlling the eyelids:

"Any movement of the eyelids is reflex and usually occurs without the participation of the will. You must absolutely master it, because the absolute success in fascination tests depends exclusively on this. Some authors do not hesitate to state that any movement of the hypnotist's eyelids... completely cancels the effect already produced."

On the possibility of fascinating while smiling: "Maestro Caravelli influenced the most rebellious subjects while smiling." But with certain subjects it is advisable to open the eyes as wide as possible to achieve fascination more quickly.

The television technique

One of Di Pisa's original contributions is hypnotic induction using television as an imaginary tool — a visual technique particularly effective with children:

"Now imagine your television at home turned off... do you see it?... Good... Now I press the button and make funny images of a movie appear on your TV... do you see them? Laurel and Hardy are getting big pies in the face... do you see it?... Good... Now they slip and hit their bottoms... you laugh... and you have fun... Now the movie is over and you are very sleepy... you are very tired... relaxed..."

The induction uses the metal pendulum held just above the eyelids to achieve eye closure, then the television as an imaginative tool to deepen the state.

Therapeutic hypnosis via radio and television

Di Pisa is a pioneer of remote hypnosis via media. In the book he describes the method for therapeutic radio:

"Hypnosis via radio against insomnia must be carried out in the evening around 11 PM, suggesting to the patients in a way that makes them sleep without waking until morning, convincing them that no sound and no noise will be able to wake them."

The principle for pain suppression via radio is codified in five steps:

Describe the effect you want to produce
State that it will be achieved
Emphasize that the more the subject tries to resist, the more intense the effect will be
State that the effect gradually occurs
State that at the count of three it will be achieved

The triad of great mass hypnotists

Di Pisa cites in the triad of great methods for collective hypnosis in the theater: "total hypnosis in a crowded theater (Webb, Ceccarelli, Di Pisa methods)". His name alongside Ceccarelli and Webb — the two masters of mass hypnosis — reflects his position in the Italian and international tradition.

Music as a tool

Di Pisa uses specific music for the different phases:

For general induction: music by Jean Jarre (Oxygène, Magnetic Fields)
For mass catalepsy: specific music chosen for its rhythm and structure

The book: Hypnosis from A to Z

Di Pisa's book is preserved in the ISI-CNV archive (Drive). It contains:

The autobiographical preface with Caravelli
The technique of direct fascination with gaze at the root of the nose
Therapeutic hypnosis via radio and TV
Theatrical techniques (ch. 5)
Specific hypnotic treatments (enuresis, nail biting, insomnia, pain)
The Webb/Ceccarelli/Di Pisa triad
The transcript of Ceccarelli's cassette at the Regio di Parma (1978)

The connection to the Paret Method

Marco Paret is a direct student of Di Pisa and has continued and developed his work. The Ball of Light originates from Di Pisa's techniques — particularly from the use of fixation and gaze as vectors of fascination. Paret then developed pure direct fascination, in the tradition of Donato, as a separate and more advanced level compared to the Ball of Light.

Moréty/Paret: "It is Dr. Paret who, by taking up Donato's work and mixing it with in-depth research on therapeutic magnetism, has made it a super-powerful tool."

Video transcript: Healing Hypnosis

Transcript on Drive: Di Pisa — Video transcript «Healing Hypnosis» (ISI-CNV Drive)

The historical video «Di Pisa — Healing Hypnosis» (445MB, ISI-CNV Drive, ID: 1S0fO9NCSPQD9pw0wk4wSoKWKfPIl4C4b) is being transcribed via Whisper on the ISI-CNV VM. The transcript will be integrated into this page when available.

Sources

Erminio Di Pisa, Hypnosis from A to Z — ISI-CNV Drive archive
Magnétisme et Fascination Triomphants — Moréty e Paret — section «Après Donato»
Dott. Enrico Ceccarelli — Ipnotista di Massa — the cassette at the Regio di Parma cited by Di Pisa