LOS ANGELES - Australian hypnotherapist Rick Collingwood wants to help you help yourself, with everything from weight loss to quitting smoking to building self-esteem.

Collingwood was recently on a U.S. tour to promote a new series of self-help hypnotherapy CDs, which includes pain relief for cancer and diabetes symptoms. For his part, he doesn't posit his technique as any kind of "cure."

"The only thing mankind ever cured was fish and bacon, the body cures itself," Collingwood said as he explained the link between the subconcsious mind and the body.

Collingwood talks about his technique - and "Skeptic's Dictionary" author Robert T. Carroll offers a counterpoint - in this asap podcast by PAUL CHAVEZ.

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Download the podcast here: http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_lifestyles/podcasts/1025asap_hypno.mp3

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Paul Chavez is an asap reporter based in Los Angeles. Even though he was a willing subject, Collingwood surprised him by putting him under a trance in which he couldn't open his eyes until repeating magic words.