‘If one day, you find a secret place, will you be able to keep it secret?
Portuguese author Maria Inês Rebelo obtained her degree in law and though she has never practiced law she wrote VOLUNTEER WORK: A LEGAL AND SOCIAL REFLECTION. HYPNOSIS: A RETURN TO THE PAST marks her debut novel – a book whose focus is the human soul. As she has stated, she hopes that through reading her books she hopes readers will acquire a different view of the power of the human mind and mankind. “Even when we are not looking for ‘Goodness’, we may find it if we want to.’
Maria opens her book with a seductive passage about her story – ‘The story you are about to read tells the life story of Anne Pauline Roux, not only in the past, but also in the present and the future. Anne Pauline has a destiny. It is a destiny that only reveals itself when, one day, she takes the important decision to begin hypnosis sessions with the famous hypnotist, Marcus Belling. Her intention is to confront her fears and anxieties. To this day, she is still learning that through hypnosis and past life therapy, she can finally understand her inexplicable feeling of not belonging anywhere and inability to establish her own identity. In fact, the experiences of her past lives appear to have contributed in some way to the person she is today. At the same time, these moments have also given her the coordinates to find her future. Throughout a nine-month therapy period set by Marcus Belling, Anne Pauline will discover that she contains a mighty force within herself, which shows its power only while she is under hypnotic trance. Under a secret alliance with Belling’s opponent, Josef Salvaterra, she will use that same power to put an end to the talent of Marcus Belling. In fact, she considers that he is the principal person responsible for her inexplicable anxiety. However, this decision will weigh heavily on her conscience. As a matter of fact, it is a chance for her to forgive her own past and, thus, build her path to future happiness. The search for truth will require Anne Pauline to accept the consequences of her search, which sometimes may be inevitable and unpredictable. Anne will understand it much later. Until then, her indecisions and dilemmas will be part of this journey and will demand that she takes brave decisions to achieve the biggest goal of her life: her freedom. Mainly, her liberation from her past.’
Maria leads us into her story with both depth of background and a fine degree of suspense – ‘At the exact stroke of 12 o’clock, Anne Pauline Roux rang the bell on Marcus Belling’s medical clinic at number 27 of the famous Sun Avenue. It was mid-July and the day was very warm already. A fresh, yet different breeze was blowing in the air. The city, too, was bustling with movement, as wave after wave of tourists invaded it at this time of year. In fact, when Anne Pauline rang the bell, she did not even know who she was looking for. Marcus Belling was a renowned hypnotist known throughout the country for many years, after appearing on his first national television show where he talked about hypnosis. The most famous of his many public presentations were his interviews on the Therapy of Past Lives and Regression, which had become especially legendary. It would not be going too far to say that, the entire country would stop to listen when Marcus Belling spoke. This was a special day for Anne Pauline, as she had wanted to meet the famous hypnotist, about whom so many people had spoken for several years, but she was afraid of the unknown. For this reason, before making her appointment, she’d decided to buy a book to try to reduce the dread she felt whenever she thought about being hypnotised. She had bought it a few months ago, and its title, The Mysteries of Hypnosis, created a certain feeling of suspense. On this summer’s day, she had been almost hypnotised by the words, as if she had been dragged into a world of which she was completely ignorant. She tried not to think any more about it, at least not when she was steeling herself to ring the bell of number 27 Sun Avenue. Since Belling had started his practice as a hypnotist, people had, in effect, adopted new ideas and perspectives about hypnosis as a therapeutic method and alternative to traditional medicine. Hypnosis had still been seen as a kind of occult practice twenty years earlier, and so its practitioners and ‘followers’ were banned from the conventional system of traditional medicine. Today, this is no longer the case. Some have argued with conviction that Marcus Belling has been responsible for this change in mentality.’
The synopsis shows us where the story is leading – ‘Marcus Belling is a world-famous hypnotist. For the past 20 years, many exclusive clients have benefited from his skills and desire to help people. However, everything changes when a mysterious woman named Anne Pauline Roux knocks on his door. She holds a rare power when hypnotized, which will affect both their lives in ways they could never imagine. Her unique power is so strong that it doesn’t stay secret for long. Marcus’ archrival and fellow hypnotist, Josef Salvaterra, has been looking for a way to shut down Marcus’ business for years. Pauline may just give him the opportunity he’s been waiting for. If he can work this to his advantage, he could be recognised as the greatest hypnotist the world has ever seen. With such a prize at stake, is there anything he’s not prepared to do? Reading this book is a hypnotic process that will lead you to question the meaning of destiny and truth, and restore faith in our ability to find the good, even when we are not looking for it.’
More then just a fine novel, this book is a welcome exploration of the power of the human mind, The skill Maria displays in this debut novel suggests we have a promising new author in our midst. Recommended.