"Now, let's check your breathing..." Today I have a lovely little bit of self-help that should be useful to
one and all; step one of learning 'Psycholaxation', which is all the rage these days. You didn't know that you could learn something about it for free from WFMU, did you? Well, worry no more. Relaxation can be yours.
Some time ago, rummaging through some dusty old cassette tapes that my mother owned but hadn't played in years and years I came across one entitled "Dr. MacNitt - Psycholaxation", hand-written in someone else's hand, most likely given to my mom as a helpful tool of some sort. It was clearly copied from a vinyl record, which I've been unable to locate a picture of, or any detailed info about. Upon playing it for the first time, I fell in love with the fellow's voice - he sounds almost like a cartoon character. No insult to the guy - even compared to lots of hypnosis and sleep-training records that I've heard over the years, his pipes and his delivery are priceless! I think you'll hear what I mean. A more marble-mouthed and nebbish-ey spoken style I can barely accomplish myself - but he's a fun model to imitate.
Here's some things that I did manage to find out about this technique: The good doctor apparently published a lot of small-press self-help books and articles, including this one attributed to his wife, Mildred L. MacNitt - "Psycholaxation: A New Dimension for Living", as told to Mildred L. MacNitt, 93 pages, published by the Living Arts Foundation in December, 1955. On the record he mentions the book "Three Steps to Better Living", and he also worked up a "Personality and Vocational Guidance Test" course in 1943, which fits him.
I think you'll find his dialog and vocal style as charming as I did, despite the low-grade old cassette and the scratchy record it was sourced from. Settle back -don't cross your legs or arms - and enjoy the flow of the wonderful Doctor MacNutt. Ooops - I mean MacNitt. PSYCHOLAXATION - side one
If you were to tell me this was Pat Paulsen I'd agree. This doctor's vocal pitch sounds remarkably close to Paulsen's vocal delivery except that Paulsen was even more nasal and uber droll. I wonder then if our good doctor is also from the Pacific northwest, related to Paulsen, or his hypnotist.
"You can almost smell the pine from the pine trees and it makes you feel relaxed... your mind becomes peaceful and you're really letting go..."
You will have to post side two.
"Let go of the muscles of your external brain..."
Frank Zappa and Steven Wright couldn't have done this material any better.
Posted by: Bill C | September 30, 2012 at 02:00 PM
Thanks @Bill C ! And thanks for making me think of dear ol' Paulsen (appropriate in an election year!). I wanted to test the waters a bit on this post - to see if anyone WANTED to hear side two (I do! - I haven't heard it since I transferred it from the K7, years ago)... So I think we can look forward to a return visit from the good Doctor on Saturday October 13th at 6pm EST !
Posted by: Mindwrecker | October 01, 2012 at 10:28 AM
Wait wait wait MacNitt! I am not in my Pyjamas. I cannot turn out the lights. I am not resting comfortably. I am at work. I need to relax at work. I need you to help me relax at work. I need you to help me here. What kind of scam is this?
Posted by: Brandonesque | October 01, 2012 at 05:56 PM