MORE THAN A GROUP.
A BROTHERHOOD.
HPNS Society is a private community of gay men centered on trust, friendship, authentic connection, and the power of shared experiences. At our core, we share an interest in recreational hypnosis, and each year we gather to exchange perspectives and information about what we have learned. We welcome every member for who he is and celebrate the strength of being together.
Our story began in the late 1990s, when several of us met through IRC channels and Yahoo chat rooms for recreational hypnosis. As friendships developed, one member from the United Kingdom announced that he would be vacationing in the United States and invited anyone interested to join him.
That invitation led to our first gathering in 1998. The weekend was such a success that, the following year, someone proposed meeting in a different city, and a tradition was born.
Since then, we have gathered nearly every year—sometimes discovering a new destination and sometimes returning to an old favorite—for a weekend of friendship, laughter, shared experiences, and camaraderie. The only year we missed was, as you may have guessed, 2020.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN...
Our friendships began in the late 1990s through IRC channels and Yahoo chat rooms.
One member from the United Kingdom invited anyone interested to join him on a vacation in the United States.
That invitation sparked our first in-person gathering in 1998—and a tradition was born.
Since then, we've gathered nearly every year—exploring new places, returning to favorites, and building bonds that go far beyond geography.
1998 San Francisco
1999 San Francisco
2000 Washington, DC
2001 Las Vegas, NV
2002 Chicago, IL
2003 Toronto, Canada
2004 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2005 Beverly Hills, CA
2006 New York City, NY
2007 Las Vegas, NV
2008 Washington, DC
2009 Minneapolis, MN
2010 Seattle, WA
2011 New Orleans, LA
2012 Dallas, TX
2013 Nashville, TN
2014 Philadelphia, PA
2015 Austin, TX
2016 Portland, OR
2017 Washington, DC
2018 St. Louis, MO
2019 San Francisco, CA
2020 No gathering; Vancouver cancelled
2021 San Francisco, CA
2022 Vancouver, Canada
2023 Palm Springs, CA
2024 Boston, MA
2025 Dallas, TX
2026 Atlanta, GA