Paul McKenna
A bestselling hypnotist who brought self-help and behavioral change into the mainstream with a blend of showmanship and practical psychology.
Born 1963 (age 63)·British hypnotist and TV personality·Birthday: November 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Paul McKenna rose from London radio to become the world's most recognizable hypnotist, packaging therapeutic techniques as accessible entertainment. His early career on pirate radio led to a breakthrough television show, 'The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna', which demystified hypnosis for a mass audience. McKenna’s genius lay in his presentation; he combined a smooth, reassuring stage presence with simple, actionable advice for overcoming phobias, quitting smoking, and losing weight. He translated this into a publishing phenomenon, with books like 'I Can Make You Thin' dominating bestseller lists and spawning multimedia empires. While sometimes viewed skeptically by the clinical establishment, his methods drew from established cognitive and neuro-linguistic programming principles. Over decades, he has built a brand that extends from packed-theater seminars to one-on-one work with high-profile clients, maintaining a position as a populist guru who promises—and often delivers—rapid personal change.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Paul was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored multiple number-one bestselling self-help books, including 'I Can Make You Thin' and 'Change Your Life in 7 Days'.
- Hosted several long-running and highly-rated television series in the UK dedicated to hypnosis and behavioral change.
- Has worked privately with a roster of celebrity clients and high-performance athletes to improve mental focus.
- Pioneered the use of mass-hypnosis events in large-scale public seminars and theater tours.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a radio DJ on the pirate radio station Radio Luxembourg.
He holds a PhD in hypnotism from the University of Surrey, which was awarded based on his published work and contributions to the field.
He is a trained practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).
He once hypnotized a live television audience of over 12 million people on a UK TV special.
““The past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.””
