John Launius

What happens when we stop simply smelling fragrance and start truly listening to it?
In the Japanese incense tradition, Monkō (聞香) means “listening to incense”—an intentional practice of becoming deeply attentive to fragrance and the experience it creates within the mind. In this immersive session, John Launius brings Monkō into conversation with trance and hypnosis through the direct experience of rare, 100% natural incense materials.
Rather than relying solely on explanation, participants will experience how pure fragrance can focus attention, quiet external distractions, evoke memory and emotion, alter the perception of time, and invite naturally occurring states of trance.
Drawing on traditional principles of listening to incense alongside modern understanding of the hypnotic mind, John will guide participants through a sensory exploration of fragrance, attention, expectation, and inner experience.
No synthetic fragrances, perfumes, or smoke will be used in this session. You will experience only pure, natural aromatic materials experienced through indirect warming.
Come prepared not simply to smell incense, but to listen.

The Incense Journey™

What if fragrance could become a doorway to deeper awareness, meaningful reflection, and personal transformation?

Join John Launius, founder of Shihan Wellness and Fragrance Hypnosis™, for The Incense Journey™—an extraordinary sensory experience that brings together the ancient Japanese art of listening to incense, the science of olfaction, and the remarkable relationship between fragrance, memory, emotion, and consciousness.

For centuries, Japanese incense traditions have invited participants to do something profoundly different: rather than simply smelling fragrance, they learn to listen to it. This intentional practice, known as Monkō (聞香), encourages stillness, heightened awareness, and a deeper connection with one’s inner experience.

Drawing upon decades of study in Japanese incense traditions, hypnosis, meditation, and human consciousness, John creates an environment where curiosity replaces expectation and each participant discovers something uniquely their own.

Whether you are a hypnotist, wellness professional, meditation practitioner, or simply someone curious about the extraordinary influence of fragrance, The Incense Journey™ offers an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and experience the familiar sense of smell in an entirely new way.

No perfumes, synthetic fragrances, or smoke are used. All aromatic materials are natural and presented through gentle, indirect warming.

Open to the public and Heartland Hypnosis Conference attendees. Admission is complimentary for conference attendees.

Come with an open mind, a curious spirit, and a willingness to discover what happens when you stop simply smelling and begin listening.