My dinner with Paul McKenna: The hidden thermostat of wealth

The other night, I had dinner with Paul McKenna—world-renowned hypnotist, bestselling author, and now the creator of a brand-new Mindvalley audio called Hypnotic Trance for Wealth.

We weren’t in a studio. No cameras. Just a dinner table conversation. But what Paul shared that evening has been running through my head ever since. And I think it might rewire how you see money and abundance, too.

From Think and Grow Rich to hypnotic wealth

You’ve probably heard of Think and Grow Rich. It’s the bestselling self-help book of all time, written over 80 years ago. Its core message? You can program your subconscious to “think rich.”

Paul told me he loved that book, but two decades ago, he wondered: with today’s breakthroughs in psychology and hypnosis, could I do something even more powerful?

That one thought set the universe into motion.

Synchronicities start showing up

The very next evening, Paul found himself at a dinner party sitting next to Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.

Before he could even explain what he was working on, Anita interrupted: “Yes. I’ve got a feeling. I want to study how your mind works.”

Two days later, Richard Branson called him, asking him to lead an event. Paul agreed—but only if Branson allowed him to “model” his thinking. Branson said yes and later even wrote the foreword to Paul’s book.

Not long after, billionaire Sir David Barclay told him: “You’re going to meet many wealthy people who aren’t truly rich. All they have is money. True wealth also means health, love, joy, and deep relationships.”

And so Paul set out not just to decode how the world’s wealthiest create abundance, but how they live rich lives.

The Richard Branson principle

One of the stories Paul shared blew me away.

In the 1970s, Branson was sitting on a miserable flight. Bad food, bad headphones, one small TV for the entire cabin. And he thought: “If I had my own airline, I’d do everything differently.”

In his mind, he began designing Virgin Atlantic—personal TVs, glamorous lounges, good food, the works.

But how could he afford a jet? Buying one would bankrupt him. So he asked Boeing if he could lease instead. They said yes. And Virgin Airlines was born.

Branson explained his strategy:

Upside/Downside Thinking

• If the downside risk is small but the upside is massive → take bold action.
  
• If the downside is catastrophic → rethink.
  
• Always mitigate risk (like leasing instead of buying).
  

And this is how true wealth creators think. They find the upside, reduce the downside, and then leap.

Adding value vs. perceived value

Branson also taught Paul something simple but profound: you’re rewarded for the value—or the perceived value—you bring to others.

That’s why supermodels can earn more than doctors. It’s about the way society perceives and rewards value.

So whether you’re an entrepreneur or working within a company, the wealthiest path is always this: find ways to make people’s lives easier, better, or more beautiful.

The wealth thermostat

But here’s where Paul went deeper.

Most people don’t lose wealth because of a lack of opportunity. They lose it because of their internal wealth thermostat.

• Lottery winners lose it within a few years.
  
• Inheritance often vanishes.
  
• Even when new money flows in, the subconscious “resets” it back down.
  

Paul realized he had the same thermostat. His father was a builder, and money would flow in and then disappear. Paul repeated the same pattern in his early career.

Until he hypnotically changed it.

And when he did, everything changed. His finances grew. His health improved. He stopped burning out. He got happily married. And he realized: resetting your wealth thermostat isn’t just about money—it rewires your entire life.

My own wealth thermostat test

I confessed something to Paul that night.

I’d been searching for a new home. My initial budget was $8–12K a month. But nothing fit: no space for the kids when they visit, no studio for Kristina and me to record podcasts.

So I stretched to $15K. Still nothing that felt right.

Then I found the perfect place. Spacious. Beautiful energy. Enough room for courses, podcasts, even dinners for 20 guests. But it was $17K—$60,000 a year more than I’d budgeted.

My fear: was I being irresponsible?

Paul’s answer was simple:

“Will this space allow you to generate more than the extra $60K?”

Yes. Absolutely. I could record a new course in that space and make that in weeks.

Paul reframed it through Branson’s principle:

• Downside = $60K.
  
• Upside = Creativity, abundance, community, new income.
  
• Risk = None (I wasn’t going into debt).

That wasn’t poor thinking. That was rich thinking.

And it made me realize: expanding your environment is also expanding your signal to yourself. You’re telling your subconscious: “I deserve this. I can hold more.”

Rich kids vs. ordinary kids

Paul also pointed out another insight: children of wealthy families rarely struggle with money blocks.

Why? Because they grow up assuming abundance is natural.

At elite schools like Eton, math problems aren’t about apples and oranges. They’re about running companies or managing resources. The assumption baked into their education is that they will lead, they will create wealth, and they will shape the world.

Paul smiled and said: “It’s never too late to have a wealthy childhood.”

That’s exactly what Hypnotic Trance for Wealth does: it gives your subconscious an alternative history. 

One where you grew up surrounded by love, support, and abundance. And from that past, your mind naturally generates a new, abundant future.

Hypnotic trance for wealth

So here’s the big takeaway from that dinner with Paul:

True wealth isn’t just about money. It’s about resetting your thermostat so you can hold more joy, more health, more love, and yes—more abundance.

That’s what Paul’s Hypnotic Trance for Wealth is designed to do. 

In just 38 minutes, it:

• Removes subconscious money blocks
• Resets your wealth thermostat
• Rewrites your “wealthy childhood”
• Trains your subconscious to notice abundance (and attract more of it)
• Aligns you with the same strategies used by billionaires

Click here to try Paul McKenna’s Hypnotic Trance for Wealth on the Mindvalley App

One more thing…

If you’ve been following our launch of our 2025 Mindvalley Certified Hypnotherapist Program with Paul McKenna—the very path where Paul personally guides you to reset deep subconscious patterns around wealth, health, self-worth, and success over a transformational 4-month journey starting this September…

Here’s something you need to know:

Application deadline for this program is today, Sep 9 at 11:59pm PST.

And as of this writing, 463 seats are already taken out of 800—leaving just 337 spots remaining for this year’s cohort.

Apply here to secure your spot today 

But this is not about a deadline. 

This is your chance to finally remove the subconscious blocks that have quietly shaped your entire life. 

These hidden blocks are often the root of:

• Financial ceilings you can’t seem to break
  
• Repeating toxic patterns in relationships
  
• Low self-worth despite success
  
• Procrastination or burnout, even when you’re passionate

Most people try to fix these on the surface. But without addressing the subconscious source, the patterns return—just in different forms.

Now here’s the gift of hypnotherapy: It doesn’t just help you understand the problem.

It helps you rewire it at the deepest level—so you naturally begin to act, think, and create from a place of confidence, clarity, and alignment.

This is the only time this year you can join this certification with Paul at the current pricing. The next special intake happens a year later—and it will come at a significantly higher investment.

If you have any questions regarding the program and need someone you can talk to, book a 30-min call with our team, and we will map the best course of action for you.

Final thought

That night, I realized wealth is less about your bank account and more about the questions you dare to ask yourself.

Richard Branson asked, “If I had an airline, how would I design it?”

I asked, “Do I deserve to step into a bigger space?”

Because the truth is this: it’s never too late to have a wealthy childhood. And it’s never too late to reprogram your subconscious for abundance.

What about you? What question could reframe your thermostat? Leave a comment below to let me know (I read every single one!)

With love,

Vishen