Netflix and The Cecil Hotel No Elisa Lam wasn’t murdered and no this isn’t a spoiler

You know when people put “Spoiler Alert” ahead of posts like this so as not to spoil your enjoyment?

Well, in this case I want you to know what happens at the end of four hours of Netflix Documentary Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel because what appears to be an amazing exploration into a mysterious murder at a Skid Row hotel in Los Angeles is actually just Netflix dragging out one woman’s mental health issues by leading you down a garden path and then glossing over the family she left behind when she took her own life.

No one murdered her, she was a Canadian student who went missing in the hotel under mysterious circumstances, before later being discovered drowned.

But that isn’t the road the documentary wants to lead us down. All signs point to a murderer and a gang of internet sleuths who care more for video clicks than being people who will try and solve the case.

As things unfold we see these ghoulish people who journey to the hotel and film themselves there having a wonderful time creating internet content as influencers to boost their YouTube views. Of course, if she had been murdered then perhaps they would have stumbled on a missing piece of evidence which cracked the case. Even so the glee that so many day trippers show on their faces is disturbing in itself.

It almost seems like the police investigators are not doing their job. This it turns out is only because we are not told the things they know until nearer the end. In fact one of the most crucial pieces of evidence about the lid of the water tank that Elise drowned in being left off is something that is know much sooner than we are led to believe. We are given the impression that she was shut in a water tank, in fact she climbed in herself and the lid was still off.

The Video in the Elevator

We see security footage with Lam, looking very spooked and acting strangly, in an elevator communicating hysterically. But is there someone else there? Is it a murderer? Who can tell?

I am not the only person to think this, although perhaps not enough people are able to get together to discuss things at the moment.

Mark Serrels sums things up nicely when he writes for cnet: “It's bad. And not just bad. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel is bloated, dull and confusing. It's irresponsible and dishonest, indulging conspiracy theories that put already vulnerable victims at further risk.”

We learn all about a potential suspect called Morbid who is a death metal singer and many people think he could well be the murderer. They pile on to him and troll him with violent threats of revenge. By many people I mean the people on the internet who are gaining YouTube views. Of course it isn’t him, and this is for two reasons. One, the Mexican singer wasn’t even in the US when it happened and Two, Elisa Lam wasn’t murdered. She died in a tragic accident which was related to her mental health issues and the footage of her in the elevator that went viral really offers us a glimpse into what must have been a terrifying experience for her. An experience in her mind with noone else involved.

If Netflix had billed Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel as an exploration into the weird world of the internet and a tragic story of one woman’s tragic death that would have been one thing, but they didn’t do that.

However, that is what the documentary is really about and much as I feel like I wasted four hours being manipulated to watch something that was not what it said it was, that is nothing compared to the extra suffering that Lam’s family and friends may have to put up with as a result of this documentary.

So, in conclusion, don’t waste your time and don’t trust the Netlix algorithm that has made this the number one documentary on the platform. At least if it makes you think about the help we can give people who struggle there may be some redemption for the filmakers. Although I don't think that was what they had in mind at all.

Hypnotherapy on Skype and Zoom for needle phobia

Online with Skype or Zoom for Hypnotherapy sesssions to end Fear of Needles and Injections

Are you worried about having an injection for the Coronavirus Vaccine? Perhaps a fear of needles has been something you have been able to live with for a long time. Now, though you need to have an injection and are looking for a way to make it easier.

As the Covid mass vaccination programme rolls out throughout the UK more and more people are breathing a sigh of relief. The injection of Coronavirus vaccine is helping people to see that even if this is not the end, it’s at least the beginning of the end.

Millions of people have already had their injections and seeing the pictures on TV of people being vaccinated against Covid it is easy to think that if you have a fear of needles you are alone.

So many people aren’t worried about the safety of the vaccine, after all it has been fully tested and approved, they’re frightened of the needle it comes in. It may have been easy to live for years without any problems from this, especially if you declined the yearly flu vaccine, but right now things are different and it is in the interests of you, your family and the whole world to get that injection of Covid Vaccine when you are offered the chance.

This short video explains all about fears and phobias and the good news about how you can let them go forever....

Are Adults or Children the most scared of needles? and How does it happen?

Being scared of injections and needles is fairly common in children, and generally with more experience of how they benefit us, this slowly decreases with age.

It’s generally thought that about 10 per cent of people have some level of anxiety about getting a blood test or receiving an injection. Even so most people carry on through this and they have that needle in their arm to help them overcome whatever the injection is designed to do.

What do you call a fear of needles and injections?

However for many this fear can be much worse. It is known as Trypanophobia, or a severe phobia of injections. When things are this bad they can have a very debilitating impact on the sufferers’ life.

Sometimes people may be so fearful of needles that they faint, which further increases their fear of future events. There are some people who have a medical condition which can cause this, but that doesn’t affect so many people. That fainting can come from the fear and the physical reaction it causes.

We tend to find that often one bad experience colours our feelings around needles and how we react to injections. Often this is a single bad experience in childhood, perhaps during routine vaccinations or a dental appointment. If the dentist said to you: "just a little scratch" you are likely to be more relaxed than if they said: "this is going to hurt!"

Can our parents teach us a fear of injections?

Yes! Often and without even realising it the reaction of your parents if something didn’t go as planned can cause you to be the one with the fear.  This can mean a lack of sleep through worry even days before you are due to have an injection. As children we can pick up on worries that our parents have and they do not always even realise how much we see and hear.

I often see people who now have their own children and want to make sure that they do not pass on their own fear to their children in the future.

Whatever your reasons, it is never too late to finally deal with your fear of injections. The issues surrounding Covid and how the Coronavirus has affected the entire world have only brought this into sharper focus for everyone.

If you would like to let go of your fear of injections then simply drop me a line and I can tell you more about how I can help you to relax and let go of that feeling on a permanent basis.

Can I have Hypnosis for needle fears online?

Yes of course. I have been working online with Skype for nearly ten years so I have lots of experience in helping people with fears and phobias to overcome them. Whilst Zoom therapy is now becoming more and more known, you can rest assured that this isn’t something I only started during the covid pandemic.

Remember, any fear is something that we learn. If you learn it you can unlearn it!

Just email me by clicking here: [email protected]