Do hypnotists find it difficult to be hypnotized?

[JenniferB]

If you are trained in hypnotic language patterns, or write your own scripts, record them and play them back to yourself, or you have someone else hypnotize you, are you aware of the hypnotic language patterns used? Do language markings jump out at you...an appropriately placed pause, a change in tone or emphasis for example? Do you find yourself analysing what you are listening to?

If yes, does it render the language and suggestions useless because you are consciously aware?

If no, why don't you notice them? (If the language and markings are done skillfully, should you notice them?)

[Zanther]

Being aware of the different language patterns can be distracting, especially when your hypnotist is really good. Instead of just letting it happen, I might be thinking "oh, that's good," but the patterns still have their effect on the subconscious. You can still go into trance without the fancy langauge patterns.

I found that once I learned more about how hypnosis works and the language patterns, I personally found it easier to let go and not analyze, because I was more trusting hypnotist wasn't going to "brain wash" me or have tricks up his sleeve. I don't have to analyze each weird phrase anymore (except when it's particularly good, that catches my attention and can be distracting).

That's just my experience, though.

[Merlin]

I don't do 'language patterns' I do hypnosis.
Makes things easier.

Since I do hypnosis, conscious awareness doesn't matter :)

[JenniferB]

I don't do 'language patterns' I do hypnosis.


Please forgive me Merlin, but I don't understand. Would you be so kind as to elaborate?

[skip]

Merlin just asks you to go into hypnosis, and if you are reluctant, she hits you with a large mallett. Yes it is a bind, but not a 'language' pattern. :)

If I may speak for her, just a moment, Merlin uses a method that is very fast, and doesnt use a lot of verbage, when formally inducing trance.

Merlin, no doubt, uses lots of language patterns, when doing her pretalk, and when working within trance, or in 'normal' conversation. How could she not? Verbal communication isnt possible, without language patterns.

BUT Merlin makes a good point. And that is, that irregardless of how much, or how little, verbage is used, if you are noticing the patterns, then you arent "being induced into trance", you are being distracted, and that is the responsibility of the hypnotist.

I say that, because trance, or more precisely 'hypnotic trance' is not a destination. It is a range, on a continum of "consciousness". And people dont go 'somewhere', like somnambulism, or Esdaile, and stop, they continue to "drift" 'up and down' or 'in and out' or whatever metaphor suits you.

AND hypnosis isnt a solitary endeavor.

The key to hypnosis, no matter the method, is to notice whether what you are doing is taking the person further into trance, or bringing them out, and adjust your communication accordingly. Because you are either taking them deeper, or out, there is no other choice.

If you do this, or learn to do this, you can hypnotize anyone, anywhere, at anytime.

It isnt your technique that is important, it is the 'dance' you enter into with the person, and where you lead them, how is almost irrelevent.

Tango lessons, or the push/pull swing, are very appropriate for the master hypnotist.

Great hypnotists, like Merlin, are fabulous lovers, for obvious reasons. :)

skip

[Don]

Hypnosis--even heterohypnosis where someone else leads you into trance--is not something someone "does" to you. Rather, it is something you allow to happen. If I want someone to hypnotize me it can happen quickly and easily. If I don't want someone to hypnotize me it would be very difficult for him or her to do so.

[JenniferB]

If I'm interpreting this correctly:

- if a person is noticing the language patterns, they are being distracted from going further into a trance
- the distraction would have a sliding scale affect, depending on how far into trance they've allowed themselves to go at the time they started being distracted
- And finally, each session's pretalk is as important as the hypnotic session, in that that is where the stage is set for a successful session.

Skip - "....'hypnotic trance' is not a destination. It is a range, on a continum of "consciousness". And people dont go 'somewhere', like somnambulism, or Esdaile, and stop, they continue to "drift" 'up and down' or 'in and out' or whatever metaphor suits you..... The key to hypnosis, no matter the method, is to notice whether what you are doing is taking the person further into trance, or bringing them out, and adjust your communication accordingly. Because you are either taking them deeper, or out, there is no other choice.
"
That's the first time I've heard it described like that and it makes it much easier to understand. Thanks for sharing that.

[Terry (existing)]

Guess what, I am about to disagree with two of the persons on this board for whom I have the greatest respect (G) Always did like a challenge I suppose. Anyway, I would ask all who read this, when do you consider the induction starts? I say it starts the minute I speak or shake hands with the client, and is only concuded when I proceed with the induction, which only has value in that the client expects it, they are already hypnotised, and since they have been concentrating on what I am saying in order to reply to me, they have no time to question what I am doing, even if they are practising hypnotists, which of course is rare....Merlin's ,method may not be mine, and likely isn't but I suspect she does much of what I used to do, and still do, even though I no longer practise. I can conclude an induction and theraputic suggestion, without the client knowing I am doing it so long as I don't conclude with, "close your eyes and relax".... It has become second nature to me after all these years.....
Actually, I have given a therapy session without the client knowing they were in a state of hypnosis, and they still believe to this day, that they sorted out their own problem without intervention....There may of course be some differenced in belief as to what raport is, but my idea is that it is built while I am inducing the trance in our pretalk.

[The Mentalist]

Do some of you know each other? You (Skip) sound like you've met Merlin personally?

[Don]

I would contend that the induction begins when a person decides to contact me. From that point on everything is deepening of the trance the client creates for him- or herself.

One of my favorite means of getting a person into deep trance is to simply spend a moment or two getting a person in a relaxed state. Then I ask them to visualize a yardstick in front of them with the zero being wide awake. I ask them what number would mean they would be deeply hypnotized. Then I ask them where they think they are now. Finally, I ask them to do whatever is necessary to go to that deeper number and signal me when they had reached that deep level of hypnosis. Usually it takes them less than a minute to get there.

When I bring them up I assume that they are only changing their level of trance and include suggestions even after they are "awake and alert."

[Merlin]

Hello,

'Language patterns'?
Mostly I just say 'go'
Not much 'pattern' to that.

Oh I occasionally get bored and might say 'imagine that your eyelids are stuck tightly closed' or 'Your hand is stuck to your lap now'
But there still is not much language pattern to speak of.
See, I'd rather help someone than mess with a lot of words.

[JenniferB]

Fascinating discussion.

Merlin, does you brief induction method work for a newcomer, or do you use it on clients that have seen you several times already?

Here's why I ask:

When I started seeing my hypnotherapist, I had an expectation that he would need some time at the begining to guide me into a trance, so I expected some "relaxation stuff". He always spends at least 30-45 minutes talking with me first. For a while I was getting annoyed with that because I thought it was eating into my session time, even though he was great at answering all kinds of questions I had about hypnosis. I asked him about that, and he told me very politely that I needn't worrry about managing the time, that it was his job to manage the time. I'm learning now that the pretalk is important stuff.

The last 2 times I went, he did an eye fixation induction followed by something along the lines of "You've done this so many times now it's almost automatic". Almost instantly I could begin to feel the tingling in my hands, the light floating sensation and the physically disconnected feeling I get when he is working with me. Afterwards he told me that it took just over a minute to guide me into a trance.

I'm sensing that if I walked into his office, sat in the chair, closed my eyes, without him saying a word I could almost instantly be in a trance, because I associate that environment with the whole hypnotic experience now. Merlin, is that why your "go" technique works - because of past experience and expectation?

[Merlin]

>Merlin, is that why your "go" technique works - because of past experience

No. I do not require previous experience of my client's for this method

> and expectation?

Yes, expectation can certainly matter.

[JenniferB]

Merlin:

*LOL* brevity is the soul of wit. You speak in riddles. *G*

No need to answer. In my next life I'll come back as a fly on the wall in your office to witness your skills firsthand. Until then I guess I'll keep learning. It's my job to understand, not yours to explain.

Cheers,
Jen

[Merlin]

Hi Jen,

I'm sorry if I missed something. I just don't like to ramble on, guessing what someone wants to know and hoping my ramblings cover it.

If you want more information,
If you can point out where I'm screwing up,
I'd be more than happy to answer further :)

[JenniferB]

Merlin

You didn't screw up. You answered the exact question I asked - was previous experience necessary? It required a yes or no answer. You gave me no.

Of course then the next question floating around in my mind when I posted to you was why, and then how...but quite frankly...you had no way of knowing that and I felt awkward :rolleyes: asking because that's asking you to reveal details about your personal technique, which you may or may not wish to discuss.

And on reflection, I won't ask, and I don't expect you to volunteer it. :) From all of the other info posted in this thread I have enough new information to digest and correct some assumptions I had about inducing and maintaining trance. It's my job now to go back and re-read stuff and understand it. I learn better when I have to work to find and understand the answers.

Thanks for offering to clarify.

[Brian Carr]

And you have a great attitude! :D