BASIC HYPNOTIC TECHNIQUE
WORKING WITH INDIVIDUAL SUBJECTS
The first step on your path to mastering hypnotism is learning how to induce hypnosis in individual subjects. This is one of the most important skills you will acquire and its mastery is fundamental to your further development as a hypnotist.
The successful induction of hypnosis always begins with consent. The subject may make this acceptance consciously or unconsciously. In either case, the net result is the same, the subject “expects” to be hypnotized. It must be understood that there are countless hypnotic techniques in existence. There is no one right or wrong technique. All are equally good, so long as they give confidence to the operator and faith to the subject, as discussed in Chapter One. The only purpose of any method of hypnotizing is to concentrate the subject’s attention and thus to eliminate most of the disturbing influences while leaving but a single channel of suggestion, which is usually the voice of the hypnotist and the ear of the subject.
So-called passes–the use of the hands and arms to direct energy toward the subject during the induction–are completely unnecessary. These are actually a holdover from the nineteenth century. Even so, many modern day stage hypnotists still employ such dramatic gestures as a form of showmanship. This is fine, so long as it is understood there is no scientific basis for their use. Nor, is there any need to touch a subject’s forehead, hand, knee, etc.–in general, no bodily contact is required. One’s voice is a sufficient channel of communication for suggestion.
Practice the following hypnotic induction technique, one-on-one, with a wide range of subjects until you are able to successfully influence the majority of them. All external distractions should be eliminated or minimized as much as possible.
In the beginning, be prepared to wait up to ten minutes or longer for a subject to reach a state of hypnosis. Don’t worry, speed will come with time. The most important consideration when starting out is learning the proper technique.
REMOVING PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS
The following pre-hypnosis discussion with your subject is designed to take away any fears he or she might have about being hypnotized and losing control. It also puts the experience in the familiar context of ordinary sleep.
Begin the session by informally explaining to your subject that there is no need to fear hypnosis. Explain it’s a completely harmless and enjoyable experience that will leave your subject feeling relaxed and at ease. Say being hypnotized feels no different than dozing off on the couch. Ask your subject, “Are you willing to be hypnotized. This establishes consent.
Some subjects believe they will be difficult to hypnotize because they have strong will power. Tell them this is a complete misconception. Explain that people who are more intelligent, more creative or stronger-willed, actually make the best hypnotic subjects– since their powers of concentration are better than those of the average person. It’s people who lack self control or are unable to focus on an idea who are the most difficult to hypnotize.
FOCUSING ATTENTION
One of the key aspects of most hypnotic induction techniques, is the focus- ing of the subject’s attention on an “object of fixation.” This object is held or suspended in position about one foot in front of the subject. It should also be just high enough (over the subject’s head), so it causes the person to raise his or her eyes slightly upward to concentrate attention. Such placement is conducive to fatiguing the eyes which, incidentally, occupy approximately the same position as normal sleep.
Straining the eyes to concentrate on the object, cramps the subject’s atten- tion. At first, the pupils contract slightly in an attempt to focus. Continued concentration leads to a relaxation of the optic muscles and dilation of the
pupils–this indicates dimness of vision. The greater the effort to concentrate on the object, the quicker the subject will succumb to the above effects. Watch for signs of eye fatigue and take them as a visual cue to begin suggesting the subject close his eyes. This process is covered in Phase II of The Induction Script.
You can use almost any point or object to focus the subject’s attention on, so long as it is positioned in such a way that the subject is forced to strain the eyes upward to focus on it. This can be a coin, crystal, medallion, ball, or a pocket watch dangling from a chain–as often associated with hypnotic induction in the popular media. Objects that reflect light back toward the subject are best suited to this task.
THE INDUCTION PROCESS
Memorize the three-phase script on pages 21 and 22. It provides you with a general framework for the hypnotic induction of an individual subject. Keep in mind, hypnotism is an interactive process. You must watch for visual cues and be prepared to adjust your presentation accordingly. For example, if the subject’s eyes close early, you would not keep suggesting, “Look steadily at the watch.” Rather, you would advance to, “Your eyes are closed now. Keep them closed and shut out the light.” Similarly, if the subject is not fully relaxing or concentrating at the beginning of the induction, feel free to repeat the appropri- ate portions of Phase I until your suggestions begin generating the desired responses.
For the sake of simplicity, we will assume you are using a pocket watch as the subject’s object of fixation in the following script. If you are using some other object, just make the appropriate substitutions wherever the word “watch” appears.
THE INDUCTION SCRIPT PHASE I - JUST CONCENTRATE AND RELAX
“Relax back in your chair and look steadily at the watch, as you listen only to the sound of my voice. Nothing else matters…except the watch…and my voice. With each and every breath you take, you will become more and more relaxed…more and more at ease. Let every muscle of your body be completely at rest. You must keep your attention focused on the watch. Look steadily at the watch and do not blink. Everything is beginning to feel comfortable now. It’s wonderful to relax and let everything else go. You have no cares…no concerns…just the desire to sleep. A complete sense of relaxation is washing over your body like a warm, soothing ocean wave. You are now completely warm and comfortable in your chair. Everything is very pleasant, warm and comfortable.”
PHASE II - YOUR EYES ARE GROWING WEARY
“Now, as you relax back in your chair, your gaze is growing stronger and more intense. Keep looking steadily at the watch and do not blink. Your eyes are beginning to get tired, very, very tired. It is difficult to keep your eyes open, they are so very, very tired…so very, very heavy. You are concentrating on the watch, but your eyes are growing heavy, very, very heavy. You just want to close your eyes and shut out the light. All you can think of is how relaxing it would be to just close your eyes. Your eyelids feel as if they have lead weights pulling them closed, heavy lead weights. It’s getting too hard to keep your eyes open any longer. Let your eyes close so they can relax and shut out the light. They are beginning to close. Let them close now. Go ahead and close your eyes. It will feel so good just to have them closed, they’re so tired and heavy. Your eyes are closed now. Keep them closed and shut out the light.”
Begin by asking your subject to sit back comfortably in his or her chair with feet flat on the floor, hands on legs, and to concen- trate on your pocket watch.
PHASE III - IT’S TIME TO SLEEP
“Everything is peaceful and quiet now. Your eyes are closed and your body is completely at rest. Now, go to sleep. Go deep, deep asleep. Everything is gently drifting by as if you were floating on a cloud. You are floating down…gently down…deep, deep down to sleep. You are so very tired. Every muscle of your body wants sleep, restful sleep. Sleep that will take away your tiredness. You are so very, very tired. You just need sleep…wonderful, restful sleep. So go to sleep! Go fast, fast to sleep! You can feel that wonderful rest and relaxation washing over your entire body like a warm, soothing ocean wave, and you are drifting…drifting…and floating on down, down to deep, sound, wonderful sleep. Everything is just fading, fading, fading far, far away, down into deep, wonderful, peaceful sleep.” Now standing at the subject’s side, whisper into his or her ear: “Go deep asleep now! That’s it, go deep asleep! Sound, sound asleep! You are floating down and down into a deep sound sleep. Go deep asleep now! Go sound asleep! With every breath you take, you are floating down, gently down into a deeper and deeper sleep. Go deep, deep asleep. Nothing can bother or disturb you. You are completely and totally relaxed. Completely and totally at ease. Everything is quiet, calm and peaceful.”
SIGNS OF HYPNOSIS
One of the most common signs of entry into a state of hypnosis is a brief fluttering of the eyelids. The closing of the eyes–sudden or gradual–while invari- ably a part your suggestion, is not a requirement for hypnosis. It is quite possible for a subject to enter a light trance with the eyes half or even fully open. Other general symptoms of entry into a hypnotic state include upward eye movement, a deep sigh, a deepening of breathing, and general facial relaxation.
Your subject is now completely relaxed in his or her chair and breathing deeply. To all outward appearances, the person looks to have just dozed off. But this person is not asleep–at least, not in the conventional sense of the word. The subject is hypnotized and even in the lightest stage of hypnosis, his or her willingness to accept your suggestions will be greatly increased.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Let’s try a couple of basic tests in muscular catalepsy–the easiest of all hypnotic phenomena to produce. Even subjects in the lighter stages of hypnosis are generally responsive to tests of this type. Practice both tests, in order, each time you successfully hypnotize a new subject.
One tip before we get started. Always allow subjects ample time to orient themselves after hypnosis is induced and between tests. Think of how it feels to get off an airplane in a strange city. It takes some time to get your bearings. Hypnosis is no different. Psychologically, your subjects are in uncharted terri- tory.
As a result, subjects who are rushed often respond by shifting to a lighter stage of hypnosis. Conversely, hypnosis tends to deepen in subjects who are given sufficient time to process and comply with your suggestions.
EYES WIDE SHUT
Following your suggestion, the subject finds it impossible to open his or her eyes. The subject struggles to do so, but the eyes remain tightly shut.
Suggestion: “Your eyes are stuck tightly together…so tight, you cannot open them. It is impossible to open your eyes. Try to open your eyes. You can’t open them.”
Removal: “Relax and forget about your eyes now, they are no longer stuck together. Go back deep asleep.”
Always remove the suggestion following each test. Otherwise, you risk the possibility of a subject trying to respond to different and conflicting suggestions simultaneously.
STIFF ARM
Following your suggestion, the subject’s arm goes stiff and the person is unable to bend it. The person may be sitting or standing for this test. Have the subject hold the left arm straight out at a right angle from the body. The hand should be in a fist with the thumb on top–so the bend of the arm is inward toward the body (the elbow points outward). Take hold of the subject’s fist with your right hand and stroke back and forth on the inside of the subject’s arm with your left, as if commanding the muscles to stiffen.
Suggestion: “The muscles of your arm are tightening and your arm is getting stiff, stiff, stiffer. Your arm is now rigid like a bar of steel and you can’t bend it. The more you try to bend your arm, the more rigid it becomes.”
Removal: “On the count of three, your arm will instantly relax and fall loosely to your side and it will send you even deeper asleep. One. Two. Three!” Please note, this test is important because it will also help you gauge the extent of hypnotic influence. If the subject’s arm falls quickly and limply to the side, you can be fairly certain this person is deeply affected. On the other hand, if the subject lowers the arm slowly and seemingly of his or her own accord–the trance is probably too light for more challenging tests requiring deep hypnosis
AWAKENING THE SUBJECT
The same soothing, suggestive techniques used to induce hypnosis are also applied to gently bring a subject out of it. As with the induction, it is important that this process is handled in a gradual manner. Under no circumstances, should you ever attempt to awaken the subject by startling him or her with a loud clap of the hands or by shouting.
Most hypnotic performers also use this opportunity to suggest posthypnotic amnesia. This phenomena, which sometimes occurs spontaneously in subjects under deep hypnosis, can also be suggested. We will address this topic at greater length in the next chapter.
“You are asleep. In a moment, I will awaken you and you will feel full of energy and completely refreshed, however you will have absolutely no memory as to what has occurred while you were asleep. Like a dream, all memories will fade away, far away. It will seem as though you only dozed off in your chair for a brief nap. A very restful and pleasant sleep without dreams.”
“Slowly, you are beginning to wake up now. You will continue waking up as I slowly count to five. When I reach five, you will open your eyes and be wide awake…feeling completely refreshed and full of energy. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Open your eyes, be awake and feel fine.”
At this point, your subject should open his or her eyes–feeling even better than before being hypnotized. You will rarely encounter a subject who has diffi- culty awakening from hypnosis. It is very unusual and almost always attributed to a form of hysteria, not the effects of hypnosis. If this ever should occur, stay calm and repeat the suggestions that the subject is waking up, over and over. Remember, at no time is the subject ever in any danger of not awakening from the hypnotic trance. Even if left completely on his or her own, the subject would soon pass from the state of hypnosis to one of ordinary sleep and then, awaken as the person normally does.
