Basic Ericksonian Hypnosis eBook

8/19/2019 Basic Ericksonian Hypnosis eBook

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Basic Ericksonian

Hypnosis eBook

By: Steve G. Jones, Ed.S.

www.HypnosisCertified.com/ericksonian

[email protected]

http://www.hypnosiscertified.com/ericksonianmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.hypnosiscertified.com/ericksonian


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Basic Ericksonian Hypnosis eBook – Page 2

Table of Contents

Module 1: Hypnosis in Medicine and Dentistry ..................................................

Module 2: Hypnotic Rapport Building ................................................................

Module 3: Creating Sessions for People with Special Medical Needs ................

Module 4: Dealing with Medical Treatments ......................................................

Module 5: Arm Raise Induction ...........................................................................

Module 6: Bucket Lowering Induction ................................................................

Module 7: Balloon Raise Induction .....................................................................

Module 8: Proper Office Design to Enhance Rapport .........................................

Module 9: Being Adaptive as a Hypnotist – To Any Client Situation .................

Module 10: How to Tap Into your Genuine Desire to Help People .....................

Module 11: Paying Attention to Client Feedback to Improve your Sessions ......

Module 12: Pacing and Leading ..........................................................................

Module 13: Eye-Accessing Cues .........................................................................

Module 14: Anchoring .........................................................................................

Module 15: The Uniqueness of Each Client ........................................................

Module 16: The Meta-Model ...............................................................................

Module 17: Model Limits ..................................................................................

Module 18: Creating Metaphors ........................................................................

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Module 19: How to Use Metaphors in a Hypnosis Session ..............................

Module 20: The Use of Parallelisms in Metaphor Creation ..............................

APPENDIX .......................................................................................................

Basic Ericksonian Hypnosis Final Exam (Instructions) ....................................

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Basic Ericksonian Hypnosis eBook – Page

Module 1: Hypnosis in Medicine andDentistry

Practitioners of medicine and dentistry have several things in common. The

first similarity between professionals in these two fields is that they are

primarily concerned with the alleviation of pain. They perform the vital

steps needed to ensure that a person who is in pain is receiving adequate

mental and physical support through medication, proper guidance and if

possible, therapy through one or more methods.

The second similarity is that a doctor or a dentist is also concerned with

what happens in between visits to the clinic or hospital. The period between

visits is vital to resolving issues because problems can arise in between

visits.

The third similarity is that doctors and dentists both have to make vital

decisions that might have a big impact on their patients’ lives. So we are not

talking only of the intellectual rigor of the medical professional or dentist we

are also talking about the specific routes that the professional takes in order

to arrive at a particular outcome.

Medicine, dentistry and hypnosis have several things in common as well, if

you think about it. Let us talk about the primary features of hypnosis in

general so you can see the parallelism yourself. If a hypnotist were to work

on a client’s problem through hypnotic processes, then we can say that

hypnosis also aims to heal a person.


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Healing is based on the concept of making whole. You heal something

because that something has become incomplete or perhaps damaged by

external or internal forces. Hypnosis is also concerned with harmony and

balance.

A hypnotist would not be able to do this work if the other person is not in

harmony with him in the first place. A hypnotic trance would not last long if

the client feels that the hypnotist is not someone that he could trust with his

most private thoughts and emotions. Another important concept in hypnosis

is continuity.

A person who enters a hypnotic trance under the influence of a skilled

hypnotist will continue to recall the subconscious messages that have been

implanted by the hypnotist himself. The client might not be completely

aware of his ability to recall the specific subconscious suggestions, but the

recall process is there and it’s lightly simmering underneath the person’s

consciousness.

The subconscious suggestions will continue to tickle his imagination until

such time that he finds himself and the truths that have been eluding him

before. So when a hypnotist decides to use a particular method to help heal a

person’s mind and emotions, he’s not just healing the person during the one

or two hour hypnosis session.

He is setting up the mental mechanisms needed to ensure that the healing

will continue long after the client has left the hypnotist’s office. Do you see

the similarities between hypnotists and doctors now?


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So far I have given you the impression that hypnosis is primarily used to

control pain in its many forms. While this is definitely true it doesn’t mean

that hypnosis is limited to the alleviation of pain. The truth of the matter is

that hypnosis can be used for a variety of situations, not just situations where

in a person is experiencing sudden, acute or chronic, physical pain.

Hypnosis can also be used to ease symptoms like bedwetting which just

shows how complex and effective it can be when used by a skilled hypnotist.

Part of the reason why hypnosis is so effective is that hypnotists tend to ‘dig’

deep into a client’s history before designing a hypnosis session specially

crafted for the history and needs of the client.

There are some general approaches but if you want to be a really successful

hypnotist or hypnotist, you have to learn to integrate what you learn from

your clients to ensure that what you will be saying will not only be

appropriate but effective as well.

Some of you might be thinking: if hypnosis was so effective in the first placethen why is it that it still in the fringes of medicine, psychiatric care and

dentistry? Why isn’t it being used by more people? The reason for this is

quite simple: we now live in a world of quick fixes and there is a general

tendency for people to dislike anything that doesn’t provide an instant output

or result.

I’m not going to say that hypnosis is the golden cure all but by using it you

can address a myriad of different issues that would have otherwise

overwhelmed any medical professional. If you can still remember, the

proponents of hypnosis a few centuries ago were actually doctors.


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Hypnosis might have begun as something that is almost unfathomable or

mystical but in reality this method has become a profound ally by radical

healers who believed in the genuine capacity of the human mind and body to

heal itself. This is probably the reason why hypnosis is still being frowned

upon by many conventional medical professionals to this day.

Hypnosis doesn’t involve the use drug therapy and the results will vary

depending on how committed the client is to the hypnotic therapy. We must

remember that in the end, a hypnotic client’s progress is still determined by

his ability to utilize what has been given to him by the hypnotist.

To an extent, this involves normal thinking which is why hypnosis is never

really used to address psychiatric cases wherein the patient is already beyond

the veil of normal functioning and thinking.

Hypnosis also acknowledges that there are also some things that cannot be

achieved purely through hypnosis which is why it is called complementary

treatment. Hypnosis can be used to enhance the success of an existinghealing regimen.


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Module 1 Suggested Practice

Familiarize yourself with the different areas in which hypnosis can help a

client. Know which topics you are comfortable with and which topics you

will refer out. Begin gathering/writing sample scripts that you can use with

your clients.


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Module 2: Hypnotic Rapport Building

Now that you have a better understanding of the position and function of

hypnosis in medicine and dentistry, let’s talk about the various approaches

you can use to achieve certain results. These approaches are best suited for

individuals who work closely with patients who may, from one time or

another, experience chronic pain or even emotional anguish from any health

condition that they may have.

Let’s talk about the application of hypnotic processes to medicine first.There is a three-phase process that I would like you to keep in mind before

attempting to use the hypnotic process on any patients. This vital, three-

phase process is put in place to ensure that the patient’s needs are addressed

directly and you will be providing maximum aid to the hypnotic client when

one steps into your office for help.

Alright, so the first phase is determining the client’s history and actual

needs. This can be done simply by having a pre-hypnosis session with the

client. All you are going to do at this point in time is to talk to him about his

life and how his condition has affected him.

It is very easy to just ask a client “are you in pain?” or “are you sad?”; you

need to learn how the condition is deeply affecting the different parts of his

life because that information will help you later on in crafting an appropriate

hypnosis script for your client.

Without this intimate knowledge, which will only be given after you have

established rapport with your client, you will not be extremely effective as a


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therapist because you will only be able to use a general approach to

resolving the specific problems that the client is facing.

Now, I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. Hypnotists are not

tasked with creating very specific solutions to people’s problems. We are not

here to provide financial guidance for people who are heavily in debt.

We are not here to provide a step by step program for couples who are

generally violent with each other. Our job is to bring back balance and

clarity in a person’s life. That is the extent of your job.


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We are not deeply involved in the problems themselves; we only stand at a

proximate distance so we can recommend what the client can begin doing to

solve his problems. We show the way – we don’t walk that path with the

client.

Another thing that you should remember when you are performing your task

during the first phase is to determine what matters the most to your client.

Some experienced hypnotists have a pretty good idea what matters to

people. Family, friends, health, money… The list of potential drives goes on.

However, it would still be better if you really get into the mind of the client

and find out what makes him tick.

For example, one person might be inspired by the accumulation of wealth.

But it might turn out that this person is even more inspired by the idea of

rebuilding an old ancestral house because it represents positive memories

and forces in his life. Memories and drives like this are pure gold for

hypnotists because they are deeply embedded in the client’s psyche and theyarouse very strong emotions in people as well.

Once you have been able really know your client very well, it’s time to

move on to the second phase or step in the process. The second step is

extremely important because it deals with personal acceptance.

Too often people struggle with medical conditions because they use every

bit of their might to oppose the idea that they have a condition that requires

medication, surgery, etc. Opposing a condition isn’t necessarily a bad thing.


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Of course, we do not want your clients to just say “oh, it’s fine if a have a

heart attack one of these days”. This is not what we want to happen. Rather,

it would be extremely beneficial to your client if you can change the he

views his reality and condition at the present time.


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Create intake forms and a list of questions for your clients that will help you

better understand what they need your help with.


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Module 3: Creating Sessions for Peoplewith Special Medical Needs

There are some things that are beyond human agency. For example, a person

who lost an arm or a leg because of an accident or a severe disease may be in

constant pain because he still hasn’t accepted the reality that the limb is gone

forever. The role of the hypnotist is to ensure that the client transitions from

denial and negativity to acceptance and genuine personal healing.

This might sound like a tall order for someone who engages in the art &

science of hypnosis. And yet, this is a very sound approach when faced with

someone who is carrying a lot of burdens because of his health condition.

We’re talking about individuals with chronic pain like cancer patients to

people who are still navigating that unsteady terrain of transitioning from

one kind of life to another.

The second phase of the process has a two-fold function. Obviously, the first

function is to enlighten the client as to what cannot be altered anymore. The

second function is to show what the client can still do to make his life

meaningful, gratifying and happy.

The third and final phase is to create a special hypnotic session for your

client to address his needs. It is important to create sessions that will allow

your client to achieve a specific outcome. For example, if someone

approaches you with a severe dislike of his new medication the ideal outputwould be to accept the fact that he has to take medication so that his life

would be prolonged and he would still be able to do the things that he loves.


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Now, before we dive into the different ways that you can use hypnosis in

medicine, I want to take this opportunity to highlight the mind-body

connection. Believe it or not, this concept is actually very relevant to the

idea of healing the mind with hypnosis. For several centuries it has been

generally believed that the brain is a client of the corpus or the body and the

thoughts that it generates have no bearing on the actual condition of the

body. We know now that this is not true at all. The mind is actually more

powerful than we have already imagined. It is capable not only of

rational/creative thoughts it also has a dominant influence on the very tissues

and organs of the body. So when a person is experiencing pain, one cannot

separate the pain of the body from the pain as it is being experienced by the

person through his mind.

Are you ready for the special hypnotic approaches? The first technique that I

am going to share with you can be used for patients who are distressed

because of conditions that prevent them from functioning normally on a

daily basis. If your client’s condition is slowly eroding his ability to become

active and independent, this technique can definitely be used.


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Research chronic pain and understand it’s impact on both the mind and the

body. Know how to offer your clients a solution that works for them and is

sustainable and can be developed without your presence.


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Module 4: Dealing with MedicalTreatments

The first step is to be familiar with the client’s mental coordinates. What is

he is worrying about now? What concerns him the most? What does he fear

losing because of his condition? Determine these coordinates so you can

chart an effective hypnotic path.

The second step is give the client a sense of control by showing him what

can and cannot be altered by human agency. Inform the client of the nature

of his condition to the best of your knowledge and provide an alternative

path that will allow him to live with the condition. The client must see

himself surpassing the challenges associated with the said condition and he

must also see himself succeeding in life despite the existence of the health

condition. It is very important to emphasize the need for acceptance at this

point in time especially if the condition is chronic.

Next, begin creating a new roadmap to a fruitful and more satisfying life

with the condition. Identify the things that may worsen the condition and

focus on the stuff that does help. For example, if the client has severe high

blood pressure then it is imperative that he stay away from high cholesterol

foods and stressful environments because these can easily trigger a deadly

spike in his blood pressure.

Propose a solution that is sustainable and can be developed even withoutyour presence. For example, if your client is an amputee who has lost both

legs, what kind of mental and physical exercises must be done to become

more functional? Visualize the body in its entirety and try to create a


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visualization process that will help the person transition from this point to a

more satisfying and productive life.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know a lot about medicine. Hypnosis,

visualization and self-healing work regardless of the logic and specifics of

the hypnotic experience. The body will understand what you are trying to do

so just focus on the central messages that you want to convey to the client’s

subconscious mind.

In addition to creating the perfect mental environment for self-healing, it is

also important to empower your client that he becomes an active agent in his

journey to healing and acceptance. Many patients feel depressed because

they feel that suddenly, control of their life has been taken away from them

because of their condition. Well, it is up to you to convince your client that

he still has some control of his life and he is not defined at all by his

condition. He is however, defined by the choices that he makes during his

treatment, etc.

The second approach that I would like to discuss with you centers on the

idea of quality of life. A person’s quality of life is a big determinant when it

comes to his happiness and contentment with his life even if he does have a

medical condition.

It is easy to say that a person’s personality determines how well he would be

able to cope with his condition however there are many instances when a

person becomes disoriented and confused because of the big changes taking

place in his life. So it is not so much that a person is not capable of dealing

with his condition it’s just that he is not capable of adjusting immediately to

his changing needs.


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The first step in this technique is to find out how the condition is affecting

the client. If the condition is severe like cancer you have to be aware of what

has already been done and what kind of treatments will be involved in the

future.

The severity of a condition can be used a key indicator in the hypnosis

session. You have to firmly anchor the hypnotic treatment around the

changing realities of the person. All visualizations and suggestions must

help the client accept what has to be done so that he can begin doing other

things that will make him happier and stronger.

The second step is to deal with the stress and anxiety associated with the

treatments and the condition itself. Meditation and other similar activities

can definitely help a person achieve a better quality of life. Exercise in its

many forms can also help people deal with physical pain and the other

discomforts brought about by their condition.

The next step is to suggest things that will allow the client to feel the

richness of life despite of his condition. Unless your client is bedridden or is

advised against going outdoors, there are plenty of things that a sick person

can do safely provided that someone is always with him and he is always

taking the proper precautions.

Travelling is definitely a good idea and if the client is up to it, you can work

with him so that he would be conditioned to travel and explore places that

he’s never been to before.


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There are many documented cases of people being able to vastly improve

their lives by pursuing activities that they have always wanted to do but

never had the time or need to do. In a way we have to reveal the silver lining

to the client. Perhaps the disease was life’s way of saying “slow down and

start living before it’s too late”.

The next set of guidelines that I am going to share with you can be used in

dentistry. You can use the basic templates that I have already discussed in

the previous sections (e.g. getting to know your client, establishing mental

and emotional coordinates) and just adapting to the client’s situation before

adding the various techniques and guidelines that will follow. So here are

the guidelines:

The dentist’s staffs can help alleviate stress and anxiety. Short chats or

interviews can reveal vital clues to the client’s real state of mind that may

not be revealed to the dentist himself.

Assuming that you are a dentist yourself, you must avoid any kind ofcommunication that will allow your patient to say no. Yes sets are extremely

effective in gaining immediate compliance from another person.

Fractionated rapport is also essential if the client is a new client. Don’t be

too eager to begin the procedure; break the process down into steps. For

example, ask the client “would you like to sit down?” after that, you can chat

with the client for a little while and ask again “would you like to have a

drink of water?”. You will be asking these question to ascertain whether or

not the client is ready for the actual procedure. If he is still not ready, then

you can just pace him some more until the anxiety reveals itself and you can

then address the anxiety directly by talking to the client and enlightening

him as to what you would actually be doing. Avoid saying things like “are


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you ready now?” because these statements will just spur the client’s anxiety

to greater heights.

It is also important to note that a significant portion of a person’s pain and

discomfort during dental procedures is caused by naturally occurring

chemicals in the body. The heightened sense of pain is actually caused by

stress and stress triggers many automatic responses in the body, included

fight or flight.

Deal with the stress first and the fight or flight response dissipates. Ignore

the stress and you will have to deal with a client who feels more than his fair

share of discomfort and physical pain. Of course, there are many drugs that

can be used to numb a person’s mouth during a dental procedure. But what if

the issue is not the pain itself but the idea of undergoing a dental procedure

in the first place?

Employ regression techniques. ***You need a medical release form from

your client’s medical doctor to conduct a regression for medical-relatedtreatment.


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When working with your clients and their medical condition it is important

to know, understand and ask questions about the following:

1.

How the condition is affecting your client.

2.

The severity of the condition.

3.

The stress and anxiety your client is experiencing.

4.

The positive aspects of their life despite of the condition

5.

Activities that they have always wanted to partake in, but never

pursued it.


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Module 5: Arm Raise Induction

Perform an “arms raised” induction right before the dental procedure. The

goal of this induction and the subsequent implementation of a hypnotic

script is to simply relax the client and remind him that he can still relax even

if he is in a dentist’s office and he is about to have a procedure done to

correct his teeth.

If the client is showing visible signs of muscular tension because of severe

anxiety, perform the following steps.

Let the client lie down on dentist’s chair and ask him to relax. Hold the

client’s wrist gently and lead his arm upward; make sure that you don’t jerk

the arm up – let the client slowly raise his arm with a little help from you.

Jerking the arm up might startle your already anxious client. Inform the

client that he appears anxious and perhaps even stressed from the procedure.

As you are saying this, continue raising the client’s arm until it

perpendicular in relation to the client’s body.

In the 1950s, the American Medical Association took notice of hypnosis

after a patient underwent a thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid) while in a

hypnotic trance induced by a hypnotist. No other painkiller or anesthesia

was used.

Since then, hypnotists have made powerful strides toward changing public

perception about hypnosis. Doctors continue to use hypnosis to calm their

patients, and to ease pain during procedures. They regularly tell patients how

easy recovery will be. Additionally, doctors tell patients a procedure is


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common and comes with a high degree of success. Because these phrases are

delivered by an authority figure, they act exactly the same as hypnotic

suggestions and become reality for the patient. There are also more obvious

hypnotic suggestions given to patients by doctors trained in hypnosis. And

for over a century, dentists have used hypnosis to ease discomfort during

dental procedures.

In addition to using hypnotic techniques themselves, doctors and dentists

regularly refer patients to hypnotists for help with weight loss, smoking

cessation, and overcoming fears about dental and surgical procedures.

Before the 1950’s, the medical profession scoffed at hypnosis. Today they

are readily embracing it as a complement to long-standing medical

procedures.

At no other time has the world of hypnosis been as wide open with exciting

possibilities as it is now. Because more and more people are exploring and

accepting the benefits of hypnosis, a much greater need now exists for

qualified hypnotists to open practices. The goal of this course is to giveyou—a potential or practicing hypnotist—a strong base for building your

practice. You will be guided through a basic hypnosis session, and you will

be given homework opportunities to use and modify your technique so that

you can help others lose weight, find love, and increase their financial

success, among other things.


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My Background

I have over two decades experience in hypnosis. I am a graduate of the Uni-

versity of Florida, a certified clinical hypnotist, a member of both the Ameri-

can Board of Hypnosis and the National Guild of Hypnotists, president of the

American Alliance of Hypnotists, and director of the Steve G. Jones School of

Hypnosis.

I am also on the Board of Directors of the American Lung Association in Los

Angeles, CA. I currently live in Savannah, GA, but I see clients and teach

classes worldwide.

I have a client-base consisting largely of people who need to lose weight or

gain confidence. Other clients include sales teams interested in boosting moti-

vation and increasing income, singles searching for love, insomniacs desiring

proper sleep, and smokers wanting to change their habits, to name just a few.

It is my hope that this course will breed a cadre of hypnotists with a strongcommitment toward practicing with integrity, thus altering negative percep-

tions about hypnosis while allowing people to make positive changes.

To this end, I am providing you with the tools to change peoples’ habits and

perceptions, and to help them overcome fears. I know that you can help your

patients find love, make a fortune, and reach their optimum level of physical

fitness through hypnosis.

http://www.stevegjones.com/alliance/http://www.stevegjones.com/learn.htmhttp://www.stevegjones.com/learn.htmhttp://www.stevegjones.com/alliance/http://www.stevegjones.com/learn.htmhttp://www.stevegjones.com/learn.htm


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About Hypnosis

I want to address and debunk some of the numerous misconceptions and

myths about hypnosis.

First of all, hypnosis is not a Zen-like trance in which the client, also

referred to as the patient, is in some sort of metaphysical state. From time to

time clients will experience this; however, the goal of hypnosis is to get the

client into a very light trance, also know as “Alpha.” When in Alpha, a client

is up to 200 times more suggestible and is therefore more able to receive

messages that influence positive change.

Anything deeper than Alpha (Delta or Theta) is helpful, but not necessary.

Stages of Consciousness

Hypnosis deals with four stages of consciousness: Beta, Alpha, Theta, and

Delta.

Normal awakening consciousness is called Beta. In Beta, a person’s brain is

fully functional and in an alert state. It is paying attention to and processing

stimuli from the outside world.

In Alpha, a person is slowed down slightly and is therefore more focused

and able to dedicate his train of thought to one thing. Equate Alpha to the

state you are in when watching TV, or when you have been driving for a

lengthy period. When driving, your attention is focused on the elements of

driving. Outside stimuli play a lesser role. At first, you may be aware of

things around you, such as cars and pedestrians. After prolonged driving,


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your attention shifts to what is happening directly in front of you. This is

Alpha.

Alpha is a “not-really-here, not-really-out-of-it” phase. In Alpha, outside

stimuli are no longer distracting the client, who is then able to receive habit-

altering messages from a hypnotist.

It is important to note that, like driving in a trance, patients in hypnosis still

can react as things happen. A common misconception about hypnosis is that

clients under hypnosis cannot react, and therefore the hypnotist has ultimate

control over the patient. In Alpha, the patient is always in the driver’s seat.

The patient is fully capable of reacting and making decisions.

Some patients under hypnosis go deeper than Alpha into Theta or Delta, and

most patients will transition between Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta during

the hypnosis session. Some patients will never attain Theta or Delta,

regardless of what the hypnotist does. However, almost everyone will fall

into Alpha on the first session. Techniques for guiding patients to Theta orDelta are more complex, and are beyond the scope of this course.

Those techniques are taught in my advanced class. You should know,

however, that there are tests for ascertaining how deeply a person has fallen.

Some methods of hypnosis are more effective in Theta and Delta.

(Incidentally, the person whose thyroid was removed while under hypnosis

was in Delta.)

Because patients generally toggle among the stages of consciousness in any

given hypnosis session, most will have the experience of only remembering

some of the things the hypnotist says. Patients often believe they remember

everything, but actually remember very little.


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What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is the most immediate tool for changing beliefs and/or behaviors.

Of all the therapies, hypnosis will produce the most immediate results.

Hypnosis is a combination of hypnosis and therapy, which is one of the

many attributes separating it from stage hypnosis. Traditionally, a hypnotist

will spend about half of his or her time talking to the client while the client

is in Beta (normal awakening consciousness). The remainder of the time, the

client will be in hypnosis (Alpha or lower). Hypnosis works by combining

hypnosis with precise, outcome-oriented therapy and targeting the

subconscious mind.

Hypnosis is quite different than traditional therapy. Instead of spending

years with a therapist, clients who undergo hypnosis will have an efficient,

fast, and reliable means of altering negative behavior.

It is important to note that hypnosis is not for everyone. Some patients wantto spend years in traditional therapy getting to know themselves and

examining the roots of their behavior. Some patients will even respond

better to long-term non-hypnotic therapy. Hypnosis is just one of the

thousands of ways a person can achieve his goals; however, if your patient

wants immediate results, hypnosis is the most effective tool.

The beauty of hypnosis is that a person’s body does not know the difference

between imagining something and having it happen. As far as the body is


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concerned, the physiological responses are the same regardless of whether

the client is imaging something or it is happening.

The client therefore has the advantage of intellectually knowing that a

situation is happening only in the imagination and physically responding as

though it has happened. The client gets the benefit of tackling his fears,

losing weight, or becoming motivated without even having left the

hypnotist’s chair. The client is still reclined in the chair, yet as far as his

body knows, he has conquered his cravings, lost weight, learned how to

speak to romantic interests, etc.

This means that when it comes time for the client to eat healthy foods, or go

on a date, or stop procrastinating, his body will feel as though he has already

done this, and he will therefore have the confidence and ability to move

forward.

Responsibilities of a Hypnotist

To help move hypnosis into the mainstream, hypnotists should adhere to the

following guidelines:

1.

Do no harm. This course provides powerful tools for tapping into the

subconscious mind. In doing so, you must first make a commitment to

making only positive changes in your patients’ lives. If you have a

client whose idea of a “positive change” differs from yours, you have

a responsibility to refuse to perform therapy on that client. For

example: If a weight loss client wants to lose 15 pounds in one week,

you should explain to him that this is unhealthy. Then offer a more


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reasonable plan, and refuse to treat him if he insists on attempting to

lose 15 pounds in one week.

2.

If hypnosis is not working on a given patient, stop treatment and referthe patient elsewhere. Do not waste time with clients. If you continue

to treat a client who is not getting the results he wants, you will have

wasted your client’s time and money, and damaged not only your

reputation, but also the reputation of hypnosis in general. Not all

patients will respond to hypnosis, and not all patients will respond to

your method of hypnosis. Accept this, and move on if goals are not

being met. For example: Let’s say you have a client who is a

mortgage broker and wants to make more money . You should

initially have her agree to three to six sessions. At the end of those

sessions, you must assess how the treatment is progressing and if it is

of any benefit to the client. I always assign homework to patients to

get a measure of how invested they are in their own change and to

keep them moving toward their goal. For this client, I would have her

make a certain number of calls per week. If she has not made calls

after the third session, we are obviously wasting each other’s time. I

would then terminate the hypnosis.

3.

Set reasonable, solid, and productive goals. Set goals that are

attainable. Aim high, but give your clients time to respond. Never

promise clients that they will, for instance, lose 50 pounds in three

weeks. Instead, do research and set a reasonable goal. Do not set your

clients up for failure. For instance, with the mortgage client discussed

above. I would break up her homework into small steps. In week one,

she should make ten calls. In week two, she should make 20 calls, etc.

Expect that your client will get off to a slow start. Perhaps she will not

do the homework at all the first week. Keep in mind that many people


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6.

Likewise, if another healthcare professional refers a client to you for

treatment of a specific problem, treat only that problem. You have not

been handed a blank check. Respect the process of the M.D.,

hypnotists, or psychotherapist. Do your job, report your findings to

the healthcare professional, and end the treatment.


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Hypnosis Overview

A general hypnosis session begins with a pre-talk. This is where you explain

hypnosis to the client and reassure them about the power of their mind. Next

is the induction, which is the initial attempt to drop the client into a light

trance. After the induction, the hypnotist will conduct a deepening which

drops the client into an even deeper trance, as the name suggests. The

hypnotist will then use a script, which is the therapy-portion of the session.

The script includes suggestion for change. Upon finishing the script, the

hypnotist will segue into amnesia, which suggests that the client’s mind willforget the session. Finally, the hypnotist will use trance termination to bring

the client out of hypnosis. In this course, each of the above steps will be

covered in detail.

However, each client is different, so the therapy session might be changed

depending on the client’s needs. Hypnotists should be flexible. Always

remember to think on your feet. Do research so that you can take alternate

paths if you are on a course that does not seem to be working.

When conducting a hypnosis session, learn to speak monotonously and

slowly. Throughout the session, you will want to lengthen your words. Your

tone should be dull and boring. See the chapter titled Inductions for more

details.

You also will want to use positive words. For instance, when I work with

people on procrastination, I do not call it “procrastination.” I call it

“motivation” because this is the positive way of looking at things. Learn to


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spin things positively. Instead of saying a person is “afraid to fly,” say he

wants “freedom to fly.” Experiment with phrasing things positively.

Some professionals believe that hypnotists should not use the word “no” or

“not” because they believe that the subconscious mind drops these words. In

other words, instead of a hearing “You will not eat carbohydrates,” the client

will hear, “You will eat carbohydrates.”

I often use the words “no” and “not” with positive results. However, to be on

the safe side, you may choose to avoid using negative words. Instead, say,

“You will be done eating foods with carbohydrates” or, “You will crave

foods that have a low amount of carbohydrates.”


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Glossary of terms

Alpha—The lightest stage of hypnosis, Alpha is just below Beta (normal

awakening consciousness).

Amnesia—Brief yet powerful suggestions given to cause the client to

consciously forget the hypnosis experience.

Beta—Normal waking consciousness.

Client —The subject of the hypnosis session. May also be called “patient.”

Deepening—Suggestions given after an induction meant to deepen the state

of hypnosis.

Delta—The deepest state of hypnosis.

Diagnosis—The patient’s main “problem” (i.e., overweight, unmotivated, or

smoker). Be careful not to share this label with the client. You need to

know what you are dealing with, but if the client hears this label, she may

identify with it. When talking with the client, it is better to say, “You are a

woman who used to smoke.” Avoid saying, “You are a smoker.” Also,

keep in mind that hypnotists are not qualified to diagnose. That is the job

of a licensed therapist or MD.

Induction—The first part of a hypnosis session intended to ease the client

into a trance.

Phobia—A fear.

Script —In this course, a “script” describes the main part of a hypnosis

session during which the main therapeutic message is delivered.

Theta—The state of hypnosis just above Delta.

Trance Termination—Ending the hypnosis session either by returning theclient to full awakening consciousness (Beta), or by suggesting that the

client go to sleep (Delta or Theta).


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Recording your Sessions

Because it takes approximately 21 days to form new habits, you should be

prepared to tape your hypnosis sessions so that your clients can listen to

their sessions each night, thus reinforcing the change.

Only record the hypnosis portion of the session. The hypnosis session begins

when you begin the induction. Be prepared to begin the CD or mp3.

immediately when hypnosis begins, and stop at the conclusion of the

session.

I sell hypnosis CDs from my Web site and sometimes people buy four or

more CDs at once on, for instance, Weight Loss, Unlimited Motivation,

Unlimited Confidence, and Better Golf. These clients sometimes have the

intention of listening to all four CDs at once. Do not have your clients do

this. Tackle one problem at a time, and give your client three weeks to

change a habit. Allow the client to ease into the change. If you try to force

change, if you tell the client to listen to the tape 21 times in one day, both

you and your client will get frustrated.

Remember: Set reasonable goals. Do not try to force change because this

could be counterproductive.


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Controlling the Environment

You will want to establish an office space that allows you to control the

environment. Cut your clients off from the outside world and demand their

complete attention. You must have them relaxed. You must have them in an

oasis from the outside world. You must have the client’s complete attention

for the hypnosis to be successful.

In controlling the environment, first, make sure that the client has gone to

the restroom. Dropping your client into Alpha and sustaining hypnosis is

difficult if they are squirming with discomfort. So, simply ask them, before

you begin the session, “Do you need to use the restroom before we begin?”

Likewise, make sure that their cell phones and pagers are turned off. Make

sure that they are in an environment where no one and nothing is going to

disturb them. There should be no barking dogs, or sounds of traffic.

Control the environment.

Make sure that the client is not too cold, or too warm. Give the patient the

option of being reclined. A comfortable, reclining chair is perfect for this.

Get one.

I prefer to have my clients reclined in a nearly horizontal position with an

eye covering (like the ones which are sold for sleeping or airplane trips) overtheir eyes to block out any light. The clients listen to my voice through

headphones.


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I want to completely control the environment (for this reason, I generally

avoid going to a person’s house for a hypnosis session). The client is not

going to physically see anything because his eyes are going to be covered.

He is not going to hear anything except my voice and the gentle ocean

waves I play in the background. The client is perhaps going to be covered

with one or two blankets, depending on the temperature.

Your job as a hypnotist is to make sure that there are no controllable

occurrences that will interrupt the session. If there are, handle them before

starting the hypnosis session.

I learned this lesson the hard way in 1986: I had a patient, a doctor, who

wanted to be hypnotized. She was on call during our first session, and she

kept getting up during the hypnosis session to respond to her pager. I was

young and she was not respecting the session. I immediately formed a strict

policy against this disruptive activity. If your patient is on call, tell her to

come back another day. Do not allow yourself or your client to be disturbed.

Some clients like to multitask; hypnosis is not about that. Think of it like

surgery—it would not be acceptable if someone knocked on the door during

surgery or if the doctor stopped operating so the patient could take a cell

phone call. Show your client how to respect the hypnosis session.

Bottom line…Control the environment! It’s YOUR responsibility.


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Clients to Refer Out

Occasionally you will receive a call from a potential client who is not an

appropriate client for a hypnotist. You will know when you are in “over your

head.” It is always a good idea to refer out (send to a more appropriate

healthcare provider) anyone who tells you they are schizophrenic or

psychotic, for example. These are serious mental health cases that you are

NOT trained to handle. Also, anyone who wants to uncover past memories

of abuse. You are NOT trained to deal with the emotional fallout of such

scenarios.

As hypnotists, we work with changing behavior in otherwise high

functioning clients. This means they are stable individuals who simply need

help losing weight, gaining motivation, being more confident, stopping

smoking, etc. We enable behavioral changes stemming from changes in their

belief systems. We do NOT turn insane clients sane, psychotic clients

“normal,” etc.

I cannot list all of the types of cases which you should refer out, but use your

judgment. Never take a client just for the money. If you feel you are not

qualified to handle the case, you are RIGHT. Refer them out.


Practice the arm-raise induction with a friend.


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Module 6: Bucket Lowering Induction

Tell the client to just relax his arm and hands even if they are raised in the

air. Do not let go of the client’s wrist as the arm might suddenly fall to his

face or chest when he decides to relax his tense muscles. There is no need to

hold the arm very firmly; when the client’s arm has been raised up you only

need to lightly support the wrist with the tips of your fingers. Your fingers

will act as the guideposts that will remind the client to keep his arm raised.

Distract the client by telling him something about muscle relaxation. You

can tell him to observe his hand or fingers as these have a tendency to move

about a little as muscular relaxation sets in.

If the client is still not completely relaxed what you can do is to simply tap

the tips of the client’s fingers so that they would lightly contract. The

tendency is for a muscle to relax after it has contracted. Continue lightly

tapping the tips of the client’s fingers until there is visible evidence that he is

completely relaxed.

It is actually hard to relax an arm that has been raised up so you can be sure

that other parts of his body are relaxed as well. It takes immense

concentration to relax your arm while keeping your whole body tense. The

body doesn’t respond this way at all. When a person chooses to relax, he

will relax completely because that is how the body responds to conscious

commands. The body tenses and relaxes as a unit not as separate parts.

Keep talking about relaxation and just give any plausible explanation of

what’s happening. Asking your client to focus on some visual aspect of his


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surroundings will also prevent over-analysis, which really isn’t good for

hypnosis.

When the client is completely relaxed, ask the client to feel a warmth that is

beginning to spread from his hand, down to his arm and throughout his

whole body. The source of the warmth would actually be your own fingers

but the client won’t be too aware of this. Guided visualization takes time so

just let the client experience it on his own pace. But don’t worry, many

patients have very vivid imaginations and this type of induction only take

three to four minutes to complete.

When the client is showing signs of being in a deep trance, you can begin

giving hypnotic suggestions related to relaxation and being pain-free. Time

the suggestions so that they are received by the client whenever he breathes

out. Encourage full, belly breathing as this also helps dissipate stress.

This next technique can be used to quickly insert hypnotic suggestions if you

are pressed for time.

Alright so just ask the client to lie comfortably on the dentist’s chair. Ask

him to close his eyes and to relax. Hold the client’s wrist gently and raise his

arm gently, taking care not to jerk it up as this can startle your client. When

the client’s arm is up in the air, begin the visualization process.

Let the client imagine that he is holding a small bucket and you are going

slowly fill this container with sand. At first you are going to add very small

amounts of sand but as time progresses you will be adding more and more

sand to the bucket. You can easily create an immediate impact on the client

by saying things like “I am now using a giant scoop to put more sand in your


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bucket and your hand is becoming strained as the bucket becomes heavier

and heavier”.

After a time your client’s arm will gradually lower because of the imagined

weight of the bucket. Pay attention to the gradual downward movement of

the client’s arm. When his arm moves down, insert your hypnotic

suggestions until finally, his arm is finally level again with the rest of his

body.


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Practice the bucket and sand induction with a friend.


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Module 7: Balloon Raise InductionOkay let’s move on to another technique that you can use if you just want to

relax your client. This technique again, makes use of arm levitation so if you

are getting used to the general idea of hypnosis-induced catalepsy, this

technique shouldn’t be too difficult at all.

So the first thing you are going to do is make the client relax on a reclined

dentist’s chair. When the client is fully relaxed, ask him to close his eyes.

Now lightly touch both sides of his right wrist and say this: “I am tying a

special balloon right now to your wrist. This is a special balloon because you

are the only one who can see its color. What I can tell you about it is its size

as it slowly fills with helium.”

Begin leading the client by informing him that the balloon that is tied around

his wrist is becoming bigger and bigger. It’s not enough to say that the

balloon is getting bigger though; you also have to say that the balloon is

pulling up his arm slowly. Repeat the hypnotic suggestion until the client is

responding quickly to each suggestion that the balloon is getting bigger.

When the client’s arm is completely in the air and appears cataleptic, you

can begin ‘deflating’ the balloon. Each time the balloon gets a little smallerbecause there is a small hole in it, add suggestions of relaxation and comfort

until the client’s hand is finally back on his lap.


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Now normally hypnotists just say, “Your whole body is becoming relaxed.”

In the case of a patient who is having a lot of trouble opening his mouth, you

must isolate the relaxation to the mouth area. You can do this by saying,

“You are so relaxed right now that your jaw muscles are unable to keep your

mouth closed”. You can also say that there are small weights attached to the

corners of the client’s jaws and these weights are pulling down the mouth

easily. Think of other creative ways to encourage a person to just let go and

open his mouth during a dental procedure.

The next scenario is: what if the client has a challenge with too much

gagging? When a mouth restraint is placed inside the mouth, the normal

mechanism responsible for taking away excess saliva is disrupted just a little

bit. Even adult patients who are not anxious at all may feel like gagging

because of the dental mouthpiece used during procedures.

So what can you do to help a patient who is gagging so much? The trick is in

the breathing. Sometimes patients take shallow breaths simply because their

mouths are open. They forget that they can still breathe easily through theirnostrils.

So what you are going to do is you are going to encourage your patient to

simply breathe deeply and with each breath say that he is going to be

increasingly relaxed. Watch the client’s chest for any changes in the

breathing rhythm or breathing pattern. When the client is able to stabilize his

breathing, the gagging reflex will disappear or at least it will be greatly

reduced.


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Practice the balloon raise induction with a friend.


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Module 8: Proper Office Design to

Enhance RapportSeasoned hypnotists will tell you the same thing: it’s actually easy to create

a stunning hypnotic script… The hardest part about meeting new clients and

clients is establishing rapport. Rapport simply means harmony between two

or more people. If there is no rapport between you and your client, your

power to influence and persuade the client is significantly lower.

So in the end, whether you like it or not, you need to learn how to establish

rapport if you want to succeed as a hypnotist or hypnotist. Rapport might

sound like a simple concept but since you are in hypnosis you need

techniques with measurable results. You can’t rely on common rapport

methods because you don’t really have the luxury of time in many instances.

This is the main reason why I have devoted several modules to this topic –

to ensure that every person who goes through this course will have the

ability to establish trust and rapport wherever they go. Don’t worry; the

rapport-building skills that I am going to share with you today can easily be

used in day-to-day social interactions.

So if you’re thinking that these skills will only be useful when you are

interacting with a hypnotic client, think again: all good communicators need

to know how to establish rapport with their clients or audiences. Withoutrapport, people won’t trust you and there would be no real reason for people

to listen and believe in what you are saying. That is how important rapport is

so do not underestimate its value in any setting that involves social

interaction.


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The number one reason why you should be concerned with rapport is that

you won’t get a lot of good results with your client if he doesn’t perceive

you as someone that he could trust and confide in. Some people think that

hypnotists have a natural talent for getting people to trust them; little do

people know that hypnotists actually have to work hard to master the various

ways that they could gain compliance from other people.

In the context of professional hypnosis, what do clients actually expect from

the person who is conducting the hypnosis session in the first place? First,

clients generally feel that the hypnotist should be competent in what he is

supposed to know from ground up. So rapport is really established the

moment the client walks into your office.

Your office’s design must be conducive to a hypnosis session and long

conversations; the physical space within your office is an extension of who

you are and what you represent as a hypnotist. The second thing that clients

expect is that you are there to help them overcome their problems.


Practice establishing rapport with people you interact with as you go about

your daily routine. Whether it’s the cashier who takes your coffee order, a

co-worker you speak with on the phone, a janitor you pass by at your office,

etc.


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Module 9: Being Adaptive as a Hypnotist – To Any Client Situation

Another thing that people expect is that hypnotists are powerful individuals

who have the ability to communicate what needs to be said even in the

toughest of situations. People who reach out to hypnotists do so because

there is a general belief that hypnotists have a better understanding of how

the human mind works.

Now, there are countless other minor expectations about hypnotists that we

are not going to discuss anymore because they are not really that relevant to

your practice of hypnosis. What is relevant is that you learn the various ways

that you can establish rapport with any person regardless of the person’s age,

sex, background or experience with hypnosis.

I know that many beginning hypnotists wish that every client were an ideal

client who ‘knows the drill’ and knows enough about hypnosis to be an easyhypnotic client. Unfortunately this will not be the case. Hypnotists meet all

sorts of people from extremely hypnotizable ones to extremely resistant

ones. You must be prepared to deal with all of them if you want to be

successful and if you want to learn more about the art and science of

hypnosis in the real world.

If you are ready to master new rapport-building skills, then I am going to

share with you a list of specific techniques and guidelines that you can use

any time when interacting with a client.


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Now, it is important to be adaptive as a hypnotist because not everyone will

be opening an office to establish their hypnosis career. Some people are

reading this because they want to use hypnosis in their daily life. That is

perfectly fine and might I say a worthy investment in oneself.

The guidelines that I am about to share with you are geared generally for

people who introduce themselves as hypnotists to other people. The context

is that people will be coming to you and paying you for your expertise and

for your time.

The very first thing that you should be aware of is that whenever you

interact with another person, you are transmitting messages not only verbally

but also vocally and non-verbally. So there are three channels of

communication involved whenever you talk to someone: verbal channel,

vocal channel and non-verbal channel.

You may have already come across the concept of nonverbal language in

your other readings so I am just going to refresh your memory so you can tieup this concept with rapport and hypnosis. Okay so when you talk to

someone, the receiver of the message is ‘reading’ three distinct channels of

communication.

In an ideal world, a person would be able to effortlessly communicate the

same idea through three different channels. Unfortunately this is often

harder than expected especially if the speaker is not completely interested in

communicating with his client in the first place.

So a person might be saying “please feel free to share anything with me” but

his body language (nonverbal channel) and his vocal language (tonality,


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speech rate, etc.) might not be communicating the same thing. When this

happens, cognitive dissonance occurs and the client will find it more

difficult to trust you because you are not sending a congruent signal to the

client.

This might sound a little extreme but in the event that the client is someone

that you cannot possibly have any good rapport with, it would be better to

just refer him to another hypnotist. This would be an excellent option if you

two aren’t getting along and his level of resistance is insurmountable.

In such a situation it would be better to turn him over to another hypnotist

who might know some other method that will allow the client to receive help

through the hypnotic process. Such instances are very rare and 98% of the

time, hypnotic clients just need a little nudge in the right direction to become

ideal hypnotic clients.

But in the event that you do find someone that is hard to get along with,

much less hypnotize in your own office, then it is time to refer that person toanother hypnotist who might be able to provide better service.

Always remember that in the end, you are still providing a form of

specialized service and the client will be expecting some good outcomes

from approaching you.

If you cannot create these outcomes by working closely with the client and

by learning as much as you can from him by interviewing him, then you

won’t be able to effectively render the service that you promised the client in

the first place.


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When communicating with people, we aware of your three channels of

communication (verbal, vocal and non-verbal). Try to align all three to

convey the message accurately.


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Basic Ericksonian Hypnosis eBook – Pag

Module 10: How to Tap Into yourGenuine Desire to Help People

When you are working with a client make sure that you give your one

hundred percent attention to him and to him alone during the entire hypnosis

session. Turn off your phone or set it to silent and don’t use it while talking

to your client.

Avoid answering phone calls in the middle of an induction or a hypnosis

session and never accept strange people into your office when your client is

in a deep trance state. A person who is in a deep trance state would feel

vulnerable for the most part and if you accommodate other people while you

are performing hypnosis, the client will definitely feel very uncomfortable.

Treat your client with high regard and respect his privacy at all times.

Every person has personal preferences and specific values; it’s fine to have

them but make sure that they don’t shine through when you are speaking

with your client. Imposing any value system on a client is extremely bad in

the context of hypnosis because you are mainly a guide, not a teacher.

People don’t come to hypnotists to learn about morality and religion. If they

did, then hypnotists would probably be segregated and fragmented intohundreds of different subgroups and this would make hypnosis arcane and to

put it lightly, irrelevant to people seeking help.


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Now, in the previous discussion we talked about the three-phase process

needed in every hypnotic intervention geared towards medical cases. If you

can remember, the first phase is determining what matters to your client .

Once you have established these vital coordinates you must be careful not to

talk about certain things with your client because he/she finds it

offensive/immoral or just downright frightening.

In the event that the client begins talking about things that you don’t want to

talk about, you have two choices – just weather the storm and let it pass or

you can stop the conversation and inform the client that you can’t talk about

those things.

More often than not, clients follow the hypnotist’s lead and they stop. In the

event that the issue at hand is vital to the client’s recovery, then it might be a

good time to refer the client to another hypnotist if you are unable to

perform your duties as a hypnotist yourself.

Another important factor that should never be missing when you interact

with clients is your genuine desire to help them. If you develop an

unquenchable desire and drive to help others through hypnosis or hypnosis,

then this genuine desire will shine through your words and actions.

Your state of mind will reflect in the way you interact with people and in the

way you devise various ways to heal troubled minds and spirits.

Inversely, if you do not like what you are doing and you find clients tedious

and stressful to deal with, all of the negative thoughts and emotions will also

find a way to express themselves in your words and actions. Unless you


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have extreme self-control, these natural manifestations of your thoughts and

feelings will be felt and seen by your clients.


When meeting with a client, put yourself in their shoes for a moment to feel

what it would be like to be in their position. Let this fuel your desire to help

them.


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Module 11: Paying Attention to Client

Feedback to Improve your Sessions

In the history of Ericksonian hypnosis, there are countless stories of

successes attributed to the most radical of approaches. One of these

approaches was the word salad wherein a hypnotist would record and

analyze strings of unrelated words in order to determine the problem of a

psychiatric ward.

Sometimes this technique worked, sometimes it didn’t. But there was one

thing that was proven time and time again – the best type of communication

is the kind that can be appreciated and understood by both parties.

We are not just talking about lexical meanings and such; what I am really

trying to emphasize is discovering how the client would like to talk and

adapting to his own mode of communication so you can create and conveymeaning more effectively.

Too often people force others to think and speak in a particular manner. If

you were a teacher and you were in a classroom full of students waiting for

academic instruction then this form of communication would indeed be

beneficial.

But if you are sitting in an office with a troubled person who is about to give

up all hope in life because of things that he cannot even express properly,

what one must do? The first step is to discover how the person speaks and


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understands the world at large. This can be done through careful study of

the client’s language-in-use.

It is fairly easy to ascertain that a person was speaking English or French.

But the real challenge is determining how the client likes to express himself.

Does the client prefer metaphors over direct statements? Does the client

usually break off a line of thoughts before he reveals something that might

help the hypnotist?

Does the client remain silent but for the right reasons when he is asked

something? Is the client waiting for a different line of questioning so he can

finally reveal what is bothering him? These are just some of the tangential

lines that can be explored when you are working with clients.

Note that not all clients are resistant and not every client will give you a run

for your money during a pre-hypnosis interview.

But it pays to be aware of the various lines of thinking that you can utilize topenetrate the mental veil that hides the vital details that a hypnotist must see

in order to devise an effective intervention.

The next issue that I would like to discuss with you is the importance of

client feedback during an interview or during a hypnosis session. Now, there

is a common perception that meaning is generated by a person when he

talks. Naturally, a person has intent when he speaks and of course, no one

would want to send the wrong message when one interacts with others.

However, intent is not sufficient when it comes to determining the meaning

of words, phrases and sentences when they are uttered. The final determinant


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of meaning in the context of hypnotic intervention is how the client responds

to what you are saying. This might sound strange and even contradictory,

but it is completely and undeniably true. In hypnosis, it doesn’t matter if you

had the best of intentions.

If you uttered something and the client misunderstands your words and

provides a response that is not congruent with your primary input that means

you have not been a good communicator at all. There is a general tendency

for people to become frustrated when they are misunderstood and the blame

is usually aimed at the receiver of the message.

But let’s try to flip the common conception. What if the real problem is the

communicator himself? What if the non-ideal feedback given by the client is

actually the appropriate response for whatever has been communicated by

the hypnotist?

Now that we are done discussing the finer principles of conveying and

decoding meaning in conversations, let’s talk about representationalsystems.


Analyze how your client responds to what you are saying. Ask questions and

read non-verbal cues during every session to determine how to better care

for your client


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Module 12: Pacing and Leading

The next topic that I’d like to discuss with you is pacing and leading. Now in

the context of establishing rapport the most important aspect of pacing and

leading is the concept of rhythm. Rhythm is defined as “a movement,

fluctuation or variation marked by regular recurrence or natural flow of

related elements”.

If we were to look at how people interact with each other you would see the

recurring elements used by both speaker and listener to keep the interactiongoing.

As the hypnotist, it is your job to ensure that the rhythm of the interaction

will benefit the client primarily. It doesn’t matter if you have a tough time in

the beginning; what is important is you are aware of the current rhythm in

the interaction and you are able to perform the steps needed to create the

perfect rhythm to suit the session’s goal.


Practice pacing with friends. When you feel as though you have gained

rapport through pacing, trying leading.


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Module 13: Eye-Accessing Cues

It wasn’t until the late 1970s when Richard Bandler and John Grinder started

talking about the eye accessing cues. There had been some talk about it prior

to that, but no one actually linked eye-accessing cues or eye movements to

what you are feeling internally and then gave it a systematic approach.

What I am talking about is that you can look at someone’s face and look at

their eyes, which is something that you cannot do over text or email, only

face to face. You can watch how their eyes are moving with each thing that

they are saying or thinking. They do no have to be saying anything in this

conversation that you are having, they can just react to what you say. When

you watch someone’s eyes and they say the eyes are a window to the soul, it

is interesting that, until the late 1970s, we did not have access to those

windows. It was foggy, as if the curtains were on it. Now, the curtains are

gone and the window is perfectly clear. We can see into people’s soulsthrough their eyes.

How, in the world, can we look at someone’s eyes and tell what they are

thinking? Take a look at the diagram below:


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We are going to look at each of these in detail and take a closer look to see

what they can tell us about people. Remember, these little lines represent the

way someone’s eyes are moving. My eyes, in the world of NLP (Neuro

Linguistic Programming) can move six ways.

In the world of NLP, created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the

1970s, you are only going to look one of six ways, which means that you

can narrow that down to one of six ways. Someone could look only straight

and give you a poker face, you have got your work cut out for you as it will

be very difficult to use this system and determine what they are thinking.

The good news is that most people do not do that and use ey- accessing cues.

One thing to keep in mind, just as with everything, is the fact that there are

people who are trained in this. You could very well be dealing with someone

who knows what you are up to and knows how to deal with this.

For example, in law enforcement agencies, their agents are trained with this

technology. This is true in the USA and probably other countries. The

Federal Agents are trained at FLETC. There are numerous locations around


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the world where you might find the FLETC building or group of buildings.

One is in Georgia, however, there are several. That should be good news to

you – The fact that the US government pays money to have their Federal

Agents trained in this technology is good news. Believe it or not, the US

Federal Government is not interested in wasting money when it comes to

training law enforcement officers.

They want to give them the basics, something that works, quickly and

efficiently. The fact that this information is used in Federal Law

Enforcement training is good news. It means that the government has seen

value in it.

In the United States, a lot of people do not know this; there are over 90

different Federal Agencies: FBI, CIA, Inspector General’s office and many

more. When most people think of a Federal Agent, FBI or CIA come to

mind, however, there are over 90 different agencies. There are also many

people in each agency, all of whom are trained in this technology. That is

good news. The odds are, when you are dealing with someone and usingthis, it is not going to be a Federal Agent. It will be an average person or a

citizen who is unaware of this. Do keep in mind that this information is out

there. If you have someone staring right at you, it may be someone who has

access to this technology.

Chances are you will be dealing with a date, someone to whom you may be

selling something, a child or a parent, husband or wife, boyfriend or

girlfriend or someone who is your boss or employee.


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There are people who know this other than Federal Agents. With anything

that you learn, be aware that someone else could know it too. The trick is to

make sure that you are highly skilled in what you do.

According to NLP, you will look in one of the six directions as long as you

are not looking straight. Let’s look at the first one, which is the Visual

Created.

If you are facing someone and they are looking up to their right, that means

they are visually creating something. What does that mean? If you imagine

your room, for example your bedroom and your bed. with purple and pink

polka dots on it. You may not have the purple polka dots, which is entirely

your choice, but let’s just assume that you don’t. You will have to create that

visually and come up with that in your mind. According to NLP, this will

require to look up to your right in order to create that.

Even the people who are most trained in this; there is a natural propensity

and a natural urge to look up and to the right. You will see even trainedpeople start to do it but catch themselves. You will have to catch them do it

and be observant. You have to watch for cues which will tell you about their

internal world and you will do that by getting those cues.

As you can imagine, if someone is creating something visually and you are

asking them a question about something that is a fact, they could be lying.

We will talk later about how to use conversational hypnosis to be able to

determine if someone is telling the truth or not.

The next one that I want to talk about from the diagram is the little

horizontal line to the left. This line says AC – Auditory Created. AC could


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be how your mother would sound as Mickey Mouse. Again, I assume that

your mother does not sound like Mickey Mouse and that you have to create

that in your mind.

If you are looking at someone and they are looking to their right, that is

because they are having to create something auditory. For example, how

your mother sounds as Mickey Mouse would be how a normally oriented

person would create auditory - Horizontally to the right. Your brain is

putting together the sounds.

Looking at the diagram, the diagonal line on the lower left, which is their

right, we see kinesthetic or a K. This would be something like if I asked you

what it feels like to walk on the beach or across a grassy field barefoot. It is

motion and feeling. It can also be emotion. For example, what does it feel

like to win a million dollars, what does it feel like to graduate from college?

It can be a happy, sad or a plain ordinary feeling. It can also be feeling

something like the grass or sand. Therefore, if you are facing a normally

oriented person as they look down and to their right, we know that they arefeeling something. If you look at the diagram at the upper right part of it,

you will see VR (Visually Remembered). As you are facing the person

perhaps asking about their first car, up and to their left, they are going to

simply remember it.

The next one down in the diagram is AR (Auditory Remembered). If you are

looking at the person and they are looking to their left, as you are facing

them, this would be something like asking them to remember their mother’s

voice (Auditory Remembered). Assuming they remember their mother’s

voice, it would be something that they actually remember and they are

simply accessing that information.


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