Anthony Jacquin, both in RIP and his blog writes about having an actual context for doing hynosis. It makes a great read and I believe is well thought out. Obviously by someone who absolutely understands what they're talking about.
But, does anyone have thoughts on the following...?
The hypnotist in this case is actually a therapist. A therapist of quite a few years experience who understands that he's never actually needed to be a great HYPNOTIST. But rather, that experience has shown him that all he's ever had to do is simply get them to close their eyes, relax through concentration and imagination, and allow themselves to slip into hypnosis (based on what the therapist said, how the therapist conducted himself and the belief the client had already carried with them into the therapy room).
Then of course he simply READS the script that's based on their particular problems and, lo and behold, 78% (or whatever) stop smoking, hit the diet, are able to go on the flight, stop kissing men with bald heads...yaddy yaddy yaddy.
Now this same hypno(therapist) reads RIP, but then asks himself the question: 'If I attempt this hands-clasped or unbendable arm technique and the fingers part and/or the arm bends, where do I go from there. In other words, am I not FURTHER away from where I might have been by simply using the tried and tested methods of hypnotic relaxation (although it might take 30 bl**dy minutes!).
In other words... "where and what are my outs?"
Any thoughts?

Bobser

Hi,

I think you have two questions there. One is about context and the other is about what you call 'outs' that in this case are possibly needed because of 'doubts'.

I suspect you are not any further on after thirty minutes of your relaxation technique and therapy script as you would be if you did any 'rapid' (seconds to few minutes)induction. The only difference is in the relaxo approach most hypnotists do not test their work.

The question follows is it necessary for therapy. The answer is no. However the experience is generally richer with more satisfaction on the part of the hypnotist and the client. If you do not test your work then it is questionable whether you are using hypnosis as often as you might think.

Some ideas on creating context follow.

Extract from 'Reality is Plastic - Proper Mental' a supplement to Reality is Plastic aimed at mentalists and magicians.

Many people, who purchased my book 'Reality is Plastic - The Art of Impromptu Hypnosis', with little or no prior knowledge of hypnosis, have simply picked up a few of the techniques and applied the basic approach with incredible results. Success breeds confidence and confidence goes a long way when hypnotizing. I love receiving progress reports of ‘Hypno Attacks’ worldwide. Keep them coming.

However I have had emails from others who simply have not been able to find a variety of people to practice on and are therefore unlikely to build hypnosis into their performances. If you have to pressurize an unwilling or uninterested relative or close friend into having a go then often the hypnotic situation you are attempting to create can collapse before it even gets started as the mood is all wrong. It makes it much less likely you will hypnotize with success. This is hard to take as a fledgling hypnotist when all you really want is to practice your techniques. I have been there.

I was at University when I first started learning about hypnosis. I got one induction under my belt and I just told people I could hypnotize and kept my doubts to myself. I only did therapeutic stuff at that time and just went in well armed - meaning that at first I had it all scripted on paper just past the point of getting the subject to close their eyes. I was fortunate in that my first few attempts went well. In fact disturbingly so, my first ever subject later became my wife! However after I left University it became harder to find subjects. It is easy to get out of practice and lose confidence in your skills. It is also frustrating when you want to practice something new. I realized I had to create opportunities to hypnotize if I was going to improve.

The only answer was to go and find people to hypnotize. To do this you have to create a context for hypnosis. In other words create a reason or opportunity for it to happen. The Subject of course does not need to know you are practicing your latest set piece, induction or routine.

You have choices about how to create a context for hypnosis, especially when you are just at the stage of practicing the techniques. If you already perform in some way then you have even more opportunities than most because you are probably used to finding people to test out your new trick or effect on. I wanted to share a couple of ideas and hope it stimulates some of your own.

The easiest approach is to just tell people you have learnt hypnosis or better still that you can hypnotize or better still that you are a hypnotist and hook them in. The topic of hypnosis itself is a pretty fine hook but you may need to work a bit harder. So find a reason. If the potential subject is tense tell them you will show them a relaxation technique. If they have a monotonous boring job tell them you can show them how to make time fly, if they need to be creative in a music studio tell them you can show them a way of getting in their most creative state, if they have toothache…

I am sure you get the idea. Match your skill up to their needs. This is not deep therapy although of course this kind of thing is therapeutic. As my hypnotist father Freddy Jacquin always says ‘Never waste a trance state, always throw in some positives’. You get to do something potentially of value for someone while honing your approach. Do your set piece, do your induction, plunge them in and give them some nice direct suggestions for how they will be/feel/perform and of course give them a post hypnotic suggestion that you can hypnotize them. This makes it easy to do a re-induction. As I suggested on the RIP video a re-induction with a warm subject is a great opportunity to practice a technique you need to work on. You will soon gain confidence in it this way.

Getting started with hypnosis is a bit like getting started with magic. When you first start you just have to get your cards out and have a go if you want to practice. No one is going to ask you to, especially if they don’t know they are in your pocket. So get your hypnosis out. Seize and create opportunities to hypnotize.

If you want to use hypnosis in your performance then you could simply introduce it after doing some mentalism. Because of the impromptu approach there is no need for a 10 minute discussion about what is going to happen. The fact that you have already done amazing things with your mentalism ensures that your claim that you can hypnotize is no less credible and readily accepted. Keep it brief and light but ensure you are taken seriously. When you have a receptive friendly group of people hanging on your next move they are very likely to become even more fascinated when you throw hypnosis into the mix.

Another way is to simply bring the topic of hypnosis into your explanation or patter surrounding mentalism. If you already do some effects that give the impression they are about suggestion or involve some pseudo hypnosis stuff or trance then use that. My view is that as a magician or mentalist you have carte blanche to use any trick in the book if it helps you trip someone into hypnosis. Pseudo hypnosis is a brilliant aid to facilitate the real thing. So many hypnotists miss this point. Pseudo effects allow you to bring the subject of hypnosis up and immediately gauge who shows the most interest. The most interested is likely to be your best subject. It gives you the natural opportunity to ask if anyone there has been hypnotized or knows anything about it. This is all useful reconnaissance if you plan to use hypnosis later on. If you are not sure then do your effect or Set Piece on a group and use it as a selection procedure. Often I will simply ask people to ‘Close their eyes’ at some point in an effect and say ‘I am not hypnotizing you, I just want you to concentrate/build an image in your mind/go on a little journey’. Often the people that are natural hypnotic subjects give it away by immediately exhibiting signs of hypnosis. Be sure to look at their eyelids for REM and check for any other signs of hypnosis. Mark their card if they are exhibiting them. Later on when you decide to hypnotize someone it will be them that you choose and you can build upon the signs of hypnosis they exhibit.

A simple but effective approach that is a great example of covertly introducing these techniques into your performance was given to me by the performer Nick Belleas from New York. Mid mental set make a written prediction then use the Set Piece magnetic fingers as an induction and a lead into the effect. When the subject is eyes closed and fingers together Nick sends the subject on a journey to a place where they then count a certain number of people or objects. You then bring them out and reveal the information they are thinking of using your preferred modus operandi. Although the hypnosis is superfluous to the effect it gives you the opportunity to see if they are a good subject. If they are not a good subject then yes it is just pseudo hypnosis and standard mentalism but no one knows that. The Set Piece in that sense simply acts as a way of creating mood and gives meaning to what you are doing. If they are hypnotized then you could follow this effect with something genuinely reliant on hypnosis.

Get people fascinated with hypnosis by being fascinated with it and pretty soon you will start to recognize a certain look that some people have who really are interested and up for being a subject. Hard to describe what that look is but you will know it when you see it – the best description I can give is it is a look of fascination, bright eyes, bit of a smile and the full focus of their attention on you. I am sure I have seen the same look when someone is properly foxed by mentalism, an instant ‘believer’. That feeling you get when you just know whatever you say next they will believe.

Once you have really got your Set Piece mastered you have a lead into hypnosis in any situation as explained in the book. You cannot fail because if the subject is not good enough in that moment then you will never get to point where you need to mention hypnosis.

When you have confidence in a hypnotic subject - someone you have hypnotized with success or someone who has said to you they have been a stage hypnosis subject - and you are in public or social situations with them then use them. With the up most respect I refer to such people as HypnoChimps. I have HypnoChimps planted all around the place and an idea of what routine I will pull them into. It is no more underhand to engineer yourself into this position than doing some set up or pre show for magic. You do not have to use stone cold subjects each time you hypnotize. Working with cold subjects is fine and you should be prepared to do that – always have a go. However warm subjects are preferable. Hot subjects are even better. As long as you do not use hypnosis to humiliate this person you will attract other people who actually want to know what it is like to be hypnotized. More practice for you. They are also mentally primed for it once they have witnessed a successful demonstration and seen that you are one of the good guys who makes people feel good.

Have fun with it. Ensure they enjoy it. Show them the respect they deserve. This is easily done. Tell them how they will feel with your wake up.

Anthony

Or better still save time eliminate risks and do some training. A little knowledge is very limiting.

If you really understood hypnosis and trance you would be able to smoothly transition into trance using any behaviour from your subject without ever having to use scripts or formal inductions. Personally I would never use any of the classic tests in therapy like locking hands etc. I wouldn't use formal inductions either.

What I used to do was at the end of the therapy "wake them up from the neck only". Their body's would still be in trance and unable to move. Then re-induce the trance and wake them up but lock their jaws so they couldn't speak etc. A few things like this towards the end of the session is almost a cert to work. Its called trance ratification. Aligning both the conscious mind and the unconscious. It streghtens the belief and the work you have done.

I would move away from scripts altogether and only use direct suggestion as a reinforcement or support for the work carried out using other means.

What you get in Anthony's book is very well written but is only a chunk of information. you will not get the background information that will enable you to make the best use of the material.

Its like trying to solve a 200 piece jigsaw puzzle with only 20 pieces avalaible. And there are no pieces that make up the outside frame.

I am suprised you would use trance-ratification techniques like waking someone up from the neck up only, in therapy. Actually quite shocked, since you are generally the psychological safety czar around here. What a scary exprience for a client in therapy! And a ratification process that can produce abreaction, panic or fear with no legitimate therapeutic purpose other than to convince then that you have done something???? How narcissistic and 1950's power play....

Why not use positive ratification processes, with humor, or neutrality like the "funniest red pen" Cerbone uses, or keep a timer and time sessions then using time distortion as the mode of ratification. Or if you must use something physical, use Ericksons hand levitation, its is simply suprising, not scary.

How about this for a great session: Use the "carotid artery induction" and then wake them up from the neck up.... That would combine two scary techniques into one great big ball of liability and be even more fun!

As far as trance ratification being nescessary, good pre-talk eliminates the need for much of this, as every suggestion builds on every suggestion and ingood hypnotherapy, subjects expreince this ratification not at the end, but as the session progresses....

Yes that's true. Actually the main question is about 'outs' and yes you're right, they're because of MY doubts.


Yes, I agree. I know that my work can and will be tested long term because the client's problem stops (say). But yes, I'm looking for my work to be tested immediately through HYPNOSIS as opposed to HYPNOTHERAPY. I hope this makes sense?



This last part makes me twitch and feel uncomfortable. But I think that's because I recognise it to be true! LOL.

Minpusher wrote

Fair enough, but Anthony does make this perfectly clear in both his book and his one-day course.
In any case, I did point out that the other stuff, in this situation, is NOT required. We can assume here that the hynotherapist in question is well versed in therapy. What we are talking about is THE SKILL OF INSTANT HYPNOSIS.
I'm sure Richard understands this perfectly.

Bobser

Bobser,

I have a few thoughts regarding 'outs'. Most hypnotists doubts spring from the single fact that the 'tests' very obviously succeed or fail. Fingers/hands/eyes stick or they do not. Arm is stiff or they can bend it. So it is somewhat easier just to do 'relaxotherapy', leave the hypnosis untested and gauge success by the result. Like you I worked in this way for years before I began testing my work. All I can say is I get better results, I am a happier hypnotist and my clients seem more satisfied now I push for a verification of hypnosis. It gives them something to think about during and after the session and something to talk about when people ask what it was like.

However I do not kick things off by going for a stiff arm or such like. I also do not immediately go for a full on challenge test if I use such techniques. Instead I approach it in the same way a mentalist might proceed with an effect with multiple outs. They do not need to know where things are going until you decide the moment is right to let them know.

In therapy just like in impromptu hypnosis I use my 'Set Piece' as a way of gauging just how direct I am going to be. So for example mid pre hypno discussion I will find a reason for them to visualise something. To bring some structure to this process I will do magnetic fingers, when they touch, I will tell them their eyes will close. Then get them into whatever it is I want them to visualise - a goal a loved one etc. If they have responded well then then this can be pushed into a proper binary test 'and as you look at their face and listen to my voice those fingers are becoming stuck, stuck together you cannot unstick them'. This turns the physiologically stacked fingers effect into something real. Linking the effect you want to what you are doing seems to be important. Linking something emotional to the result also helps.

Many of the inductions I outline in my book create a situation of leverage - the subject is in an unusual position/situation and is waiting for cues from the hypnotist about how to proceed. It is possible to give them a simple test at this point without directly challenging. For example if you had used a Jacquin Power Lift or Eye to Hand Fixation and the subject is sitting with eyes closed and hand floating in mid air then you can test your work here. You can suggest that as that their hand will begin moving toward their face. You can suggest it will begin to lift or drift down. Then when you get the response make your suggestions a bit stronger and so on.

So for example if I had suggested that a hand would lift up automatically and this started with tiny ideomotor movements in the fingers and the hand had stated to lift then I would build upon that and build up to the challenge.

1. 'Feel that hand lifting, getting lighter and lighter'. This is just a statement of fact - pacing and leading
2. 'You can try and keep it still and find it lifts higher and higher' - This does not suggest pulling it down rather that it can continue doing what it is doing'
3. 'Try and hold it there and find you cannot'
4. 'Open your eyes and look at it - is that your hand?' or 'In a moment I will ask you to look at it and it will continue to lift up, however hard you try to pull it down it will move up toward the ceiling'


Another way of proceeding with 'out's is to use ideomotor signals but rather than being explicit about what they will be cover all bases. 'It may be an eye flicker, it may be a finger twitching or a hand lifting, or the head nodding'. Keep sowing these suggestions into your patter. Then work on whatever ideomotor signal you get and link that to bigger things. 'As those eyes flicker even more, your hand is becoming lighter and lighter'. 'As the fingers twitch, that movement will spread to other fingers or the other hand...', then use whatever known points you create to build those responses. 'When your hand touches your face - blah blah blah'.

In doing this you can lull them into full blown catalepsy or a break dancers arm without ever setting up a test. By that point of course you know they are a capable subject and can always prove things later on by bringing them out and putting them back in and testing your work.

Because I use ideomotor communication in almost all of my therapy sessions I tend to use the approach described very often. How direct I get and how quickly depends on how well they respond to my Set Piece and initial suggestions for ideomotor signals.

Hope that helps.

Anthony

Another way is to focus on the problem and not be concerned about trance. Give them an undniable experience that their problem has been resolved or is being resolved and they won't care about whether they were hypnotised or not. There are techniques that do this without the need to do a formal induction and are more effective. Plus it makes it easy to transition into deeper trance with no resistance.

I think too much emphasis is put on whether someone was hypnotised or not. As soon as they are describing their problem they are in trance.

One thing I use a lot is eye catalepsy. But I do it in a way that removes any challenge. I ask them to close their eyes and relax the muscles around their eyelids until they can raise their eyebrowse and allow their eyes to remain closed.

It has the same effect as eye catalepsy but no challenge what so ever. I think I may have adapted it from Dave Elman.

Excellent answers Anthony and yes it does help. It's interesting that to 'be the hypnotist' one has to explicitly mean what they say and almost order hynosis to take place. I understand this and have no problem with it. Like the challenge in fact.
However, if I understand you correctly, that explicity may be changed to implicit instruction when one is considering an 'out'.
I think I like that train of thought and it's something I'll work with.
I also understand perfectly what you say Mindpunisher, however in this particular argument, I actually AM concerned with trance. Hope that makes sense?
Bobser.

Absolutely right. If they are responsive to your implicit instruction then you will hopefully see that. If they are not then you just move on. Say what you see. Pace and lead.

Anthony