Use Hypnosis In Normal Conversation!
Often we think of hypnosis as a formal process in which the hypnotist drones on and on about nothing until the subject finally succumbs to boredom and goes into a trance state in which the hypnotist can bring about positive change. While this model is widely used, there is another approach that has been spreading fast: Conversational Hypnosis.
Certain language patterns, when applied appropriately, at a moment when you have good rapport with the person you're talking to, can have an amazing amount of influence, way beyond what we would normally expect. Here's one that I like:
"Think of how fantastic you'll feel when you've finished clearing out the garage." (Of course "fantastic" and "clearing out the garage" can be replaced according to the situation.)
Why is this an effective communication, and why is it hypnotic? First of all, it's hypnotic because the command, "Think of how fantastic you'll feel... " goes directly to the subconscious. When we're told to imagine an experience, no matter what the specific words used -- visualize, imagine, think, etc. -- the subconscious mind cannot help but create that experience for us because that's the only way we can understand what's being said.
So, in order to process your statement, the listener has to create for himself the feeling of "fantastic," whatever that means to them. This does two things: A) It puts them in a good mood, and thus more receptive to your suggestions, and B) this good feeling is then associated with what comes next, "clearing out the garage."
There's another, subtler, element at work here, too: Presupposition. When you say "when you've finished," there is no room for doubt or even discussion about whether or not the garage is going to get cleared out. This may seem too obvious when you think about it consciously, but here's the thing: you've just created a wide open channel to the subconscious by having the person imagine how they'll feel, so the "when" acts directly on the subconscious, which is as literal-minded as a 4 year old child and accepts unquestioningly the reality it is presented with.
So try this the next time someone you care about is facing an unpleasant task, and see if you can support them in getting it done!
Certain language patterns, when applied appropriately, at a moment when you have good rapport with the person you're talking to, can have an amazing amount of influence, way beyond what we would normally expect. Here's one that I like:
"Think of how fantastic you'll feel when you've finished clearing out the garage." (Of course "fantastic" and "clearing out the garage" can be replaced according to the situation.)
Why is this an effective communication, and why is it hypnotic? First of all, it's hypnotic because the command, "Think of how fantastic you'll feel... " goes directly to the subconscious. When we're told to imagine an experience, no matter what the specific words used -- visualize, imagine, think, etc. -- the subconscious mind cannot help but create that experience for us because that's the only way we can understand what's being said.
So, in order to process your statement, the listener has to create for himself the feeling of "fantastic," whatever that means to them. This does two things: A) It puts them in a good mood, and thus more receptive to your suggestions, and B) this good feeling is then associated with what comes next, "clearing out the garage."
There's another, subtler, element at work here, too: Presupposition. When you say "when you've finished," there is no room for doubt or even discussion about whether or not the garage is going to get cleared out. This may seem too obvious when you think about it consciously, but here's the thing: you've just created a wide open channel to the subconscious by having the person imagine how they'll feel, so the "when" acts directly on the subconscious, which is as literal-minded as a 4 year old child and accepts unquestioningly the reality it is presented with.
So try this the next time someone you care about is facing an unpleasant task, and see if you can support them in getting it done!
