The question how to hypnotize is the first to come to mind for many people when they think about hypnosis for the first time.
It is just the way we are made as human beings. Some of us think of the how, the way to do something as soon as we see it or think about it.
And it is a good question to ask – but only after you’ve determined the “why“.
I mean when you choose a method or a technique for hypnosis, it should match your needs or wants in regards to why you would be doing it in the first place, shouldn’t it?
Stage Hypnosis
If you are considering stage hypnosis as a career or even as a hobby, then your inductions (the “how to get someone into hypnosis” part) should be quick and entertaining for the people watching you, because if your audience is not impressed by your act, you will not get booked for another gig.
In cases like that, stage hypnotists like to use what’s called suggestibility tests. These tests help both the hypnotist and the subject/s recognize that any specific person can and is willing to go into trance, on stage, that day.
What they also do, is “teach” the volunteers on stage, to comply with the hypnotist’s requests, or suggestions. This makes them more suggestible for the later stages when they will be “asked” to do certain actions and demonstrate, to the audience’s delight, how deep into hypnosis they really are.
Clinical Hypnosis (Hypnotherapy)
As you can imagine, what works in stage hypnosis shows, is not really the right process to put people into a hypnotic trance for therapy or coaching purposes.
For hypnotists who help people get over problems or heal past trauma or phobias for example, there are generally 3 types of ways to hypnotize:
- The direct methods – in this group of inductions, you can find The Dave Elman Induction for example, as well as all of the rapid PGO Spike style inductions (where you’ll see the hypnotist shout “sleep” and startle the subject into hypnosis)
These are also used in stage hypnosis, but in a slightly different way. - The soft Ericksonian methods – name after the great hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson, who introduced these methods into hypnotherapy. These methods use language patterns to lull the conscious mind, while getting the attention of the unconscious or sub-conscious mind. These are generally slower inductions, yet they are very effective in a clinical environment.
- The covert methods – these are the hypnosis inductions the patient does not see coming. Some of the methods used in this group don’t even look and feel like hypnosis and don’t really look like trance. However, the influence is very much there, and in the hands of a skilled hypnotist, lasting for a long time.
Also in this group, you’ll find hypnotic stories – in which the hypnotist speaks simultaneously to the conscious mind with content relating to the subject of the story, and to the unconscious mind, with metaphors and language patterns that influence the person’s perception regarding their life.
If you are interested in clinical hypnosis or in hypnotherapy, I highly recommend Freddy Jacquin’s Hypnotherapy book
What About Self Hypnosis?
If you are thinking of hypnotizing yourself, then first let me congratulate you on that thought.
Self-hypnosis is one of the best ways to improve your life, and to align your minds together in order to harness the power of your unconscious mind to your volitional goals in life, as well as to heal your psyche in quite the same way a clinical hypnotist would do it for you.
So if you’re wondering how to hypnotize yourself, then there are a few very nice inductions you can use on yourself to do that.
I really like Mike Mandel’s Breathing Through The Eyes self induction – you can find in his MMHA.
Another nice self-hypnosis induction I like (and use) is David Snyder’s finger induction, which you can find in his Identity By Design workshop.
Meditation is also very similar to self-hypnosis, so if you have experience with meditation, you can think of a goal you want, and then go into a relaxing meditation just holding the thought of that goal in your mind as you meditate.
Read More
This is a general article on a general topic, so if you want to delve deeper into the subject, then you might like the following articles for beginners:
Learn Hypnosis
If you’re asking yourself why you should learn hypnosis – this is the article for you! Hypnosis has always had an air of charm and
How To Hypnotize Someone For Beginners
Many people who have no experience with hypnosis are wondering how to hypnotize someone for beginners, I mean, it’s not easy knowing where to start
Written by: Tommy Gordon
I am a hypnotist and an NLP Master Practitioner and I use hypnosis and NLP every day, to improve my own life as well as the lives and businesses of my clients.
I believe in hypnosis as a power for good in this world, and that when you learn and implement it in your own life, you will be able to experience growth and improvement in any aspect you introduce hypnosis into.
Tommy G.
