Of course, nothing is as simple as it sounds. The technique is actually a progression of well-arranged strategies and manipulations that can help bring other people to see your point of view.
Milton Erikson first envisioned the philosophy of conversational hypnosis. He thought that trance states were not rare events that needed to be induced through elaborate measures. He thought that people slip into trance states many times each day, like when they're waiting in line or concentrating hard on something.
Erickson's theory stated that a client being induced into a trance state or if direct suggestions were made to them may lead to a resistance on the part of the client. He believed it was much more effective to establish a rapport, use indirect suggestions and confusion to cause trance states and influence agreement.
Rapport
First, the hypnotist needs to establish a rapport with the client. He needs to agree with what they say. For example, the client may say, "There's no way out of this mess," and the hypnotist should respond with "You're right. There is no way out of this."
Confusion
Next, the hypnotist needs to confuse the issue. Sometimes this is possible with a single question like "But even if there is no way out of this, can you be absolutely positive that you won't find a solution pops into your mind in the next few minutes?"
Another method to create confusion is to encourage resistance in the client. The hypnotist could say something like, "This problem is too difficult. No one could possibly solve it. There is no way out of this you don't stand a chance" At some point, the client will usually begin arguing that this problem isn't so difficult at all.
Yet another technique to stimulate confusion is to remark that the client needs to do more of the same thing that isn't working. An example would be to suggest someone who was overweight to keep eating so they will gain more weight.
Suggestion
Finally, the hypnotist needs to make an indirect suggestion like, "You're feeling a little more hopeful now, aren't you?" or maybe "I'm not sure why, but you seem more optimistic than you were a little while ago."
As you can see, conversational hypnosis isn't easy to accomplish, and takes training.
If you would like to learn more, there are online courses available. Milton Erickson's biography also makes interesting reading if you are interested in the history of this technique.
The Power Of Conversational Hypnosis
Most people vividly remember the scene in Star Wars when Obi Wan Kenobi looks into the eyes of a guard and convinces him that the three wanted fugitives right in front of him are not the people he is looking for. Wouldn't it be great to have similar influence over people? The term conversational hypnosis suggests that we can.
Of course, conversational hypnosis is not as simple as it sounds. Rather, it is a series of well-choreographed strategies and manipulations that may bring others around to your point of view.
The principles of conversational hypnosis were first conceived by the great hypnotist and psychotherapist Milton Erickson. Erickson believed that trance states were not rare occurrences that had to be elaborately induced. He believed people slip into trance states several times a day, for instance, when they are waiting for a bus or concentrating very hard on something they are reading.
Erickson also theorized that directly trying to induce a trance state in someone or trying to give them direct suggestions might lead to resistance. He preferred to use rapport, indirect suggestions, and confusion to induce trance states and influence compliance.
Rapport
The first step in conversational hypnosis is creating a rapport with the subject. This means agreeing with what they have to say. For instance, if the subject says, "There's no way out of this," the proper response is, "You're right. There's no way out."
Confusion
The next step in conversational hypnosis is to confuse the issue. Sometimes a simple question works. "But even if there is no way out, can you be absolutely sure that a solution won't pop into your mind in the next minute or so?"
Another technique used to create confusion in conversational hypnosis is to encourage resistance, perhaps by saying, "No one could solve that problem. It's simply too complex. There's absolutely no way out. You don't have a chance" At some point, the subject will probably start arguing with you that the problem is not so unsolvable after all!
Still another confusion technique is to suggest that the subject do more of something that isn't working. For instance, an obese subject might be encouraged to gain weight.
Suggestion
The final step in conversational hypnosis is to make an indirect suggestion such as, "You're feeling a bit less hopeless now, aren't you?" or "I don't know why, but it seems to me you look more optimistic than you did a few minutes ago."
Needless to say, conversational hypnosis is no easy feat, and it is best left to professionals.
If you would like to know more about conversational hypnosis, several websites offer online courses on the topic. You might also try reading a clinical biography of Milton Erickson.
Both Gaetane Ross & Dane Bergen are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gaetane Ross has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Nutrition and Affiliate Programs. Gaetane Ross owns Mind-Control-Hypnosis.com and she is a Certified Natural Health Consultant who has spent over 4 years focusing on Nutrition and Health. Get her FREE report on Conversational Hypnosis. Gaetane Ross's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
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