Suggestibility Tests

Do you use suggestibility tests in your practice?

If so, what test(s) do you use?

I use the HMI Suggestibility Questionnaire.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa J. Roth on June 10, 2008 at 3:57pm

I do not use suggestability tests. I do observe my clients closely to determine what their information processing style is. I tailor my style to that. I always begin with metaphors to engage the conscious mind in the story. When I notice the client in a deep trance I will interrupt the metaphor to give 1-3 direct suggestions. I have found that if the client is going to respond to direct suggestions they will not come back up to a lighter stage of trance when this occurs. After a couple of direct suggestions I resume the metaphor(s) where I left off. In my opinion, you never want to use direct suggestions until your client is in a deep trance state. But, that's my opinion and everyone knows I stink at direct suggestions.

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Permalink Reply by Brian David Phillips on June 10, 2008 at 4:56pm

I do not use suggestibility "tests" but I do use suggestibility effects (if you use "tests" with clients, it's a very good idea not to use that word when discussing it with the client as it implies a chance of failure - personally, I don't want my clients assuming they can fail). I have frame them as "imagination games" and will use them as a means to watch for responsiveness and compliance. I will often just roll them into instant or rapid inductions. I have a short list of some different effects at http://briandavidphillips.typepad.com/brian/2004/02/suggestibility_... and on my webpage. Some of the videos I have online demonstrating some of the effects are in my Hypnothoughts profile. The pendulum one here http://briandavidphillips.typepad.com/brian/2008/01/suggestibility.... is one of my most watched youtube clips - that's my favorite pendulum as it really does have a natural crystal feature that looks like a galaxy which is a wonderful fixation tool and the Tibetan design of the setting is nice. I tend to go for a playful feel when using a suggestibility effect in this way (I recently posted arm catalepsy and a sticky fun videos that show this). The become expectancy enhancers and rapport builders in this way.

I don't use written suggestibility tests but rely upon guided imaginative effects.

Even when using some of the effects used in typical suggestibility scale sets, I don't rank them or imply that they are measures of hypnotizeability or the like. If I have high responsiveness at the get-go then I'll convert them directly into deepening and session processing. If I have low responsiveness for physical effects, I'll switch to imaginative emotional effects (even with high responders for physical effects I will slide right into associative emotional effects) and work from there. If that becomes low responsive then I have something to talk about with the client as I change induction strategies (always seamless and never with any sense of frustration telegraphed to the client).

While this was not your question, I also use convincers - often catalepsy, memory, and associative emotional effects - within sessions as well.

All the best,
Brian

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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - NLPBoard.com on June 10, 2008 at 7:23pm

In clinical work I use NO suggestability test on a regular basis. After all, they came to see me to be hypnotized, that is what I do. I find any type of suggestability test or pre-talk that tries to convince them of anything has the opposite effect, since they came to me for hypnosis. They percieve that if I am trying to convince them of what they came to see me for, I must have my doubts!

Also, since I believe all trance is natural phenomena, I never wonder "how suggestable is someone?" since EVERYONE has the capacity to be hypnotized.

I do use the lemon drop with some of my weight loss clients or clients overcoming physical issues like illness, to demonstrate how the mind can impact the body physically, but not as a "convincer".

On stage, I usually use the fingers drawn together, just becasue its fun and simple.

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig - HypnosisAustin on June 11, 2008 at 5:48pm

I don't use suggestibility tests. I start from the premise that anyone who comes to me will go as deep as they need to--provided that I find the technique that is right for them.

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Moses on June 12, 2008 at 11:53am

I think you are correct, Kappas is adding up yesses. I know that Gravelle asks, talk in sleep (somnam), walk in sleep (somnam), tone of parents voice vs. what said(emo) and wake up feeling 'suspended' (not sure)or unable to move. I went to a class he taught on this a few weeks ago. He also uses some inferences before induction (keeping in mind that it's all induction) like 'when' your hand begins to move it will be the smaller muscles twiching, then the larger. Inference - your hand will move. Most physicals will take still take in inferences and I find misdirection is great for both. Remember part of asking the questions is the stress/anxiety build of having to answer with just a nod or shake.

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Permalink Reply by James Malone on June 15, 2008 at 2:39pm

Darren, I use the light/heavy arm and the magnetic finger tip suggestibility experiments with my clients. I consider it not so much as a pass/fail situation as much as a way of warming the client up to the powers of the imagination.

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Permalink Reply by Mahastee Mehdizadeh on June 16, 2008 at 11:32am

Hello there, I guess you put this question out a while ago. I actually do use the HMI questionnaires almost all the time and ask every question on them. Except if my client is under age 15 then I don't think it's necessary, or if I am in a time crunch and have a good sense of what suggestibility the person. is. The main reason why I do this is to overwhelm them. I also very much believe in the different types of suggestibility and have done relationship coaching based on it. Anyways I like it and use it, but you don't have to ask every question, if you are comfortable in speaking more indirectly and use ericksonian language then this is not necessary.

Mahastee

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Permalink Reply by Justin James on June 16, 2008 at 8:40pm

Structure and rules, follow this direction that direction, ask all of these questions. Why because you were taught? Because you are afraid to fail? lets face it, failure when hypnotizing someone is not pleasant. So if you went to school and were taught you have to ask these questions then you do. Because failure is not what you want. what you want is a client to fail to not follow the rules that you lay out for them.

Everyone is different and the rules do not apply to everyone in the same way. whether you are authoritarian or permissive, paternal or maternal. People who when they come into your office because they want change and you want change for them play a game and they don't know the rules because in most cases they do not know their own rules it is your job to find their rules...

So who are the rules for??? you or them?

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Jacquin on June 16, 2008 at 11:16pm

I agree wholeheartedly. I use the term 'Set Piece' to refer to those well known exercises that have been used by hypnotists for decades, often referred to as ‘tests of suggestibility’ or exercises in ‘waking hypnosis’. The reason is that both of these descriptions sell these techniques short.

There are many good reasons why The Hypnotist should be able to confidently do a Set Piece. So learn them well. Understand the principles and applications. Use them.

• Set Pieces are often thought of and used as tests of how responsive to suggestion the subject is. In other words a gauge of how good, willing and able to be hypnotized they are.

• The Set Piece gives The Hypnotist an opportunity to observe the subject under direction, gather information and assess their suitability as a subject.

• Just as importantly it gives the subject an opportunity to experience The Hypnotists power of suggestion and influence and their own ability to cooperate. If the subject experiences something they consider out of the ordinary they gain confidence in both the skill of the hypnotist and their own ability to be hypnotized - they let go and become more fascinated with the process. Likewise the hypnotist gains confidence in the subject.

• The Set Piece fires up the imagination, focuses attention and builds expectation in the subject that they are about to be hypnotized or are being hypnotized.

• Finally the Set Piece can be used as the induction into hypnosis rather than just as a pre-runner to it. This is perhaps the most powerful and overlooked application.

Some hypnotists do not use these techniques. One reason given is that if the subject fails to do what is asked of them then it is more difficult to hypnotize them – this is true to some extent, especially if the Set Piece is presented as a ‘test’. As your ultimate aim is to hypnotize the subject to accept your suggestions it is important to see if they are receptive to simple ones early on. Certainly failing a test is not helpful but it is not the end of the world either. It just passes by as a non event by the subject unless the hypnotist gets in a fluster about it. Most people will pass the tests very easily and if they cannot then it might be wise to pick another subject or take an entirely different approach. There really is no need to present these Set Pieces as tests. That way there is no possibility of failure. It is fine to simply say ‘Let’s try something’ or ‘Let me show you something interesting’ or call them an ‘exercise in concentration’ and proceed.

Another reason they are overlooked or used in a limited fashion is that many of the techniques have some physiological/mechanical reason why they work – the odds are stacked that the subject will succeed – so some hypnotists believe they are being dishonest in using them or just miss their value and dismiss them as tricks. This is missing the point. Just use them and any other trick necessary to excite the imagination.

Deliver the Set Piece with a tone that is bright and upbeat, a manner that is confident and commanding and generally move along at a fairly rapid pace. Find your own way and ensure that your attitude communicates that you are confident, knowledgeable and expecting to hypnotize.

It is also important that your subject does not see the Set Piece as something they should be trying to battle or resist. Equally you do not want them to pretend. Make sure they understand this. For example if you were going to ask them to imagine their hands were like magnets so that they come together and touch automatically you can say this.

I don’t want you to push them together or try to keep them apart, I just want you to concentrate, imagine your hands are magnets and your body will respond.

If they follow your instructions, concentrate on the ideas you are presenting and genuinely use their imagination then they are very likely to do well in the Set Piece and be set up perfectly for the hypnotic induction itself.

The fact is that Hypnotic Scales and the associated tests are just a model and a massively flawed model at that.

Anthony Jacquin
www.anthonyjacquin.com

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Permalink Reply by Justin James on June 17, 2008 at 7:55am

Nice response Anthony!

Kudos

Justin James

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Permalink Reply by Taylor Sherman on June 22, 2008 at 4:30am

I believe that all humans are suggestible, if you know which buttons to push.

I knew this girl, very left-brained, would not tap into her emotions very much, and when I saw her she was always closed-off and in her own world. And so I set out as my mission to get her to respond emotionally. Sure enough, over a couple weeks, I slowly worked into what she valued and when I found her criteria, she had a noticeable reaction. Once I found that, it was easy. Trust develops. In her world, I am someone who gets it. And she opened up completely.

In suggestibility tests, you have the garden variety... You can do the lemon squeezing but I don't think most people produce a visible enough response for you to monitor it. You can do heavy hand / light hand, and that is probably what most would use.

I wonder.. what exactly are we testing for? To see whether they are a good subject or bad subject? To me that is useless data. "Suggestibility" is, first of all, a nominalization. It's just an idea. It's also outside of our control, we can't make someone more or less suggestible in the permanent sense we are referring to here. Now, if something is not controllable, why would I want to test to see if it is there, or -not-? The only reason would be to find out if the hypnosis would or wouldn't work, and do you see how the presuppositions start to come out now?

Now, of course there are "tests" to see what "level" of trance the person is currently experiencing. That might be useful data, but that is not what I see most hypnotists using it for. In response to that question, I test constantly, and it's by coloring outside of the lines. I condition them to a pattern, and then I deviate from the pattern to see what happens.

Are we really going to say that a person is more or less suggestible because their hand flies up in the air? I have had amazing results with people who have not "passed" any of the suggestibility tests. As far as the traditional ones go, I don't use them.

BTW, what Brian said about "imagination games" is right on track. I really like that term.

If you want to see if someone has hypnosis, first establish a nice working trance, and then do a test that is easy to do, but that requires a suspension of belief and a trance. That said, it's not necessary to be linear with any of this. I'm so non-linear that even a "trained hypnotist" would think I'm doing nothing, because I'm not doing hypnosis in the way that they expect. Color outside the lines.

Taylor
http://www.trancedout.com/

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Permalink Reply by Gary Noble on June 22, 2008 at 6:57am

I don't believe a questionnaire and a test are the same thing?
I too have a certificate from HMI. I stopped using the questionnaire after the first "client". I found I could determine, through simple conversation, whether they are P or E. It's easier for some of us than for others, but with time everyone should be able to tell the difference.
The pre-hypnosis conversation is the most important part of the process...enough said.