HELP:Trouble Inducing Amnesia

I have been hypnotizing people for about a month now, and have never failed to hypnotize someone completely. I have always succeeded with getting someone deeper to the point where all they hear is my voice even if it is noisy in the area, and the stiff arm. For some reason, I CANNOT succeed with number amnesia. I don't know why. Basically I attempt it after doing the stiff arm. I say things such as, " Now as you go twice as deep you realize that the number 4 has been completely wiped clean from your mind. There is no number between 3 and 5, in fact when you count from 1 to 10, you count 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10, because the number 4 does not exist." And then tell them I'm going to wake them up, and when they wake up, they still know the number 4 and everything is fine. The same thing happens when I tell them that they can't say their name or forget their name, the same deal takes place: they remember it just fine. What should I do? I try to get them deep before doing it and it doesn't work still!!

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on September 24, 2008 at 6:13am

Hi Christopher,

Why don't you email me off board? I've worked a lot with this one and I think I've figured it out. It's not always as fast as is demonstrated in trainings but I find that it works. I'll type up a document on it and send it. When I get it done, anyone who wants it can receive it.

Actually, it will probably be easier to tell you what I know by telephone and then I can write it up. Email me and I'll send you my phone number.

Susan French

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Permalink Reply by Chris Witherspoon on September 24, 2008 at 12:45pm

Susan,

I would appreciate a copy also. Will you be posting it here as an attachment?

Chris Witherspoon

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Permalink Reply by sheryl khosravi on September 24, 2008 at 5:46pm

I'm new to hypnosis and would also love to have a copy.

thank you so much,

Sheryl Khosravi

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Bolger on September 24, 2008 at 8:29pm

Thank you so much Susan! I really appreciate the individual help you're offering me! What is your email?

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Jacquin on September 24, 2008 at 11:22pm

Hi Chris,

I think what you are saying to them is fine. You could strengthen it a little but if I said what you have suggested I would expect it to work.

What I think you need to do is create a stronger moment. So for example if you are satisfied this person is hypnotised and you have for example given them a stiff arm that is stiff due to suggestion rather than just a physiological trick then I would say 'In a moment I am going to touch your arm and it will immeiately become loose and limp and drop down to your lap when it does you will no longer be able to remember....'

Then really ping that arm down to create a bit of a startled response.

Then if you have said something specific like a name or number, as soon as their eyes open ask a question like 'how you feeling?, then ask what's your name?' and expect that they will have fogotten it.

Maybe you have been letting your own doubts creep in.

After physical phenomena like arm catalepsy or levitation I generally go straight for amnesia. First name, then the day then total amnesia.

You will get there.

Anthony

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Permalink Reply by Reg Blackwood - The Quicknotist on September 25, 2008 at 12:20am

This might sound a bit obvious but:
If it never works for you, don't do it then! There's plenty of other stuff you can do.
When I "do" amnesia, I give them a point of reference - "It'll be like when you're trying to remember someones name and it's there somewhere but you just can't remember it."
Then when I ask the question, I ask subtley - "What was your name?" further implying it was there but it's now gone.

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Permalink Reply by chris john on September 25, 2008 at 4:25am

i recently posted a video clip on you tube doing number amnesia.
give it a viewing, see if it helps ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFwCM5Bey6Q

works a treat for me, it works with names too..anything you want them to forget.
have fun.
also, dont jump in with this skit!
it is important that your volunteers are deep enough for it to work on.
make it your 3rd or 4th skit in your set.

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig - HypnosisAustin on September 25, 2008 at 5:19am

I do this with people whom I've directed to open eyes while remaining in trance. In the case of the number (I use 6, myself), I say, "It's funny how things just slip your mind,you know, like the name of an old friend, or where you put your keys, or like that number between five and seven--what am I saying? There's no number between five and seven; we've always counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10." Then I repeat the count a number of times, quite rapidly--it takes a little practice--maybe even asking the trancer to join in. Then I ask the trancer to count his or her fingers. They always seem to get to eleven and can't figure out what went wrong.

For name amnesia, I usually regress the trancer back to infancy, talking about how great it feels to be an infant, to be perfectly comfortable, to be free of all labels and limitations and names and words, and how any word can just be nonsense and can just slip away or be stuck on the tip of the tongue, like a name that's gone, gone, gone, because it feels so good to be totally free, totally free of having a name . . . " and so on. Then I ask the person's name, and provided they're deep enough, they're unable to say it. In most cases, I then give them a new name with the suggestion that it will last until they leave that location. That has always remained in effect after hypnosis. (Two weeks ago, I had a blonde woman proudly pointing to her hair and proclaiming that she was a red-head!)

I think the three most important things about it are (a) get the person really deep and give the suggestions while they're really deep, (b) make it enjoyable, and (c) "sneak up" on the suggestion. I don't just announce "Now you will forget the number 6!" or "Now we will change your name!" because that sets up a challenge. (Also, notice that I don't mention the number I want them to forget. When you say, "The number 4 does not exist," you force the trancer to think about the number 4!) Come at them sideways so they don't realize what you're suggesting until it's too late for their critical factor to do anything about it.

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Permalink Reply by John Cleesattel on September 25, 2008 at 5:41am

Some people have issues about wiping things from their mind. This is when the super-conscious mind (the watchdog) will get in the way, and is why semantics is everything to a hypnotist.

A different tact would be to say.. "The number 4 needs a vacation. It has been very overworked lately, would it be okay with you if it took a small vacation?

Good

while it is gone, you can just skip over where it was like this... 1,2,3,5,6. etc. and when counting backwards..6,5,3,2,1 do you understand"

Good.

Ok, now when you open your eyes the number 4 will be on vacation and you will respond as we have agreed. Wide Awake.

To bring it back just say the number 4 is now back from vacation and feeling great. It thanks you very much and is now back at work.

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on September 25, 2008 at 6:34am

Hi Chris,

It is hypno4success@socal.rr.com.

Susan

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Permalink Reply by chris john on September 25, 2008 at 11:25am

before you read this,
please dont take offence.
the only thing i gotta say about your name amnesia technique,
is it could be very dodgey using regression,
taking volunteers back to their own childhood in a show.
i think thats asking for trouble.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Bolger on September 25, 2008 at 8:02pm

That was a great demonstration and I appreciate you linking that through this site for me. I will work on inducing number amnesia with your approach and other approaches that have been suggested to me in this discussion, thus hopefully creating my own style. Thanks again!