the Free Online Hypnosis Community

The Induction

Hello out there,

I'm fairly new to the discussion boards but I was looking for some help. I am not yet a 'certified' hypnotist (I'd like to be soon) but I want to start practicing hypnosis while helping my friends. I have practiced 'Self-Hypnosis' for... three months (wow it feels like a long time ago!) and I have made some really great changes to my life. Quit using recreational drugs, smoking, which was difficult at first, but with hypnosis was ridiculously easy. Then I filled my mind full with confidence and love for myself, and had what seemed like no less than 4 girls chasing me at all times. I choose a great girl from an abundance I had never seen before. Then I dipped into motivation... at first the goal was 'money, money, money...' but that wasn't working... now I focus on helping and giving to others, and the ball is REALLY rolling! My secret to living is giving, this mantra has REALLY changed my perspective. So I was wondering, I've got what I feel is a good induction in my head, its the one I've used for all my MP3's that I've made myself.

Does anyone have any advice on 1) Watching the subject and using their cues to either lengthen or shorten the induction (ie- when to end the 'induction' and start suggesting/storytelling, or how to know to keep going/deepening)
2) Any good places to find helpful metaphors or stories?
3)Any advice on how to bring the subject to friends you want to help, but don't want to say "I can help! I'll Hypnotize YOU!!!"

The other part I'm curious about is after the induction and the person is in trance... what's best??
affirmations? commands? creating anchors? reframing? stories/metaphors?

Is it best to have a good discussion before the induction, so then you can understand what they want, as well as what may be most effective???

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing back soon.

Mitch

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jerry Bolduc aka Zoto! on November 6, 2008 at 1:16pm: Hey Mitch!

You have a lot of good questions there but your last one is the most important.

A good discussion is key. Do an intake and you fill out the clients chart. Ask any questions that come to mind and make notes in the margins.I color code. I use blue for client answers, black for any questions I ask and red for any insights I may have. I may use a script, but usually I alter it to include what ever came out of the intake and the words the client used regarding their session. When ever possible I try to use their own words and phrases.
I make the intake part of my pretalk. While I am asking questions I watch my clients shift into and out of states as they remember details. I am calibrating them at this point and also letting them know what they can expect to happen and how the choices they are making are going to effect them. What trance is like and how good deep relaxation can feel.
The pretalk sets up the induction. I tell them how the induction is going to go and how they will feel as they go into trance. When I finally ask their permission to proceed they go straight down.

Helping friends and loved ones is a tough. I have successfully hypnotized anyone that has asked me to, but have never tried close friends and family except for fun not help. I have done this though:

"I discovered this cool technique by this guy Bandler. It's this thing called spinning feelings. Imagine that you are feeling something you don't like right now. Where do you feel it first? Where does it move? Can you imagine that it comes back around in a closed loop? Imagine that it is spinning, which way is it going? Now if it spins faster will it feel worse? Now I want you to imagine that it stops and begins spinning faster and faster the other way. Notice how the feeling changes? The cool thing is that even if you tried to spin it back the other way there is no way you can feel that way. Now try in vein to feel that way.. See you can't! Now just remember that and make all the feelings you don't want just spin away. Notice where they start and where they go, then spin them backwards and feel better!"

That is pretty close to what I do with friends and family aside from recommending that they see another hypnotist. I don't want to do therapy on my wife, nor do I want to do therapy on friends cause that can change a relationship.

Jerry; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mitchell Vaughan on November 6, 2008 at 8:34pm: Thanks SOOO much. That was really helpful, I was debating using my girl-friend to help me practice hypnosis... from your answer I think you'd advise not to do this... but what about helping her to relax? I definitely do not want to change our relationship because it's soooo beautiful now. But do you think some relaxation would be alright? If not please be honest and tell me "NO". And for my friends, some of them seem to lack confidence in certain situations, and some need motivation and a proper learning trance, any advice??? I am pretty good with inductions (and I'm great at going into trance myself) so I feel confident leading someone into a deep trance, but from there is where I would really like some guidance???

Thanks so much!!!!

Mitch; ▶ Reply to This