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One of the many concerns that people have about hypnosis is the idea that it is possible to get stuck in hypnosis and be trapped in a coma-like state (dribbling from the mouth is optional). This idea may have developed from common misconceptions from old movies and horror stories about people getting hypnotised and being held in a coma like trance for years. Alternatively, the belief that the person will become a zombie-like slave of the hypnostist and will do his bidding and follow orders without question.

Fears prevent people from trying hypnosis

Often this idea is the reason why many people distrust hypnotism and hypnotists in general, they somehow fear that this may happen to them and decide not to risk being hypnotised.

Obviously if a person fears hypnosis then they are unlikely to want to try it.

Common misconceptions

Luckily, it is a myth that a person can get stuck in hypnosis. There are times when a person is enjoying being hypnotised so much that they do not want to come out of trance but this is rare. The hypnotic subject always has the choice to come out of the trance if they wish. For those people who refuse to come out of trance then I find a quick reminder letting them know that there will be a large fee for over running the therapy session usually awakens them quickly.

A carefully structured and presented pre-induction script will increase success rates dramatically

Generally these fears about hypnosis can be greatly reduced by the use of a great pre-induction patter which every hypnotist would do well to commit to memory. I will post some examples of pre-induction talks very soon.

The chances of hypnotising a subject and getting them to follow your hypnotic suggestions will be greatly increased with the effective use of a pre-induction script. So much so that not running through a pre-induction will result in most beginners failing to hypnotise their subject.

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Dave Elman was a powerful hypnotist who was known for his extremely effective hypnotic methods. He taught his methods to doctors and dentists in order to give pain relief to their patients.

One of his most famous techniques is the following induction which can induce a trance state in the subject in just a few minutes. The induction includes muscle catalepsy in the eyes as a convincer and also some deepening and amnesia.

This induction is even more powerful when used with a pre-induction discussion of hypnosis which will allay any fears the subject may have about being in a hypnotic trance state.

Dave Elman hypnotic Induction

Here is the induction, I have split it into its separate parts so that it is easier to see its structure. Be sure to memorise the induction rather than reading it out from the script as this will increase the trust in your subject. Your success with this induction will also be dependent on your ability to mirror and build rapport with the subject.

Eye Closure

Place your feet flat on the floor and allow yourself to find a comfortable position where you can relax easily.

Good.

Now, take a deep breath and as you let it out, close your eyes and relax.  Now, relax your eyes and the muscles around your eyes, fully and completely.  Relax them so completely, that as long as you maintain that relaxation, your eyes will just remain closed.  When you’ve got them relaxed to that point give them a good try and satisfy yourself that they remain closed.

Good.

Now stop trying and relax them again.

Body Relaxation

Take that same quality of relaxation, and allow it to spread from the top of your head down to the tips of your toes in a warm wave of relaxation. Good.

Fractionation

In a moment, I’m going to ask you to open your eyes and close them again.  When you close them, just go 10 times deeper into relaxation.  Open your eyes, now close them.

Go 10 times deeper.

In a moment, I’m going to ask you to open your eyes and close them again.  This time allow yourself to go ten times deeper.  Open your eyes, now close them.

Go 10 times deeper.

Good.  In a moment I’m going to ask you to open your eyes and close them again.  This time, just go much deeper.  Open your eyes, now close them. Much deeper.  All the way down. Good.

Deepening

In a moment, I’m going to pick up your left arm by the wrist.  If you’ve followed instructions so far, and I think you’ve done very well, your arm will be loose and limp, loose and limp.  Don’t help me, let me do all the work.  I’m going to lift your arm up just a few inches and then drop it, when I do, just allow it to drop heavily onto your lap, and go ten times deeper (do arm drop). Much deeper. In fact, each time I pick up your own arm and allow it to drop down, go much deeper into relaxation.

(repeat arm drop a few times).

Thats right. So much deeper than before.

Amnesia

Good.  Now we’ve got a good workable level of physical relaxation, let’s add mental relaxation to it.  In a moment, I’m going to ask you to begin counting from 100 down to 1.

Allow each number you say to help your mind to grow more relaxed, calm and peaceful.  You’ll find, that within just a few numbers, your mind can grow so relaxed, that the rest of the numbers just fade away, grow dim and distant, become quiet and disappear altogether.

Somewhere around the number 96 the numbers will start to just go away. They will fade away as if they don’t mean a thing and you will notice that even though you try to remember them you wont be able to. They will simply dissapear.

When that happens, notice how good it feels.  You’ll say the numbers like so…

100…

99…

(say slowly, in time with each of their exhales), allowing each letter to relax your mind so that it grows relaxed and serene like the surface of a still lake.  Within just a few letters, the rest of them will just disappear.

Begin by counting down from 100 now.

100

Good.

99

Relaxing more and more.

98

Deeper and deeper

97

Thats right – there slipping from your mind now

96….

Are they all gone?

Good.

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