Conversational Hypnosis for Beginners

What if you could influence anyone—just by changing how you speak?

Words can be incredibly powerful. Imagine being able to positively influence someone's mood or actions just by shifting the way you speak to them—without them even realizing it. This isn't some far-fetched idea from a sci-fi movie; it's a real, effective tool known as conversational hypnosis.

If you're new to this concept, you’re in the right place. Conversational hypnosis can be an incredible tool in hypnotherapy and everyday life. In this post, we’ll explore two key techniques that you can start using immediately: the Hypnotic Voice and Embedded Commands. These techniques are the perfect starting point to begin using conversational hypnosis naturally, and best of all, they’re simple to learn!

The Hypnotic Voice: Guide the Unconscious with Subtle Shifts

When people think of a “hypnotic voice,” they often imagine something eerie or dramatic, like the creepy hypnotists from old black-and-white movies. But let’s put that myth to rest right away. The hypnotic voice is not about sounding strange or mysterious—it’s about subtle, effective changes in how you speak to guide someone’s attention and influence their unconscious mind.

What Is the Hypnotic Voice?

At its core, the hypnotic voice is about using subtle vocal changes that make your message more compelling. You’re guiding their attention in a gentle, natural way, so they become more open to your suggestions.

Think of the hypnotic voice as a slight shift in tone, pace, and volume. You’re not making drastic changes or doing anything that feels jarring. Instead, you gradually slow down your speech and lower the pitch of your voice. 

How to Use the Hypnotic Voice

Let’s say you’re telling a story. You start out speaking in your normal voice, but as you reach a key part of the story—something you really want to emphasize—you begin to slow down just a little. It’s a subtle shift, but it makes the listener tune in more closely.

Here’s the magic: by changing how you speak, you’re indirectly guiding their unconscious mind to focus more on what you're saying. They might not even consciously notice the change, but their unconscious mind is paying attention, ready to absorb your words in a different way.

In fact, this technique is already commonly used in storytelling without people even knowing it. A good storyteller naturally slows down and changes their tone at crucial moments. The hypnotic voice is the same idea—just used more deliberately to draw someone in and guide their focus.

Anchoring the Hypnotic Voice

After you’ve used it a few times, your hypnotic voice becomes anchored to the specific state you created on the other person when you used it. We use this in hypnotherapy all the time. One of the remarkable features of Ericksonian hypnosis is the ability to draw the subject into trance by simply shifting into your hypnotic voice.

This might sound a bit woo-woo and mystical to some people, but it’s based on natural psychological phenomena that happens all the time. For example, think about a song that instantly gets you pumped up and ready for your workout, or one that puts you in a relaxed state when you’re ready to go to bed. The hypnotic voice works in much the same way, by becoming anchored to a hypnotic trance state.

Click here to learn how to find your hypnotic voice.

Embedded Commands: Delivering Suggestions Under the Radar

Now that we’ve covered the hypnotic voice, let’s dive into the second key technique: embedded commands. This is where the magic of conversational hypnosis really shines, because you can start offering suggestions that bypass the critical thinking part of the mind and slip straight into the unconscious.

What Are Embedded Commands?

Embedded commands are suggestions hidden within normal, everyday conversation. They’re designed to slip past the critical faculty, which is that part of the mind that acts like a bouncer—keeping certain ideas out. The trick with embedded commands is that they’re subtle enough not to trigger the person’s defenses, but still powerful enough to influence their behavior or thoughts.

Embedded commands are marked out in a special way, often with a slight change in tone, a pause, or a physical gesture. You’ll be giving a suggestion without directly saying, “Do this!” Instead, it feels like a natural part of the conversation, which is why the unconscious mind is more likely to accept it.

How to Use Embedded Commands

Let’s say you’re chatting with someone and you want them to feel more relaxed. Instead of saying, “Relax now,” which would probably trigger resistance, you can embed the command in a regular sentence. You might say, “A lot of people find that they can just relax and feel comfortable when they take a deep breath.”

The key here is how you mark out the embedded command. You might slightly emphasize the words "relax and feel comfortable," or even slow down your speech just a little as you say them (like changing into your hypnotic voice). The shift should be subtle enough that it can bypass the person’s critical thinking, but noticeable enough that their unconscious mind will detect and accept it.

Example: The Itchy Trick

Here’s a fun example to demonstrate how embedded commands work. Imagine you’re talking to someone and you say, “You know, lately, some people have been mentioning that they’re starting to feel itchy when they sit in this room.”

If you emphasize the words "feel itchy" just slightly, you’ve planted a subtle suggestion. The person’s unconscious mind might pick up on it, and before they know it, they start scratching. It’s a harmless, playful example, but it shows just how effective embedded commands can be when used skillfully.

Of course, this isn’t about tricking or controlling people. It’s about gently influencing their unconscious mind in a way that helps them, where you’re guiding them toward relaxation, helping them focus, or encouraging them to take action.

Everyday Applications of Conversational Hypnosis

So how can you use these two techniques—the hypnotic voice and embedded commands—in everyday life? The possibilities are endless, but let’s explore a few practical examples.

Helping Your Child with Overwhelm

Imagine your child is feeling overwhelmed by a huge stack of homework. Instead of telling them, “Just do it,” which often leads to more frustration, you could use embedded commands to make the task feel more manageable.

You might say something like, “Yeah, it’s a lot of homework, but you’ll notice that when you just solve one problem, the rest seems to come easily.”

By embedding the command "solve one problem,” you’re guiding their unconscious mind toward action without any pressure. The suggestion is subtle, but it can have a big impact on how they approach the task.

Supporting a Friend

Let’s say a friend is feeling anxious about an upcoming event. Instead of giving them direct advice, you could guide them with your hypnotic voice and embedded commands. You might say, “I know it feels like a lot right now, but if you take a deep breath and focus, everything will start feeling better.”

By slowing down your voice and emphasizing the key phrases "take a deep breath and focus" and "start feeling better," you’re influencing them to relax and feel more in control. They might not consciously realize you’re doing anything special, but their unconscious mind will pick up on the cues.

Conversational Hypnosis Isn’t Mind Control

At this point, you might be wondering, “Can you really make someone do whatever you want with conversational hypnosis?” The answer is a clear no.

Conversational hypnosis isn’t about control or making people do things against their will. These techniques are subtle ways to influence someone’s unconscious mind for their benefit, not to manipulate or control them. It’s important to remember that people are still in charge of their own decisions—what you’re doing is helping to guide their focus and emotions in a positive direction.

These techniques are already happening naturally in conversations all the time. Think about the last time someone spoke to someone and they said something that just seemed to stick with you. Conversational hypnosis simply gives you a structured way to use these natural elements more intentionally.

Ready to Learn More?

To sum it all up, the hypnotic voice and embedded commands are two simple yet powerful techniques to start using conversational hypnosis right away. These tools can make a real difference in how people respond to you.

What’s great about these techniques is that they’re subtle, natural, and easy to incorporate into everyday life. The more you practice them, the more you’ll see how effective they can be in influencing the unconscious mind for positive outcomes. So, use them and see how they work for you! 

If you’re eager to dive deeper into the world of hypnosis and master more life-changing techniques, the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy is the perfect place to start!

Click here to get started, and explore how hypnosis can transform your life.