Do you want to become a confident hypnotist who can hypnotize anyone, anytime, anywhere?
If you answered ‘Yes’, then keep reading. In this blog post, we will teach you some of the fundamental hypnosis skills that will boost your confidence as a hypnotist and help you create amazing results with your subjects.
We will cover topics such as:
How to build rapport and calibrate your subject’s trance level and responsiveness at all times, and adjust your suggestions accordingly
How to develop your language skills for natural conversational hypnosis, such as pacing and leading, embedded commands, run on sentences, etc.
How to effortlessly shift between conversational and direct hypnosis, and why this is beneficial for your confidence as a hypnotist
How to use fixating attention, the Grinder model, SUDs, and ADAC, which are some of the principles and techniques that are essential for any type of hypnosis
How to use stories and metaphors to create trance and change without formal hypnosis
By mastering these skills and concepts, you will be able to adapt to different situations and subjects, enhance your hypnotic effectiveness, and improve your performance and confidence as a hypnotist.
If you want to take your hypnosis skills to the next level and become a master of both conversational and direct hypnosis, you don’t want to miss the special offer that we have for you at the end of this blog post.
But first, let’s dive into the details of each topic and see how you can apply them in your hypnosis sessions. Ready? Let’s go!
Rapport and Calibration: The Key Elements of Hypnosis
The first fundamental skills that you need to master as a hypnotist are rapport and calibration.
Rapport
Rapport is the sense of connectedness and trust that you establish with your subject. It’s the feeling that you understand them and they understand you. Rapport is essential for hypnosis, because it allows you to enter their model of the world and influence their unconscious mind.
Calibration is the skill of monitoring your subject’s level of trance and responsiveness. It’s the ability to notice the subtle signs and signals that indicate how deep they are in hypnosis and how well they are following your suggestions. Calibration is essential for hypnosis, because it allows you to adjust your pace and style to match their needs and preferences.
To build rapport with your subject, you can use a technique referred to as matching and mirroring. This technique involves copying their body language, mannerisms, and words to create a sense of similarity and harmony. When you match and mirror your subject, you make them feel comfortable and relaxed around you, and you also communicate on an unconscious level that you are on the same wavelength as them.
Matching and mirroring can be applied to various aspects of communication, such as posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, breathing, voice tone, tempo, volume, pitch, words, phrases, etc. The key is to do it subtly and naturally, without making it obvious or exaggerated.
Here are some examples of how to match and mirror your subject:
If they lean forward, lean forward slightly as well.
If they cross their legs, cross your legs in the same direction.
If they smile, smile back at them.
If they blink frequently, blink more often as well.
If they speak slowly and softly, speak slowly and softly too.
If they use words like “feel”, “see”, or “hear”, use the same words when talking to them.
By matching and mirroring your subject, you will create a strong rapport with them, which will make them more receptive to your suggestions and more likely to enter a deep trance state.
Calibration
One of the ways to calibrate your subject’s trance level is to watch for External Trance Indicators (ETIs). These are physical signs that show how relaxed and focused they are. Some of the common ETIs are:
Hypnotic mask: A relaxed face with smooth features and no tension.
Increased lower lip size: A sign of increased blood flow due to relaxation.
Fluttering eyelids: A sign of rapid eye movement (REM) which occurs during deep trance.
Flushing in the hollow of the throat: A sign of increased blood flow due to relaxation.
Catalepsy: A state of muscular rigidity or limpness that indicates a high level of trance.
By observing these ETIs, you can gauge how deep your subject is in hypnosis and adjust your suggestions accordingly. For example, if you see catalepsy in their arm or hand, you can either use it as a convincer or test for trance. You can also use it as a lever for deepening trance by suggesting that as their arm becomes heavier or lighter, so does their whole body.
Developing Language Skills for Natural Conversational Hypnosis
The next foundational skill that you need to master as a hypnotist is language skills.
Language skills are the ability to use words and phrases that can influence your subject’s unconscious mind and elicit their desired responses. Language skills are essential for hypnosis, because they allow you to create and maintain a natural conversational flow that can lead your subject into trance without them noticing.
To develop your language skills as a hypnotist, you need to learn and practice some of the techniques that are commonly used in natural conversational hypnosis. These techniques include:
- Pacing and Leading: Matching your subject’s current experience and then leading them to where you want them to go, such as “You’re sitting here with me, listening to my voice, and feeling more and more relaxed.” Click here to read a full article about pacing and leading.
- The Run On Sentence: Using a continuous flow of specific words, such as nominalizations, unspecified verbs, and linkages, to create long sentences that occupy the conscious mind and naturally pull the subject into trance, such as “As you relax more and more, you may wonder what it would be like to experience a deep trance, and as you do, you can feel free to follow my voice.”
- Embedded Commands & Analog Marking: Commands that are hidden within a sentence and emphasized with voice tone, tempo, volume, pitch, or gestures, such as “You can feel free to relax now.” Click here to read a full article about embedded commands.
- Utilization and Incorporation: Using anything that may occur during your session as a way to deepen trance or build up the experience, such as “You may notice the sound of the clock ticking, and as you do, you can become more aware of your heartbeat, and how it slows down as you relax more and more.”
- The Universal Amplifier: The phrase that can be used to amplify virtually any trance experience: “That’s right…”
By learning and practicing these language skills, you will be able to communicate more effectively and persuasively with your subject, and guide them into trance with ease and confidence.
For more hypnotic language skills, read: Master Ericksonian Hypnotic Language Patterns the Easy Way
The 7-Step Model of Change
As a hypnotist, it’s essential to master the 7-step model of change.
The 7-step model of change is a simple and effective framework that guides you through the entire process of hypnosis, from the initial contact with your subject to the final outcome. The 7-step model of change consists of:
Step 1: Demystify hypnosis. This is where you explain to your subject what hypnosis is and what it isn’t, and clear any misconceptions or fears they may have. This is the most important step, because it sets the tone and expectations for the rest of the session.
Step 2: Suggestibility tests. This is where you perform some fun and easy exercises with your subject to demonstrate their ability to respond to your suggestions and enter trance. This is a great way to build rapport and confidence with your subject, and prepare them for the induction. Read: The Ultimate Guide to Hypnotic Suggestibility Tests
Step 3: Induction. This is where you use a specific technique or method to guide your subject into trance. There are many types of inductions, such as progressive relaxation, eye fixation, confusion, shock, etc. The induction is not the only way to create trance, but it is a common and reliable one. Read: How To Choose The Best Hypnotic Induction for Every Situation
Step 4: Deepen trance. This is where you use various suggestions and methods to deepen the level of trance that your subject is in. The deeper the trance, the more responsive and receptive your subject will be to your suggestions. The ideal state of trance for changework is somnambulism, which is characterized by a high degree of dissociation and amnesia.
Step 5: Convincers. This is where you use some tests or proofs to convince your subject that they are in trance and that hypnosis works. Convincers are also a way to calibrate your subject’s trance level and responsiveness, and adjust your suggestions accordingly. Some examples of convincers are arm catalepsy, eye catalepsy, name amnesia, etc.
Step 6: Changework / Therapy. This is where you help your subject achieve their desired outcome or goal, by using various techniques and strategies that are appropriate for their issue or problem. Some examples of changework techniques are direct suggestion, metaphors, stories, reframing, parts therapy, etc.
Step 7: Awaken. This is where you bring your subject out of trance safely and comfortably, by counting up from 1 to 5 and suggesting that they will wake up feeling awesome. This is also where you reinforce the positive changes that have occurred during the session, and give them some post-hypnotic suggestions for future success.
By following this 7-step model of change, you will be able to conduct a smooth and effective hypnosis session with your subject, and help them achieve their desired outcome with confidence
Boosting Confidence With The Mandel Triangle
The Mandel Triangle is a simple but powerful model that describes three aspects of communication: congruence, confidence and conviction. By mastering these three elements, you can become a more effective communicator and confident hypnotist.
Confidence is the first side of the triangle. As you already know, being confident means that you express yourself with assurance and authority, without being arrogant or aggressive. When you are confident, you communicate with respect and competence. You also inspire trust and credibility.Congruence is the second side of the Mandel Triangle. It means that your words, body language, emotions, thoughts and beliefs are all aligned and sending the same message. When you are congruent, you communicate with authenticity and integrity. You also avoid mixed signals and confusion.
For example, if you say that you are confident, but your voice is shaky and your posture is slouched, you are definitely not congruent. Your words and your body language are contradicting each other. This can make you seem dishonest or insecure. To be more congruent, you need to be aware of your inner state and how it affects your communication. You also need to align your communication with your values and goals.
Conviction is the third side of the Mandel Triangle. It means that you have a strong belief in what you are saying and doing. When you have conviction, you communicate with passion and purpose. You also use your intention to motivate and persuade others.
Using the Mandel Triangle creates a positive feedback loop. As you improve one side of the triangle, you also improve the other two.
As you become more congruent, you also become more confident and more convincing.
As you become more confident, you also become more congruent and more convincing.
And as you become more convincing, you also become more congruent and more confident.
By working on any one of the three aspects, you can boost your communication skills and confidence as a hypnotist. The Mandel Triangle is a simple but powerful way to communicate with impact and influence.
How to Effortlessly Shift Between Conversational and Direct Hypnosis
As a hypnotist, you may need to use different types of hypnosis techniques depending on the situation and the subject. Conversational hypnosis is a more indirect and subtle way of inducing trance and influencing the unconscious mind, while direct hypnosis is a more overt and explicit way of doing the same.
Being able to shift between conversational and direct hypnosis effortlessly and appropriately can boost your confidence as a hypnotist.
Some benefits include:
You can adapt to different subjects and their preferences, personalities, and levels of resistance.
You can create more rapport and trust with your subject by matching their communication style and expectations.
You can avoid boredom and monotony by varying your hypnotic approach and keeping your subject engaged and interested.
You can enhance your hypnotic effectiveness by using the best technique for each stage of the hypnosis process.
To acquire a versatile and flexible approach that can shift seamlessly between direct and indirect hypnosis, you can learn some of the principles and techniques that are essential for any type of hypnosis, such as fixating attention, the Grinder model, SUDs, and ADAC. Let’s discuss them.
Fixating Attention
Fixating attention is the principle that applies to words, conversation, and also the subject’s eyes. By directing the subject where you want them to put their attention, you’ll keep them in trance and help them go deeper.
Words
Specific words will help a subject to focus their attention when using direct suggestion. Examples include: Notice, discover, & imagine. These words are sometimes called process words, because they invite the subject to process information in a certain way. For example, if you say “Notice how your breathing becomes more relaxed”, you are directing the subject’s attention to their breathing and suggesting that it is becoming more relaxed. This will help them enter and deepen trance.
Conversation
Conversation also helps a subject to fixate their attention. This is done through run-on sentences, metaphor, and guided imagery.
Metaphors are stories or analogies that convey a message or a lesson to the unconscious mind. For example, “Imagine that you are a bird flying high in the sky, feeling free and happy. You can go anywhere you want, and nothing can stop you.”
Guided imagery is the use of vivid and sensory descriptions that create a mental picture or a scene in the subject’s mind. For example, “Imagine that you are walking on a beautiful beach, feeling the warm sand under your feet, hearing the waves crashing on the shore, smelling the salty air, seeing the sun setting on the horizon.”
Eye Fixation
Eye fixation is a method of inducing trance employed by many hypnotic inductions, including the James Braid induction and the Dave Elman induction.
Eye fixation involves staring at an object or a point of focus until the eyes become tired and close naturally. This creates a physical relaxation that leads to mental relaxation and trance.
For example, “Look at this spot on the ceiling and keep your eyes fixed on it. As you do, you will notice that your eyes are becoming more and more tired and heavy. Soon they will close by themselves, and when they do, you will enter a deep trance.”
Deepen
As soon as you notice your subject entering trance, it’s time to deepen it through direct suggestion. As always, ecology is your number one priority. Ecology means ensuring that your suggestions are in line with your subject’s values, beliefs, and goals, and that they do not cause any harm or discomfort to them or others.
To deepen trance, you can use various suggestions and methods, such as counting down from 10 to 1, suggesting that each number takes them deeper into trance; using metaphors or guided imagery that involve going down stairs, elevators, or tunnels; using commands or suggestions that involve physical sensations or movements that indicate depth of trance, such as heaviness, lightness, warmth, coolness, tingling, numbness, etc.
Read: The Best Method for Deepening Hypnotic Trance
The Grinder Model
The Grinder model from neurolinguistic programming (NLP) explains how your performance is directly affected by your state, physiology, and breathing. In order to perform your best, you need to align these three aspects and make sure they are working in tandem.
State: Your state is your emotional and mental condition at any given moment. Your state influences how you think, feel, and act. When you are in a positive state, you perform better than when you are in a negative state. You can naturally change your state by changing your physiology and breathing.
Physiology: Your physiology is your body posture and movement. Your physiology influences how you feel and express yourself. When you position your body in a confident and relaxed way, you feel more confident and relaxed. When you position your body in a sad and tense way, you feel more sad and tense. You can naturally change your physiology by changing your posture and shifting your breathing.
Breathing: Your breathing is your rate and depth of respiration. Your breathing influences how you relax and calm down. When you breathe deeply and slowly, you activate the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system, which are responsible for relaxation and calmness. When you breathe shallowly and quickly, you activate the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for stress and arousal. You can naturally change your breathing by changing your rate and depth of respiration.
By applying the Grinder model, you can improve your performance and understanding of change, both as a hypnotist and as a subject.
SUDs
SUDs stands for Subjective Units of Distress and in its simplest form it’s a way for you to gauge your subject’s discomfort between the numbers 1 - 10. A score of 1 is they are quite comfortable and 10 is they are really anxious/scared/fearful/in pain. It is best to ask your subject prior to any changework where their SUDs level is at so you have a clear indicator of your success. We encourage you to always aim for perfection however most people who come to you at an 8 or 9 will often be thrilled if you can lower their discomfort to a 1 or 2.
SUDs is a useful tool for measuring the intensity of a negative emotion or sensation that your subject wants to change or eliminate. By asking your subject to rate their SUDs level before and after the changework, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your hypnotic intervention and adjust it accordingly. You can also use SUDs as a feedback mechanism to guide your subject through the change work process, by asking them to notice any changes in their SUDs level as they follow your suggestions.
ADAC
ADAC is also called the Meta pattern in NLP and is a simple formula that can immediately provide relief for your subjects. Almost all hypnotic protocols for changework use this pattern in one way or another.
ADAC stands for Associate - Dissociate - Associate - Collapse
It goes like this:
Step 1: You Associate your subject into the negative feeling by having them feel it in their body. Associate means looking through out of their eyes or as though they are in their skin. The subject must be able to feel the emotion in their body as a clear indicator of association.
Step 2: You then have them Dissociate from the negative feeling by having the person imagine they float out of their body, step out of their body, or whatever other creative means you want.
Step 3: You then suggest to your subject to begin feeling really good feelings and powerful resource states, like happiness, success, courage, and bravery. This Associates those positive feelings into their body.
Step 4: You then Collapse the powerful states onto the negative feelings by suggesting the client meld with the dissociated self from Step 2.
ADAC is a powerful technique that helps your subject change their emotional state from negative to positive by using dissociation and association. Dissociation helps your subject detach from the negative feeling and create some distance from it. Association helps your subject connect with the positive feeling and create some intensity from it. Collapse helps your subject integrate the positive feeling with the negative feeling and create some resolution from it.
By using ADAC, you can help your subject transform their emotional state quickly and easily.
The Power of Hypnotic Metaphors
If you can tell a story, you can hypnotize anyone.
Hypnotic metaphors are stories or analogies that convey a message or a lesson to the unconscious mind of your subject. Hypnotic metaphors can be used to create trance or change without formal hypnosis, by occupying the conscious mind with content and activating the pattern matching system of the brain.
Hypnotic metaphors are one of the most powerful and effective tools for hypnosis and changework, as they have many advantages over direct suggestions or commands. Some of these advantages are:
Hypnotic metaphors are difficult to resist because the subject doesn’t feel targeted or threatened by them. They are more likely to accept and follow the message or lesson of the metaphor, as they don’t perceive it as an imposition or a criticism.
Hypnotic metaphors are an easy way to engage the unconscious mind and find resources. They bypass the critical factor and the resistance of the conscious mind, and appeal to the imagination and creativity of the unconscious mind. They also help the subject access their own inner wisdom and solutions, by allowing them to interpret and apply the metaphor in their own way.
Hypnotic metaphors are natural rapport builders as the brain loves symbols and stories. They create a sense of connection and trust between you and your subject, as you share a common language and experience. They also stimulate the emotions and senses of your subject, making them more receptive and responsive to your hypnotic communication.
Hypnotic metaphors have been used since ancient times, by storytellers, healers, teachers, and leaders. One of the most famous and influential users of hypnotic metaphors was Milton H. Erickson, the father of modern hypnotherapy. His permissive and conversational style of hypnosis was based on his ability to tell stories that would cause life-changing results in his subjects.
If you want to learn how to use hypnotic metaphors in your hypnosis sessions, you need to master some of the skills and techniques that are essential for creating and delivering effective metaphors. Some of these skills and techniques are:
How to structure your metaphor according to the 7-step model of change that we discussed in the previous section.
How to use embedded commands and analog marking to emphasize and mark your suggestions within your metaphor.
How to use pacing and leading, run on sentences, universal amplifier, etc., to create a smooth and natural flow of your metaphor.
How to use sensory language, vivid descriptions, emotional words, etc., to create a rich and engaging metaphor that appeals to your subject’s senses and emotions.
By mastering these skills and techniques, you will be able to tell stories that can hypnotize anyone and create positive changes in their lives.
To learn more about metaphors, read: Hypnotic Metaphors and How To Use Them
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Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed this blog post and learned some valuable skills and concepts that will boost your confidence as a hypnotist. If you want to take your hypnosis skills to the next level and become a master of conversational and direct hypnosis, we have a special offer for you.
The Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy is the world’s best online hypnosis training program, where you can learn from the legendary hypnotist Mike Mandel and his partner Chris Thompson. The Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy will teach you everything you need to know about hypnosis, from theory to practice, from basics to advanced, from induction to changework.
The Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy will give you access to over 500 videos, audios, and PDFs, covering topics such as:
How to hypnotize anyone, anytime, anywhere
How to use different types of hypnosis inductions and techniques, such as conversational, direct, covert, rapid, instant, etc.
How to use language patterns, stories, and metaphors to create trance and change
How to use the 7-step model of change to help your subjects achieve their goals
How to use the Grinder model, SUDs, ADAC, and other essential principles and techniques for hypnosis
How to deal with different types of subjects and situations
How to use hypnosis for various applications and issues, such as self-improvement, health, relationships, sports, business, etc.
And much more!
The Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy will also give you access to a supportive and active community of fellow hypnotists, where you can ask questions, share experiences, and get feedback. You will also get access to live webinars with Mike and Chris every month, where you can learn new skills and tips, and get your questions answered.
The Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy is the ultimate online hypnosis training program that will transform you into a confident and competent hypnotist. And the best part is that you can try it for free for 14 days!
That’s right, you can get full access to the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy for free for 14 days. No risk, no obligation, no credit card required. Just click on the link below and sign up for your free trial today.
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