NLP Techniques Your Grandmother Could Use In Hypnosis (If she wanted to!)

Written by MMH Team / Timothy September

Whether you are a hypnotist looking to increase their toolbox, have just begun learning about neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), or already know NLP and want to increase your skill set through Hypnosis, this blog post will get you even closer to your goal.

NLP and hypnosis techniques go together like your favorite slice of bread mixed with some type of warm, mouth - watering, lush, spreadable butter.

Fwwwwuuhhhhhhh (it’s the one with 2 U’s and a butt load of H’s) is a term coined by Mike, specifically regarding the depth and level of trance an individual is suggested to be at, in order to do thorough and powerful hypnotic work.

This depth of trance would typically be called somnambulism.

Mike and Chris believe the absolute best way to ensure the client is at the “proper” working state of hypnosis is to trance the person through the floor. You can get clients there starting with the various rapid or instant induction methods that you’ll learn in the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy.

3 Powerful Techniques: Rewind, Rehearsal, & the Improved Swish

Prior to hypnotically melting the client/subject through their chair into total relaxation and bliss, it will be important to know what, specifically, they are seeing you for.

The reason this is important is because it will help determine what protocol to run; in this context we are specifically talking about the rewind, rehearsal, or the improved swish technique.

It’s important to note that we will be going over these techniques lightly. However, in order to fully understand their uses and to gain an even greater knowledge of them, we have an entire training dedicated to teaching you the principles and foundations of NLP called NLP Essentials.

(Click here, my friend!)

The Rewind Technique

This technique is a powerful, therapeutic tool which is intended to help an individual who suffered from a traumatic or difficult event in their past, yet they want to overcome the negative or detrimental feelings associated with the event.

Here’s how it works:

1. 
   Direct the client/subject to close their eyes and to begin imagining the feeling from their past they want to deal with.
   
   Once you’ve received confirmation that they feel the feeling from the client/subject by either a “yes/no” nod or shake of the head, ask them on a scale of 1 - 10 how much they feel it.
   
   Keep it simple: 1 indicates it hardly affects them, while 10 is something which needs immediate attention. 
   
   Whatever number they give you direct them to ‘turn it up’ higher if they can.
   If they can crank it up to 11, then your client is probably Nigel Tufnel
   
   Once your client/subject is able to really, and we mean really feel it in their body, record the number they gave you (you’ll use this as a convincer later).
   
   
2. 
   Now, send them straight to snoozeville with an awesome hypnotic induction and once they are all tuckered out, it’s time to begin the rewind protocol.
   
   
3. 
   Have the client imagine they are in a movie theatre and they are the only person there. Direct them to feel that feeling you recorded earlier, and have them give you a head nod when they feel it fully in their body again.
   
   Next, have them imagine they float up out of their body, leaving their body sitting in the movie theatre, while they imagine themselves floating to the back of the movie theatre into the camera room.
   
   The client/subject is now dissociated and able to look down at themselves in the movie theatre while they are up in the camera room.
   
   
4. 
   Next, direct them to imagine that they are in control of the camera and the camera is getting ready to play a film of the very first time they’ve ever felt that feeling.
   
   Inform them that they are safe, it’s only a movie, and that the film will start just before the very beginning of the event, when they are safe before it happens, and the film will end when the event is over and they are safe once again.
   
   
5. 
   Direct them to imagine that, while watching the movie screen from in the camera room, they flip the switch of the camera and the event plays from the beginning to the end and they are watching themselves, watching themselves, watching the film.
   
   Once the film has ended and the screen shows the event is over with the client/subject safe again, have them imagine they float from the camera room all the way into the film at the very end when they are safe again.
   
   Direct them to imagine they are completely in the event, full 3D, and when they are completely in the event, nod to indicate they are there.
   
   
6. 
   Direct them to now imagine that the film is going to run backwards with them fully in the event in 3D - imagine the sound is all jumbled and backwards, the film becomes grainy, black and white, and blurry.
   
   Direct them to give you a nod when the event has ran backwards back to the beginning of the event right before the event happens and they are safe.
   
   
7. 
   Direct them to imagine they float out of the film and back into the camera room, nodding when they are there.
   
   Now have them play the event once more, from the beginning all the way to the end, keeping all the changes of black and white, grainy, and blurry within the film.
   Once the event is over again, have them nod to indicate.
   
   
8. 
   Now perform steps 6 and 7 again, at least 2 or 3 different times, with each time jumbling the film even more, changing even more about it (make it smaller, more grainy, extra blurry, put a frame on it, etc).
   
   
9. 
   Once this is complete, have the client imagine they float down from the camera room, back into their body, installing all the resources and taking with them everything they’ve learned and all the understandings from that experience.
   
   
10. 
    Awaken them from Trance.
    
    Welcome them back with a refreshing, “Hi!” and then ask them to try to find where that old feeling went or did it just disappear, now? They will try to find the feeling but it will be flattened.
    
    As always, check your work! 

The Rehearsal Technique

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you had some type of worry or fear about the future, you probably also experienced some type of stress or feelings of anxiety. 

Imagine anxiety as a spectrum, where a person can feel something as a simple irritation - all the way up to a full blown panic attack, which includes stressful physiological changes.

You probably already know that when you practice something over and over again, sooner or later you become proficient in it, don’t you?

With the Rehearsal Technique, we are able to direct the client/subject through means of rehearsing the event with a perfect ending, every time, so they can lock in the feeling of success and power.

Here’s how it works:

1. 
   You can either take your client/subject on a progressive relaxation where you read a script at them or you could learn some awesome Rapid and Instant inductions from our Power Inductions Course and easily send them all the way to ZzZtown.
   
   Either way, you’ll want your client in a working state of trance. (remember our note above!)
   
   
2. 
   Just like before, direct the client/subject to begin imagining the feeling or event they want to deal with.
   
   Once you’ve received confirmation that they feel the feeling from the client/subject by either a “yes/no” nod or shake of the head.
   Hint: You can ask them yes or no questions like, “Can you see the event?” “Do you hear anything?” “Do you feel you are there?” These will elicit their VAK (more on this in our NLP Essentials course) and help bring them even deeper into the experience.
   
   
3. 
   Now, direct the client/subject to imagine they are at the very end of the event that was causing them the distress, when they are safe and the event is over and they have succeeded.
   
   Important: Make sure the client is looking through their own eyes (associated) at this moment. Direct them to do so and inform them they will stay associated until you tell them otherwise.
   
   Nod for confirmation when they are there.
   
   Now begin to create powerfully positive and uplifting suggestions (Also Important: it’s best to use the client/subjects own words here if they have given you any specific ways they want to feel once the event is over).
   
   You are safe and you feel thrilled, knowing you succeeded and are victorious! You discover just how much you really, really enjoyed yourself! Imagine how good it feels knowing you performed and executed perfectly.
   
   
4. 
   After the ego boosting  bath of positive suggestions, direct your client/subject to imagine themselves along a timeline of the event and they can move to the specific part of time you designate, feeling just as good as they feel now.
   
   Direct them to imagine they are ¾ of the way to the end of the event. The event is almost over and it went so well. Hit the main points of what ¾ of the event is probably like.
   
   Do the same for the halfway mark. It’s now been the halfway point of the event and they feel good! Same as above. Main points of the event at this time.
   
   Repeat this for ¼ of the way through, still feeling great, hitting the main points of the event.
   
   Now direct the client/subject to imagine they are at the very beginning of the event, safe and sound, right directly before the event begins.
   
   
5. 
   Now direct the client to imagine they are going through the event, keeping all those incredible learnings, understandings, and strengthening suggestions you gave them.
   
   Now have them run it from the beginning all the way through: They are now ¼ of the way through the event, feeling great. They are now halfway through - then ¾ and finally at the very end.
   
   Repeat as many times as required until the client feels satisfied and when their unconscious mind knows it has installed all it needs.
   
   
6. 
   Once the client feels satisfied, begin to lock in all those incredible feelings on a general level. Install resources, learnings, and understandings. Some examples include:
   
   Fear of Flights: “And you realize just how much you love flying, knowing you are powerful and really enjoyed your time, and it reminds you of other moments when this would have affected you in the past and yet now you realize that you are capable of having those same powerful feelings during these moments as well..”
   
   Fear of Dogs: “And as you notice the feeling of the warm fur on your fingers, feeling calm and safe around this dog, you realize that you could feel this way with all dogs and it reminds you of all those times where you could have been present and in the moment…”
   
   Fear of Learning Hypnosis: “And you suddenly discover just how incredibly easy hypnosis can be and how fun it is since you are now really aware of just how awesome Mike, Chris, and the MMHA team are...that’s right..”
   
   
7. 
   Repeat Step 11 from the Rewind Technique and awaken them.

The Improved Swish

Ok, so the Improved Swish has nothing to do with basketball (unless that’s something you want to get good at!) What it does have to do with, though, is helping somebody who has a behavior or habit they want to stop.

This one is really simple and extremely effective. The only downside is that it requires some slight knowledge about submodalities and how they are used with NLP.

We won’t be covering submodalities in this blog, however we do have the information in an easy to understand and digestible course called NLP Essentials.

So let’s dive right into it!

1. 
   Ask your client what the specific behavior or habit they have that they want to get rid of.
   
   Have them close their eyes and imagine they can see the behavior about to happen in their mind. Direct them to imagine how it feels right before they are about to do the behavior. Ask them what they are visualizing.
   
   Now have them break state by opening their eyes and looking around. Shake it off.
   
   
2. 
   Direct them to close their eyes and now this time, ask them to imagine they are doing the behavior they want instead.
   
   Have them visualize what they are doing instead of doing the unwanted behavior. Get as much detail as you can.
   
   Now have them, with their physical hands, reach out and grab the wanted behavior they are visualizing, and to pull it in close. Make it bright, 3D, and vivid. Ask them if it’s turned what they want way up in their imagination.
   
   Break state again and shake it off like Taylor Swift.
   
   
3. 
   Now, use your favorite induction and put your client/subject into trance. Once they are at an effective working trance, direct them to close their eyes and imagine they are able to visualize themselves about to do the behavior that is unwanted again.
   
   This time, direct their unconscious mind to all them to use their physical hands and have them reach out with their physical hands and imagine they are grabbing ahold of the bright, vivid, powerful behavior they want instead.
   
   Have the client/subject nod when they have ahold of the behavior and direct them to imagine they pull it really close to them again, full 3D, vivid, bright, and as they do it BLASTS through the unwanted behavior, shattering it into pieces and being replaced with the full 3D, vivid, bright, wanted behavior.
   
   Note: Here is where you can make a fun SWISH sound for some added effect!
   Note #2: Have them breathe in all the learnings and resources of this new behavior. That’s right...
   
   Direct them to imagine they are visualizing the old unwanted behavior again, this time it looks grainy, blurry, black and white, unappealing.
   
   Have them reach out and grab the powerful, vivid, replacement behavior and repeat pulling it into them and blasting through the other one.
   Breathe in the learnings, integrate the resources
   
   Once more direct them to visualize the old unwanted behavior, this time really grainy, pixelated, so desaturated and gross, slimy, icky, disgusting...you get the point. Make it really unappealing.
   
   Now once again, reach out and grab the replacement behavior. It’s now even more vivid, more colorful, tell them they feel so powerful!
   Breathe in the learnings and install the resources.
4. Awaken them and check your work!

Congratulations!

We trust you found a ton of value in this post and are grateful you made it all the way through!

These are only a few of the incredible techniques NLP and Hypnosis have to offer.

We would like to extend to you a free Test Drive of the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy, where you’ll gain access to Hypnosis tools, techniques, language patterns, and a few awesome Rapid Inductions.

And if you just want more NLP training, check out NLP Essentials