Author: MJT
The Principles of Conversational Hypnosis
Most people vividly remember the scene in Star Wars when Obi
Wan Kenobi looks into the eyes of a guard and convinces him that the three
wanted fugitives right in front of him are not the people he is looking for.
Wouldn't it be great to have similar influence over people? The term
conversational hypnosis suggests that we can.
Of course, conversational hypnosis is not as simple as it
sounds. Rather, it is a series of well-choreographed strategies and
manipulations that may bring others around to your point of view.
The principles of conversational hypnosis were first
conceived by the great hypnotist and psychotherapist Milton Erickson. Erickson
believed that trance states were not rare occurrences that had to be
elaborately induced. He believed people slip into trance states several times a
day, for instance, when they are waiting for a bus or concentrating very hard
on something they are reading.
Erickson also theorized that directly trying to induce a
trance state in someone or trying to give them direct suggestions might lead to
resistance. He preferred to use rapport, indirect suggestions, and confusion to
induce trance states and influence compliance.
Rapport
The first step in conversational hypnosis is creating a
rapport with the subject. This means agreeing with what they have to say. For
instance, if the subject says, "There's no way out of this," the
proper response is, "You're right. There's no way out."
Confusion
The next step in conversational hypnosis is to confuse the
issue. Sometimes a simple question works. "But even if there is no way
out, can you be absolutely sure that a solution won't pop into your mind in the
next minute or so?"
Another technique used to create confusion in conversational
hypnosis is to encourage resistance, perhaps by saying, "No one could
solve that problem. It's simply too complex. There's absolutely no way out. You
don't have a chance…" At some point, the subject will probably start
arguing with you that the problem is not so unsolvable after all!
Still another confusion technique is to suggest that the
subject do more of something that isn't working. For instance, an obese subject
might be encouraged to gain weight.
Suggestion
The final step in conversational hypnosis is to make an
indirect suggestion such as, "You're feeling a bit less hopeless now,
aren't you?" or "I don't know why, but it seems to me you look more
optimistic than you did a few minutes ago."
Needless to say, conversational hypnosis is no easy feat,
and it is best left to professionals.
If you would like to know more about conversational
hypnosis, several websites offer online courses on the topic. You might also
try reading a clinical biography of Milton Erickson.
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