| One of the best and most subtle ways to hypnotize | | | | people to do certain things internally. For example, |
| someone is through language softeners. Language | | | | imagine a certain scene, feel a certain sensation. |
| softeners are phrases like perhaps, maybe, you might | | | | The problem, of course, is if you say to someone, |
| and could. You can put these at the head or the | | | | "Feel yourself becoming more comfortable," it's a direct |
| middle of a sentence. | | | | instruction and for some reason they don't experience |
| Key Insight 1: Soften Commands To Avoid | | | | that comfort straight away. You may begin to lose |
| Antagonizing people | | | | some of the hypnotic rapport that we talked about |
| A lot of people don't like to be told what to do. If you | | | | before because the instructions and their reality don't |
| say to someone, "Open the door. Close the door." that | | | | match. |
| can seem like a very harsh command, and a very | | | | In other words, they begin to lose faith in the hypnotist. |
| direct sort of way of expressing yourself. | | | | It is a very bad thing to happen. |
| By the way, those things are very, very effective and | | | | One way to counter that is to begin to give them |
| have their right place as well. | | | | choices which are instructions and at the same time |
| But sometimes, especially with the personality type | | | | are soft enough so they don't have to have them |
| that hates authority or doesn't like to be told what to | | | | straight away. For example, instead of, "Imagine |
| do as much, you have to couch it in a way that they | | | | yourself in a relaxed bed." We might say, "You could |
| can find more acceptable. | | | | imagine yourself in a relaxed bed." |
| Instead of saying, "Close the door." You might use, | | | | They can't argue with that because they could imagine |
| "Perhaps you could close your door in a moment." | | | | themselves - whether they do it or not is irrelevant. |
| Notice how that softens the whole frame. The | | | | Some people at that point will imagine themselves in a |
| instruction is still there but it comes across a little more | | | | relaxed bed. Others may not do so but you still haven't |
| gently and a little less in your face. Examples would be | | | | broken the flow of ideas because they still have to |
| things like instead of 'open the window' - 'could you | | | | say yes to that. |
| open the window?' | | | | So this is a very powerful way of introducing new |
| Key Insight 2: Make A Failure To Respond To A | | | | ideas to someone without them necessarily resisting it. |
| Suggestion Irrelevant | | | | It's particularly effective if you want them to go into |
| When it comes to hypnosis, there is a specific use that | | | | new directions, into something that they haven't |
| language softness can be used for and it makes it | | | | previously experienced before. |
| more powerful again. In hypnosis, often you will ask | | | | |