Conversational Hypnosis: The Importance of Signal Recognition Systems in Hypnosis Technique.

When you use conversational hypnosis it is vital that you recognize subconscious or 'unconscious' signals that indicate your subjects frame of mind or 'state.' In particular you need to pay particular attention to the signs of 'open trance.' The open trance is essential if your suggestions are to take root in the subjects unconscious. This, in effect, is your window of opportunity. Therefore you need to use subtle. hypnotic language to calibrate the process in order to maintain the open trance for as long as possible. However, calibration also needs to be kept to a minimum in order to make the best use of the time you have with your subjects open trance. Consequently it is extremely important that you are able to clearly 'see' the reality of the signals in front of you. This is not the time to be a bit vague. Precision and accuracy are required.

Later we will discuss precisely what some of these signal are but, before you can accurately read these signal you need to be able to genuinely be aware of physical reality. You must be able to see hypnotically. Sounds a bit weird, but please let me explain.

Our world is all about communication. Without it we wouldn't even exist as a species. We erect physical signs that tell us to “stop.” “wait here” or “cross now.” We send signals to each other verbally. Not just with what we say but also using tone and pause etc. When we talk we also communicate with body language and physical gesture. As you might imagine it is important that the conversational hypnotists learn the meaning of these signals.

There is, however, a problem for anybody who wants to learn what these signals mean. Before you can understand them you have to teach yourself to see them. This is because all of us experience reality, not only because it exists in actuality, but also because we use our own experience and understanding to interpret the signals our senses pick up. The trouble is, my experience and view of reality may not be the same as the person whom I want to hypnotize. Furthermore, throughout our lives, we acquire an understanding of others subliminal signals but we store this information in our unconscious. For us, it is a subconscious process that enables us to understand how other people are feeling. It is our empathy.

The difficulty for the conversational hypnotist is that they have to learn how to make this essentially subconscious process a conscious one. We all view the world from our own unique perspective but a good conversational hypnotist must learn to see things for what they really are. This is what I mean about seeing hypnotically.

So how do you achieve this hypnotic technique? Obviously careful observation is vital. When you meet someone for the first time you form an initial impression, not only of their appearance but also the kind of person you think they may be. You actually take in a massive amount of information in a very short period of time. You then compare this information against your understanding of what this means and then make your judgment. And all this is done in less than a few seconds. The conversational hypnotist must break this process down and actively focus upon it. They must then learn what the signals mean from a psychological perspective, irrespective of their own belief systems or prejudices. Empirical fact not opinion are what matters at that precise moment and, thereafter, throughout the remaining conversational hypnosis process. This means that the conversational hypnotist needs to learn to see the things that one would normally overlook or consciously ignore.

A couple of Milton Erickson stories illustrate what I mean. Milton Erickson is considered by many to be the founder of modern conversational hypnosis. He studied voraciously throughout his life, teaching himself as much as he could about every aspect of the human condition. For example he understood that when a woman becomes pregnant her pelvis starts to rotate and hormones start to make physiological changes to her complexion and hairline etc. Noticing these changes in a colleague Erickson congratulated her on her pregnancy. She was utterly amazed as she had only just discovered the pregnancy herself and hadn't told anybody about it.

On another occasion Erickson famously asked a post operative transsexual woman how long she had been a woman. She had been living as a woman for many years, had relocated and no one had ever asked her before. She was amazed that Erickson new and, when asked how he did it, Erickson said that he had noticed the way she moved her arms past her breasts when she was gesticulating. Erickson had observed that women always moved their arms around their breasts whereas men would allow their arm to brush against their own chests. Despite having lived entirely as a woman for many years this person still exhibited this gender specific body language. The point is, Erickson was so observant that he noticed this tiny signal. He was acutely aware of reality and was constantly observant of all forms of human communication. He was grounded in reality and consequently could see hypnotically.

It is this amazing level of observation and profound knowledge of human communication and physiology that all conversational hypnotists should strive for. So how do you know if your subject is in open trance?

There are a number of indication that they are receptive to suggestion. These not only indicate the level of trance but also the subjects response to suggestions. This gives the conversational hypnotist a clear perspective, not only of how successful their captivation and induction has been but also how successful their embedded suggestions are likely to be. For example facial pallor occurs when a person is deeply relaxed. It happens when all the muscles along the forehead and jaw line relax. This has the apparent effect of smoothing out facial features and slows blood flow, reducing color. Similarly a wide gaze with a slightly non responsive focus indicates open trance as does a reddening of the whites of the eyes as the capillaries relax. There is also a slight catalepsy with the open trance and the conversational hypnotist can test response to stimuli as a strong indicator of trance.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of indicators and good hypnosis technique requires significantly more study than I can adequately allude to here. Everyone is an individual and will present in different ways. Therefore the conversational hypnotists must develop a broad signal recognition system that is based upon a full understanding and is as adaptable as possible.