Conversational Hypnosis
Conversational hypnosis is a type of informal hypnosis designed to influence others in casual and informal interactions. It can have a powerful effect, however, and should be practiced with extreme caution, particularly if you are new to the ideas involved.
The theory behind conversational hypnosis is that the state of being in a trance that we associate with traditional hypnosis is not as rare as we might imagine. Instead, our brains slip into a similarly receptive trance state whenever we are momentarily distracted by something unusual, concentrating on a problem or a task, or even being bored. The trick is to know how to bring about such a state in others and then use it to your advantage.
Conversational hypnosis has three stages: rapport, confusion, and suggestion.
The first step involves creating rapport with your subject. Here, you agree with whatever opinion someone is currently expressing. This allows them both to feel comfortable with you but also to make them focus on their own opinion rather than on what you are saying to them. So, for example, if someone is experiencing a problem and feels that it is unsolvable, agree with them by saying, “You’re right. There’s no solution.”
Next, move on to confusion. This is where you try to make the person enter a mild trance state by forcing them into a state of confusion. You can often do this with just a simple question that goes against what you just agreed about. In the example above, you could ask, “Are you sure a solution might not pop into your head in the next minute?”
The idea here is to create resistance. You can do this with a confusing question or by intensifying your agreement to an almost absurd point. Again, you could say, “No one could solve that problem. You don’t stand a chance!” Or you might suggest that they try something ridiculous that obviously wouldn’t work, such as suggest to a person trying to lose weight that they eat more.
The final step of conversational hypnosis is to introduce your suggestion once your subject is momentarily confused or resistant. Simply state the opinion you would like the person to have, and you will often find that the person will begin to talk as if they are starting to come to that opinion on their own, if they don’t simple agree with you right away without recognizing that, only a few seconds ago, they thought the opposite.
The challenge of conversational hypnosis is to lead your subject through these stages without drawing attention to yourself. Once you can do that, you’ll find how it easy it is to influence others in casual conversation.
Click here to learn more about the powerful methods of conversational hypnosis.