I am a notoriously difficult person to put into trance.
My mind is always working. Thinking.
“Am I doing this right?”
“Am I being manipulated?”
“Is this safe?”
“What happens if I get an erection?” (When I was having clinical hypnosis done!)
All these thoughts. All of this hypervigilance.
These are the two things that prevent trance in general:
- Hypervigilance
- Extremely low intelligence
Those are the only two barriers.
And, unfortunately, I am #1 (and probably sometimes #2 :p )
So, what do we do with me?
If we think about the fact that there is around 15% of the population that is hypersuggestible…going to a stage hypnosis event, that is who the hypnotist is looking for. Those people who are naturally somnambulistic and hypersuggestible. Everyone else gets sent back to their seats.
If we jump straight into suggestion, those are the people who will respond. They don’t need any inductions.
Now, if we add some rapport and induction and a few convincers and some other stuff, we can start bringing those percentages up.
Imagine that the best hypnotist in a group setting can get to maybe 85%, everything done perfectly with infinite time.
And I am probably in the 92nd percentile. I will be the guy who doesn’t go under. Has no effects. Doesn’t have transformation.
What do we do for me? How do I get there?
This is something I have been struggling with for 30 years.
So, what can help? Here are a few ideas.
- Add a sexual component
If someone is hypervigilant, how do we get them out of their vigilance? What is going to “distract” the conscious mind, as well as relax them?
One thing might be sex.
Sex automatically changes state. At least, it’s a *different* state.
And, my teacher’s definition of hypnosis was, “Any other-than-normal-waking-conscious state.”
In other words, if you are not in your normal “run the program, get things done” state, you have the chance to be in some kind of trance. Whether the energy is arousal: revved way up, or relaxation…calmed all the way down, kind of doesn’t matter.
The mind will become less ‘getting stuff done/running the program’ and more ‘searching for the next thing’ (whether that is orgasm/distraction or pleasure or ‘next impulse’ and that can help the mind to open.)
2. Add more people
If you can get a group moving in the ‘right direction’ (esp if you have an attuned group and just 1-2 outliers), you can get the result you want more easily.
3. Put the trancee in a situation in which they are in control.
“You can go deeper when you raise your hand. You can go deeper when you press the button. You can go deeper when you… xyz”
“You can sleep when you… (volitional action)”.
In addition…
4. Go longer
5. Go more intense
6. Engage the body
7. Put them in a comfortable context
Of course, if they relax a lot talking about football, or poker, or something they feel comfortable with, you can use that, too. Anything that absorbs the attention and gently, percent by percent, allows things to move.
8. Go into trance yourself, as the hypnotist.
Example is the best teacher.
State management is key.