We cover this a lot in our weekly meetings, but I wanted to take a few minutes to really cover it in some detail.

What is the 'Hypnotic Process'? Well, it's the process, or steps, or sequence of events that we utilize in order to guide someone into an intensified hypnotic, or hyper-suggestible, state of mind.

I believe that we are all in some state of hypnosis all the time, so if that's true, why do we need a 'process' to guide someone there?

That is not an unreasonable question to ask. You see, a person's level of 'Hypnotic intensity' varies frequently, sometimes it's light, and sometimes it's very intense. When someone is 'in the zone' during an activity, that is, they are so intently focused on the task at hand, that it completely blocks out everything else, that is a very intense hypnotic state. The problem is, we are not consciously aware of when we slip into that intense state. We only realize we were there when someone 'snaps' us out of it.

Our natural way of intensifying our hypnotic state is accidental, however as hypnotists, we want to guide people there on purpose, so that we can help them to tap into their own internal resources for change. And that's where the process comes in. By providing our subject, and therefore their subconscious, a map to follow, we can help them to achieve the desired intensity of trance on purpose.

Most people are not even aware that hypnosis exists, much less that they utilize it all the time with themselves and others, but after following a process to achieve a heightened state of hypnosis, they may find that they go there more frequently and more easily, because now that intense state is part of their conscious awareness and no longer this obscure, mysterious thing.

One of my mentors, Igor Ledochowski, outlined a formula for this process that he calls the ABS formula.

A - Attention

B - Bypass of the Critical Factor

S - Stimulate the Subconscious

In his process he describes (A) getting the subjects attention, then (B) bypassing their critical factor, followed by (S) stimulating their subconscious (giving suggestions).

There are actually a couple of more important steps that need to be covered. Before executing the ABS formula, you should test that you have a willing subject. This can be done by performing some compliance testing. Ask your subject to do a few small tasks. "Move over here", "Turn towards me", "Look at my eyes", and observe how willing, or resistant, they are when following your instructions. In conversational hypnosis, you may ask a few questions in order to elicit a 'yes' response, known as building a 'yes set' or an 'agreement frame'.

Once you are satisfied that your subject is complying with your requests, then you are ready to move on to the ABS formula. After executing the ABS formula, the next critical piece is "Deepening" the subject in order to stabilize the trance. We use the word "Deepening", but as we have already discussed in class, and in previous newsletters, what we mean is to "intensify" the trance...get them into the 'zone' if you will.

The 5 basic steps, 1) Gaining Compliance; 2) Grabbing their Attention; 3) Bypassing their critical factor; 4) Stimulating their subconscious mind; and 5) Deepening their trance; are the same steps that you will utilize in any scenario in which you want to influence, coach, education, council or motivate a person or a group. Whether is delivering a motivation message in a group presentation, or working with someone one-on-one for therapy, or performing street hypnosis in Las Vegas, all of these steps are there. And it doesn't matter whether you are using overt direct suggestion or covert conversational hypnosis. It doesn't even matter whether you are using instant inductions or tradition 'marathon' inductions, this process is still there.

To learn more about how to apply these 5 steps in a variety of scenarios, come to our weekly meetings and discover the wondrous variety of ways to utilize hypnosis in your daily life.

That's all I have for now.

Michael C. White, C.Ht.