Hi All,

An interesting question came up in the meeting the other night. "If we are actually in a state of hypnosis most of the time, then why do we need an induction, with deepeners, or why do stage hypnotists have to slowly build up suggestions, in order to get subjects into peak states?"

That was a great question. You see, even though we are always in some level (or intensity) of the hypnotic state, for learning, communicating and imagining, we are usually not "consciously" aware of it. So even though our minds "instinctively", therefore "unconsciously", know how to enter into intense peak states of hypnosis, without the proper training and practice, we don't know how to take ourselves there on purpose or automatically from a consciously aware perspective.

The hypnotic induction is designed to provide a "pattern" for the conscious and subconscious mind to follow in order to get into the right state (remember our discussion last month on "habitual patterns"?).

Although some natural somnambulists can enter into peak states of hypnosis, quickly and easily, others need time to build up the intensity (or depth) of trance in order to achieve some of the more compelling hypnotic phenomenon. Therefore, we use our induction "pattern" to guide them into hypnosis, and then we use deepeners, or increasingly challenging suggestions, to compound and fractionate our subjects in order to increase intensity and depth of trance.

Once a subject has entered these peak states on a regular basis, a new pattern of conscious awareness develops, and they are able to more quickly and easily enter peak states when they desire to do so.

This is why when you are working with a new subject, you may notice the first time you work with them, that they may or may not go into hypnosis as "deeply" as you would like, however the next time you work with them, they enter hypnosis quicker and deeper than the time before, and this pattern repeats with each subsequent session.

Some stage hypnotists use a longer induction at the beginning of a show as part of the drama for the audience, and then they begin with suggestions that affect temperature (feelings of hot and cold) or emotions (feeling happy or sad), before moving on to more entertaining suggestions like amnesia for names and numbers, or positive and negative hallucinations.

Their activities are not just for entertainment and show "filler", they serve a practical purpose as well, "training" the subjects on how to be "high responding" subjects, by providing them patterns of behavior to follow.

I hope you find this helpful in your own practice and observations of hypnosis.

Michael C. White, C.Ht.