- Areas of application of instant hypnosis
- Nuances of use
- Instant Hypnosis Techniques
- Verbal suggestions
- Nonverbal suggestions
- Immersion in hypnosis
- Conclusion
One type of suggestion—instant hypnosis—is encountered by many people in everyday life. Some of them are not aware of such an impact, but use the technique independently on an unconscious level. In medicine, it is often used to treat seriously ill patients who require long-term rehabilitation. Significant factors in hypnotic manipulation are intonation and tempo of the voice.
Areas of application of instant hypnosis
Instant hypnosis differs from the classical technique in the speed of obtaining the desired result. With the help of a special lightning-fast hypnosis technique, unlimited influence is exerted on consciousness. A person is put into a trance state in 2–3 minutes.
Experienced practitioners are able to hypnotize people under different conditions and for a short time. This method is characterized by the use of various effective techniques. They help provoke confusion, loss of control over one’s actions and thoughts, and a state of shock.
The technique of instant hypnosis can be learned. There are a huge number of life circumstances in which the acquired knowledge can be useful. Specialists in various fields of activity use technology to convey their own thoughts and desires to their interlocutor.
These are social workers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, businessmen. They regularly communicate with other people who have a certain social status. This type of hypnosis is often used in advertising or trade.
In these areas of activity you have to direct or subordinate your client. The instant hypnosis technique will definitely come in handy for parents who are trying to find contact with teenagers. Suggestion will help regulate relationships and come to a common opinion.
What can cause a state of rapid hypnosis?
Typically, a person easily falls into a trance when experiencing strong emotional stress. This can be any emotion (anger, horror, confusion, confusion or others). In this case, he loses control over himself and does not understand what to do. The human subconscious will happily accept any hint without any evaluation.
An individual in a state of instant hypnosis sees in the person who put him into a trance a support in his difficult situation and is completely emotionally dependent on her. This technique is often used by scammers to obtain material benefits. In order to resist the power of suggestion of a manipulator who considers himself more experienced and mentally stable than the victim, it is worth mastering the methods and techniques of instant hypnosis.
Nuances of use
Instant hypnosis has unlimited possibilities. It shows a high level of performance and apparent ease. The hypnotist will be able to achieve many of the goals.
Only a complete understanding of instant hypnosis will help you subjugate another person to your own will, force him to do actions that often do not correspond to the desires of the person being suggested. This type of hypnosis is distinguished by its complex execution. A novice practitioner will not be able to put a person into a trance using the quick hypnosis technique.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that instant hypnosis helps to change the character and habits of another person. Not a single programming technique sets completely new and unusual settings for the subconscious. This effect is only possible if a person himself wants to change by changing his thinking.
The presented technique does not help to completely impose your desires and will on other people. Hypnosis opens up enormous possibilities for the practitioner, but they are not limitless. Even when immersed in a deep trance, a person will not perform actions that may contradict common sense. Especially if internal installations pose a threat to life.
Practitioners must remember that rapid hypnosis can only influence people who are highly emotional and have a high degree of hypnotizability. They will respond quickly to installations. Phlegmatic people who lack a rich imagination cannot be hypnotized.
During hypnosis, the doctor can force a person to do something
There is some truth in this statement. However, there are certain limits here too.
This never contradicts the principles of the hypnotized person. There are known cases where the patient was led to believe that he was eating an apple, although in fact it was an onion. It is surprising that not only visual perception, but also taste sensations changed.
Any such suggestion is easily reversible and partly controlled by the patient himself.
Of course, you cannot force a person to commit a crime or something like that if it contradicts his moral and ethical principles.
Instant Hypnosis Techniques
The distinctive feature of this technique is that the person is immersed in a deep state of trance at a certain moment. The practitioner must evoke strong feelings. They can be positive or negative.
The effectiveness of instant hypnosis increases under the following conditions:
- unexpected joy;
- irritation;
- strong fear;
- doubt;
- uncertainty in making a specific decision.
Such states lead to the fact that a person begins to quickly plunge into a trance. His consciousness is partially shut down, leaving him unable to control his actions. Brain activity is involved in the processes of catalepsy.
While under hypnosis, you can give different instructions. The mentee can follow certain instructions, and the commands are perceived as an immutable truth. When attempts to challenge or comprehend information begin, the subconscious mind turns off.
There is a certain sequence for immersing yourself in a trance state using the instant hypnosis technique:
- gaining trust;
- to attract attention;
- creating a feeling of excitement;
- submission to one's own will;
- changing the habitual perception of thoughts and actions.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to additionally use other techniques. The hypnotist selects images and words that promote vivid emotions. The result is severe stress or shock.
You can use sudden movements or sounds that cause fear. To quickly immerse yourself in a trance, entanglement of thought processes is used. The information must be mutually exclusive. There are several effective ways to help put a person into a state of rapid hypnosis.
- Classic Faria technique. This is a simple and affordable method that has worked well in practice. The person quickly falls into a trance state. You don't need much experience to use it. A hypnologist can have a good effect on people who have an increased degree of suggestibility.
- American method. When using this rapid hypnosis technique, the person is given instructions that are accompanied by a slow countdown of time. It takes 40 seconds to put you into a trance. The effectiveness of suggestion is about 93%.
To learn the American method of hypnosis, it is not enough to study various books or watch video tutorials. Theoretical knowledge provides only superficial information. For training you will need the help of a hypnotherapist.
Ericksonian psychotherapy and Ericksonian hypnosis
History of the origin and development of the method
The method owes its origin to the outstanding American psychotherapist and world-famous hypnologist – Milton Erickson (1901–1980). As a child, he contracted a severe form of polio. Erickson later recalled that the doctor who examined him expressed doubt that he would live to see sunrise. And it struck him: “How is it that I will never see the sun rise again?” He asked his mother to move his bed to the window, and waited for the moment when the sun would rise, associating hopes for life with the sunrise. And Erickson overcame the disease, but for many months he was almost completely immobilized. Gradually, the symptoms of paralysis began to disappear. The boy learned to get up again, walk, and hold a spoon. As an adult, he said: “I did the same thing that my little sister, who was one year old, did. I watched her stand up, how she pulled her legs up to lean on them, and I did the same.” Perhaps it was then that Erickson's special powers of observation were born, which actually became the basis of his psychotherapy. Because the boy, who remained practically motionless for a long time, could only watch and listen. Later he practically recovered. After graduating from medical college, M. Erickson specialized in psychiatry and then began practicing as a hypnotherapist. This was a risky endeavor at a time when hypnosis was considered an unscientific method. Years later, thanks to Erickson, hypnosis gained recognition in the United States as a clinical method. M. Erickson is the author of 140 scientific papers devoted to various aspects of hypnotherapy; under his leadership, the Journal of Clinical Hypnosis began to be published. Having extensive psychotherapeutic practice, Erickson devoted a lot of time to his students, who creatively developed his ideas (D. Zeig, E. Rossi, J. Haley S. Gilligan, S. Lankton, S. Kalegen, G. Lustig, etc.). At the age of 54, Erickson suffered a repeated attack of polio, the last years of his life he was confined to a wheelchair, and practically never left the city of Phoenix, where he lived. But people continued to come to him. He had many patients and students until the end of his life. Erickson lived for almost 80 years and during this time he managed to create a new school of psychotherapy, which is named after him. Ericksonian psychotherapy is a technology for providing access to a person’s internal resources necessary for the adaptive resolution of his psychological problems and/or elimination of painful symptoms. Its most important component is Ericksonian hypnosis - a non-directive-permissive, flexible, indirect model of induction and use of hypnotic trance, based on cooperation and multi-level interpersonal interaction between the therapist and the patient. In the CIS countries, Ericksonian hypnotherapy as a direction in psychotherapy began to actively develop from the beginning of the 90s of the last century, after training seminars were conducted in Russia by foreign specialists (J. Gaudin, B. Erickson, N. Woton, J. Becchio, etc.) , as well as publications in Russian of the works of M. Erickson and his followers. Subsequently, a whole galaxy of highly professional Russian-speaking specialists appeared teaching this method: M. R. Ginzburg, M. N. Gordeev, V. A. Domoratsky, L. M. Krol, A. F. Radchenko, etc. The growing interest of domestic psychotherapists in The methods of work of Erickson himself and other representatives of this direction, in our opinion, are connected with the fact that the economical and very pragmatic, focused on solving specific problems of clients, Erickson’s model of psychotherapy turned out to be in demand in the post-Soviet space.
Theoretical basis and essence of the method
The method is based on two premises: 1) the unconscious part of the patient’s psyche, in principle, is ready to work in the interests of the patient and look for ways to health; 2) the unconscious contains the resources necessary to solve almost any human problem, and psychotherapy allows you to access them. Therefore, the main task of psychotherapy is the activation and targeted use of internal resources necessary for positive changes in a person’s life and gaining psychological comfort. The method is strategic in nature, i.e. the psychotherapist identifies the patient’s main problems, outlines the goals of psychotherapy and proposes certain approaches to achieve them. It is short-term and, above all, is focused on restoring the mental and physical well-being of people in need of psychotherapeutic help to an acceptable level for them. Psychotherapeutic interventions largely serve as the lever necessary to initiate the process of change. When working with a symptom, Ericksonian psychotherapists expect a “snowball” effect, believing that changes in one element in the system can lead to changes in the entire system. M. Erickson said that “psychotherapy is often like pushing the first domino.” By learning to cope with symptoms, patients often get rid of rigid mental attitudes. Beneficial changes can then affect other aspects of their lives. Achieving positive results is considered more important than clarifying the past or understanding the meaning and function of a symptom. According to Erickson's observations, the solution to a problem may not be related at all to what caused it. Sometimes it is even acceptable to allow the symptom to continue to exist, but in a different way, by processing it. Erickson's model of psychotherapy involves extensive use of multilevel speech. A verbal formulation can contain many meanings. Then, at the conscious level, only one of the possible meanings of the word is processed, and at the unconscious level, all meanings of the word are processed. An anecdote is a typical example of the use of two levels of language. One meaning is occupied by consciousness, and the other meaning is processed at an unconscious level and is realized with some delay (“arrives”). The difference in meaning is what makes you laugh. In psychotherapy, metaphors, humor, and contextual suggestions are used simultaneously to convey multiple meanings. In the latter case, we are talking about the intonational emphasis of certain words in a sentence, which are unconsciously captured by the patient and perceived as inserted commands. Erickson himself viewed multilevel speech as a way to activate unconscious processes. It allows the patient to offer a new solution or a different view of the problem that is not consciously recognized as suggested by another person. Ideas proposed in this way can be accepted or rejected, but if accepted, they are recognized as one’s own, and not imposed from the outside. Utilization is the hallmark of the Ericksonian approach and the most important source of successful therapy. This is the therapist's willingness to respond strategically to absolutely any aspect of the patient and the environment. The psychotherapist captures and uses (utilizes) everything that happens to the patient and around him during therapy. M. Erickson (1976) described recycling as follows: “Psychotherapists who wish to help their patients should never scold, condemn, or reject any part of the patient's behavior simply because it is unconstructive and unreasonable. The patient's behavior is part of his problem... Everything that patients come to the psychotherapist's office with is in some sense part of their problem. The patient should be viewed with compassion, appreciating the wholeness that appears to the therapist. In doing so, therapists should not limit themselves to valuing only what is good or reasonable in terms of possible grounds for therapeutic procedures. In fact, much more often than is realized, therapy can only have a solid foundation by eliminating stupid, absurd, irrational and contradictory manifestations. The professional dignity of the therapist is not affected, but professional competence is enhanced.” The Ericksonian approach is characterized by depathologization of the patient's problems. Human problems are understood as a consequence of people's attempts to adapt to the changing needs of their family and social environment. Symptoms are often seen as natural mechanisms for structuring a particular system (for example, a family). The psychotherapist plays a very active role in treatment and is responsible for setting the psychotherapy mechanism in motion. He outlines and implements the main strategic steps of psychotherapy in order to transfer specific problems into the plane of their constructive solution. Treatment is aimed at enabling patients to change their lives outside of the psychotherapy room. They are expected to act, they are encouraged in every possible way to take specific actions related to the desired changes. Moreover, positive changes often occur as a result of inspiration when performing exercises during sessions and homework, and not under the influence of the patient’s deep awareness of existing problems (insight). It is sometimes mistakenly believed that insight is generally incompatible with the Ericksonian approach, which stimulates the patient's unconscious in order to bypass conscious understanding. In fact, insight is quite acceptable within the framework of Ericksonian methodology, but this is just one way to achieve mental health. If insight could help accelerate positive change, Erickson used it. The typical approach is indirect, in which assistance in discovering resources, new opportunities and answers is carried out unnoticed. Patients do not always notice and realize that this help comes from a psychotherapist. The therapeutic effect is carried out both in a normal and in a trance state. Hypnotherapy is one of the best ways to create conditions conducive to the necessary changes. The Ericksonian model of hypnotization differs from the classical one, which uses the technique of programming a passive patient. In Ericksonian hypnosis, a relationship based on interaction and cooperation is established between the patient and the therapist. At the same time, the psychotherapist constantly monitors the signals emanating from the patient and makes it clear to him that he perceives them, thereby encouraging him to cooperate and deepen hypnotic functioning. In trance, there is an interaction between two unconscious people, their dialogue and exchange of information. In the words of Jacques Palacy, “the patient uses the psyche of the therapist to accomplish work that he could not do alone.” Flexible, adaptive strategies are used to achieve a state of altered consciousness: the psychotherapist first follows the patient’s current behavior (joins his posture, breathing, speech patterns), and then quietly begins to guide him more and more, gradually introducing him into a hypnotic trance. The Ericksonian approach increases patients' susceptibility to hypnosis and the effectiveness of work in trance, allows one to avoid or gently bypass the resistance that often arises in the subject when using directive and template methods of hypnotization, as well as imperative suggestions aimed at relieving symptoms or changing unwanted behavior. Such hypnosis allows the patient’s psyche to go beyond the usual limitations caused by past experience, overcome them and gain access to new resources and, ultimately, to new, adaptive models of personal functioning. Within the framework of the method, extensive technical tools have been developed and widely used. These are many ways to induce a trance, dissociation of conscious and unconscious processes in the psyche, various kinds of indirect and overt suggestions, including therapeutic metaphors and stories, reframing, homework to develop certain skills and abilities, paradoxical techniques, vague tasks, etc. All of them are used to encourage patients to actively participate in changing the way they live together. Formal trance induction is only one option for inducing a hypnotic state. Within the framework of the Ericksonian approach, it is possible to conduct either a fairly formal session - with a clearly marked trance induction, therapeutic phase and termination - or a more “naturalistic” one, in which short moments of trance spontaneously arise during communication. Communication techniques of Ericksonian hypnosis promote the development of trance states during a conversation, and also allow you to recognize and use the minimal trance that can naturally arise during communication. Along with work in trance, hidden suggestive influences in the waking state are widely used. In addition, patients receive homework, which also helps solve their problems. In this case, direct or indirect instructions of behavior are used, and if the patient resists, paradoxical techniques are used. Probably, all this served as the basis for the American hypnotherapist A. Weisenhoffer to state that Erickson’s approach is based primarily on suggestion in the waking state, with which one cannot completely agree. Erickson and his followers consider trance as a continuum of states of altered consciousness, where spontaneously occurring microtrances are located at one pole, and somnambulistic trance at the other. It is believed that during one session the depth of trance can change significantly. Therapeutic interventions using various kinds of indirect suggestions can indeed be carried out during a conversation with the client while awake, through instructive stories, parables, anecdotes, stories about patients containing inserted suggestions and multi-level messages. But still, a minimal trance or a deeper one is more often used, when a hypnotic response in the form of signaling, hand levitation and other cataleptic phenomena is achieved from the patient, and a significant period of work in a trance is subject to amnesia upon exiting it. The work of Erickson himself and his closest students is replete with examples of deep somnambulistic trances. In his practical work with clients, Erickson was clearly focused on the future. While it is hard to doubt that many problems have their origins in the past, knowing “why” a person does what he does does not necessarily help him change. Clients typically come to a psychotherapist with a long history of their problems behind them. According to Erickson, dwelling on the past is unproductive, so much of his therapeutic work was explicitly or implicitly aimed at reorienting clients to look forward rather than backward. He often told his patients: “Let's forget the past and look forward to the future... and put humor above all else in everything you do!” Erickson was a master at establishing rapport. In fact, he was the first to widely use predicates in his speech (words denoting actions and relationships, that is, verbs and their substitutes) of the client’s preferred modality, thanks to which he appeared to him as a person speaking an absolutely understandable language, a person who deserves trust. Another means of establishing rapport that Erickson mastered was mirroring the client's behavior by matching the client's posture, muscle tone, posture, facial expression, gross motor skills, tone of voice, and intonation. The result of mirroring is that the client begins to identify his behavior with the behavior of the therapist, who unconsciously becomes for him a reliable source of feedback regarding his own actions. The simplest mirroring involves directly copying some or all forms of behavior of a person nearby. A more complex type of it is “cross mirroring,” and it was at this level that Erickson usually worked. In cross-mirroring, the therapist copies behavior using body parts different from those used by the client. For example, a nervous twitch of the client's leg is mirrored by a twitch of the head at the same pace. Using his unique ability to monitor breathing patterns, heart rate, changes in skin color, minute changes in muscle tone and other characteristics, Erickson practiced cross-mirroring to quickly match his voice and body movements to the corresponding characteristics of his clients. Erickson told those who complain of insomnia: “Insomnia is a failure to spend time... extra hours given to you. As you lie awake in bed, think of all the nice things you want to do that you have already done, and you will find that these are extra hours, not sleepless hours. And when you occupy yourself with thoughts of something good, your body will get used to lying in bed, and you will fall asleep.” In this way, Erickson could completely reorient his client regarding the “problem situation.” There's more to this than just a play on words. This is a shift in the point of view of a client suffering from insomnia, which allows, on the one hand, to lead him to a more useful use of the time spent in bed, and on the other hand, to remove the rigid attitude towards the indispensable achievement of sleep at any cost, which often prevents a person from truly relaxing and falling asleep. This art of reframing, transforming points of view is another core point of Erickson's therapy. An equally important therapeutic technique that Erickson mastered brilliantly is changing clients' behavioral patterns. He was distinguished by his ability to isolate and use the underlying behavior patterns of the client for the purpose of desired changes. One day, a retired police officer came to see him with excess weight, emphysema and hypertension, who, due to growing health problems, would like to quit smoking, drink alcohol less often and eat less, but could not do this on his own. During the conversation, Erickson found out that the retired policeman buys three cartons of cigarettes and a drink not far from his home, and nearby he buys groceries or has lunch at a restaurant. And then, instead of dealing with the content of the client's complaints and the possible causes of overeating, alcohol abuse and frequent smoking, Erickson changes the general pattern of behavior that gives rise to all these problems. He suggested that the patient buy cigarettes one pack at a time on the other side of the city and get there on foot. He was also supposed to go grocery shopping three times a day, buy enough for one meal and not take anything in reserve, but dine out at restaurants several kilometers from home. The retired police officer was allowed to drink alcohol in several bars, which were located 2-3 kilometers from his home and at a decent distance from each other, and only one glass in each of them. Thus, he ordered his patient to satisfy his needs for food, alcohol and cigarettes in the most energy-intensive way, purchasing them in minimal quantities. By doing so, he virtually guaranteed that the ex-policeman's consumption of the foods he was prone to overindulging would automatically be reduced, while simultaneously giving his body the challenge it needed to improve his physical fitness. The Achilles' heel of such interventions is the need to convince people to strictly follow the therapist's instructions, which involves taking into account the many factors that influence the client's motivation. In the example given, Erickson gave very strict instructions to a former police officer who was accustomed to strict discipline and was extremely concerned about his health, which ultimately motivated the patient to carry them out. In order for clients to follow behavioral instructions (sometimes very idiosyncratic or demanding), the therapist must be an authoritative, trusted figure for them. In addition, when instructing clients, the psychotherapist must use a special hypnotic and suggestive language (P. Vaclavik, 1980). It is known that one day the daughter asked Erickson: “Dad, why do people do these crazy things that you tell them to do?” He replied, “Because they know I’m serious.” Erickson did not immediately try to make radical changes in his clients' behavior. He preferred to initiate minor behavioral changes. This is entirely justified because clients agree to small changes much more easily than to large ones. Consciously or unconsciously, but customers often seek to interfere with their own recovery. Offering interventions, at first glance not related to the problem, secondary and completely harmless in character, Erickson avoided the client’s resistance. It should be noted that the choice of the most adequate and effective form of behavioral intervention in Erickson psychotherapy is determined by the experience and intuition of the psychotherapist. It is necessary to perform a minimum intervention that can cause the client to maximize the changes in the desirable direction. For example, Erickson was asked to advise at home a woman who had depressed for nine months. She almost did not communicate with anyone and led a lone idle life. Walking around her big house, Erickson noticed three African violets and a pot of seedlings with a sprout transplanted there. He said to the woman: “I want you to buy all the African violets that you will see. I want you to buy yourself a couple of hundred pots for seedlings, and grow new violets. As soon as the sprouts take root, you will send them as a gift for every birthday, for every name day, for every engagement, for every wedding; To everyone who is sick, for every wake, for every church charitable bazaar. ” And she bought two hundred African violets, and when she has to take care of two hundred violets, there is something to take the day. This woman got rid of depression and became the “queen of African violets” of the state of Miluoka, she had countless friends. Erickson noted that he simply unfolded it in the right direction and said: "Shake." And she did the rest of the therapy herself. This case illustrates the Erickson approach to behavioral interventions. Erickson did not find out the details of the personal story of this woman in search of justification of her depression and reclusion. He did not even provide her with a description of the changes that he was going to make into her life. It was important for him to understand the pattern of the client’s behavior, thanks to which she could continue to lead a recluse lifestyle. Erickson understood that the implementation of his recommendations would most likely increase activity and expand communication. After all, growing flowers, caring for them and giving violets for various cases of residents of the city, requires a lot of effort. This purposeful activity will undoubtedly cause response by others. We also emphasize that the colossal effect, which Erickson's intervention had a life of this woman was achieved only by making adjustments to the sphere of activity familiar to her - in breeding violets. It is also typical that the choice of assignment was based on the patterns of behavior existing in a person, which of course significantly increases the likelihood of their implementation. Erickson's hypnosis sometimes sounds criticism due to insufficient theoretical justification of a number of its provisions and methods. However, even the director of the Milton Erickson Foundation and his student J. Zeig (1988), noting the significant contribution of Erickson to the development of psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis, admits: “It seems that a distinctive feature of neuriconism is rather a brilliant style than the strength of ideas.” Leon Chertok (1990) emphasizes the contrast that existed between Erickson himself, the experimenter of the first magnitude, who never particularly care about theoretical calculations, and his students, striving to bring the theoretical foundation for his ideas. Moreover, in the heat of polemic enthusiasm, the latter in every possible way emphasized the existence of fundamental differences between the Erickson model of hypnosis and the classical. In their fairly schematic description, traditional hypnologists appear as authoritarian, controlling, dogmatic, following a strict scenario, ignoring individual characteristics of personality patients. However, judging by the author’s publications, Erickson never contrasted his hypnotization methods with any other. He also did not offer any carefully developed theoretical definitions of hypnosis, avoiding the physiological and psychological explanations of this phenomenon. In the descriptions of the hypnotic process and the behavior of zeipnotized subjects, Erickson showed the difference between a hypnotic state and a normal, everyday state of consciousness. He believed that, in contrast to the usual state of consciousness, which is characterized by a constant change in attention focus, the hypnotic state is associated with sustainable concentration of attention. However, this is by no means oblivion or lack of response, as is the case during sleep, but a special state in which the activity of consciousness decreases, and attention is entirely focused on certain stimuli. Erickson's works contain many original ideas about the features of trance states and their use for therapy. Psychotherapeutic trance is the maximum concentration of attention to achieve the patient's goals. Trans is such a type of functioning that involves simultaneously the levels of conscious and unconscious and is a mediator between them. (Erickson, Rossi 1979). Hypnosis does not create new abilities in a person, but it helps the better use of existing ones, even if they have not been recognized before (Erickson, 1970). In fact, there is no hypnotherapy. There is psychotherapy in which you use hypnosis, an understanding acquired in a hypnotic state and other similar things. However, hypnosis itself is not psychotherapy. (Erickson, Lecture recording, 07/18/1965). You use the state of the trance in such a way as to circumvent the protection systems that occur with neurosis at an unconscious level. The neurotic protects its neurosis (Erickson, 1980). Probably, it would be more correct to talk about the Erickson approach to hypnosis, which is characterized by non -directiveness and permissive style, cooperation of the psychotherapist and patient, emphasis on indirect methods of influence. Indeed, regardless of whether the hypnotic state was achieved using spells and the shamanic tambourine, Mesmer passes, fast techniques of Elman, Erickson guidance methods, the nature of hypnotic trance is one. Moreover, she still needs to study. So, if desired, you can always argue about whether Erickson's hypnosis exists in general and what is the contribution of Erickson himself to hypnotherapy and the current state of the doctrine of hypnosis. Being an authoritative scientist-research, Erickson is better known as one of the most outstanding practicing psychotherapists. In his medical work, he sought to avoid complex theoretical constructions when considering specific problems of a particular subject, emphasizing: “Each person is unique. Therefore, psychotherapy should be carried out in such a way as to comply with the needs of this particular person, and not try to adapt the individual to the Procrustean bed of one or another hypothetical theory of human existence ”(Erickson, 1980). B. Erickson (2000), believes that it is impossible to talk about the existence of Erickson theory, since it is impossible to create a theory covering all types of people. There are some designs, there are experience and some provisions, but there is no unified theory. There is only one rule from which there are no exceptions. It says: "Of all the rules there are exceptions." The last statement echoes the point of view of Karl Rogers, who wrote: “There is only one statement applicable to all theories without exception and it says that at the time of the creation in each theory there is a lot of unclear and erroneous ... I am upset by the readiness with which limited minds accept Almost any theory, considering it a reflection of truth. If you see in theory what it really is, namely, a timid attempt to establish a relationship between existing facts, then the theory will fulfill its functions, in particular to stimulate creative thinking. ” So, it is really difficult to talk about the presence of a slender, well -developed Erickson theory and methodology. Nevertheless, the theoretical foundations of the method with some reservations can be considered the theory of an interactive-system-system approach in the psychology and psychiatry of the research group of Bateson and a number of non-proceeding theoretical provisions of the following psychotherapeutic approaches (strategic, systemic family, cognitive-bichevioral), equal Like the concept of technical eclecticism of A. Lazarus. At the same time, we can distinguish a number of fundamental provisions and principles that make the Erickson approach quite recognizable and effective in work. This is humanism and faith in human capabilities; the emphasis on the uniqueness of each person and the individualized nature of therapy, which rejects the mechanical use of standard procedures; ideas about the unconscious, as an appropriate mental structure and a source of internal resources; Atmosphere of trust and cooperation; thorough connection and appeal to the patient through his value system; Flexibility in work and therapeutic pragmatism; The disposal of everything that happens to the patient and around him; the use of multi -level messages, indirect influences and confusion; activation of constructive emotions and the creative potential of a person through drama and humor; therapeutic orders of behavior that patients must perform outside the session; emphasizing the positive; Orientation for the best future. All this allows the patient’s psyche to go beyond the usual restrictions due to past experience, and gain access to new resources A, ultimately, to new, adaptive models of personal functioning. Therapy leads to positive changes at cognitive, affective and behavioral levels, which entails adaptive resolution of existing problems and reduction of a number of psychopathological disorders. The Erickson approach is distinguished by the strictly individual nature of work with each patient. The mechanical implementation of standard procedures is rejected. Erickson said that for each patient he is developing his psychotherapy. For example, the use of metaphorical messages requires a very good understanding of the needs of the person to whom they are addressed. The same metaphor can be perceived by two people completely differently. In addition, the nature of psychotherapeutic interventions changes slightly in work with each individual in order to comply with its features as much as possible. It is obvious that the high effectiveness of this direction of psychotherapy is due to its pragmatism and focus on achieving real goals, rich in psychotherapeutic tools and an extremely flexible, individual approach to the use of certain technical techniques in a particular patient. Practical aspects of the application of the method
The Ericksonian approach involves extensive use of a variety of hypnotic strategies to induce trance states and the therapeutic use of trance. Trance is a state of focused attention and altered awareness of one's surroundings. If attention, like a spotlight, is directed outward, to the outside world, this is a normal state of consciousness. If this ray is deployed and directed inward, focusing it on sensations, memories, fantasies, then we will get a trance state.
Therapeutic trance is a state of access to internal resources in the unconscious (experience of successful learning and achievements, experience of a state of mental and physical comfort, etc.) There are 3 types of trance:
1) everyday (everyday) trance - daydreaming, naturalistic trance, driver’s trance, etc.;
2) in-depth trance - deliberate intensification and prolongation of the natural phenomenon of trance with the help of another person, which occurs in hypnosis;
3) somnambulistic trance - a deep trance in which a person looks like a person outside of trance, but more often like a somnambulist (sleepwalker).
author of the text: Professor Domoratsky V.A.
Verbal suggestions
Such suggestions can be direct, indirect and open. If the therapist uses direct suggestion, his intentions are clear. The practitioner explains what he wants to achieve and what his goals are. Direct suggestion is often used during surgery when the patient cannot be given pain relief.
In the case of indirect suggestion, the specialist does not talk about the desired results. Actions will depend on the will of the other person. With indirect suggestion, clarity of thoughts is disrupted. This method is used in cases where it is necessary to direct a person to the path that he is avoiding.
To achieve maximum results, the double bind technique is used in most cases. A person is offered two options to choose from, which he will not be able to distinguish when immersed in a trance. In reality, these options are identical, so the person chooses from two identical offers.
To gain focus on a specific aspect, it is necessary to use the technique of suggestion with the absence of mention. The practitioner begins to list different situations without touching on important topics.
The result is an emphasis on attention. This type of suggestion opens up a wide choice of actions. Psychotherapists often offer several specific frames that you can fill out at your own discretion. This technique involves the use of mobilizing suggestions. In another case, the specialist will provide several answers to choose from.
What determines the effectiveness of suggestion?
methods are used for suggestion . Often people do not realize that they are trying to influence them, to impose their ideas and emotions. There are few who can track the moment when they are influenced.
Psychological suggestion may or may not be very effective, depending on the methods used, as well as factors relating to the personality of the person on whom the influence is directed:
- emotional stability;
- disposition to perceive information;
- physical condition;
- existing knowledge and life experience.
Suggestion techniques are based on a person’s readiness to perceive information transmitted to him without any logical explanations, evidence, or scientific facts.
People who are highly suggestible are:
- afraid to express their point of view;
- they try not to stand out, blend in with the crowd;
- trust the opinions of others;
- show a tendency towards dependent relationships.
Hardly suggestible personalities are characterized by:
- activity, initiative in business, personal life;
- deep knowledge in a particular field;
- the habit of checking facts and building your opinion based on them;
- independent position.
It is not easy to influence those who exhibit special character traits:
- arrogance;
- egocentrism;
- eccentricity;
- gloominess, lack of communication.
For effective suggestion it is also necessary that the source of the transmitted information be sufficiently authoritative. and beliefs into the psyche :
- emotional, physical exhaustion of the person affected;
- categoricalness of the information presented;
- surprise;
- repeated repetition;
- emotionality and a degree of logic in the suggestor’s arguments.
The mental characteristics of a person contribute to easy suggestibility. Thus, people who exhibit psychopathic traits, are superstitious, dependent (on drugs, alcohol, or have other manias) very easily accept information.
Internal barriers can reduce effectiveness or make it impossible to influence a person:
- the tendency to think critically about information and conduct logical analysis provokes its rejection;
- non-perception of information on an intuitive level prevents its integration into the subconscious;
- ethical principles do not allow an individual to accept material that contradicts them.
Experienced influence suggestors do not try to remove barriers, but adapt to them. So, if the object of suggestion has below average intelligence, then the influence is reinforced with negative emotions. To influence intellectually developed people, techniques that involve a positive emotional charge. Influence on insecure, doubting people is carried out through the dominant, authoritative position of the suggestor.
Nonverbal suggestions
To use the technique of suggestion on a non-verbal level, not words, but gestures are used.
There are several types of techniques:
- Catalepsy. The patient needs to take a forced position, which came from the hypnotist. There is catalepsy of the whole body or a separate part of it. It is not recommended to practice this technique frequently.
- Pauses. This is one of the important forms of nonverbal suggestion. With the help of short pauses, a specialist will be able to change the meaning of the conversation.
- Levitation. When using this technique there is no physical impact. The suggestible person uses his own imagination. The advantage of this type of hypnosis is that it is an easy process of immersion in a trance state.
Levitation is often used in self-hypnosis. In a state of hypnosis, you feel lightness, joy and comfort. For this reason, this technique is becoming more popular, but people may encounter various side effects.
If hypnosis was used to treat patients, then after the therapy session an allergy occurred on the skin, which was accompanied by a rash and severe itching. Studies have confirmed that these symptoms arise due to the weak psyche of patients. In addition, such hypnosis can cause central nervous system disorders.
Workout
It is important for both beginners and experienced operators of mental practices to develop and improve their skills. Like any art, it requires not only practice, but also the acquisition of important skills, their consolidation and training
Effective exercises will help you quickly master your strength and significantly increase it.
Exercise No. 1
The first and most important training is for imagination. Without this skill it will be difficult to use mental energy. To develop and awaken your imagination, you need to take a comfortable position and protect yourself from any intrusions. In general, you should feel comfortable and calm. Relaxing with your eyes closed, you should clear your mind of all the husks and imagine the image of your loved one.
It is important to visualize his appearance carefully and in detail. As soon as the image becomes clear, you can stop the exercise.
Exercise No. 2
It is equally important to train your powers of observation and memory. To do this, under the conditions described in the first exercise, it is necessary to layer its characteristics on the appearance of the object
Habits, characteristic features and movements, gestures - all this will help achieve maximum integrity of the image of the object.
Exercise #3
After working with the image of your loved one, you should train the energetic connection. You can attract a complete “picture” to yourself by imagining the flow of your energy as a rope. You can direct energy in a subtle stream or trickle to your chosen one, tuning in to your partner. In the beginning, I ran into a problem where my energy would just flow around the image of the guy. It was only possible to solve it with training. With this exercise, we tune in to the exchange of energies with another person.
Exercise #4
You should practice exchanging “bodies” with your loved one. This type of training improves ongoing relationships to the next level and helps increase skill. It is better not to practice the exercise while next to a guy, as the effect of the technique is very strong. First of all, oddly enough, you need to relax, but in this case, even more likely, dissolve in space. You need to abstract yourself from reality as much as possible, imagining yourself as a bundle of energy. Remembering the image of your partner from the previous exercise (in the form of an energy essence, biofield), place him next to you.
Next, you need to gradually get closer to your lover until the two images are completely transformed into one. Feel how comfortable you are with being one. Then you should slowly separate, exchanging all types of energy, knowledge, habits. Divided bodies already consist of opposite characteristics. The vital forces of your chosen one predominate in yours, and yours in his. The most important aspect of this exercise is analyzing the energy received from the guy. He gave you much more than he himself would have wanted. Feel all the subtleties of his desires, anxieties, and possibilities.
The last exercise is very labor-intensive and energy-consuming. It would be better to divide it into several stages:
- visualization of oneself;
- partner image;
- Union;
- disconnection;
- analysis.
The practice of such training helps not only in love relationships, but also, for example, in working with a difficult boss, in troubles with parents or friends.
Immersion in hypnosis
To hypnotize a person using instant hypnosis, you can use different methods of influence. The use of verbal formulations is typical. They help to describe in detail the sensations into which the suggestible person will be immersed. The practitioner can apply pressure to analyzers and strong stimuli. In the first version, the hypnotist begins to speak monotonously. In the second case, entering a trance is carried out using shock techniques and the power of words.
Practitioners can induce a hypnotic state by fixating on an object. The patient must look intently at any object without taking his eyes off it. For this purpose, you can use a key, a pencil, or coins that are hung on a rope. You don’t have to be limited when choosing a subject. The optimal distance from the eyes is 25 cm.
About the power of thought
Thoughts have enormous power and are believed to be waves tuned to a specific frequency.
These waves can be transmitted over very long distances. The person to whom the suggested thoughts are transferred is a kind of “receiver”.
The great power of thoughts is no secret to anyone: how many times have you had amazing situations when you called a person who was dialing your number at the same moment?
There are such examples in everyone's life. Scientists claim that one information field has been created around our planet, in which all our thoughts “float”.
They are on different waves, so each person picks up from the outside world only those thoughts that correspond to his personal wave.
How to suggest a thought?
In addition to the above practices of instilling thoughts, there is another interesting technique. Free your mind, don’t think about anything, close your eyes and clearly imagine the sun’s disk. After the image of the sun has steadily appeared in your imagination, switch to the person to whom you want to send the message.
Recreate his image in your head, imagine his characteristic features, bring the phantom to life. Having tuned in to the same wavelength as the receiving person, clearly imagine on the solar disk the phrase that you want to inspire.
Be sure to use first person to overcome subconscious defenses.
The practitioner of suggestion must repeat the phrase sixteen times, and then imagine a person in the solar disk who begins to carry out a kind of order.
In this experiment you will send a message to your friend. Concept of nonlocality:
How to attract a man from a distance?
It is impossible to make a man fall in love with the power of thought.
Using this technique, you can only make him think about a woman, make him interested in a person and evoke positive emotions associated with the image of a lady.
The ritual must be performed while full of strength and health. If you are sick, it is better not to resort to suggestion, as there will be no result.
Go to bed around the same time your lover is going to bed. Relax, clear your mind. You can turn on pleasant music or light some essential oils. Mentally imagine the image of a man, connect with him, penetrate his consciousness.
After this, start saying short phrases, for example, “get bored,” “think,” “remember,” each time adding your own name. If the process is reproduced efficiently, soon the man will start thinking about you
How to attract someone from a distance. Working with submodalities:
How to get your loved one back?
Women often suffer greatly if their lover leaves them. They cannot come to terms with what happened and want to return it. With the help of suggestion of thoughts you can significantly speed up this process. First, a woman must work on herself.
She should no longer feel sorry for herself and expect pity from others. She must radiate love and positive emotions so that a man with all his soul wants to return to a woman filled with harmony.
If you are tired, exhausted and miserable, you don’t even have to try to renew the relationship, because a man will not connect his life with such a lady.
After careful work on yourself, proceed to suggestion using the above methods. Every day imagine the image of a man in your thoughts and inspire him that he thinks about you, that he wants to call, come and ultimately return forever.
How to call?
How to attract a person? If you want to call a person who is at a distance, but cannot enter into an open dialogue with him, use the power of thought.
Constantly think about the person, try to instill in him the idea that he should come.
At least five times a day, perform special rituals, which consist of complete relaxation, a thorough presentation of the image of a person and instilling in him the necessary thought.
A sincere message must come from a pure heart, then the person receiving your thoughts will definitely respond and come.
How to act based on a photo?
The appearance of photographs has made life much easier for various magicians who read thoughts at a distance, instill thoughts and influence a person. Photography is great for instilling thoughts at a distance if it is difficult for a person to reproduce the image in his mind.
It must be placed in front of you and examined for a long time, trying to “revive” the image depicted in the picture.
Here lies a certain danger for a person who does not think about the power of photography and distributes it to everyone. Never give your images to strangers who may want to harm you.
An object. Who to choose for suggestion
As was already written above, it is better to first choose the closest relative as an object of suggestion. Then you can try it on other people.
Most often, objects for suggestion are:
- Beloved. For example, a girl really likes a young man, but he doesn’t pay much attention to her. Every day she begins to impress upon him how beautiful she is and how he likes her. The young man perceives this as his thoughts and over time falls in love with this girl.
- Children. Mothers need this ability. Especially when the child is sick. They convince the child that he is getting better, that everything will be fine. This is where the placebo effect kicks in, and the body itself begins to put more effort into recovery. You can also help children with their studies, but you don’t need to try to take complete control over them. Otherwise, the child may lose himself as an individual.
- Just close and dear people. With the help of thoughts at a distance, you can give them confidence, strength, and make them understand how much they are loved and expected.
Important Points to Keep in Mind for Those Who Want to Insinuate Thoughts
We have already figured out how to instill a thought in a person at a distance. Now let's look at the important points of this case:
Believing in yourself is required, even if it didn’t work out the first, second or third time; daily training and more than once; send messages with the power of thought to different people; Proper breathing is important in the process of transmitting information; be in a relaxed state, it is desirable that the recipient be in the same state (this is why evening time is recommended); be positive, otherwise negativity can be transmitted with thoughts and harm a person’s health; be in a secluded room; The light in the room should not be bright and not irritate the eyes. The procedure can be carried out without light; develop your imagination in order to imagine as realistically as possible the person to whom the information will be redirected. Compliance with these points, and most importantly, persistence will help influence a person’s thoughts at a distance
Compliance with these points, and most importantly, persistence will help influence a person’s thoughts from a distance.
What does hypnotherapy treat?
Hypnotherapy helps patients with post-traumatic stress and sexual disorders, phobias, and increased anxiety. It can effectively treat alcohol, nicotine and food addictions. This method is commonly known as encoding.
With the help of hypnosis, one can control pain, prepare a person for surgery, and program one to achieve high results in sports.
The success of hypnotherapy largely depends on the patient's motivation. He must trust the doctor and have a passionate desire to avoid or achieve something.
Hypnotherapy does not cure cancer, AIDS or Covid. If a hypnotist offers such services, he is a charlatan.
Risks of Hypnotherapy
The main risk is running into scammers, sectarians or criminal hypnotists. No one is immune from this, but vigilance and common sense will help avoid problems.
There is no need to be afraid of complications during a hypnotherapy session. They may arise, but a competent specialist knows what to do in unforeseen situations. They are mainly associated with the loss of rapport - the connection between the hypnotist and the patient. As a result of this, hypnotic sleep, for example, can turn into natural sleep.
In severe cases, a patient with certain hysterical characteristics may experience spontaneous somnambulism. In this state, a person walks in his sleep, communicates with imaginary people, does not recognize the therapist, mistaking him for someone else. Sometimes during a session of regressive hypnosis or hypnocatharsis, the patient may become ill due to negative experiences.
Therapists are taught to respond correctly to such difficulties and mitigate their own risks. The doctor may be slandered: for example, accused of rape under hypnosis. Sometimes this happens because patients (often with sexual disorders) fall in love with the specialist and begin to experience erotic feelings towards him.