The Secret of Conversational Hypnosis

Conversational hypnosis is the method of inducing hypnosis in people by means of natural yet directed conversation. It is different from conventional hypnotism in that the hypnotist and patient engage in casual interaction, rather than the traditional lying-on-a-couch approach. Despite the difference, though, conversational hypnosis is powerful all the same and can be used to effectively deal with certain traumas and difficult situations in a person's life.

Conversational Hypnosis - The Power of Communication

The idea behind conversational hypnosis is interaction, wherein the hypnotist encourages the client to reach a state of altered perception regarding the problem or situation of discussion. In other words, a hypnotist will strive to ask questions or make statements that drive the client to rethink his situation or the problem at hand thereby allowing alternative solutions or thoughts to remedy the situation.

This process can be summarized in three steps, as follows:

1. Affinity - When starting a conversational hypnosis session, the hypnotist must identify with the client by listening and empathizing with his situation. Let's say a client is trying to overcome a fear of crowds. The hypnotist must agree with the client when he expresses his feelings of fear, trepidation, and sense of isolation. He must establish rapport and genuinely show that he understands the situation and sees it almost as clearly as the client does.

2. Distraction - The hypnotist then goes on to "distract" the client's mind by introducing questions that spur the mind onto other things. For example, he can ask, "What would it be like to be the only person living on this earth?" The question is hypothetical and a little preposterous but it challenges the notion of living without crowds of people. The goal is simply to get the client's mind to momentarily let go of his problem so that other thoughts - and often the solution - can come into focus.

3. Proposition - Once the client has considered other thoughts that are related to his problem (but not he problem itself) the hypnotist is free to introduce propositions to help the client deal with his situation. He may conclude his conversational hypnosis session with the crowd-fearing client by suggesting what the future might look like if he chooses to be more friendly to people. Conversely he may describe what might happen should the client cut himself off from people entirely.

Conversational Hypnosis - A Train, Not the Destination

Conversational hypnosis is about helping someone arrive at a certain conclusion and making positive decisions based in what he can visualize. It is a "getting-there" act that works only if the hypnotist and client are equally engaged. The discourse is the train ride, so to speak. The techniques involved are merely the elements in making progress possible.