Hypnosis is often linked with the use of words,
the right use of meaningful words.
But in reality, as studies show, just the smallest
part of our communication go through words, while
the biggest part go through non verbal elements. This
is the reason why is normally difficult to learn an
hypnotic technique just from a book.
Is it possible to hypnotize without using no meaningfull
words at all but just these other elements?
The answer is surely yes. We can use codes and elements
of our social non verbal communication to bring people
in a trance deeper than any trance they had ever experienced.
Every phrase we use in our normal communication
has a non verbal meaning and the words exist just
as substitutes for things or other non verbal codes.
When we are able to express without words phrases
such "sleep", "relax", "is not important that your
conscious mind hear, the important is that your subconsciuous
mind understand" or "is important that you have a
sincere subconscious movement" or other, we come surely
to a better understanding of what hypnosis really
is.
It is fundamental to be able to understand what
is the logic standing behind the words of the ericksonian
inductions, or of the "Elmanlike" induction or any
other possible induction.
Using certain gestures (non verbal communication),
we can put animals in a trance.
The principle behind is valid for human persons,
too.
Normally, to hypnotize animals, we have to catch
and block them, and after we use passes, or gaze,
to hold their attention in a certain direction.
For instance, to hypnotize a chicken, we have to
force the hen's head flat to the ground, and to draw
a line directly out from its beak. The animal will
stay staring at this line; to hypnotize a guinea pig
we have to roll the animal over and over some time
on the table, and then lay it on its back. And the
guinea pig will remain quiescent.
We can suppose that these way of acting break some
of the normal schemas of reacting of these animals
and in some way suggest them to mantain their position
without moving.
There are strong analogies with the multisensory
method of hypnosis.
To hypnotize people, we have to create "rapport"
involving them in the situation, bypass their abitudinary
schema of references and reactions and then offer
them a new direction. We can think to a person coming
visiting a famous professor: this person will come
in, and will be overhelmed by all the titles hanging
on the wall of the office of the professor. This person
will be ready to accept the directions from the professor:
this person will have been hypnotized by all the elements
present in the room.
In a non verbal induction we will act upon the same
lines, in a very easy and simple way.
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