11 Secrets To To Creating Creating Powerful Post Hypnotic Suggestions (PLUS Milton Erickson Cures Driving Po!ia" # $%D ED&T&'% NOTE: This article was originally published in October 2014, but was significantly updated on 7 October 2016 to include more in-depth information on how to use ost !ypnotic "uggestions#
If you’re struggling to help people make positive changes through hypnosis, then this may be one of the most important things that you ever read. Heres wy)
Post Hypnotic Suggestions are possibly one of the most misunderstood aspects of hypnosis… A lot of hypnotists are afraid to use them in case they fail. thers are unsure of !hen’s the best time to use them during a session to increase their chances of being accepted or acted upon. r for others, their results are hit and miss. "eaving them to scratch their heads !hile they try to discern !hy. #es, #es, it’s true. Post Hypnotic Suggestions are $ust one tool in your hypnosis tool kit. %ut they $ust happen to be a really i*portant tool . &hink of it this !ay' a hammer is $ust one tool, but !ithout it, you can’t build a house. &he same can be said for Post Hypnotic Suggestions. In this article, you’re going to find out !hy many Post Hypnotic Suggestions fail to deliver the goods (especially if they’re the only tool you use in a session). And more importantly, you’re going to find out ho! to make yours dance !ith your sub$ect’s unconscious. %ut first thing’s first, here’s a rather unusual story for you. *ilton +rickson had a sub$ect s ub$ect !ith a horrific driving phobia. e’re e’re not talking about a run of the mill fear.
&his man couldn’t leave the city limits witout passing out or vo*iting on i*self . -or lack of better !ords, this guy !as stuck. an you imagine being so scared that you couldn’t even leave the area you live in/ It begins !ith a feeling of sheer terror e0ploding in your chest. #ou free1e in your tracks like a deer caught in the headlights. #our nervous system shuts do!n and you pass out. &his !as do!n right sheer terror. *i0ed in !ith utter humiliation for vomiting on himself. So !hat +rickson had his sub$ect do to get over his phobia !as really out of the ordinary. %ut you’ll find out more about this in a fe! minutes. %ut first…
What Is A Post Hypnotic Suggestion? Simply put 2 it’s a suggestion given during hypnotic trance to be unconsciously acted upon out of ypnosis. &hink about it another !ay… It’s a po!erful instruction that causes you to act in a certain !ay. And even feel a certain feeling, or do a specific behavior. -or e0ample, in a smoking cessation session, you might give the follo!ing suggestion' 3 $%ery time you see a stop sign when dri%ing, you will ta&e a deep breath and reali'e how good the clean air feels in your lungs as you stop the car#3 %ut one thing that’s important to remember !hen using Post Hypnotic Suggestions is' %ot all Post Hypnotic Suggestions are create+ e,ual .
&here’s a fine line bet!een an artful Post Hypnotic Suggestion a person feels compelled to act on… And one to $ump !ith $oy over. orry not, as you’re about to discover !hat this fine line is. %efore you uncover the 11 Secrets to Powerful Post Hypnotic Suggestions , !e need to lay it do!n some ground!ork.
So let’s pause for a second… and peer into +rickson’s thoughts on the sub$ect at hand. +rickson !as a firm believer in inducing amnesia, !hich is !hy he used to tell so many nested loops…aka stories inside of stories. %y doing this he’d 3sand!ich4 all his Post Hypnotic Suggestions inside these stories. %y the time a session !as complete, his suggestions !ere so deep in a person’s unconscious. &his !as the first part in his 56step process for creating Post Hypnotic Suggestions. Ask any hypnotist and they likely kno! this. hat they don’t kno! is ho! +rickson got the person to 3lock4 in these Post Hypnotic Suggestions. It !asn’t anything he said that caused these suggestions to lock into place. 7irtually 889 of hypnotists (and :"Pers) have been looking over the one thing +rickson did to 3lock in4 Post Hypnotic Suggestions. &his is because they place too much importance into !hat +rickson said, rather than !hat he did. %y the end of this article, you’ll kno! !hat this simple secret is !hen the full story about the guy !ith the driving phobia is revealed. In the meantime, let’s get cracking.
What Does It Feel Like To Carry Out A Post Hypnotic Suggestion? Picture this' It begins !ith a feeling an+ an overwel*ing urge to complete some task. It may feel as if someone else is doing it. It’s an automatic feeling. &hink about it this !ay 2 it’s as if someone else is driving your car for you… !hile you’re in the driver’s seat. All the !hile it’s like you’re on autopilot. hat makes this so special/ ell, for starters, you can help people to stop un!anted behaviors… and start good behaviors.
%ut here’s !here things get interesting 2 Post Hypnotic Suggestions are only as po!erful as you allo! them to be. hich leads us to the ne0t point, !hich is…
Post Hypnotic Suggestions By Thesel!es Aren"t #oo$ For Therapy Post Hypnotic Suggestions should only be used to complement good hypnotherapy techni;ues and practices. ften *uc *ore terapeutic work nee+s to !e +one in order for them to be effective. &his is because it’s not enough to $ust point out the negatives of a behavior. -or e0ample' "et’s say you !ere to give a smoker Post Hypnotic Suggestions playing on the fact that cigarettes taste gross and are damaging to their health… &his is all fine and dandy, e0cept they !on’t have a lasting effect. hy/< #ou might be scratching your head !ondering. +veryone kno!s that smoking is bad for their health. And that cigarettes leave you !ith an aftertaste not dissimilar to sucking on a car e0haust pipe< %ut despite kno!ing and e0periencing these things, people continue to smoke any!ay. &he same is true for people !ho have unsafe se0. &hey kno! the dangers 2 but their desire is greater. So for your suggestions to be eective, you’ve got to hit them at an identity level. =eason being' your sub$ect’s identity 2 the !ay they think and feel about themselves 2 is te *ost i*portant caracteristic of teir personality .
Some e0amples of positive identities include being a compassionate and giving person, being loyal, being a force for good in the !orld. hereas negative identities, could be anything from being a person !ho !ins at any cost, to being a tough guy, a bully or a persistent kno!6it6all. So for your Post Hypnotic Suggestions to be effective 2 you need to shift a sub$ect’s identity during the hypnosis session. -or e0ample' from being 3I’m a smoker4 to 3I’m a non6smoker.4 >ntil then, a Post Hypnotic Suggestion simply !on’t stick. %ut one thing’s certain' once you do shift their identity, you can craft insanely effective Post Hypnotic Suggestions that have the po!er to make positive changes.
%% Secrets To Po&er'ul Post(Hypnotic Suggestions %) *sta+lish The Outcoe #ou need to discover !hat your sub$ect !ants. r other!ise put' te reason teyre really co*ing to you for.
-or e0ample, do they !ant to learn better eating habits, to ;uit smoking, or overcome a lifelong confidence issue that’s been plaguing them/ And have they come to you because they really !ant to change 2 or are they reluctantly sitting in front of you because someone else put them up to it/ If it’s not their desire to change, send them on their !ay. +0perience has sho!n that no one changes unless it’s their decision. ith most of your sub$ect’s success hanging in the balanc e here, you need to take your time to !ork out the end goal 2 and any beliefs that might get in the !ay of your suggestions from sticking. ?ig into your conversation !ith your sub$ect. %ecause !ithout a solid outcome in mind, no amount of Post Hypnotic Suggestions !ill take root. A solid outcome is like a map that !ill help guide your sub$ect to their destination. And the Post Hypnotic Suggestion is the @PS that keeps your sub$ect on track.
,) Flip -our .Intent S&itch/ 0-our H12 On
, !hich is a term and philosophy that’s uni;ue to the Hypnosis &raining Academy, is your desire that your sub$ect has a !onderful and successful hypnotic e0perience 2 !efore any ypnosis !egins.
hen you hypnoti1e someone, you should have your state of mind active. &his communicates to your sub$ect on a non6verbal level that great things are about to happen. If you start a session feeling distracted, lethargic or emotionally in a bad place 2 your sub$ect !ill pick up on this 2 !hether consciously or unconsciously.
&his is !hy goes hand6in6hand !ith 3going first4 2 because once you set the right intention for the session, your ne0t $ob as the hypnotist is to 3feel4 this intention. &his may involve putting yourself in a 3success trance4 before you even begin !orking !ith your sub$ect. &he benefit/ It in6turn signals to your sub$ect to follo! suit. If you’re feeling confident, sending them positive vibes and compassion, they’re going to pick up on this. %ut if your mind is else!here and you’re feeling like you !ant to !rap the session up as ;uickly as possible as you have a lot on that day… guess !hat/ &hey’re going to sense this, too. 3) 4each Into -our Hypnotic Toolkit If there are any ob$ections to the positive change !ork you’re trying to achieve !ith your sub$ect, you’ll need to do some therapeutic !ork.
An e0ample of an ob$ection might be that your sub$ect doesn’t feel safe or that they believe hypnosis !on’t !ork for them. Another e0ample might be that deep do!n they don’t feel like they deserve to be successful, or have some other limiting belief on standby ready to sabotage the session. &ake your time and don’t rush, therapy doesn’t have to be done in one session. #ou have lots of tools available to you as a hypnotist to elicit and resolve limiting beliefs. Here are a fe! of them' •
Regression therapy – accessing past experiences where the limiting belief was created, and then helping the person resolve their issue.
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Reframing – helping your subject see their situation from a dierent perspective than what they thought was possible. Simply put, opening up their choices. Revivication – helping your subject access resources from their past that can be lined to the current problem to resolve it. Reintegration – if your subject has a !parts con"ict# – where one part of them wants the change, but another part of them doesn$t, you can help them reintegrate and dissolve the limiting belief.
(ant to learn more about )egression Therapy, )e%i%ification and )eintegration* +ou wont want to miss our free regression therapy guides BA?7A:+? @>I?+C Ho! &o *aster Hypnotic =egression &herapy 2 Part I' +ssential Principles &o Profoundly &ransform #our Sub$ect’s +motional &rauma BA?7A:+? @>I?+C Ho! &o *aster Hypnotic =egression &herapy 2 Part II' Proven D5 Step *ethod &o Successfully ?issolve An0iety, Phobias and &raumas, Plus %onus 7ideo &raining 5) *6ercise -our ABS :ot your belly abs, but your hypnotic A%S. &he A%S -ormula is one of the best !ays to get your sub$ect into a trance. And this tried and true formula can be summari1ed as' - 2 Attention' Absorb your sub$ect’s attention . 2 %ypass the critical factor' %ypass the mindset that tends to say 3no<4 and re$ect ne! ideas S 2 Stimulate the unconscious mind. #ou’re getting the unconscious mind to perform the actual change !ork. &his !ill help you to get your sub$ect’s unconscious on board !ith your suggestions.
AEA get them into trance. And not $ust any trance. %ut a trance !here their unconscious is ready and !illing to help them change. ..)$/T$ or an in-depth brea&down of the 3T ormula, chec& out The !ypnotists uide To Trance (hat 5t 5s, !ow +ou 3an 5nduce 5t 7 "igns That "how +ou 5ts !appening# 7) De!elop A Hypnotic Conte6t &his is about getting your sub$ect to respond to you unconsciously. If they’re not responding to you unconsciously during your session, ho! do you e0pect them to follo! up on any of your Post Hypnotic Suggestions after!ards/ H&%T) -ollo! the Law of Successful -ppro/i*ations . "ong story short… !ork on getting small successes from your sub$ect.
In essence, you’re getting *icro0co**it*ent fro* your su!ects unconscious . #ou’re reinforcing to your sub$ect to become more responsive and to drift into trance. %ehavioral research has sho!n that tiny changes over time !ork much more successfully than trying to make a big change all at once. -or e0ample, !hen !orking !ith a sub$ect on modifying their eating habits, rather than thro!ing out everything they’re doing and putting them on a diet 2 it’s much more effective to start adding healthy foods one at a time. And then over time, changing another small thing, then another manageable thing. hat you’ll often find is that over a period of F6D5 months they !ould have achieved the results they !ere looking. &his is because the changes !ere so small it became fairly easy to incorporate them into their life. &he same is true !ith your hypnosis sub$ect. If you create your hypnotic conte0t slo!ly, letting your sub$ect drift into trance easily, they !on’t have any resistance. And the benefits here are t!o6fold' youll !e *ore effective and your su!ect *ore co*forta!le.
8) De9ne A Clear Beha!ior &his can either be an internal or e0ternal behavior and or e0perience.
&hink of this as a tougt2 feeling or even a perception .
#ou !ant to create this behavior as a Post Hypnotic Suggestion in accordance and acceptance of were your su!ect wants to !e as a result of the session. hich you !ould have determined earlier in your opening talk !ith them. -or e0ample, if the sub$ect came for stress relief, you !ant to create a behavior that !ould be harmonious !ith someone !ho’s peaceful, yet alert and able to handle !hat life thro!s at them easily. An e0ternal behavior can be as simple as your sub$ect closing their eyes and drifting back into trance !hen you say, 3Sleep no!.4 &his Post Hypnotic Suggestion is very valuable !hen you’re doing multiple sessions, so that they automatically go into trance !hen you give the suggestion, 3sleep no!4 2 rather than having to go through an entire trance induction every time they come to see you. #ou can suggest your sub$ect to' E/perience something, such as time slo!ing do!n or even speeding up. Do so*eting, such as an e0ternal behavior. -or e0ample' your sub$ect stands tall and smiles in a confident manner !hen they see someone they find attractive. 3eeling or sensing so*eting, such as a sense of calm or confidence flooding through the body.
#ou can access resources from their past and really revivify the feeling of being calm and confident so that the emotion is strong and can be used as a trigger. Tink of a particular tougt…this one is pretty straight for!ard. If an un!anted thought enters the sub$ect’s mind, you can have them rehearse a thought that counteracts it to create a positive state instantly. :) Attach The Beha!ior To A Trigger &hink of this as a cause and effect relationship. hen G happens # !ill happen.
&he trigger can be something in the e0ternal !orld, that !hen the sub$ect sees it, hears it, or feels it 2 the ne! behavior you’ve installed !ith the resources automatically kicks in. 3or e/a*ple)
-or a man !ho !ants more confidence around !omen' Anytime you see an attractive woman, you’ll smile and radiate confdence
-or someone !ho has a fear of talking to strangers' Anytime you walk through a group o strangers, you’ll take a deep breath and become flled with confdence.
-or someone !ho beats themselves up mentally' Anytime a negative thought creeps into your mind…you’ll instantly recognize it and drain its power away…and begin thinking positive thoughts instantly and automatically.
#ou may !onder !hy you have to attach a behavior to a trigger. It’s simple. #ou need a certain conte/t for tis !eavior to occur in . #ou don’t !ant it to activate all !illy nilly. #ou !ouldn’t !ant to go around beaming !ith confidence and a big smile on your face 5J. -or one reason (among many), it !ould be inappropriate to smile at every situation. Such as a sad event, or !hen your boss is giving you negative feedback< So the above J steps are the basic foundations of any good Post Hypnotic Suggestion. -ollo! them and !atch ho! more effective your suggestions become. %ut !ait. ?idn’t the headline promise 11 Secrets45 Ah yes, you read that right. Eeep reading as the 6 !onus secrets belo! !ill supercharge your Post Hypnotic Suggestions. ;) #ain Acceptance :o matter ho! carefully crafted your Post Hypnotic Suggestions are, there is one rather large variable that could stand in the !ay of their success… your sub$ect’s unconscious.
So you need to be able to assess' Is your sub$ect’s unconscious going to accept your suggestions/ %ut before you do, let’s first e0plain !hy a Post Hypnotic Suggestion might not be accepted. &he simplest ans!er is because the unconscious has some kind of block or ob$ection to it. &here might be a secondary gain (an indirect or hidden benefit). If the unconscious is not on board, then it’s likely to sabotage any positive suggestions.
&he solution is simple. Ask them (or get an ideomotor finger signal) if they accept and are !illing to act on the suggestion. &his is because all behaviors and emotions are held at the unconscious level. So it’s critical that you have the unconscious mind !orking !ith you for the betterment of your sub$ect’s !ellbeing. &he unconscious mind al!ays does !hat it thinks is best for the person. All negative behavior has a positive intent. So having your sub$ect’s unconscious mind accept your suggestions ensures that it’s !orking !ith you and your suggestions !ill be follo!ed. If their unconscious isn’t !illing to act on this suggestion… go back to step KL. =inse and repeat. #ou can also ask the unconscious !hat its resistance to your suggestion is 2 as often 2 it !ill actually be able to tell you. #ou can then do more !ork to dissolve the limiting belief until you get acceptance from your test. <) #et -our Su+=ect To 4ehearse -our Post Hypnotic Suggestion In some cases, you may !ant to have your sub$ect rehearse your suggestion !ith their eyes open.
-or e0ample' In a moment when you open your eyes you’re going to take deep breaths and say to yoursel I’m rela!ing. "hen you do this, you’ll come right back to a nice deep level o trance.
&hen have them open their eyes and rehearse this suggestion until they go back to a deep level of trance. &his is a nice !ay no!, and in future sessions, to get them into trance ;uickly. @etting the hang of it/ Here’s another e0ample $ust in case' "henever you scratch your right ear you’ll eel a rush o confdence flling your body. #et’s play with this. $o ahead and scratch your right ear and notice the rush o confdence.
&hen have them open their eyes and act out the suggestion. In most cases, ho!ever, your hypnotic suggestions are rehearsed !hile in trance !ith their eyes closed.
hile rehearsing, you should also get your sub$ect to… •
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%ccess the resources you elicited earlier See themselves in what was the problem situation &using their new resources' (eel the new feelings they now while in the situation
=esearch sho!s that repetition is key. =epetition is key. =epetition is key< So !ith this in mind, you really !ant to do a Hypnotic %lit1 !ith your ne! resources and suggestions over and over and over again. &his is often referred to as 3%lack$ack4 in the hypnosis !orld 2 repeat the blit1 up to 5D times< =esearch sho!s that repetition is key. =epetition is key. =epetition is key< %>) Buil$ A Sel'(Fee$ing Suggestion Loop &his step utili1es the Law 'f Co*poun+ing Effect . hich, in other !ords means' create a Post Hypnotic Suggestion that piggybacks off of a previous suggestion.
&his is because' &he more suggestions you give someone, the more you’ll reinforce all the previous suggestions. And the stronger these suggestions !ill become. -or e0ample'
%ou’re a non&smoker and you’re happy.
&his simple suggestion has more po!er than meets the eye. &his is because the unconscious thinks'
I am a happy non&smoker.
%ut then if you then add' +oure a great person, it reinforces the fact that they are a non6smoker and that they are happy. And that they’re also a great person<
:o! if you !ere a smoker feeling pretty desperate to give up, doesn’t this ne! identity sound pretty good/ See ho! hitting them at the identity level feels more enticing that $ust saying 3smoking is gross.4 Here are some other e0amples… "henever you hear your cell phone ringing you’ll feel waves of condence ooding your body …and you’ll be lled with happiness at how easily and automatically this happens "hen you rst wake up in the morning you’ll eel a rush of energy when you get out of bed …and you’ll look forward to ollowing this suggestion every morning.
%%) In$uce Anesia =esearch sho!s that amnesia (helping your sub$ect forget about the Post Hypnotic Suggestion) can make the suggestion even more po!erful.
Amnesia can sometimes help lock the suggestion deep in the unconscious. &his is !hat makes amnesia such a po!erful tool. &he reason for inducing amnesia is because'
IPO4TA@T @OT* %ny anti)suggestion to what you$ve given as a *ost +ypnotic Suggestion, if given within that hour period, can negate the success of the suggestion. 3or e/a*ple) At the end of your hypnosis session, before you bring your sub$ect out of trance, give them a suggestion such as' %ou’ll only remember the suggestions you’ve been given ater a good night’s sleep. And as you sleep, you may dream, a wonderul dream, that will allow your unconscious mind, that magnifcent, unlimited mind, to accept these suggestions even more deeply and apply them in your lie e'ortlessly. And when you awaken in the morning, you’ll see a brand new day o unlimited possibilities, eeling rereshed, alert, e!cited to meet your new lie.
hen you bring your sub$ect out of trance, immediately change the sub$ect, ask them the time, comment on their shoes, add some humor, anything to distract them from the session. &his elps ce*ent in te a*nesia . IPO4TA@T @OT* -nly induce amnesia i' you $on"t nee$ them to voluntarily trigger the suggestion /sing amnesia as a techni0ue to solidify your suggestion will only be eective if you don$t need them to rehearse the suggestion. 1f they rehearse the suggestion, they$ll remember the suggestion.
The ysterious in$ O' ilton *rickson :o!, going back to the story !e mentioned earlier. &he one !here +rickson helped his sub$ect overcome a rather e0treme driving phobia. #ou’d probably agree that the method +rickson used !as not e0actly orthodo0. %ut there’s a good reason for this. +rickson kne! he’d have to pull out all of the stops. hich is !hy he told his sub$ect to !ear his best suit and to drive to!ards the city limits. If the sub$ect started to get faint and light headed, he !as to turn off te engine an+ coast to a stop. &hen he !as to get out of the car and lie in te +itc until he regained consciousness… all the !hile wearing is !est suit < an you imagine recommending that to a sub$ect
How dare rickson suggest that ! get my best suit dirty by lying in a ditch"#"" As the man’s anger continued to bre!, he +rove rigt troug te city li*its witout even noticing.
He had been so busy fuming over +rickson, his problem disappeared into the background, along !ith the city limits. ?id you catch !hat +rickson did/ Instead of giving his sub$ect a lame duck Post Hypnotic Suggestion, he gave him a simple task to complete. It’s as if the sub$ect !as giving himself his o!n Post Hypnotic Suggestion. +rickson !as !ell kno!n for giving his sub$ects tasks to do (rdeal &herapy). &hese real !orld tasks often triggered +rickson’s Post Hypnotic Suggestions. &his !as the second part of +rickson’s strategy for creating po!erful Post Hypnotic Suggestions. %ut for those of you !ho don’t !ant to resort to the same methods as +rickson did, here are t!o slightly more practical e0amples of real !orld tasks' E/a*ple 1) If you’re !orking !ith someone !ho !ants to e0ercise more, get them go for a short !alk in the evening (if their location and health permits it).
+ach time they see a house !ith a green roof (PHS), a rush of enthusiasm and energy (resource) !ill come over them and they’ll !ant to !alk another block or t!o before returning home. E/a*ple $) A sub$ect has come to you to build up their confidence !hen talking !ith strangers so they can promote their business.
@ive them the task of going to a ne! net!orking meeting every !eek. hen they see the first dark6haired man, their confidence rushes through their entire body (resource) and they feel great camaraderie to!ard the people in the room. Almost as if they’d kno!n them their entire life (PHS). So much so, they then !alk up calmly and introduce themselves to someone ne!. So !hat does this all mean/
&f you want to *ake your Post Hypnotic Suggestions even *ore powerful7all you nee+ to follow te si*ple steps a!ove8 .ecause once you +o2 youll !egin to won+er ow you ever practice+ ypnosis witout te*8
