Once upon a time, hypnosis was easy. Even Bugs Bunny could do it! You know.. "You are getting sleepy... SLEEEPPPYY..." and pretty soon someone was unconscious.Nowadays you've got prestige inductions, permissive inductions, speed inductions, conversational hypnosis and covert hypnosis. And trance-- what's a trance these days? It used to be so easy. They guy snoring was the guy in trance. But now, there's hypnotic trance, conversational trance, runner's trance, dance trance...
I guess I come up with a new definition every month, and I convince myself my understanding is ever-deepening, but I'm especially pleased with what I came up with (this month). It's a definition of "induction" that applies to all of the different styles of hypnosis (even the ones that don't officially use inductions) and it kind of clarifies a hypnotist's relation to the state they're creating in their client. Here goes:
The induction is whatever stimulates response potential.
Cool huh? So whether you're Bugs Bunny with a pocketwatch or Milton Erickson confusing the crap out of some hapless guy on a street corner, or even an actor doing a monologue, whatever you're doing to capture your audience's attention, get 'em hooked, or even just get em wondering "what is he talking about?" you're working to stimulate their response potential.
It's also a good definition because it focuses on what's happening to the client, and not hung up with what your doing, and that's a problem that a lot of beginner hypnotists have when they're studying different techniques, namely, focusing more on the induction than on what's happening to the client. And no matter how good you are, you're no good if your client isn't experiencing a change.
OK, if the induction is whatever stimulates response potential, then what's hypnosis?
Hmm.. Maybe I'll let you answer that one.
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