Metaphors as Pattern Interrupts

I'll probably be writing more about this later, but I wanted to get my thoughts down now. In my last post I talked about an easy embedded command practice, and touched on a pattern interrupt that was inherent in the technique. It got me to thinking about pattern interrupts in general. While I was mentating on just that, I also had a long discussion about metaphors. Metaphors, as you may know are sort of story-fied version of making a point. A kind of "as if." For example, describing your in laws like "a pack of hungry dogs," is a metaphoric way of getting across some information about the impact they make on you. The most famous of hypnotic metaphors is probably Erickson's "Tomato Plant." (You can probably find the transcript on the web). Erickson had been faced with a client who was depressed and wasting away due to cancer, but was resistant to direct hypnosis and direct suggestion, so instead, he just told a long story about the way tomato plants grow and thrive. The man's subconscious made the connection between the plant and himself and the suggestions were delivered without any kind of overt commands or hypnosis. Fables are metaphors: stories that deliver a moral by way of story. I've been a story teller long before I was a hypnotist, so I like metaphors. How are metaphors employed? They work when there's some sort of conscious resistance, or when there's lack of focus. Because they're stories, they (should) have vivid sensory descriptors to really capture the audiences attention. They're a natural choice to use on oppositional children, and great in a business context where raw, dry information can leave your audience unmoved. and, yeah, they're kind of covert. Anyway, here's my point: When you use a good creative metaphor ("steaming piles of paperwork," or "happy tourists popping up like mushrooms"), you engage people's senses and imagination, and when you engage their imagination you're tapping into their subconscious. That necessitates withdrawing from the moment, and that, my friends, is a pattern interrupt. Go out and play with these things and imagine yourself not like a hypnotist, but like a hawk, soaring effortlessly and freely through the labyrinthine corridors of your audience's mind. ;^)

The Easiest Embedded Commands

They say, "before you begin to learn Zen, the trees are trees and the flowers are flowers. Then you begin to learn Zen and the trees are no longer trees and the flowers no longer flowers. But when you've learned it all, once again, the trees are trees and the flowers, flowers. I don't know much about Zen, but I do know a little NLP, and I know that saying is very true for NLP. For example, once upon a time, a greeting was a greeting, and I never thought twice about it. Then I began to learn NLP, and everything became an opportunity to practice a skill, greetings included. The only difference is that with NLP, even after greetings become greetings again, they're still opportunities to practice. Here are two that I had fun with, and I think you will too. For decades, I'd pass coworkers in the halls at the places I worked and they'd absently say "How are you," to acknowledge my presence. If I was busy, or unmotivated, or in that office fugue-state that many of us spend our lives in, I'd absently respond "fine, thanks." That's how it goes in most places, and no one thinks twice about it, but it's a great opportunity that folks like us shouldn't let pass! Here are some ways you can use it to improve your skills, learn about consciousness, and brighten the day for the people around you. First one: I didn't like the numbness that infects offices and so, just as often, I'd respond with something like "too early to tell!" or "just terrible!" You can imagine that it stopped 'em cold. Invariably, they'd stop, and look up with a confused, blank stare. Of course I delivered the line with a big smile, and when they saw the smile, they got the joke, and it made them smile, too. What was going on? In NLP lingo this is a break state, a technique that breaks, momentarily, whatever mental state the other person happens to be in. See, no one ever asks "how are you" because they really want to know. It's just an automatic ritualized way to acknowledge another's presence. Since it is a ritual, there's also a ritualized response, "fine, thanks," and as long as the the expected response is given, the pattern is completed with very little conscious awareness. When you give an unexpected, non-ritualized response, it disrupts the expected pattern, and the person who initiated the sequence is suddenly brought totally into the moment. That's why they stop and look up at you: they need more data so they can adapt their pattern and complete it. This process is instantaneous, and mostly unconscious (instantaneous responses are usually mostly unconscious responses). As soon as they look at you they get the data they need: your radiant smile! It's not the expected response, but still gives them input they need to complete the pattern and get on with their day. The difference is that you've brought their awareness fully into the present, if only for a moment, and in that moment, your smile has also embedded a suggestion for happiness into their psyche. Cool, huh? Here's another: When they say/ask "how are you" look 'em in the eye and respond "Feeling fantastic!" Have a warm smile and exaggerated tonality, so you're really projecting "feeling fantastic" with your voice, too. What's happening: Again, they initiate the ritual pattern with their greeting. You respond using direct but natural eye contact as you say "feeling fantastic!" Notice you DON'T say "I'm feeling fantastic." Rather you want to issue the command to feel fantastic, in a way that should elicit (bring up) feeling really good. It's almost a direct command, but it's embedded in the ritual context of the greeting. It's also issued at the same time as you make eye contact, so that their attention is split between two sensory inputs, and they're less conscious of either. Finally, as they're bringing up the feeling of fantastic-ness, they're looking right at you so the good feeling is anchored to you! It doesn't obviously have much impact at first, but will condition them to feel good when they see you! If the explanations make this all seem complicated, just ignore them, but please do the techniques and see what thay can do for you! Feel free to post your responses and questions! You can download this article here: Easy Embedded Command

OH NO! Stuck in trance for five hours!

This story is hilarious! From the UK Telegraph: Trainee hypnotist puts himself in trance using mirror A newly trained hypnotist accidentally put himself into a trance for five hours after practising in front of a mirror. Helmut Kichmeier was ''just starring at himself in the mirror, his pupils were tiny'' Helmut Kichmeier, 27, was found by his wife, Joanna, staring into thin air after the bungle in their north London home as they prepared for a tour. Read it, and check out the picture, here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6936814/Trainee-hypnotist-puts-himself-in-trance-using-mirror.html As much as I'm entertained by the story, I don't think it's true. The idea that an ordinary person can be "trapped in trance" is largely an old wives tale. All hypnosis boils down into self-hypnosis, so it's not likely that a person couldn't get himself out, whether he got into it himself or not. Also the mirror is kind of a giveaway. It may scream self-hypnosis ti the uninitiated, but using a mirror's pretty rare. Now it could be that mentally, he was a little bit different and able to get stuck in such a state, or that he was hyper-suggestible. Or he might have been on a drug (I knew a guy who took acid and stared at a clock for seven hours, waiting for the hands to move. He never saw them move, but he still had a great time). It's also possible that, due to his line of work, he was already able to go into a much deeper state of alternate consciousness than most people, but if that were the case, he'd also probably have a greater control to get back out. True or not, it's a great story and great publicity!

Your age is in your mind!

Heres' a fascinating article that describes a study in which elderly men were asked to act as if they were 20 years younger, in an environment that was decorated to match. In only a week they had greater dexterity, less arthritis and improved posture and even mental acuity! I've observed how attitude affects people I know. I've known athletes in their 80s who move like they're in their 30s, and guys in their 20s who look like they're 60. What do you think? Check out this great Newsweek article by Wray Herbert: http://www.newsweek.com/id/193197

You were doing NLP before you could talk!

I always remind beginning NLP enthusiasts that NLP is all based on things we're already doing naturally. It's just that a bunch of very clever people took the time to really observe what was going on and codify it for us to use.

Turns out, even newborns are savvy to calibration and rapport techniques!

Researchers at University of Würzburg in Germany have discovered that newborn babies from different language-speaking groups cry in the same vocal patterns that their parents speak in. So babies form French-speaking households cry in French vocal patterns, and the ones from German speaking parents cry with German tonality. (Ach du libe!) Said one of the researchers: "Newborns are probably highly motivated to imitate their mother's behavior in order to attract her and hence to foster bonding."

In NLP lingo we'd say they're calibrating the mothers tonality and applying rapport techniques to foster the bond.

So easy a child could do it!

Read the full article here:

http://www.livescience.com/culture/091105-baby-language.html

Self-Hypnosis Basics

Here's a great way to get started in self-hypnosis. The attached PDF is very basic, but really all you need to get started. It's based on the note from two successive sessions we did on the topic. The first page describes the method to bring yourself into a hypnotic trance, and the second describes a good way to get started in crafting suggestions to yourself. I recommend practicing the self hypnosis method for at least a week, or until you feel you can bring yourself into a comfortable, relaxed trance state reliably. Take your time! you'll know when you have it because you'll really enjoy the trance state when you achieve it. Once you've got the self-hypnosis down pat, you can explore crafting suggestions that are right for you. Remember that the suggestions should feel good, and out you into your goal. Don't say "I want to stop smoking," say "I enjoy being a non-smoker." Try one suggestion for about 2-3 weeks, or until you feel good results. You can play with different suggestions until you find the ones that work best for you, and remember, it's different for everybody! I love feedback, so feel free to share questions, comments and experiences. Self Hypnosis Basics (You'll be able to read it, or download it as a PDF or word doc).

True Lies

Here's a great little article on NPR about a new way to approach interrogations to ascertain the truth. Most of the sort of things that are "giveaways" in the movies are just that--dramatic devices. Nervousness, confusion, and so forth aren't proof of lies. In fact, We've all probably experienced liars in the workplace and found thay are typically the smoothest most "believable." How do you tell truth from fiction? There are a few key elements to pay attention to, particularly for NLP fans: --Notice how they expand the scope of the interrogation to collect information rather than just elicit a confession (reframe). --Notice they way they establish a baseline for the truth, so they can calibrate further answers from the suspect (calibration). --Notice the way they open up the suspect's defense by interrupting the suspect's pattern by making them tell the story in a way other than expected(pattern interrupt). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111809280 If peole would like me to go into some of the skills presented here and some of my own experiences with truth and liars, send me an email.