The Hypnotic Language Handbook

The Hypnotic Language Handbook Dr. Steve G. Jones

The Hypnotic Language Handbook

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Table of Contents

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Chapter 1: Introduction ..............................................................................6 Chapter 2: The Switch ...............................................................................12 The Hypnotic Language Formula .......................................................13 Mental Lenses ........................................................................................14 Hypnotic Language Patterns for “The Switch” ................................16 Switch Pattern 1: “You Know Me and You’re Safe with Me” .........16 Pattern of Reassurance .....................................................................16 Switch Pattern 2: “Can You See What I See?” ...................................17 Sensory Switch Pattern .....................................................................18 Switch Pattern 3: “You Will Do/Feel/See/Think of Something… Soon!” ......................................................................................................19 Switch Pattern 4: “You Will Feel the Desire to Think or Act” .........20 Affirmative Action Pattern ..............................................................22 Empathy to Action Pattern ..............................................................23 Chapter 3: Hyper-Awareness ..................................................................27 Hyper-Awareness Patterns ..................................................................29 Induction Pattern 1: “Let Me Shock and Surprise You” ..................29 Shock Pattern .....................................................................................29 Shock Pattern Version 2: Comforting Analogies............................32 Induction Pattern 2: “I Know What You Are Thinking” .................35 Psychic Pattern ..................................................................................35 Chapter 4: Circuit Shock ..........................................................................42 The Two Halves of Your Mind ............................................................43 Circuit Shock Pattern 1: “Watch Me and Follow Me”.......................46 The Nonverbal Track ........................................................................46 Circuit Shock Pattern 2: “You Agree That It Is True” .......................51 Melded Truth Pattern .......................................................................51 Circuit Shock Pattern 3: “Focus Only On the Positive” ...................55 4


Selective Trigger Pattern ..................................................................56 Circuit Shock Pattern 4: “Yes, I Completely Agree With You, And…” .....................................................................................................58 Camouflage Pattern ..........................................................................58 Chapter 5: The Hypnotic Stake ...............................................................61 What Makes a Good Hypnotic Suggestion? .....................................64 Stake Pattern 1: “You Feel Like Doing Something” .........................65 Breadcrumbs Pattern ........................................................................65 Undeniable Fact Pattern ...................................................................67 Imminent Action Pattern ..................................................................68 Frozen Logics Pattern .......................................................................70 Phantom Comparisons Pattern .......................................................71 Mind Control Pattern ........................................................................72 Stake Pattern 2: “You See Things Differently” ...................................73 Direct Consequence Pattern ............................................................73 Train Ride Pattern .............................................................................75 Chapter 6: Stoking the Fires of Desire ....................................................77 Desire Pattern 1: “This is What You Want” .......................................79 Basic Anchoring Pattern ...................................................................79 Desire Pattern 2: “You Will Enjoy Having/Experiencing It” .........80 Powered Association Pattern ...........................................................80 Ideal Transformation Pattern ...........................................................82 Desire Pattern 3: “This is What You Really Need” ...........................84 Future Life Pattern ............................................................................84 Chapter 7: Sealing the Gates ....................................................................88 Sealing Pattern: “The Power of Future Action” ................................90 Subconscious Trigger Pattern ..........................................................90 The Challenge Pattern ......................................................................91 5


Social Sealing: The Power of Society’s Codes ...................................94 Social Pattern 1: Obligation and Reciprocation ............................94 Social Pattern 2: Triggering Instinctual Commitment ................96 Social Pattern 3: Increasing Your Likability ..................................98 Exclusive Bonus: The Hypnotic-Influencer’s Cheat Sheet ............100

Chapter 1: Introduction

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How can you become a master of influence by simply changing how you talk to people? The twin skills of persuasion and influence are perhaps the most powerful talents that any person can master because the main purpose of human communication is to create change in people. When people hear the word “communication” they often think of a simple, two-way process where two or more individuals exchange ideas. What many people don’t realize is that communication is molded by intention and human intention has always been driven by the desire to create change in how people think and act. Think about it: can you think of any form of communication that doesn’t have any intention behind it? The intention to create change extends to every moment a human being decides to communicate something verbally, vocally or even physically to another person. When a mother strokes the belly of a colicky baby, she is trying to influence her infant to stop crying. She attempts this by providing comfort through touch. When an aspiring politician addresses thousands of voters in a public assembly, he does so with much passion and even anger at 7


perceived/real “enemies”. Of course, he does this with the intent to persuade voters to pick him instead of other candidates. Now imagine a father teaching his 16 year old teenage daughter how to drive for the first time. The elderly father crosses his arms and grunts every time the eager teenager drives too fast. His instructions are sometimes tinged with panic, especially when mailboxes appear too close for comfort. Any sensible human being would be able to tell that the father only wants the practice drive to be as safe as possible and the father does so by continually persuading the student driver to drive more carefully. How can you master these skills even if you’re simply at home, reading this book? Now that’s a fascinating question: how can you do it? How can anyone engage in a systematic study of influence and persuasion? There are actually dozens of published books that tackle the art of influence. Many of them are considered seminal works that are “must reads” if you are serious about becoming more influential. However, the majority of these available books on influence also have a major fault. The major fault is that these books tell you about the different scenarios where you can become more influential or persuasive, but they don’t teach you exactly what to say when you find yourself in such scenarios or situations! Naturally, people are driven to apply these influence theories without a guide or pattern.

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T h e re ’ s n o t h i n g w ro n g w i t h e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n . I n f a c t , experimentation is actually the only way that you can find out if a theory works or not, if it has not been tested before. However, without a proper protocol to follow, an experiment can go awry even if the theory behind it is sound. Enter hypnosis: the previously Unnamed “Element X” that has been eluding practitioners of influence… Until now. Hypnosis is a powerful game-changer in the world of influence, for the simple reason that only a few people know how to properly apply the techniques of hypnosis to ordinary conversations! Imagine being able to effortlessly create the perfect atmosphere for persuasion whenever you talk to someone. Visualize a deeper and wider horizon of opportunities when you set out to interact with others, for whatever ethical purposes you may have in mind. Masters of influence have actually been using hypnotic techniques since time immemorial, but they didn’t know that they were actually hypnotizing people. Only when clinical hypnosis was accepted by the mainstream medical establishment some decades ago did the experts realize the strong, parallel currents between the psychology of influence and the active techniques used by hypnotherapists to achieve beneficial outcomes for their clients. This book revolutionizes the subtle art of persuasion by integrating a systematic, hypnotic formula into day-to-day social interactions. The world knows that hypnosis is a powerful tool – but this book answers the vital question: how do you use hypnosis to influence others?

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Your education as a master of hypnotic influence needs to be progressive so you will be armed with numerous tools for every possible scenario. Before I show you the “secret formula” for hypnotic success, I have to remind every reader that in order to get ideal results with hypnotic language patterns, you need to use them dynamically. Here are some guidelines that will help you accomplish this: 1. Be Selective– Select a pattern that is applicable to the person and situation. Don’t expect good results if you use patterns randomly, without thinking of the potential responses of your subject. Additionally, some patterns are better suited for informal situations (e.g. day-to-day conversations). If you are interacting with someone with a higher social status (like your boss) in a formal situation, you may be viewed in a negative light if you use a hypnotic language pattern that assumes that the subject has already agreed with you. What you should assume is your subject is scrutinizing your technique/s! Be subtle when applying any of the patterns contained in this book! 2. Be Adaptable – Individuals who have mastered the fine art of persuasion know that even the best-laid plans can turn out to be “blanks”. Since you have many tools at your disposal (the hypnotic language patterns), you can avoid this scenario by changing your

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tactics and recalibrating your approach when you observe that your subject is not responding to what you’re saying. Some people are just naturally resistant and it takes a while for their minds to accept new ideas or to agree with people. You may have to use a specific pattern or combine several patterns to overcome the mental resistance of some people. Again, you will only be able to accomplish this if you have numerous tools under your belt – thus, there truly is a need to continue studying hypnotic persuasion. 3. Keep Practicing – It is very common for people to feel that “something’s not right” when they apply hypnotic language patterns for the first time. This feeling often manifests when a pattern is applied mechanically, without any strategy or formula supporting its use. Don’t worry – you will be able to overcome your anxieties by simply practicing these patterns as often as you can. Practice them at home or at work and as you do, don’t forget to take note of how people actually respond to you! Learn from bad attempts and celebrate your successes. Keep yourself motivated and keep moving forward!

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Chapter 2: The Switch

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How can you gain the trust of your subjects, so that they will believe and follow you? My method of influencing and persuading subjects is a combination of linguistics, clinical hypnotherapy and social psychology. These three powerful elements come together in a singular formula that makes the application of hypnosis easier and more systematic. I call my unified method “The Hypnotic Language Formula”. The Hypnotic Language Formula The Hypnotic Language Formula is divided into six steps. Ideally, these steps should be performed in proper sequence so you can achieve maximum impact on your subject. These six steps are: 1. The Switch 2. Hyper-Awareness 3. Circuit Shock 4. The Hypnotic Stake 5. Stoking the Fires of Desire 6. Sealing the Gates The current chapter will shine a light on the first step of the Hypnotic Language Formula which is “The Switch”. The first step in establishing control and influence in a conversation is to gain the subject’s trust and to appear as his natural leader. People have a tendency to gravitate toward others who know how to lead. Why? Because we have a strong herd instinct which is also present in many other mammalian species.

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Mental Lenses What are mental lenses? When you interact with another person, two contending perspectives come into play: the subject’s perception of you and how you want to be seen by your subject. These two images of yourself are not always congruent or aligned. The reason for this is that people tend to view the world on their own terms. The conscious mind utilizes different tools to protect itself from potentially risky people and ideas. Yes – the brain knows that some ideas can be downright dangerous! The parts of the brain that deals with processing memories and making decisions must be protected by the conscious mind. Otherwise, anyone can just walk in and influence people to do things that they shouldn’t be doing in the first place. One of the major tools that the conscious mind uses to protect the entirety of the human mind is the mental lens. Mental lenses allow people to make automatic judgments about other people and situations that occur in day to day life. These automatic judgments are made almost instantly because our brains are extremely efficient in using old experiences and memories to evaluate present experiences and situations.

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Automatic judgments are not permanent; they can be changed by a skilled influencer. However, they must be changed as soon as possible because they tend to “harden” into infallible beliefs if you allow your subject to hold on to them for a prolonged period of time. How can you transform yourself into someone that your subject can trust and follow? Obviously, you won’t be able to persuade or influence a subject if he doesn’t trust you well. In order to influence someone, you must transform yourself into an ideal projection of a natural leader. The image of the natural leader brings feelings of peace, trust, stability and safety. If your subject feels safe around you then he won’t have any second thoughts about accepting your message. In order for this transformation to occur, you have to switch your subject’s mental lenses with your own lenses. It sounds improbable but through the use of hypnotic language patterns, “The Switch” becomes incredibly easy and very real. What are the objectives of “The Switch”? Here are some of the main objectives of the first step of the Hypnotic Language Formula: 1. To change any negative perspectives that the subject may have of you. 2. To improve your subject’s first impression. 3. To establish harmony or rapport with your subject.

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4. To erase any obvious dissimilarities you may have with the person you’re interacting with. 5. To transform yourself into a leader that your subject would want to follow. Hypnotic Language Patterns for “The Switch” Switch Pattern 1: “You Know Me and You’re Safe with Me” An obvious obstacle to persuasion is the feeling that you don’t know someone well enough to trust what he’s saying. This is a major obstacle in persuasion and we can take a leaf off the hypnotherapist’s book in order to solve this common problem. Pattern of Reassurance Hypnotherapists have a unique way of integrating with clients for the first time. Hypnotherapists commonly use the themes of reassurance and safety to establish rapport with new clients. Here’s a simple pattern of reassurance that will help put someone at ease: “Hello there. I am happy to have you here. Today is your first day at work. Is this the first time that you’ve worked in a store? If yes, then that’s great, you will learn more by working with me and with other employees. If no, then that’s great too because I love teaching new employees so that they would perform as well as the others. Welcome to your new workplace!” Let’s analyze the pattern. The pattern of reassurance utilizes a chain of positive statements starting with a welcoming declaration followed by a question. The question is not really a question, but rather a lead-in for the subject. The twist to this pattern is what follows after the “yes” and “no”.

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You will notice that there is almost no difference between the “yes” and “no” statements. Both statements are stated in the positive and further deepen the affirmative nature of exchange. The final statement is a mirror or repetition of the first statement which is a direct greeting or welcome. This type of hypnotic language pattern is effective because it instantly dissolves internal resistance by associating positivity to a situation that may have negative consequences in the future. Normally, when a new employee has little or no experience in a workplace, some type of negative consequence follows. This is the main reason why it was necessary to mention that it didn’t matter if the new worker was familiar with store work or not, because there will be someone there who will be willing to help out the new employee. By modifying the language pattern, the negative consequence is transformed into a positive opportunity (i.e. opportunity to learn). Switch Pattern 2: “Can You See What I See?” A good friend of mine, a high school teacher, once told me of his difficulties in teaching new materials to his students. He has been teaching chemistry for several years now and every year, he says, it becomes harder and harder to make new students understand the essential concepts of science. Right then and there I had a proposition for him: “why not make them see what you see?” He was intrigued by the idea and he asked me how to do that exactly. I told him how it can be done and after a few weeks, he returned to me and reported excitedly that his students have become more engaged and animated during discussions.

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By slightly changing the way he communicated with his students, he was able to reach them at a level that the students found interesting and therefore, relevant. That was a great success story, wasn’t it? Would you like to know how he did it? Sensory Switch Pattern My friend actually used the sensory switch pattern. The sensory switch pattern takes advantage of the mind’s advanced capability to connect our bodily senses to the imagination. This pattern is one of the finest proofs of the mind-body connection. Here’s an example of how the sensory switch pattern can be applied to regular conversations: “Don’t you just love the beach? Imagine the warm, smooth sand tickling your back. How about the smooth splash of azure blue water as gentle waves roll in? And don’t forget the sour lemon they use in cocktails… Heaven!” Chances are, your head was swimming with sensorial representations of sand, rolling waters and of course – the sour taste of lemon! Many people report that their salivary glands really get going when they hear “don’t forget the sour lemon....” These are the basic elements of this pattern: 1. General idea (e.g. “going to the beach”) 2. Context of the situation (e.g. the water in the beach) 3. Specific sensory representation (e.g. “smooth splash” – visual, auditory, “azure blue” – visual, “waves roll in” – kinesthetic)

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This hypnotic language pattern helps keep people focused on what you want them to experience when a particular outcome is attained. This is especially useful when you are in meetings, conferences or when you’re negotiating with another party and you seem to be having difficulty getting your point across. Switch Pattern 3: “You Will Do/Feel/See/Think of Something… Soon!” The third Switch Pattern I want to share with you is the anticipation pattern. As the title suggests, the anticipation pattern has something to do with anticipation or expecting something to happen. When you are persuading someone to believe in what you said, you can actually pre-empt his agreement by using specific words. Here are some examples: “As you can see, you’re having a great time reading!” “Before you do this for me, think of all the benefits that you will get… Aren’t they great?” “You are going to take your business to the next level by investing in new equipment.” “Allow me to show you the benefits of this new product.” “You will enjoy the changes in your hairstyle immediately after we’re done cutting it.” What is immediately apparent from these sentences is that there is an assumption that the subject will do something for you. But unlike the

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usual approach of asking someone to perform an action, you’re actually assuming that he has already made the decision to do so! Sneaky! I can almost hear some of you as you read the sample statements. Indeed, this is one of the “tricky” hypnotic patterns that can work wonders even in highly pressurized situations. The suggestion to perform an action for you is so subtle and so wellenmeshed that it actually escapes the conscious mind’s filters. In my own analysis, this hypnotic language pattern is capable of evading the conscious mind’s filters because of the ratio of the hypnotic suggestion (first part of the statement) and the second part of the statement, which can either be a question or declaration. The second part of the statement has more volume so the mind tends to focus on it more than the first part… This leaves the hypnotic suggestion intact! This hypnotic pattern is more effective when it is used subtly. You can do this by timing its use carefully and by not overusing it. If you keep using the same pattern repeatedly in a series, the subject may begin to notice and his mind will then shift to analyzing it. Your subject may not be aware that he’s already analyzing your words, but trust me – deep analysis can occur even if your subject doesn’t seem to be extremely engaged in the conversation. The human mind can be extremely efficient in picking out inconsistencies in language. Day to day conversations and interactions are not spared from this thought process. Switch Pattern 4: “You Will Feel the Desire to Think or Act” How can you encourage your subject to listen and accept your ideas more easily?

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It is in our nature as humans to resist the idea that we can’t/ shouldn’t/wouldn’t do something, even if that something may bring unintended consequences. The majority of individuals (both young and old) find negative statements such as “you can’t park here” or “you mustn’t eat that” irritating or downright offensive. Why do we naturally resist negative statements? The answer to this question lies in our central belief that we should be able to independently determine the course of our lives. We value our freedom and independence as individuals and thus, we are subconsciously opposed to any statement that limits our freedom in any way. This primal drive to think and act independently manifests in early childhood and continues into old age. As a person ages, his conscious mind also matures and as a result, he becomes more analytical and cautious. The desire to oppose negative statements is not lost but rather, becomes even more developed because it is now guided by a lifetime of knowledge and experiences. So when you use negative statements on a person who has plenty of life experiences under his belt, he will have a natural tendency to resist you based on your choice of words. When you use statements that contain words such as “can’t”, “wouldn’t”, “shouldn’t”, etc., you are essentially communicating that you are limiting the other person’s freedom to think and act.

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Affirmative Action Pattern Instead of resorting to negative statements, you will get much better results if you state things in the affirmative. Here are some sample statements of ideas that are stated in the affirmative: 1. “You will improve your driving skills immensely with this new simulation software.” 2. “You can improve the quality of your lovemaking talents with this new book.” 3. “You can overcome obstacles to learning and finish college even if you’re forty-seven years old.” 4. “You can become a better driver by following my instructions.” 5. “You can enhance your appearance by getting a new, trendy haircut.” How does the subconscious mind process negative statements? When a person hears a negative statement, he consciously understands the meaning of the words but his subconscious mind transforms the negative statement in a positive statement. It has long been established that the human subconscious is only capable of understanding ideas in the positive form. With these facts in mind, it’s easy to see what must be done to motivate people to agree with you: you must make an effort to use positive statements when addressing your subject so that his subconscious mind will not resist your message because of its structure/form. 22


It is also ideal to combine positive statements with reframing. Reframing is a technique used in clinical hypnotherapy to shift a person’s perspective. The ultimate objective of reframing is to modify the subject’s mindset regarding a specific person, activity, physical object or situation. Clinical hypnotherapists find reframing extremely useful when they are helping clients who are struggling against addictive substances such as tobacco and alcohol. Cognitive reframing is also considered a useful form of therapy for individuals who are suffering from phobias. A phobia is an extreme, irrational fear of specific objects and situations that are otherwise unremarkable for the majority of the population (e.g. balloons, peaches, public spaces). Empathy to Action Pattern How can you combine positive/affirmative statements with reframing? I have devised a method of combining affirmative statements with the main element of the “The Switch”, which is reframing or replacing the mental lens of the subject. I call this method the Empathy to Action Pattern. This pattern is a variation of the main Switch Pattern 4 which focuses on giving the subject affirmative statements to encourage cooperation and reduce internal resistance. Context: You’re trying to convince your friend because he has recently been diagnosed with a respiratory problem linked to long-term smoking.

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Statements: “I know you’ve been smoking for as long as you can remember and you feel depressed that you have to give it up and you’re also thinking of ignoring your doctor’s medical advice because of what you feel right now. I want you to know that you can give up smoking cigarettes because your health is wonderful and valuable to you. You can give up smoking because there are tons of other activities that will make smoking an obsolete routine. Now imagine that you’ve already quit smoking. Imagine that you’re happily doing new activities and you feel great about yourself. What do you think was the process that helped you quit your habit in the first place?” Analysis: The monologue you’ve just read contains all the elements of the Empathy to Action Pattern. Context + Empathy + Positive Statements + Reframing Let’s break down each element of the Empathy to Action Pattern: 1. CONTEXT – Reestablishing the context of the conversation allows the influencer to avoid common rebuttals such as “you don’t know anything about me” or “you don’t know what I’m going through”. By repeating details that both parties already know, the speaker is essentially communicating that he is aware of what’s happening and by virtue of this knowledge, he can lead the subject to a more favorable situation. 2. EMPATHY – Empathizing with your subject not only reassures him that you understand what he is going through but also subconsciously enhances similarity between two distinct individuals.

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In the sample monologue, empathy actually began as soon as the speaker reestablished the context of the conversation. An individual’s personal history is an intimate and very private part of his life and is fiercely protected by both the conscious and subconscious halves of the mind. By approaching the subject’s personal history in a very tender and caring way, common mental defenses are disabled and the speaker is able to continue with his message with little or no resistance coming from the subject. 3. POSITIVE STATEMENTS – By stating your ideas in the affirmative, the subject does not feel restricted and therefore, his automatic judgments and “reflex responses” are held at bay. It doesn’t matter if the speaker was still indirectly suggesting that the subject should quit smoking cigarettes soon – it was how the message was stated that truly mattered. Empowering a subject through affirmative statements gives you power to persuade and influence your subject, too! 4. REFRAMING – The reframing took place in these statements: “You can give up smoking because there are tons of other activities that will make smoking an obsolete routine.” “Now imagine that you’ve already quit smoking. Imagine that you’re happily doing new activities and you feel great about yourself.” “What do you think was the process that helped you quit your habit in the first place?” These three statements shifted the subject’s perspective of the situation twice. The first reframing statement shifted the subject’s focus on alternative activities that can be put in place of smoking. 25


The second and third reframing statements utilized an outcomebased approach to switching the subject’s lens. Instead of repeating the main message which is to simply stop smoking, the speaker encouraged the subject to visualize the desired outcome (a future time where the subject has already stopped smoking) and work backward from that point in the future. This reframing technique allowed the subject to focus on another angle while formulating solutions to his own problem.

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Chapter 3: HyperAwareness

How can you induce powerful hypnotic trances while engaging people in day-to-day conversations? In clinical hypnotherapy, the subject of the hypnosis session must be put under a deep trance before therapy can begin. As you may

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already know, self-hypnosis or simply, hypnosis, is a deep and powerful state of hyper-awareness. When the mind is hypnotized by something or someone, the brain begins allocating a large percentage of its available resources to this mental activity. All the senses become highly attuned to whatever caught the mind’s attention. Self-hypnosis can only occur if a person freely chooses to be induced into a deep trance. You cannot force someone to “go under” a hypnotic trance if he doesn’t want to in the first place. This makes hypnotic induction difficult for individuals who have little or no background in hypnosis. Luckily, The Hypnotic Language Formula was designed to serve not only advanced practitioners of hypnosis and the art influence but also those who are new to both crafts. You can freely induce hypnotic trances by using specific hypnotic language patterns that will only work after you’ve completed “The Switch”. The Switch is the first step of The Hypnotic Language Formula. It prepares the subject for hypnotic induction. It “primes the pump” and ensures a good flow of hypnotic power from the speakerinfluencer. Hyper-Awareness is the second step of the formula. It delivers the necessary trance state that will make it possible for you to transplant hypnotic suggestions directly into your subject’s subconscious core. If “the Switch” reveals the doorway that leads to the subject’s subconscious mind, it is “Hyper-Awareness” that opens it to reveal the pristine and fertile subconscious.

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Hyper-Awareness Patterns Induction Pattern 1: “Let Me Shock and Surprise You” Shock Pattern The Shock Pattern is actually very simple compared to the more ornate patterns that we discussed in the previous chapter. You see, the goal of “Hyper-Awareness” is to capture your subject’s attention and encourage him to focus on you and your message alone. Hypnotic induction is not equivalent to the message itself! When you induce a hypnotic trance, you’re preparing the way for the suggestion or message. It sounds simple right? It does… Until you realize that the person you’re talking to is preoccupied with something else. Trance states, big and small, can occur in a series and people can jump from one trance state to another state with very minimal effort. Why? Because entering a trance state is just one of the many wonderful skills of the human mind. There’s nothing remarkable about experiencing hypnosis because the brain was designed to enter this state repeatedly, depending on the situation! Self-hypnosis is the brain’s way of ensuring that you won’t miss the vital details of important events that transpire in your life. This is the main reason why hypnotic induction is so important to The Hypnotic Language Formula. You can’t accomplish anything if your subject isn’t in a state of hyper-awareness. Your hypnotic suggestions, the very message that you’re trying to deliver, will fall on unfertile grounds of the conscious mind if you try to transplant them before a hypnotic trance is induced.

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How can you “shock” someone into a trance? The Shock Pattern has actually been used for decades by skilled stage hypnotists because it works instantly. However, because of its nature it can only be used in select situations. The pattern can be broken down into the following components: Context + Thought Interruption + Continuity + Dialogue Normalization Here are some sample statements that make use of the Shock Pattern: Context: A salesman wants to sell a new product but his customer is preoccupied with the steep price of the product and his budget. Statements: “Hey! I know you’re feeling a bit depressed about the pricing of laptop computers. But did you know that billions of people are on the Internet right now, creating a massive Web of thousands of businesses that are just selling stuff like crazy at light speed? And you know what else is crazy? This computer right here is capable of entering that massive Web and so much more! And it comes with a free carrying case, the latest Windows and if you’re nice our manager can even throw in a discount for any game you want for you kids!”

Analysis: 1. CONTEXT – Establishing the context of the conversation reels in the subject’s attention for the first time. By restating what’s already 30


obvious, the speaker is able to gain the subject’s instant agreement without the possibility of resistance. For example, if you find someone sitting on a green chair and you say “you’re sitting on a pink chair”, that other person would probably think you’re crazy. But if you say “you’re sitting on a fine green chair” then there is no other recourse but to agree with your statement. This automatic judgement (i.e. instant agreement with an indisputable statement) can put any speaker in a more favorable position within a conversation. 2. THOUGHT INTERRUPTION – After gaining the subject’s agreement to something, the next element in the pattern is to interrupt the subject’s current thought pattern. The example I wrote seems fantastical and exaggerated – it’s supposed to be that way. Refocusing someone’s attention often requires a strong stimulus. In this pattern, the stimulus comes in the form of “shocking” information. The thought interruption must be carried out in a way that the subject’s mind would be sufficiently interested to discard whatever it is presently focused on. In the case of the salesman and the customer, the thought interruption served to dislodge the idea that the laptop computer was too expensive.

3. CONTINUITY – Continuity is the bridge between thought interruption and the gradual return to normal conversation. In my example, continuity was established by the following sentences: “And you know what else is crazy?”

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“This computer right here is capable of entering that massive Web and so much more!” These two sentences contain bits and pieces of the thought interruption but at the same time, they provide factual information about the object of the conversation, which in this case is the computer that the salesman is trying to sell to the customer. 4. DIALOGUE NORMALIZATION – Normalization is necessary to evade the subject’s conscious filters. If you don’t normalize the thought pattern you’re using, your subject may begin rejecting your ideas outright because you sound unusual or strange. The transition to normal dialogue must be carried out immediately once you’ve induced hyper-awareness in your subject. The moment you return to normal dialogue, you will notice that your subject will be more engaged in the conversation and he will also be more interested in what you have to say. Why? Because you were able to break down the previous trance that was standing in the way of your success!

Shock Pattern Version 2: Comforting Analogies Never underestimate the power of analogies during a conversation, especially comforting analogies. A comforting analogy is often used when the subject is resistant to your idea because it sounds too new or foreign.

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For example, if you are a salesman and you’re pitching a new product to a group of customers, you may soon discover that not everyone is excited about using “hot new features” or “cutting-edge technology”. Comforting analogies are used… 1. To create familiarity and ignite trust 2. To induce a deep hypnotic trance in your subject. If your subject disagrees with you or resists your ideas because he is secretly afraid of new things, you can use analogies to make your offer more familiar and therefore, more acceptable. Context: You’re trying to sell a new rice cooker model with a computer chip that detects if the rice is cooked just right. Customers say it is overpriced “techno-hype”. Statements: “This rice cooker is like your own person rice chef. It’s as if there was an extra pair of hands and eyes in the kitchen, making sure that your rice comes out perfectly. Your “rice chef” also has global knowledge of different rice varieties so all you have to do is press a button and let the rice cooker do all the work. Whether you’re cooking round-grain Japanese rice or long-grained brown rice, you get the best meals, consistently.” Analysis: In my example, I used the “rice chef” analogy to shift the focus of the subject. The pattern is composed of the following elements: Context + Thought Interruption + Reframing (Comforting Analogy) + Continuity + Dialogue Normalization 33


As we’ve already discussed, self-hypnosis can take place anytime, anywhere. It’s a natural state of heightened focus and people willingly enter hypnotic trance states if they trust the speaker well enough. People may not be completely aware of what’s happening but their minds become hyper-aware nonetheless. This hyper-awareness is always guided by a person’s core beliefs, values and attitudes. This is the main reason why you can’t hypnotize a person and ask him to do something that goes against deeply-held beliefs. For example, I can’t just hypnotize a random stranger in the street and ask him/her to do something that is known to be illegal (e.g. rob a bank). Again, you must shift the subject’s focus because there’s another trance state blocking the way. By using a comforting analogy you will have a chance to loosen the grip of the previous trance state and create a new trance state that will give you the upper hand. Once a new trance state is in place, you can boost the strength of the hypnotic trance by creating tantalizing images and implanting them directly into your subject’s subconscious mind. We’ll get back to this point in the next chapter! Important: At each phase of The Hypnotic Language Formula, you must create positive images and utilize affirmative statements to ensure that your subject’s conscious mind does not oppose you. By sticking to time-tested positive images and messages, it would appear illogical to reject what you’re offering!

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Induction Pattern 2: “I Know What You Are Thinking” Psychic Pattern Have you ever wondered why some psychics on TV are so effective in what they do? Their instant impact is actually the result of their “patter” or the special set of linguistic tools that makes their performances more credible and believable. To an extent, hypnotherapists also use “hypnotic patter” to speed up the hypnotic process and to make themselves appear more authoritative and knowledgeable. This isn’t a bad thing at all – every trade has its own special set of tools and it just so happens that hypnotherapists use special language formulas to accomplish their goals. Not all hypnotic language patterns are complex or intertwined with many elements. Some patterns such as the Psychic Pattern are structurally simpler because they induce hypnosis simply by encouraging the subject’s mind to “fill in the blanks”.

Hypnotic patterns such as the Psychic Pattern are purposefully incomplete and vague/ambiguous. The incomplete nature of the pattern compels the subject’s mind to focus on the hypnotic statement. After the initial shift in focus, a deep trance occurs because the subject’s mind continues analyzing the statement to make it more coherent, complete and desirable.

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As this process of completion occurs, the speaker-influencer must be there to actively guide the subject’s reformulation of the information that he has just received. The basic Psychic Pattern is composed of the following elements: Declaration + Ambiguous Claim The extended Psychic Pattern follows this sequence: Declaration + Ambiguous Claim + Supporting Statements Here are some examples of ambiguous statements: 1. “I know exactly what you are feeling right now.” 2. “I know exactly what you were thinking when I said that.” 3. “You said that you were afraid of trying to lose weight but look at what you’ve just realized about yourself a second ago… Can you remember it? Try to remember this big, positive realization you just had. Isn’t it wonderful?” 4. “I see that you fully understand the process and because of this you can start creating on your own.”

Analysis: The first two statements follow the basic Psychic Pattern while statements 3 & 4 follow extended formula. Both formulas are effective but if your subject doesn’t respond immediately to the simpler pattern, using additional supporting statements can help induce hypnosis.

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Notice that these statements don’t make any sense if you read them closely. They’re not supposed to make any sense! Again, the ambiguity or vagueness is what makes them efficient in inducing hypnotic trance states. Because they don’t make sense the subject’s mind can’t help but focus on the statement and the speaker. This induces an immediate hypnotic trance… Perfect for persuasion! Induction Pattern 3: “Do You Remember That Memory You Forgot?” Memory Invention Pattern The Memory Invention Pattern is a hypnotic device that invents memories for the subject – it jogs and jars the subject’s memory banks in a very specific manner. Three things can happen whenever you use this hypnotic language pattern: 1. Your subject will remember an actual lived experience from his past. 2. Your subject will tie together fragments of past experiences to create a new “memory” based on the requirements of your statement. 3. Your subject will create a completely new memory in his imagination and his mind will accept it as a true memory of a lived experience. This pattern is useful because it achieves three things for the speaker-influencer: 1. It reduces resistance because the subject will be using his own memories and imagination. 2. It creates harmony between the speaker and subject. 37


3. It provides a positive launch pad for further dialogue because the subject provides you with the “raw material” from his personal history. This is the pattern’s structure: Context + Declaration + Memory Question/s Here are some examples of statements that follow the Memory Invention Pattern: 1. “I understand that you want to watch more TV tonight but I remember that you have a difficult Math test tomorrow. Can you remember a really good test that you aced before? Can you remember what you did to ace that test?” 2. “We both need to go out tonight but I need to attend my night classes. I recall a time where you took care of the kids and I went back early enough in the evening so you can go out, too. Can you recall that time for me?” 3. “You’re angry right now and I agree that your mother was unreasonable. I think what you can do is to calm down because we don’t want to do anything brash. Hey, I remember when we had a great time in Vegas with the boys. That was hysterical that night with all the cocktails and Jim lost his shoe. You still remember it, don’t you?”

Analysis: The three examples I gave you represent three different situations, all involving some form of conflict. As you can plainly see, the Memory Invention Pattern is a good option for inducing hypnotic trances and refocusing the subject when he is in a negative trance (e.g. when a person is consumed with intense emotions). 38


Like other patterns we’ve studied so far, this pattern requires the use of proper context (if you haven’t reestablished it prior to using the pattern). The use of context minimizes resistance as it creates a direct connection with the subject, regardless of the subject’s position regarding the issue at hand. Harmony and similarity are two very important concepts that must never be left out in any step in The Hypnotic Language Formula. The memory questions are given right after the declaration and establishment of context to ensure that the speaker is still somehow aligned to the subject’s current mindset before he attempts to jog the person’s memory. Individual subjects will provide distinct responses to the Memory Invention Pattern. Your attempt is a success if the subject makes an effort to recall a memory that you are trying to “shake” from his mind. It doesn’t matter if the memory that your subject recalls is vague or fragmented. What is more important is that you are able to induce hypnosis while establishing a strong connection with your subject’s subconscious mind. At the moment of recollection or invention of a new memory, the conscious mind’s defenses will be disabled, too.

How can you deepen the impact of the pattern? Covert hypnotists know that a person’s memories are active channels that lead directly to the subconscious mind.

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When a person is recalling a memory, the mind’s conscious protection is temporarily disabled and the subject becomes more vulnerable to hypnotic suggestions and therefore, persuasion and influence. What’s interesting about our memories is that they tend to shift and transform every time we remember them. As a hypnotist-influencer, you can take advantage of the nature of human memory to become more persuasive. You can accomplish this by actively guiding your subject as he recalls a memory. The process is like tuning an old TV set. If you were born in the seventies or eighties or even earlier, you probably have seen or have used old TV sets with tuners. A TV set with a tuner has knobs in the front. Like old transistor radios, you have to twist these knobs left and right until you get a clear picture. You can also manipulate the knobs so you can get a brighter, darker or more contrasted image onscreen. You can guide a person’s recollection of a memory by making direct suggestions and by purposefully asking questions. Here’s an example of a guided recollection of a memory: “Are you having a tough time learning a new skill? Do you feel like giving up? I’m not going to tell you not to give up… I’m going to help you some other way. Can you tell me about the time when you learned how to ride a bike or drive a car? Now imagine yourself at that exact moment when you felt a sudden burst of happiness and confidence because you finally got it down to a science. Just put yourself in that memory and bathe in the glory of success.

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Now I want you to hold that feeling tightly… Now slowly tune out the old scene in your memory. As the old scene fades away, bring yourself to the present, where you are attempting to learn a new skill. Slowly, slowly build the picture. Add some color here and there. Add some lines up and down. Now you’re ready to put yourself at the center of the action. Now you’re ready to be successful!”

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Chapter 4: Circuit Shock

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How can you bypass the conscious mind’s filters? After gaining your subject’s trust and inducing a hypnotic trance, the next logical step is to begin bypassing your subject’s conscious filters. If you’re not very familiar with the essential mechanics of the human mind, it’s time for a quick review. The human mind is divided into two distinct areas or “halves”: the conscious half and the subconscious half. The Two Halves of Your Mind Technically, the term “halves” is inaccurate because the subconscious mind is deeper and more expansive than the conscious mind. However, for the purpose of simplifying our discussion and sticking to conventions, let’s use the term anyway. The conscious mind or “waking consciousness” is the part of the mind that deals with the following processes and tasks: 1. Thinking rationally and applying various forms of logic to problems, social interactions, activities, routines, etc. 2. Processing information in a chronological manner to produce a logical output such as a perspective, idea, frame of thought or plan of action. 3. Receiving and recording information and stimuli in a linear fashion (i.e. in the order that the inputs arrive or are received by the conscious mind). 4. Activities such as solving mathematical equations, making designs and formulating solutions.

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5. Critical inquiry or analytical thought as applied to day-to-day events and experiences. 6. Accepting and rejecting old and new ideas. 7. Shielding the subconscious mind from potentially risky or dangerous ideas. The subconscious mind on the other hand, is responsible for the following: 1. Studying a situation from a general or all-inclusive point of view. 2. Being the repository of deep-seated knowledge, intuition and is also a channel for the expression of primal drives and instinctual behavior and thought patterns. 3. Allowing a person to imagine and apply his natural creativity to specific tasks. 4. Being the nexus or center of “irrational” drives and the whole spectrum of all possible human emotions. 5. Processing and encoding information and experiences as memories that can be recovered, analyzed or even modified if the proper triggers or stimuli are present. 6. Influencing the conscious mind’s various modes of operation.

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From the summary you’ve just read, it’s easy to see that the two halves of the mind are actually dependent on each other. The conscious mind takes care of the day-to-day functions necessary to live a normal life while the subconscious mind lends its creativity to conscious tasks such as deriving solutions to problems. A person’s waking consciousness is protective of the subconscious mind because the latter has the ability to create essential changes to the conscious mind. These changes tend to happen slowly over time but once the changes take place, they become permanent unless a more powerful idea comes along to influence the subconscious mind once again. If the conscious mind allows potentially dangerous ideas to reach the fertile subconscious, things can go downhill fast. You only need to look at the nightly news to see people doing things that they shouldn’t be doing. Unless a person is suffering from some form of mental disturbance or substance abuse, many of the illegal and harmful activities being reported on the news are the result of negative mental conditioning. Mental conditioning begins in childhood and the ideas introduced early in life often crystallize during adulthood. What’s true and acceptable varies from person to person. In short, what’s true and acceptable to me may not be completely true or acceptable to you. “Truth” on the other hand is determined by societal norms and is maintained by the status quo. But despite the presence of the status quo, people still have their own sub-variations of what’s acceptable and true.

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We’re discussing these details because you will need to understand how the two halves of the mind actually function before you can persuade or influence a resistant subject. Subverting or bypassing the conscious mind’s defenses is essential to success. You cannot implant your message in your subject’s subconscious mind without first “shocking” his conscious mind or logic circuit. Don’t worry: the conscious mind won’t actually be damaged by a dialogue with a hypnotist-influencer. However, it is resistant enough to discard your message. Again, this is why you have to work on disabling those conscious filters if you want to make any progress. The third step in The Hypnotic Language Formula is aptly called “Circuit Shock” because at this stage in the communication process, your task is to ensure that your subject’s conscious filters will not get in the way of persuasion. The hypnotic patterns in this chapter will help you shock those logic circuits so you can finally hammer down your hypnotic suggestions. Circuit Shock Pattern 1: “Watch Me and Follow Me” How can you subdue the conscious mind by appealing directly to the subconscious mind? The Nonverbal Track Humans utilize three avenues when communicating with others: verbal language, nonverbal language and vocal language.

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It has long been established that nonverbal language contains more than 50% of the message or what is actually being communicated by a person at any time. Less than 40% of the message is conveyed by verbal language or spoken words. Of course, you still need to be an adept and intelligent speaker if you want to persuade and influence others. However, for the purpose of disabling the conscious mind’s defenses, you can utilize a nonverbal track to subconsciously influence your subject into thinking that you are a natural leader and a true authority. In the first step of The Hypnotic Language Formula, I mentioned that one of the fastest ways to “prime the pump” is to establish oneself as a leader. The six steps of hypnotic influence have confluences and are interdependent on one another. This means that at certain points in the process, you will need to strengthen what has already been done or established before. If you have been able to establish yourself as your subject’s natural leader in “the Switch”, you can further intensify the image of authority in “Circuit Shock”. How can you communicate directly with the subconscious mind? There are many ways to establish control of a person’s subconscious mind but many of them require active disabling of a person’s conscious filters. Here’s why: the conscious mind is responsible for expressing and processing verbal language. Verbal language, like all aspects of culture, is consciously learned and remembered. The subconscious mind doesn’t have an innate

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understanding of Urdu or French. You learned your local language through imitation, active study and practice. When you verbally communicate with someone, you can be sure that the person’s conscious filters are working overtime to scan and analyze your words. Herein lies the key: the conscious mind’s greatest strength is also its biggest weakness. The conscious mind is incapable of efficiently scanning and studying body language. Why? Because it’s not verbal language. Body language or nonverbal language is not composed of utterances, phrases and sentences. It is composed of gestures, facial expressions and other bodily movements. As such, it falls upon the subconscious mind to analyze and respond to body language whenever it is used. The subconscious mind has two main resources when analyzing and interpreting other people’s body language. The first unconscious resource is instinctual knowledge. The subconscious mind knows that bared teeth and heavy breathing are equivalent to aggression and therefore, if such body language is presented then fleeing or fighting may become necessary. The second unconscious resource is memory. All of your life experiences are analyzed and encoded by the subconscious mind. It performs nonstop encoding not just to store your memories but to ensure that you are able to learn lessons from your life experiences. Of course, your subconscious will not inform you directly about newly learned lessons. But deep in your mind, you are aware of the contents of these lessons and you freely use them to your advantage.

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Some of these subconscious lessons have something to do with how people communicate through gestures, expressions and movements. A lifetime of observation creates an index of distinct nonverbal expressions and their meanings. This mental index is used when the subconscious mind encounters nonverbal expressions that are not instinctually understandable. How can you be a persuasive and authoritative communicator? There are several nonverbal strategies that you can use to transform yourself into a powerful authority figure in the eyes of your subject: 1. EXUDE CALMNESS – Calmness is a sign of stability, authority and confidence. A jittery and anxious speaker may be seen as someone who isn’t very knowledgeable about what he is saying. Some people may even interpret anxious or nervous movements as a sign of deception (i.e. you’re lying because if you’re not, why are you so nervous?) Being relaxed in front of your subject is also an excellent way to improve the overall atmosphere of the interaction. If your subject appears to be overly energetic, agitated or tired, being relaxed can rub off on him easily. Humans are creatures of imitation – we imitate in order to learn new things. Our natural instinctual drive to imitate is present when we go to school, when we watch television and of course, when we talk to other people. If you’re calm during a conversation, there’s a big chance that your subject will also have the same energy level as you. 49


2. USE AVAILABLE SPACE – Some individuals try to make themselves as small as possible when talking to other people. This is no way to disable a subject’s conscious filters. If you try to minimize the space that you’re using by performing gestures such as crossing your legs or crossing your arms, you’re communicating that you’re not very confident about yourself at all. If you’re going to move your arms and use hand gestures, widen your personal space and don’t be afraid to move around. Moving into someone’s personal space for a few moments can also bolster your position as an authority. Just don’t overdo it! 3. EXPOSE YOURSELF – No, I don’t mean that you should take your clothes off but rather, don’t cover yourself so much with your hands and arms when talking to people. Our bodies have three vulnerable regions: the chest, belly and groin area. If you observe anxious people, you will notice that they unconsciously “cover” these areas by crossing their hands over the table or by crossing their arms over their chest, etc. There are many ways to “cover” these vulnerable regions. Don’t do it – because leaders are not afraid to walk and talk with their vulnerable regions exposed. Place your hands in front of you only when you need to emphasize points using strong and firm hand gestures. If you need to place your hands at your sides, place them far apart so your body has a wide stance as if you’re ready for action any time.

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4. EYE CONTACT – Consistent eye contact is another natural trait of leaders and authority figures. Making eye contact when you’re stating a fact or idea shows that you are ready to meet someone at their desired intellectual and emotional levels and you are not afraid to speak your mind. Circuit Shock Pattern 2: “You Agree That It Is True” Melded Truth Pattern One of the more challenging obstacles that you will face as a hypnotist-influencer is getting your subject to agree with you even with the foreknowledge that he has or will disagree with some or all of the things that you will say. Disagreement is the strongest form of resistance that you can encounter as a hypnotist-influencer and it stems directly from the conscious mind’s defense mechanisms. A person can disagree with you because of his perception of you or simply because your idea is misaligned with what he deems acceptable and agreeable. The Melded Truth Pattern is an advanced hypnotic language pattern that can be used to gradually remove resistance from the equation through two distinct avenues: guided agreement and the consistency principle. Let me explain these two elements: 1. Guided agreement – Your subject doesn’t have to agree with your main point immediately. This is what many would-be influencers fail to see. Asking someone to simply say yes to you is difficult and admittedly a little immature. Influence is not about forcing your message on another person: it’s about conditioning your subject to agree with you eventually.

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Sometimes this process only takes a few minutes to complete. In other situations, you will see your target outcome manifesting after a few days of continuous dialogue. Your subject is the star of the interaction – it’s up to you to adjust to your subject. Your subject is not obliged to adapt to you! Now, in order to get a resistant subject to agree with your main message, you need to guide him so that he will agree to a series of related statements. Agreeing to a series of statements that are only partially related to the main message or direct suggestion builds momentum and eventually erases resistance. 2. Consistency principle – The consistency principle has been used by influencers for a long time because it works like gangbusters. When a person agrees to something, he eventually commits to the bigger picture or to the bigger idea behind his small commitments. Eventually, a person feels responsible for the bigger idea because he has already partially committed to it. How does the Melded Truth Pattern work? The components of the Melded Truth Pattern are as follows: Context + Agreement Chain 1 + Main Idea + Agreement Chain 2 + Normalization of Dialogue Here’s an example of how the Melded Truth Pattern can be applied: Context: Richard is trying to convince his wife Sandra to have a vacation in Southeast Asia. Sandra wants a vacation but is afraid of flying half a continent away. She’s also worried about the cost of the vacation. Dialogue: 52


R: “Honey, I know that you’re very tired from work but this is the only time we can really talk about our first big vacation.” S: “I told you already, I’m not ready to fly to Asia. It’s too dangerous. And what about our bills, we have so many. Can’t this wait a little longer?” R: “I agree that we have a lot of debts and we can’t really settle them all right now, no matter how hard we try. But do you think that you deserve a vacation?” S: “Yes – yes, wait, where is this going? ---“ R: “Just stay with me please. So first thing’s first, do you honestly feel that a vacation would do you some good?” S: “Of course it would. Everyone needs a vacation every now and then. My parents used to escape to the South of France when I was a teenager. They said the rustic countryside there did them a lot of good.” R: “Nice! How about me, do you think with my new work, some off time would do me some good?” S: “Haha, it’ll help grow some of your hair back, so sure!” R: “Ouch. Okay well that’s what I’ve been really thinking about. Asia has so many great tourist spots. Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines…. It’s like a slice of paradise there.” S: “I’ve seen the photos and it’s warm there, that’s a plus…” R: “Do you think movie night will ever be as relaxing as flying somewhere, I mean I wouldn’t know because I haven’t really travelled abroad for a vacation.” S: “I suppose it’s different. We’re at home, we’re relaxed but sometimes I feel that these four walls are stressful.” 53


R: “Do you think if we spend a couple of thousand in a resort in the country, you’d be happier?” S: “Gosh no, it’s going to cost an arm and a leg, have you seen those hotel prices? Just to get warm and swim?” R: “Well, I have a couple of thousand squirreled away, I’ve told you that and when I tried computing it seems like we’re only going to spend a really small sum.” S: “Really? Wait, what about you know, I mean isn’t it risky there?” R: “Hon, I think it’s no riskier than driving on the interstate during rush hour or when there’s a bleary truck driver. I believe that we’re going to be safe.” S: “If you say so…” R: “Really? Great! So let’s get some dinner. We’ll talk about our vacation plans after dinner or even tomorrow night!” Analysis: Richard opened the dialogue by respectfully stating his intention and by acknowledging the subject’s current state (e.g. presumably tired from work). This opens up the conversation nicely as it establishes rapport between the influencer and the subject. Initially, Sandra was resistant to the idea and was ready to reject Richard’s attempt at convincing her. By remaining calm and by persisting, Richard gets Sandra to listen. He begins asking questions that are only partially related to the main issue. Sandra can’t help but agree because the questions were framed

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in an affirmative manner (i.e. geared toward action) and Richard was patient enough to listen to Sandra throughout the dialogue. After getting Sandra to agree that a vacation would be good for both of them, Richard then proceeds to present the main idea which is to go on a vacation somewhere in Asia. He gives examples of places they could visit. This is the part of the dialogue where the melding is actually taking place. Richard is actually burying his “truth” in the middle of a group of other statements that the subject finds agreeable. Originally, Richard’s “truth” was openly rejected by Sandra because she was afraid of flying so far from home. But this time, because Richard’s message was placed sequentially after “Agreement Chain 1”, Sandra was more open to agreeing with Richard’s point. When Sandra agreed that Asia sounded like a good idea, Richard proceeded with another series of questions via Agreement Chain 2. Once again, Sandra found herself agreeing with Richard because his statements sounded harmless and aligned with what she personally believed in. Toward the end of the dialogue, Richard gains Sandra’s approval of the main message (which is to go to Asia) and he closes the deal by normalizing the dialogue or switching back to a more neutral topic of conversation. Immediately normalizing a dialogue is another way of effectively short-circuiting the conscious mind. By shifting the subject’s perspective after gaining their agreement, Richard is inducing a “forgetting trance” that ensures that the main message stays intact in Sandra’s mind and she doesn’t resist it once the conversation is over. Circuit Shock Pattern 3: “Focus Only On the Positive”

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Selective Trigger Pattern There will be times when your subject is too preoccupied with the negative aspects of your message. In theory, a hypnotic induction should be able to shift a person’s focus sufficiently so that he will only focus on the content of your message and he will only navigate within the boundaries of the message itself. However, there will be instances when a person moves in and out of the trance because of his deep-seated beliefs. Essentially the speaker would have to repeatedly induce the same trance state just to achieve the intended impact on the subject. This sounds incredibly inefficient, don’t you think? So here’s a better plan of action: instead of trying to combat your subject’s negative ideas about your idea, you’re going to let him talk about what he feels is right. You’re going to let him express himself. Your subject will express himself but he will not gain any satisfaction from saying negative things about your idea. In short, his resistance will be met with complete neutrality. The Selective Trigger Pattern will allow you to navigate the rough terrain created by incredibly resistant individuals. Here is the formula of this particular pattern: 1. If your subject AGREES with you, you AGREE with him and provide positive reinforcement. 2. If your subject DISAGREES with you, you ACKNOWLEDGE his response and deviate from his line of thought so you can PRESENT a more positive angle.

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3. If your subject is NEUTRAL, there are 2 possibilities: internal/ unspoken resistance or the subject requires more information. 3.1 If the subject requires more information, provide the information and boost it with positive reinforcement. 3.2 If there is unspoken resistance, try to elicit a response from the subject so you know the shape or form of the resistance. Adapt to the situation and avoid criticizing your subject’s opinion. Again, do not criticize your subject even if he is openly resisting you! Adding criticism to the mixture will only cause the chain to implode. You will only be met with even more resistance than before. If your subject tells you that your idea is garbage, ignore the statement and express a new piece of information that proves and reinforces the positive aspect of your idea. Let’s say that you’re trying to convince your family that your college buddy is decent enough to rent a room in your home for a few months. Your family has heard plenty of stories about him and they’re on the fence about him, especially your wife. You respond positively when you hear statements like: “He seems like a cool dude, dad!” “Does he play the guitar? I think he does.” “The extra cash per month is definitely something to look forward to.” You should avoid criticizing or responding negatively when you hear statements like: “I bet he smells.”  “Why hasn’t he cut his hair? Is he a rock start or something?” “I hear he’s unemployed, how will he pay us?” 57


Circuit Shock Pattern 4: “Yes, I Completely Agree With You, And…” Camouflage Pattern Is there a way to “sneak in” your argument in a conversation and gain your subject’s agreement? Luckily, the answer to this question is a resounding “yes!” The Camouflage Pattern takes advantage of three powerful concepts in influence and hypnosis: the consistency principle, information overload and instant hypnotic induction. And the best thing about this pattern is that you can use it in individual statements to avoid detection. It’s the perfect pattern for budding influencers who have not yet mastered the art of smooth transitions when utilizing more complex hypnotic language patterns. These are the elements of the Camouflage Pattern: Feedback + Restatement + Camouflaging + Dialogue Normalization

Here’s an example of how you can use this pattern easily to convince the subject that your idea or message has actually been aligned with the subject’s own ideas.

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Dad: “I’m not sure about you going out with your friends at night. It’s not very safe nowadays. I wouldn’t know what to do if something bad happened to you.” Daughter: “I hear you dad, you’re concerned with my safety and I am too. And I think I will be much safer going out with my friends so there will be more of us and I can call you ASAP if something goes wrong. It will only be for a few hours and we will be 15 minutes away.” The feedback in this scenario is the raw information given by the father to his daughter. The Camouflage Pattern is meant to be applied immediately after a refusal, rebuttal or outright rejection of a message or idea. It will only function if you can use your subject’s own angle to your advantage. When the daughter heard that his father doesn’t want her to go, she immediately acknowledges the validity of her father’s statements and restates it, making only minor changes during the restatement. This defuses the situation instantly and makes the father more open to a real dialogue. At this point in time the subject (dad) is no longer defensive because he has heard the very words that he wanted to hear. The critical period occurs when the daughter attempts to shift her father’s perspective by camouflaging her message and intention: she’s concerned about her safety too and therefore, being with many friends is a way of ensuring it.

The camouflaging phase requires only a few moments. A short run is usually enough to get the message across successfully. Dialogue normalization happens right after the camouflaged message is presented to the father:

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“…I can call you ASAP if something goes wrong.” “It will only be for a few hours and we will be 15 minutes away.”

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Chapter 5: The Hypnotic Stake

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If you have been reading this book from the beginning, you’ve probably already learned the following: 1. TRUST – Your subject trusts you well enough and also recognizes that you are a natural leader. His perspective of the dialogue has shifted because you have modified his mental lenses, too. 2. HYPNOSIS – You have induced hyper-awareness in your subject and he is now more focused and aware of you and your message. 3. AGREEMENT – By working around your subject’s conscious filters, you are now ready to drive your message into his subconscious mind, where affirmative action is the order of the day. If you’ve been practicing the patterns and skills we’ve been discussing so far, I can assure you that you have already achieved much in terms of persuasion and influence. Being able to systematically utilize an array of hypnotic language patterns is a very rare skill and you are now a member of the elite group of influencers who have effectively melded hypnosis and influence in one killer formula. All that is left now is to construct and implant your HYPNOTIC SUGGESTIONS.

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What’s the difference between a regular suggestion and a hypnotic suggestion? To answer this essential question, I have prepared a table of comparisons so you can familiarize yourself with the various differences between these two types of messages. Regular Suggestion

Hypnotic Suggestion

Spoken in familiar, everyday language.

Is communicated through hypnotic language patterns.

Stated in a “matter of fact” and direct way.

Rarely stated directly to the subject.

Is communicated regardless of the subject’s trance state.

Can only be implanted successfully after hypnotic induction.

Must be consciously remembered by the subject.

Subject is encourage to forget the hypnotic suggestion so it can take root in the subconscious mind.

Makes complete sense when you hear it the first time.

May not be completely understandable if you hear it out of context. Hypnotic language always has an element of vagueness.

The subject can reject it if he wishes to.

Can shift the focus of the subject and deepen his hypnosis/hyperawareness.

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What Makes a Good Hypnotic Suggestion? Now that you are aware of the basic differences between a regular suggestion and a hypnotic suggestion, let’s talk about the characteristics of an ideal hypnotic suggestion: 1. A hypnotic suggestion should not be jarring but rather, it should harmonize with what you’ve already been telling your subject. If your hypnotic suggestion makes your subject say “what?!” it is not completely aligned or harmonized with the flow of ideas that you have been building up from the beginning of the interaction. 2. A hypnotic suggestion should ideally deepen the subject’s trance state. This can be achieved by adding specific words or by using certain linguistic devices that add a touch of ambiguity or vagueness to the message. This vagueness further disrupts the subject’s conscious filters and makes the mind more focused on “filling the blanks” or reshaping the message so that it would make sense. This process of integration takes place in the subconscious mind. 3. A hypnotic suggestion should be ethical and must also provide mutual benefit to both the hypnotist-influencer and the subject. The purpose of communication is to create change in the recipient of the message. How effective communication is used is completely up to the speaker himself. Communication only becomes manipulation if only one party benefits from the interaction.

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*** If you’ve successfully accomplished the previous steps that have been outlined in The Hypnotic Language Pattern, you are indeed ready to craft your own hypnotic suggestions. The following hypnotic language patterns will help you create effective messages that can be driven straight into the heart of the subject’s unconscious mind. Important Note: Some of these hypnotic language patterns are specifically designed to facilitate the entry of a more direct suggestion. If passing through a subject’s conscious filters is like running through a minefield, some special patterns are like tanks that can run over these conscious filters easily! Stake Pattern 1: “You Feel Like Doing Something” Stake Pattern 1 utilizes incomplete or “lost statements” that deepen the subject’s hypnotic state. “Lost statements” are naturally ambiguous and by virtue of their ambiguity they help speakers implant more direct suggestions by shifting the subject’s focus. The variations you will see in this section all utilize the same concept of “lost statements” and are geared towards eliciting a favorable response to a suggested action. Breadcrumbs Pattern Do you remember the fairytale “Hansel and Gretel”? The boy Hansel uses breadcrumbs as markers in case they got lost in the woods. You can do your subject a “favor” during a conversation so he eventually comes to a conclusion that is favorable to you. You

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can drop “breadcrumbs” or cue statements throughout your dialogue with your subject. The formula for the Breadcrumbs Pattern is: Specific Idea > General Idea + Ambiguous Value-Based Reference You can apply this pattern in this manner: Context: You want your husband or wife to stop smoking for his/her health. Problem: He/she doesn’t want to because he/she has been smoking for 15 years already. Specific Idea: Smoking destroys the body, especially the lungs. General Idea: Health is ultimately more important than any doubts or anxieties. Breadcrumbs Pattern: “At the end of the day, it’s up to you to choose.” Analysis: Notice that the actual statement has no direct connection to smoking, health or quitting. However, it is ambiguous enough to catch the subject’s attention so that his mind will “hallucinate” to complete the message. You will only be able to create a plausible statement using the Breadcrumbs Pattern if you are fully aware of the context and what you really want to accomplish.

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Some other examples of ambiguous statements that follow the Breadcrumbs Pattern are: “It’s amazing to be wise.” “Truth will set you free.” “Being curious is wonderful.” “Solutions are always there.” “The soul needs some rest.” “The mind is picky.” Undeniable Fact Pattern The beautiful thing about language is once you learn how to tweak it with proper qualifiers, nouns, verbs, etc., you can get away with almost anything… Like presenting a universal truth that you just invented while having a conversation with someone. By virtue of your special language, your truth can become a “universal truth” and your subject will accept it as such. You can accomplish this by using the Undeniable Fact Pattern. The Undeniable Fact Pattern is comprised of the following elements: Collective Quantifier + Action / Fact / Description Here are some sample statements based on this pattern: “It never hurts to ask yourself ______________” “Many people say that ________________” 67


“They always think that ________________” “Every person I know says _____________” “The whole world knows ______________” “Now everything that is happening is ________________” “Nothing should prevent you from ________________” “Everything is falling into place because of ______________” “The widespread belief is that ___________________” “It has always been better to _________________” “There is always a choice to ________________” Imminent Action Pattern An excellent way to suggest action and move things along in a conversation that seems to be going well is the use of “future-paced statements”. Future paced statements imply that there is a possibility that the subject will perform a specific action at some future time because of a reward or benefit. Ideally, you should be able to associate a reward or benefit to the future-paced statement to make it more appealing to the subject. If this is not possible or plausible, implying that something potentially undesirable might take place if the suggested action is not done is a favorable alternative. In some other situations, omitting the “reward” portion makes sense if it has already been established earlier in the conversation.

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Important: As I’ve already mentioned, hypnotic suggestions are often vague to the point that they don’t make immediate sense. That’s the point of some patterns – they allow the subject’s subconscious mind to fill in the rest of the details. The formula for the Imminent Action Pattern is: Direct Address to the Subject (“You”) + Suggested Action + Positive Outcome and/or Reward or Implied Negative Consequence Here are some examples of statements that follow this pattern: “And you can start applying all these new hypnotic lessons so you can begin doing it.” “You should start doing it before you can’t, or else you won’t be able to and something else happens.” “Now that you know it, you can start doing it, because before you can’t and you felt bad but now you can and you feel really good and you can start feeling even better when you actually do it!” “You can start losing weight because you know you can and not losing weight takes away something from you, which you don’t want?” “You now know that you have more willpower than you thought was possible and it’s time to close the book of the past, because the book of the present is waiting for you and if you linger too long in the past, the future book stays closed too.”

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Frozen Logics Pattern Have you ever wanted to freeze a singular moment in time? How about a vital yet fleeting concept? The Frozen Logics Pattern allows you to accomplish these things by creating independent concepts that are super-appropriate for the context of the conversation. These general, independent concepts can then be utilized by the subject so they can begin forming their own ideas about it, even if these general concepts came from you! The formula for the Frozen Logics Pattern is: Direct Address + Frozen Concept A variation of this pattern puts a projected outcome in the beginning and addresses the subject in the second part of the statement: Projected Outcome + Direct Address + Frozen Concept Here are examples of statements that present “frozen concepts”: “Your learnings are now making things clearer and clearer for you.” “The missing family blocks can now be found when you make peace with your mother.” “You adore dream investments don’t you?” “Everything is falling into place thanks to the super solutions that your father suggested.”

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Phantom Comparisons Pattern The Phantom Comparisons Pattern engages the subject’s opposing view/s indirectly by suggesting a mode of comparison and a suggested action or outcome. The catch? You won’t be stating the actual object of the statement, which makes it ambiguous – perfect for hypnotic influence! The formula for this pattern is: Direct Address + Phantom Comparison + Suggested Action and/or Outcome Important Note: The elements of the Phantom Comparisons Pattern can be used interchangeably in a sentence. Examples: “Visualize how this will be beneficial to you in the near future, as best as you possibly can.” “You’re feeling depressed about this state but at the same time you feel happier that you know about it and maybe, just maybe, it’s for the best that you know exactly what to do now.” “You have a choice to use that and you also have a choice to use this, which is definitely the better option between the two.” “This can be better or for best, but in the end it’s up to you to determine a course of action that best suits you.” “This can sure change things for the best, don’t you think?”

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Mind Control Pattern This pattern’s name sounds a little dangerous and maybe a little scary, but in reality it is just a way to pace the subject’s actions and thoughts in the present time, the same way that we can pace a subject’s future thoughts and actions as featured in the Imminent Action Pattern. This pattern creates a direct connection between an indisputable fact about the subject’s current state and a suggested outcome, action or state. By stating an indisputable fact, you lend legitimacy to the hypnotic suggestion as you will be unifying the two distinct ideas/sets of ideas in a single statement. The Mind Control Pattern follows this formula: “As you” + Obvious/Observable & Indisputable Fact + Suggestion Below are some examples of sentences crafted using the Mind Control Pattern: “As you are sitting there watching TV, I know that you’re think of your messy room too and the odd smell coming from your room and how you’re going to help me fix it later.” “As you look at these brochures, you will see just how effective system is.”

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“As you listened to me a while ago, you realized that this is exactly the solution that your company needs.” “As you watched me demonstrate this new computer, you saw that it is what you want for your home office.” “As your mother cried in front of you, you wanted to ease her pain so you will apologize when you see her again, right?” Stake Pattern 2: “You See Things Differently” Stake Pattern 2 is a general pattern that helps you shift the subject’s perspective any time during the dialogue. The general pattern makes use of the following elements: Context + Observable & Indisputable Fact/s + Reframing To make our discussion even more exciting and useful, I’m going to share with you the variations of Stake Pattern 2 as well. It’s important that you know not only the general patterns but also their different variations so you have plenty of options when you’re practicing your hypnotic influencing skills in the real world. Direct Consequence Pattern The Direct Consequence Pattern is considered an ideal reframing pattern because it elicits subconscious agreement while actively shifting your subject to a completely new point of view – a point of view that comes directly from the speaker. The formula of this pattern is: 73


Statement of Observable State + Linkage + Outcome Essentially, the first part of the sentence is the cause while the last part is the effect. Even if there is no natural precedence between these two elements, it is very possible to convince your subject that there is indeed a direct connection between the two. Logical reversals can also be accomplished using this pattern. Linkages between two ideas that don’t usually have a cause-andeffect relationship can be established by using words like “because”. I have highlighted these words in the examples: “Your parents were angry at you and grounded you for a month and because of that you’re going to apologize for your behavior so you won’t be grounded anymore.” “You are the best-looking guy in the class and the girls love you and that makes you the perfect overall chairperson for our Christmas event.” “The guys and I know that you make the best-tasting bacon sandwiches and barbecues if you agree then how about the boys and I head over to your house on Sunday for football and ice cold beer?” “You’ve spent $3,500 on furniture and I’m happy that you’re happy and because of that I would be happy to buy a new laptop, too.” “You say that you are drinking nightly because your wife is always angry at you but the truth of the matter is that your wife is always angry at you because you continually choose to drink nightly.” “You’re always tired from work and you’re stressed to find toys on the floor when you come home in the evening and that makes you a wonderful

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parent because you continue working and striving for the family despite the clutter at home.” Train Ride Pattern The Train Ride Pattern utilizes extended storytelling to infuse a seemingly neutral statement with a hypnotic suggestion. The addition of the hypnotic suggestion in the end helps in reframing and also deepens the subject’s trance state because of the ambiguous relationship between the first part of the statement and the second part. The Train Ride Pattern is similar to the Direct Consequence Pattern in form but not in content. The Direct Consequence Pattern aims to create a natural cause-and-effect linkage between two distinct ideas. The Train Ride Pattern is often used to suggest a desirable outcome or action but the hypnotic suggestion is a “hidden meaning” embedded in the story. Cue words such as “choose”, “act”, “think”, “create”, etc. are used to subconsciously condition the subject. The Train Ride Pattern is composed of the following elements: Context + Main Story + Reframing Sentences Essentially what you should do is to take a story, relay it to your subject and use specific cue words to influence the subject’s train of thought.

Here’s an example of a statement that follows the Train Ride Pattern. Take note of the highlighted words and notice how they encourage the subject to make a choice and take action: 75


“Your situation is a lot like the situation of my friend who went on a vacation in Bali, Indonesia. He didn’t know what to choose when he was looking at the vacation brochures. He became very frustrated that he couldn’t choose because he needed to take action soon. So one day he just sat down and made the decision to finally select a vacation spot. He was always worried that he would make a poor choice. So I told him that the only poor choice was the one that you failed to make on time. He took that as a sign that it was indeed time to pick a vacation spot. He chose a resort in Bali, Indonesia and he took action that day and booked a flight and a room at a hotel-resort. He was so happy that he took action that day. He vowed never to let his doubts get in the way of taking action ever again.”

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Chapter 6: Stoking the Fires of Desire

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What can you do to make your subject want to agree with you? To many practitioners of influence, the persuasion process stops when you are finally able to implant the suggestion in the subject’s mind. People usually just wait for a favorable response when the message has finally been communicated. The Hypnotic Language Formula is different in this respect because at this point in time, your job is still far from over. There are two more steps that you need to complete before we can deem our attempts at influencing someone a success. The fifth step in The Hypnotic Language Formula is stoking the fires of desire. Desire is one of the strongest and most primal urges that humans have to contend with. The urge to acquire or become part of something is so strong that once a person develops it, both the conscious and subconscious halves of the human mind work overtime to make it happen. That’s why it’s never enough to simply shock a person’s logic circuits and implant a hypnotic suggestion. Your subject must also want to agree with the entirety of your message. This is one more layer of protection against the erasure or rejection of your message. Luckily, there are hypnotic language patterns that can be used to trigger desire in a subject.

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Desire Pattern 1: “This is What You Want” Basic Anchoring Pattern How can you convince someone that your message or idea is positive and has desirable characteristics? In hypnosis and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) there is a technique called anchoring where the mind is conditioned to create new, subconscious associations. In therapy, these associations are often utilized to deal with emotional issues, irrational fears and deep-seated anxieties. In the context of hypnotic influence, anchoring is used to attach specific traits to either to the main message or to a person (usually the speaker). The formula for the Basic Anchoring Pattern is: Context + Positive Traits + Hypnotic Suggestion Here’s an example of indirect anchoring; take note of the highlighted cue words: “You know it’s wonderful to start dating again. People feel beautiful when they are socializing, especially if they are having a lot of fun. How is Alice by the way, the girl from your office? She’s good, alright. Well my friends say that modern dating is more adventurous nowadays and it’s really enjoyable if you just get out there and mingle.” Analysis: The sample monologue contains many references to dating, taking action and positive traits of a potential date. But as you can see, it doesn’t have any direct references to Alice, which is presumably the girl that the speaker wants the subject to date.

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By creating a strategic chain of descriptions that refer to other subjects and objects, the speaker is able to create a positive and glowing environment during the dialogue without directly implying that the subject should begin dating Alice. The subconscious mind is an expert in picking up cues from verbal language once it passes through the conscious mind’s filters. By avoid any direct references to Alice, the message is able to pass through the conscious mind and it reaches the subconscious mind, which is the seat of emotions and desire. Desire Pattern 2: “You Will Enjoy Having/Experiencing It” Powered Association Pattern An almost instant way to build desire in a person is by creating an intense and concentrated form of association. This can be accomplished through active visualization wherein the speaker carefully guides the subject’s imagination so that he experiences the positive outcomes of accepting the speaker’s message. The Powered Association Pattern is composed of the following elements: Context + Invitation to Visualization + Visualized Experience Here are some examples of statements that are crafted using this pattern: “I know that you want to buy a car and my car which has less than 10,000 miles on it looks, feels and even smells brand new! Just imagine for a second, the wind blowing through your hair as you’re speeding effortlessly on the interstate. Just picture yourself with this baby, which hasn’t had a major issue in the short 2 years that I’ve used it…

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And now you’re standing there, looking at the car and thinking – is this my next car? Feel the smooth, beautiful black leather my friend and tell me that it isn’t a dream car!” Analysis: The sample monologue revolves around a guy trying to sell his car to his friend. After reestablishing the context of the conversation to ensure rapport with the subject, the speaker proceeds to describe in very intense terms the best features of his second hand car. He uses words like “looks”, “feels” and “smells” to trigger specific regions in the subject’s mind that are associated with these senses. This is a classic example of “priming the pump” or preparing the subject to accept more hypnotic statements. The speaker then invites the subject to put himself into the visualization so that he can experience in his mind the freedom and enjoyment that comes with buying the car. The speaker in this monologue doesn’t just “sell” the car as a physical object, he reframes the subject’s perception by selling the experience of owning and driving the car. Toward the end of the monologue, the speaker drops a line about “no major issues” and proceeds to invite the subject once again into an immersive visualization. Due to the volume of the visualizations, the subject is lost in his own imagination and because the visualizations were carefully guided, only the best and most positive aspects of the car and the experience of owning it were transplanted directly into the subject’s subconscious mind.

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Ideal Transformation Pattern There are three major causes of resistance when a subject flatly refuses a proposal, idea or plan of action: 1. The idea/proposal is misaligned with some of the subject’s beliefs and values. 2. The subject fails to see the reward or benefit of agreeing to the idea/proposal. 3. The subject does not find the idea/proposal desirable. In order to remedy this situation, you need to use the Ideal Transformation Pattern. The elements of this pattern are as follows: Context + Subject Feedback + Restatement + Ideal Transformation + Subject Feedback + Recalibration The target outcome when you use this pattern is complete agreement with your idea or proposal. After reestablishing the context of the conversation, the speaker should begin eliciting feedback to find out why the subject doesn’t agree or accept the idea in the first place. You should practice active listening to get as much useful feedback as possible from the subject. Your subject’s feedback is the raw material that you will use later. The next step is restatement. Restatement is necessary to show the subject that you are listening and to ensure that both of you are on the same page. Nothing could be worse than trying to use a hypnotic language pattern when you are unsure as to what the subject is actually telling you. After restating the subject’s feedback, you can proceed with the ideal transformation. Ideal transformation is a simple process: 82


1. Listen and analyze your subject’s feedback. 2. Identify the trait/s that your subject finds acceptable and/or desirable. 3. Find a similar or matching trait with your idea or proposal. 4. Transform your idea so that the desirable trait becomes a logical trait of your idea. 5. Communicate this new information to your subject. After an ideal transformation, your subject will either accept your idea or state another misalignment or undesirable trait that he finds in your proposal. In the event that you cannot find a matching trait, what you can do is to perform a selective deletion and emphasize a strong, positive trait in place of the old, desirable trait expressed by your subject. Once again, this is an example of subject feedback so you have to use it for recalibration. The process of adjusting and recalibrating argument is continuous until resistance is completely removed from the equation. Here’s an example of how this pattern can be used to transform feedback from a subject: Context: The customer doesn’t want to buy the product because it costs $50 more than what was offered a few months ago. Feedback: The product is $50 more expensive. Restatement: “I agree that our product costs $50 more, as you say, than what was listed a few months ago.”

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Ideal Transformation: “But please keep in mind that our product comes with lifetime warranty and a free gift worth $20!” Feedback: “But what else can I get for free?” Recalibration: “Right now the company is offering discounts if you sign up on their website. You might want to check that out as well.” Desire Pattern 3: “This is What You Really Need” Future Life Pattern Sometimes, your subject would be unable to see the benefit of agreeing with your proposal at the present time. In order to work around this obstacle, you need to present your subject with a problem that your idea/proposal solves and you have to reframe the situation so that he will be able to see how your idea/ proposal solves a problem that can manifest in a future time. The formula for this pattern is: Context + Subject Feedback + Future Problem + Future Solution Here’s a sample dialogue that makes use of the Future Life Pattern: Context: Sandra is trying to convince her husband Richard to start exercising. Richard doesn’t want to and Sandra is on the verge of giving up.

Dialogue:

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S: “Babe, I know that you’re tired from work but we really have to talk about your weight problem.” R: “I don’t have a weight problem. My doctor says that my weight is fine.” S: “I agree that you said that but let me explain, you’re slowly increasing your risk for stroke and heart attack. And your labs show that you’re prediabetic. We have to do something soon to solve your health issues.” R: “I’m already working on it. The doctor prescribed pills. I have 3 new pills this month.” S: “And did you see what they are for? They’re for cholesterol, blood sugar and your blood pressure. Richard, you’re becoming sicker and sicker every year.” R: “So what do you propose I do?” S: “Well the doctor did mention exercise ---“ R: “No way. I’m too old for that. I’m almost 45 years old, Sandra. I feel like a hunched grandpa.” S: “Oh hon, you’re still young. You’re just 45 years old, same as me.” R: “What if I don’t want to exercise?” S: “But what if you’re 55 and struggling in a hospital bed because of a heart attack?” R: “Hey, don’t be so mean.” S: “Tell me Richard, what do we do then? What do I do?” R: “So I have to exercise huh?”

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S: “Imagine yourself ten years from now. With all your health problems. What can we do about them?” R: “I guess you’re right. I don’t know where to start.” S: “I’ll take care of the details. I just need you to promise that you will take your weight loss seriously. That’s all.” R: “Thank you dear. I will.” Analysis: The dialogue between Sandra and Richard began with establishing the context of the interaction, followed by clearly resistant feedback from the subject, Richard. Notice that at several points, the subject attempted to push away the influencer by using hostile statements such as “So what do you propose I do?” The influencer maintained her stance and did not contest the subject’s perspective directly. What she did do is provide fresh insight every time it was her time to speak. Notice that Sandra’s approach is actioncentered and focused on the subject closely. Sandra actually used guided storytelling to get her points across. When it was time, Sandra was able to integrate the future problem and indirectly associated exercise and weight loss with the future solution, which is actually the proposal she is offering at the present time. By shifting the subject’s perspective, she was able to defuse the subject’s defensiveness as the reframing temporarily slowed down the subject’s conscious filters. Sandra also allowed Richard to come to his own conclusions because it’s easy to gain someone’s approval if they “fill in the blanks” on their own.

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Chapter 7: Sealing the Gates

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What is the final step in hypnotic influence and persuasion? The conclusion of the process and perhaps the most vital step in your performance as a hypnotist-influencer is sealing the gates. This final step ensures that your hypnotic suggestions will remain intact in your subject’s subconscious mind, which will allow you to influence him even if you’re not around. In clinical hypnotherapy, the closing process is called “hypnotic amnesia” where the hypnotherapist commands the subject to forget everything that he has heard or imagined during the session. This is done so that client does not overanalyze what has taken place. If over-analysis occurs, the conscious mind can pull out the hypnotic suggestions and reject them after the hypnosis session. The same risk is present for hypnotist-influencers who systematically implant hypnotic suggestions while persuading or influencing others. It’s important to realize that your message is never truly “safe” from the conscious mind’s rigorous filters and there is always a chance that despite your best efforts, your message might be discarded after the interaction. To minimize this risk, I have prepared hypnotic language patterns that will allow you to seal your hypnotic message, either through sociological conditioning or through the use of tools from the discipline of clinical hypnotherapy. It is my sincere hope that this chapter will allow you to practice hypnotic influence more effectively.

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Sealing Pattern: “The Power of Future Action” Subconscious Trigger Pattern Have you ever thought why organized belief systems have such a strong and lasting impact on people? The reason why large systems tend to have such a lasting effect on people is that these systems tend to implant numerous subconscious triggers in their members. These subconscious triggers come in a myriad of forms, from words, images and even raw emotions. The Subconscious Trigger Pattern is a type of “insurance” that your subject will at least remember you and your message after you have parted ways. After a while, your subject will forget the statements that led to the creation of the triggered behavior itself. The elements of this pattern are as follows: Context + Reinforced Hypnotic Trance + Suggested Action + Hypnotic Trigger Notice that the Subconscious Trigger Pattern requires that you reinforce the trance that you have already induced in the beginning. The reason for this is quite simple: people tend to experience hypnotic trances in varying intensities. Unless your subject is truly focused on you, it’s possible that he has been moving in and out of the trance since the beginning of the interaction. Wavering attention or focus is normal; after all, we all have pressing issues that tend to have a life of their own, especially if these issues involve problems that require urgent solutions. 90


That’s why you need to make sure that your subject is fully immersed in a hypnotic trance before you set the actual subconscious trigger. Because if you don’t, there is a possibility that this pattern may not work as effectively as it should. Examples: “Now that you know more about secondhand cars and what you should look out for, every time you see a nice car you’ll remember our shop right? Give us a call soon!” “We always miss you when you’re off to college. I know that pumpkin pie is your favorite snack so when you smell it anywhere I want you to remember that we’re always happily waiting for a text or call from you.” Analysis: Like other hypnotic patterns, the elements of the Subconscious Trigger Pattern can be used interchangeably. As long as you’ve properly induced hypnosis in your subject, you can switch around the order of the direct address and the placement of the actual trigger and suggested action. The only strict rule when applying this particular pattern is to always create a strong association before setting the action that the subject will perform when the trigger or stimulus is present. Since the Subconscious Trigger Pattern is a post-hypnotic technique, you should make your final hypnotic suggestion count. If possible, make your final hypnotic suggestion more direct so that the subject will know exactly what to do when the trigger stimulus is present. The Challenge Pattern

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The Challenge Pattern is all about reversing the previous roles that the subject and influencer have played since the beginning of the interaction. You may have noticed that from the first step in The Hypnotic Language Formula I have reminded you repeatedly not to directly oppose your subject in any way, because there’s a chance that your actual message might be rejected. When an interaction is about to end, the situation shifts and the hypnotist-influencer gains more freedom in terms of challenging the subject’s idea. The Challenge Pattern is an advanced hypnotic language pattern that invokes the subject’s ideals, beliefs and values. When a person’s core belief system is challenged, he becomes more energized and if you state things properly, he just might respond in a beneficial manner. The Challenge Pattern directly associates your idea or proposal with a belief or value that you were able to learn during the actual conversation. When this new connection is made, you challenge your subject to live up to his own belief or value by accepting and acting upon your idea or proposal.

The formula of the Challenge Pattern is: Context + Subject’s Belief/Values + Direct Association + Challenge 92


Important Note: It is very common for a person’s demeanor to change when he sets out to oppose or challenge someone. I ask that you control your emotions and your choice of words even if you’re actually challenging your subject. There is no need to be mean or hostile when using this pattern. In fact, the more ideal approach is to be as positive and kind as possible so as to disable your subject’s conscious filters. The moment your subject’s conscious filters detect that you are changing your role and you are now projecting yourself as an adversary or challenger, your subject may suddenly decide that your message is unacceptable and he loses nothing by rejecting it. This outcome sounds irrational but remember: rationality is determined subjectively! Again, what seems irrational to you may sound/look completely rational and acceptable to your subject. Examples: “You said that you were not afraid of change. Now is the time to embrace your belief in change for the better. This new system is guaranteed to bring the changes that you need in your life.” “I remember that you love your family very much. What better way to show your love than by quitting booze and tobacco? You can show them your love right now by starting the process of recovery from these two harmful substances.” “Our manager told me that you were one of the best employees around and you didn’t accept anything less than excellent. We need you now because our manager has had an accident and we are without a good leader. Are you up for it?”

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Social Sealing: The Power of Society’s Codes Part of your training as a hypnotist-influencer is to master not only hypnotic tools but also societal codes that can create an overwhelming need to comply. Certain societal codes have a strong, inescapable impact on individuals, much like hypnotic suggestions after a deep trance state has been induced. It’s time to roll up your sleeves once again and shift your attention to a new set of patterns that you can use to influence and persuade others. Consider this your “crash course” in the sociology of persuasion! Social Pattern 1: Obligation and Reciprocation What does reciprocation have to do with influence? Reciprocation is an unwritten and universal social code that dictates that when a person does something that provides you with a benefit, you are obliged to do the same for him, either immediately after or at a future date if you are unable to do so at the present time. Common expressions in Western culture such as “return the favor”, “much obliged” and “I owe you one” are all rooted in the principle of reciprocation and the personal obligation to do so, no matter what the situation may be. The essential linguistic pattern that will activate this social code is: Premise + Action + Subject’s Benefit The point of using this social pattern is you’re going to make your subject more likely to accept your proposal because you did something that benefited him, even if he didn’t ask you to do it. Of course, it’s essential that you inform him of the benefit you created 94


for him in a way that doesn’t make it appear that you want him to be indebted to you. That’s why you have to reestablish the context first, to make sure that you’re both on the same page, before creating the logical premise that would make it appear that your action would be the logical and decent thing to do. You achieve several things at once when you make use of this social code: 1. You establish further harmony and goodwill with the people you interact with. 2. You subconsciously condition your subject to be more generous with the way he interacts with you. 3. You’re able to create the perfect environment for an “exchange of benefits” to take place. Examples: 1. “I was driving through the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by this neat antique shop. I remembered you and got you a Tiki-inspired statuette for your living room.” 2. “Before we came here we figured we’d give your business a boost. We’re giving you a free trial copy of our invoicing software that you can try out for a full 3 months.” 3. “I wanted you to remember all the good things that could come out of this business deal so here are 2 tickets for Saturday’s classical performance on 5th Avenue. Use them or not, they’re yours.”

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Important Note: There are situations where people try to avoid random gifts because they are aware of the rule of reciprocity. You must be firm in establishing that whatever you are giving the subject is completely out of your goodwill and kindness and you will not accept it if it is returned. Once you have established that the gift can be kept by the subject no matter what happens, the rule of reciprocity comes alive and the subject’s future actions will be influenced by this rule. Some people ignore the rule of reciprocity, citing their own unique values and beliefs. This is unavoidable as the rule of reciprocity is simply a universal code, not a law. However, you will see that in the majority of cases, people will respond favorably to you if you give them something first. Social Pattern 2: Triggering Instinctual Commitment In a previous chapter we talked about the consistency principle, where a person commits to a specific action or mode of thought because he has made smaller commitments prior to being asked to commit to something that requires the expenditure of more personal resources. By virtue of the consistency principle, a subject would feel responsible for pushing through with his commitment to an idea or proposal because he has already accepted smaller responsibilities or he has agreed to some aspects of the proposed idea. You can trigger further commitment in your subject by making use of a time-tested technique from the field of sociology: evidencing social proof.

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Social proof can lend a high degree of validity and credibility to a statement, idea, proposal or plan of action. The logic behind social proof is simple: people tend to follow where others have gone before. This is tied to our instinctual desire to belong and our universal belief in the rule of the majority. People may say from time to time that “the masses” aren’t particularly intelligent or decisive, but in terms of ascertaining what is safe and acceptable, people still rely on what other people say or do. This automatic referencing is a clear sign that despite the amazing and almost innumerable advances in modern civilization, we are still very similar to our nature-loving ancestors a few thousand years ago. It appears that Home sapiens will always be Homo sapiens even if we have substituted stone tools for smart phones. How can you trigger commitment in a person? The linguistic formula that will help you accomplish this is: Declaration + Social Proof + Suggested Action Obviously, this particular pattern will require some research and strategizing to make your statement/s plausible. Here are some examples of statements that are crafted using this pattern: 1. “You should start exercising as soon as possible. Scientists from over 12 countries say that people who don’t exercise, especially those who are above the age of 35, have a 50% risk of suffering from a sudden heart attack. Current statistics show that more than 40% of all adults in US are now in the overweight and obese categories. Do you want to be part of the statistics? Why not accompany me in my morning runs? You don’t have to run very fast at all. Running is good cardio and we’ll have an hour or two by ourselves. What do you think?” 97


2. “Helping out with our charity fundraiser is definitely an excellent choice. Right now we have over 300 active members from the local community and many of them are from your age group. They help out because the work is light, meaningful and most of all, you’ll get to meet new friends. If meeting new friends is not your cup of tea then you will definitely be satisfied knowing that your volunteer work and donations will benefit good causes. Please sign your name and telephone number here if you’re coming this Saturday? It’s just for a few hours by the way, and there’ll be free snacks and drinks for everyone who is coming!” 3. “Providing our department with additional air-conditioning units will help boost employee productivity significantly. Several companies in the state have invested 2%-3% of their profits to improve the working condition of their employees. I think this observable trend is very timely and it will do the company a lot of good.” Social Pattern 3: Increasing Your Likability Let’s face it: we tend to be persuaded or influenced more when we are in the presence of someone that we like at least a little bit. Your likability as a speaker has an inverse relationship with your subject’s resistance level. The more your subject likes you, the less likely that he will openly resist your message, idea or proposal. How can you make a subject like you? There are several linguistic tactics that you can use to improve your level of likability when you’re interacting with someone that you need to persuade or influence:

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1. “We’re the same!” – Stating obvious and not so obvious similarities is the simplest way to break down resistance. In fact, similarity is one of the main driving forces behind rapport-building techniques. If you’ve read some materials on hypnosis or NLP before, you may have come across techniques such as “matching and mirroring”. These techniques allow the influencer to establish a level of similarity with the subject, to facilitate the process of persuasion. 2. “You sure are {insert positive trait here}!” – Another simple yet brutally effective way to increase your likability is by giving your subject sincere compliments. Compliments appeal directly to your subject’s ego – as long as you keep them genuine and believable! Generally speaking, compliments are best received when the subject believes that they truly deserve the compliment. Some individuals react rather harshly to excessive compliments so be careful – study your subject closely before formulating a compliment that you think he will find acceptable and pleasurable to hear. Pleasure is the first thing that people feel when they hear a good compliment! 3. “Hey, did you know that we’re somehow connected?” – Humans are social beings and as a species, we accord a lot of value when some sort of connection or linkage is established during a conversation. Showing someone that you are somehow similar is effective, but establishing a direct connection is even more powerful in terms of influencing your subject. The direct connection can be as simple as knowing one of the subject’s friends or being aware of his company because you’ve done business with someone from the same organization.

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Again, this technique will require some research and additional effort on your part, but it will all be worth it once you see that your subject is more willing to cooperate with you once the clear connections are established. Exclusive Bonus: The Hypnotic-Influencer’s Cheat Sheet Now that you’ve completed The Hypnotic Language Formula and the “boot camp” of patterns and examples, it’s time for some relaxation: your very own cheat sheet! This cheat sheet will help refresh your memory when you think you’ve forgotten a few things. It is my sincere hope that you enjoy reviewing our lessons as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them! 1. CHANGE – The ultimate goal of communication is to create change in your subject. If you put this at the top of your priority list as a hypnotist-influencer, you will be miles ahead of other students of influence. 2. ADAPTABILITY – Masters of influence are extremely adaptable and patient individuals. They know that at the end of the day, it’s your flexibility that will win you a continuous stream of “yeses” from you people that you interact with. Being adaptable also means that you have to be very observant of your subject’s words and actions. It’s never enough to simply have a master plan. Your master plan would be of little value if you don’t know how to apply it dynamically to the actual situation at hand. There will also be times when the best laid plans turn out to be the worst laid ones because of a detail that you failed to take into account. Don’t let these situations drag you down. Instead, learn from them and use a variety of strategies to accomplish your target outcome.

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3. MENTAL LENSES – Mental lenses represent how people view and understand the world. Initially, you would have to switch the current lens of your subject so that he would view you as a natural leader. In the beginning, this is all that truly matters. If your subject doesn’t see you as his leader, he would not be motivated to agree with you and follow your proposals. You would do the same if you were in your subject’s position, wouldn’t you? We all need leaders in our lives. Natural leaders are very rare and so when we spot them, we make it a point to listen and apply their wisdom in our lives. That’s why there are so many life coaches across the world that are constantly teaching and touring. People need and want leadership in their lives, even in small conversations and one-time interactions! 4. COVERT IS NOT UNETHICAL – Many people say that covert hypnosis and influence are unethical because they aim to create change in people without the knowledge of the other party. If such sentiments are holding you back, let me be the first to say that people who say these things don’t know the first thing about hypnosis or influence. Covert influence is simply a way to achieve change more quickly and more efficiently. It’s covert because the conscious mind is constantly rejecting ideas from the environment. If you’re trying to convince someone covertly to become healthier through exercise, how unethical is that? The best indicator of ethical use of hypnotic influence is the presence of mutual benefit. When there’s mutual benefit, you can be sure that the speaker is trying his best to uphold a “fair exchange of benefits”.

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5. AGREEMENT IS BENEFICIAL – The antidote to resistance in a subject is agreement. That’s why it is very critical that you build “yes chains” within a conversation. You have to make your subject agree with you many, many times even if he’s not agreeing with your main proposal. You have to condition your subject to agree with you so that he will be ready to accept and commit to your main idea or proposal when you finally hammer in your hypnotic suggestion. 6. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TRANCE STATE – People enter and leave trance states all the time. Hypnotizing someone covertly creates another trance that the subject can freely leave if he wishes to. If you don’t observe your subject for signs that he is truly in-trance, you may be wasting your time on someone who is not completely focused on your message. If you need to repeat the hypnotic induction process, do so and quickly. 7. ACTION PACKED! – Statements that cause the subject to think of what he can do is always better than statements that restrict the subject. If you have to restrict the subject in some way, make sure that you phrase it in a way that he sees what he can do if he avoids a certain action or activity. 8. CONTEXT – Always reestablish the context of the conversation when you’re trying out a pattern for the first time. Context always helps in establishing rapport between the speaker and subject… If your execution of the pattern isn’t perfect, at least you were able to deepen your rapport with your subject. 9. DON’T OPPOSE DIRECTLY – There will be many times when you feel like simply dominating your subject with your knowledge and linguistic prowess. Don’t do it. Your subject will most likely react in an unfavorable way to your approach.

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10. DESIRE – Always build upon a person’s desires as nothing triggers agreement more than natural desire. You can learn more about a subject’s natural desires throughout a conversation…. Keep asking those vital questions! Congratulations! You’ve completed Stage Two of Hypnotic Language Mastery. You now have the exact “copy & paste” hypnotic language templates to start using in your conversations with others. After years of teaching this stuff to people the number one piece of feedback that I get is that while these techniques work, many people feel awkward trying to execute them. It doesn’t feel natural to them. They feel like they’re going to make a mistake and their target is going to catch on. If you’d like to learn how to easily execute these techniques seamlessly without it feeling unnatural then I have the perfect solution for you.

Click Here To Learn More Talk soon, Dr. Steve G. Jones

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The Hypnotic Language Handbook

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