Convincing Skeptics - General Discussions on IAYH

Masker97

Hey everyone. Unfortunately I can't seem to find a lot of people who believe in hypnosis. Even when I try telling them what it actually is they still don't believe, and suggestibility tests do nothing to help. Any suggestions?

chris

I agree with @draco95.

And let me tell you something, you can do hypnosis without mentioning it's hypnosis. For example, you can ask them if they want to see how interesting their mind can be, or anything along those lines that involve imagination or whatever you can tell them that will get them to open up to you. You can follow this with some light suggestibility tests (if you want to do an induction) or do waking hypnosis. And if you do an induction, I think you shouldn't use the word sleep. Use anything you want, relax, focus and with the deepener you can "guide them into a state where they can use the most out of their imagination". And use many simple convincers (but make them look advanced and very interesting, not by saying how hard it is to obtain them) in the beginning to get their expectations on your side.

draco95

Masker97 said:
Hey everyone. Unfortunately I can't seem to find a lot of people who believe in hypnosis. Even when I try telling them what it actually is they still don't believe, and suggestibility tests do nothing to help. Any suggestions?

hello masker ^^

I think that the problem you are facing lies on your approach and how they are perceiving your approach. You always want to come off to them as a capable hypnotist who is confident and knows what he is doing. Like, when I was 13, it was very hard to convince the older people about it, because to them, I was 'just another kid.' lol

Most of these people dont know about hypnosis. Hence they dont believe it. So, use it to your advantage. Since they dont know about hypnosis, hypnosis for them would become anything that you tell them it is. lol. Of course, you shouldn't mis-inform them. Usually, I would start out with lame card tricks which actually look awesome lol. Then tell stories about this and that (my previous glories) and relate them to hypnosis. Storytelling always helps.

Of course, all this isn't necessary. I just do it because I know that it gives people the view that I know my stuff very well. The end note is that they have built upon me a trust, that I am capable. I also try to keep things interesting. Instead of the old "hey, wanna get hypnotized?" i start out with a "hey check this out <perform amazingly lame card trick here>" and slowly progress towards hypnosis. Or, you can just tell them a story about how one of your friends were hypnotized. Doesnt even have to be real, just interesting. The last thing you want people thinking is that hypnosis is about a swinging watch and "you are sleeping" lol.

Lastly, if I feel that the person is going to be hard, you know, people like that silly class b****, who are ready to humiliate you every chance they get, i use "Roleplay." lol seriously it works. I forgot where I read it but, from what I read, I know that the brain can't differentiate between a feeling that is real or falsely created/simulated. So basically, i get them to roleplay "being hypnotized" and play along, just plain fun. Then, do a quick, interesting, pre-talk, mostly as a part of a story. And then, Zap! xD

I know my methods are very crude, but hey, it works for me, so i'm fine with it,lol. Everyone have their own ways, I'm sure you do too. :) Just believe in yourself and zap 'em xD Dattebayo! \m/(>_<)\m/

Hope that helps you! :O

Daniel_Langeveld1 · Post edited by Daniel_Langeveld1 at 2011-07-21 19:31:51

Its all about reframing. I once got someone into trance by yelling: Now open your eyes and keep them open. (he did the exact opposite).

Haerodiel

How about: I have a couple friends who believe hypnosis works, but they think it's incredibly invasive. I explain to them that nothing can happen in hypnosis that they wouldn't be perfectly willing to do out of hypnosis, but they continue to think that it's an incredibly invasive thing going into someone's mind like that.

Masker97

My friends think that too, but I was able to convince them otherwise.

Jeroen

@Haerodiel

You could tell them that in hypnosis you can give up control as much as you would like to. The point remains, that some people just don't want to be hypnotized. Even if you can convince them, hypnosis probably wouldn't work. That's because they're only convinced to try and fail the hypnosis, they're not willing to go under.

aceofmagic

Demonstrating hypnotic phenomena and convincing someone to believe what you believe are two separate things. People demonstrate what is labeled "hypnotic phenomena" all the time without believing in "hypnosis" per se. For example, when you're in the middle of doing some task and you stop and think. . . you extend your hand to reach for something and then remember you have to do something else. But you forget. Thinking. . . . thinking. . . . and your arm is still cateleptic in the air. Or when you're looking for your book. And you can't find the damn thing and you've searched all over and couldn't find it. Where did it go? It's on the table right in front of you. You've become so fixated on the anxious and frustrated sensations in your body that it took away from your eye sight. Hence hallucination sort of. So making someone come over to your worldview is not only unnecessary and will be an obstacle in your work but it's absolutely abusive.

We don't make people do things and they can believe whaever they want. Instead of just avoiding these people (easy way out) you can learn how to utilize their beliefs so hypnosis happens quickly and easily. My girlfriend didn't believe in hypnosis when we first started dating but when I started speaking she went so deep that her body loosened and her eyes closed. Remember, this is someone who doesn't believe in it and it was all conversational. Not one speck of "step by step" technique. All very casual. How did this happen? I didn't use hypnosis words "trance, deeper, relaxation, imagine, picture, make" and I was able to leverage her values and beliefs so hypnosis would surely follow. I worked with what she had available in terms of the scope of her model of the world and then expanded it just a tad. Also, she has a personality that MANY hypnotists would call "Resistant". She has gone through much therapy when she was younger and many therapists told her mother and they simply couldn't work with her. That's a reflection on the therapist not my girlfriend by the way.

Plus, if you're looking to convince someone that hypnosis is (x) then you have to take a step back and look at what YOU believe hypnosis to be. FIrst and foremost, once we put aside all the myths and nonsense about hypnosis, we can clearly see that it is not a thing! It's not something you can grip hold of and examine. You can't box it up and you can't place it squarely in front of you. Sure,you can talk about certain observations that you went ahead and

Howdy, Stranger!

Top Posters