Once more I am going to Hypnothoughts for hypnofodder.  In a thread a question was asked about how one might perform hypnosis inductions in a Non-Touch Expectation context . . . http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topic/show?id=716892%3ATopic%3A65227 . . . the querant is specifically concerned about a new law in Texas which is regulating touch in some helping professions (it was aimed at requiring massage licenses to discourage prostitutes from masquerading as massage therapists, however, some are concerned it might be applied towards hypnotists who touch their clients).  While it seems that the original intent of the law doesn’t apply to hypnotists and most hypnotists might be okay with simply informing the client of touch for some inductions within limited contexts, others don’t feel so confident.

Besides, the question itself is of interest . . . how does one perform hypnosis without touching?  I know some folks have difficulty with it, but I have performed many many sessions in this way . . . via text alone even as well as simply through explained process.  I prefer to touch as it is helpful in physically guiding the trance partner but it is not necessary.

If touch is a concern, then ask permission to touch their arm or shoulder. Personally, I prefer to touch people . . . and I live in a culture where you just don’t touch but I have not had difficulty with it. Your touch is limited to the induction and it is non-therapeutic in this context.

However . . . the thread topic is interesting. So expectation inductions can be done with or without touch. Remember, Elman’s example in his book was three puffs of a cigarette into the face. Don’t use a cigarette, but do use finger snaps or "watch my hand as I raise it up and down, follow it with your eyes and head and on the third waved, your eyes close down as the hand comes down" or whatever.

A pencil drop induction is easy and does not require touch . . .

 

or finger fixation . . .

 

with two fingers . . .

 

or the lighter and snap . . .

Or any number of variations.

Now . . . here’s a nice little game you can play that will illustrate some points for you and it’s fun . . . take a look at the "imaginative suggestibility games" listed in the certification list at http://www.trancesociety.org/cert_hypnotist.html . . . one thing I do with students (and this is also a SET requirement) is to take any of those "tests" and convert them into an induction. So, take a look at the list and convert random ones into a no-touch induction and see how that exercise loosens you up.

For instance, if you did the arm levitation test starting with eyes open (can close too) and have levitation you can then convert to emotional feelings of positive sensations ("the higher they go the better you feel the better you feel the higher they go") then put in rising so high for arm catalepsy ("they rise so high they are now straight up and stiff as a metal rod" and then do a count down for the arms to drop, the body goes into a very relaxed state and your eyes close as you go deep into hypnosis.

 

That’s the Happy Balloons patter and it can easily be a no touch induction . . . http://www.briandavidphillips.com/video/sugfun_02.html (in the video, I touch the wrist to put the balloons on but you don’t have to, she also starts with eyes closed in the video as I had just done a progressive – you also don’t have to touch at the end).

Or . . . stick their hand to a stick and have ’em play with it for a while . . .

 

That’s http://www.briandavidphillips.com/video/evelyn01.html . . . there was NO formal induction prior to this video, it is as presented. If they’re stuck to a stick then they are hypnotized. Just switch the patter at the end so that "in a moment I will take the stick, your hands will become unstuck, and your eyes will immediately close as your body relaxes completely and you enter into a very deep hypnotic state" – they’re already hypnotized, you’re just deepening the effect and capitalizing on the response.

Or . . . just run a no-touch variation of the "getting drunk or high" suggestibility effect which is also known as the "drunken induction" that I posted examples of recently . . . https://briandavidphillips.net/2008/07/how-to-get-high.html  . . . which is easily done without touch. You don’t have to use the drinking or getting high setup but can use bliss or unconditional loving states or any other positive emotion-driven response set . . . well, I suppose you could also use a negative emotion but then we’re not talking about therapeutic contexts but just plain ol’ extreme creepy twistedness.

I hope this has been helpful.