Most folks who are aware of my work know of my interest in speed hypnosis . . . the really fast instant and rapid hypnosis inductions. Most of the folks who know of that interest are also very keenly aware that for me hypnosis does not require eye closure and that I love to improvise new inductions and new processes, often building variations on classic suggestibility effects. For me, a suggestibility effect is not merely a test of hypnotizeability but is an induction in and of itself and so can be very wonderfully leveraged as the gateway into a full-on eyes-open waking hypnosis session complete with manifestations of any or all of the so-called effects of classic hypnotic depth.
In fact, the suggestibility volume of my DVD course at http://www.briandavidphillips.net/store has the most comprehensive coverage of suggestibility effects and how to sequence them that I am aware of. The instant and rapid inductions volume of the same course has examples of converting suggestibility effects into more formal speed inductions as well.
In one of the many hypnosis lists I belong to, a discussion came up that centered on the arm catalepsy suggestibility effect. This Life of Brian – https://briandavidphillips.net/ – post is a collection of some of my responses in that thread that may be of interest to folks interested in upgrading their approach to suggestibility effects and waking hypnosis. Do note that the various quotes in this post come from various respondents within the discussion.
can you tell me how you would do the rigid steel bar arm suggestability test without actually going into the "close your eyes" sleep hypnosis?
Just do it without telling the person to close their eyes. Depending upon context, I will use it as an induction proper or as an initiator for a waking hypnosis session. If I wish to use it as a waking hypnosis session gateway, I will run the test as usual and then do a sticky bit of telling the person they can now bend it as the hand becomes stuck to the head or something like that (those who have trained with me know to use the magick word "because" there). While I will do that bit with arm catalepsy, more likely lately I will start that sequence off with the stick-stuck-to-hand suggestibility effect but the sequencing is relatively the same:
STICKY STICK HYPNOSIS FUN
Watch the clip in high quality on youtube at http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=tN8tyMb3tp4.
STICKY STICK SUGGESTIONS
(CTS Filming Clip)
Watch the clip in high quality on youtube at http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=lavgIuBzLp8.
Sorry the video is out of focus on that one but that’s the breaks (my wife was shooting some clips from the audience during the taping of a television special appearance – the actual program footage will be better).
Of course, one doesn’t need the stick. The following is the effect with a pen in sequencing – albeit with an eye closure segment that lasts all of eight seconds (in which I adjust the positioning of the pen).
STICKY HYPNOSIS FUN
Watch the clip in high quality on youtube at http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=QjkpvYr2_ts.
Just from this simple sequence, usually with eyes open for the entire time, I often take it on to full on manifestation of every so-called level of hypnotic depth. Folks who attended my recent series of courses in India where I taught several Speed Hypnosis seminars (based upon a system of improvisational structures that are built upon a unique understanding of how to leverage suggestibility effects and to create your own based upon the central operators), that I demonstrated just this very concept with a number of folks with an eyes open suggestibility-based induction that then led into all of the various depth signs (usually, I would call out the depth markers on the Arons Scale as we achieved them – and, yes, we did achieve all of them in a matter of moments with no eye closure and no suggestions for relaxation. While eye closure and relaxation are nice to use as leverage sets for hypnosis, they are not required, albeit they are extremely helpful and most commonly used.
Typically, if I use arm catalepsy, I will be using it as an induction into a formal contextualized hypnotic session.
ARM CATALEPSY HYPNOSIS INDUCTION
SUGGESTIBILITY FUN
Watch the clip in high quality on youtube at http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=VlM77AC30HU.
ARM CATALEPSY HYPNOSIS INDUCTION
Watch the clip in high quality on youtube at http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=WqZIL06Ql-0.
no matter who i try it on. maybe i need more intent. all the while im thinking, either its going to work perfectly or im going to look like an idiot
I agree with others that if you believe you may end up looking like an idiot, then that’s pretty much the way it’s going to go. However, do understand that with practice and experience you do start having a feel for the nuances that do increase your effectiveness. I do the "sticky" bit quite a bit when I’m out and about and what you see is pretty much what you get. You need to be focused and confident but you also really need to get the other person focused and expecting it to work. Don’t leave any doubt in the trance partner’s mind, that’s the key to any of this stuff. Get ’em focused and excited about the prospects of something really interesting happening.
Great stuff Brian. I’m a professional drummer, so I’m gonna try the sticky stick for sure! Nice!
I used to drum now I just pretend to be a drummer.
If I have ’em handy, I will use my sticks (okay, mostly used as Harry Dresden style wands – I partially kid you not – although I do indeed drum once in awhile, albeit well on the side of suck) and have a very nice flashy silver pair that are great, especially for video or stage . . . but, nine out of ten times I use a pen or pencil or a business card (the sticky bit is great for giving out your card . . . hand ’em your card then stick ’em and tell ’em they can keep the card as a souvenir so it now has a special memory attached). A nice variation I’ve done a few times is to stick two folks at once and instead of using a stick or the like have ’em make "0" with their thumb and index fingers so they are interlocked then stick ’em and let ’em try to figure out how to unlock themselves from one another . . . with much merriment for all (especially when you introduce an element of "happy skin" so that if they touch the other person’s skin it’s like a happy drug that makes them giggle and laugh but they need to try to get unstuck which means they will touch and more giggle drugs or what-have-you).
You can routine it with more sticky bits and have quite a bit of playful fun with folks.
This is a gag you can do anywhere and at anytime. Wendi Freisen says after she took my speed hypnosis walkabout last year, she was sticking waiters in a luxury resort.
Have fun with variations and enjoy yourself.
Wow. That was really impressive actually.
Thank you.
Can you walk me through the stuck videos?
What do you need walking through on?
The effect itself is a classic stage hypnotist’s gag which I include in my list of suggestibility effects that I often work and play with. It’s called the "stick stuck to hand" suggestibility effect (not a "test" but an effect as "test" implies the possibility of failure and I would rather consider whatever the response is as feedback).
Have the person focus upon the point where you have him grip the stick or pen or pencil or business card or coin or whatever and tell him to imagine that his fingers are getting tighter and tighter. Watch the response to check to make certain that there is a tightening effect. Once you’ve got the tightening, slip into the "tighter and tighter" patter to increase the effect and then go for the "so tight that the more you TRY to let go the tighter they become until they are stuck, the more you TRY to release the more stuck they become" to create (1) the implied failure of TRY and (2) the self-reinforcing loop of the fingers becoming more stuck.
Play with the stuck effect for a bit and then do the hand switch: "this hand is free BECAUSE that hand is now stuck" and so on. The use of the word "because" enhances the power of the suggestion – yes, it really does work (see Robert Cialdini’s INFLUENCE: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0205609996/shakespeareeclec – as well as Kevin Hogan’s COVERT HYPNOSIS – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0970932146/shakespeareeclec – for references to the academic studies that explored this). You can also find both of these texts via my bookstore at http://astore.amazon.com/shakespeareeclec in addition to the direct links.
Once you have moved the stuck effect around a bit you can then transfer to stick to nose or head or where-ever. I will often slip in invisible tickle feathers at this point as well.
There is a listing and description of twenty-seven suggestibility effects including the "stick stuck to hand" in the resources section of my webpages at http://www.briandavidphillips.com . . . those interested in video explanations with demonstrations of the effects might check the suggestibility volume of my DVD course at http://www.briandavidphillips.net/store – the suggestibility volume also has a bit on sequencing various effects while the instant and rapid inductions volume of the same course has examples of converting suggestibility effects into formal speed inductions. I am not aware of any other DVD set that covers so many suggestibility effects and their use (most programs cover the basic ones while this one has some of more esoteric ones which don’t get formal demonstrations quite so often). Of course, once you understand the principles, you can begin creating new variants based upon the concepts.
I hope this has been helpful. Seriously, if you really want to take your work with suggestibility effects, waking hypnosis, speed hypnosis, and even street hypnosis, consider ordering my DVD set at http://www.briandavidphillips.net/store and/or consider taking one of my walkabout trance or speed hypnosis courses whenever the next is available. Go to http://www.briandavidphillips.com regularly to keep abreast of new courses, trainings, mp3s, DVDs, shows, events, products, and what-have-you.
All the best,
Brian
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Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [brian@briandavidphillips.com]
Hypnotist, Hypnotherapist, Intuitionist, Trance Wizard
President, Society of Experiential Trance
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com
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