I have one of those days on the cards where I am in discussions with my hypnotherapy diploma students all day working on their studies and portfolios, so I do not have the usual time to spend on the blog entry.

Last weekend, on my hypnotherapy practitioner diploma (HPD) training module, I was demonstrating several hypnotic inductions and fractionating the hypnosis at the same time with one particular individual (i.e. They were going in and out of hypnosis, making it easier to re-access). Each time around, I wanted to also offer up a different hypnotic deepener too.

So I also demonstrated deepening hypnosis with a mirror, one of the simplest and one of my favourite ways to deepen hypnosis without really needing to do a great deal myself as hypnotist, using a process that engages the individuals  imagination, gets them focusing their attention and ensures that they deepen the process themselves, while you look on and amplify it.

Once you have induced hypnosis using whichever induction you deemed appropriate, then you ask them to imagine being sat opposite a mirror and (in their mind/imagination) to look into that mirror and see their own reflection.

I recommend that you allow them and their own mind to paint the reflection, that is, do not start telling them what they see in detail, give them the moderately vague suggestion that goes something like this:

“… as you see yourself in that mirror, notice the things that tell you that you are in deep hypnosis… What is it that tells you that you are going deeper and deeper?”

Of course, you expand on this and use repetition and spend some adequate time doing it. The beauty is, that they see themselves in the mirror reflection going deeper and being in a deep state of hypnosis. The thought process is then that they realise in order for that mirror reflection to be that way, they must be in that place themselves and start to behaviourally and cognitively adopt those things they see in the mirror… And “ta-dah!” you have very simply deepened the hypnosis by giving an outline that they filled in the gaps with and deepened for themselves. They chose whatever was convincing to them, they generated the signs, so that must be their interpretation, which is far more accurate than anything you prescribe, eh?

This kind of deepening tends to work best with someone who has experienced hypnosis before and therefore has some personal reference to what would be signs of being in hypnosis and signs of hypnosis deepening.

I’ve often taken this notion a step further.

For example, having induced hypnosis in the individual, you can ask them to imagine that you are the perfect hypnotist for them in every way… You are speaking in the way that resonates best with them, that they find easiest to connect with, your nuances, tone and language start to be heard by the individual in a way that they become absorbed with.

Basically, you ask them to construct and create their ideal hypnotist and ask their imagination to transfer those qualities, using their imagination, onto what you are doing and how you are conducting the session.

One might suggest that if you had good enough rapport, trust and expectancy developed, such a thing would not be necessary, I get that. However, you could use it to deepen;

“… notice what this perfect hypnotist for you starts to suggest in order to make your hypnosis deeper… Imagine that happening to you now…”

And so on.

Of course, each of these ideas needs embellishing and developing to fit with the individual, the context and the environment, but I am sure you are more than capable of working that out for yourself.

Enjoy.

Ok, off to work I go…