How to Hypnotize People Easily and Effectively: Advanced Techniques for Hypnosis and Influence. Laura J. Walker

your induction as needed without breaking your rhythm while doing your induction.

      Having somebody who is resistant to the trance state can throw off beginning hypnotists because they have their inductions memorized and when they need to ad lib slightly, it can throw them off.

      By now, you should be able to recognize when you need to adjust your inductions to get each subject into a trance. Now it is time to learn more about the stages of the hypnotic trance.

      Stage 1 – Hypnodial State – The Waking State

      This is the initial hypnotic state, and it is called the waking state because the subject is usually extremely aware of what is going on but they are feeling good and going along with everything because it makes them happy to do so.

      Subjects in this state feel like they are just about to fall asleep or just waking up. Those moments right before you fall asleep and right before you fully wake up from a sleep are what it feels like to be in the hypnodial state, subjects are relaxed but aware. The subconscious mind is in control so they do react to your suggestions.

      When they enter this state, they usually will experience a facial flush. Seeing a blush or flush on your subject’s face is what you need to look for to tell that they are in this state.

      Stage 2 – Lethargic State – The Light Trance State

      This is one step up from the waking state and the subjects will be deeper into the trance state. Subjects will feel very lethargic, with heavy limbs and eyelids. Subjects in this trance state often experience R.E.M, rapid eye movement, the same as what we do when we sleep.

      You will be able to notice that the subject’s eyelids might flutter slightly or that their eyes are moving under their closed eyelids; this means that they are in the second stage of the trance.

      Subjects in the lethargic state are easy to work with and very open to your suggestions. From this stage, it is very easy for subject to go onto the next trance state.

      95% of the population can be put into this trance state. They will still have the facial flush and their eyelids will start to flicker. Some subjects will have slightly opened eyes, just enough so that you can see that they have rolled their eyes up and the whites of their eyes are showing, this is normal.

      Stage 3 – Cataleptic Trance – Medium State

      Although most of your subjects will very likely stay in stage 1, or stage 2, you will have a good portion of your subjects continue onto the medium state. When a subject enters the medium state, they begin to lose touch with their surroundings.

      If a subject has trouble recalling what happened when they were under hypnosis, or they have a very hazy or confused recollection of what had happened when they were in trance, that is very likely because they had gone deep enough in trance to enter stage three.

      Subjects in the medium trance state, although very deep in trance and feeling detached will still respond well to hypnotic suggestions. If you have ever seen a hypnotist hypnotize a subject, then tell them that they are rigid like a plank of wood, and then balance them perfectly on the back of two chairs, the subject was in this trance state.

      In this state, the mind is detached from physical feelings and the pain receptors will not trigger a response to the brain, for example, you can put a subject’s hand in ice water and they will have no response, or hold their hand over a match or flame and get no response.

      Please take note that you should absolutely never make any suggestions that can even possibly lead to bodily harm. Hypnotists who do the above described acts often do so on assistants and helpers who are well versed with hypnosis, who are willing and able to be put into this trance state and have the above done. The above should never be done on random subjects, ever.

      Only about 55% of the population will enter this trance state.

      Stage 4 – Somnambulistic – The Deep Trance State

      The deep trance state is the deepest state that subjects can enter and it is called the somnambulistic state because subjects in this trance stage are rather like sleepwalkers. This trance stage is so deep that they will quit responding to suggestions.

      The trance state is pleasant and they are so fully relaxed that they are very happy to just sit and enjoy the trance state. Your suggestions will be ignored.

      Very few participants enter this stage but if one happens to then you should stop your show or session and bring them out of trance. If you are in the middle of a show, you need to bring them out of trance and then monitor them off to the side before sending them back to their seat; never send anybody back to their seat without them being fully conscious.

      Only 20% of the population can enter this trance state. Subjects in this trance state will move slowly, as if they were asleep and their speech will be slurred. If you notice these signs, wake up the subject immediately.

      Some other physical signs to look for are slumping in their seats, heads falling over, mouth might fall open, etc. People react to hypnosis is different ways but the above signs are the main things to look for as indications that they are in the light to medium trance stage.

      If you have a subject that is hard to awaken, and stage four subjects can be hard to awaken, do not worry, it happens every now and then. You should try lifting their arm and shaking their arm gently or you can blow gently into their ear, this will often awaken a deep trance subject enough for you to talk them out of their trance state.