1

Stages of Hypnotherapy
Preparation
In the first session, the client and the hypnotherapist determine an achievable goal and establish
a rapport. The first session has a thorough preparation and each session thereafter includes an
evaluation of the problem and the desired outcome.
During the preparation, the hypnotherapist assesses the client's receptivity, suggestibility, and the
possibility of achieving the desired outcome. The hypnotherapist must screen the client for
factors that might make the client ineligible for hypnotherapy. Here are some questions the
hypnotherapist may ask the client:
 Why did you seek a hypnotherapist at this time?
 What do you hope to accomplish?
 Is your condition medical or psychological? Has a physician or psychotherapist been
consulted?
 What other treatments have you had for the condition?
At this time, the hypnotherapist assesses the client's capacity to receive and act on posthypnotic
suggestions. The hypnotherapist must understand what words, imagery, and symbols affect the
client. It is important for the client to understand his or her own suggestibility, so that he or she
can participate effectively with the hypnotherapist.
During the preparation, the hypnotherapist corrects any misconceptions or unrealistic
expectations the client may have about hypnosis and clearly communicates what hypnosis can
and cannot do. Once the hypnotherapist is satisfied that the client is ready for hypnosis, he or she
reviews the stages of hypnosis and begins the induction.
Induction
During induction, the hypnotherapist guides the client to narrowly focus his or her attention to
the point that sensory impressions are blocked out. The client can then reach the state of
complete relaxation necessary for hypnosis to occur. The hypnotherapist's office usually is quiet
and dimly lit to create a relaxing atmosphere. The hypnotherapist chooses a particular method or
combination of methods for induction based on the assessment of the client. An induction script
may use different types of verbal and visual cues, including the following:

 Use of authority—The hypnotherapist gives instructions in simple declarative sentences (e.g.,

"As I speak, you will relax.").
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 Guided visualization or imagery—The hypnotherapist suggests images or describes a scene

for the patient (e.g., "Let your mind drift to a calm and peaceful place. See the wind blowing
through the trees, the flowers in the meadow.").
 Quiet music or rhythm—The hypnotherapist speaks in a steady, evenly paced rhythm
without varying voice tone. Sometimes the therapist plays music in the background.
 Repetition of words or sounds—The therapist repeats key words or sounds (e.g., "Breathe in
deeply . . . ", "As you breathe in . . . ").
 Emotional cues or probes—A hypnotherapy session may be used to gather more information
about painful experiences or to help patients cope with difficult emotions. The therapist
integrates the inquiries or instructions into the induction script (e.g., "You are in control and
will choose to experience or ignore any suggestions during the session.").
 Analogies, metaphors, and associative statements—The hypnotherapist uses comparisons
to familiar experiences or images to help clients achieve physical relaxation (e.g., "Your legs
are sinking into the couch, heavy as logs." "Feel your body, heavy and relaxed, being
supported by the tree behind you, the ground beneath you.").
Clients do not always readily accept suggestions. The hypnotherapist is alert to any sign of
negative reactions or abreactions that may occur during the induction. The hypnotherapist guides
the client through these feelings or, if necessary, rewords the suggestion during a later session.
An abreaction can present itself as a yawn, a frown, a scratch, or movement in the hand or foot.
On occasion, clients might feel somewhat disoriented, or in rare instances, nauseous. Stopping
the induction can usually relieve these effects, or they may disappear as the hypnotic state
deepens. After the induction, some people report feeling different physical sensations (e.g.
tingly, heavy, floating); others feel nothing unusual at all.
Deepening
Next, the hypnotherapist uses deepening techniques to enhance the hypnotic stage. These can
include simply continuing the chosen induction, changing to another type, or talking directly to
the client.

There are three levels of hypnotic states:

 Hypnoidal—a light stage of hypnosis, characterized by fluttering eye movements
 Cataleptic—a deeper state, characterized by side-to-side eye movements
 Somnambulistic—the deepest state, characterized by the eyes rolling up
The somnambulistic level has three levels. The first two involve a kind of amnesia, that is, the
client receives posthypnotic suggestions on a subconscious level and may not remember hearing
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them. The third level of somnambulism is so deep that a person in this state can undergo major
surgery without anesthesia.
For sessions focused on self-improvement or changing unwanted habits, the hypnoidal and
cataleptic states are adequate; however, better results can be achieved if the client enters into the
cataleptic state.
Before moving on to the utilization stage, the hypnotherapist must be sure that the client is in a
hypnotic state and ready to receive posthypnotic suggestions. There are several observable
indicators of the hypnotic state:
 Lack of body movement, stillness

 Pallid, waxen complexion

 Rapid eye movements, eyelid fluttering
 Redness around the eyes
 Relaxed posture, slumping
 Slowed breathing
 Swallowing, gulping
 Water or tears in the eyes
Utilization
A posthypnotic suggestion is made during the utilization stage. The posthypnotic suggestion is a
verbalized statement of the desired outcome. If taken in and acted upon, the suggestion affects
behavior after the client has emerged from hypnosis and returned to regular daily activities. The
posthypnotic suggestion is the key to achieving the client's goal.
As long as they are clear and specific in describing the goal, posthypnotic suggestions can be
visual or auditory. Only positive suggestions based on the client's suggestibility effectively
change behavior. For example, the hypnotherapist might suggest that when a client finds him- or
herself in a usually stressful situation, they will not desire a cigarette.
An abreaction, such as a frown or shift in posture, may occur when the suggestion is made.
Repeating the suggestion, rewording it, or choosing a different type of suggestion may help the
client become more receptive.
By repeating the suggestion to the client in each session, a new conditioned response may be
achieved. The repeated chosen key words in the suggestion become associated with the desired
outcome. If the client successfully receives the suggestion, he or she begins to formulate internal
processes (emotions, visualizations, or dialogues), which help achieve the desired outcome.
After the posthypnotic suggestion has been introduced and developed, the hypnotherapist leads
the client into the termination stage.
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Termination
Termination is the slow, gradual return to consciousness. Just prior to ending the hypnotic state,
the hypnotherapist often repeats that the client is in control of his or her body and mind, and has
been in control throughout the session. Several termination techniques may be used; the best
known is counting backwards followed by the authoritative command "Wake up." The client
opens their eyes and adjusts to the relaxed but aware state that follows hypnosis.

Around the turn of the century, thousands of persons flocked to Nevada, MI, for cures for all
kinds of diseases. Nevada, for several years, was famous as a center for Magnetic Healing.

The Sydney Weltmer Institute of Magnetic Healing had been in existence for three years
when Dr. Leonard Stanhope, who was already a physician in Nevada, decided to treat patients
by hypnotism and magnetic healing as well as teaching it to others.]

He wrote a book on hypnotism, in 1899, which became a best seller. After two years he wrote a
second book called "Magnetic Healing Explained." The second book also did well.

The treatments there involved hypnotism. Dr. Stanhope's book, (The science of magnetic
healing, embracing hypnotism, vital magnetism, and mental science by Leonard E.
Stanhope (1899)), includes explanations of three sciences, hypnotism, vital magnetism
and mental science.

He used post-hypnotic suggestion to cure contracted habits and addictions.

He describes six stages of hypnotism.

The first is when a suggestion is made to the subject and he acts upon it.

The second is a hypnotic or induced sleep. During this time the subject will communicate with
the operator but will not hear any other person unless the operator transfers the communication.

In the third stage, the subject's muscles become rigid, and he has no power or desire to move.

Later, the muscles will relax, and in the fourth stage he will answer questions.

When the fifth stage is reached, the hypnotist can send the subject to any place he chooses
whether the subject has ever been there or not. He can visit distant friends, tell the hypnotist what
these friends are thinking and doing, and describe places he has never seen in his waking state.

The last or sixth stage, according to Dr. Stanhope, "appears to be a condition of perfect
knowledge. The distinguishing feature between it and the fifth seems to be that while in the fifth
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they have to travel to gain their knowledge; in the sixth everything appears right before them;
they do not have to seek for knowledge."

Hypnotherapy: The Stages of Hypnosis and How it Works

Definition of Hypnosis.

The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis defines clinical hypnosis as:-

“…a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. It is like using a
magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful.”

Hetero Hypnosis.

Firstly, the process of hypnosis involves deep mind and body relaxation.
Following the relaxation phase is an altered state of consciousness that leads to a
heightened focus. This increased focus, in turn, results in a higher susceptibility to suggestion.

Firstly, we will examine the hypnotic state that is induced with the help of somebody trained in
hypnotherapy or hetero hypnosis.

The majority of clinical hypnotherapists today follow a model more closely aligned with the
ideas of Milton Erickson (1901 – 1980).

The approach of Erickson is centred around the belief that each person holds their own, unique
ability to heal and problem solve.
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Thus, the hypnotherapist simply facilitates the individual and unique creative process.

The approach of Erickson to hypnotherapy challenged earlier beliefs surrounding

the subconscious and unconscious. Indeed, it was generally accepted that these hidden parts of
the mind contained suppressed, negative conflicts. For example, dark sexual desires or urges.

Erickson turned such ideas completely around and stressed the wisdom and creativity of the
unconscious mind in problem solving. Furthermore, Erickson put emphasis on the intelligence
of the unconscious mind.

The most important legacy of the work of Erickson is the stress on the interactive therapeutic
relationship and an extremely individual based approach. Thus, the emphasis is placed on the
uniqueness of an individual and a therapeutic approach tailored to that uniqueness.

The Hypnotic Process: What happens?

i. Hypnotherapy: Preparation or ‘Screening’

A hypnotherapy session with a ‘guide’ or hypnotherapist is usually carried out in a calm,

relaxing, safeenvironment free from interruptions.

The preliminary ‘talk’ between the person to be hypnotised and the ‘guide’ normally highlights
expectations and past experiences of hypnosis (if any). Furthermore, there is a discussion of the
specific problem to be worked on.

Oftentimes, these problem areas include behaviour or thoughtsthat need to be re-balanced; or

changed completely. For example, help with stopping smoking or losing weight.

During this preliminary talk, a skilled hypnotist gains a lot of information. Thus, the initial talk
will help the hypnotist to work out the best induction technique for a particular individual.
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A hypnotherapy session usually follows a ‘loose‘ pattern:

 The preparation or screening, of a client

 Induction of an altered state of consciousness
 Deepening of the trance state; which is known to open up suggestibility’
 The post hypnotic suggestions: Suggestions are given regarding the problem or area in the
psyche to be worked upon

ii. The Induction

Typically, in a hypnotherapy session, the first fifteen minutes are designed to relax the body and
mind. This first stage of hypnosis is called the induction. The induction phases involves
encouraging a person to enter into a ‘light trance’ using relaxation techniques. Such relaxation
methods work on both the mind and the body.

The ‘gradual induction’ process, encourages the person to be hypnotized to focus on

and relax all of their muscles. Furthermore, this physical relaxation technique helps to get rid of
tension and release anxiety.

Usually, some attention will be given to slowing and controlling the breath; this again,
encourages relaxation and distracts the conscious mind.

There are many different induction methods and different individuals will respond better to some
than others. Thus, it is important to use a highly individualised approach for hypnosis sessions.

iii. ‘Deepening’ of the Trance State

The second stage in the hypnotic process is to deepen the trance state. This ‘deepening’ prepares
the unconscious mind to be more receptive to new suggestions. behaviour. Furthermore, once
the new suggestions have been accepted new patterns of thinking and behaviors will follow.

Sometimes the techniques used to deepen the trance are simply continuing and reinforcing the
chosen induction method. However, such methods usually involve deepening bodily relaxation
combined with in-depth visualization techniques led by the hypnotist.

For a more in depth look at some of these ‘deepening’ techniques see the full hypnosis script.
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It is very important to ensure the subject has entered a ‘deep’ state of altered consciousness;
before moving on to the ‘hypnotic suggestion’ phase of the process.

The three levels or stages of the hypnotic state:-

1. Hypnoidal State: The first stage of hypnosis is entered into on induction. This is a ‘light’
state of relaxation and inner focus. The hypnoidal state is characterized by fluttering eye
movements.
2. Cataleptic State: The second stage of hypnosis is a ‘deepening’ of the altered state. This
level is characterized by side to side eye movements.
3. Somnambulistic State: This stage is the deepest ‘trance state’ characterized by rolling
upwards of the eyes. Suggestions are received on a unconscious level and the person may
have no memory of hearing them.

How deep is your Trance?

Interestingly, most of the work on overcoming bad habits; and/or self improvement is achieved
when a person is in a hypnoidal or Cataleptic State.

Moreover, it is believed that the deeper the trance state, the better the results.

However, because the hypnosis process is so subjective it is only really the person who has been
hypnotized that can assess the depth of the trance state.

The fact that memory may be impaired in the hypnotic process only adds to the difficulties in
assessing levels of trance.

The three states described above are more of a ‘guide‘ into hypnosis.

With the advancement of imaging equipment of the brain, the hypnotic trance has started to
receive some attention and accreditation.

The Scientific Study

In a study by Kosslyn (2000), eight people were examined under a PET (Positron Emission
Tomography) scan whilst hypnotised. The subjects were asked to see a color pattern, then the
same pattern in gray-scale. Next, participants saw a similar gray-scale pattern in color and finally
the gray-scale pattern as gray scale.
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The areas of the left and right hemispheres of the brain were activated when they were asked to
perceive color; whether or not the subject was looking at a color pattern or a grey-scale pattern.

This resulted in the conclusion that observable changes in subjective experiences during
hypnosis were actually reflected by changes in brain function.

The work of Kossly is important. This is because it illustrates how hypnotic suggestions
influences brain activity and not just behaviour and experience.

iv. The Therapeutic Utilization of Hypnotherapy

The next stage of the hypnotic process is the suggestions that are designed to change thought
patterns and behaviors. Often these suggestions for self improvement will have been agreed upon
by the hypnotist; as well as the patient in the initial introduction.

Thewording of the suggestions is very important. Research has shown that the unconscious mind
responds well to open suggestions or questions. But does not recognise negative suggestions.

A skilled hypnotist will be able to couch the suggestions to affect the change in a way that each
individual will respond to. Furthermore the suggestions need to be put in a way that fits in with
the ‘worldview’ of the subject.

A post-hypnotic suggestion is made during the hypnotic process. But has an effect at a later point
in the future.

Furthermore, a suggestion may be accepted immediately. But more often the suggestion will
need to be repeated regularly over several sessions to take root in the unconscious mind.
However, once the suggestion does take hold, thought patterns will begin to change. Finally the
new thought patterns lead to real behavioural change.

Post-hypnotic suggestions can be either visual or auditory – it depends on each individual and
how they respond to the world.

How sensitive a person is to visual or auditory stimulation should be assessed by a good

hypnotist in the preparatory or ‘screening‘ phase. In addition, extra physical clues may be given
as the hypnotherapist guides a subject from a light trance into a ‘deepening’ trance.

In future posts on hypnotic scripts we will examine the different stages of hypnotherapy with
some examples of hypnotic suggestions.
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v. Termination of the Hypnosis

Nonetheless, the ending of the hypnotic session is quite straight forward and involves a
gradual returnto full consciousness.

Again, this process can be brought about by a number of methods.

A common method is the counting backwards from 10 with the person becoming fully aware and
conscious on the number 1 with a gradual ‘lightening’ of the mental state along the way.

Let me explain. Hypnosis is similar to daydreaming or meditation, in essence an altered state of

awareness, or indeed a lovely state of relaxation, which then creates a relaxed subconscious state
of mind. In this relaxed state, the subconscious mind is open to receiving helpful and beneficial
suggestions, thus enabling you to reach your desired goal.
Hypnotherapy works provided it is within your core beliefs and principles. In other words
hypnotherapy cannot make you do something you really don’t want to do. It is not brainwashing
nor a magic wand.
Many people have said to me “Oh I can’t be hypnotised; I don’t want to loose control, or I’m not
susceptible enough.

If you can daydream; if you can go off into your own little world; if you, say leave home and
when you arrive at your destination you don’t remember your journey and how you got to your
destination, well that’s self-hypnosis, so yes you can be hypnotised. But most important of all
though, is that you are in total control during the entire time of your treatment and you can
terminate your session at any time.

Hypnotherapy is a safe, relaxing and enjoyable experience.

There are many different scales used to ‘measure the hypnotic state’. So I’m going to go through
a simple 1 – 6 scale.

SIX LEVELS OF HYPNOSIS

Level 1 Hypnoidal

So light you don’t feel hypnotised. In fact you feel completely awake. However much can be
accomplished even in the 1st level, such as weight reduction, smoking cessation etc.

Level 2
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You are more relaxed, light relaxation and your larger muscle groups can be manipulated.
Eyelid Catalepsy and Arm Catalepsy.

Level 3

Fairly complete control of entire muscular system (if told). Cannot rise from chair, cannot walk,
won’t be able to articulate a number, nor remember it! Partial Analgesia.

Most Stage Hypnotists will not work with a subject unless they are in at least a Level Three. In
most cases, the first three levels are really the only ones with which most Clinical
Hypnotherapists need to work with.

Level 4

Beginning of Amnesic stages. Starting to produce much greater phenomena. You will actually
forget a number, name etc. Glove Analgesia (used for pain control) – You will not feel pain, but
will feel touch. Most dental work and minor surgery can be performed in Level 4 (You would
still feel air rushing into incision, but no pain).

Level 5

Beginning of Somnambulism. Complete amnesia. You will feel neither pain nor touch. Positive
hallucinations. See / hear things which do not exist.

Level 6

Profound Somnambulism. Negative hallucinations. Effects senses of sight / hearing negatively.

Will not see / hear things which actually do exist.

I hope the above has been of help to you to understand a little bit more about the wonderful state
of hypnosis.

And of course I’m always at the end of a phone or email to answer any of your questions.

Suggestibility is the quality of being inclined to accept and act on the suggestions of others
where false but plausible information is given and one fills in the gaps in certain memories with
false information when recalling a scenario or moment. Suggestibility uses cues to
distort recollection: when the subject has been persistently told something about a past event, his
or her memory of the event conforms to the repeated message.[1]
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A person experiencing intense emotions tends to be more receptive to ideas and therefore more
suggestible. Generally, suggestibility decreases as age increases. However, psychologists have
found that individual levels of self-esteem and assertiveness can make some people more
suggestible than others; this finding led to the concept of a spectrum of suggestibility.

Contents

 1Definition
 2Examples
 3Hypnosis
o 3.1Autonomy
o 3.2Susceptibility
o 3.3Language acquisition
o 3.4Common experience of suggestions
o 3.5Experimental vs. clinical
 4Non-state explanations of hypnotic responsiveness
 5Child
o 5.1Internal
o 5.2External
o 5.3Extreme events
 6Other cases
 7See also
 8Notes
 9References
 10Further reading

Definition[edit]
Attempts to isolate a global trait of "suggestibility" have not been successful, due to an inability
of the available testing procedures to distinguish measurable differences between the following
distinct types of "suggestibility":[2]

 To be affected by a communication or expectation such that certain responses are overtly

enacted, or subjectively experienced, without volition, as in automatism.
 Deliberately to use one's imagination or employ strategies to bring about effects (even if
interpreted, eventually, as involuntary) in response to a communication or expectation.
 To accept what people say consciously, but uncritically, and to believe or privately accept
what is said.
 To conform overtly to expectations or the views of others, without the appropriate private
acceptance or experience; that is, to exhibit behavioral compliance without private
acceptance or belief.
Wagstaff's view is that, because "a true response to [a hypnotic] suggestion is not a response
brought about at any stage by volition,[a] but rather a true nonvolitional response, [and] perhaps
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even brought about despite volition",[2] the first category really embodies the true domain of
hypnotic suggestibility.
Self-report measures of suggestibility recently[when?] became available, and they made it possible
to isolate and study the global trait.[4]

Examples[edit]
Suggestibility can be seen in people's day-to-day lives:

 Someone witnesses an argument after school. When later asked about the "huge fight" that
occurred, he recalls the memory, but unknowingly distorts it with exaggerated fabrications,
because he now thinks of the event as a "huge fight" instead of a simple argument.
 Children are told by their parents they're good singers, so from then on they believe they are
talented while their parents were in fact being falsely encouraging.
 A teacher could trick his AP Psych students by saying, "Suggestibility is the distortion of
memory through suggestion or misinformation, right?" It's likely that the majority of the
class would agree with him because he's a teacher and what he said sounds correct. However,
the term is really the misinformation effect.
However, suggestibility can also be seen in extremes, resulting in negative consequences:

 A witness' testimony is altered because the police or attorneys make suggestions during the
interview, which causes their already uncertain observations to become distorted memories.
 A young girl began suffering migraines which led to sleep deprivation and depression. Her
therapist, who was a specialist in cases involving child abuse, repeatedly asked her whether
her father had sexually abused her. This suggestion caused the young girl to fabricate
memories of her father molesting her, which led to her being placed in foster care and her
father being tried on charges of abuse.[1]

Hypnosis[edit]
Main article: Hypnotic susceptibility

Hypnotic suggestibility is a trait-like, individual difference variable reflecting the general

tendency to respond to hypnosis and hypnotic suggestions. Research with standardised measures
of hypnotic suggestibility has demonstrated that there are substantial individual differences in
this variable.[5]
The extent to which a subject may or may not be "suggestible" has significant ramifications in
the scientific research of hypnosis and its associated phenomena. Most hypnotherapists and
academics in this field of research work from the premise that hypnotic susceptibility (or
suggestibility) is a factor in inducing useful hypnosis states. That is, the depth of hypnosis a
given individual can achieve in a given context with a particular hypnotherapist and particular set
of beliefs, expectations and instructions.
Dr. John Kappas (1925–2002) identified three different types of suggestibility in his lifetime that
have improved hypnosis:
Emotional suggestibility - A suggestible behavior characterized by a high degree of
responsiveness to inferred suggestions that affect emotions and restrict physical body responses;
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usually associated with hypnoidal depth. Thus the emotional suggestible learns more by
inference than by direct, literal suggestions.
Physical suggestibility - A suggestible behavior characterized by a high degree of
responsiveness to literal suggestions affecting the body, and restriction of emotional responses;
usually associated with cataleptic stages or deeper.
Intellectual suggestibility - The type of hypnotic suggestibility in which a subject fears being
controlled by the operator and is constantly trying to analyze, reject or rationalize everything the
operator says. With this type of subject the operator must give logical explanations for every
suggestion and must allow the subject to feel that he is doing the hypnotizing himself.
However, it is not clear or agreed what suggestibility (i.e., the factor on hypnosis) actually is. It
is both the indisputable variable and the factor most difficult to measure or control.
What has not been agreed on is whether suggestibility is:

 a permanent fixed detail of character or personality;

 a genetic or chemical psychiatric tendency;
 a precursor to or symptom of an activation of such a tendency;
 a learned skill or acquired habit;
 synonymous with the function of learning;
 a neutral, unavoidable consequence of language acquisition and empathy;
 a biased terminology provoking one to resist new externally introduced ideas or perspectives;
 a mutual symbiotic relation to the Other, such as the African conception of uBunthu
or Ubuntu;
 related to the capacity of empathy and communication;
 female brain / left-brain characteristics of language-interpretation and garnering negative
connotations due to (disputable) gender bias from a male-dominated scientific community;
 a matter of concordant personal taste between speaker / hypnotist and listener and listener's
like of / use for speaker's ideas;
 a skill or a flaw or something neutral and universal.
Conceptually, hypnotizability has always been defined as the increase in suggestibility produced
by hypnosis. In practice, hypnotizability is measured as suggestibility following a hypnotic
induction. The data indicate that these are different constructs. Although the induction of
hypnosis increases suggestibility to a substantial degree, the correlation between hypnotic and
non hypnotic suggestibility approximates the reliability coefficients of so-called hypnotizability
scales. This indicates that hypnotic susceptibility scales are better measures of waking
suggestibility than they are of hypnotizability.[6]
Existing research into the phenomena of hypnosis is extensive and randomised controlled trials
predominantly support the efficacy and legitimacy of hypnotherapy, but without a clearly
defined concept of the entity or aspect being studied, the level an individual is objectively
"suggestible" cannot be measured empirically. It makes exact therapeutic outcomes impossible to
forecast.
Moreover, it logically hinders the development of non-bespoke hypnotherapy protocol. On this
latter point, it must be pointed out that while some persuasion methods are more universally
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effective than others, the most reliably effective method with individuals is to personalise the
approach by first examining their motivational, learning, behavioral and emotional styles (et al.).
Few hypnotherapists do not take a case history, or story so far, from the clients they will be
working with.
Hypnosis is rarely a 'battle of wills'. Predominantly, people instinctively feel more subjectively
comfortable when receiving positive suggestions in the understanding-framework we understand
most easily. In practise, most people are less likely to resist the ideas for optimism or fresh
perspectives if they: (a) Concur with other ideas already held, (b) Are consistent with favourite
decision-making patterns, (c) Flatter our self-identity to a level we accept, (d) Contain positive
rather than negative enforcement – toward something good rather than away from something
bad, and (e) Are suggested in terms that mirror sensory combinations that person experiences the
world through...making it easier for the suggestion to "make sense" – as in neuro-linguistic
programming (NLP).[citation needed]
Autonomy[edit]
The intrigue of differences in individual suggestibility even crops up in the early Greek
philosophers. Aristotle had an unconcerned approach:
"The most intelligent minds are those that can entertain an idea without necessarily believing it."

— Aristotle
[citation needed]

This perhaps is a more accurate echo of the experience of practising hypnotherapists and
hypnotists. When anyone is absorbed in rapt attention in someone else's inspiring words as they
outline an idea or way of thinking, the subjective attention is held because of the logic, the
aesthetic, and the relevance of the words to one's own personal experience and motivations. In
these natural trance states, like those orchestrated purposefully by a hypnotherapist, the 'critical
faculties' are naturally less active when there is less to be naturally critical of.
It is perhaps the "necessarily believing it" that is problematic, as this conception of suggestibility
raises issues of the autonomy of attributing belief to an introduced idea, and how this happens.
Susceptibility[edit]
Popular media and layman's articles occasionally use the terms "suggestible" and "susceptible"
interchangeably, with reference to the extent to which a given individual responds to incoming
suggestions from another. The two terms are not synonymous, however, as the latter term carries
inherent negative bias absent from the neutral psychological factor described by "suggestibility".
In scientific research and academic literature on hypnosis and hypnotherapy, the term
"suggestibility" describes a neutral psychological and possibly physiological state or phenomena.
This is distinct from the culturally biased common parlance of the term "suggestible". Both terms
are often bound with undeserved negative social connotations not inherent in the word meanings
themselves.
To be suggestible is not to be gullible. The latter pertains to an empirical objective fact that can
be shown accurate or inaccurate to any observer; the former term does not. To be open to
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suggestion has no bearing on the accuracy of any incoming suggestions, nor whether such an
objective accuracy is possible (as is with metaphysical belief).
Some therapists may examine worries or objections to suggestibility before proceeding with
therapy: this is because some believe there is a rational or learned deliberate will to hold a belief,
even in the case of more convincing new ideas, when there is a compelling cognitive reason not
to 'allow oneself' to be persuaded. Perhaps this can be seen in historical cases of mass hypnosis
where also there has been media suppression. In the individual, unexamined actions are
sometimes described by hypno- and psycho-therapists based on outgrown belief systems.
The term "susceptible" implies weakness or some increased danger that one is more likely to
become victim to and must guard against. This is supported when it is reduced to its Latin
etymological origins.[citation needed] It therefore has a negative effect on expectation and itself is a
hypnotic suggestion that suggestions must be noticed and guarded against. Hypnotic suggestions
include terms, phrases, or whole concepts where to understand the concept includes making
sense of a subjective sensation, or a framework for the appropriate response.... simple one-word
forms of this include the word terrorism where to understand the concept, one must understand
the notion of terror and then understand in the sentence that it is meant to refer to "that" given
object.
Language acquisition[edit]
Much of the contention and concern about suggestibility as an Achilles heel in the armor of
human autonomy is unfounded. Cognition of a phrase must occur before the decision how to act
next can occur: because the concepts must exist before the mind. Either they are suggested from
the mind itself, or in response to introduced suggestions of concepts from outside – the world
and its scenarios and facts, or suggestions from other people.
A suggestion may direct the thoughts to notice a new concept, focus on a specific area within the
world, offer new perspectives that later may influence action-choices, offer triggers for automatic
behavior (such as returning a smile), or indicate specific action types. In hypnotherapy the
portrayed realistic experience of the client's requested outcome is suggested with flattery or
urgency, as well as personalized to the client's own motivations, drives, and tastes.
Common experience of suggestions[edit]
Suggestions are not necessarily verbal, spoken, or read. A smile, a glare, a wink, a three-piece
suit, a scientist's white coat, are all suggestive devices that imply more than the immediate
action. A hypnotist uses techniques that use these instinctive "fillings-in of gaps" and changes to
how we respond to a scenario or moment. In the therapy setting, a hypnotist or hypnotherapist
will likely evaluate these automatic cognitive leaps, or dogma, or any self-limiting or self-
sabotaging beliefs.
Being under the influence of suggestion can be characterized as exhibiting behavioral
compliance without private acceptance or belief. That is, actions being inconsistent with one's
own volition and belief system and natural unhindered action-motivations. This could hinder the
autonomy, expression or self-determination of an individual. It could equally supersede emotions
with rationally chosen, deliberate long-term results.
 17

Experimental vs. clinical[edit]

The applications of hypnosis vary widely and investigation of responses to suggestion can be
usefully separated into two non-exclusive broad divisions:

 Experimental hypnosis: the study of "experimental suggestion", of the form:

"What is it that my group of test subjects actually do when I deliver the precise standard
suggestion ABC to each of them in the same experimental context?"
(i.e., given a fixed suggestion, what is the outcome?)

 Clinical hypnosis: the study of clinical suggestion directed at the question:

"What is it that I can possibly say to this particular subject, in this specific context, to
generate my goal of having them do XYZ?" (I.e., given a fixed outcome, what is the
suggestion?)
Many scholars and practitioners use the wider term clinical hypnosis to distinguish
clinical hypnosis in as rigorously controlled a trial setting as possible, from clinical
hypnotherapy (i.e., a clinical intervention in which therapy is conducted upon a
hypnotized subject).

Non-state explanations of hypnotic responsiveness[edit]

According to some theoretical explanations of hypnotic responses, such as the role-
playing theory of Nicholas Spanos, hypnotic subjects do not actually enter a
different psychological or physiological state; but, rather, simply acting on social
pressure – and, therefore, it is easier for them to comply than to disobey. Whilst this view
does not dispute that hypnotized individuals truly experience the suggested effects, it
asserts that the mechanism this takes place by has, in part, been "socially constructed"
and does not, therefore, require any explanation involving any sort of an "altered state of
consciousness".[3]

Child[edit]
Children have a developing mind that is constantly being filled with new information
from sources all around them. This predisposes children towards higher levels of
suggestibility, and as such children are an important area of suggestibility investigation.
Researchers have identified key factors, both internal and external, that are strong
markers for suggestibility in children.
Internal[edit]

 Age: Children have a remarkable ability to remember events in their lives. The real
variability between ages in suggestibility is the amount of detail provided for an
event. Memory detail will be great for older children. The problem as it relates to
suggestibility is when children, and even adults, blend previous knowledge of similar
experiences into their recollection of a single event. Children, particularly younger
children, are prone to including details that are similar yet unrelated to the specific
event showing that the age of a person is critical in their susceptibility to influence.
 18

 Prior knowledge: As mentioned before, the possession of prior knowledge that

relates to an event can be particularly dangerous when dealing with child
suggestibility. Prior knowledge, as it relates to suggestibility is the use of past
experiences to help reconstruct past or current events. Prior knowledge of an event
can actually be effective at producing accurate recall of a particular situation, but can
also be equally as effective at producing false memories. Research showed that when
presented with a previously familiar situation, children were likely to falsely recall
events as if they had happened.
 Gist extraction: Although children are extremely likely to recall false memories
when past events are similar to a current event, they will also recall false memory
details that are seemingly unrelated to the event. Researchers named this
phenomenon global gist, which is a representation that identifies connections across
multiple events. Children will falsely recall information that fits with their
representation of the events around them.
External[edit]

 Interviewer bias: Interviewer bias is the opinion or prejudice on the part of an

interviewer, which is displayed during the interview process and thus affects the
outcome of the interview. This happens when interviewers pursue only a single
hypothesis that supports what they already think, and ignore any details that counter
their hypothesis. The goal is not to get the truth, but to simply corroborate what is
already believed. Interviewer bias is commonly experienced when extracting
information from children.
 Repeated questions: It has been shown that asking children the same question over
and over again in an interview will often cause the child to reverse their first answer,
especially in yes or no questions. It is the child’s belief that since the question is
being repeated that they must have not answered correctly and need to change their
answer.[citation needed]
 Interviewer’s tone: Children are extremely perceptive of people’s tones, especially
in an interview situation. When an interviewer’s tone dictates the questioning, a child
is likely to construct memories of past events when they actually have no memory of
that event. An example would be that when a positive tone is used, it has shown to
produce more detailed accounts of events. However, it has also been shown to
produce false information intended to appease the interviewer.
 Peer interactions: Children’s accounts of events can be greatly distorted by
information from their peers. In some cases, children who were not present for an
event will later recall witnessing the event as well as details about the event. This
information come from hearing about the event as described by their peers. These
children may speak up in order to feel included.
 Repeating misinformation: Repeating misinformation is simply when an
interviewer gives a child incorrect details of an event. This technique is used over
several interviews and occurs several times within a single interview. It has been
shown to have a great effect on the accuracy of a child’s recollection of an event, and
eventually, the misinformation will be included in the child’s account of a given
event.
 19

Extreme events[edit]
In extreme events such as sexual abuse, extreme anxiety or maltreated children can in
fact be greatly subjected to suggestibility.[clarification needed]
Little research has been carried out into the effects of anxious mood at the time of either
the encoding of misleading post‐event information or the time of its possible retrieval, on
subsequent suggestibility. Memory accuracy for non‐suggestible items was unaffected by
the anxious mood induction. With respect to suggestibility, there was a strong effect of
misleading information.[7] This is just one example of how a highly emotional situation
such as an anxiety attack can create suggestibility misconception.
Another example of research is that memory, suggestibility, stress arousal, and trauma-
related psychopathology were examined in 328 3- to 16-year-olds involved in forensic
investigations of abuse and neglect. Children's memory and suggestibility were assessed
for a medical examination and venipuncture. Being older and scoring higher in cognitive
functioning were related to fewer inaccuracies. In addition, cortisol level and trauma
symptoms in children who reported more dissociative tendencies were associated with
increased memory error.[8] This again proves how a stressful or traumatic experience in
young children can be affected by suggestibility.

Other cases[edit]
It is claimed that sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociative identity
disorder (DID) are particularly suggestible.[citation needed] While it is true that DID sufferers
tend to score to the higher end of the hypnotizability scale, there have not been enough
studies done to support the claim of increased suggestibility.[citation needed]
Aspects of crowd dynamics and mob behavior, as well as the phenomenon
of groupthink are further examples of suggestibility.
Common examples of suggestible behavior in everyday life include
"contagious yawning" (multiple people begin to yawn after observing a person yawning)
and the medical student syndrome (a person begins to experience symptoms of an illness
after reading or hearing about it). Placebo response is also thought to be based on
individual differences in suggestibility, at least in part. Suggestible persons may be more
responsive to various forms of alternative health practices that seem to rely upon patient
belief in the intervention more than on any known mechanism. Studies of effects of
health interventions can be enhanced by controlling for individual differences in
suggestibility. A search of the Mental Measurements Yearbook shows no extant
psychological test for this personality characteristic. The Gudjonsson suggestibility
scale is questionable for this kind of purpose due to its narrow focus. However, see the
Multidimensional Iowa Suggestibility Scale (MISS) for a recently developed self-report
scale. In addition to health-related implications, persons who are highly suggestible may
be prone to making poor judgments because they did not process suggestions critically
and falling prey to emotion-based advertising.

Hypnotic susceptibility
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 20

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Hypnosis

Applications[show]

Origins[show]

Key figures[show]

Related topics[hide]

 Hypnotic susceptibility
 Suggestion
 Age regression in therapy
 Hypnotic induction
 Neuro-linguistic programming
 Hypnotherapy in the United Kingdom

 v
 t
 e

Hypnotic susceptibility measures how easily a person can be hypnotized. Several types of scales
are used; however, the most common are the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility and
the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales.
The Harvard Group Scale (HGSS), as the name implies, is administered predominantly to large
groups of people while the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS) is administered to
individuals. No scale can be seen as completely reliable due to the nature of hypnosis. It has been
argued that no person can be hypnotized if they do not want to be; therefore, a person who scores
very low may not want to be hypnotized, making the actual test score averages lower than they
otherwise would be.

Contents

 1Hypnotic depth scales

 2Hypnotic susceptibility scales
o 2.1Friedlander-Sarbin Scale
o 2.2Stanford Scales
 2.2.1Form A
 2.2.2Form B
 2.2.3Form C
o 2.3Harvard Group Scale
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 2.3.1Hypnotic Induction Profile

o 2.4Other scales
 3Susceptibility
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

Hypnotic depth scales[edit]

Hypnotic susceptibility scales, which mainly developed in experimental settings, were preceded by
more primitive scales, developed within clinical practice, which were intended to infer the "depth" or
"level" of "hypnotic trance" on the basis of various subjective, behavioural or physiological changes.
The Scottish surgeon James Braid (who introduced the term "hypnotism"), attempted to distinguish,
in various ways, between different levels of the hypnotic state. Subsequently, the French
neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot also made a similar distinction between what he termed the
lethargic, somnambulistic, and cataleptic levels of the hypnotic state.
However, Ambroise-Auguste Liébeault and Hippolyte Bernheim introduced more complex hypnotic
"depth" scales, based on a combination of behavioural, physiological and subjective responses,
some of which were due to direct suggestion and some of which were not. In the first few decades of
the 20th century, these early clinical "depth" scales were superseded by more sophisticated
"hypnotic susceptibility" scales based on experimental research. The most influential were the Davis-
Husband and Friedlander-Sarbin scales developed in the 1930s.

Hypnotic susceptibility scales[edit]

Friedlander-Sarbin Scale[edit]
A major precursor of the Stanford Scales, the Friedlander-Sarbin scale was developed in 1938
by Theodore R. Sarbin and consisted of similar test items to those used in subsequent experimental
scales.
Stanford Scales[edit]
The Stanford Scale was developed by André Muller Weitzenhoffer and Ernest R. Hilgard in 1959.
The Scale consists of three Forms: A, B, and C. Similar to the Harvard Group Scale, each Form
consists of 12 items of progressive difficulty and usually takes fifty minutes to complete. Each form
consists of motor and cognitive tasks but vary in their respective intended purpose. The
administrator scores each form individually.
Form A[edit]

Based upon the scale developed by Joseph Friedlander and Theodore Sarbin (1938), this form was
developed to measure susceptibility to hypnosis with items increasing in difficulty in order to yield a
score. The higher the score, the more responsive one is to hypnosis. Following a standardized
hypnotic induction, the hypnotized individual is given suggestions pertaining to the list below.
Item Number Test Suggestion and Responses

1 Postural Sway

2 Eye Closure
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3 Hand Lowering (left)

4 Immobilization (right arm)

5 Finger Lock

6 Arm Rigidity (left arm)

7 Hands Moving Together

8 Verbal Inhibition (name)

9 Hallucination (fly)

10 Eye catalepsy

11 Post-hypnotic (changes chairs)

12 Amnesia

Form B[edit]

Form B was designed to be used as a follow-up to Form A when doing experiments involving a
second session of hypnosis. The items are similar but are changed somewhat (e.g. the use of the
opposite hand in a particular item). The changes were made to "prevent memory from the first
exerting too great an influence upon the recall of specific tasks..."[1]
Form C[edit]

Created a few years after Forms A and B, Form C contains some items from Form B, but includes
more difficult items for "when subjects are being selected for advanced tests in which knowledge of
their capacity to experience more varied items is required" (pgs v-vi Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard 1962).
Following a standardized hypnotic induction, the hypnotized individual is given suggestions
pertaining to the list below.
Item Number Test Suggestion and Responses

0 Eye Closure (not scored)

1 Hand Lowering (right hand)

2 Moving Hands Apart

3 Mosquito Hallucination

4 Taste Hallucination

5 Arm Rigidity (right arm)

6 Dream
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7 Age Regression (school)

8 Arm Immobilization

9 Anosmia to Ammonia

10 Hallucinated Voice

11 Negative Visual Hallucination (Three Boxes)

12 Post-Hypnotic Amnesia

In more modern experiments, a scent such as peppermint has been used in place of ammonia for
Item 9.
Harvard Group Scale[edit]
Ronald Shor and Emily Carota Orne developed the Harvard Group Scale in 1962. It consists of 12
items of progressive difficulty (as defined, psychometrically, by the percentage of subjects in a
normative sample that reports experiencing each particular item) and usually takes around forty-five
minutes to complete. The items usually consist of motor tasks and cognitive tasks with the motor
tasks being easier to complete. The average score is 5 out of 12. The test is self-scored leaving it
open to criticism concerning the validity of the scores.
Hypnotic Induction Profile[edit]

The Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) or the eye roll test, first proposed by Herbert Spiegel,[2] is a
simple test to loosely determine if a person is susceptible to hypnosis. A person is asked to roll their
eyes upward. The degree to which the iris and cornea are seen is measured. The less of these parts
of the eye observed, the more hypnotically susceptible a person is. Research has shown that the
scale does not carry as strong a relationship with other hypnotic scales as originally thought, with
correlations ranging from 0.1 to 0.15 (Orne et al. 1979).
Other scales[edit]
Many other tests are not widely used because they are usually seen as less reliable than the
Stanford Scale and Harvard Group Scale. Many professionals think that these tests produce results
because they involve attentional control and a certain level of concentration is required to be
hypnotized.
Conversely, concentration can be something induced through the use of hypnosis instead of a "fuel"
used to get hypnosis running.

Susceptibility[edit]
Individuals of extremely high hypnotizability tend to have distinctive characteristics outside of
hypnosis. In 1981, Sherl Wilson and T X Barber reported that most of a group of extremely high
hypnotizables who they termed "fantasizers". The fantasizers exhibited a cluster of traits consisting
of: 1) fantasizing much of the time, 2) reporting their imagery was as vivid as real perceptions, 3)
having physical responses to their imagery, 4) having an earlier than average age for first childhood
memory, 5) recalling "imaginary playmates" from childhood, and 6) having grown up with parents
who encouraged imaginative play.[3] In 1991, Deirdre Barrett examined a larger group of extremely
high hypnotizables and confirmed that about 60% fit Barber and Wilson's characterization of
fantasizers while 40% were what she termed "dissociaters" who: 1) experienced daydreaming mostly
 24

as "spacing out" and not remembering what had been going on for periods of time, 2) had later than
average ages for first memories, and 3) had parents who had been harshly punitive and/or who had
experienced other childhood traumas. Fantasizers tended to experience hypnosis as being much
like other imaginative activities while dissociaters reported it was unlike anything they'd ever
experienced.[4] Individuals with dissociative identity disorder have the highest hypnotizability of
any clinical group, followed by those with posttraumatic stress disorder.[5][6][7]