There is more to hypnosis than the induction

Any hypnotists who have shown an interest in inductions are likely to hear something similar fto the following challenge: But there’s more to hypnosis than the induction!

I can think of a few reasons for making such a statement, some of which are well-meaning.

There is a certainly a risk – thanks to sites like Youtube – that some people new to hypnosis will place too much emphasis on the induction. Just look at the majority of inductions on a site like youtube and you will see:

• Rapid Inductions
• Executed flawlessly
• Leading to all-obedient subjects

Very often, the impression is given that if you can just master the induction then you too can have people ready to fulfil your every wish.

As these videos do not show much more than the induction, then it is no wonder that some people view them and think, “I want to be able to do that!”, by which they mean they want to be able to replicate that induction.

In such a situation, I can appreciate more experienced hypnotists offering a cautionary warning to newbies not to get so obsessed with inductions, when there is also much more taking place.

After all, it is far from rare for a new hypnotist to get fixated on an induction, presuming that if they can utter the spell perfectly, they will have their own band of automatons. This is what leads to situations like someone performing a hand-drop (a.k.a the 8-word induction) and then staring at their subject as they go ‘under’ and wondering why they soon come out of hypnosis. In such a situation, it is helpful to explain that you cannot just do an induction and then act as if the job is done. There is, in such a scenario, more to hypnosis than the induction.

Without doubt, it is certainly possible to become swept up in the excitement of inductions. And it is more than possible to misunderstand their role and importance, perhaps viewing them as magical spells to be repeated perfectly in order to mesmerise willing – or not so willing! – subjects. (This is especially true if an induction is flashy or impressive in some way.)

A second group of people are those that we might describe as induction-junkies. They enjoy collecting as many inductions as possible, always on the look-out for the new and fresh. Whilst there is nothing wrong with that, it can sometimes reveal a skewed understanding of hypnosis and the ‘power’ of inductions.

Obviously, with both groups of people, it can be helpful to explain that there is more to hypnosis than the induction. You cannot just click your fingers at the perfect moment and assume you will have people willingly following your ever command.

In that sense, it should go without saying that there is more to hypnosis than the induction. However, there are two things we might say in response. Firstly, this does not give anyone the right to look down in condescension on those who might be particularly interested in one aspect of hypnosis more than another. Secondly, the fact that there is more to hypnosis than the induction does not mean that inductions are not important, interesting or worthy of special consideration.

Considering Beginnings

A few simple analogies may be employed to address this ‘more than’ argument.

There is, after all, more to life than birth, but that does not mean that midwifery is not a noble course of study and an honourable career-choice.

Neither does that mean that the birth is unimportant. After all, if there are significant problems with the birth, the rest of that baby’s life could be effected.

In such a case, we might say that whilst there is more to life than the birth, there is not less!

Similarly, we could say that there is more to a fine meal than the first bite. This is true without a shadow of doubt. Yet, if someone bit into their (apparently well done) steak and blood flowed out, the whole of their meal might be ruined. Alternatively, if the first bite was delicious, it was at the very least a precursor of what was to come.

The thing that both of these analogies demonstrate is that there are some events or experiences where you cannot separate how the event began from the event itself. There are not two completely separate and unrelated occurrences. Instead, one was simply the initiation of the other.

However, all of this discussion sits under the shadow of what I believe is a myopic view of hypnosis and the function of inductions. Although I have just used a birth/life analogy, I personally think that that analogy is very incomplete.

The induction is not, as I understand things, merely something that we do to begin hypnosis. Instead, we can think of the induction as the opening bars of a symphony. More often than not, they set the tone for what is to come, maybe introducing a refrain that will occur a number of times throughout the piece, revealing the atmosphere of what is to come, setting the ground rules and doing the ground-work of all that is to follow.

Do we need Inductions?

Some people, passionately committed to the idea that there is more to hypnosis than the induction, question if there is any need for inductions at all. There may see people achieving hypnotic phenomena without a formal induction and wonder why so many other people still spend time trying to execute the induction perfectly.

I have already revealed how I would respond to such a question. After all, you cannot have a meal without a first bite. You cannot have life without a birth. You have to begin somewhere, so you may as well begin well.

However, there is another argument to be made. The question, do we need inductions? is incomplete. It fails to specify what exactly inductions may or may not be needed for. My response to that question would be, do we need inductions for what? 

Do we need inductions to get someone “into” hypnosis? Well, not explicitly, but refer to my argument about first bites of a meal!

However, what if the induction was about more than simply getting someone into hypnosis?

I am thoroughly committed to the idea that inductions set the frame and lay the groundwork for the therapeutic intervention to follow. (In fact, I am so passionate about this idea that I wrote a whole book about it!)

Now is a great time to reconsider the purpose and place of inductions. Whilst they may be over-emphasised on one side, and all but dismissed on another, those of us who are willing to take a fresh look at the subject may find all kinds of exciting discoveries ahead of us.

There may be more to hypnosis than inductions. And there may well be more to inductions than getting someone into hypnosis!

Further thoughts

You can read a little more about this is our answer to the FAQ : Do we need inductions? and in the video below about Induction-less Hypnosis:

 

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