A question that I have seen discussed a number of times in online forums is whether it is ever ethical to lie to our clients. Given that these discussions took place online, they were rarely productive, but it is still an important question to ponder.

An example might be something like Magnetic Fingers. Most hypnotists know that it relies upon a physiological element. When the hands are placed in the correct position, the tendons in the index fingers will tighten. Yet, hypnotists will use the routine to suggest that their client is “responsive,” “has a powerful imagination,” and so on.

Isn’t that lying to our clients? And if so, is it acceptable if it is a white lie that we utilise to our client’s benefit?

I think my answer to both questions is, “yes and no.”

Whilst it is true that magnetic fingers works fairly automatically, it would not work so easily with a client who wanted to keep their fingers apart. So, it is effectively true to say that the routine demonstrates things like “you’re perfectly capable of following instructions,” or “you are ready to engage with the work we are doing…” and so on.

Yet, even if that were not the case, is it ever okay to lie to our clients?

We might think of this sort of situation as akin to parents telling their children about Santa or the Easter Bunny. It would take quite an absolute stance to suggest that such stories are actual lies, or even unethical. Are they not more like playful fantasies that we create to bestow a sense of wonder for our children?

So is it the function of the ‘lie’ that makes it acceptable? With our clients, we are offering them a belief that we intend to employ for their good. We might even say that we do this in any and every hypnotic encounter we are a part of. We tell our clients that this or that will happen without actually knowing if that is the case.

At the very least, we ask our clients to suspend their disbelief for a short while and accept as true the alternative reality we are creating with them. It would seem that a hard and fast commitment to not ‘lying’ would significantly limit imagination, fantasy and the creative dream that we call hypnosis.

Having said that, there are – I believe – reasons to be cautious with the type of untruths we share. For example, if I told a client of mine that magnetic fingers worked purely because of my hypnotic power, or because of their susceptibility, and they knew the actual physical cause, we would likely see all rapport disintegrate in a matter of seconds.

If we set out to deceive our clients and get busted, we would have a hard time making much progress with them.

Yet, if we are ‘lying’ for beneficial reasons, getting called-out is not quite as damaging. It is not such a stretch to reveal the positive intent behind our lie and to still be able to use that for our client’s good. A colleague of mine used magnetic fingers in a Street Hypnosis context with someone who happened to be a nurse. It turned out that she knew precisely why it worked, which is a fact she chose to share only after the hypnotist lead her through it.

In response to being busted, the hypnotist smiled and said, “Absolutely! That predominantly works due to the tightening of the tendons. And you could have resisted that but you didn’t. (Some people do, for some reason.) So, the fact that you were willing to have the experience – and go with it – shows that you are ready to experience something new…”

The lesson there is to have your out ready for those rare occasions when your client objects to your explanation!

There are a number of explanations we could give for routines like Magnetic Fingers and the Hip Twist, if we are caught out:

• You were subtly checking that they were willing to follow your instructions
• You were gauging how co-operative they were [In my opinion, it is better to phrase it this way than to say you were checking how “resistant” they were]
• You were starting with baby-steps to engage their imagination. However, they are clearly ready to just jump straight-in

It’s even possible to justify the first ‘lie’ with a second one!

It was never actually about the fingers. Through all of that, I was actually watching your eyes and assessing how easily you can focus all of your attention on one spot. Not everyone does it as effortlessly as you do.

That then provides an easy way to move things up a notch.

I think you are ready for the next step. Put your hands out like this [demonstrate the placement of the hands for Magnetic hands] and see what new experiences your mind can create for you, with or without the help of tendons…

So, what do you think? Is there ever a justification for lying to our clients?

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