The late Jeff Stephens once wrote:
“There is no such thing as hypnosis without an induction. The moment I engage another person’s reality, to make it be what I want it to be, I have induced hypnosis.”
Simply put, however you begin the hypnotic process, that is your induction. So, in one sense, the answer to the question – what is an induction for? – may be, to start things off. And my feeling is that you may as well start well.
The moment you begin to engage another person’s reality, to make it be what you want it to be, you have induced – or you have begun to induce – hypnosis. So, let’s give that moment some credit. Let’s not rush it, dismiss it, or discredit it.
Now, engaging another person’s reality fits quite nicely with our reality reframe understanding of hypnosis. So, it would appear that Jeff Stephens and I may have shared a similar understanding as to the nature of hypnosis. Or it may be that we would have both stubbornly refused to give a definitive answer! Either way, the question of induction-less hypnosis seems to only come up in settings where the aim is to hypnotise someone to perform some phenomena or other. Yet, what if the induction was about more than something we did to simply get someone into hypnosis?
Some people say you need an induction to get someone into hypnosis, to follow your commands. Other people say you do not. I would say, that’s all irrelevant. What if an induction was about more than something we did to simply get someone to follow your commands?
If we took an experiential look at inductions, we would see that there are a number of things that inductions appear to achieve.
Building Rapport and Expectations
An induction can be used to ensure you are both on the same page, to increase motivation, to get their imagination running a bit, to amplify expectations, thinking outside of the box together… How you begin can achieve all of that, so you may as well do it well.
Assigning roles
Of course, this would fit well with Sarbin’s model of hypnosis, but it also includes Anthony Jacquin’s thoughts on the role of inductions. You establish yourself as the hypnotist, but what kind? Through an induction, you can convey that you are the commanding hypnotist, to whom they will comply. Or you might demonstrate that you are a co-traveller with them, planning to explore new destinations together. However you view yourself as the hypnotist, and them as the hypnotee – and, in fact, hypnosis itself – can all be expressed through how you begin.
Frame-setting
I won’t say too much about this here. Suffice it to say that however you begin with someone sets the frame for what is to follow. You set the boundaries, the parameters for what is to come. You express your intent and share through words and actions the kind of things that you will be doing together.
A Learning Experience
This goes back to that essential question that I would like to tattoo on the inside of your minds – what if the induction was about more than something we did to simply get someone into hypnosis? The kind of things that can be taught through an induction can be as simple as, “I have the ability to relax,” or, “I can do more than I thought I could.” Or they can be as profound as realising that you can dissociate from pain and achieve analgesia.
We have to begin somewhere
To support Jeff Stephens quote that I gave a moment ago, I would add the following observation: the early stages of any conversation sets the character of the interaction that follows. And if that is true, to put it crudely, induction-less hypnosis may be the equivalent of trying to take someone to bed without even buying them a drink. In your eagerness to get to the action, you are skipping the stuff that actually counts. And that can be disrespectful, it can be a sure-fire way of guaranteeing that the action is anti-climatic, and it doesn’t get you a second date!
Do we need inductions? We have no choice. We have to begin somewhere. So, let’s begin well and let’s begin with bigger goals than merely getting someone into hypnosis.
This video further explores this topic.
