Some people may wonder if the amnesia we see in the Elman Induction is genuine amnesia. For example, it could be that the hypnotee is simply too relaxed to recall their numbers.
It is necessary to point out that being too relaxed to speak (i.e. aphasia) is not the same as being too relaxed to recall the numbers. If someone is simply so relaxed that they are ignoring the suggestion to count out-loud, then you have reached a hurdle in the Elman process. It is by no means an insurmountable barrier and there are ways to address this. However, it does demonstrate to the hypnotist that the process is not proceeding as planned. In short, your client is not following your suggestions.
However, if as a result of your suggestions, your client has become so relaxed that they cannot mentally locate which number comes next in the sequence, I would see that as a useful signal that they are following your suggestions and the process is progressing as hoped.
It may be helpful to recognise that hypnotic amnesia is rarely amnesia in the genuine sense of that word. Whether on a stage or in a therapy room, it is usually temporary amnesia, achieved by suggestion. The client manages to use their mind in such a way that it cannot – or will not – recall certain information. So, it seems something of a red herring to debate whether the amnesia seen in the Elman induction is the real thing. As long as it is as a result of suggestion – and not merely the client being too relaxed to bother opening their mouth – I would not concern yourself with whether or not they have genuinely forgotten something, or are just too relaxed to recall it. They may be one and the same thing.
