Pueblo Colorado Sign

Traveling Hypnosis Road Show

and

OPEN-ENDED SUGGESTIONS

Every year for the past several years I have enjoyed the privilege of working for John Morgan Seminars. Right now, from early January until sometime around early spring, I’m on the road presenting Hypnosis seminars for Smoking Cessation and Weight Loss. As I mentioned in a post from September 2008, these seminars are a very effective means for people to accomplish their goals in these two areas. This even when participants face the challenge of the seminars being presented to groups that average about 50 people at a time. Last week in Colorado Springs we had 110 or so in the Smoking class. This is not exactly an ideal scenario for an Neo-Ericksonian approach that emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual.

How can it work then?

Soon to be ex-smokers in Wheeling West Virginia

I think one of the way it works is through the use of open-ended suggestions. Open-ended Suggestions are ones that are so general purpose that they’d apply to virtually any one. Statements like Coue’s famous “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better…” could be true for anybody.

You’ll hear Milton Erickson use a lot of open ended suggestions in the second half of his video-taped session with Monde and Nick. In the second half of the video Erickson’s primary patient is Nick, about whom Erickson has very little information. Since Milton doesn’t know Nick or his presenting problem he can be nothing but open ended with Nick.

As an example, Erickson says to Nick,

It’s always a pleasure to do good work

and to do good work with good material

It’s a pleasure

Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs

Another example of open ended suggestions are used in what is referred to as “cold readings.” You’ll see this in psychic readings where the “psychic” simply makes statements that could be true for anyone.

I remember reading about an experiment done by the amazing Randi where he took a room full of college students and told them he was going to do a computerized astrological reading for all of them. He gathered all their birth times and locations and loaded it into a computer. Soon the computer spit out individualized horoscopes for each student.

They were amazed at how accurate these readings were. They felt the readings uncannily fit them to a “T”. They became convinced that there must really be something to that astrology thing after all. They felt that way, at least, until they exchanged papers and discovered that ALL of the horoscopes were exactly the same! The descriptions were universal enough to fit anyone. Statements like, “you have wide ranging interests and your true potential is not being fully realized.”

So, in these seminars, when I say to people that they have many patterns that are subconscious and now they can begin to outgrow the old way and grow into a new way, it really is true for everyone in the room.

Ericksonian Hypnotic Language Patterns

Negative Commands/Suggestions
Before we look further at this category of language pattern a quick word…
By the term “Negative Suggestion” we don’t mean something nasty. We’re not in the business of suggesting negative things to people, like suggesting to someone that their nose will fall off.
What we’re instead doing is giving a positive suggestion hidden within something that sounds like you’re not saying that.
Confused? Great. So glad I could help.

Maybe this will be better…
The brain doesn’t compute negations. If you say to someone, “Don’t think of the color purple,” what do you suppose they begin to think about? What color are you thinking about? So you can direct your listener’s attention by saying “don’t do” exactly what you’d like them to do.

A. Don’t _____too quickly (or too soon)…

“Don’t use these language patterns too soon to empower others now.

“Don’t go into a trance too quickly, Monde.”

B. I wouldn’t tell you to _______, because…
(more about the word ‘because’ in future entries.)

“I wouldn’t tell you to practice these patterns everyday, because you might just get too good.’

“I wouldn’t tell you to go into a trance now, because it’s important for you to discover for yourself how quickly or slowly is right for you.”

C. I could tell you that_____ but…

“I could tell you that learn these patterns will be far easier and fun than you probably imagine, but I would rather let you enjoy that discovery yourself.”

This is another great way to avoid resistance. (Note also that in this example we have sacrificed correct grammar so the sake of a good command.)

Now, I wouldn’t tell you to write your own examples, because as you discover your best way of learning, you’ll know the best way to learn is by doing. Write them out. Practice. Say them aloud to a human being with the proper tonal shift.

I could tell you to go out there and use them, but I know you’d rather see for yourself.