Fears, permission, caution
These are things you should definitely consider every time you hypnotize someone. Even if the subject has been hypnotized before.
Fears
The most common fears and prejudices about hypnosis:
- The hypnotized person loses control, the hypnotist has full power over him and must obediently follow the hypnotist’s command
- The hypnotized person cannot come out of hypnosis without the hypnotist’s help, gets stuck, so to speak
- The hypnotized person reveals all their secrets under hypnosis (secret credit card number)
These and other fears and prejudices must of course be addressed in advance. However, it makes little sense to mention it in principle in the preliminary talk if the subject has no fears or questions at all. In this case, it would even be counterproductive and could create uncertainty where there was none before.
Hypnosis contract
The hypnosis contract means the following. You ask your subject shortly before you start hypnosis:
- May I hypnotize you?
- Are you ready to go into hypnosis now?
- May I touch your arm and hand?
The idea behind this is to get the “yes” from the subject. It can also provide information about any lasting insecurities the respondent may have.
On the other hand, it can also cause uncertainty. The subject usually comes with the desire and attitude to be hypnotized… so why ask for permission again?
It certainly makes sense to ask permission after touching, as we don’t know how the subject will react during the process. In any case, he knows in advance that touching may take place and is therefore not unsettled in this case.
Precautionary measures
Precaution means that anything that can harm the subject outside of hypnosis can also do so under hypnosis.
Always ensure the safety of your subject. He can go into a deep trance very quickly and may tip forward off the chair. Ask if he has neck problems or other physical limitations.
Find out about psychoses and medical conditions that are contraindicated for hypnotic intervention. In the case of heart problems, for example, you should not lead the subject in and out of hypnosis too quickly. Diabetes patients could suffer a sugar shock during induction, induction could trigger a crisis in epileptics. Ask your test person beforehand if they are aware of anything like this.