Book: Instant Hypnosis. The power of suggestion, techniques, techniques

What is suggestion?

Suggestion is the exchange of thoughts with others. It is the unwitting acceptance of other people's ideas. If we accept other people's ideas after conscious argumentation and discussion, this is not suggestion.

Many psychologists have given their definitions of suggestion:

McDougall: Suggestion is a process of communication that leads to the acceptance without judgment of a communicated pretext in the absence of logically adequate grounds for its acceptance.
Sir T.P.: suggestion is the involuntary following of someone's idea.
Okdon: Suggestion is the cognitive aspect of the herd instinct.
Allport: suggestion is unreasonable acceptance.
Stern: Suggestion is the awakening of such a mental attitude through internal imitation.

If we generalize the above definitions, we come to the following signs of suggestion:

Suggestion requires two people: one gives, and the other receives.
The process is not related to the desire of the person receiving the ideas.
The process may be intentional on the part of the person doing the suggestion.
The person who receives ideas accepts them as his own, not noticing that they come from outside.
There are no logically sufficient reasons for accepting these ideas.
Suggestion can be either good or bad. Mark Antony received a suggestion from Cassius that Caesar was a tyrant, and this led to the assassination of Caesar. Alexander received the inspiration from Aristotle that his mission was to rule the world.
Suggestion is a form of the sociable instinct in its cognitive aspect. This is an unconscious imitation at the cognitive level.

In the process of suggestion, the effect of self-deprecation and feelings of inferiority on the part of the subject (the person receiving the suggestion) and the instinct of self-affirmation on the part of the person giving the suggestion are triggered.

The child receives suggestions from parents, older comrades and the teacher. An adult receives suggestion from people in a higher position, social position, or those who are older, more experienced and smarter.

Suggesting thoughts to another person at a distance

June 5, 2020 at 01:44 pm

Humanity has known about the power of thought since ancient times. Of course, we were not talking about the power of thought that can be used to move objects, which only magicians can do, but about the fact that thoughts can be transmitted at a distance to another person. The fact that our thoughts are material has already been proven by scientists, but how can we learn to instill thoughts in an ordinary person, without paranormal abilities?

How to learn to suggest thoughts

Open yourself to the world, and the world will open to meet you. Refer to the experience of previous generations in this matter, read books, watch programs, etc. Believing in yourself is already half the success.

Believing in yourself is already half the success. The key to success in learning to transmit thoughts at a distance is faith. You need to believe that it is possible and that you will definitely succeed.

Workout. A prerequisite for learning how to suggest thoughts at a distance is constant training. In order to train, you do not need a specific place or permanent object.

I present to your attention a few simple exercises with which you can learn to inspire thoughts.

It doesn’t matter where you are at the moment, at home by the window, at work, on the street or in a store. To complete the exercise, you only need an object: it can be an ordinary passerby or a work colleague. Focus your gaze on the selected object, concentrate your thoughts on what you want from it (for it to stand up, sit down, turn around, scratch itself, etc.) With daily training, this exercise gives good results. It must be remembered that relatives and people close in age or spirit are best susceptible to suggestion.

You can inspire thoughts in a person using a photograph. To do this, you need to take a photo of the object and, throwing everything unnecessary out of your head, concentrate all your efforts on conveying the message to the person in the photo.

One of the most effective exercises is the process of guessing cards. Sit the subject in front of you and pick up several cards from the deck. Try to hold the cards so that you can look at both the person and the cards at the same time. Concentrate and mentally tell the person which card he should draw. This exercise is very simple, but quite effective.

By doing these exercises constantly, you will soon notice that you have begun to succeed and it is possible that soon in order to say something to a person who is far from you you will not even have to call on the phone.

How to inspire your thoughts in a person and attract him to your side

Modern life dictates its own demands to us, and in order to achieve success in business or career, it is often necessary to attract interlocutors to your side, convince them that you are right, and even instill in them your own thoughts so that they can look at the matter from your point of view. Moreover, for this it is not at all necessary to master the art of hypnosis. There are certain psychological techniques that will help you cope with this difficult problem, thanks to which you can convince even the most skeptical opponent that you are right.

Methods of suggestion. Direct suggestion

Psychological science is accustomed to distinguishing two types of suggestion. The first is direct suggestion, which can also be different.

If you are dealing with people with weak intelligence, you should resort to a method called “hammering it into your head.” It is especially convincing when combined with increased gestures or a raised tone of voice.

However, such pressure does not work at all, and even moreover, it is categorically contraindicated if you are dealing with an intellectually developed interlocutor. Here it is better to act based on positive emotions. An imperative tone is allowed only if you see that the person is not confident in his own abilities or is depressed. Active gestures or facial expressions also work well in this case, and phrases should be short, sharp, but not intimidating, otherwise you can simply suppress the person instead of inducing him to action.

If you see that your interlocutor, on the contrary, is overexcited or you see that something is greatly bothering him, then the tone of your voice should be soothing, even lulling, and your phrases should be soft, enveloping, and long.

When resorting to the method of direct suggestion of your thoughts, try to structure phrases so that they seem vague, and the interlocutor himself would like to finish them for you, thus he will be confident that he is expressing his own thoughts.

However, it must be said that this method is not always effective.

Methods of suggestion. Indirect suggestion

Let's look at how to inspire your thoughts into a person using a type of suggestion called indirect. Within this species there is also a division into subspecies

Informational indirect suggestion is the suggestion of one’s own thoughts under the guise of a link to some authoritative information source. Essentially, the whole point is that in a normal conversation you refer to information that has already received public approval, and therefore the wariness of your interlocutor will be suppressed.

The method of affective indirect suggestion is that you intend to instill your thoughts in a person when he is under the influence of passion or a difficult life situation, maybe even an emergency, and therefore is most vulnerable to suggestion. At such moments, a person’s will is suppressed and he is most prone to imitative behavior. It will be especially effective if you speak to the other person in a calming, understanding tone, in the form of friendly advice.

Figurative indirect suggestion suggests that you begin to draw before the person the tempting prospects that your offer promises him.

Complementary indirect thinking is best described in Krylov’s fable “The Cuckoo and the Rooster.” As a rule, people are not ready to be critical of those who lavish compliments on them.

If you use these seemingly simple techniques in disputes, applying them correctly, depending on the specific situation, then you will easily be able to instill your thoughts in a person and emerge victorious from any controversial situation.

The power of suggestion

The power of suggestion depends on the degree of suggestibility. It is most powerful in hypnosis - in a hypnotic trance, the subject readily accepts a thought from the hypnotist.

Several suggestibility experiments were conducted:

The subject was given a piece of wire and asked to feel the warmth of the wire when an electric current was passed through the wire. The switch is out of his field of vision. The subject reported warmth when the light bulb came on, although no electricity was passing through the wire in his hand.
The experimenter gives the children several pictures and asks leading questions: What is the king doing? What does the beggar want to say? Children accept the assumption that the well-dressed man in the picture is a king, and the man dressed in rags is a beggar.

The hypnotist tells the subject to relax and fall asleep, telling him that he will only hear the hypnotist's voice and nothing else. This suggestion actually puts him to sleep.

Suggestibility

Suggestibility is the degree to which a person accepts suggestions. Children, as well as weak and less intelligent adults, are more prone to suggestion. Some people may have great resistance to suggestion - they are not so easily suggestible.

Suggestibility can be measured by conducting an experiment. We give a series of suggestions to a person and find out how many of the suggestions he accepted.

If V.V. — number of suggestions issued, P.V. is the number of suggestions accepted by the subject, then C is the suggestibility coefficient can be calculated using the following formula:

C = P.V. / V.V.

If we give 20 suggestions to a child, and he accepts 12, the suggestibility coefficient will be 12/20 or 0.6.

Suggestibility depends on a number of factors:

Age . Children are more suggestible than teenagers, and teenagers are more suggestible than adults. Suggestibility decreases with age, experience and maturity.

Children are more suggestible because:

they lack experience;
they lack intelligence;
they lack the ability to criticize new ideas;
they are aware of their inadequacy;
they do not receive satisfactory answers to their questions;
they look at elders as superior beings.

Intelligence . The higher the level of intelligence, the less suggestibility. Poorly developed children are easily suggestible. Children with superior abilities begin to doubt and argue.

Make up a fairy tale or ghost story and tell it to a smart child. He will question the existence of fairies and the possibility of flight. A dumber child will accept whatever he is told.

Floor . Boys are considered less suggestible than girls.
Knowledge . The greater the amount of knowledge, the less suggestibility. People of knowledge are enlightened people and they have a critical attitude that causes resistance to suggestion. Therefore, suggestibility is inversely proportional to the amount of knowledge.
Faith . Individuals who have formed a belief on an issue resist external suggestion on that issue. It is difficult to convince a communist to vote for a liberal. It is much easier to convince an ordinary villager (who has no convictions) to vote for anyone.
Interest . If the suggestion relates to an area of interest, it is usually very strong. Offer the applicant any short method of preparing for the exam and he will readily accept it. A person with a chronic illness takes all kinds of advice from “healers.”

An unemployed person answers all advertisements and accepts any offers from anyone regarding employment opportunities.

Temperament . Some people are suggestible by nature. They accept without criticism everything that is told to them. Such gullible people learn their lesson very late.
Emotions . Suggestion meets resistance in logical thinking, but it will work smoothly in an altered emotional state. First excite a person's emotions, and then inspire. This works well.
Physiological state . The hint works better in states of fatigue, drowsiness, nervous tension, intoxication and mental depression. She meets resistance in a state of vigor and physical freshness.

Suggestion works great in a state of hypnotic trance, as well as in a state of alcoholic intoxication. Alcohol paralyzes the central nervous system and blocks critical judgment and mental balance. In a state of low discrimination, suggestion does not meet with any resistance.

Personality type . Introverts are less suggestible because they have strong beliefs. Extroverts, by their nature of being dependent on others, are more likely to accept the suggestions of others.
Suggestion source . The power of suggestion depends on the person doing the suggestion. For children, parents, older comrades and teachers are authorities and, therefore, a strong source of suggestion.

The boss, the political leader, the scientist are the authorities, and their word is the accepted doctrine. Suggestions from great people also have great effect. Even the words of a teacher or the texts of books have a strong influence on children.

Suggestibility depends on the source of suggestion and is strongest when it is:

a great or authoritative person;
popular person;
large group;
printed text or motivated advertising.

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Techniques of hidden suggestion are currently widely used in medical practice, advertising, and are partially used in teaching. After appropriate adaptation, they can be successfully used in certain forms of management communication [15].

A truism is an obvious truth, a banality. However, expressing such an obvious truth during a conversation with a subordinate has an inspiring effect, because people tend to perceive events occurring in the world around them “at their own expense,” as if everything is aimed at them. The value of this technique also lies in the fact that , perceiving the banality as addressed to himself, the subordinate has no opportunity to object. However, in a specific situation, it automatically provides the opportunity for a specific manager to give a very specific task to a given performer [15].

A very effective technique of suggestion is to provide the illusion of choice. The essence of this technique is to state something by providing the illusion of choice. It is advisable to use the illusion of choice to prevent conflicts and optimize the psychological climate in communication between a manager and a subordinate [15].

More complex is the method of providing all options, when the leader lists or provides all possible options for action to the subordinate, but with facial expressions and expressive characteristics of the voice, he highlights the most desirable course of events. With this method, as well as in the previous one, firstly, it is stated or assumed that the subordinate is taking some action. And secondly, the most appropriate version of these actions is instilled at the subconscious level [15].

It is not difficult to use such a method of suggestion as linking the actual and the desired. The name itself contains a scheme for its use [15].

It is clear that these hidden methods of suggestion, like all others, do not operate automatically, but they significantly expand the manager’s communicative arsenal and, therefore, increase the effectiveness of managerial communication [15].

Other sources [1] propose the following classification of suggestion techniques.

What is of great attractiveness and value is that which is difficult to obtain or rarely found, in other words, an imaginary prohibition. Wanting to attract the attention of employees to something ordinary, a manager can deliberately dramatize the situation, emphasize the difficulty and riskiness of achieving a goal, the limited possibilities for satisfying requests, etc. [1].

Retreat is a technique of suggestion, which provides, during a conflict, the opportunity for the denouncing party to vent dissatisfaction, express their complaints publicly, it is useful to give some relief, especially if the work regime was really tense, as well as admitting the guilt of the leader and punishing the perpetrators. In a situation of advanced conflict, in the presence of a negative leader interested in destabilizing the situation in the team, it is necessary to resort to more subtle measures. It is necessary to neutralize the negative leader and undermine the unity of the negative group. This can be done by contrasting him with another leader and another group that correctly reflects the line of leadership. These same employees must debunk the actions of the leader [1].

Waiting is a technique also used in situations of conflict, insubordination, confrontation of forces, when there is no necessary information about the state of the opposing party and it is desirable to obtain additional information about the subordinate. Waiting and the lack of visible actions on the part of the manager create a situation of uncertainty. A subordinate, being in tension associated with some kind of violation, conflict with management, waits for an outcome with an unfavorable outcome for himself and in this situation takes some action. The latter provides management with information about the real state of the subordinate, about his motives and goals. If the wait becomes too long, then the boss himself can become the initiator of actions, escalate or make some minor concessions, thereby causing action from the opposite side [1].

In other cases, waiting may be advisable for another reason. Seeing, for example, that the employee who committed the act has prepared a version of the justification acceptable to him, the boss does not rush into conversation and investigation, but gives him the opportunity to be disappointed in his version and become convinced of the uselessness of his defense system [1].

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Types of suggestions

Suggestion can be classified according to a number of criteria, for example:

According to the source of suggestion

self-hypnosis;
opposition;
expert suggestion;
mass suggestion.

In such cases, suggestion occurs:

positive suggestion;
negative suggestion;
positive self-hypnosis;
negative self-hypnosis.

Based on the object of suggestion, there are different forms associated with different areas:

aesthetic suggestion;
religious indoctrination;
moral suggestion;
intellectual suggestion.

Form of suggestion

A church sermon gives religious indoctrination. A political party gives political indoctrination. The moralist gives moral suggestion. A beautifully decorated place is aesthetically pleasing. Scientist - intellectual.

The school can give various forms of suggestion. If it is beautifully designed, and if the classrooms, hallways, and grounds are aesthetically pleasing, students are bound to develop an aesthetic sensitivity. Moral suggestions can be given at the morning meeting. The library (books) gives intellectual suggestion.

Self-hypnosis

Sometimes a person receives a suggestion from himself, from his inner essence. In this case, the giver and recipient of the suggestion are the same person. This is called self-hypnosis.

The patient may say to himself: “I am getting better and better every day.” A politician inspires himself: “I will be the winner in the elections.” The student inspires himself: “I will definitely pass the exam.”

In all of these examples, the person is an optimistic thinker and strives to improve his or her weaknesses. It adds confidence to yourself. These are cases of positive self-hypnosis.

In negative self-hypnosis, a person says: “I won’t be able to pass the exam,” “I have a bad memory,” “Others don’t like me,” “I’m not popular,” etc. Thus, a person underestimates himself and is filled with pessimism.

Positive self-hypnosis is very useful. It gives you self-confidence. The Indian Army, with the positive self-image “We are the brave Jawans”, has demonstrated excellence and performed great feats in military conflicts with China and Pakistan.

The teacher should promote positive self-hypnosis in the classroom. This instills in students optimism, self-confidence and a positive attitude towards life.

Negative self-hypnosis is dangerous. It can lead a guilty person to the feeling of committing a deep sin and crime, a weak person to apathy and depression, a lagging student to repeated failures, and so on.

Psychologists and teachers of the East and West have always used positive self-hypnosis in all unusual situations and states of mental disorder.

Renowned Indian philosopher Patanjali emphasizes the importance of positive self-hypnosis for maintaining good mental health. He says that whenever a person feels weak, let him say to himself: “I am strong.” When sick, let him say: “I am healthy.”

The placebo effect, known in medicine, is based on self-hypnosis.

This way he will control his anxious thoughts. They can be controlled by opposing positive thoughts passed through oneself.

Techniques of direct suggestion

Introduction

Suggestion (suggestion) is a form of direct mental influence associated with the weakening of conscious control; acts as a spontaneous component of everyday communication or as a specially organized type of communication designed for uncritical perception of information. Suggestion is one of the mechanisms of influence on mass and individual consciousness, widely used in mass communication, advertising, fashion distribution and political manipulation.

At present, there is no doubt that suggestion is an integral part of normal human communication. Together with other methods of communication, suggestion performs important socio-psychological functions: it contributes to the formation of the social psychology of people, the introduction into consciousness of similar views and beliefs, opinions and assessments, norms of activity and behavior; directs and regulates the activity of the individual, encouraging him to do certain things and actions or restraining him from them. It should be noted that in the process of communication the influence of suggestion is opposed by the process of counter-suggestion. Its mechanism is formed in the process of general development of the individual under the influence of education. It includes mental, emotional and volitional components.

General characteristics of the concept of suggestion

Suggestion is an influence on a person’s behavior and psyche, presupposing an uncritical perception of the characteristics of information. Suggestion is carried out through verbal and non-verbal means. When communicating, people constantly influence each other, inspiring or imposing their opinions, assessments, and moods on each other. The power of suggestion increases during natural disasters (earthquakes, floods), as well as under the influence of targeted advertising, the significance of the transmitted information, and the authority of the speaker.

The peculiarity of suggestion is that it is addressed not to the logic and reason of the individual, not to his readiness to think and reason, but to his readiness to internally accept the transmitted information, the indicated information. Suggestion, noted Bekhterev, works by directly instilling mental states, that is, ideas, feelings and sensations, without requiring any evidence at all and without the need for logic.

According to V.M. Bekhterev, suggestion is nothing more than an invasion of consciousness (or instilling an idea into it), occurring without the participation and attention of the perceiver and often without a clear consciousness on his part (religion, hypnosis).

For some time in Russian psychology and pedagogy, suggestion was ignored as a method of education. It was believed that suggestion suppresses the will, reduces critical thinking to the point of blind faith, and only through conviction can one educate conscious ideological fighters. At the same time, in psychotherapy, the use of suggestion in the waking state and in hypnosis has a long history and has shown significant effectiveness.

According to the concept of A.M. Svodyashch, which explains the mechanism of suggestion, information verification processes take place in the human brain, i.e. determining its reliability. Of the significant amount of collapsing information, more complex information is subject to logical processing and evaluation. Most of it is subject to automatic, unconscious evaluation from the point of view of reliability and significance. Thanks to this, the body, without loading consciousness, is protected from inadequate response to signals that either have nothing to do with it or carry unimportant or false information.

The influence of suggestion is to organize and convey to the object information in such a form that it does not raise doubts about its value, significance and is assimilated without analysis.

In the process of communication, suggestion always takes place, when the effect of the first impression is observed, stereotypes and prejudices are updated; affects and unstable mental state of communication participants arise; the external similarity of the situation, appearance and behavior of people with past communication experience and condition is noted.

During suggestion, the person being suggested may experience certain barriers. Bulgarian psychotherapist G. Lozanov claims that with age, a person develops three barriers: critical-logical, intuitive-effective and ethical. Everything that does not contain the impression of well-intentioned logical consistency, trust and a sense of confidence, everything that contradicts the ethical principles of the individual, as a rule, is discarded.

In this regard, G. Lozanov proposes the following to overcome these barriers:

1.the authority of the source of influence,

2. infantilization (creating an atmosphere of liberation, adjustment, playfulness, similar to that which reigns in children's games),

3.two-plane (connection of additional stimuli: facial expressions, pantomimes, scenery),

4. intonation,

5. rhythm,

6. pseudopassivity (establishing a calm attitude, trust in the source of information, removing fear of possible failure).

Types of suggestion

Suggestion is the introduction of any ideas, feelings, emotions without the possibility of critical evaluation and logical processing, i.e. bypassing consciousness. With suggestion, all transmitted ideas are perceived and executed “blindly”.

Suggestion is used to block a person’s unwanted behavior or thinking, to persuade a person to do a desired action or behavior, and to spread useful information and rumors.

Suggestions gain strength through repetition. A person can reject an offer made once, but if he listens to the same one for a while, he will accept it. In addition, the suggestion may not produce a noticeable effect immediately, but may appear after a certain time. When the conscious mind is interested and distracted, the subconscious mind is left unprotected and absorbs everything that is told to it.

The main tool of suggestion is the word, and the gaze also has the effect of suggestion.

There are the following types of suggestion:

1. Direct - influence with words.

· a) commands and orders. They are authoritarian and directive in nature. These are sharp, short phrases, accompanied by appropriate facial expressions, gestures, and intonation. Usually phrases are repeated several times.

· b) instructions that influence emotions, attitudes and motives of behavior. These are soft soothing phrases, they are repeated several times in a calm tone.

2. Indirect - hidden, disguised suggestion. An intermediate effect or stimulus is used to enhance the effect, for example, a pill that has no medicinal properties (“placebo effect”). Indirect suggestion is learned unconsciously, involuntarily, imperceptibly.

Suggestion can occur either intentionally or unintentionally.

1. Intentional suggestion, when the suggestive person tries to achieve a specific goal, knows what and to whom he wants to suggest, and makes efforts to achieve his goals.

2. Unintentional suggestion, when the suggestive person does not set a goal to suggest something to the suggested person and does not make any effort.

The content of the suggestion can be positive or negative.

1. Positive instills positive psychological properties, qualities, states (self-confidence, faith in recovery).

2. Negative instills negative psychological properties, qualities, states (laziness, lack of self-confidence, dishonesty).

Techniques of suggestion

Techniques of suggestion, which can be divided into three groups:

1. Techniques of direct suggestion - advice, proposal, suggestive instruction, command, order.

2. Techniques of indirect suggestion - hint, approval, condemnation, “deceived expectation”, etc.

3. Techniques of hidden suggestion - truism, illusion of choice, provision of all options, linking the actual and the desired.

4. Techniques of direct suggestion.

Techniques of direct suggestion

Advice and suggestion - these techniques are most effective if the target has gained confidence in the suggestor. Techniques of direct suggestion require different voice settings, intonation of sentences, and gestures. So, when using advice for suggestion, the tone should be soft and friendly. At the same time, research by psychologists shows that many people do not know their intonation characteristics. As a result of this, very often advice is given in a mentoring tone, which naturally evokes an internal protest in the person being suggested. To get rid of this drawback, you need to purposefully train speech intonation using video recordings and voice recordings.

Inspiring instruction is characterized by the fact that the manager’s appeal, expressed in an imperative form, without argumentation, determines the executive behavior of the subordinate. Verbal forms of inspiring instruction are command, instruction, order, prohibition. The inspiring instruction is supported by a more emotional intonation and confidence-inspiring gestures. The construction of the phrase and intonation should not allow critical perception. The text is pronounced with a feeling of unshakable confidence that the subordinate will carry out the order. Unlike commands and orders, which are designed to trigger an existing skill, inspiring instruction creates a holistic setting for activity. Most often, inspiring instruction is used as an individual means, in order to develop self-confidence in subordinates, adjust the level of aspirations, weaken negative habits, and change behavior patterns. The conditions for the effectiveness of suggestive instruction in managerial communication are, first of all, the authority of the manager, as well as the absence of conflict in his relations with his subordinate, a favorable microclimate in the company’s team, and the style and form of verbal expression of this suggestive technique.

Commands and orders, as a type of direct suggestive influence, require accurate and quick execution. They are designed for automatic behavior and represent a special type of verbal influence, expressed in a brief form, precisely defined by existing regulations or traditions. Commands are given in a firm, calm voice and commanding tone. It is important that instructions penetrate into the subconscious of employees, as deeply and unambiguously as possible. Then a deep complex perception is formed.

Repetition should probably also be included in the group of direct suggestion techniques. Most researchers agree that a stimulus repeatedly sent to the recipient gives an effect that cannot be achieved with a single use. To achieve suggestion, it is often not enough to present the suggested thing once. To achieve a result, it must be repeated. But when repeating the impact, one should strive to ensure that what is being suggested enters the consciousness of listeners or readers in a new way each time, with the help of different factors, so that the way the content is presented changes. The power of suggestion in such cases increases, firstly, due to the repetition of the influence of the suggested thought.

Secondly, changing the method of influence of the suggested idea guarantees against passive and hidden resistance from listeners. Repetition has no effect if the listener is not interested in the information. It is also ineffective if the message is too easily digested or provokes strong resistance. Repetition should not be mechanical. Stereotypical reproduction of information turns out to be of little use for suggestive influence.

Repetition, as a method of suggestion, must be carried out taking into account the fact that repeated perception of ideas and images invariably causes an associative effect in the psyche. With the repetition of information messages, primary associations are supplemented by new ones based on spatial, temporal, quantitative, cause-and-effect relationships, sequence relationships, etc., which arise in the minds of individuals of a particular audience. Ultimately, the formulated associative series and chains consolidate the information received in the psyche. The more such associations there are, the more likely it is that the messages will be accepted by the consciousness of the recipients.

Opposition

If the source of the suggestion is a person different from the subject, it has the opposite effect. A child who does not trust a teacher or his parents refuses to accept a suggestion simply because it comes from an unloved person.

He not only disagrees, but acts the other way around. Suppose he is asked to stay in a certain place, but an instruction from a teacher he does not like will cause the child to leave that place.

This opposition works not only among children, but also among adults. Why did Adam and Eve try the fruit? This was forbidden and hence the opposition worked.

From an educational point of view, any situation of contraindication should be avoided. When children lose faith in a teacher or parent, when they have internal dissatisfaction, when they have not adjusted to the environment, they exhibit a negative attitude that causes contradiction.

Most cases of indiscipline in school occur due to opposition. Thus, the teacher must treat students with tact and empathy, instill confidence in himself so that his suggestions are easily accepted.

Chapter twelve. Post-hypnotic suggestion

Suggestions carried out after hypnosis. – How post-hypnosis suggestions are made. – Subject apologizes for his behavior. – Consolidation of suggestion. – When these suggestions fail. – Suggestions may be rejected. – The length of time during which these suggestions can be valid. – The so-called “instant hypnotism.” – How the subject’s resistance is overcome. – Why the hypnotist should have success in continuing the experiments. – What is the danger? - What to do in this case. – The importance of suggestions to be carried out after hypnosis. – the importance of suggestions to be carried out after hypnosis.

SUGGESTIONS IMPLEMENTED AFTER HYPNOSIS.

Of all the manifestations of hypnotism, none excites such surprise and such confusion in the mind of the observer as what is known under the name “post-hypnotic suggestion.” However, it is first necessary to thoroughly study in practice previous experiments on extraconscious memory, since only with their help can one find the key to the subsequent amazing phenomenon. This phenomenon solely depends on the power of memory manifested in the extraconscious mind.

* * *

HOW ARE POST-HYPNOSIS Suggestions MADE.

To carry out suggestions carried out after hypnosis, the hypnotist turns to the medium, who is sleeping deeply, and says:

“Ten minutes after I wake you, you will have a strong desire to put on your hat and go home. You will take a hat, put it on and immediately forget what you intended to do. You will remain sitting in your chair and talking to me, leaving your hat on your head. But you will not realize that I inspired you to do all this.”

At the appointed time, that is, ten minutes after waking up, the medium will begin to look around to find his hat. Having found it, he will immediately put it on and remain sitting in the chair. If you ask him a question, he will confidently say that he did not get up from his chair, and that he does not have a hat on his head; if you take off your hat and show him, he will be amazed for a minute, then come to his senses and say: “Yes, I intended to go home.”

* * *

THE SUBJECT APOLOGIZES FOR HIS BEHAVIOR.

He will prefer to tell you this so that you do not think that your suggestion could have such a huge influence on him and made him obey you without any consciousness. Although he does not remember anything from what you told him, but seeing that he did something funny at your suggestion, he will be offended by the fact that, as a machine, he had to obey your order.

This will manifest itself both in this and in other cases. Therefore, he will begin to wriggle out of the awkward situation in every possible way and apologize, assuring that he knew what he was doing. This type of suggestion allows for many experiments, some of which we will consider here.

* * *

CONSOLIDATING Suggestion.

To enhance the effect of a post-hypnosis suggestion, we advise you to associate it with some of your own actions. So, for example, suppose you say to a sleeping subject:

“As soon as you see me leave the room, you will get up from your chair and move the hand of the clock back half an hour; but you don't have to remember that you did it"

You make post-hypnotic influence much easier by relating it to your exit from the room. If we recall the persistence of extraconscious memory, it will become quite clear that as soon as you left the room, our preliminary suggestion already in the waking consciousness of the subject turned into an impulse, since the first suggestion was not eliminated.

* * *

WHEN THESE SUGGESTIONS FAIL.

The subject only fails to put post-hypnotic suggestions into effect if he rejects them at the very beginning; and this is the only case when such suggestions fail. If the suggestion is accepted and internal consent is expressed for its implementation, then it is always carried out punctually, exactly as ordered. If you try to impose a suggestion that has a repulsive effect on the subject, or that contradicts the foundations of morality, then he will reject it, and it will never make a full impression on his extra-conscious mind, since it will encounter resistance.

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SUGGESTIONS MAY BE REJECTED.

For a suggestion to be effective, the subject must firmly believe in it and internally perceive it. Of course, it happens that he accepts suggestions that are contrary to his nature and is forced against his will to commit actions that he would never have committed in a waking state. However, in post-hypnotic suggestions, the subject rejects those that repel him, no matter how strongly the experimenter forces him to do so. True, even in the presence of the hypnotist, he sometimes carries out the suggested orders, even when they relate to actions that he would not perform in the waking state, but in his absence, when, in fact, post-hypnotic suggestions must be carried out, he will not fulfill what he wants unpleasant or contrary to his character. This fact greatly simplifies the described method and puts it on solid moral foundations.

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THE DURATION OF TIME FOR WHICH THESE Suggestions CAN HAVE POWER.

A post-hypnotic suggestion perceived by the subject can be put into effect a week, a month, even a year after the day on which it was made, and for the most part such suggestions are certainly carried out punctually and at the appointed time. This fact is also explained by the extraordinary ability of the extraconscious mind to remember the past.

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SO-CALLED “INSTANT HYPNOTISM”.

This type of hypnotism is a very common form of post-hypnotic suggestion, most often used without any changes in public sessions. For example, you say to an already hypnotized subject:

“As soon as I enter the room and exclaim: Sleep! “Whatever you are doing, immediately stop what you are doing and fall asleep.”

The action is such that no matter what the subject is doing, he can immediately fall into a deep sleep as soon as the hypnotist enters the room and orders him to fall asleep.

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HOW IS THE SUBJECT'S RESISTANCE OVERCOME.

It happens that the subject resists the hypnotist. This is a touchstone for the latter, depending on whether he knows his business well or is confused. If the hypnotist has acquired enough experience and knowledge, he will try to immediately influence the patient with verbal suggestion. he should not give him time to think and should authoritatively imprint in his mind the confidence that all his words are unshakably fulfilled in practice. Suppose, for example, that the patient rejects the suggestion by shaking his head and saying:

"I will not fall asleep! You have no power to make me sleep!”

In this case, you should not stand and repeat the suggestion of sleep, but you should put your hand on the forehead of the person being hypnotized, and with the other hand close his eyes and say:

“You couldn't stay awake if you tried; you have a need for sleep: you feel sleepy and will immediately fall asleep. Sleep soundly while you are still on your feet!”

If the experimenter does as shown here and passes over the patient’s forehead two or three times, then the latter will fall asleep as surely as twice two is four.

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WHY THE HYPNOTIZER SHOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN CONTINUING THE EXPERIMENTS.

Boys are generally somnambulists, that is, they are very susceptible to suggestions. A boy who has been hypnotized before easily becomes hypnotized again; if his resistance is overcome, then the hypnotist’s only job is to be able to imprint his suggestions in his brain. Anyone can hypnotize a subject he has already hypnotized once a second time. The only exception to this rule occurs when, due to inept management of the case and a poor choice of suggestions, terrible nervousness is aroused in the subject, and neither the first hypnotist nor anyone else can hypnotize him. Unsuccessful results always result from nervous irritability caused by poor execution of the experiment.

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WHAT IS THE DANGER?

In all cases where the hypnotist fails to awaken the subject, the fault is again on the side of the hypnotist, and not on the side of the subject. As soon as the experimenter tries to instill in the subject a thought that is contrary to his nature, and with which he would not agree in reality, one of two results occurs: either the subject immediately wakes up, or, conversely, falls into such a deep sleep that suggestions can no longer have any effect. influence on him. Then the subject will finally resist the command to wake up, and all efforts to awaken him by ordinary means will remain in vain.

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WHAT TO DO IN SUCH A CASE.

If such a case occurs in your practice, then there is only one way to help the matter: leave the patient to his own devices. He must overcome his sleep himself and wake up when he wants to. You should not wake him up; on the contrary, you should say in a confident tone:

“You are sleeping and don’t want to wake up now. So sleep peacefully as long as you feel the need. When you wake up, you will feel quite well and be free of all nervousness. There will be no ill effects from your sleep, and you can wake up whenever you want.”

When you leave the subject alone, his own nature will come to his aid and transport him, so to speak, from the depths of extraconscious life to the surface of consciousness. This can only serve him well.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF Suggestions TO BE IMPLEMENTED AFTER HYPNOSIS.

Suggestions carried out after hypnosis deserve the most attention of all manifestations of hypnotism, since they have the most lasting effect on the extraconscious area. Strictly speaking, ordinary suggestions, such as: “after waking up you will be completely healthy and this improvement will last,” are also nothing more than a post-hypnotic suggestion, since here we are talking about the state of mind that should occur after the end of hypnosis. Hence, it is clear, the extreme importance of post-hypnotic suggestions follows, and their excellent effect will become clear to the reader of this book.

Authoritative suggestion

Prestige or authority helps ensure continued acceptance of an idea. We usually accept suggestions from elders whom we admire and respect. We also accept advice from those who are superior to us in knowledge, experience, prestige and status.

What explains the suggestion of authority?

Ross says: “If one person is respectful of another, he will readily accept his beliefs, opinions and views, and this is true of all suggestions, whether in hypnosis or in the normal state. We are all prone to accept suggestions from authority figures, from people we admire, and from the printed page.”

Thus, the first explanation is the difference relation. There is another explanation for this position. We have such an attitude towards another when we lack the knowledge and training to confront his views.

At the heart of this attitude is the attitude towards others. Children obey their parents and teachers because they consider them superior to them.

Common people obey the leaders and speakers on the political platform because they look up to them with great respect.

This is also due to the fact that some people absorb and maintain a habitual attitude of respect and obedience towards others (parents, elders, superiors and persons in power).

Illiterate people are weak people who will always obey those who are authoritative and in power.

The educational consequences of prestige indoctrination are very important:

The teacher, being senior in age, knowledge and experience, is in a position to make suggestions to his students, who may accept them unconsciously. School teachers may unconsciously inculcate cherished ideals and civic qualities among their students.
Textbooks, which have the authority of the printed word, should not contain anything that could give the wrong message to students. Incorrect statements made in the textbook can become a serious refutation of the correct statements of the teacher.
The teacher must remember that his suggestions will be accepted only when he enjoys respect and authority. When authority is lost, all its direct or indirect instructions are neutralized.

Mass indoctrination

A person in a group is very similar to being hypnotized, as he tends to obey a large number of people. He accepts certain views when a large number of people around him hold those views.

Suggestion here depends on the simple force of number, and it is called "collective suggestion." Group indoctrination plays a large role in shaping individual behavior.

Out of fear of public opinion, Rama abandoned his beloved wife Sita. Widows in ancient India sacrificed themselves in the funeral pyre of their husbands. Every man or woman, when choosing a certain course of action, takes into account social approval or disapproval of these actions, thinking “what will people say?”

When several people suggest the same thing (right or wrong), a person accepts it without argument.

There is a story in the Panchatantra about how a Brahmana was fooled by some miscreants who told him one after another that the lamb he was carrying with him was a dog, and the poor Brahmana was forced to believe it.

If the same thing is heard through different sources, for example, friends, the press and radio, it is accepted unconditionally.

Toothpaste advertising is done through a number of agencies and media and this influences people. Election campaigning is also carried out through several sources only to create a collective indoctrination.

Mass rallies, processions and campaigning work precisely on this principle. Signature collection campaigns are conducted in such a way that a mass of people who are initially reluctant to join a particular movement are influenced by many signatures.

Governments are also concerned about mass protests.

Mass indoctrination has a number of educational consequences:

A class is an organized group. If the whole class or majority of students come to a certain decision, it affects the individual student. The group now has power. If the majority of students go astray, the rest also tend to follow the majority. The teacher must be careful with this.
The teacher must treat the class with understanding. He must win the sympathy of the majority. If he fails to gain their trust, he may not be able to stand up to the class.
When a teacher punishes one or two students, he should see that the majority of the students are on his side. Otherwise, mass indoctrination will work, and the entire class may rebel.
A teacher should create good traditions in the classroom. The newcomer automatically adapts to these traditions. Thus, the prestige of the class or the entire school increases.
The majority is the authority. If the majority of pupils (students) follow a certain tradition, everyone else should follow the same tradition.

Example 1 : An experiment was conducted in Madras regarding school uniforms. The principal feared that it would not be possible to enforce the uniform because parents belonging to the middle and lower classes would object to it.

The director used mass suggestion. He managed to provide thirty percent of the students (who were poor) with free uniforms. When they came to school in uniform, many others who could afford them followed suit.

For some time, 20 to 30 percent of students did not show up in uniform. But over time, mass suggestion worked in their heads, and they forced their parents to take on the form. The school helped only a small number of families who could not afford to buy it themselves.

Example 2 : The principal of a college wanted to shorten the holiday period for the benefit of the students. If he had called a staff meeting and made a proposal, he would have lost. But he personally convinced most of the staff members before he called a staff meeting.

When the majority said “I agree... I agree,” the dissenting participants in the meeting, who were in the minority, were puzzled and silent.

Trainings, recommendations

You can increase the effectiveness of suggestion through training, as well as following a number of simple recommendations.

It’s worth paying attention to all this even before your first attempts to hypnotize someone.

Workout

Many despair and do not understand how to mentally influence a person who is very far away. If attempts to instill your idea do not bring success, it is worth practicing using special methods. They will teach you to have a more stable and strong effect on the suggerent.

Exercises are recommended to be performed daily, but it is important not to overexert yourself so as not to encounter negative consequences

The most effective training options:

Figurative representation. You need to remember any friend you know and try to focus as much as possible on his appearance, actions, thoughts, feelings. All this must be done with your eyes closed, without being distracted by anything. You can complicate the task by choosing a stranger for the image.
Training on nearby people. You should try to concentrate on the person nearby. You need to feel it as much as possible and start giving orders. For example, “come to me, you have to do this, get up and come here.” The phrases in your head can be anything, but they must remain short and clear.

Such simple exercises are enough to learn how to manage people. You just need to adhere to the correct execution, making them a mandatory part of your day.

Recommendations

If you follow simple recommendations, you will be able to achieve results much sooner. But these tips will be useful even for those who have already learned how to influence people

Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to them

Basic recommendations:

During the suggestion procedure, the environment in the room should be as calm, quiet and comfortable as possible. The lights should be dimmed.
You need to believe that soon the result will be achieved, and the order will reach the suggestor. There is no doubt about the effectiveness of suggestion.
When making suggestions, you need to breathe slowly, taking deep breaths and exhalations. Moreover, as you exhale, you should imagine how thoughts come out of the 3rd eye, going to the suggestor.
It is best to carry out hypnosis at a distance in the evening or at night. During daytime training, performance will be slightly lower.
You should try to influence some person every day. You should not skip training, allowing your mind to be distracted from your goals.
You cannot show negative emotions when suggested; you need to give up thoughts of dissatisfaction with yourself or the results.
Free time should be diluted with yoga classes. She will teach you how to breathe correctly and also concentrate on one thought.
The person to be suggested must be chosen correctly. You should not take for training the image of a strong person who has achieved great success or has a strong psyche.
Light relaxing music should be played in the background during training. Its volume should be kept moderate.
Special training in imaginative thinking using classical exercises will have a positive impact on the final result of suggestion.

Those who decide to achieve maximum results in a short time should follow all 10 recommendations. For the rest, you can exclude from the list advice on doing yoga and training in creative thinking. Other points are extremely important to implement.

Positive and negative suggestions

Suggestions through positive statements are called positive.

Negative suggestions, such as “don't tell lies, don't smoke, don't steal,” are sometimes used by parents and teachers to discourage children from doing certain things. These are negative suggestions.

“Tell the truth” gives a positive suggestion, while “don’t lie” gives a negative suggestion.

Psychologists say that negative suggestions do not work correctly. The child, instead of following the suggestion, acts contrary to it.

Firstly, he does not understand why he should not do this act.
Secondly, even knowing that he should not do a certain act, he does not know what exactly he should do .
Third, the mere mention of a wrong action provides additional suggestion . Therefore, instead of emphasizing what you “shouldn’t” do, you should say what you “should” do.

Draw children's attention to the right things rather than the wrong things.