An Important Idea For Hypnotists and Human Beings...

 Are you ready to take a quick journey inside your own mind, and learn something really cool and useful?

Ok, let me ask you:
What's going on inside your head, right now, as you read this?

Are you aware of your internal dialogue? Maybe you're aware of your breathing, and maybe just focusing on that, causes it to change now, doesn't it? And this can, can't it, just cause your whole mind and body to feel just a little different, in whatever way you are noticing it right now.

 Many hypnotists these days are understandably doubting the old theory 'all hypnosis is self hypnosis' - but there's no denying that it's all about your own mind - the mind of the subject.

I'm not here to make an argument for or against that line, I doubt there's an absolute answer either way, but I would like raise another theory, or, to put it a better way, an 'idea.'

If this idea becomes (or already is) a belief in your own mind, you're gonna have a lot of fun! If it doesn't, well, at least I've got you thinking.

Since you are reading a blog on hypnosis, NLP, suggestion and the mind, you must at least have some awareness of the power of suggestion.

How placebos or hypnosis (in many ways the overlap is staggering) can cause people to recover seemingly 'miraculously' and to achieve physical and mental feats way beyond their estimated potential.

And. of course, how a knowledge of hypnosis and the mind can just allow people, like me and you, to relax and find that happiness and inner peace that we are all really after, aren't we?

The mind is powerful. More on this soon, but first, two hard truths:

Self hypnosis doesn't exist.
Nor does hypnosis for that matter.

I want these points to be quite clear, as they are both, after all, just words, mere labels, for a scientific and psychological process even the brightest of us can barely grasp.

So, with that understanding, please don't turn around and say 'all hypnosis requires a hypnotist to be separate from the hypnotee' or anything like that. You know better.

Your mind is powerful, this much is very, very obvious.

Your thoughts can affect the way you feel, the way your behave, the way you heal, develop grow. The way you live your life.

Learn to control your mind and, (forgive me for sounding kinda lame here); you live your life, rather than your life living here.

I label the most effective process I have found for aligning my mental resources towards my goals and releasing my full potential 'self hypnosis.'

No matter what you label it, it works well, and the results in all areas of life, resulting in just general 'feel goodness' are, always, staggering.

But let's not get too hung up on me, this is about your mind, after all.

So, what does this mean to you, as an accomplished or budding hypnotist? Where is the practical seed behind the, hopefully, persuasive rhetoric?

Here's the idea, theory or, hopefully, belief I want you to entertain, take hold of and play around with in your mind and life, just for now.

'Anything that CAN be accomplished with hypnosis, hypnotic suggestion, or the placebo effect, you can accomplish yourself with self hypnosis.'

Just ask yourself, if that WERE true, what would it mean to you, how would you feel right now?

I just want you to toss this idea around in your head for now, and see how it feels.

When we come to the next post, we'll step it up a notch, and I'll tell you about something that you are certain to find really very cool indeed.

Keep your eyes on the blog, and I'll see you soon.

Cheers,
Nathan Thomas.

PS

See that banner, top left of the blog?
My mate Sean Michael Andrews has just released his latest DVD, 'Inducing The Trance' which will give you 15 quick, easy and very cool inductions that you can take out onto the street right away.

Like all his past DVDs, this one is simple, practical, clear and the examples and demos are kick ass.

It's the fourth one down at his store / info page here:

http://www.worldsfastesthypnotist.com/store_nt.html

There you'll also find his very cool and VERY sneaky 'Amazing Inductions' DVD, also worth checking out.

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Hypnosis and Diamonds - The Outback's Master Stroke Of Covert Hypnosis and Reframing

Before I heard this story, I had never given diamonds a thought!

At my age, they are the last thing on my mind, and yet this story really brought home how powerful a simple reframe could be.

Reframing is a skill sometimes undervalued or overlooked, largely because on the surface it may seem a bit complicated.

The best part about stories like this is that they show us not only how simple reframing really is, but how dramatic and powerful the effects can be.

With a simple change in ideas or perspective problems can be eliminated, sales can be made, and, as you're about to find out, multi million dollar blunders can be transformed into massive commercial coups.

At the Argyle mine in Australia, millions of dollars were invested in a diamond mine which seemed to have huge potential.

After a lot of effort, diamonds were finally found, but they brought with them disaster.

They were the wrong color!

Rather than that hypnotic diamond sheen, these were a terribly off color, and looked even faintly red.

The miners discarded them in disgust, and the worthless mine looked ready to close down.

That was, of course, until some thinking went on behind the scenes.

The diamonds weren't worthless, decided one clever marketer, they were new, exotic, and were soon to become the latest fashion.

Piles of money were invested in advertising, and soon the clever names of 'champagne' and 'rose' diamonds took hold, and sales started pouring in.

The product had not changed, the only shift was in perception.

Today, these 'discolored' diamonds are often highly prized and sought after. I don't know about you, but I find this pretty cool!

Many times, you may come upon a situation, whether you're trying to sell, heal, console or whatever, when things look hopeless.

The facts, as they stand, are totally against you, but by just changing the words around, the whole situation changes.

Now, here's where problems arise.

If you just charge blindly in and start reframing left right and center, that doesn't make you the artful master persuader of your dreams. I'm sorry to say, that would make you a spin-doctor!

What the overzealous advertisers and politicians miss is that the power of your reframes isn't about their dazzling cleverness, it's about subtly, precision and tact.

You can call a lair merely 'economical with the truth' or label an obese person 'comfortably rotund' but this foray into euphemisms won't get you far.

So, how do you reframe both cleverly and elegantly, so that your ideas are completely accepted, and people can't help but accept your frame?

What is, in other words, the Douglas Adams 'Point Of View Gun' of the hypnosis world?

There are many answers to this, ranging from pattern interrupts and anchoring to story telling and more besides, so as usual let's look beyond the surface of the techniques, and find out what really goes on when you make a successful reframe.

If someone said to you 'I just got fired, this is a disaster!' merely saying 'no - it's an opportunity' MAY work perfectly, but more often than not they will be too caught up in their own frame and state to take any real notice.

So, we need to break their frame.

A pattern interrupt could accomplish this. You could anchor the problem state, then distract them with an impactful change of topic (which may be hard in that situation, but would certainly be possible), elicit a 'good' or 'resource' state, anchor that state, and then collapse the anchors. Combined with your frame, this could certainly have some impact.

Unless you already have some training in conversational hypnosis or NLP, that may seem a little complicated though, right? (In reality it's not, but don't worry about that for now).

A much easier way would just be rapport and pacing and leading, maybe wrapped up in a story.

"Yeah, mate I know, this happened to John a few weeks ago,. Like you he was feeling really depressed and pissed off, and heck, who can blame him! 

It's funny, isn't is, just how easily peoples minds can change though. He told me that as soon as he walked in his house and saw his family he just totally relaxed now. 

You know what it's like when a problem just kind of slides off you? He said he began to really feel good because he realized that he now had an opportunity to find a new job that would let him spend time with the people who really matter."

Ok, that's clearly simplified, in the real world you'll find yourself best served by your knowledge of the person you are speaking to, and their unique values and ideas. Naturally, you should change your tonality and body language to match what you are saying. As always, congruence is key - remember to go there first!

With the collapse anchor example, we are in effect destroying their frame, meeting it head on with another (hopefully) more powerful frame. With the pacing and leading metaphor example, we are allowing ourselves to briefly enter their frame, and gradually lead them out.

In the real world, try out both methods, and others besides. See what comes to you in the moment, and combine and create elements depending on the exact situation you're in.

Reframing, deframing, preframing and all the other applications of this rich topic are hugely important for you to learn, and when you master this, a whole new world will open up in terms of what is often termed 'effortless persuasion and influence.'

Short of spending thousands of dollars on a NLP master practitioners course, the resource I continue to recommend on reframing is Igor Ledochowski's classic 'Power Of Conversational Hypnosis.'

CD 10 "Advanced Frame Control - How To Irresistibly Lead Any Interaction," will take you far beyond what you have learned here, and drill your conscious and unconscious mind on how to naturally become a master of hypnotic frame control.

As always it is rich in practical examples and real world tips, so if you already have the course make sure you give it another listen, and if you don't have it yet make sure you claim your copy here.


So, learn frame control, and discover how you can turn worthless stones into priceless diamonds!

Cheers,
Nathan Thomas


PS
Make sure you sign up to the 'Private Hypnosis Club' bonus package at Igor's site. The latest master classes are truly awesome -  I'm still reeling from his interview with John Overdurf, it's seriously killer material!


Click Here For The Power Of Conversational Hypnosis


PPS
Tomorrow I arrive in Cairns, and will soon be leaving for a three day boat trip around the Great Barrier Reef with my girl friend who I haven't seen for almost 3 months! It's going to be great, but in the mean time, make sure you're on the newsletter as you'll soon be receiving some very exciting new material which I know you'll just love.

PPS
The diamond story was told to me via word of mouth - (by a rather hilarious tour guide out near Tennant Creek, with a beer belly bigger than his beard, and that's saying something!) - although I researched and checked the facts online before sharing it with you, if you happen to be a diamond expert and spotted an error, please feel free to post a comment and let us know!




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Extreme Hypnotic Suggestions - What I Learned From The Man In The Dive Shop...

People really can be 'hypnotized' into doing almost anything - provided you build it up right. As an unwitting traveller, I soon learned just how true this really is!

At 1:30 am, after an 18 hour bus trip from Perth, I staggered off the coach in Exmouth, found the place where I was staying, checked in, and collapsed on the bed.

The next day I woke, expecting to find myself in the bustling Ningaloo reef
only to realize that it was off season, and the tourists, tours and excitements were over.

My dreams of catching a 15 minute bus to the reef, and snorkeling amoung the coral to my hearts content were dashed. The nearest beach of interest was a 4 hour walk away, a little too far in the 40 degree heat.

After a LOT of searching, I finally found a solution, three tour companies were still operating even in the quiet season (note: the busy season starts in March, when the Whale Sharks arrive).

As is one of the many virtues of the quiet season, all companies had vacancies, and promised captivating full day tours of the near by reef.

The last few weeks on the road had taken it's toll on my wallet, so, I booked the cheapest of the three for $160.00. Had it cost even $5.00, I probably wouldn't have joined.

As a totally unplanned expense, even that was a stretch, but I was happy and excited about the tour beginning the next day.

(The hypnosis part is coming, please bear with me here!)

A few hours later, I get a call from the company, who apologized, but said there weren't able to go out tomorrow.

After a huge sigh, I trudged the three kilometers on foot back to the tour office.

I booked tour number two, at $180.00

I had too, after all, I had already mentally committed myself to tomorrow's experience - now way I was going to let it slide for just $20.

Another phone call, and, due to either lack of interest or vehicle maintenance (I don't recall which tour suffered from which) tour two had also cancelled.

Back to the tour office.

The only remaining tour was A $250.00 SCUBA diving trip.

It was expensive, and I had never dived before.

I booked it.

Had that trip been the only one available when I first walked in, there was no WAY I would have signed up.

For a traveller with another full year to budget for, $250.00 is a lot of money.

So, after being bored stupid with that rambling anecdote, I hope you are beginning to see the point.

Some call it 'pyramiding,' others 'piggy backing' or just 'building up.'

Little things condition compliance, and build in the subject's mind comfort and the willingness to follow your suggestions.

Taking a hypnotic example, imagine yourself as a skeptical hypnotic subject.

If the hypnotist said to you, right out of the blue, 'you now see a giant crocodile in front of you. Look, it's there!' would you be likely to respond?

Umm... nope!

But, what if you were told to close your eyes.

That's ok, isn't it?

And once you've closed your eyes, you might as well take a deep breath in.

And now you're eyes are shut, and you're breathing deeply, feeling relaxed is just natural now, isn't it?

Since you are relaxed, it isn't such a big step for your eyes to be glued shut, now, either?
And now you can't open your eyes, why shouldn't your hand be stuck to the table as well?

With your eyes glued, and your hand locked, why not find that you have forgotten your name too? It's not that much more extraordinary, and there never was a number between 1 and 3 anyway... was there?

A Crocodile? In your living room? Why not, at least I can open my eyes now...



By working your way up slowly, you keep in pace with the beliefs and reality of the subject, allowing them to ease themselves, slowly, into the deepest experiences.

Like climbing into a hot spa pool, with simple little steps you cab eventually go all the way in.

Hopefully you're beginning to grasp what I'm getting at here - it's all about starting small, and working up.

Think about these ideas, and try them out.

From 'official' hypnosis to social interactions and selling diving tours to lost Kiwis, you will find this principle incredibly relevant and useful in the real world - use it well.

Cheers,
Nathan Thomas

PS

The tour was amazing, by the way. I saw reef sharks, sea turtles, sea snakes, and some of the most amazing fish and coral - it really was worth every cent, which is another lesson, I guess :)

PPS

Keep your eyes peeled, as more articles are to come - I'm even hoping to have another free video out for you shortly, as soon as I get the chance, so make sure you are on the newsletter if you are not already so you don't miss out.

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Handstick Hypnosis Video Demonstration By Master Hypnotist Jeffrey Stephens

Hey, Nathan here
I've been exploring the North West of Australia, Reefs, Roos and killer Jelly fish - it's an exciting place! We don't have much time, but I really want to show you this awesome free video by my friend Jeff Stephens.

This is an excerpt from his complete video training set, where he demonstrates how to do the old favourite - the handstick.

Check out the video below, and I'll give you a quick break down afterwards.

Cool eh? Here's what you need to notice:

• Confidence. If his confidence was obvious to me and you, it was obvious to the subject. Never make the mistake of overlooking the importance of your own hypnotic confidence
• Simplicity. No need for fancy language patterns and advanced dual reality when you are this confident.
• Compliance - little instructions get the subject used to following your suggestions
• The building of a 'yes set' with many seemingly minor questions to both condition compliance, and get the mind working in the direction you want it to
• Use of imaginative and sensory imagery. The more vividly someone imagines something, the more engaged they are at the unconscious level.

If you only learn one thing from this video, take from it Jeff's attitude.

When you know that you are a hypnotist, that what you do will work, and that both you and the subject will fully engage in and love every second of the experience, you'll realize that the techniques and the words really are barely even the tip of the iceberg.

At first, feel free to model what Jeff does exactly. When you gain more experience and confidence (which you will) experiment, push the envelope, and see what you can discover.
You've got a really cool (and more detailed - I promise!) article on hypnotic rapport coming soon - should be out in a week or so - so keep your eyes peeled.

If you want to watch some more free excerpts from Jeff's DVDs and claim the complete set for yourself, you can find it all here:

Jeffrey Stephens Practical Hypnosis Training DVDs

Cheers,
Nathan Thomas

PS
Remember, it's all about doing. Get out there, and hypnotize somebody right now, and enjoy the experience!

PPS
As always, if you have any questions just comment, unless I get eaten by a crocodile or lethally stung by a box jellyfish, I'll make sure you get a decent answer ;)

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Let's Break Down The Barriers - Hypnosis In The Real World

I'd like to challenge your thinking a little
Are you ready?

Ok, let me ask you, 'what ISN'T hypnosis?'

Have a think on that just for a second.

You see, in order to know what hypnosis IS, surely we must define what hypnosis is NOT.

This creates an interesting little divide in the hypnosis world.

People tend to sit in one of two camps.

Camp one says 'Any meaningful form of communication is hypnosis.'
Camp two says 'If all communication is hypnosis, then hypnosis is NOTHING. That's just silly. Hypnosis only occurs when...'

And then more divisions occur.

So, let's dodge the politics and start thinking about ways you can actually improve and utilize your skill as a hypnotist by exploring what may not even be hypnosis at all.

Let me give you an example.

(NOTE: As you read this rather lengthy and, on the surface, trivial anecdote, bear in mind that it has a point, and relates directly to what you are learning now)

I'm currently travelling Australia overland.

This, naturally involves some LONG bus rides. Soon I even leave for as 39 hour train journey from Adelaide to Perth. (Thirty Nine Hours!!!)

Of course, these journeys present many opportunities to meet interesting people and share stories, but sometimes, you just need to close your eyes, plug yourself into your Ipod, and drift away on the strings of a guitar.

So, as you can imagine, with the 39 hour railway epic just round the corner, I was shocked when last night I discovered my Ipod had died!

No amount of charging button mashing or glaring could fix it!

Now, those of you a little beyond the Ipod generation may not understand the depth of the tragedy, but let me tell you, I wasn't happy.

So, I wonder into an unfamiliar town with the quest of finding someone to help me.

I found an electronics store in a local mall, had a quick chat with one of the staff, and after he played with the machine for a little while to no avail, we were both running up the escalators to the local Apple store.

Soon three of four uniformed geeks were gathered around the tiny rectangle. Wires went flying, jargon rent the air, and after much effort, the machine glowed into life.

"No worries mate.' The bloke at the store said. 'All I did was connect the gyrocopter to the forward facing throttle mouse and oscillate the non reticulatory isomorphic hard drive in a semi lateral direction whilst palpating the left hand fizwidget.'

Well, it was something like that.

If I were selling a course on conversational hypnosis I guess I'd use this tale to demonstrate the 'amazing' power of these techniques. How two stores worth of employees across multiple floors gave up their time and expertise for free just to help out little old me.

In truth, my negotiating tactics included little more than a smile, some presupposed gratitude, subtle flattery, and one of the most irresistible questions in the English language.

'Hey mate, you look like you know you're stuff - do you reckon you could help me out because I'm kind of stuck here?'

No fancy stories, pattern interrupts, or progressive relaxation, yet I accomplished my intention to the letter.

The question I put to you is, therefore, 'was that hypnosis?'

If you think it was, fair enough.

If you think it was not, then let me ask you, 'does it matter?'

I know many hypnotists who would have approached the same situation with a handshake induction on the store manager and an 8 hour long monologue complete with embedded commands and unspecified verbs lacking referential indices to boot!

What I hope you are beginning to understand - or at least to consider - is that standard 'hypnosis' as we in the business understand it, is not the only approach to a situation.

It's not always even the best approach.

If you relax your mental framework, and focus more on what you want to accomplish, rather than what technique you learned last week, you'll find yourself discovering so many more ideas and opportunities!

So, get out there, and be a hypnotist.

More importantly, be confident, be successful, and HAVE FUN!

Cheers,
Nathan Thomas

PS

I'm sorry - no products to plug in this post.
Yeah, I know, you're disappointed. I'll try harder next time, ok?

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