When it comes to hypnosis, there is one tool that you cannot do without. Without it, it would be impossible to hypnotize anyone. Good hypnotists use specific phrases and words to usher people in believing impossible situations.
As such, they need to choose their words carefully as they actively contribute to how well their skills in hypnosis will work.
Words are one of the things that shape our thoughts involuntarily. Without conscious knowledge of people, they form an integral part in the creation of our relative ‘reality’ continuously.
Similarly, hypnosis uses words, whether in speech or writing, to put an audience in a trance to believe an illusion or magic act. These words are entirely subtle that no one would ever guess they possess such a power.
Therefore, let us find out how to hypnotize someone with words.
What is hypnosis?
Before finding out which words, in particular, a hypnotist uses to create a trance, let us find out what is hypnosis.
Generally, hypnosis is a powerful psychological tool that involves bypassing someone’s conscious mind to get access to his subconscious mind to program it.
The conscious or critical mind is responsible for filtering all the information a person receives through his senses.
For instance, if you ask your friend to do something, he/she must first use his/her conscious mind to filter out the message and decipher whether it is possible or not.
However, hypnosis allows you to access the subconscious mind, which will help the person obey your request much faster.
Conversational (Covert) hypnosis
The process of using words to hypnotize someone is part of conversational hypnosis.
In this process, you can actually hypnotize someone while having a casual conversation without his knowledge. Unlike traditional hypnosis, conversational hypnosis does not require you to seek permission for the other person.
Conversational hypnosis is more of a state of mind and a particular mindset of having the power to do anything you put your mind to do. The process uses tested hypnosis principles to give your phrases, words, and ideas, additional energy, and power.
When you put these principles into action, everything you do and say enables you to access and communicate with the other person’s unconscious mind.
Basically, the process of conversational hypnosis relies on your words, body language, thoughts, and tonality working together in harmony.
You cannot be talking of relaxation while fumbling with your fingers or thinking of one thing in particular and doing the exact opposite.
When you master the principles of conversational hypnosis, you can influence the actions and thoughts of your audience in no time.
One of the best resources on conversation hypnosis is by Steve G. Jones.
What words can hypnotize your audience?
Now that you have some understanding of the terms ‘hypnosis’ and ‘conversational hypnosis,’ let us discover which words can usher your audience into a trance effectively.
We already know that certain words have the power to make your brain believe in the impossible. They can stimulate your imagination, activate your senses, and create associations, making you bypass the thinking of your conscious mind.
So, which are these hypnotic power words?
1. Imagine
Often, if you ask someone to do a particular task, they will weigh the task at hand and most likely debate within or with you on whether the task is worth it. The natural reaction of human beings is to question instruction.
The conscious mind is trained to raise objections, regardless of the situation. However, if you ask someone to imagine something, especially a positive outcome, the mind does not resist.
For instance, if someone asks you to imagine yourself in a cool and sunny beach, your mind will instantly drift and find itself thinking of a calm and sunny beach. This is because the brain does not think of imagining as a ‘real’ task.
It is merely an enjoyable mind game, a distraction of some sort, similar to fantasies. By asking your candidate to imagine something, you pass around the objection setting of the conscious mind, gaining instant access to their subconscious mind.
Bypassing the conscious mind is one of the three critical steps of achieving effective hypnosis. However, you have to build a rapport between you and your prospect and attract their attention.
Once you complete all this, you can now stimulate their unconscious mind by gaining access to it through the use of hypnotic power words.
2. Because
Hypnotic power words work by ‘sneaking into’ the unconscious mind and bypassing the critical one. Human beings crave a system of order, especially in our personal lives.
Once the ‘critical factor’ in our brains hear the word ‘because,’ it allows instant access to the unconscious mind by activating the ‘reason why’ reflex.’ For instance, think back to our childhood memories, where we asked our parents for certain things.
They made us rethink our request, even without a real reason, by using the word ‘because.’ We often accepted the benefits or reason behind the refusal of the request more unreservedly and unskeptically.
Through the research of Ellen Langer from Harvard, we further discover that ‘because’ satisfies the brain’s natural search for answers.
When you use the word ‘because’ for small requests, you will notice that not many people question the request as the brain short-circuits the process and tricks the brain into moving to the next step, as if given a real reason.
However, when it comes to larger requests, the brain takes a longer time to turn off its critical factor.
3. You
The word ‘you’ represents your name, giving it its hypnotic power. According to the Journal of Consumer Research, prospective buyers are more likely to purchase from someone who has the same sounding letter in their last or first name as you do.
You are also more likely to marry someone with a similar name initial as you do.
As a result, many salespeople and marketers have latched onto this piece of information. You may find many of your marketing emails beginning with your name and linger ones with your name mentioned severally.
However, sometimes, this marketing strategy may not work. Using a person’s name requires a very light touch. It is quite simple and natural to use it in conversations as opposed to writing.
The reason words that refer to us are part of the psychological effect known as the Fundamental Attribution Error. Human beings are naturally critical of others, but our brains take a break when it comes to evaluating ourselves.
We do not critically analyze ourselves as harshly as we do others. When people refer to us in conversations, we tend to be lulled, and the content of what they are saying bypasses the ‘critical factor’ in our brains, stimulating the unconscious mind.
4. And
‘And’ is a commonly used word that many people do not understand its power. In hypnosis, the word ‘and’ ushers you into a hypnotic trance that allows you to go deeper and further into the illusion.
It enables instant access to the unconscious mind by bypassing the critical gatekeeper of the brain. For example, a hypnotist may say, ‘You can relax, and feel comfortable and the comfort you feel will allow you to feel more relaxed.’
Essentially, the hypnotist only wants you to relax. By using the word ‘and,’ you enter and deeply indulge in a state of trance with incredible comfort and relaxation.
5. Which means
The words ‘which means’ also access the unconscious mind by somewhat satisfying the ‘reason why’ reflex of the brain.
For instance, when someone says, ‘You have been learning about hypnotic power words for a while, which means that you are learning something of exceptional value.’ The use of ‘which means’ in this context implies that you are learning at the unconscious level.
Conclusion
As you can see, hypnotic power words are simply ordinary words that contain power when you properly use them. Professional hypnotists use these words together to put their prospects in a trance more effectively.
However, you also have to make sure your prospect is in a state of relaxation, meaning you have to build a rapport with them before using these hypnotic power words.
There are many more hypnotic power words you can use apart from the ones mentioned here. But these are the more efficient ones that are particularly useful to salespeople and marketers.
They are easily workable into any face-to-face conversation, as well as any form of writing.