How to hypnotize hard to hypnotize people

Some people are hard to hypnotize. Most people will go into hypnosis in less than two minutes if you go about it the right way.

Signs of hypnosis

Hypnotic trance is actually very easy. You will know you have hypnotized someone when you see their eyelids flickering, head jerking slightly, fingers twitching or other involuntary physical signs of trance. The problem is that inside they may feel that they are fully aware of what is going on even though they actually are hypnotized. You must always convince the client that they are hypnotized before going on.

The other thing is that once the client has their eyes closed and lying there motionless, it is hard for the hypnotist to know if you really have hypnotized someone. Maybe they are just sitting there going along with it? You have to test - every time, every client. So you have to test the client is in trance in order to convince yourself as well.

Test for Hypnosis

The best test is eye paralysis (catalepsy). Getting eye catalepsy lets you know the client is responding to your hypnotic suggestions, and lets the client know that they actually are now hypnotized. If you do not get clear evidence of eye catalepsy then deepen and try again. If there is even the slightest doubt, do a finger lift. A finger lift is very difficult to fake. Never assume anything: always make sure you have hypnotized them. Use a deepener as many times as you want.

The client is entitled to feel convinced that they actually are in trance. It is very disappointing to everyone when a client says afterwards "I don't think I was hypnotized at all. I didn't feel any different". If you get no response ask the client 'What are you experiencing now? Tell me how it seems to you' and let that guide you. Read the Progressive Relaxation script to learn how to use deepeners and to ensure that you know how to hypnotize someone.

Won't go into trance

If the person opens their eyes they clearly were not in trance, but this does not mean you have failed or they have failed. All it means is that you need to try a different induction method. Ask the client what was going on for them and how they felt and tell them that was really useful information and they are now ready for the second stage of hypnosis.

Immediately switch to a different induction based on a different method. If the Elman Induction didn't get them, then maybe Confusion will. If not Confusion then try Breathing Induction. If that doesn't work try a relaxation induction. And so on – you can hypnotize anyone once you find the right hypnotic technique. If people say they can't be hypnotized, ask them if they have ever dreamed at night. Tell them that is what hypnosis is like and get on with a visual induction.

Hard to hypnotize case study

I had a woman who came in wanting to not put on weight. She was not overweight but said it was a constant struggle. She wanted hypnosis to give her more willpower. Especially when she had been on a diet, and followed all the instructions and still put on more weight. Then she just gave up and binged. She said that she had a thyroid condition that made it hard to lose weight.

She said she ate when she was bored, stressed or emotional. "Bored" and "stressed" are key words to me. I started investigating whether this was not something more than just bad habits.

I asked her "Have you ever been diagnosed with depression?" She looked shocked, and told me 'No!'.

I went through the dysthymia checklist, and established that she did in fact have depression. I explained that her eating was most likely a result of that. She was completely stunned to realize that she clearly did have most of the classic symptoms. She protested "I am active, and outgoing, and a successful business owner. I can not possibly have depression!"

I explained that depression is not just about mood. It also changes people's behavior. She agreed that she did have depression. What's more, she now recognized the source of her mother's behavior. I outlined how she could deal with it by changing her lifestyle, and how by doing that, she could control the black and white thinking that was causing her to over eat.

Hypnotizing a resistant client

Having done that the next part was to show her how to put herself into trance so that she could begin to get some relief from the recurring thoughts she had. People who are depressed are often hard to hypnotize because their constant over-thinking interferes in the process.

I started off with the bodily relaxation and immediately I notice a smile playing around her lips. As I progressed this became a laugh and she opened her eyes saying that she didn't feel anything. I told her that I thought that this was due to her embarrassment at losing control. She agreed that that was exactly what she was feeling. This is typical of hard to hypnotize clients.

I carried on with the induction, trying a Stairs induction I did an eye catalepsy test but she opened her eyes immediately. She clearly was not in trance.

I then tried a pace and lead induction focusing on her breathing patterns, but she would not, or could not pace her breathing rate with my words,. She just kept on with rapid shallow breathing.

Multiple Hypnosis inductions

I realized that she was the kind of hard to hypnotize person who just had to stay in control all the time. So I mixed up all the inductions. I did a confusion induction which then led to a vanish the numbers induction with a suggestion of going down with the wave into the depths. I then tried a remember childhood induction and physical monitoring induction. She was now relaxing physically, so I tried a finger lift test and she was clearly faking it. She was not in trance, but getting relaxation was a good starting point.

I then gave her suggestions that she would feel her hands growing numb or tingling. I then did a visualization of the nerves going down her spine and radiating out into her body. These were looking for tension and easing it wherever it was found.

I just kept on with more inductions and eventually saw her head begin to nod and her breathing slow. She was dropping her head and then catching herself going into trance, and then coming out again but the next induction was again working until she felt the effect and she jerked back into control once more. This client was very hard to hypnotize and not willing to let go at all. But she was definitely sliding in and out of trance.

Hard to Hypnotize reactions

I told her that she was now experiencing trance and that she needed to ask her mind to remember what this felt like, so that she could recall the feeling anytime she wanted. I then reminded her how to achieve trance by the physical relaxation, breathing awareness and going down stairs method.

I brought her back to the present and she told me that she had been fighting the induction all the way along, and it was only when the confusion induction arrived that she began to experience any inner difference.

She said that the suggestions of her hands going numb worked: but only on one side! Her left side was feeling very active, but the right side was all affected, from head to toes, even her eye felt numb. So the induction worked, but only on part of her.

She agreed that it was probably because part of her wanted to relax and let go, and another part was wanting to keep in control, and this was how her body resolved it.

I then started again with a confusion induction and she went into trance normally.

It is fascinating what the mind can come up with to protect itself.