Glossary

Compound means "repeat". The first suggestion is weak, the second suggestion is weak but builds on the first suggestion, by the time you’ve finished the chain, the first suggestion is assumed as fact. "You’re feeling relaxed. That relaxation is washing over your entire body in a slow wave, and as you notice that wave of relaxation washing over you, you feel even more relaxed." Commonly tied to loops and chains.

Reinforce means "keep saying it every session." If a trigger or a post hypnotic suggestion is working, tell them it works stronger. Keep reminding them of their triggers and post hypnotic suggestions.

Anchoring is binding one stimuli response to a desired stimuli. An example of this would be anchoring being calm and relaxed like in trance to clasping your hands together. It’s a form of classical conditioning.

Conditioning means "have it become an unconscious response." This means the response happens automatically when you give the stimulus, without passing through conscious thought. Think Pavlov (classical conditioning) and Skinner (operant conditioning). Conditioning is not hypnosis, but hypnosis does make conditioning easier. There’s a grey area in terminology in that a hypnotee can respond to a suggestion and it could be any or all of post hypnotic suggestion, a trigger, a trained behavior, or a conditioned response/reflex.

Priming is an effect that says using specific words can cause thoughts and feelings to be closer to hand.

Alert Hypnosis is a style of hypnosis that allows the hypnotee to be physically active, open-eyed and focused on the external environment. Case Report.

Pyramiding means combine different suggestions with each other to build up an effect. "The deeper you go, the better you feel, the better you feel, the more relaxed you become, and the more relaxed you become, the deeper you go." Following one suggestion teaches the hypnotee how to follow the next one, and lets the hypnotist build up to larger and larger suggestions.

Fractionate means move into a lighter state of trance and then back into a deeper state of trance.

Double-Bind a suggestion technique that gives two choices either of which leads to the desired result.

Yes sets means to ask a number of questions that the hypnotee says yes. After a while, the hypnotee will find it very easy to agree automatically. Some examples of non-obvious yes sets.

Authoritarian Language is language based on "you will" and "I will" and very strict language, where the hypnotist asserts power or authority over the hypnotee.

Permissive Language is language based on “you might” or “you could” that provides options and allows a person to move into a trance state without feeling forced to go there.

Ericksonian Language is style of suggestion that implies options without spelling them out, providing options without directly describing the desired outcome. They are named after Milton Erickson.

Trigger - some stimulus that triggers a post-hypnotic suggestion. This may be a sound, a word or words, a gesture, an action, or a situation.

Pacing and Leading Pacing describes something in the moment, and leading the mind to an outcome. "You’re here now because you want to experience something amazing… so just follow my words, and we’ll get you to where you want to be, and further… imagine opening your eyes in just a few moments, and…".

Priority of thought means to hold two thoughts in your head at the same time and have them conflict.

Responsiveness the ability of a hypnotee to respond to a suggestion.