Confusion is often a necessary part of humour , or a prerequisite to the understanding which produces laughter .
Hypnotherapists will use puns , double entendres , metaphorical language , and even purposeful and playful misunderstandings because such communication is inherently hypnotic . There is something profound here : The conscious mind can be confused even as the unconscious mind has perfect understanding .
During hypnosis we might ask a person ’ s unconscious mind to switch off pain . The conscious mind might be confused as to how that is possible even as the unconscious mind produces hypnotic anaesthesia . But even when it comes to confusion , there are some rules for using it to aid hypnotic induction .
Rule one : Hypnotic confusional language should actually make sense
Confusing language ties up the interfering conscious mind , giving it something to chew on ( to woefully mix metaphors !) while the hypnotist is able to communicate with the unconscious mind . But it shouldn ’ t just be gobbledygook .
Confusing language should not be gibberish , but should make sense given time to fathom its meaning consciously . The unconscious mind can understand even as the conscious mind struggles with the confusion . In this way we begin to communicate with the two parts of the mind separately .
Let ’ s revisit the words I used to hypnotise Andrew : “ There is a part of you apart from the part taking part in making logical sense of my words which can part from everyday consciousness and experience deep rest and relaxation …” See ! It actually does make sense ! Okay , so next I want to talk about how clarity can be all the more powerful because it ’ s prefixed with confusion . Let ’ s see if we can clarify that !
Rule two : A confusional induction should contain clarity within it
If someone is confused , then when they do get clarity they ’ ll cling onto it and make use of it – more so than if they hadn ’ t been confused .