could say : “ Make your arm go numb !” But of course , this is a conscious appeal that the conscious mind has no idea how to achieve ! So instead , I might subtly broach the pattern of physical numbness before suggesting they experience it themselves .
I might talk about what it ’ s like to wake up after having slept on an arm only to find that the arm is numb . Or I might describe what it ’ s like to play in the snow without gloves and make snowballs , and bit by bit your hands start to feel separate from the rest of you and it becomes strange to try to tie your shoelaces or put a key in a door with frozen cold hands .
For eyelid catalepsy I might talk simply about how when we dream at night the eyelids become really heavy because nature wants us to dream inwardly and those eyelids feel really heavy and shut tight .
If we were going for hypnotic arm levitation , we might talk about how if someone unexpectedly throws a tennis ball to us , or extends a hand to shake , our arm seems to go up all by itself .
We might use the universal pattern of hearing an advertising jingle on TV , then having that tune seem to ‘ automatically ’ jump into your mind when you see that product in the stores , to implant a post-hypnotic suggestion .
Or we might present the metaphorical universal pattern of a powerful army gathering when seeking to hypnotically strengthen someone ’ s immune response .
When we evoke rather than demand a response , it feels much more natural to respond to suggestions and ideas . And when we use everyday life as a source for examples of hypnotic phenomena it becomes easier still . Remember : the unconscious mind deals in patterns .
Now this third tip is really important for evaporating the fear of failure many hypnotic practitioners have when seeking to elicit hypnotic phenomena .
3 . Tip three : If you don ’ t ask you won ’ t be refused
“ What if I tell someone to have an arm levitation and they don ’ t ?” is a common fear among newbie hypnotists . My answer to this would be : “ Why would you tell someone to do anything ?”
Hypnotic language is most effective when it is subtle and implicates rather than demands .