Direct and Indirect Hypnotic Suggestions
Hypnotic suggestions are the instructions, ideas and messages used during a hypnosis session to encourage positive changes. They can be classified into two categories: Direct hypnotic suggestions and indirect hypnotic suggestions. Understanding the difference between these two types of hypnotic suggestions can help you understand how hypnosis works and helps to understand why certain suggestion techniques may be more effective for some people.
Contents
What are Hypnotic Suggestions?
Hypnotic suggestions are the main and most important part of a hypnotherapy session or hypnosis audio. Hypnotic suggestions are ideas and instructions in the hypnosis session that will influence the subconscious mind to change thoughts, reactions, behaviors and feelings. There are many different types of hypnotic suggestions but they generally fall under two broad categories; direct and indirect hypnotic suggestions.
Hypnotic Suggestion Examples
Direct hypnotic suggestion examples:
- You enjoy eating healthy food
- You love to go for a walk
- You feel calm and relaxed when doing a presentation
- You feel confident and relaxed in social situations
Indirect hypnotic suggestion examples
- You might begin to wonder why you enjoy healthy food so much
- Some people find themselves surprised at how easily they lose weight
- Perhaps you find yourself feeling calm
- Many people discover the motivation returning
Most hypnosis sessions use a combination of direct and indirect hypnotic suggestions because people respond differently to the different style of suggestion.
Direct or Indirect Hypnotic Suggestions
When to Use Direct Hypnotic Suggestions
Direct hypnotic suggestions are almost always used in a hypnosis session or audio. They form the main point of the hypnotherapy and include direct instructions to the subconscious to make the changes that are desirable. In our hypnotherapy audios we use a range of hypnosis methods, including direct and indirect hypnotic suggestions. A direct hypnosis suggestion is one that is addressed to the listener directly, and is clear and straightforward, for example, “you enjoy eating heathy foods”.
When to Use Indirect Hypnotic Suggestions
The benefit of indirect hypnotic suggestions is that they are subtle and can go relatively unnoticed by the person being hypnotized. Because an indirect suggestion is less obvious to the listener it can be very helpful in issues where anxiety or overthinking is a problem. The anxious mind can sometimes reject direct suggestions inadvertently because of a tendency to think the worst. The anxious mind may react to a positive statement with a thought like, this isn’t going to work. Often anxious people respond best when they persevere to a point where they go into a deep hypnotic trance. They can then hear the suggestions in a much more passive way, with the conscious mind relaxed and the subconscious mind taking it all in.
Use indirect hypnotic suggestions when the hypnotic subject is:
- Over-analytical
- Anxious or depressed
- Skeptical of the process
How Indirect Hypnotic Suggestions Work
Using indirect suggestions can be helpful in bypassing the conscious critical faculty, especially if the listener is relaxing well and going into a trance, but it can work even in a broken, intermittent or light trance. Indirect suggestions are woven into the script so that they are less obvious, sometimes blended in with descriptions of visualizations or examples of modelling and future pacing. After getting familiar with a hypnosis recording the indirect suggestions can become more obvious but by this time, they may well have had the beneficial effect they were designed to achieve.
Types of Suggestions in Hypnotherapy
The simplest and most common type of hypnotic suggestion is the direct suggestion, where you simply present the idea or direction undisguised and often repeated. Indirect hypnotic suggestions are useful where there may be some resistance, perhaps even secondary gains from the issue currently being addressed? Indirect suggestions may also be more easily accepted by less hypnotically receptive people. Post-hypnotic suggestions are used in almost every hypnosis in order to try to bring the results beyond the relaxation and visualization process of the session, and into every day life where they can make real change happen.
Future pacing is often used along with post-hypnotic suggestions as a way of inspiring change, encouraging motivation and perseverance and determination as well as belief the changes are possible. Metaphorical suggestions fall into the Ericksonian category and many hypnotherapists use versions of metaphors in their sessions.
How to Ensure Hypnotic Suggestions Will Work
Forming the suggestions in a way that sounds appealing will go a long way. Suggestions (whether direct or indirect) work best when the listener likes what they hear. When this occurs, the suggestion is being accepted. The subconscious mind absorbs the information that feels good but then there is the question of how does the change come into fruition? How does it develop from an idea into a response, a change of behavior or a feeling?
Repetition
One way in which hypnotic suggestions take a firm effect is through repetition. Our hypnosis downloads have been designed with this in mind. The suggestions are not literally repeated over and over but are presented in different scenarios and with different words, metaphors and visualizations. The benefit of a hypnosis download or audio is that you can listen over and over and therefore reinforce the hypnotic suggestions easily, listening as many times as is needed to get the effect you are seeking.
Acceptance
As mentioned previously, if you like what you hear then it is a very positive sign that the result will come. This is not to say that every word needs to meet this criteria but that some content fits the purpose and sounds good to you. Deliberately accepting the ideas helps a great deal. If you are doing this consciously it shows that you are in a light trance. When you go into a deeper trance you may not consciously remember what you have heard but the subconscious will hear it.
Putting it into Practice
Once you have heard and reinforced the hypnotic suggestions by using the hypnosis audio several times over it is then time to test it out properly. Take your time with this, especially if it is a phobia or anxiety issue as small steps are the best way. For example if you have been using a hypnosis audio to help overcome a fear of Heights (Acrophobia) then you might start by looking at some images of tall buildings. After a gradual process you may move on to going up a few levels in a building. You might be surprised at the powerful results when you test out the effect.
Experience Hypnotic Suggestions
Every hypnosis download in our collection uses carefully designed direct and indirect hypnotic suggestions to help reduce anxiety, improve sleep, overcome habits, build confidence and create positive change. We have a huge selection of meditation and hypnosis audios. Click here to go to the shop.
FAQs
What is a hypnotic suggestion?
A hypnotic suggestion is an idea, direction or suggestion that is used in a hypnosis session with the intention of influencing the subconscious mind to change. Hypnotic suggestions many be different according to the objective of the hypnosis session.
What are examples of hypnotic suggestions?
Some examples of direct hypnotic suggestions are: “You prefer smaller meals” or “when you go to bed you drift off to sleep easily”. Examples of indirect hypnotic suggestions are: “Some people notice quite quickly that they feel sleepy and ready to doze off” or “many people find when they begin the exam they feel totally calm and focused”.
What is the difference between direct and indirect hypnotic suggestions?
Direct hypnotic suggestions usually address the listener directly and offer an idea, suggestion or new way of responding in a direct, straightforward way. Indirect hypnotic suggestions are a little more subtle and avoiding directly addressing the listener. They may include stories or metaphors offering the idea within that framework.
Why are indirect suggestions used in hypnosis?
The main value of indirect hypnotic suggestions is to attempt to avoid rejection of the ideas and suggestions for change in the hypnosis session. An example might be an addiction. Directly addressing the hypnotic subject can be met with resistance consciously or subconsciously. Using indirect suggestions to help someone with an addiction may be more successful because the idea may be accepted more easily. Indirect suggestions are also useful for people who are less receptive to hypnosis, particularly people who struggle to relax and let go of control. This analytical personality type may get great success from hypnosis using indirect suggestions.
Do hypnotic suggestions work on everyone?
Most people can benefit from hypnosis and be helped with hypnotic suggestions. However, only a percentage of the suggestions will be accepted and actually work, unless the session is repeated many times. For hypnosis to work you have to engage with it and actually want the changes you are making. If you do not try it may not work at all.
What are post-hypnotic suggestions?
Post hypnotic suggestions are designed to work after the hypnosis session is finished. There are often triggers and anchors in the suggestions to help them take an effect in day to day life. This type of suggestion is almost always used in a hypnosis session.
Are indirect suggestions more effective than direct suggestions?
No, unless you are an especially analytical person who can’t relax. Even then, if you feel motivated about the changes you are attempting to make with hypnosis then direct suggestions will probably work too. Usually a mixture of different hypnotic techniques is used and this is the best way to get positive results in hypnosis sessions including hypnosis downloads.
Who developed indirect suggestion techniques?
Milton Erickson developed indirect and metaphorical hypnosis including conversational hypnosis. Many of these techniques are still used today but often in a more modern style.
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Rachael Eccles is an Advanced Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist with over 20 years of experience. She is fully licensed and registered with the GHR GHSC and CNHC.
She specializes in helping people overcome anxiety, lose weight, break habits and build confidence using proven hypnotherapy and mindfulness techniques.
Rachael has created one of the world's largest collections of hypnosis downloads and meditation audios (700+), and has been featured as an expert on BBC radio, Hello magazine and Thrillist.
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