So - here’s the good news. Putting someone into hypnosis isn’t too difficult! You give them instructions and suggestions, and they do all the work. Cool huh?
Anything written down in this format is optional reading. Except this one. This one’s mandatory.
What about Hippo Noses? (What is Hypnosis like?)
There is a ton of information on what hypnosis is all the way from brainwaves to a state of increased suggestibility. But none of that really describes how it ‘feels’ to go into hypnosis. Just watch this and describe it like this hypnotist - it’ll take you like 30 seconds to watch:
If you can’t be arsed, a paraphrased version: “Okay, can you imagine a fist balled up so tight that you couldn’t possibly tighten or move it? Yeah, of course, that’s easy. But how about the opposite - where your hand was equally relaxed? So relaxed, that in fact, it just wouldn’t budge.”
Being dropped feels absolutely amazing if you haven’t done it yet. But - it’s difficult to describe just how incredibly electric it feels to watch your subject’s body language change as they slump into trance.
Introducing Yourself and Popping the Question
It’s a perfectly fine question to ask “So hey, are you usually the subject or a hypnotist?” You’ll get a better feel for what folks are looking for and hell, you might even make a buddy that will hook you up with a match, even if you aren’t interested. Respecting boundaries is hot.
What you think you sound like to your subject:
“Oh jeez. I’m new and could really use a hand getting started with this hypno thing. I don’t even know if I can do this.”
What they’re thinking:
“Oh heck yes! This dashing fuzzball is offering to feed me freshly baked cookies right out of the oven for the next 20 minutes straight, and I get to meet a new friend. And all they want in return is feedback? F yeah I’m in!”
An inexperienced subject may be thinking:
“Wow, I can’t wait to feel every single detail of being turned into a ten-foot-tall werewolf and also be forced to pop my baby batter so goddamn hard it shoots a hole in the wall.” If they’re thinking this - y’all need to have a talk about what hypnosis is.
Keep it Simple
I know it’s tempting to go hard and long but really, there’s a lot to hold in your head on the first go. With how I’ve written these documents, you should be able to improve quickly instead of wondering where your weak points are.
So - in my first planned session with my first subject - I went all in, had planned out the induction, a deepener, and a complete set of sensations I wanted them to experience. That took around an hour, it was way too much to keep in my head, I fumbled over my words and realized errors in my plan mid-session. I would have learned more by doing an induction, a deepener, and taking them out of trance.
A quick session is a nice treat on it’s own. For your subject, it means they can have a fun snack before they find someone to really destroy them. Moreover - my first subject? We’ve still got plans for more sessions, so if it’s any comfort - as long as you’re pleasant to listen to you’ll probably have a return customer.
Help! I have a willing victim subject - now what?
Chat it up! Ask some open-ended questions about their experience and what they like. If they’re an experienced subject, you can ask them for preferences or even for a hand getting started. If they’re not quite experienced, you can tell them that it’s easy to test to see if they’re in trance. If they’re not, you might spend longer on your pre-talk than your actual trance time.
If they’re an experienced subject, it’s perfectly fine to ask for a hand if you need it. If they’re a switch, they might even give you some reassurance.
Your chances of not putting someone into hypnosis, given that your subject follows your instructions, and you’ve done your research, are low. As the hypnotist, it would be wasteful to not leverage this knowledge. You really can, with confidence, say that if they follow your instructions, they will almost certainly enter a trance.