Ethics in Conversational Hypnosis Part 3

It’s time for another installment of Ethics in Conversational Hypnosis!

In Part 3, let’s cover more about the TIP (Trance of Infinite Possibilities) and Generative Hypnosis. The idea is to use the work to provide people with a space to create their own infinite possibilities, their own positive experiences and being generative, it will be self- perpetuating.

All we do as hypnotists is bring people to the brink of the TIP, give them a parachute (the clean goal – which sets an expectation for positive experiences) and nudge them over the edge.

They’ll learn to fly on their own. And if they don’t, you can keep pulling them back and throwing them off until they do! Notice how they are now doing all the work.

You don’t have to do it for them. And of course the meta-frame becomes: you’re responsible, you have the power to do this – in fact you did it! – So you can do so again in the future.

With enough experiences like this, the unconscious mind eventually generalizes this into a very powerful (and empowering) reality in which, finally, the therapist is defunct!

Mission accomplished!

Now please note that I am not suggesting we throw out all the old therapeutic tools like regression, re-imprinting, parts integration, reframing, resourcing etc.

These are all still valuable tools to achieve our aim.

The big difference in terms of ethics is that we use these to stimulate a TIP (i.e. creativity) and let the person find their own solutions – which may (or may not) include the one you had in mind for them.

Sometimes people will surprise you and come up with a far better solution that anything you’d have thought of.

That’s when you get to learn a thing or two from your clients (call it a fringe benefit) so much for Clinical Hypnosis – or at least for this introduction to the ethical considerations.

But I realize that most of you here are not hypnotherapists, and maybe you don’t even want to go down that route.

So why are you practicing hypnosis? I’m guessing you’re interested in Conversational Hypnosis, which is a peculiar form of Generative Hypnosis.

Whereas Remedial Hypnosis solves problems and does therapy, Generative Hypnosis takes things that are working well and makes them even better.

Now there’s a thought! After all why be average when you can be great!?!

Of course there are those of you who are interested in Hypnosis as a tool for influence to make you a better salesman, husband, manager, leader, student etc.

But essentially we’re still talking about generative changes here.

If you’re selling cars, I’m hoping your attitude is not sell this car at any cost! That is a short term view and ethically akin to our friend the inept psychotherapist I talked about in Part 1.

It is also the root as to why sales is a profession that is so mistrusted and badly regarded.

It is not that the field is bad, it’s that many of the people in it have lost sight of their purpose.

In my opinion sales (and lets use this as a metaphor for all processes that require influence) is about service.

If you’re selling cars your job is not to sell Brand X Model 123 every time. It’s to find the right combination that fits the prospects needs.

To do otherwise is to simply invite buyer’s remorse as the glamor from your fast talking sales pitch wears off back home.

How much of a relationship have you built up doing that?

Would you go back to the car dealer that makes you feel bad, or the one that you always end up regretting that you bought the car he recommended?

Hell no! Would you send your friends there? Hell no!

Would you send your son there to buy his first car? Hell no! Does this salesman have a business?

Hell no! All he can do is desperately try to con just one more person before he goes under.

Consider the salesman who listens to what you want, then asks you a few great questions that suddenly makes you feel clear about what you want.

Let’s imagine that this person shows you a car that might fit the bill, but then sends you down the road to a competitor where there’s a car that might be even better for you.

Do you trust him? Would you send your friends, family and colleagues to him?

And honestly consider: how tempted would you be to buy this car anyway because you know this one will do exactly what you want, even if the other might be better?

You might even check the competitor’s car out and be so turned off by the inept salesperson that you go right back to the inferior car and feel better about buying that one, than you would have felt buying the better car!

This is the crux to all influence, especially ethical influence I believe.

And if you have been thinking along with my train of thoughts you will probably come to an interesting conclusion very shortly: The ethical salesman is using the TIP!

He is generating more choices to match what you need and letting you choose!

I hope you are getting the point of this article, it’s all about giving people choices. Ones that will empower them to go beyond the limits they may have set for themselves.

This is truly a gift that keeps on giving!

>> And to read the other articles in this “Ethics in Conversational Hypnosis” series, check out the articles below:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 4