As covered in Part 1 of our series on hypnotic mind reading, How To Read Someone’s Mind: 5 Ethical Hypnotic Mind Reading Techniques That’ll Help You Bypass The Critical Conscious Mind – 2nd Edition, ethical hypnotic mind reading is a form of profiling.
It can help you pick up on subtle nuances about your hypnosis subject so you’re better equipped to help them.
This is especially true for hypnotherapy; as a client may not always be able to convey what they’re feeling. Or might not even have a conscious awareness of the issue that’s causing them trouble.
Ethical hypnotic mind reading allows you to tap into parts of a person’s personality in just a few short minutes so you can:
- Predict what they’ll do
- Predict what they’ll say
- Use this information to quickly bypass their critical conscious mind
- Help them overcome an issue that you may been blind to if you were only going off their words
You can tune into their way of thinking so well that everything you say to them will have the force of a powerful hypnotic suggestion.
As far as you’re concerned, it’s just another technique to make you a better hypnotist.
To them, however, it will seem like you are actually reading their mind, because you will appear to know what they’re thinking and what they’re likely to do next.
So what’s really going on?
Well, people have filters in their mind. They react differently to the same words and actions depending on how they filter and organize information.
As a hypnotist, and using this hypnotic mind reading profiling technique, you’ll be able to detect certain patterns and notice certain reactions that will give you the information you need to “read their mind.”
Ethical Hypnotic Mind Reading: 4 Hypnotic Element Profiles & How To Use Them
As mentioned above, ethical hypnotic mind reading is not magic – it’s simply a form of profiling that anyone can learn.
Below, you’ll discover what you should be looking out for when working with hypnosis subjects. You can use these techniques and information when working with someone in a therapeutic setting, such as hypnotherapy, or during covert conversational hypnosis.
Just to recap, in Part 1, we briefly covered a technique that involves categorizing people into one of the 4 elements (hypnotic profiles): earth, air, fire, and water.
In Part 2, you’ll get a more in-depth overview of these 4 hypnotic profiles and an example personality avatar you can use for profiling. Plus, you’ll also discover 10 powerful modifier profiles.
Just one thing before you proceed…
Earth Profile: Concrete Left-Brain
People who exhibit the earth profile tend most towards concrete & left-brain styles of thinking. The left brain is considered the more logical, analytical and objective side. The concrete element refers to their ability to stay rooted in the real world.
Taking all of that into account, earth profile people will generally be steady, methodical, plodding types, solid and stable individuals able to deal with and make sense of large amounts of data. Just remember concrete & left brain.
Left-brain thinkers like linear systems and predictive rules and procedures. Combine that with a concrete nature that enjoys facts and figures and you get a person that is likely to crave for the certainty of rules.
Example Of A Typical Earth Avatar: Meet “Edna”
Below is an example of a typical earth personality type, let’s call her “Edna” so you can conjure up an image of her in your mind.
Edna is a solid, reliable person. Her methodical way of working through things seems slow and plodding to some, but she is steady, consistent, and has an eye for detail. Nothing gets past her. She works solidly until the job is done and is meticulous and logical in what she does.
Her left-brain dependence means she’s great at planning in a linear fashion. This means Edna will probably like to look to the future and prepare for a “rainy day” in the here and now.
She has a talent for logistics and administration. She has an eye for collecting facts, data and sensory information, and then organizing them in a logical way. Because of her logical and detail-oriented nature, she likes everything to be neatly arranged and visually appealing.
She has a tendency to examine the past in order to learn about the future, and prefers specific events over abstract ideas. This makes her more of a conservative and tradition-oriented person.
You can expect Edna to be profoundly duty bound and law abiding. She is likely to be someone who travels exactly at the speed limit, even if she is in a rush and there are no other cars around. She would also stop at a red light even in the middle of an empty desert, because that is what the rules say she should do.
Edna’s concrete trait means she is likely to be a very sociable person. Her love of rules will make her a stickler for etiquette and protocol, which means she will probably be a social conformist. Her desire to act correctly is very important to her.
Like most people, Edna has her dark sides. Her overactive left brain means that she is prone to depression, pessimism and melancholy. If she is someone with a negative outlook, Edna will be prone to cynicism, doubt, or even cold rationalism. That would make her a very solemn and serious person and not one for pointless merriment.
Edna will have a good memory for facts. She’ll remember everyone’s names at a dinner party and will never be at a loss for something to talk about. Her ability to assimilate and associate information means she will usually have something appropriate to say, though she might occasionally end up dominating the conversation.
She could be a master of small talk, as long as the subject is concrete and factual. When the topic gets more abstract she might get bored, feel uncomfortable, and switches off.
Air Profile: Abstract Left-Brain
People who exhibit the air profile tend most towards abstract and left-brain styles of thinking. Their left-brain trait makes them as methodical and pragmatic as earth profile types, but they deal with the world of ideas rather than the world of facts and figures.
In other words, they’re less connected to the everyday world around them. Because of that, they can seem distant and aloof.
Air profile people will generally be well organized but more likely to enjoy working alone, seen as capable but not really what you’d call a team player. Remember abstract and left brain.
Example Of A Typical Air Avatar: Meet “Alan”
Alan is a typical example of a person displaying the air profile, tending towards the abstract and left-brain thinking.
Alan is an analytical thinker who is driven by the need for efficiency. He will analyze a situation for as long as it takes until he finds the most efficient way of doing things.
This demonstrates his left-brain thinking capacity for pragmatism combined with his abstract thought processes that compel him to find the ultimate best way to achieve a given result.
Alan thrives on precision and logic and takes delight in puns and dry humor. He has an insatiable curiosity and will always attempt to find an explanation for something.
For instance, he wouldn’t be able to watch a magician or illusionist and simply enjoy the show; he would have to find out exactly how the tricks were performed.
Alan’s air profile makes him seem aloof, cold and distant to others. He tends to keep his feelings and emotions locked away and tries hard not to reveal them to anyone. He also frowns on pointless small talk, which can make him appear unsociable.
His investigative abilities make Alan a valuable member of any team. He always asks why and how.
Tending to break things down to see exactly how they work. He’s not afraid to experiment if that means it will lead him to the best way to do something.
Fire Profile: Concrete Right-Brain
Fire profile people will tend mostly towards concrete and right-brain styles of thinking.
The right brain is believed to be the more creative side where imagination, inspiration and intuition are more prominent. The concrete element makes these people rooted in the real world, while their right-brain thinking encourages them to live in the moment and make the most of every experience.
People with the fire profile will be thoughtful, subjective, with artistic capabilities, often placing their trust in gut feelings instead of mere facts alone. Think concrete and right brain.
Example Of A Typical Fire Avatar: Meet “Fred”
Fred represents the typical fire profile person tending towards the concrete and right-brain thinking.
He is bold, artistic, and daring, a pleasure seeker who enjoys life to the full. His right-brain thinking tendency means he will live in the moment and will look for the deeper meaning and significance behind most things in life.
Fred is not bound by rules and despises being hemmed in by procedure. He’s the type of person who might read mystery novels backwards. He will do what he feels like, often deliberately in spite of the rules. During his school days he may have been one of those students who was unable to sit still in a classroom.
Although he is right-brained, Fred thinks in concrete terms. He hates waffle and useless abstract thinking. He thrives on sensory detail. His intuitive nature tends to make Fred blindly optimistic, not influenced by negative rationalism or left-brain cynicism.
He’ll expect the best, take risks, and when things go well he’ll win big. He is also prone to take gambles and can therefore lose heavily as well. But he won’t be down for long. Fred has a remarkable ability to bounce back and to adapt to the situation at hand.
Unlike Edna & Alan, Fred thinks emotionally rather than analytically. He is often cunning, innovative, charismatic and persuasive. He lives in the now, has Edna’s eye for detail, and shares Alan’s love of wordplay. Fred has the capacity to be pragmatic, sociable, emotional, energetic and often quite flamboyant.
Water Profile: Abstract Right-Brain
People who come under the water profile umbrella tend towards the abstract and right-brain thinking.
This makes them more intuitive and leaves them looking for deeper meanings behind experiences. Because they lean towards both the abstract and right-brain thinking, they tend to have a wild and vivid imagination, often coming up with ideas that others wouldn’t even consider.
Water profile people are idealists who see the world as it is but constantly imagine it as the best version it can be, often thinking outside the box to devise imaginative solutions to problems. Think abstract and right brain.
Example Of A Typical Water Avatar: Meet “Wilma”
Wilma is an example of a typical water profile person, tending towards the abstract and right-brain thinking.
Being a right-brain thinker like Fred, she will also look for the best way to do something. But Wilma’s approach is focused more on the human experience.
This means she will likely be a deep thinker and a spiritual person, someone who looks for the meaning behind the meaning, taking things to the deepest or highest level possible.
Wilma’s unique mix of qualities make her both fiercely independent and highly empathetic. She makes a great diplomat or mediator.
Her right-brain thinking means that she is creative, good at integrating people and ideas. She is able to see and make connections, a skill which helps her borrow concepts from other disciplines and apply the knowledge across different fields.
Wilma is insightful and intuitive, an inductive thinker able to imagine possibilities and solutions that other people ignore or simply cannot see.
She is easily annoyed by trivialities and is especially frustrated by people who fail to reach their full potential or live up to her own high standards. She can have a short fuse when angry and will likely have trouble controlling her emotions.
Wilma is an idealist, a trusting person with a sentimental and sympathetic side. Being an abstract right-brain thinker, she has a highly developed imagination which is constantly being put to use.
It’s important to note that everyone is capable of all the activities that make up the 4 elements. It’s your mental state that predisposes you to one particular profile at a time. And that’s the secret. Because if you learn to alter your state, you can gain the benefits of all the profile types when you need them.
Most people develop one type more than another, but that is probably the result of them feeling comfortable with a particular way of thinking.
Significant life changes or personal effort can lead to large shifts in people’s profiles, helping them develop new ways of thinking and interacting with each other.
That gives you an idea about what the 4 elements stand for and the main characteristics of each profile.
Let’s now take a look at how you can use this information to ethically profile someone or read their mind.
10 Powerful Hypnotic Profile Modifiers & How To Spot Them
Almost 3000 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel wrote a book.
He wasn’t into hypnosis or hypnotic mind reading.
But he was one of the first people to write about what today you might call the 4 elements.
Ezekiel wrote about seeing 4 creatures – an ox, an eagle, a man and a lion – to represent 4 specific traits, which can be summarized as:
- A lion, brave and bold
- A man, ethical and spiritual
- An eagle, far seeing and able to plan ahead
- An ox, sturdy and dependable
So even back then, 600 years B.C. or thereabouts, people were starting to look outside themselves and take note of the differences between them and others.
And that’s exactly what you’ll be doing with your hypnotic profiling and ethical hypnotic mind reading techniques.
Obviously, there are billions of people in the world, and they are not all going to fit neatly into one of these 4 categories. People are not robots, they are unique individuals, so no two are going to be exactly the same.
It’s true that most of the earth profile people will tend to want to follow the rules, and most of the air profile people will tend to be independent thinkers who need little feedback. But the important words to note here are most and tend.
Some earth people will break the rules, and some air people will need more reassurance than others. That’s because people are complex beings whose character traits can’t always be pinned down or oversimplified.
These profiles represent generalities, and some people will have stronger tendencies than others. But they will help you to predict certain things about people.
For example, a concrete thinker is going to focus more on the things they can see, sense, hear, touch and taste, while an abstract thinker will concentrate more on the world of ideas.
A left-brain thinker is going to tend to focus on the facts and the procedures involved, while a right-brain thinker will tend to rely more heavily on their imagination and intuition.
So these 4 profile categories are basically rough character sketches. They give you a place to start, and then you can use some of the techniques below to take things as far as you need to.
For instance, if you come across someone who thinks things through meticulously, logically, and is very pragmatic but a little distant, what might that person be? Sounds like the air profile, doesn’t it? An abstract left-brain thinker. A university professor, perhaps.
Surprisingly, however, this description applies equally well to Sherlock Holmes and to Professor Moriarty. So even though the categories help you know something of the person you’re dealing with, they’re only starting points.
Sometimes that will be enough to profile someone, and other times it won’t. And that’s when the following hypnotic profile modifiers will prove useful to you.
10 Powerful Hypnotic Profile Modifiers
Every person has these 4 basic elements – earth, air, fire and water – in their makeup. It’s just a question of which are predominant in a certain context and which one they’re most used to. But they don’t always show their true profile in every situation.
That’s where the critical factor comes in. Some people are self-conscious, others are introverted, and so on.
These profile modifiers will help you bypass that critical factor and get to the genuine person underneath. They will help you delve more deeply into your subject’s character and give you a more complete picture of their true self.
Profile Modifier 1: Extroversion vs. Introversion Of The 4 Elements
Extroverts are more public, approachable and outgoing, and introverts are more private, reserved and often shy.
To test for this polarity, ask yourself these kinds of questions: “Does this person prefer to speak or listen?” You can ask the person directly, of course, but observing their behavior is usually more accurate.
Remember that polarities are on a sliding scale, which means that some people sit around the middle. If you feel you’re getting mixed signals from them – then at least you’ll know why.
If you’re going to ask questions to establish polarity, never ask the same question twice in a row – this engages the conscious mind too much.
You don’t want them censoring their answers and saying what they think you want to hear. You want to elicit pure unconscious information.
Extroverted Earth Profile
An extroverted earth profile might be the typical host of the party who looks after everyone, and always follows protocol.
An introverted earth profile would normally be quieter and act more indirectly. They might be the person helping the host as a way of interacting without having to get too personally involved.
The introverted earth profile’s love of rules means that they might find more indirect behaviors to enforce them, like posting a set of rules in an area where everyone can see it.
By contrast, an extroverted earth person would be quite happy to confront you directly about any breaches of protocol.
Extroverted Fire Profile
An extroverted fire character would be the classic extrovert – a charming, persuasive, lively, energetic and sociable character.
An introverted fire type character would still be passionate, but in a more reclusive way, like an artist making their impact on the world indirectly.
Extroverted Air Profile
For air types, the extrovert would be a typical visionary leader, able to strategically lead people through complex times and issues.
An introvert would be quieter and subtler, working behind the scenes rather than in the limelight. They’d be more comfortable planning and creating blueprints for others to follow, rather than leading from the front.
Extroverted Water Profile
An extroverted water person might be a teacher that brings groups together, or an adventurer looking for spiritual growth. People that take up arms in favor of an important cause would also be a classic example of this combination.
An introverted water person would act in a more personal or indirect way behind the scenes. They thrive in smaller, more intimate groupings, like a coach or mentor who takes one person under their wing and nurtures their growth.
Profile Modifier 2: Pleasure vs. Pain
People can either be motivated towards pleasure, getting something good for themselves, or away from pain, avoiding something bad or damaging.
Pleasure oriented people are often optimistic and cheerful but can get into trouble when they fail to take into account the consequences of what they do.
People motivated by pain will usually only take action when there’s something going wrong, something that needs to be put right. They have a natural desire to want to fix things, which makes them good troubleshooters.
They’re so keen on fixing things that they’ll look for problems and issues even when none exist, which can take their focus away from the main goal.
You can tell the way people are thinking by the language they use.
People who are oriented towards pleasure will tend to have a positive and active vocabulary. “I want to gain this, get this, have this, this is what I want.” It’s all about things they’re drawing to themselves or getting an advantage over.
For people motivated away from pain, you’ll probably hear them saying things like: “I don’t want this, I want to avoid that, I want to get rid of this, I want to fix that.”
Profile Modifier 3: The Male vs. Female Polarity
This refers to the psychological characteristics which we tend to associate with “male” or “female” traits – but it has nothing to do with gender.
You can have a man with a female polarity (soft spoken and gentle) or a woman with a male polarity (brash and bold). Like all polarities, these can change depending on your mood, state and context.
The male polarity is aggressive and direct. Keywords that describe it are: strong, self-reliant, pushing out into the world.
They thrive on challenges. At the extreme end of the spectrum they might be domineering or even abusive.
The female polarity is softer, gentler and more nurturing. Keywords might be: social, nurturing, receptive, encouraging. These types respond better to nurturing comments or compliments.
Here’s an example of how this polarity might show up in one of the elemental profiles.
An introverted air with a male polarity would be strong and extremely certain about their ideas but may seem aloof or arrogant. Rather than challenge an idea directly, they’d create a situation in which they were challenged to an argument.
Profile Modifier 4: Proactive vs. Reactive
Proactive people make things happen, called being at cause. Reactive people respond, called being at effect.
You can spot the differences in their behavior and their language. For example, a proactive person gets up and gets things done, while a reactive one will wait to be told what to do.
Proactive people will take responsibility with phrases like: “Trust me… I’ll get it done…” and so on. A reactive person will tend to use the passive tense with phrases like: “It will get done… this needs to happen…”
Profile Modifier 5: Optimism vs. Pessimism
Optimists expect good things from the future, pessimists expect bad things.
Right-brain thinkers tend to be optimists, while left-brain thinkers tend to be pessimists. As you probably realize, however, this is just a rough guide. There are plenty of “analytical” optimists and “intuitive” pessimists. So make sure you take other facets into consideration, too.
Profile Modifier 6: Independence vs. Dependence
Independent people usually look for validation within themselves. If they feel their own internal standards have been met they will doubt anyone who contradicts them. This means they often reject external information that doesn’t match their own ideas.
Dependent people look for validation outside themselves. They seek other people’s opinions as to whether or not what they say or do is good enough. This makes them very responsive to others, but on the downside, they may have confidence issues or difficulty relying on their own initiatives or intuitions.
Profile Modifier 7: Sameness vs. Difference
Some people prefer change, while others prefer consistency.
This varies with the context. For example, sameness might be important in the home, maintaining the same lifestyle and level of comfort. At work however, difference really matters, so that they don’t get bored and don’t get themselves in a rut.
Profile Modifier 8: People vs. Tasks
Some of us are oriented towards people, while others are more focused on tasks and results.
Earth and water profiles are generally more motivated towards the welfare of the people they live and work with. Air and fire profiles tend to be more task oriented.
To motivate those who are people orientated, you need to focus on teamwork and building a sense of unity.
To motivate task-oriented people, you simply need to keep bringing them back to the goal, mission or objective.
Profile Modifier 9: Options vs. Certainty
Some people like to have lots of options available to them. They might not use them, but they want to have the choice nevertheless. This gives them room to try different methods and ways of doing things.
For others, too much choice can be overwhelming. They thrive when given a simple, clear route to follow. If they find something that works they’ll stick with it, using the old “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” principle.
This certainty modifier is epitomized by the earth profile people. They like to nail things down. They’re very deliberate and they hate chaos.
The fire profile is the opposite. They like starting something new and can have trouble disciplining themselves until the present project is completed.
Profile Modifier 10: Convincers Strategies
This is all about finding out how people get convinced. There are two elements involved in being convinced:
- The kind of information they need
- How often they need that information
You want to find out whether they need one reference experience or many, how strong and what type of reference experience is required. You also need to know how often they need to be “re-convinced.” These are useful points to add to your profile.
You should also pay attention to the way people talk. Observe how they make judgments and decisions, and then question them on the decisions they’ve made to find out how their convincers work.
Sometimes you can just ask them straight out. Take the purchase of a washing machine, for example. If you ask them if their last washing machine was good or bad, you can expect to get responses like the following:
- It was crap. It didn’t clean the first load properly. (a one-step convincer)
- I tried it for 3 months and it still didn’t clean the clothes properly. (a time convincer with repetitive trials)
- I loved it, every wash came out perfect. (a small frequency convincer)
- It’s worked fine so far, but there might be a better one. (can’t be convinced)
Remember that people’s responses will depend to some degree on the state and the context they find themselves in.
How To Combine The Modifiers With The Elemental Profiles
Once you know the main polarities someone fits into, you can combine this with your knowledge of the 4 elemental profiles to get a good idea of how someone may react or need to be motivated.
Simple Profile Extensions
For example: a reactive optimist would be someone who thinks life is pretty good on the whole. But they would be unlikely to get up and do anything until something bad happens or they are pushed to it by outside forces.
Use your language to appeal to those aspects of their personality. You might need to command them, or to point out the negative consequences of not doing anything, in order to motivate them to act.
Complex Profile Extensions
You will often come across an unusual combination of modifiers: for example, take an extroverted, proactive, air profile with a pessimistic, mainly female energy who is motivated by pleasure.
Let’s call this personality type “Adam.”
He’d be intellectual and a good planner. Someone who gets things done and works well with others. His female polarity makes him a supportive team member who is possibly the mastermind behind everything.
Adam could also be quite cynical, expecting the worst from people, which might make him a little bit selfish, but he’ll still help others to get the job done.
Adam will be filled with vision but may doubt that his vision is possible. His proactive nature means that he’ll push on and try to make it work anyway.
When things go well Adam is great. He’ll expect problems, but he’ll plan for them and get over them. When things start going wrong and he is challenged, the female energy coupled with his pessimism creates a vicious circle of failure and causes him to begin to collapse. Adam is very likely to make a mountain out of a molehill.
So how do you motivate someone like Adam?
Lay out a master plan with some simple steps to pique his curiosity. His proactive nature will ensure he gets these simple steps completed, despite his pessimism. This will start him on a success cycle, which will keep him happy and productive.
To recap: hypnotic mind reading is an invaluable tool that can be used to “read between the lines” so you’re able to bypass the critical conscious mind and get down to the good stuff: hypnosis.
This information can also be used to give you a better understanding of someone, especially if they’re unable to articulate what’s troubling them, or they lack the conscious awareness of what’s going on.
By being able to profile your hypnosis subjects, you can paint a mental picture of their personality type and cater your change work accordingly. But as mentioned before – everyone is different – it is not a case of “one size fits all.” So use the information in this series as a guide and remember to always use hypnotic mind reading ethically.
Missed Part 1 in this series? You can catch it here: