Working with Suggestions

The induction opens the door; suggestions are what take place once you have stepped through. A suggestion is an idea presented so that the subject's mind adopts it and lives it as real - a lightness in the hand, a rush of calm, a sound that recedes into the background. Learning to word and deliver suggestions skilfully is the greater part of practising hypnosis.

Phrasing: clear, positive, present

Suggestions are most effective when they paint what is taking place rather than what ought to cease. "Your breathing is slow and easy" works better than "stop feeling tense," because it hands the mind something concrete to move toward. Keep the wording plain and in the present tense, and allow one idea to take hold before introducing the next. Suggestions that are vague or overcrowded simply leave the mind too much to sort through.

Permissive vs. authoritative

Suggestions fall along a spectrum. Permissive wording invites - "you may notice your arm beginning to feel light." Authoritative wording directs - "your arm is rising now." Neither is inherently better; permissive language fits cautious or analytical subjects and helps build trust, while firmer language can work well once rapport is solid. Most practitioners mix the two and err toward permissive whenever they are unsure.

Categories of suggestion

Sensory - altering what is felt, heard, or seen (warmth, lightness, a quieter room).
Emotional - calling up calm, confidence, or ease.
Mental - redirecting focus, prompting vivid imagery or deep absorption.
Post-hypnotic - a suggestion arranged to take hold later, after the session, in response to a cue.

Beginners are wise to stick with sensory and emotional suggestions, which are gentle, simple to confirm, and satisfying for both people.

When a suggestion does not take

Notice the response and adapt instead of pushing. When a suggestion fails to land, ease it, slow down, or attempt a smaller step first - effects tend to accumulate bit by bit. A suggestion that runs into genuine resistance is usually one the subject does not truly want, and that resistance deserves respect, not override. Look for real signs of comfort and engagement, and keep checking in along the way.