Suggestion

If you have not done so, I recommend you read over my post explaining the theory of mind. After doing so, you should be aware of the difference between the conscious and the subconscious mind.

A visual representation of the conscious and subconscious mind, highlighting their differences.

Suggestion… just what is it exactly? If I asked you right now to stand up from your chair and dance in a twirl for me, would you do it? Most likely not. Why? Because your critical mind doesn’t agree with the suggestion and rejects it. If I met you on the street however and offered you a $50 bill, convincing you that it was yours free, that there was no obligation if you took it, would you take it? Most likely.

Illustration of a person rejecting a silly suggestion and another person accepting a $50 bill.

In hypnosis, suggestion is essentially about what actions a person will take, and what actions they will reject. If a person is an authority in your life (someone that you respect in some way) then you will be more likely to act upon the suggestions that the person gives you. The suggestion a complete stranger (such as me) gives you may be outright rejected, however if the same suggestion is given by an ‘authority’ in your life, then you’ll be more likely to act upon the suggestion, even though the suggestion may be the same.

Conceptual image showing the influence of authority on accepting suggestions.

So when we attempt to influence a person through suggestion, what we’re essentially trying to do is trick the person’s critical mind into believing that we’re an authority in their life. Now the thing is, is that being an authority in someone’s life is not based upon how long you’ve known them. There may be someone you have known for years in your life, but you may not necessarily act upon what they suggest or hold them in the highest regard. Therefore authority can be determined through trust, but trust isn’t the only way to establish authority.

When you begin to understand the concepts of covert hypnosis you’ll learn ways to establish yourself as an authority in someone’s life in the space of a few seconds by just looking at them in a certain way, through the use of body language alone. Whilst such things are far too advanced to cover here, just understand that you don’t need to know someone to be an authority to them. Just think of a young school girl meeting her favourite male pop singer for the first time. Even though they’ve never met before, the pop singer would be an instant authority in the girl’s life.

A young fan meeting her favourite pop singer, showcasing instant authority.

There are many ways to establish instant authority, we have merely tipped the iceberg here.