Covert Metaphor

A good hypnotist can openly or covertly influence the direction of the autonomous flow of thoughts associated with trance.

In a therapeutic setting, the hypnotist is usually focused on getting the subject to physically relax. They may tell the subject to keep still, stop talking, and close their eyes. These are direct suggestions, but if the subject is already relaxed, they may find the indirect approach easier to accept.

“You don’t have to talk or move or make any sort of effort. You don’t even have to hold your eyes open.”

In a relaxed or trance state the subject is already predisposed not to do anything, so by suggesting they don’t have to do anything, makes it that much easier to accept. You have of course actually suggested they shut up, keep still, and close their eyes.

In terms of persuasion, I haven’t seen that much written or applied using suggestions of not doing or not knowing. I tried thinking of direct suggestions which could be turned into indirect suggestions of “not doing”, but then it occured to me that people use these type of suggestions all the time with each other.

“It’s only 11:00pm. You don’t have to go home just yet.”

“You don’t have to worry about it. It’s only money after all.”

“You can just sleep over here tonight and not worry about driving home tired.”

I’m sure you can think of many other examples.

After some time you’ll begin to see how all these patterns begin to build upon each other.

I don’t know whether you’ll read all of my posts today, tomorrow, or throughout the week or just make frequent visits to this site, because you don’t have to learn this material all at once, which means you can just take your time and read through slowly and enjoy yourself now.

That last sentence consists of an illusion of choice, several presuppositions, cause and effect, not-doing indirect suggestion, conjunctions, and embedded commands. Again, it works better spoken than written. The more you practice writing and talking these out, the easier it gets to construct them on the fly. It’s almost like learning a new language, but once you get it to flow, you’ll be surprised how easy you’ll be able to apply it to any situation.

I hope by now you can begin to appreciate your acceptance of the decision to commit yourself fully to learn conversational hypnosis, metaphor, and persuasion using this site. You’ve come a long way.

admin :: Aug.06.2007 :: advanced language patterns, covert hypnosis, hypnosis, persuasion :: No Comments »

Recently, a friend and I were discussing the possibility that a few readers may not understand that what I write about are just models to guide one in the right direction. These models of covert hypnosis and persuasion are not one-pill solutions. Each person and every situation is different. What may work on one person may not work on another. Tweak a little here, tweak a little there, and eventually you find the right spot; covertly that is. You have to play with this stuff. You have to actually go out and use it. Reactions may not always be positive, but with experience you’ll be able to divert their conscious attention very quickly, and come in at a different angle.

And now something completely different, maybe. I think it was in Bandler and Grinder’s Frogs into Princes, Bandler stated that everything is hypnosis, and Grinder disagreed by saying, “all communication is hypnosis.”

Not all conversations have the same effect, but we’re basically hypnotizing each other every time we speak. Hypnosis is not, as so many people falsely believe, a state where you lose control of your will and start clucking like a chicken. Or as the late Steven Heller says, “There’s no such thing as hypnosis.” because hypnosis is just a word to represent a myriad of different states of consciousness. Maybe I will say something to you that your mother always said, something which made you furious, and presto! You instantly relive that state. Could that be hypnosis?

Ever hear the phrase, “Fake it ’til you make it?” If you pretend something, most people will pretend along with you, but it’s possible you’re the only one who is aware of it. This reminds me of a story Milton Erickson told either Bandler or Grinder, I’m not sure.

“You don’t consider yourself a therapist, but you are a therapist.” And I said, “Well, not really.” He said, “Well, let’s pretend . . . that you’re a therapist who works with people. The most important thing . . . when you’re pretending this . . . is to understand. . . that you are really not . . . You are just pretending . . . And if you pretend really well, the people that you work with will pretend to make changes. And they will forget that they are pretending . . . for the rest of their lives. But don’t you be fooled by it.” And then he looked at me and he said: “Goodbye.”

Think about that one for a bit. When you think you got it, then go ahead and apply this advice to any situation you want to.

This makes me think of an old TV series called The Pretender about a character who could integrate himself into any walk of life.  Some of it may have been a little far fetched, but it is really amazing how far you can go when you pretend, and those surrounding you pretend right along with you.

admin :: Aug.04.2007 :: covert hypnosis, hypnosis, persuasion :: 2 Comments »

This is similar to an Illusion of Choice, but instead of only two choices, your subject is given a small range of possibilities. Depending on the objective, each response should fit within your chosen frame.

Perhaps you are interested in using these techniques at work, in your daily conversation, with friends or family, or just to be more persuasive in your intimate relationships.

All the reasons I have just given may have absolutely nothing to do with why you are interested in these techniques, but if you had made any of those choices they would have been acceptable for me.

I have often used a class of responses in past interviews:

Would you need me to begin with project management, the network, perimeter security, or haven’t you made the decision on where I could begin positively supporting your team?

Milton Erickson is famous for using hand levitation:

Shortly your right hand, or it may be your left hand, will begin to lift up, or it may press down, or it may not move at all; but we will wait to see just what happens. Maybe the thumb will be first, or you may feel something happening in your little finger, but the really important thing is not whether your hand lifts up or presses down or just remains still; rather it is your ability to sense fully whatever feelings develop in your hand.

When you are given those range of possibilities for movement, you have to obviously pick on of them, which most likely will lead you deeper into trance.

I don’t know whether you will integrate all of these techniques that I write about, pick only what is relevant to you, or concentrate only on a few of my posts at a time.

admin :: Aug.03.2007 :: advanced language patterns, covert hypnosis, persuasion :: No Comments »

What a creepy image, but there might be some truth to it…

admin :: Jul.29.2007 :: hypnosis, persuasion :: No Comments »

I’m not sure if I should be writing this on the front page of my site, but I’m sure you’ll keep what you’re about to read to yourself.

No one can keep a secret even though they swear on their mother’s grave they’ll never tell a soul. They just can’t help it. “Hey, I’m not supposed to tell you this, so make sure you don’t tell anyone, alright?” And before you know everyone knows your secret.

I understood very early on that people just can’t keep a secret even if they have the best intentions. I used to play around with this a bit in High School for my own amusement. I’d tell someone a secret, making sure they promised to absolutely keep it to themselves, and then sit back and watch it spread like a virus.

A good example of this can be seen in the movie American Pie. The character Paul Finch gives his friend Jessica $200 to spread rumors about his extraordinary sexual abilities. Soon he’s getting a lot of attention from other girls.

Secrets are considered more believable and valid. If it wasn’t true, why would someone want to keep it a secret, right?

So, imagine the potential of persuading whole groups of people by telling one person a little secret that will lead to your desired outcome.

There are so many business and social applications to telling secrets. Ever hear this one? “You seem like a nice person and I could get in trouble for this, but if you can keep this to yourself, I can give you a real good deal on this car.” Yes, now I’ll get the same price everyone else does!

Yes, it is somewhat devious, but it can be a very effective persuasion technique. Remember, don’t get hung up only on conversational hypnosis and language patterns. There are no rules to any of this. The real power comes from knowing what combination to use in any situation. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to try and use these techniques. If you fall on your face in the beginning so be it, but honestly how many people study persuasion and consciously guard themselves against it?

I use this stuff all the time against those that study persuasion and conversational hypnosis, most of the time unconsciously, and they still fall victim to it. Nobody is aware 100% of the time. It happens to me too. Friends and family are out to tweak me, and they are successful. They even use my own material against me!

Just don’t tell anyone I told you about this.

Learn Conversational Hypnosis, NLP, Sleight of Mouth, and Metaphor techniques which you can use instantly. Click Here To Find Out How >>

admin :: Jul.28.2007 :: persuasion, psychology :: No Comments »

Persuasion is a fact of life. Kids persuade their parents. Friends and couples persuade each other. In my opinion, there are very few people out there that serve others unconditionally. They expect some kind of reward. Even people who donate their time to help those in need do so out of egotistical reasons. We’re persuading each other all the time.

Have you ever asked a stranger to watch your things in a public place while you went to the restroom? I’m willing to bet that people who have done this have always come back to still find their things exactly where they left them. This is a form of persuasion and there is a very good reason why this works.

When you ask someone to do something and they agree, they are mentally committing to it. Breaking that commitment would cause an internal conflict, and by nature, most people avoid internal conflicts.

Master persuaders and salespeople are well aware of how internal conflict works and how to create it. It starts off simple enough by getting someone to say yes to small commitments. These small commitments seem innocent enough in the beginning, and then you’re in so deep you can’t really back out of it. Family members do this unconsciously all the time to each other.

For example, they may start off with, “Well, can you at least take a look at it to see if it interests you?” You answer yes. OK, you’ve committed.

Then they may ask, “This is definitely a purchase you’ll make at some point, right?” Another yes. Damn, committed again.

And then, “You said you wanted this, and you did come all the way out here after all. Just think how you would feel going home with it today.”

Suddenly you’re experiencing all this internal conflict you need to get rid of, and you’ll buy if they offer a solution.

This kind of interaction can be found everywhere. We see it between couples. We see it between a boss and their employees. It’s everywhere. I often see this type of interaction in the workplace. There’s always that co-worker who keeps getting everyone to commit to little favors, until finally people are actually doing that person’s job for them.

Of course, if you only offer internal conflict most sensible people will begin to get a bit angry. So, you offer them a solution; a way out of the conflict you created. This is beginning to sound a little something like what a government does to its people. First get them to commit to those little things – get them saying ‘yes’. Create some conflict and then offer a solution. Instant control.

Next time you see one of those commercials asking for money donations in order to help a good cause, think about what you just read here. I mean you could afford at least a dollar a day to help a sick child, couldn’t you? I’m not against helping others in need. I’m just making a point here.

Get commitment, create conflict, offer solution. It’s used by everyone for everything.

admin :: Jul.26.2007 :: persuasion :: 2 Comments »

I wasn’t sure if I should write about cause and effect linkages, because using these kind of advanced language patterns can make you very persuasive.

The use of cause and effect in pacing and leading statements can be very powerful. One of the reasons it is so powerful is that many people already speak like this naturally.

The pacing statement begins with an undeniable truth:

“As you sit here…”

“This could be the most important book you will ever read…”

“There are a variety of ways to respond to a situation…”

“You are interviewing more than one candidate for this job…”

“Your desire to make more money…”

Undeniable truths are not always necessarily physical facts. Many beginners, when they learn leading and pacing statements, get hung up on including only facts which are only visually obvious. This works well in conversational hypnosis and indirect suggestion within a therapeutic setting, but persuasion settings can require more flexibility. For example, “As you breath in and out…”, “As you sit in that chair…”, and “Having your arms folded…” are very obvious undeniable truths.

Using words like “perhaps”, “may”, “can”, “could” and so on, still makes the statement an undeniable truth because it can go either way. In my second example I state that this could be the most important book you will ever read. Well, it could be, couldn’t it? You can also use their own language in a pacing statment as in my last example. If you ask a customer, “What exactly about this product interests you?” and they answer, “Well, I want to know if it can make me more money.”, then that has become an undeniable truth which you can use.

Cause and effect words include “make”, “require”, “have to”, “must”, and “cause”, but you may include any verb really, which matches the situation. Notice the following examples include presuppositions, making them even more powerful:

“you find yourself beginning to relax quickly and easily.”

“because it will cause you to make decisions leading to wonderful changes in your life.”

“which means you may have to choose between red or blue.”

“means you will be required to make a choice, and hire the right candidate.” (points to self, marks off embedded command with change in tonality)

“tells me you must absolutely recognize the power of this software.”

Now put the first and second examples together to see the full cause and effect linkages in action.

I shouldn’t have to tell you now that I’ve been using cause and effect statements throughout this post, because then you may have to read this post again to see if I’m lying.

admin :: Jul.25.2007 :: advanced language patterns, covert hypnosis, persuasion :: 3 Comments »

I could say that it’s very easy to go into trance, but it may take you some time and a few more visits to this blog before you know it to be true. People can, you know, go into trance quickly and easily and they don’t have to say anything or make any conscious effort at all. You don’t even have to really concentrate on what I write here because your unconscious mind will understand all of it clearly.

As you read this, there is nothing to do now, nothing you have to think about or respond to. You don’t even have to expect anything in particular in this post because you don’t know how your unconscious mind is responding to my words. And after reading all of the material within this blog, you don’t even have to concern yourself at all about how you’re going to integrate this material.

We need a lot of skills to get along in this world. Everybody knows the importance of doing some practicing. Perhaps it’s been a long time since you remember being interested in something. I’m not really sure though. Each person is different. And you’re probably wondering how you’ll ever get turned on by this stuff.

I don’t know if you’ll ever want to actually use this information now or maybe just find yourself using it later on. How would life be different as an excellent conversational hypnotist, capable of weaving covert metaphors like a master story-teller? People have different ways of learning this material.

Some, of course, are interested in learning everything, but others pick and choose. It might only be one little thing that you will find of interest here, one or two subjects in their entirety, just a little part of each, and some of my material may not really be your cup of tea.

Which of this material is easiest for you – Advanced Language Patterns, Metaphor, NLP, Conversational Hypnosis or Storytelling? Which one of these do you have the least chance of giving up on?

What do you want to do after you master all these skills you read about at covertmetaphor.com?

admin :: Jul.24.2007 :: NLP, advanced language patterns, covert hypnosis, hypnosis, metaphor, persuasion :: 2 Comments »

Hopefully my readers have a sense of humor…

admin :: Jul.22.2007 :: NLP, advanced language patterns, hypnosis, persuasion :: 4 Comments »

I was introduced to NLP in junior high briefly through a friend of my mother and then forgot about it for some years. This was in the 80’s and NLP was still predominantly used for changework. There wasn’t much talk of persuasion applications. When I was 19 years old I bought Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Volume I (The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience)  by Robert Dilts. I remember it was roughly $45, but I’d become serious about studying linguistics and its relationship to the human mind and perceptions of reality. NLP seemed like a good place to start as any.

Some weeks later I happened upon a set of Milton Erickson’s books in a used bookstore. I hungrily bought them all and locked myself up in a room for the next few weeks. After I’d read about punctuation ambiguity I couldn’t wait to go out and work it into my conversations with all my friends. My friends and I went out regularly to the cafe near the university for hours at a time, discussing language, mathematics, chess, philosophy, and history.

I remember that afternoon vividly. I walked up to their table and said, “As I look at my watch closely what I’m doing I notice it’s already 4:30pm.” They all looked at my like, “so what?” They really had no idea what I had just done. Their conscious minds had latched onto the noun and not the verb meaning of watch. I had used punctuation ambiguity successfully and slipped in a suggestion. I’d been sure someone would have picked up on the odd structure of my sentence.

Punctuation ambiguity is a word with multiple meanings, that can be both a noun and a verb, but isn’t necessarily always the case. This word is usually referred to as a pivot word. My best results have come from constructing a sentence with the pivot word ending the first part of the sentence using a noun and using the verb meaning of the same pivot word to begin the command or suggestion. A few examples should make this clear.  These examples are off the top of my head, and not all that clever. Decide an outcome and spend a little time on these and no one will be the wiser. Makes you kind of wonder how much ambiguity is being used everyday to influence you through the media.

“So, you’re thinking about buying a new home in on my words closely.”

“It was crooked so I adjusted the picture yourself in my arms.”

“The fields were on fire and the sky was filled with smoke this cigarette and feel good now.”

“The stairs were a bit slippery and he said, “Open your mind your step and hold onto the railing.”

Punctuation ambiguities work well with metaphorical stories as well:

And then she wanted to know if I was going. “Going where?” I asked, unsure of the place this message deeply she was talking about.

Now, some of you may think this looks a bit strange and there’s no way someone wouldn’t notice this. I thought the exact same thing. The only time someone understood what I was doing is when I explained it to them. It is truly amazing how pivot words bypass the conscious mind so easily. Go ahead and take a few days to try it out in your daily conversations and tell me how it went.

admin :: Jul.22.2007 :: NLP, advanced language patterns, metaphor, persuasion :: 5 Comments »