Key Vocabulary from “Hypnosis – A Comprehensive Guide”

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing fundamental terms, concepts and phenomena drawn from Tad James’s “Hypnosis: A Comprehensive Guide,” covering techniques, language patterns, trance phenomena, and core principles of therapeutic hypnotism.

Hypnosis

A cooperative process in which a person enters a focused, suggestible state to achieve therapeutic change.

Unconscious Mind

The part of the mind that stores memories, manages bodily functions, and responds automatically to suggestion.

Conscious Mind

The analytical, critical part of mind that evaluates information and filters suggestions.

Mind-Body Connection

The concept that mental states affect physical health via neurotransmitters bathing every cell.

Trance

A natural state of narrowed attention and heightened suggestibility; foundation for hypnosis.

Rapport

A trusting connection that allows the client to accept hypnotic suggestions uncritically.

Utilization

Erickson’s tactic of incorporating whatever the client does or experiences to deepen trance.

Milton Model

A set of permissive, ambiguous language patterns used to engage the Unconscious Mind.

Meta Model

An NLP questioning model that challenges deletions, distortions and generalisations to recover specific information.

Suggestibility Test

A brief exercise (e.g., Balloon & Dictionary) that demonstrates a person’s responsiveness to suggestion.

Catalepsy

Rigid immobility of a muscle group (e.g., arm, eyelids) produced by suggestion during trance.

Full-Body Catalepsy

A deep-trance phenomenon where the entire body becomes rigid enough to be suspended between supports.

Ideomotor Signal

An involuntary muscle movement (finger lift, pendulum swing) used for Unconscious yes/no communication.

Pendulum

A weighted object on a string clipped to a finger, serving as a visual ideomotor device for Unconscious replies.

Post-Hypnotic Suggestion

An instruction given in trance that activates automatically after hypnosis, often outside conscious awareness.

Deep Trance Phenomena

Observable effects such as amnesia, hallucination, or analgesia that mark medium-to-deep hypnosis.

Positive Hallucination

Seeing, hearing, or feeling something not present, produced by suggestion in deep trance.

Negative Hallucination

Failure to perceive a real stimulus (e.g., not seeing a person) under hypnotic suggestion.

Double Bind

A hypnotic language pattern offering two choices that both lead to the desired response.

Learning State

A trance-like focus achieved by eyes up & peripheral awareness, enhancing information absorption.

Higher Self

Metaphoric inner blueprint of perfect health accessed when the Unconscious needs healing guidance.

Fractionation

Deepening method that alternates bringing a subject out of trance and back in to reach greater depth.

Progressive Test Induction

Estabrooks-style step-by-step induction that uses successive trance tests (eyelid lock, arm rigidity, etc.).

Elman Induction

Fast induction achieving deep somnambulism via eye-closure, physical relaxation and mental number block.

Ericksonian Hypnosis

Indirect, permissive approach employing stories, metaphors and utilization rather than authoritarian commands.

Animal Magnetism

Mesmer’s 18th-century theory of a healing magnetic fluid, precursor to modern hypnotic ideas.

Mesmerism

Historic practice of inducing trance through passes and magnets; named after Franz Mesmer.

Somnambulism (in hypnosis)

Deepest trance level where subjects can talk or move automatically while still hypnotised.

Hypnotic Rapport

Stage where a client sees, hears and responds only to the hypnotist during trance.

Age Regression

Technique of guiding a client to re-experience earlier life events for therapeutic insight or release.

Stage Hypnosis

Entertainment form of hypnosis using rapid tests and volunteers, differing from therapeutic work in purpose.

Self-Hypnosis

Process by which a person intentionally guides themselves into trance without a hypnotist.

General Hypnosis Paradigm

Framework of Preparation, Induction, Utilization, Change Work and Awakening for therapeutic sessions.

Deepening Technique

Any method (e.g., countdown, imagery, repeated induction) used to move a client into deeper trance.

Arm Levitation

Ideomotor lifting of the hand under suggestion, used as a convincer and deepener.

Postural Sway

Suggestibility test where a standing subject gently rocks forward/backward in response to imagined forces.

Finger Vice Test

Suggestibility demo in which imagined pressure draws interlocked forefingers together.

Dictionary & Balloon Test

Classic test where a heavy book “pulls” one arm down while an imagined balloon “lifts” the other up.

Higher-Level Presenting Problem

Underlying issue revealed by asking ‘What is this an example of?’ during personal-history taking.

Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind

Suggestion implying the Unconscious knows more than the Conscious, nudging acceptance of change.

Hypnotic Fractionation

See Fractionation; repeated cycling in/out of trance to reinforce hypnotic depth and responsiveness.