Lean Manufacturing Blog

Language is a powerful thing. Although you may not know it, the words you use show others how you see the world.

In fact, some experts believe that we not only use language to talk about how we see our world, but also that language actually helps us make the world we live in.

How does this work?

Our subconscious mind loves consistency and so will try to interpret what it experiences in a way consistent with the words we use.

Just like your subconscious is affected by what you say, so too other people are affected by what you say. So this very powerful tool on the tip of your tongue can also be used to persuade other people to view the world how you want them to view it.

How is this done?

You use covert hypnosis. You can actually cause a hypnotic induction by choosing the right words and tone of voice. I’m not speaking about a complete hypnosis session like you see in the movies. Rather you use the right hypnotic words and tones to talking straight to someone’s subconscious while having what appears to be just a regular conversation.

This allows you to change how people behave by subliminally placing hypnotic suggestions during a friendly conversation.

So what are the “right things to say?

Influencing someone’s subconscious mind is actually pretty straightforward. The world famous hypnotist, Milton Erickson, developed a conversational hypnosis model with three stages:

Stage 1.

look for word clues in someone language to detect how they view the world. Especially, words revealing their feelings and what they see and hear. Once you spot the pattern you can use the person’s own experiences to draw attention from the world outside, to their own inner world.

You can accomplish this by asking questions such as “How was that for you?”, or “How does that make you feel?”

This is focusing them inward where they will understand how their world view makes them feel.

Stage 2.

The next stage of the Erickson Model is aimed at distracting the person’s conscious mind. Milton Erickson did this by speaking with complex and ambiguous langauge.

Milton Erickson spoke using words sounding very similar, but with entirely different meanings. A few good examples are here/hear, write/right, wonder/wander and sale/sail.

He liked using double binds, which only presented the desired options. For example, he might say the following: I can’t tell if you will enter a trance now, or in a few minutes.

The words he uses allow the subconscious only two alternatives: fall into a trance now or in a few minutes. This is also an example of an embedded command, fall asleep now or very soon.

When words are incorrectly used, it confuses and distracts the conscious mind. This causes the conscious mind to look inward, asking for help from the subconscious mine.

These are a few of the Milton Model methods of distracting the conscious mind. I’m not sure if you want to learn about the Milton Model now or later

Stage 3.

Finally, once the conscious mind has been sufficiently distracted, the final stage in the Milton Model is to uses the resources of the subconscious mind.

This can be done using a few methods. The most straightforward if by embedding subliminal commands into your sentences as you speak. Since they are subliminal, they will be transparent to the conscious mind, but heard clearly by the subconscious mind.

These are a few examples:

–Who knows if you will certainly wash to dishes right away –You should do it, shouldn’t you? –You are going to do this, didn’t you? (this sounds like it doesn’t make any sense, but your subconscious mind will hear the command)

So, it sounds like all you need to do is say some confusing things to someone, with embedded commands and you can get her to do whatever you want.

Maybe.

The important point of conversational hypnosis is that you can only make someone do something that does not violate their beliefs and values.

Although you can certainly speak to someone’s subconscious using Milton Model techniques, it will take quite a bit more than some conversational hypnosis to change her values.

Practicing the Milton Model, you can become quite good at applying conversational hypnosis to make embedded commands to covertly influence those around you.

Written by Rob Andrews