ABSTRACT
Generally, the more complicated a set of suggestions or instructions provide for someone to follow, the more the person must expend effort and rely on conscious resources to help understand and respond to them. That’s true in or out of hypnosis. There is a wide array of things that people will do in the name of hypnosis, incorporating gimmicky objects or elaborate and dramatic moves into their procedures. Most people are familiar with the swinging pendulum, rhythmic metronome, and swirling hypnosis spirals, all of which are superfluous to the hypnotic experience. One especially helpful tip is to use the language of the client whenever possible. Words represent experience, and even though we may use a common language, individual experiences are necessarily different. Generally, suggestions should be phrased in the present tense and in terms of what the person is experiencing.
