The Hypnotic Handshake method is based on ‘brief hypnosis’. Brief hypnosis is a less 
known format of hypnotizing, first initiated by Dr. Milton H. Erickson. Erickson also 
taught the Hypnotic Handshake method based on the principles of brief hypnosis.  

Brief hypnosis claims that most people enter trance (the hypnotic state of mind) and 
exit trance many times during the day.  

One good example would be driving on the free way, white you’re figuring out what 
to say to your boss about you being late again (for the 29th time this month). Not 
being aware completely to the road and to the driving activity, you still make it in one 
piece to the office. 

That’s hypnosis.  

Brief hypnosis starts with a rapid induction to get a person into trance. Rapid 
induction is based on two key principles: 

Rapid Induction Principle No. 1: Interrupt the auto-pilot

We are predictable creatures. Lift your right hand toward someone, say Hi, smile, and 
he will automatically lift his right hand to shake yours. Odd. He didn’t even think 
about it, it happened automatically. It’s the auto-pilot. One of many automatic 
behaviors we’re known of doing without conscious decision.  
If you interrupt an automatic behavior like this, you create an empty space, a query in 
the other person’s mind, a brief window to the subconscious mind. It takes less than a 
second for that window to close, so you’d better act fast.  

Rapid Induction Principle No.2: Fill the blank 

Now that the automatic pattern is missing, fill the blank quickly. The other person will 

follow if it’s done immediately after the interruption, because our minds don’t like 
voids. They want completion.  

Do something that will restore the missing link. Use hypnotic language and fast 
pacing induction script while talking in your regular voice.  

Now that you know the key principles of rapid induction in brief hypnosis, let’s move 
on to show you the Hypnotic Handshake method:  
 
  

The Technique: 

Step 1: Interrupt the Auto Handshake 

Let’s say you’re going to hypnotize John. John is a nice guy, but he deserves to be 
hypnotized and positively abused (meaning he will be happy during and after the 
session).  

You meet john, smile at him, look him directly in the eyes and you lift your right hand 
toward him for a handshake. Now stay alert!  

For the handshake interrupt, as John’s hand comes up, you form a cup with your 
thumb and first finger. Instead of meeting John’s right hand with yours, you put your 
hand in cup form under his hand that is coming to shake.  

But then your hand goes back just a little bit—don’t pull it way back, just an inch. 

The other hand goes behind the wrist so that it goes up. Just gently cup it and move 
his hand up in front of his eyes and say, “Look!

That’s an awesome interruption! John would never expect something like that! Oh, 
poor John… Oh well, on with the plan… 

 
Step 2: Pull him into hypnosis 

In hypnosis we don’t ask people to relax and allow themselves to be hypnotized. We 
make them to be! Yes, I know, I have to be nice to my clients. Still, you have to show 
them who’s the boss, right? And if I’m getting paid and they are paying, I guess I’m 
the one who’s in charge here.  

Don’t get nervous now. Pull John into hypnosis. Here’s how: 
As you pass John’s hand in front of his eyes and say “Look”, you point with your 
other hand toward his hand. That’s a new program.  

“John, look at your hand and nod when you notice the changing focus of your eyes, 
and as you notice it, see if you can take a deeper breath than the one you just had and 
as you notice the changing focus, that’s right! You may let your eyes stay close on the 
next… that’s the way, I will let you know when you are ready to let your hand rest 
and go all the way down… listen, can you hear all the sounds, aren’t they clearer… ” 
And from here you can continue with deepeners or with hypnotic suggestions and 
make John’s shocking experience of hypnosis a pleasant one.  

One warning: make sure your victim (cough… client) is sitting on a chair and not 
standing up. I did this technique once on a ‘non believer’ while he was standing up, 
and he fell down on the floor… I had to use amnesia and pain-killer techniques to 
make sure he’s not resentful afterwards… 

The Hypnotic Handshake Illustrated: 

A graphic designer friend of mine has worked his talent to sketch a few frames out of my copy of Bandler’s DVD, where he demonstrates the hypnotic induction.

The unsuspecting volunteer doesn’t even know what’s going to hit him in a few seconds… 

“Hi there”… Looks like just another normal human interaction. Shaking hands…

Oops, not so fast… Pay attention for how Bandler moves back his right hand so that the other person won’t make it to shake it. 

and then, as he keeps his right hand on his far right end, he’s using his left arm to grab the guy’s right arm…

And gently moves his hand closer to his face. 

It’s a bit confusing in this one, I know – Here Bandler points to the guy’s lifted hand with his right hand. 

Now it looks clearer – “and as you look at THIS point…”

And then we let our “victim” stare at his hand on his own, falling into hypnosis as we speak…

Then we’ll help him to close his eyes by giving him a new object to look at – your finger. 

And moving our finger down his head (without touching him obviously) his eyes follow – and are shut down.

Deeper into hypnosis…

Just make sure there’s a big recliner behind him to fall on.