In contrast to the previous method, this one is a lot longer and should be performed mainly for therapeutic reasons, normally during the first session, after the initial conversation with a new client.

A few points to remember with this method, and in general hypnotherapy practice:

Everything the client does is FINE. He or she does not need to “follow” or do anything you say and they should not feel like you expect them to do something. Let the client be as is.

Considering the first point, here’s your position of power – everything the client does can be utilize. You can use anything he or she offers you, if you allow yourself to follow along with the session. Yes, YOU should follow along, not the client.

And third, given the first two rules of thumb, the client has already entered some kind of hypnotic state (trance) the minute he or she walked into your office and agreed to participate in the hypnosis session. Meaning, everything you do and say from the minute you encounter them near the reception desk (and you should go out of your little dark room to greet them) – should be in the direction of deepening an already existing hypnotic state (trance). How? I’ll go further on that in upcoming articles.

Specifically for the eye fixation method: It is perfectly fine and normal if the client does not wish to close his eyes. And given the first 3 rules of thumb (or thumbs), simply follow along. Alter YOUR words instead of the client’s feeling of – “am I doing it right… am I hypnotized… will it work for me…”. He or she will not be worried about it if they notice that everything they do is being accepted and there are no expectation from them. As if the whole work is ON YOU instead of ON THEM. Now, remember – never tell them not expect or be expected of anything! Simply use anything they give you and their anxiety will fade away.

Of course and by all means, the client must feel comfortable in your office. The room should be dark but with enough light to look around comfortably. The “hypnosis chair” or recliner as some people call it, must be used ONLY for hypnosis therapy! The reason is anchoring. Just by doing hypnosis once on that chair alone you anchor the state of hypnosis to the chair.

This way, in future sessions your work becomes much easier. I had a client who just set on the chair one day and went directly into a very deep trance. I started that day directly with Pin-Points Suggestions (more on that soon). On the other end, if you use that chair for both “casual” conversation and hypnotherapy work, you can expect much harder time in inducing hypnosis on the second time. Just a professional advice, feel free to test it.

Now let’s go on with the method:

Milton Erickson’s Hypnotic Eye Fixation Induction

The Eye Fixation Hypnotic Induction is very simple to understand and use. There are 5 major steps to this method, and right after them comes a deepening script (included here also).

“Madonna” – replace this name with your client’s first name. Unless, of course, you are so talented that Madonna has hired you…

Step #1:

Guide your client to the chair and mention with a smile “let me show you my hypnotic chair…”. Offer a little blanket to the client (another useful tip, since in trance they will feel the air conditioning much stronger and colder). Tell your client that they can remove their shoes if more comfortable. They should move to the first or second position in the recliner (no matter which, as long as it’s not the regular seated position).

“Now, Madonna, as you find the most comfortable position you can find in this more comfortable chair, gaze a little bit towards this wall in front of you or if it feels more right to look at the ceiling and see where exactly (half second pause) you can select a spot and once you have chosen a spot, no matter where, but make it constant – let me know, you can nod your had once you’ve found that spot that feels right… that’s the way…”

Step #2:

“Now, Madonna, you may keep looking at that spot, wondering around it but coming back to it with your eyes in a non-stressful easy going comfortable manner of… and yes, your eyes many blink a bit more frequently and your breathing might get deeper and you may find that your mouth is a little dry which might cause the urge to swallow. And that is fine and perfectly normal before we step into the first stage of hypnosis, but not yet – I will tell you when. And it is perfectly normal once you feel this fuzziness looking at that wall / ceiling, aiming your eyes at that chosen spot. And some people have told me in the past that this fuzziness caused that spot they have chosen to change color or shape or move around an inch or two. And when it comes to this point we usually close (y)our eyes… that’s the way”

If the client did not close his/her eyes by now, keep going with Reflection Suggestions – meaning, affirming what you can see or cannot see but know that is happening – like heavier breathing, blinking, dryness of the mouth, movements to adjust position on the chair, heaviness of the legs or arms, tension in the shoulders, random thoughts that fly in and out…

If after a couple of minutes they don’t close their eyes – continue the session with their eyes open, but affirm it as if it was your intention – “and I am glad you chose to be consistent and look at that spot, some people are not as persistent as you…”