#hypnotee

[venomousdread]

im pretty new to hypnosis but I've already made my own induction- it consists of me playing a specific comfy tune on my ukulele while giving the hypnotee waking suggestions of how "their mind can form a harmony with the ukulele" and "each note plucks a thought away" and just repeating stuff like that until they drop

its honestly my favourite thing

[publicdomainreview]

Hypnotees after handing control to mischievous hypnotists (ca. 1900). More diverting scenes here: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/hypnotism-posters-ca-1900

[secret-subject]

you mentioned being a sub and then changing to a more of a switch/dom what was that like?

Okay so, I think I've always been a switch but when I first started out doing hypnokink with people online when I was 18 I was purely a sub/subject/hypnotee. This was because I'd always been interested in being hypnotized but never really felt that urge to break a brain... yet.

I had an ex who really wanted me to switch with him because he always wanted that in a partner and so a few times I tested it out and it was kinda fun. Then later on I started to do more and more on my own terms and by the time I was in my mid twenties I had a couple of subs and I still got my brain wrecked on the regular. Then I started making content.

Once this happened, I became known as someone who makes domme content. Over the years I stopped playing with people due to many reasons. (It's complicated). But occasionally I listen to the odd file and do a little demo with someone as the subject.

What's it like? I switch fast so I just go where the mood takes me. It can be seconds when I'm switching and honestly I've never really found anyone else like that, but I feel if I was to have a switch battle sometime with a trusting friend it would be a hoot! I do prefer to be in control because I am a MASSIVE control freak but occasionally I like to let go as much as anyone and honestly I'm proud of my history switching in the online space.

[thekinkymadscientist]

What exactly does one do when their hypnotee doesn't enjoy specific terms that are used in plenty of scripts?

As in any mention of submission or slavery just pulls them right out of trance.

I've not seen any examples of videos or stories without it, though I may just be looking in the wrong places. Thanks if you answer!

One stops using those terms.

I personally think scripts are a good way to learn hypnotic language, but it's not a good idea to rely on them, partially because of this: if you don't rely on scripts, you're not bound by what the scriptwriters do. Then, to not use a given word, you just... don't use it.

Not using scripts is easier than you think! Just take a script you like and reduce it to point form, both important ideas to hit and any particular wordings you like. After you've done that a few times, you won't even need the point-form script. Once you can improvise a full session, your freedom as a hypnotist increases dramatically.

One note of clarification: is the 'tee in question merely averse to those words, or do they not want any power exchange at all? The former is very easy, just use different words. If they don't want any sort of submission, you can still work with that! Most recreational hypnosis (as opposed to erotic) doesn't have an inherent hierarchy. From an erotic standpoint, you can still do a lot with altering sensations, without veering into dominance territory.

Good luck and happy trancing!

[hypno-matt]

Hello! I just started learning about hypno. How do you install safeties in subs minds? I would like to learn but information is hard to find.

Hey there! That is a great question!

Safeties should be a pretty big priority when it comes to subs, as they help protect them from creeps and from accidentally trancing themselves.

They have been brought a couple of times on Tumblr and I feel that the posts I'll link below do a much better job at explaining this issue than me. Please check them out:

With that being said, I would like to add that safety when it comes to hypnosis goes far deeper than preventing these cases of trigger abuse and unwanted trancing.

Hypnosis, even when it is going incredibly well, should not be overdone. Even if a sub consensually agrees to suggestions that are very kinky and extreme, you need to be aware to not do something that might harm them in the long run, like turning their kinks into addictions. Even good things can have bad effects, and hypnokink is no different.

If you want to have a great dynamic with a sub, start by building some rapport with them! I've found that some of the best subs I talk to are also great friends of mine, and since I know so much about them and their interests it's far easier for me to avoid touchy subjects and to make sure that they trust me, which leads to safer play.

When it comes to sessions themselves, even when toying with extreme kinks, never implant something that you cannot undo. While long-term play can be really fun, you and your sub dont want a situation in which they feel dizzy all the time, even when they're supposed to do important non-hypno related activities. Make sure that there is always an off switch to your triggers, even if you are conditioning someone. Don't turn a fun kink into an unhealthy obsession.

Lastly, make sure to give great aftercare to your subs! Bring them up slowly and carefully to make sure that their mind has fully returned, and that no effects are active. Make sure that they do stuff like hidrating or taking a shower. And then talk to them, so they can safely return to their normal state of being at their own pace.

And if you can, i urge to consult other hypnotist on this site. There may have been things I have missed in this post, and so if anyone would like to add anything please reblog or comment or whatever so i can re-edit this answer. Thank you!

[madesweet]

Reasons why I love IRL hypnosis so much, compared to hypnosis sessions online:

Flopping! Although flopping can be risky and you always gotta be careful, it can also be so incredibly comfy to flop. Having the literal feeling of falling somehow takes you even deeper. And when you know there's someone to catch you, you can truly let go and relax all the way! That moment when you flop into their arms... I WANT IT EVERY DAY

HYPNOHUGS I'm a huge teddybear! I always wanna hug my friends and loved ones, and hugs are just so comfy and safe, but gosh... when you add hypno to it!... Dropping someone into trance, while hugging As a hypnotee you get to melt and get comfy into your hypnofriends arms, knowing they're there to hold you and take care of you. And as a hypnotist you can feel someone just melting in your arms, as all their muscles just relax, taking care of them knowing they are in absolute heaven.

Shock inductions They are 100% my favourite! And so much easier IRL, as you can pull arms, suddenly get close, use physical touch. And they hit so much harder too! Gosh I love a good pattern interrupt so much!

Kinesthetic things I love kinesthetic techniques! Rocking someone side to side, pushing down their shoulders to release tension, gently shaking their wrist, dropping down their arm, or slowly moving around their head. Those gentle lovely deepeners... But also sudden things for the shock inductions are so lovely!

Non-Verbal inductions Especially when you have a great rapport with your hypnofriend, you don't even need words to drop someone. Just a simple tap on the forehead, a push on the shoulder or gently guiding the head down is enough to drop. Bonus point if the whole trance including the awakener is non-verbal too.

Observing As a hypnotist it's a lot easier to observe someones indicators of trance IRL, compared to videocalling. Being closer makes it easier to see any eye fluttering or rapid eye movement. Feeling the floppiness of their muscles. Seeing the hypnoblush on their face. Even noticing their breathing and breathing along can get you way more connected, or can help time the drop just right.

Fuzziness The fractionation hits so much harder, but you don't have to worry feeling too fuzzy to function, because your hypnofriend is there to take care of you. It's perfectly fine to just giggle and enjoy the fractionation as your hypnofriend is hypnotically murdering you

[misshypnofascinated]

The evening after

"The trance of yesterday was amazing~"

So. That was that, I had thanked the 'tist of yesterday for being their hypnotee for the evening. It was a fun trance, and I felt no nice and floaty. And wet, of course, but that was expected. I did not have that much experience in erotic hypnosis, but I knew for years that it could get me going like nothing else.

Now I think back, I could not remember much more of the trance, but that is okay. It was relaxing, and I felt good.

Oh! The universal tree dots of an incoming response appeared.

"I did have fun too. I hope you want to play again sometime soon?"

Ha, it seems it was not just me who liked it. Great, I love it when I make somebody happy, even when I'm blank and not actively working to make it so. And the message dots are back!

"In fact, would you have some time now? I'd like to see what you think of something"

Hmm. I'm free this evening, and it aroused my curiosity.

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

The dots are there, comforting me that a response is coming. They have such a nice pattern, I never noticed that before.

"I want to try some of the triggers I placed yesterday. Are you still good with having those lingering triggers and after-effects there, just for this weekend? [Be honest, and let me know when you are uncomfortable]"

I smile.

"Yes, I do enjoy feeling good all day today, and I'm excited to see what you have in store for me :)"

This time, the dots are there for just a short time. Not enough time to run through the full animation.

"Oke, let's start :) [You hear a snap and remove your top and wear only your cardigan]"

Hey, what do I read now? It is like my eyes are slipping over something. And where did that snap come from? My eyes slowly become unfocused and I feel strange. It is like a veil is being pulled over my brain. I feel myself become heavy, slow. A small, single pulse of arousal makes itself known. It is almost an out-of-body experience. I feel myself standing up, and my hands take off the cardigan. My t-shirt falls to the ground, and the bra follows. Then, without much thought, I put the cardigan back on. I sit back and shake my head.

Oke, this is ridiculous. Am I getting aroused with just the idea of playing with a hypnotist? Get yourself together.

"Ready when you are~"

There are the dots again. They are so soothing.

"I was wondering how you feel? Can you feel my influence already?~"

Ha. How should I respond to that…

"I do.~ :) To be honest, I even felt something of anticipation the moment you wanted to start, isn't that silly?"

Just a quick dash of the dots. I like how fast you are.

"Not at all! You are a good subject, and I'm sure you like what we will do today, you are free to feel what you feel. [In fact, those feel-good feelings will grow and grow]"

Oh. Oh! I love being told to be good. You sure know how to push my buttons. And you make me feel so relaxed, this is one of the nicest conversations I had in a while. I do feel good, I feel tingles all over my lower body…

"Thank you~"

The dots are back. It seems like each time I see them, I feel calmer, and so focused on what you will say

"You are welcome. [You hear again a snap. You will lower your pants and find a comfortable kneeling position where you can have your arms supported]"

When I read that message, I feel my eyes glaze over again. The fuzziness in my brain, which did not clear away completely last time, returned as I stood up. I zip open my pants, and let them pool on the ground as I kneel before the chair.

I slowly blink as I read your next message.

"How are you now? Can you describe what you are wearing?~"

Ha, an easy, albeit flirty message. I know what I decided to wear this morning.

"Sure~ Some nice jeans, a white tank top, and a nice cardigan, that make me look good :)"

"Are you sure of that? Can you do a quick body check for me? [Describe your thought process here in detail and step by step]"

A what now? If they want that, they can get a detailed body check.

"For you, I can~ I have black shoes, they rest on the floor"

The dots flash by. Part of my brain is more focused on the dots than on my body check.

"So far so good…"

"And my nice jeans are on the ground?! That cannot be right? And I'm kneeling, that is not normal…"

Although some part of me feels like it should panic, another part of me finds this hot. Really hot. And a large part of me is subdued, relaxing, and waiting for more to do for you, to watch the dots, feel good, and let go.

"But does it feel wrong? And is that your whole body scan? [If you want, you may play with yourself]"

One of my hands moves between my legs by itself, not a conscious thought of me needed, as the other one keeps typing.

"There is more? My cardigan is on, I see that. And I'm sure I would be cold without it… But now I check, that is the only thing on my upper body…"

I feel that my head is so heavy. How could it hide from me that I stripped? This 'tist obtained so much power over me in such a short time. It is exciting, for sure. I rub some more as I watch the dots fade in and out as you type, just as my brain does. A vague memory drifts up, of you telling me that time between messages is for relaxation, for being guided by small animated circles that blank, just as my mind will.

"Such a Good Girl for me. Following me so well. Do you want to fall deep for me again?~"

Ohh, that feels so nice, so good. Words are hard, I feel slow. And hot.

"I feel like I'm already entranced for you, and I'm in this service position upon your command?"

The dots. There are just the dots while waiting for your next message. And my rubbing hand. I do not care when the new message comes, I just feel so good for you, both when reading what you have to say, or when I’m waiting for you to respond. Lost in your words, in your dots.

"Good girl. You are indeed entranced. Drop for me, relax, and feel good… Let’s see what this evening will bring :)"

[binaural-histolog]

Hypnosis vs Trance

Here's my thesis: there is no hypnotic trance, it's hypnosis AND trance. Hypnosis and trance are often correlated, but they're not same.

Hypnosis is an intention to believe and follow suggestions automatically, an activity of phenomenological control. We can see this intention at the very beginning of the Elman induction, during the eye lock.

The Elman eye lock goes "Close your eyes. Imagine that your eyelids are so heavy that they just won't open. When they are so heavy that you know they won't open, then go ahead and try to open them." Right there is the core principle of hypnosis: believe these things are true, and behave accordingly.

Another variation is seen with the automatic imagination model, which asks the hypnotee to imagine not imagining through willing suspension of disbelief.

The format of these sessions resembled a normal conversation where the hypnotist simply asked a series of questions and gave clear instructions, and the subject remained awake and fully alert throughout. "Can you imagine that your hand is stuck to the table?" - "Can you continue to imagine that and also imagine that you’re not aware that you’re imagining that, like it’s happening by itself?"

and all people need is a context saying "we're doing hypnosis, here's how it works" to get started. Likewise, post-hypnotic suggestions imply that people can follow hypnotic suggestions without being in an explicit trance.

And because there's a thing called "waking hypnosis" in which the hypnotee responds to suggestions while being apparently fully conscious, without an induction or a trance... all that's left is hypnosis.

As an example, Martin Taylor is a hypnotist who does not use inductions. He does just fine.

There's no question that you can really zonk people out with hypnosis, whether you call it trance or not. Cardeña has a paper on deep hypnosis states and neurophenomenology but I'm not going to dig too much into it here. It does seem like hypnotic coma and plenary hypnosis are the same thing. I'm not going to go into what trance is, or exactly what zonking/deepening entails. Honestly, I think trance by its nature is subjective, and so is up to individual interpretation.

Instead, what I'd like to dig into are the attempts of Kirsch and Lynn to remove the brainworm of trance from the conversation in a series of papers over the years.

It's 1995. Kirsch & Lynn are not thrilled about the word or concept of trance, and detail the "state vs non-state" positions.

At one end of this continuum are scholars who espouse the concept of hypnotic state in its strongest possible form, as a condition that is fundamentally different from normal waking consciousness and from other altered states, such as daydreaming and relaxation. [...] At the other end of the continuum are theorists who use the term state to describe hypnotic phenomena but deny that it explains or causes those phenomena in any way; those who acknowledge allegiance to the state construct but then ignore it entirely in their theories of hypnotic responding; and those who explicitly reject the hypnotic state construct as inaccurate and misleading. Surprisingly, this latter group now includes some prominent Ericksonian clinicians (Zeig & Rennick, 1991) who maintain that the concept of trance has little explanatory value and claim that it only distracts from their preferred emphasis on hypnosis as an interpersonal process. Between the two extreme positions on the state issue, there is a concept of trance as an altered state, one that is not unique to hypnosis. [...] The problem with these definitions of trance is that they are too inclusive, loose, and imprecise to be subjected to empirical study. Without some means of determining whether a person is in trance, it is impossible to test any hypotheses about the effects of trance.

The paper continues in this vein, finally arguing that trance is not a useful way to think about hypnosis.

There are two sets of data that have led to a convergence of opinion on the state issue among most researchers. The first is the very modest effect of hypnotic induction on suggestibility. Most people are almost as responsive to so-called "waking suggestions" as they are to the same suggestions given in a hypnotic context (E. R. Hilgard, 1965). The second is the consistent failure to find any reliable markers of the hypothesized state. Erickson's (1941 /1980) hypothesized behavioral markers (literalism, catalepsy, and amnesia) have either failed to distinguish hypnotized from nonhypnotized participants (Green et al., 1990) or have been shown to be products of participants' perceptions of the hypnotic role (Orne, 1959; Young & Cooper, 1972). Similarly, no physiological or even self-report markers of a hypnotic trance have been found (Dixon & Laurence, 1992; Kirsch, Mobayed, Council, & Kenny, 1992). [...] Having failed to find reliable markers of trance after 50 years of careful research, most researchers have concluded that this hypothesis has outlived its usefulness.

It's 2000. Kirsch takes aim at the loose conceptualization of trance in this beautiful piece of snark.

A second point of agreement is that many hypnotized subjects experience themselves as being in a special state of consciousness denoted by the term trance. Nonstate theorists do not reject the proposition that these experiences are real , although in many cases they may merely be deep relaxation interpreted as a hypnotic trance because they happen to be occurring in a hypnotic context. [...] There is yet another variant of the trance position that must be considered. Some writers see trance as an altered state, but not as one that occurs only in hypnosis. Trance may be identified as a state that often occurs in nonhypnotic contexts, such as daydreaming, absorption, focused attention , or concentration. Spiegel (1999), for example, has identified the hypnotic trance as "just a shift in attention." This very popular type of definition is consistent with nonstate formulations of hypnosis. It may indeed be true that responding to suggestion requires absorption or concentration. But if the hypnotic state is merely narrowly focused attention or absorption, then most people are in a hypnotized state when studying for or taking an exam, driving a car, watching a film, or engaging in any other absorbing task. What is accomplished by calling these instances of hypnosis? It tells us nothing new about studying, driving, responding to suggestion, or any other activity that requires focused attention, and I cannot imagine us ever convincing the larger scholarly community that research on attentionally demanding tasks is by definition research on hypnosis . The term focused attention has the virtue of being more descriptive than the term hypnosis, and it has less surplus baggage associated with it. So if hypnosis is nothing more than a state of focused attention, perhaps we should consider names like American Journal of Focused Attention and American Society for Clinical Focused Attention as more accurate labels for our journals and organizations.

It's 2007. Lynn and Kirsch take another shot in Hypnosis And Neuroscience: Implications For The Altered State Debate. There's some pushback on their earlier papers.

Gruzelier (2000) proposed that an integration of neurobiological and socio-cognitive perspectives could promote the understanding of hypnosis and its humanistic applications. He further stated, ‘… hypnosis is an altered state of brain functional organization …’ (p. 51). Under a heading ‘The death knell of neurobiological investigation: the rush to judgment’, Gruzelier (2000) states, ‘Kirsch and Lynn (1998) and Wagstaff (1998) claim that no marker of a hypnotic state has been discovered after decades of investigation, and that the search for one should be discontinued. A neurobiological explanation does not exist. Neurobiologists may rightly wonder how such an unworldly view exists’ (p. 52).

And while they admit that they did say "trance should go live on the big farm up state" they also say that maybe if it could be measured in something other than handwavey feels it might be more useful.

In our 1995 review (Kirsch and Lynn 1995), we did state that after the failure to find reliable markers of trance after 50 years of careful research, ‘most researchers have concluded that this hypothesis has outlived its usefulness’ (p. 853). However, we went on to say that this state of affairs did not preclude the possibility that such indicators would eventually be discovered, and we underscored the importance of identifying the physiological substrates of hypnosis. Far from declaring the issue dead, we identified three ways in which scientists could usefully approach the question of identifying the physiological substrates of hypnosis: (1) identify the physiological substrate of the hypothesized hypnotic state; (2) identify the physiological correlates of differences in hypnotic suggestibility; and (3) determine the physiological substrates of responses to suggestions.

And it turns out that as of 2007, technology has advanced to the point where poking at brains does show that hypnosis does do some things.

The present chapter is written in the spirit of fostering a congenial dialogue between state and non-state theorists (Kihlstrom 2003). We will review studies relevant to each of the three ways we proposed to address the question of the physiological substrates of hypnosis, including studies that Christensen (2005, p. 286) identified as representing ‘replicated research over the past 2 decades supporting state-based theories of hypnosis’.

However, there's a problem. Trance is subjective, and trance itself may be a product of suggestions in the hypnotic induction.

The design also fails to address the critical issue of the causal role of the trance state in producing other suggested subjective experiences. Hypnotic inductions are suggestions to experience a trance state. [emphasis added] For that reason, they should produce altered subjective states in many people, and these altered states should possess neural substrates (Kirsch and Lynn 1995). It is not clear that the experience and neural correlates of trance would be the same for all hypnotized subjects or even all virtuosos. Having different pre-conceptions about trance might lead to different subjective states and therefore to different neural substrates. In any case, the altered state hypothesis does not concern the existence of these altered states, but rather their hypothesized causal role in producing other hypnotic phenomena.

And the paper's conclusion: those studies are just showing evidence of suggestions, rather than of a base hypnotic state.

[...] Research in this area has succeeded in finding baseline correlates of suggestibility, effects of induction procedures and effects of other specific suggestions. Perhaps the most important finding to date is the specificity of neurological effects in response to the specific wording of suggestions. The neural concomitants of suggested analgesia, for example, seem to depend on the specific suggestion that is used (Rainville et al. 1998). This finding, however, also points to one of the weaknesses of some of the research. In particular, there has been a tendency to confound induction with suggestion variables, i.e. subjects either receive or do not receive a hypnotic induction and then are given a suggestion to experience a particular effect. However, the wording of the suggestion following a hypnotic induction differs from the wording of the suggestion given without the induction. This confound renders it impossible to ascertain what is responsible for obtained differences, and this problem is compounded by the finding that neural activity may be exquisitely sensitive to suggestion wording.

It's 2010. The Clinical Handbook of Hypnosis has two chapters. One says that state might be a thing. The other one (Wagstaff, David, Kirsch, and Lynn) points to the first chapter and says state has still not been shown to be a thing.

No specific physiological markers of the hypothesized hypnotic states have been found (Lynn, Kirsch, Knox, & Lilienfeld, 2006; see also chap. 4, this volume)

It's 2016. A new book comes out, Hypnotic Induction: Perspectives, Strategies and Concerns. It says that trance is a thing, much to the consternation of Kev Sheldrake in his review.

I’ve been operating under the assumption that the induction was just a suggestion to enter an imagined hypnotic state, but I had to read this book to realise the ferociousness with which some academics still (and I mean still) imagine that state to be real. As a final thought, if there isn’t anything magical going on during an induction, and an induction is just made up of words (no mesmeric fluid or invisible energy passing from hypnotist to participant), and practically anything can be used in place of an hypnotic induction (placebo pill, for example), then what else could the induction be, other than a series of suggestions? And what, other than a suggested state, could those suggestions suggest?

It's 2020. Lynn & Kirsch are frustrated that papers are still turning up discussing "trance" as being inextricably tied to hypnosis.

Surveys of students from various countries (Green, Page, Rasekhy, Johnson, & Bernhardt, 2006) document the wide prevalence of a number of myths and misconceptions we review. A powerful engine driving these myths is the popular media, including movies, television, and the Internet, which capitalize on the core myth that hypnosis is “an altered state of consciousness quite different from normal waking consciousness” (70% agreed, Green et al., 2006); termed by many, a trance. The myth of trance is arguably the mother of all myths [emphasis added] and has birthed many related myths that we will discuss. The idea that hypnosis brings about a trance state was first popularized in Du Maurier's blockbuster novel, Trilby (Du Maurier, 1894/1999), in which Svengali—a name now synonymous with a brutal manipulator uses hypnosis to ply the ill-starred Trilby to his will. De Maurier portrayed hypnosis as a sleep-like trance state that produced amnesia, loss of control and willpower, and special abilities (e.g., Trilby became an opera diva). The term “trance” is still featured in titles (and contents) of articles in influential hypnosis journals (e.g., Wickramasekera II, 2016) and unfortunately still carries the baggage of its historical roots.

Again, the paper points out that trance is either not defined or defined so broadly as to be useless.

Hypnotic trance is rarely clearly or explicitly defined by researchers or clinicians, and the nature of this hypothesized state has been described in a plethora of contradictory ways (see Kirsch & Lynn, 1995). One definition is that hypnotic trance is “the cognitive end state produced by a hypnotic induction procedure” (Halligan & Oakley, 2014, p. 111). While the authors are among the few to actually define “trance,” broad definitions place no constraints on the nature or constituents of this state, which is often the case when this term is used. In the absence of reliable physiological markers, it is generally operationalized by self-report of its presence.

The paper then goes on to break down some myths that you can reliably test for a hypnotic state. It's a great overview, you should check it out.

Despite concerted attempts, researchers have not succeeded in finding purported markers of the hypothesized hypnotic state. For example, Lynn et al. (2008); see also Lynn & Rhue, 1991) found no reliable evidence that hypnotic and nonhypnotic conditions differ in terms of (a) literalness of response to a series of questions (e.g., saying “no” to the question or negative shaking of the head in response to the question, “Do you mind telling me your name”); (b) trance logic (i.e., heightened tolerance for logical incongruity/saying a hallucinated person appears transparent), or the hidden observer phenomenon (i.e., a hidden part of consciousness directs behaviors/experiences, while another part, separated by an amnesic barrier, is unaware and responds in a manner consistent with suggestions). Either no differences are evident across hypnotic and nonhypnotic comparison conditions (e.g., nonhypnotized imagining participants or individuals who role play or simulate hypnotic responses: literalism, trance logic) and/or the findings are determined to be the product of suggestion or experimental demands (i.e., hidden observer) rather than an altered state unique to hypnosis (Kirsch & Lynn, 1998). [A larger study] failed to find support for the claim that eye behaviors index a hypnotic state.

It's 2024. The Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis just came out. Lynn argues that hypnosis is independent of trance explicitly.

A cornerstone of our theory is that hypnosis unfolds independent of a background “trance” or special state of consciousness unique or specific to hypnosis. We argue that such a state is rendered irrelevant by findings that different hypnotic suggestions (i.e., direct imaginative suggestions) elicit diverse experiences and attendant alterations in consciousness (e.g., sensations, cognition, emotions, perceptions, memories), behaviors, and psychophysiological responses (Landry et al., 2017; Lynn et al., 2007), and no special state is required to experience a gamut of suggestions.

Let's hope it takes this time.

[freakysaken-headcanons]

🌀 anon once again back now that I’m finally off work for the day, as well as more thoughts I had while bored.

As I mentioned in my last ask, 007n7 would possibly be into hypnotism, but what about the others? Which ones would fall under? Which would lead them into trance? So I have compiled a list of the survivors as best I can with how they would respond to the uptake in signals after the clicker incidents with 7n7

Builderman - one of my first picks for our hypnotists. His mind is too keen to really go under trance, and so by god does he still put it to work. This man would make machines to edge into submission as well as break the mind.

Two Time - Hypnotee with a want to be on the other end. Think ‘hypnotized hypnotist’ vibes. Sometimes he would hold sermons and get a few people under, but he wouldn’t have control of himself either.

Dusekkar - Hypnotist, but with a chance of backfiring. Magic can take you far, but there can always be unintended side effects.

Chance - Unfortunate hypnotee. He tries to do it to others, a smug grin on his face as he does so, but by god with his luck he ends up falling into trance from his own stuff before his victim can.

Guest - Honestly I couldn’t see him as a hypnotist, and I do like the idea of the gruff man being lulled into a trance to forget the trauma and just relax.

Elliot - Either or, but does prefer to be on the controlling end. He’s got a sense of pride and doesn’t easily allow himself to fall.

Noob - Hypnotee, but only because I can’t see that innocent baby having the heart to boss anyone around.

Shedletsky - Depends. If we’re talking regular shed, he’s going under, sitting there drooling in a trance. If we’re talking Telamon, then let the god have some fun with his subjects.

Taph - I can’t see Taph taking part in this with anyone besides Builderman, but he would likely let himself fall as long as it was him.

007n7 - He’s already had enough, I think we know the verdict. Although in his younger years he may have used the gui to mess with others…

- 🌀

☆

[irisfixation]

thinking about hypnosis and how it requires skills on both participants' parts, but they are specifically different skills, almost?

for a hypnotee, for going under - hell, for entrusting yourself into the hands of someone else in general - it's an exercise in trust and patience. in laying back, listening to someone else speaking, and letting it happen. to accept it as it is.

for a hypnotist, it's providing the framework to encourage that. to try and understand the person you're working with, and give them the directions they need, that most speaks to them.

it's almost like a cooperative game, where one person is moving through a maze blindfolded and the other has to guide them from a distance. communication is important on both sides, but the tasks are both equally different and important.

it gets me thinking on people saying "i just couldn't go under trance", and - yes, sometimes that is a result of the hypnotee. i've been in that role, unable to trust and wait, to accept myself and the situation, yet unaware of the necessary skills and patience it took. but a hypnotist can easily be the one at fault there as well; having failed to understand the hypnotee's internal language and what they latch onto.

it's interesting. it's wonderful. it's a dance of trust and intimacy, of accepting a world beyond that which your brain normally faces through heuristics, and i think that's lovely.

[h-sleepingirl]

Best resources for a footnote on state vs non-state approaches to hypnosis? (I'm working on a "how to hypnotee" thing and I'm making a mention of that being an approach seen in more intermediate/advanced discussion sometimes, but I am, admittedly, not super up on that discussion concept in general)

I love https://hypnosisandsuggestion.org/theories-of-hypnosis.html -- the site has been around for a super long time, I don't think it's fully comprehensively updated but has a good overview!

[toyintrance]

not sure when people started using the word "hypnotee" and maybe I'm just old but why did we need another word for that? 'subject" is already right there AND evokes the image of being unethically experimented on :)

[madesweet]

Hypnosis and ADHD

If you know me personally, you probably know I am one of those people with an ADHD-brain. Which is going very well with having hypnosis as a hobby, cause gosh... I've been hyperfixating on learning hypnosis for almost 7 years now!

A lot of people with ADHD think that they can't be hypnotized because they have ADHD. Yeah... if you work with hypnotists that only use PMR (progressive muscle relaxation), than you're gonna have some trouble...

What a lot of people don't realise, is that with the right techniques people with ADHD are often the best hypnotees! Yeah, you gotta have to work around their concentration problems, racing thoughts and tendency to be very analytical, but their creativity and playfulness can give them amazing experiences and make them great hypnotees! And did you know that people with ADHD can hyperfocus on something when they really like and enjoy it? Ever seen someone with ADHD get distracted while being creative or playing their favourite game? Yeah, that's what I thought!

Over the years as both a hypnotist and a hypnotee with ADHD, I have learned that hypnosis can help A LOT with ADHD! You know how relaxing it is to finally be able to quiet down your thoughts, when your thoughts are constantly racing on default?! Learning how to activate hyperfocus when you need it, learning how to regulate your emotions, and learning how to feel more confident and motivated are some of the wonderful things (self-)hypnosis can help with! Just with the right techniques!

Here are some tips for working with ADHD brains: - Make it engaging: Ofcourse ADHD brains are going to zone out or wonder off when they're forced to listen to someone yapping on and on and on. They can't be focusing on the same thing for a very long time, cause their mind WILL wonder off! Except for when you keep them active! Make the session engaging! Make them answer questions, do a yes-set induction, use a conversational style, keep them focused on a task (or more for an overload), keep the trances short and wake them up once every while to discuss their experience.

- Confusion: Are they thinking a lot? Just give them too much to think about! Short circuit their brain and make them confused. They will be looking for a way to make it make sense, which is when they're very susceptible for suggestions. Confusion inductions are fun and work great for ADHD brains! Always be one step ahead!

- Overload: ADHD brains are very easily overstimulated. USE IT AGAINST THEM! Overload inductions, like the 7+/-2 induction, are awesome techniques that work GREAT on ADHD brains!

- Rapid inductions: Not just because they're fun and playfull, but also because it's just quick! Don't take too long, or else that ADHD brain is about to get bored. If you make it quick, you'll give them no time to get distracted or bored!

- Playfullness: Use that playful mind! Use that creativity! Go get silly! Make it fun! The more they enjoy it, the easier it is for them to hyperfocus

- FRACTIONATION!!! my beloved: Nothing as engaging and fun as fractionation! It keeps them active and focused, it feels incredibly satisfying, has a lot of rapid techniques, it's very playful, and bonus: it takes them deeper!

- Use everything against them: Be sneaky! Observe and communicate, and use what they say against them! Suggest everything can make them go deeper. Do they tend to fidget a lot? Suggest the more the fidget, the more they relax. Do they tend to giggle? Suggest the giggling gets stronger, but only takes them deeper! Be ahead of that distraction, with suggestions like: "Every little distraction, will take you even deeper" "Every little thought can be there and fade away as you focus more and more on my voice" "Allow your body to adjust and move whenever it needs to. It'll just bring you deeper and deeper"

Using the right techniques and being flexible with the hypnotee in front of you can make you give them the BEST experiences! What are your thoughts on hypnosis and ADHD? (if you have any thoughts ;p...)

[misshypnofascinated]

Data processing

I'm sitting behind the computer, my headphones on. I hear your voice, but you are not talking to me. You are hypnotizing someone, I can hear both of your voices. I can drift in your words, float as time passes on. My hands type what is happening, effectively indexing and processing what I hear. The only parts of my mind that haven't shut down, are the parts needed for typing and sorting.

You conduct an intense survey. The mindless hypnotee in front of you giving out all the information you want. They gladly do that, your words feel so good. They don't mind that you bare their interest, their weak spots, and their deepest desires.

I neatly file away all the data. I rank the names and the words they respond well to in order of efficiency. It is added to the database for future reference.

Each record takes me deeper, as I know I type it to please you. Later, you can find a transcript, and all the little details, neatly sorted. Ready for you to look back at, at your own leisure. And I am content to make you happy.

Every question to your subject takes me deeper. Every rating is another number taking me down. Every chart is an endless line for my eyes to follow as I listen and obey and serve.

I reach the end of the recording. With glassy eyes, I generate a report of the session. All details and responses are neatly in one PDF. I add it all to the archive, and I mail it to you.

You come by and take the headphones from my head. I look up to you and smile lazily. I ask you for the name of the subject, as that is the last information missing. You stroke my chin and look me in the eye. "It is yours, my little datatypist. Now, relax and let go for me, it is time to acquire more data..."

[charmedhypno]

(a video of someone being hypnotized. There is a black bar down the middle of the screen obscuring the identity of the hypnotee. A swinging silver pocket watch can be seen swinging across the screen. The video is captioned: "THEM: SHOW US HYPNOTIZED HOTTIES US: TOSS A COIN TO YOUR WITCHER". Overlaying text above and below the video reads: "August 9, 2025", "Who's your favorite hypnosis content creator?", and "Mini-Charmed! 2025". The Mini-Charmed! logo is in the upper right hand corner.)

DAY 65

Who's your favorite hypnosis content creator?

Yes, there is a contest, and yes the object of the contest is for people to correctly identify the meme that inspires each day's post. However... sometimes the meme is just too applicable unobscured, and that is why I have chosen to keep "Toss a coin to your witcher" in its original form. Pay your content creators, kids.

If you would like the tracking document to participate in the Mini-Charmed! Countdown Contest, join our Discord! The invitation to our server and other useful links can be found on our linktree HERE!

[flyingpurplepeopleprogrammer]

I did it. I got asked about this for the 100th time and now it's an essay.

Do you, dear reader, have ADHD or some other neurodivergence-classed diagnosis and worry that hypnosis might not work for you? Read on.

I’ve thought fairly long and hard about how to write about this without just dumping a several thousand word treatise on neurodiversity, ableism, and hypnosis on y’all, and I think the best thing to do is start with a hot take and go from there. I’ve tried to be comprehensive and clear for any newbies, so people with a lot of experience with this issues might feel like I’m taking a lot of words to say some things that are very simple:

So. Being neurodivergent is not a barrier to hypnosis.

While there are aspects of the experience of neurodiversity – things like the difficulty of communicating across gaps in experience – that can be a hindrance, these are individual traits that are not restricted to or generalisable within a diagnostic clade.

It is also not true that neurodiverse people of a given category are particularly compatible or incompatible with certain hypnotic approaches. For example: a hypnotee with ADHD may find it very easy to fixate or hyperfocus on a visual stimulus, or they may find it seemingly impossible to focus on something so boring. Different people mesh well with different approaches, and what is going to work for a given person is something dependent on how they experience things.

It is my belief that categorical statements about the ability of people with ADHD to engage with a given approach are rooted in ableist stereotypes of people with ADHD, and trying to categorise subjects by diagnosis and assign an appropriate intervention or hypnotic approach for that diagnosis is not a thing anyone should do.

This doesn’t mean that you should just ignore cognitive diversity when doing hypnosis – quite the contrary, hypnotic play is cognitive play, and so we should pay close attention to how our partner is thinking. What it means is that you shouldn’t make assumptions about how a person thinks based on their diagnosis. The best way to find out what will work for yourself or someone else is to experiment with different styles, talk about what did or did not work, and communicate as best you can about how you experience hypnotic play.

I want to stress as a person with ADHD that I am not intending to dismiss or invalidate the difficulties that anyone may personally experience in being able to play with hypnosis. Rather, I’m wanting to make clear that the best way to figure out what works for you is to explore your individual experience.

Let’s say that I’m a person with a diagnosis like ADHD and am struggling with hypnotising or being hypnotised. What can I do?

Well, to start with, try something else. A good rule of thumb is that you should be feeling engaged with the hypnotic content or hypnotist: if files aren’t working for you, try a few different live hypnotists. If relaxation isn’t your jam, try a different induction style.

Often, it’s pretty apparent why hypnosis won’t work for someone: Do you feel like the way you’re being hypnotised is boring, find one that’s less boring. Do you feel like you don’t know what a suggestion means or how you’re supposed to feel? Then find a way to frame that suggestion that makes sense to you or ways of describing feelings that are consistent with your lived experience.

If it’s not obvious what’s not working, you might try talking to someone – it doesn’t have to be your partner or even a hypnotist – about what you experience versus what you’d like to experience. Or you can just try different stuff all willy nilly.

Just don’t trick yourself into thinking that there’s only a certain way that works for you. Being hypnotised is a skill, and once you’ve figured it out, you might go back to approaches that didn’t work for you in the past and find that they’re fantastically fun and effective now that you’re better at slipping into the right kind of headspace.

And please, communicate.

To wrap up, there’s a lot of general advice that could apply to people who are having trouble hypnotising and being hypnotised, and I’m simply not going to be able to summarise it all here. The best advice I can give is for anyone who’s struggling to try to articulate as best they can what they expect hypnosis to be like, what they’ve experienced so far, and what the disconnect between the two is. With that information and a bit of learning – from books or from asking questions –, you should be able to find a way that works for you.