Putting persuasion and hypnosis aside for one second, recognizing the signals that happen around us everyday is important in itself. Accurate signal recognition is used to help us see what is really happening around us and to realize the signals that tell us we are being successful in the things we do.
In the field of hypnosis, it is important to hone these signals as well. If you are not tuned in to trance signals then you may end up working harder than you need to in order to alter the state of mind of your subjects. It is just as important to see things as they really are which will support you to see the minor signals that light the way to trance
In hypnosis there are very obvious signs that a person is entering an altered state of mind and there are subtle, less obvious signs too. The most obvious signs include changes in breathing, a smoothness of facial features, attention absorption, involuntary muscle movements, lack of mobility and increased passive responses.
In this article we will go over the less obvious signs that you are putting a person into trance. These are the signals that will be more difficult to spot and will require a more focused sense of accurate signal recognition.
Always remember when you are looking for signals of trance that you are not looking for one specific item, you are looking for changes from the normal state of the person you are currently dealing with.
Pupil dilation
The first trance signal we will discuss is the change in pupil dilation. Change in pupil dilation is the change in size of the black center of the eye. This signal is harder to see for several reasons. There are outside influences that can tamper with the accuracy of your judgment in this signal.
The first being that the subject’s eyes may not be in your view, some people close their eyes when they are relaxed and others may be avoiding eye contact as they are feeling that they are in a vulnerable state. Another reason this is a more difficult signal to detect is the amount of observation it requires to see a change in something so small.
Changes in a person’s pupils can also result from changes in light, for instance sunny days and darker rooms will cause the pupils to change their dilation. This is an unavoidable interference as it is just the nature of the way the eyes react to the lighting around them.
When a subject’s pupils are reacting to hypnosis or an altered state of mind they will usually become larger.
Pulse rate
Another little known trance signal that is difficult to spot is the pace of your subjects pulse. The heart rate of the person you are trying to put into trance will usually slow down as they are entering the altered state of mind. However this may also depend on the story you are telling or the mental pictures you are creating.
If you are using a relaxing set of suggestions the person’s heart rate will usually slow down. If you are using an exciting, dangerous, or suspenseful story the heart rate of the subject may increase due to the feelings you are producing with in them.
No matter which way the heart rate goes, if it is changing you can begin to believe you have successfully helped your client into the beginnings of hypnosis. The question in your mind now is going to be, “How can I tell the heart rate of my subject without touching them to feel it?”
This is the reason that this trance signal is harder to spot than some others. You typically don’t want to touch a person when they are totally relaxed and trusting you to guide them with conversation alone.
The only way to monitor their heart rate without physically touching them is to know where to look. There are specific areas on the body where the blood vessels are close to the surface under the skin. If you watch these areas closely you can usually see the heart beat of your subject. The best places to see this is at the side of the neck and across the ankle bone. Both of these areas generally have a visible heart rate.
Blink reflex
Trance signal number three in the list of least obvious signs is to see a change in the blink reflex of your subject. This signal is easy to spot once you know it exists. The reason it is considered less obvious is simply because many people do not know about it.
The only reason you would have trouble monitoring this signal would be if you can not see your subject’s eyes or they have closed them, which could be a signal in itself. If you can see your subject’s eyes, however, you will be able to monitor how their blink reflex has changed from the way they normally blink.
Here you are looking for a rate of faster or slower blinking of the eyes. Some people stop blinking altogether, this is due to the eyelids becoming cataleptic. The eyelids simply become frozen for extended periods of time.
Swallowing reflex
Similar to the blink reflex you will also want to watch for a change in the swallowing reflex of your subject. If there is a change here you can count it as a trance signal that the person is experiencing an altered state of mind. In this signal you are again looking for a slowing of the swallowing. Some subject’s even stop swallowing altogether.
The swallowing reflex again is easy to recognize once you are aware that it signifies the beginnings of a trance; you simply watch their throat to see signs of swallowing. In this trance signal you may also notice that the eyelids grow heavy or the eyes close completely.
Often your subject will grow sleepy as they enter trance but many people will not close their eyes as they find it embarrassing to feel as though they have fallen asleep in front of another person, especially if that person is speaking to them.
Change of skin tone
Little known trance signal number five is a change in the skin color or tone of your subject. As many people start to relax the blood vessels in their bodies change as well. This allows the blood within to flow more freely through the body and causes slight changes in skin color and tone.
Some people get darker and some people will grow paler, this simply depends on the person. Either effect is completely normal and is the result of a physiological change that is also very natural.
Change in voice
Finally the last little known trance signal number six it the change in voice. This signal can be hard to detect if your subject is not speaking. Many people will have slower speech or a slower rate of talking when they are in an altered state of mind.
Another aspect of the voice that can change when in trance is the tonality of voice. There is not set standard of whether this goes up or down, you just need to listen for a difference from normal tones. Some people who have entered trance will just stop talking altogether; again look for signals that are different from the normal state of the subject.
These signals are less obvious than other signals and signs of trance that we have talked about previously. Some are harder to see and some are just lesser known than the others. At any rate they are good identifiers that you have succeeded in altering the state of mind of the people or person you are with.
Watch for them closely and keep your sense tuned for these minute changes in your subjects. Remember that the sooner you can conclude that your subject is in trance the sooner you can move on to the next steps in your hypnosis.
Accurate signal recognition systems
Another affect on the eyes of trance is they can become slightly glazed over or sleepy looking. Sometimes a person will show no eye movement at all. All these signs are showing you that a person’s attention is completely affixed and they are falling into a trance.
