6 signs that a person is endowed with the ability to hypnotize

Of course, this craft requires the study of many techniques that will later help to put the interlocutor into a trance.

Few people know that there are people who are naturally endowed with the ability to hypnotize and influence the people around them in a special way. They also need to improve their skills so as not to lose them over time, but any training in the nuances of hypnosis is easier for them than for anyone else.

Even more surprising may be the fact that such a person can be recognized and distinguished from those around him. To do this, you need to turn on your powers of observation and listen to your own feelings.

What exactly are the signs that indicate a hypnotist? This is worth talking about in more detail.

Behavior

Perhaps this is one of the main points. It is worth remembering that hypnosis is not just words telling a person what actions he should take. Hypnosis is an influence on the human will.

For this effect to produce the desired results, the hypnotist must have charisma. If you meet a person who just likes you, without making an effort, and you don’t want to argue with him or his proposals, then it’s safe to say that he knows how to hypnotize.

The danger of hypnosis in the hands of a non-professional. Opinion of psychologist and hypnotherapist Gennady Ivanov

The use of clinical hypnosis by a well-trained, experienced practitioner can help overcome many painful conditions. Hypnotherapy is an official medical method used in the treatment of psychoemotional and psychosomatic disorders, allowing for rapid, lasting recovery. But hypnosis performed by an unqualified person who does not have theoretical knowledge and practical skills is a harmful and dangerous procedure that leads to serious problems in mental and physical health. It is important to always use hypnosuggestive techniques wisely: when indicated, taking into account the risks, after assessing the general health of the patient. This review will examine the views of ordinary contemporaries about hypnosis, its misuse, abuse and medical errors.

Propaganda of confusing half-truths

Half-truths are just as dangerous as lies, even those offered with the best intentions. Unfortunately, there are a lot of half-truths told about hypnosis. Both clients and practitioners need to be careful not to spread harmful rumors. The following statements are half-truths.

“Hypnotic trance is a natural state of relaxation, concentration with heightened awareness caused by suggestion.”

This is wrong. The trance technique is an artificial means of creating a state similar to REM sleep. These are intentional actions to change the way the brain works. You can put someone into a trance voluntarily and forcibly, attracting attention with a sudden loud noise or a sharp expressive movement.

“Hypnosis is safe and does not cause unpleasant side effects.”

Hypnosis in the hands of a non-specialist is far from a safe weapon. Changing the way your brain works is an extremely powerful tool. And everything powerful can be used not only for good, but also for harm. Some anxious people feel dizzy or restless even after a relaxing session. People who are used to being in charge of life may experience fear because they are “out of their own control.” People with strong opinions may become agitated if they do not like the suggestions made.

The literature is replete with unpleasant or even dangerous effects that have been observed following hypnosis performed by an amateur with inadequate training or by a subject pursuing personal goals. A research article, “Complications of Hypnosis: Risks and Prevention,” in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 1988, lists approximately 50 complications associated with hypnosis and reports that this is not a complete list. Complications are grouped into five categories:

• Psychotic symptoms or acute panic attacks.
• Depression with the possibility of suicidal behavior.
• Replacing a symptom.
• Disorders caused by unintentional suggestion.
• Masking of physical pathology.

Complications of hypnosis include:

• extreme fatigue, exhaustion;
• antisocial response - unconscious relief of internal tension through unacceptable behavior;
• restlessness, anxiety, panic attacks;
• attention deficit;
• distortion of body perception;
• formation of inadequate self-esteem;
• loss of understanding of reality;
• confusion;
• impaired coping skills;
• delusional thinking;
• depression, suicidal ideas;
• depersonalization, identity crisis;
• dizziness;
• headache;
• insomnia, anxious intermittent sleep, vivid frightening dreams;
• irritability, constant dissatisfaction, grumpiness;
• disruption of the memorization process, distorted memories;
• nausea and vomiting;
• uncontrollable crying;
• depersonalization;
• hysterical reactions;
• obsessive rumination;
• overdependence on the therapist;
• personality change;
• phobic disgust;
• physical discomfort, injury;
• psychosis;
• regressive behavior;
• sexual dysfunction;
• somatization;
• spontaneous trance;
• arm or neck stiffness;
• reduced sensitivity threshold;
• symptom replacement;
• tactile hallucinations.

Risk factors are also listed:

• Professional incompetence associated with a deficiency or weakness in education, training, knowledge, skill, ability, experience that impairs judgment or skill.
• A theoretical bias that limits awareness of other factors or dynamics.

“You will remember everything you were told.”

Sometimes a person retains full understanding of what happened during hypnosis. But this happens when he was in a slight depth of trance, which in most cases does not allow him to fully work on the problem. However, after deep immersion, the patient cannot talk about what happened in the session. This is similar to dream memory: we don't remember most dreams. After being in a deep trance, people often do not remember what the therapist said. This does not mean that they did not register his words. They heard, understood, and assimilated everything. But they cannot remember it consciously.

“Hypnosis has nothing to do with sleep. Trance is simply an extremely relaxed state.”

Clearly this is incorrect because the deep trance used in clinical hypnosis is directly related to sleep. The brain works in the same mode as it functions in the REM sleep phase. If only relaxation is achieved, this state will not allow full-fledged work to completely solve the problem.

“A hypnotist cannot influence a person, force him to do anything against his will.”

Just delving into the history of hypnosis, we will find many examples of the unwanted influence of charlatans who practice influencing the psyche for the purpose of enrichment or personal gain. These days, there are many incidents that are recorded by CCTV cameras. For example, when cashiers were forced to hand over money from a cash register because they were put into a trance-like state. In fact, just think about the advertisers, the politicians, the instigators, the gurus. All of them artificially induce a state of altered consciousness in the people they want to influence.

“A person’s own ‘moral code’ will protect him from actions that are contrary to personal interests and principles.”

There is no evidence that people can be relied upon not to do something contrary to their own interests. There are facts confirming that some people go against the “code of honor” all the time. People's moral codes are as flexible and changeable as the weather.

“The unconscious is very wise.”

Some hypnotherapists say these exact words in a beautiful, caring tone on YouTube videos. The unconscious is not necessarily wise, judicious, or consistent. The contents of the unconscious mind are strongly influenced by our “conditioning”: upbringing, life experience, culture, social environment. When it comes to the subconscious mind, the computer science rule GIGO (GarbageIn, GarbageOut) applies: garbage in, garbage out. Much of the therapeutic work done in trance involves overcoming automatic unconscious reactions, changing unhealthy patterns, and expanding limited perceptions.

The dark side of hypnosis

Hypnotic trance, a means of accessing brain reprogramming, can be used for both harm and good, both intentionally and unintentionally. The following are risks that all trained, experienced, ethically minded practitioners are aware of.

Refusal of will

A sense of control over one's own life is an innate human need. Professional hypnologists do not make their own assumptions about what the client needs. Imposing ideas is unacceptable. It is very important that any changes that the hypnotherapist directs a person to make in a trance state are consistent with the goals established in advance and are clearly understood by both the client and the practitioner.

The true task of a competent hypnotherapist is to provide the patient with a set of tools as quickly as possible to cope with problems on their own. It is important for therapists to master effective “fast” techniques, teach clients to relax, and help them not to depend on guided images or recordings provided by doctors. The intervention of the hypnotherapist is necessary only until the patient has mastered useful coping tools.

Muddy idea

The intention of the therapist delivering the intervention makes a huge difference in terms of results. In fact, if there is a sincere desire to help a person, even a novice doctor who does not have high technical skills can get the desired result. However, it is rare to find people who can completely drop their Ego. This is also rare among hypnotherapists.

The ego is a particular pitfall for many who use hypnotherapy unscrupulously. The problem is that amateurs quickly discover that most people are quite easy to put into trance, while to many contemporaries hypnosis seems a mysterious process. Quasi-specialists often convince themselves that hypnotization requires super talent, enormous skills, and special abilities. Therefore, their Ego is inflated, which causes great harm to patients.

One reason it is recommended that practitioners use the term "guided imagery" rather than hypnosis is to prevent misconceptions about the procedure on the part of both the therapist and the client. Fortunately, there is one of the innate mental resources - the observing “I”. On a biological level, this awareness occurs when a person relaxes and the “rational brain” – the neocortex – can function without excessive emotional interference. This allows us to look at reality more objectively, to recognize whether we are too passionate about ourselves.

Creating false (illusory) memories

The ease with which false memories can be created has been demonstrated countless times. For example, in the pioneering work of cognitive psychologist Elizabeth F. Loftus. In the 1980s and 1990s, many families broke up as a result of alleged "memories" of parental sexual abuse being "revealed" in therapy. In one case, a young woman "remembered" during a session that she had been repeatedly raped by a group of Satanists that included family members and other members of the local community. But it later turned out that she was simply “chatting” along with the therapists, who set the course of the conversation.

Professional hypnotherapists must always be vigilant to avoid making emotionally arousing suggestions. Pressure should not even come in the form of questions (eg, about the possibility of childhood neglect or abuse) that the client may then dwell on and obsess over. While in a trance, he will fantasize, then, emerging from hypnosis, he will remember the “dream” and believe in it without proper evidence.

Inducing hallucinations

Deliberately creating false or distorted images often leads vulnerable people to mental breakdown. The ability to induce visual or auditory “visions”, of course, emphasizes the “skill” of the stage hypnotist. But such exposure is very dangerous because a glitch-prone person left in a psychotic state cannot distinguish between the dream state and waking reality like an ordinary healthy person.

Often heard after participating in pop hypnosis, “voices” order you to perform actions that are dangerous for the person himself or others. Experimental frightening hallucinations can force a person to perform defensive movements, attempt to crawl under the bed, and beg someone for mercy. Artificially created "visions" during stage hypnosis can reinforce the participant's feeling or "awareness of the presence" of someone else. If a person develops a fear of death during a session of theatrical hypnosis, the consequences can be catastrophic. He can “hear” the voices of the dead, “see” the ghosts of people, “feel” the unpleasant smell of corpses.

Psychological conditioning

Operant conditioning is practiced by all cults and political parties. For example, the use of abstract hypnotic words by politicians, such as “positive change”, “values”, “principles”, makes one fall into a trance. Such expressions motivate people to search for what exactly politicians mean in these expressions, because the speakers do not give specific examples. (Everyone wants to change something in their life. Nobody wants negative changes. Therefore, when a politician uses the words “positive changes”, it is a clear deception.)

Anyone who believes hypnosis is harmless should remember that Hitler diligently studied hypnotization techniques after a hypnotist cured him of the hysterical blindness from which he suffered at the end of the First World War. His personality changed instantly as a result of a strong suggestion made in a trance by a hypnologist. The hypnotist suggested that he was special, had great abilities, and that with these great powers he could independently recover from blindness. This acted as a post-hypnotic suggestion. Hitler continued to induce trance states in huge crowds at rallies by bombarding them with emotionally arousing nominalizations. He even adopted a stylized form of levitating his hand as a Nazi salute.

Of course, in hypnotherapy abstract language is used with good intentions to guide clients on their own inner search, to find use for “personal resources”, “creativity”, “strengths”. But it is also important to remember how power can easily be abused. Consider the unintended consequences that may arise if speech is used carelessly.

Excessive use of trance-inducing positive abstractions can prevent the client from moving forward unless some abstract concepts become concrete. For example, a client rates himself a 2 on a depression scale, where 1 is the most severe depressive status, and 10 is a complete absence of symptoms of the disorder. The therapist then asks what point on the scale needs to be reached to feel satisfied. The client says 7 or 8. All the therapist has is a set of abstractions: a few meaningless numbers between the precise descriptors of 1 and 10. If the therapist does not clarify the specific behavior and well-being that the client associates with 7 or 8, what exactly needs to be addressed in terms of making positive changes?

Trainee hypnotherapists are taught to ask, “What does this look like?” when clients speak in abstract terms. But sometimes the practitioners themselves get carried away by abstractions, continue their own internal searches, make assumptions, and cannot take a broader view.

Unwanted telepathy

Some hypnologists enter a state of deep concentration where they are intensely trying to help someone. At such moments, a confusion of ego boundaries can occur, causing harm to both the therapist and the client. In every connection we make with another person, there is a clearly defined zone of relationship. In many relationships between a doctor and a patient, “telepathy” occurs - the unconscious transfer of thoughts, images, feelings, states.

For example, if a therapist for some reason is feeling worse than usual and wishes he had fewer clients that day, his clients will begin to call and postpone appointments. This is amazing and happens too often to be random. A similar common experience is the sudden realization that someone close to you has died, even if they were many kilometers away and were previously considered healthy. Therefore, the hypnotist, having impure thoughts and dysfunctional experiences, can “reward” the client with similar ones, aggravating his problems.

Damage to a person's essence

When hypnotic techniques are used to help someone access the subconscious mind, they are tapping into the person's unique "essence." Hypnosis gives access to the life force of the personality, programmed at the moment of conception, which awaits certain influences after birth. This inherent power is like a spark that waits for the wind to fan into flame. This is an influence so that a person can grow, develop and thus continue the evolutionary process.

In fact, inducing an artificial trance is a form of encroachment on the personal mental territory of another person. This is territory that must be entered with respect only if a doctor is invited. The hypnotherapist must be careful to firmly close the door to the subconscious world when the session comes to an end. Repeated use of hypnosis on a person, the lack of professionalism of the hypnologist ultimately weakens the client. This happens because the “invasion” extinguishes the spark of will, making the psyche more open to any suggestions, and not just to the therapist’s suggestions. This is one of the reasons why hypnotherapy should be as short as possible.

Unexpected effects of hypnosis

Numerous mild side effects occur during induction. They are usually not reported or systematically studied. Although side effects usually occur during the first session, they can be expected to recur in psychiatric patients. The most common occurrence is increased anxiety associated with the fear of loss of control, manifested by excessive crying. Patients sometimes experience dizziness and nausea during induction. Spontaneous regression to a traumatic event, although rare, does occur. Most side effects can be quickly alleviated by stopping the exposure or deepening the hypnotic state. But the practitioner must be able to correctly apply the appropriate technique.

Lack of specificity is the cause of problems

Patients under hypnosis tend to take suggestions concretely, if not literally, and this can lead to adverse reactions that may surprise the therapist. For example, Krasilnek and Hall discuss the case of a burned patient in Clinical Hypnosis: Principles and Applications. While working to improve a patient's diet, he was advised to eat everything on his plate. One day a patient got sick and vomited on a plate. It was later discovered that he had eaten vomit.

Ignoring the pain

Masking physical pathology can also be a very subtle result of hypnosis. This occurs when the patient has previously experienced pain due to a physical condition. After the intervention of hypnosis, the pain syndrome became controlled. The cause of physical discomfort is now completely ignored by the person, which creates other problems.

Case studies

An article entitled “Hypnosis Abuse: A Factor in Psychopathology,” published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, talks about a client who came to a session to quit smoking. After the intervention of the amateur, he became extremely agitated, depressed, and felt suicidal thoughts. As a result, long-term treatment with powerful psychotropic drugs was required.

There are many examples in the literature of the harmful effects of non-professional hypnosis. Let us describe four cases.

The first was a woman who was successfully treated with hypnosis for dental phobia and pain relief. She also asked the doctor to use hypnosis to help her quit smoking. In a short time, she developed an anxiety-depressive reaction with obsessive thoughts. She could not cope with daily activities. The reason for the deterioration of a woman’s well-being is an incorrect assessment of the psychological state, inattention to detail, and incorrect hypnotic influence.

A second woman with a dental phobia that prevented dental treatment for ten years received five relaxation and anxiety reduction sessions. She eventually decided to begin dental treatment. Although the patient was deeply relaxed and did not show any tension, at the moment when an attempt was made to inject the anesthetic, uncontrollable crying occurred and hyperventilation syndrome developed.

In the third case, a woman was treated for dental phobia for four sessions. It was suggested to her that she would "have a good hypnotic response whenever she sought medical help." The client came to the next session confused: she had been in a trance from the moment she left the house. She was literally responding to the exact sentence given to her the week before. The setting was changed to "the moment she sits in the dental chair." No further incidents occurred.

In the fourth case, a young woman was treated with hypnosis for pain relief due to allergic reactions to local anesthetics. She reported feeling dizzy while riding her motorcycle home. It was obvious that the withdrawal from the trance was too quick and incomplete.

How to prevent complications

Dr. Erika Fromm, in her book Values ​​of Hypnotherapy: Theory, Practice and Research, describes hypnosis as a state of decreased alertness, leading to vulnerability and risk if the patient is in the hands of a poorly trained, incompetent therapist. The author stated that most complications occur when hypnosis is used incorrectly. Undesirable effects can be prevented in the following ways:

• Hypnosis must be performed by a trained person.
• Avoid relieving unclear symptoms.
• Use disclosure techniques with caution in borderline or psychotic patients.
• Never use hypnosis to treat conditions that cannot be cured without hypnosis.
• An accurate diagnosis is necessary before intervention.

Caution should be exercised with patients who are afraid of losing control, feel a fear of intimacy, or are afraid to give up a negative self-image. Hypnotherapists often have to work with habit control. It is not safe to assume that anyone who comes to quit smoking or lose weight has only these problems. Any person goes to the doctor with a whole baggage of relationships, difficulties, and adaptation reactions. Valid assessment techniques must be used to accurately diagnose a person's condition.

Extreme cases of repeated hypnosis can eventually lead to brain dysfunction. For example, when previously mentally healthy clients begin to behave in eccentric and bizarre ways, thinking of others not as people but as “things.” There are examples where self-confident, brainwashed individuals considered it acceptable to rape, torture and kill people who differ in religious views. Undoubtedly, some of them were hypnotized by the use of emotional stimulation through fear, singing, repetition, which made them suggestible. All dangerous mass movements involve hypnosis and programming of people when they are emotionally aroused.

The danger of hypnosis in the hands of a non-professional has been known for a long time. As the famous Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda said: “Think of the mind as a team of wild horses. Instead of controlling them with muscle power and grabbing the reins, you hit them on the head to stun them into a submissive state for a short period of time. The same thing happens to a person. Each time the next command stuns and forces one to obey, the person loses a certain amount of his own mental energy. Due to continued regular sessions of hypnosis, instead of gaining strength and better control, the mind becomes a formless, powerless mass, eventually hitting the psychic rock bottom.”

One version of this is what can happen if therapists repeatedly try to support a psychologically damaged person by telling him that he is talented, desirable, and has a great future. They assure the client of their superiority based on some ridiculous evidence, without doing anything concrete to really help in this regard. Careless use of trance can hinder people's psychological and spiritual development. Illiterate use of hypnosis can be called psychic murder.

Danger and contraindications

Whether working in a trance is harmful or not depends on many factors, including:

• the integrity of the person doing the therapy;
• the sincerity and intelligence of the hypnotherapist;
• skill level, how well the doctor uses speech;
• the therapist’s wealth of psychological knowledge and self-knowledge;
• understanding innate emotional needs regarding what the patient actually requires;
• the therapist's ability to set aside his own ego;
• the nature of the ideas perceived by the patient.

Clinical hypnosis carries very few risks. Some illnesses or problems that are classified as psychotic disorders are not traditionally treated with hypnosis and are considered contraindications. This includes people with delusional, hallucinatory disorders such as schizophrenia and other psychoses. Hypnotherapy is contraindicated for people with pathological personality disorders, people with drug or alcohol psychosis, patients with dementia, people with suicidal tendencies - all of them should be referred to a psychiatrist.

Additionally, professionals will not claim to be able to cure cancer or other diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Although hypnotherapists can help with some of the symptoms common to such conditions. People with severe heart disease and epilepsy may also be contraindicated from the physiological changes that can potentially occur during hypnosis.

There is a wealth of evidence supporting the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for pain management. However, hypnosis should not be used to treat physical problems such as pain unless the client has consulted with a therapist to determine the physical cause. Pain exists for a reason and needs to be eliminated rather than simply masking the perception of pain with hypnosis.

Of course, you should not try to induce trance in a patient who does not want it. Hypnosis should not be used to achieve goals other than the client's desires. Some people are very nervous, even afraid of the idea of ​​undergoing hypnotherapy. They may be afraid of losing control, revealing hidden secrets, or plunging into some esoteric world. Such fears are unfounded, because for most people clinical hypnotherapy is a pleasant, gentle, extremely safe activity. However, for those for whom hypnosis causes strong, persistent feelings of anxiety, even after discussing their fears with a doctor, it is better to turn to another form of help.

Officially, hypnosis is not suitable for young children, people with educational disabilities, or people with difficulty understanding. The main reason in these cases is the inability to communicate correctly and establish effective contact.

Hypnotherapy has been successfully used as a relaxation technique during pregnancy and can be an effective method for pain management. However, some controversy remains over whether it should be carried out during the first semester. Women who smoke often want to quit smoking during pregnancy for the benefit of the unborn child, which is very reasonable. There are strong arguments that hypnotherapy is more suitable for pregnant women than nicotine replacement.

Conclusion

Hypnosis in the hands of a professional is a powerful tool that gives access to the subconscious through targeted concentration of attention. When a person is in a trance state, therapists can provide powerful positive psychological interventions. They can offer knowledge, embed encouraging suggestions, give direct instructions, and guide rehearsals of desired new behavior. Trance provides a good platform for diverting strong emotions from traumatic memories that the brain has interpreted as life-threatening. Therefore, clinical hypnosis is a quick way to help people overcome phobias, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Training in hypnosis and hypnotherapy | Licensed program with issuance of a certificate of advanced training

Sensitivity

If during communication there is a feeling that a person simply feels what they want to tell him, what phrases are expected from him, then we can assume that hypnosis for him is an ordinary, familiar and understandable thing. It may seem that such a person falls into the rhythm of everything that happens and feels at ease.

The more signs were noticed, the greater the likelihood that a hypnotist was nearby. You shouldn’t be afraid and leave right away: these people don’t always pursue only bad goals. It’s worth chatting a little, talking, and only then making a decision about continuing or breaking off the relationship.

Photo: Pixabay

Author: Sergey Tumanov

The importance of tactile contact

A person who wants to seduce his “victim” often touches her, as if by chance.
Touch is a kind of “anchor” abandoned by a skilled hypnotist. Some time will pass, and the “victim” will again and again remember these gentle light touches of his tempter. There is another important point here. In order to put your interlocutor or interlocutor into a kind of trance, you need to confidently take your partner’s hand and press his wrist. It is difficult for us to understand how this technique works, but it works with 100% efficiency. This movement disarms the victim. Here it is enough to recall the street gypsies who try to “fool” passers-by by defrauding them of all their money. The deceiver in a colorful dress speaks to her victim in a soulful voice and takes her hand. And now the man gives the gypsy all the valuables that are with him, without understanding how this happens. A hypnotist who has a similar technique works in the same way. He looks you straight in the eyes and speaks in a calm, confident voice, taking your hand and lightly pressing on your wrist. This is what love hypnosis looks like. For men, a femme fatale who owns such a technique can be a femme fatale. There are many known cases when a person left his wife and children in order to spend an extra hour with such a “charmer.”

Methods of hypnotization

The most common method of putting a person to sleep is directive. Classical hypnosis is based on it. There are about a hundred hypnotization techniques in total. Conventionally, they can be divided into three groups depending on which sense organs they affect: visual, auditory, skin. Here are the most common ones.

Verbal method of hypnotization. Usually a sound source is placed in a dark room - for example, a metronome. The patient lies down and listens to him. After 10–15 minutes, the therapist begins to use words to instill muscle and mental relaxation in the person. He speaks quietly and monotonously, makes pauses - during them the metronome continues to work.

Fascination method (from Latin fascinare - “to captivate with a glance”). The therapist sits the patient on a chair or sofa 30–50 centimeters away from him and asks him to look into his eyes without blinking. Then he takes the person by the shoulders, slowly rocks him back and forth, looks intently at the bridge of the patient’s nose and induces sleep with words.

Fixation method. The therapist asks the patient to stare at some object, usually shiny, and think about the dream. At the same time, it instills in him the desire to sleep. Long concentration and immobility of gaze cause nervous fatigue, the person falls asleep. This technique is loved by pop hypnotists.

Pass method. The patient is placed on a couch or sofa. For 15–20 minutes, the therapist runs warm hands from his head to his feet, touching his face, neck and chest. The hypnotherapist's movements are leisurely, their speed is the same. Over time, even without verbal suggestion, the patient falls asleep.

Types of covert hypnosis

Covert hypnosis is a common phenomenon today. Every person encounters it every day when communicating, watching TV shows, reading newspapers and looking at advertisements. The study of human consciousness is one of the most popular scientific fields.

What types of covert hypnosis exist?

Manipulation. The simplest form of hypnosis, accessible to everyone. Human control occurs in a hidden form. The manipulator uses knowledge about the patterned organization of the human psyche and influences the stereotypes the victim has. The main sign of manipulative influence is discomfort. Manipulators offer the victim obviously unfavorable conditions and shift responsibility onto the shoulders of others. A favorite method is to create a feeling of guilt, playing on weaknesses.

Neurolinguistic programming. This type of covert hypnosis is the most harmless. NLP methods are used in trainings that develop a person’s communication abilities. Specialists in this field gain knowledge from experienced psychologists, psychotherapists, and linguists. NLP is an applied science that allows a person to open up. Studying it has become fashionable among top managers and leading specialists in the field of personnel management. Despite the benefits of NLP, some people consider such intervention in their lives to be unreasonable and unethical.

Criminal hypnosis. Used for deception and fraud. The essence of criminal hypnosis: introducing a person into a foggy state of fascination, interest, fear. The victim, under the influence of the hypnotist, loses clear control over the mind, becomes pliable and follows the lead of the scammer. Criminal hypnosis is a favorite method of deception among street hustlers. First they offer to tell fortunes or play a game of chance. During the dialogue, they look for the weak points of the future victim. Afterwards, street hypnotists skillfully influence the subconscious, causing fear, excitement, and awakening greed.

Zombification. The main technique of religious business recruiters, who skillfully combine soft and hard zombies. Initially, a person is immersed in an environment of love, understanding, and care. Recruiters immediately identify the victim’s weaknesses, the main ones being oppressive loneliness or tormenting curiosity. Gradually, new ideas are woven into the trusted consciousness. As soon as the victim accepts them, the stage of severe zombification begins: a change in living conditions to extremely difficult ones with an exhausting work schedule, prayers, a meager diet and targeted coding. After the “test,” small worldly joys are gradually returned to the exhausted person, explaining that he deserved them through obedience. The tormented consciousness perceives the giver as a benefactor, and the connection between the victim and the hypnotist becomes almost inextricable.