A few examples of experimental suggestions that are also used in clinical and legal settings.
The Ideo-Motor Response (IMR)
The term ideo-motor response describes a physical
movement which is the unconscious result of suggestion (a 'motor response' caused
by an idea). Its use in both hypnosis and self-hypnosis provides tangible
evidence of suggestion (something which tends to deepen suggestibility), and
can easily be adapted for use as a method of metaphorically questioning the
unconscious mind. The IMR tends to be accompanied by feelings of dissociation,
such that the movements may feel alien and involuntary. Often, especially with
the eyes closed, a subject's feelings of movement will be significantly
different from the actual degree of physical response obtained. In this case we
speak of an ideo-sensory response (ISR) which
describes the subjective experience of kinaesthesia. Sometimes it is easier, or
more preferable, to elicit an involuntary sensory response for signalling
purposes than a motor response. Several of the suggestion experiments below can
be classed as forms 232m1218c of the IMR.
Arm Levitation
This technique is often used as a method of induction or deepening of trance.
Suggestions are made that the arm is growing lighter and floating upwards,
toward the ceiling or toward the subject's face. It may be useful to begin with
suggestions that the fingers are beginning to twitch and gradually move apart.
It can be suggested that a balloon is tied around the wrist, or that the
subject's eyes are exerting a powerful magnetic force, pulling the hand
upwards. Another method is for the therapist to place his hand on the
subject's, flattening it gently against a table or board. As he gradually
raises his hand, he might suggest, "As I slowly release the pressure and
raise my hand your hand and arm are beginning to rise up, the back of your hand
drawn upwards toward my palm as if by a powerful magnetic force."
As an induction it can simply be suggested that when the hand reaches the face the subject will close their eyes and enter into a trance. It can be suggested that on a trigger word like 'drop', "that hand will fall gently back down onto the lap as you drift gently down toward a deeper and more enjoyable level of trance." If the arm fails to move the therapist can artfully change tack and proceed with suggestions of arm heaviness instead.
Arm Rigidity
This is often used as a test of hypnotisability. The subject is asked to hold
his arm out straight with the palm facing upward and the fist clenched. Suggestions
usually involve the 'law of reversed effect', the notion that increased effort
makes the task increasingly difficult. It is suggested, "that arm is
becoming stiff and rigid like a solid iron bar, completely inflexible, indeed
for the time being the more you try to bend or to relax your arm the more tense
and rigid it will become, just like a bar of solid iron, and you can imagine
what that feels like." A challenge is then made for the subject to
"try and see" if he can bend his arm "even just a little"
(implying that it is extremely difficult). A therapist may then suggest that
"on the count of three that arm will become completely limp and relaxed,
comfortable and flexible once again, returning to normal as the you let go of
the tension and slip deeper into a pleasant trance."
Bucket & Balloon
This is an excellent technique for demonstrating suggestion with groups. It
almost always elicits some degree of physical response, and often elicits
interesting subjective experiences (worth enquiring about). The subject stands
upright with both arms stretched out in front, both fists clenched, the right
palm facing upwards, and the left down. The subject is then asked to imagine
that he is holding the handle of a heavy bucket in his right hand and that he
can feel a string tied around his left wrist, tugging it gently upwards.
Increasingly graphic suggestions are made that the bucket is becoming heavier
(filled with wet concrete) and that the balloon is becoming lighter and
lighter. These should be reinforced with suggestions that "you're
surprised how rapidly that right arm is becoming tired, making the bucket feel
painfully heavy", and "its interesting just how light that left arm
feels as it floats upwards with the balloon." An element of surprise and
distraction can be introduced by suddenly asking what colour the balloon is, or
what colour the bucket is, these questions should be immediately followed by
corresponding suggestions of heaviness or lightness in the arms. Another good
distraction is to ask the subject to focus on his breathing, to breath very
slowly and deeply, "because with each breath in, as you fill your lungs up
with air, that balloon is being pumped up with even more helium making it feel
lighter and lighter with each breath you take," and "with each breath
out that bucket is becoming more and more heavy, making your arm feel more and
more tired." A fun variation is to begin, once the eyes are closed, by
tying a piece of string loosely around one wrist, telling the subject that it
is attached to a balloon, and placing a champagne cork in the other hand,
telling them it is a lead weight.
When subjects open their eyes they are often surprised how far apart the arms have moved. Sometimes they will be surprised because it felt as though they had moved further apart than they actually did (ISR), in this case the subject should be asked in detail about the sensations they felt in their arms.
Chevreul's Pendulum
This experiment generally elicits a clear and convincing ideo-motor
response, it is extremely useful for self-hypnosis.
The pendulum should be attached to a light thread, or chain, about eight inches long and weighted so that it swings easily in response to slight movement of the hand. Any materials will do, although you should experiment to get the ideal length of thread and weighting. Often, e.g., a ring is tied to the end of a piece of cotton thread about ten inches long. The end of the thread is usually held between the thumb and index finger. A slightly more elaborate arrangement is to attach the thread to the end of a pen, making a sort of miniature fishing rod. This has the advantage of amplifying the effects of any hand movements.
The pendulum has many uses but one of the common techniques is to combine it with a board (or piece of paper) which has the following symbol (or something similar) drawn on it: a circle (about six inches diameter) which is bisected by a horizontal line (about seven inches long). The pendulum is suspended, to begin with, about an inch above the centre of the circle. Various suggestions can then be made to test the IMR:
i) That the pendulum will circle around clockwise, or anti-clockwise, following the perimeter of the drawn circle.
ii) That the pendulum will swing in a straight line, from left to right and back again, following the horizontal line.
iii) Then the paper is shifted so that the line becomes vertical, and the suggestion is made that the pendulum will change direction to follow the line once more, swinging back and forth, following the now vertical line.
iv) Finally the suggestion can be made that on a trigger word (e.g., 'freeze') the pendulum will stop swinging completely, and hang perpendicular, straight and still.
Once it has been established that the pendulum responds to suggestion, it can be used to 'question' the unconscious mind by suggesting that, e.g., a clockwise (or vertical) swing signals 'yes', while an anticlockwise (or horizontal) swing means 'no' -if the pendulum freezes that means 'no response' or 'I don't know'.
Eye Catalepsy
This technique involves the suggestion that the eyelids cannot be opened and a
challenge to the subject to try. It can be naturally combined with other eye
techniques, such as eye fixation induction, but it may prove difficult with
certain clients to achieve a positive result. Once the eyes are closed
suggestions like the following are used, "Now that you're eyes are closed
you can just allow all the muscles around your eyes to relax, releasing any
last trace of tension from even the smallest muscle, allowing your eyelids to
become heavy and tired, feeling very heavy, just like lead curtains. and your
eyelids are so tightly closed that they may feel just as if they've been glued
firmly together, sticking tight as glue, heavy and tired. indeed, they're so
tired, and so tightly stuck together that even if you wanted to you would find
it impossible to open them." This might be followed by a challenge to
"try and see" if the eyes can be opened at all. The catalepsy can be
reinforced by the use of the 'law of reversed effect', "the harder you
struggle to try and open your eyes, the more tightly closed, the more firmly
glued together they will become."
A variation is to ask the client, with their eyes open, to turn their gaze upwards and roll their eyes back as if they were straining to look at a point in the centre of their forehead. They are then asked to slowly close their eyes, keeping their gaze fixed on the same point. The challenge is then made that they cannot open their eyes.
Finger Levitation
This is probably the form of ideo-motor signalling
most common in modern hypnotherapy. It involves the induction of movement in a
finger, either selected by the therapist or subject, by the use of suggestions
of floating, lightness, etc. Suggestions are often accompanied by
visualisations such as the image of a helium balloon tied to the finger. The
finger often twitches or trembles before moving, and the movement may look
slightly jerky and unnatural. With some clients it may help to gently press the
finger down flat, and suggest that as you slowly move your hand away the finger
will rise. Slowly releasing the pressure naturally creates the illusion that
the finger has started to rise. It sometimes helps if the subject has already
been asked to give a response by consciously raising and lowering the signal
finger, thereby rehearsing the movement required by the unconscious.
The technique has several uses:
i) As a test of suggestibility or (autosuggestion). It can easily be practised as a technique for gauging success in self-hypnosis, its repeated use will also improve familiarity with the phenomena of trance, suggestion, dissociation, etc.
ii) As a method of deepening hypnosis. Because this technique is very effective and provides tangible results it will tend to increase suggestibility. It is sometimes also suggested that when the therapist says 'drop' or counts to three, e.g., "that finger will drop gently back down as you let yourself relax and drift down deeper into trance."
iii) As a method of obtaining 'unconscious' responses either in self-hypnosis or hetero-hypnosis. Often one finger is used to signal 'yes' and another 'no' (sometimes another for 'I don't know'). The subject can then simply be questioned with suggestions that one of his fingers will twitch and move in response to the therapists questions. The question may have to be repeated several times to obtain a clear response. A similar technique involves providing a series of options and suggesting that a finger movement indicates that something of significance has been said. For example, "I am going to count down from your present age to age one and when a say a number that suggests an age at which an event of unconscious importance happened to you, your mind will indicate this to me by clearly raising that finger, without any conscious effort on your part."
Hand Clasp
A favourite of the stage hypnotist. The subject is asked to stretch both arms
out right in front and to clasp the hands together. The suggestion is then made
that "those hands are now becoming stuck tightly together, as though
bonded together with a powerful glue, in fact its almost as if both those hands
are becoming welded together into one flesh, so tightly clasped together that
it would be impossible to try to unclasp them. In fact the more you try to
relax your arms or to pull them apart, the more rigidly stuck together they'll
become, locked together like the jaws of a vice." Various other images and
emphatic suggestions should be added before the subject is challenged to
"try and see" if they can unclasp their hands "even a little
bit". It is important that the arms are kept stretched out as this will
make it physically more difficult to unclasp the hands. It is also important to
remove all of these effects by suggesting that on a signal the subject can
release his hands and relax as he returns to normal.
A variation involves clasping the hands together and then turning the palms outward and stretching the arms up straight above the head.
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