Okay, so today I decided to mess around with the “Erickson Hammer” concept. I’d heard about it, vaguely, something about rapid hypnosis inductions. Figured, why not give it a shot?
First, I watched some videos online. Just to get a general idea. Most of them were pretty… theatrical. Lots of dramatic hand movements and intense staring. I wasn’t really going for that vibe.
My guinea pig? My ever-patient partner. I explained, “Hey, I’m going to try this weird hypnosis thing. Just relax and go with it, okay?” They agreed, a little hesitantly, I think.
I started with a simple handshake. Nothing fancy. Then, as I was shaking their hand, I gently interrupted the pattern. I think the classic move is to sort of lift their hand up a bit, creating a moment of confusion. I just, kind of, paused mid-shake. Very subtle.
- Handshake – Initiate a normal handshake.
- Interrupt – Break the expected pattern.
- Deepen (maybe) – Use a simple suggestion.
Then, I said, very calmly, “Sleep.” I didn’t shout it or anything. Just a quiet, firm word. I repeated it a couple of times. “Sleep… deep sleep…”
Honestly? It didn’t work like in the videos. No instant collapse into a hypnotic trance. My partner just kind of looked at me, a little amused, a little confused.
But… something did happen. They definitely seemed more relaxed. Their breathing slowed down. They later told me they felt a little “floaty” and “distant.” Not full-blown hypnosis, but definitely something.
My Takeaways
I think the key is the interruption of the expected pattern. It creates a little window of opportunity, a moment of suggestibility. The “sleep” command is probably less important than the unexpected pause in the handshake.
I also think my low-key approach might have helped. I wasn’t trying to be some powerful hypnotist. I was just experimenting. Maybe that made my partner more receptive.
I definitely want to keep practicing. It’s not as dramatic as I thought, but it’s definitely interesting. It feels more like a subtle nudge in a certain direction, rather than a complete takeover of someone’s mind. Which, frankly, is a relief.
It is interesting, I must continue to practice it!
