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Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis
What is a trance state? How do you access a previous trance state? What is pattern interruption? Stacked realities? Generative change? Reframing? And how in the world do you use all this stuff to do anything productive? Better yet, how do you keep from using all this stuff to be unproductive? Well, this will give a you a taste of what lies in store for you in this book. It's the best book to learn about real hypnosis, the structure of hypnosis. There are many books that can teach you to hypnotize people, but few that can teach you to break through the consensual trance that you are already in. This book can get you on the road to doing that. "Hypnosis is a word that usually gets strong responses from people" - positive or negative. Often, people associate trance states with mysticism or magic, which has not helped the reputation of hypnosis. We encourage skeptics to suspend their beliefs or assumptions about hypnosis long enough to read this book. NLP cofounders Bandler and Grinder studied the famous therapist Milton Erickson to determine the structure of hypnosis. This book turns the "magic" into specific understandable procedures, some of which are useful in everyday conversation. In addition to the hows of hypnosis (basic and advanced), the authors describe numerous important uses for this science. A great introduction to the subject - and an important reference book for hypnosis practitioners.
252 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1981
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1828 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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August 30, 2024- Now, watch my pendulum. Left, right, left...right....left.....right...Your eyelids grow heavier... you sink further into a peaceful trance...
Gooood....Now, tell me , what do you say about my book ? Did you liked it ?
- ...In ie tlecujlixquac, in ie tlamamatlac.
- Damn..something goes wrong.. As I count down from ten, when I snap my fingers, you'II wake up. Ten...nine...eight... Good. We resume. Watch my pendulum. Left..right.. left..right..
Gooood.. So, what do you think about my Neuro Linguistic Programming ? Do you find it useful ?
- Meow...
- Jésus ...you're starting to worry me... Where are you ?
- On the roof..
- Bloody shit ! Repeat after me : " I'm not a cat. "
- I'm not a cat .
- That's better.. Where are you ?
- Here, in your office.
- Goood. Now, tell me what's your take, on my book.
- What book ?
- Ufff... " The Neuro..."
- I see friends...shaking hands....
- Uffff...I meant my book. Try to concentrate.
- Ah ! Well, it wasn't an easy read, definitely. My cat interrupted me 14 times, asking me why NLP uses pattern interrupts to access unconscious resources. And he complained that he struggled to apply NLP effectively in their own lives.
- Well, let's see..
- Mr. Grinder, forget my skepticism.. I've been pondering your NLP principles..
- And ? Shoot. Don't worry, I won't killing you today, it's holiday. Maybe tomorrow.
- Well...given that NLP emphasizes subjective experience and constructs, how do you address criticisms related to its pseudoscientific nature ?
- Mmm... let me tell you something, my sleeping friend. I would emphasize the pragmatic nature of NLP. It's not about proving scientific theories, but about practical effectiveness. NLP recognizes that our experiences are subjective, and constructed through our cognitive processes. But rather than seeking objective truths, NLP focuses on how we perceive and interpret the world around us.
- So, if I understand correctly, NLP isn't a science, but a kind of jazz. An improvisation at the level of behavioral art. Is that so ?
- That's an interesting point of view. Yes, jazz artists study legends, Miles, Ella, Coltrane.. NLP practicioners model excellence. Jazz has ghost notes - the subtle beats between the beats. NLP's beats are presuppositions - the unspoken assumptions that shape our reality.
- So, would a sax be indispensable in perceiving this reality ?
- Damn... I think I should wake you up.. Hypnosis can also be an enemy... Though, you're maybe right. Bill Clinton would include for sure a sax, in the perception of reality.
Gooood....Now, tell me , what do you say about my book ? Did you liked it ?
- ...In ie tlecujlixquac, in ie tlamamatlac.
- Damn..something goes wrong.. As I count down from ten, when I snap my fingers, you'II wake up. Ten...nine...eight... Good. We resume. Watch my pendulum. Left..right.. left..right..
Gooood.. So, what do you think about my Neuro Linguistic Programming ? Do you find it useful ?
- Meow...
- Jésus ...you're starting to worry me... Where are you ?
- On the roof..
- Bloody shit ! Repeat after me : " I'm not a cat. "
- I'm not a cat .
- That's better.. Where are you ?
- Here, in your office.
- Goood. Now, tell me what's your take, on my book.
- What book ?
- Ufff... " The Neuro..."
- I see friends...shaking hands....
- Uffff...I meant my book. Try to concentrate.
- Ah ! Well, it wasn't an easy read, definitely. My cat interrupted me 14 times, asking me why NLP uses pattern interrupts to access unconscious resources. And he complained that he struggled to apply NLP effectively in their own lives.
- Well, let's see..
- Mr. Grinder, forget my skepticism.. I've been pondering your NLP principles..
- And ? Shoot. Don't worry, I won't killing you today, it's holiday. Maybe tomorrow.
- Well...given that NLP emphasizes subjective experience and constructs, how do you address criticisms related to its pseudoscientific nature ?
- Mmm... let me tell you something, my sleeping friend. I would emphasize the pragmatic nature of NLP. It's not about proving scientific theories, but about practical effectiveness. NLP recognizes that our experiences are subjective, and constructed through our cognitive processes. But rather than seeking objective truths, NLP focuses on how we perceive and interpret the world around us.
- So, if I understand correctly, NLP isn't a science, but a kind of jazz. An improvisation at the level of behavioral art. Is that so ?
- That's an interesting point of view. Yes, jazz artists study legends, Miles, Ella, Coltrane.. NLP practicioners model excellence. Jazz has ghost notes - the subtle beats between the beats. NLP's beats are presuppositions - the unspoken assumptions that shape our reality.
- So, would a sax be indispensable in perceiving this reality ?
- Damn... I think I should wake you up.. Hypnosis can also be an enemy... Though, you're maybe right. Bill Clinton would include for sure a sax, in the perception of reality.
November 10, 2018
This book could have been very helpful. the problem I had was that I had just spent lots of time practicing self-hypnosis (with hypno-babies) and this text is transcripts of hypnosis seminars that the authors gave. Which also means that they were all actual hypnosis inductions. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I could never make it through a couple of pages before falling asleep. Then I realized that I was putting myself into a trance and I had always done that before when it was time to go to bed. It solved my pregnancy insomnia.
Not a problem for many, but it kept me from finishing the book. I was actually looking for a book that helped with communication and was more NLP-ish, while this was one of the earliest books by the NLP duo and focused more on psychotherapists and professional counseling. Oh well, I'll look for another one.
Not a problem for many, but it kept me from finishing the book. I was actually looking for a book that helped with communication and was more NLP-ish, while this was one of the earliest books by the NLP duo and focused more on psychotherapists and professional counseling. Oh well, I'll look for another one.
December 12, 2013
The most singularly, frightening book I've ever read. It's mind control, and it's real. Geared for anyone who wants to learn hypnosis, or even better communication skills, this book, and others like it, should also be considered a weapon. One frightful thing this book made me realize is how natural and frequently hypnosis and trances can occur. It made me realize that any agreement between people can make one susceptible to mind control - without even realizing it. How many times do we give away our own personal information to perfect strangers without even knowing it? More frequently than you might imagine! This book is a real eye-opener. In the right hands, it's a great tool for transformation; in the wrong hands - a weapon for manipulation ... that is already commonly used. And in the end, it's done simply by feeding you a bunch of bologna filler (on the outside, to access the stuff on the inside). This is so mainstream(!), and yet few notice.
September 4, 2013
For me this book was an excellent introduction to hypnosis and how to perform it. It gives very clear instructions of how to induce a trance in yourself and others, and various ways to use that trance therapeutically. I also have a much better understanding of how hypnosis relates to day-to-day communication. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone new to hypnosis (self or otherwise). And I also believe that it could offer a new perspective on the successes and failures of classical hypnosis techniques.
July 3, 2014
This continues to be a top text on hypnosis. The authors manage to help one get it, rather than set out steps or rules.
A great book to understand trance phenomena and potential. could be very useful for those studying shamanic healing.
A great book to understand trance phenomena and potential. could be very useful for those studying shamanic healing.
February 10, 2014
Perfect choice for someone with enough NLP knowledge and experience ...
January 20, 2025
This is perhaps one of the best book in support of hypnotherapy with many anecdotal stories and explicit exercises for practicing hypnotherapy.
The book provides a step-by-step guide on how an amateur hypnotist can bring their client into a trance by speaking at a pace that matches the client's breathing, using nonspecific languages, overloading the client's senses, and most importantly, speak with complete congruency.
The following quote works splendidly in convincing me of the use case of hypnotherapy:
"let me ask you a question. If that door were to burst open right now . . . and you looked over and saw a great big tiger . . . licking its chops hungrily . . . staring at only you . . . how much pain do you think you'd feel?" For most people, it doesn’t even take an emergency, they just need to be distracted by something"
15 topics with many concrete exercise and explicit examples:
Verbal pacing and leading, overlapping representational systems, leveraging inductions and pattern interruption, overloading, personal power, slacking realities, techniques for dealing with abreactions, reframing, setting up unconscious signals, deep trance identification, pain control, regression, amnesia, congruency, and even self-hypnosis.
If you could only read one book on hypnosis, I would recommend this book.
The book provides a step-by-step guide on how an amateur hypnotist can bring their client into a trance by speaking at a pace that matches the client's breathing, using nonspecific languages, overloading the client's senses, and most importantly, speak with complete congruency.
The following quote works splendidly in convincing me of the use case of hypnotherapy:
"let me ask you a question. If that door were to burst open right now . . . and you looked over and saw a great big tiger . . . licking its chops hungrily . . . staring at only you . . . how much pain do you think you'd feel?" For most people, it doesn’t even take an emergency, they just need to be distracted by something"
15 topics with many concrete exercise and explicit examples:
Verbal pacing and leading, overlapping representational systems, leveraging inductions and pattern interruption, overloading, personal power, slacking realities, techniques for dealing with abreactions, reframing, setting up unconscious signals, deep trance identification, pain control, regression, amnesia, congruency, and even self-hypnosis.
If you could only read one book on hypnosis, I would recommend this book.
July 5, 2019
you're gonna laugh out of intelligent stuff if you're really understanding it, it will show you your own reflection and reminds you of some moments you lived and noticed yet did not really understand what they meant, this book has a lot of patterns literally in any paragraph and that's what makes it hard to read because it requires a lot of focus, its a pretty good one!
November 6, 2019
Valiosa información; además de aplicación terapéutica, efectivo para uso diario en nuestras relaciones interpersonales. Contiene una lectura muy comprensible, si se tienen conocimientos previos del tema, aún mejor.
November 26, 2020
Buen libro es muy práctico, el tema de PNL se me hacía muy complejo, gracias a este libro entendí más del tema contiene ejercicios sencillos se puede usar como un complemento a la práctica la ley de la atracción.
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August 12, 2022I gave up on this one. So many books to read and too little time. I think if I had practical experience (or any experience) with hypnotism I would have been more inclined to stick with it. Very interesting though.
February 1, 2024
Straightforward, mostly for a thereupatic audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed the sections on state control and hypnosis
September 16, 2016
I did not want to put this book down. I started it on a flight to NY and had a lot of uninterrupted time to read and enjoy. This is definitely not a book to read once, I can see that I will learn in layers. Learn a little bit more each time I read. This book is a seminar that has been transcribed. I had the feel of being in the seminar on one hand and wishing I were there on the other hand. There are many examples of hypnotic inductions, exercises to learn, improve and deepen sensory acuity. It is a great example of Ericksonian hypnosis techniques. That's right ...
July 22, 2016
It's strange that this book is a series of lectures. It follows the belief that human beings are intimately tied to a general semantic view that is "programmable". The idea here is that we can reach each us through pure formal linguistic manipulations in order to realign thinking and thoughts.
Are people really this plastic? It would appear so, but that challenges our assumption that people have a directed conscious will. Of course, the entire idea is to bypass that conscious attention and manipulate the plastic unconscious systems where people operate and process by pushing forward certain ideas and words.
Are people that simple? From cognitive linguistics and other fields, all signs point to yes, although from these seminars it appears that effectiveness depends largely on the personal appeal of those who are speaking.
Are people really this plastic? It would appear so, but that challenges our assumption that people have a directed conscious will. Of course, the entire idea is to bypass that conscious attention and manipulate the plastic unconscious systems where people operate and process by pushing forward certain ideas and words.
Are people that simple? From cognitive linguistics and other fields, all signs point to yes, although from these seminars it appears that effectiveness depends largely on the personal appeal of those who are speaking.
June 5, 2014
Está bien para aprender algo más del lenguaje ericksoniano que ayude a hacer las sesiones de coaching más impactantes, de forma sutil.
El libro está muy orientado a la terapia, así gran parte no es aplicable al coaching y tiene una importante carga subjetiva, principalmente negativa, sobre otros métodos.
Puede ser recomendable, pero hay lecturas más apropiadas para el coaching y un resumen de 30 páginas me habría servido.
El libro está muy orientado a la terapia, así gran parte no es aplicable al coaching y tiene una importante carga subjetiva, principalmente negativa, sobre otros métodos.
Puede ser recomendable, pero hay lecturas más apropiadas para el coaching y un resumen de 30 páginas me habría servido.
August 3, 2014
This is the way self-help books should be: full of practical information, mind-expanding, and a lot of fun to read. Like the other books in this series, this is basically a transcript of a weekend workshop. In this one, the participants receive training in hypnotism. It’s a fascinating exploration in the workings of the mind, as it describes different ways of navigating through the various levels of consciousness.
September 24, 2008
Not everyone understands that the genesis of neurolinguististic programming occurred during a study of semantics. While the word 'programming' has lost favor, these thinking/behavior procedures can still be effective.
Want to read
November 4, 2008This book I borrowed from my father and it has been virtually unopened in 10 years. At first I was drawn in by the magical book cover, but the actual contents are alien to me. It's about hypnotic induction and I just don't see any relevance for its use in my life.
April 9, 2009
examples in this book about the language patterns of Milton Erickson hypnosis have
January 19, 2014
Fantastic book for those interested in the use of neurolinguistics and the application to hypnosis and hypnotherapy--a sort of oldie but goodie. Lots of easily useable ideas.
February 6, 2019
Couldn't Deal With BOTs Or Humans Without It"!"
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews