The Street Hypnosis Handbook

The Street Hypnosis Handbook
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................... 3
Diving Into the Subconscious Mind .................................................... 6
The Hypnotic Trance State 7
The Blueprint ............................................................................................13
Step One: Priming the Pump ..............................................................15
Essential Preparations .........................................................................17
Introducing Oneself as a Street Hypnotist ........................................24
First Impressions Last ..........................................................................26
Step Two: System Unlock ....................................................................31
Unlocking Techniques .........................................................................35
Covert Language Tactics .....................................................................49
Insights: The Rapport Conundrum ....................................................53
Step Three: Induction ..........................................................................59
Developing Your Hypnotic Patter......................................................63
Hypnotic Induction Scripts & Techniques ........................................66
Script 1: Sudden Shock ....................................................................67
Script 2: Side to Side .........................................................................68
Script 3: Coin Trick ...........................................................................69
Script 4: Pendulum Power ...............................................................71
Suggestibility Check: The Imaginary Rubber Band .........................73
Step Four: Suggestion ..........................................................................74
Suggestion 1: Sleep!..........................................................................75
Suggestion 2: Living Statue .............................................................76
Suggestion 3: Talk/Don’t Talk........................................................77
Suggestion 4: Physical Sensations ..................................................78
Step Five: Post-Suggestion ..............................................................79
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Conclusion ............................................................................................80
Introduction
What’s street hypnosis all about?
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People often mistake street hypnosis for stage hypnosis or

hypnotherapy. While the foundational concepts that drive the street
hypnosis machine forward come from the “mother tree” which is
clinical hypnotherapy, there’s still a world of difference between the
three. One is performed in a clinical setting while two are part-
hypnotic craft, part-performance.
For one, the central goal of clinical hypnotherapy is to provide

therapy or inner healing to people with life problems, such as
phobias and recurring nightmares. A skilled clinical hypnotherapist
can also help resolve issues revolving around negative experience
and repressed thoughts/emotions.
Street hypnosis, on the other hand, utilizes core concepts from classic
hypnosis for entertainment/showmanship. Street hypnosis is
different from stage hypnosis, which often involves a larger
audience, a comedy routine and a formal public venue for the
demonstration or performance of hypnosis.
Studying street hypnosis will allow you to induce hypnotic trances

anywhere and anytime because it will equip you with all the essential
tools needed to make a person “go under” fast. Street hypnosis is not
a sub-discipline of clinical hypnotherapy, though it can be
appropriated to provide inner healing, too.
Do I need to go out and find random strangers to practice on?
It would be ideal for you to be able to practice your craft on as many

people as you can. You can start practicing street hypnosis techniques
on friends and family before heading over to the outer limits of your
immediate social circles.
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Before applying any hypnosis technique on anyone, be sure to

thoroughly explain what hypnosis is to your subject to dispel any
fears or anxieties that he/she may have about it.
Street hypnosis (like other forms of hypnosis) is relatively safe, but

you never know what lies in another person’s subconscious mind.
So when you hypnotize a person for the first time, ask him/her
questions that would reveal a little about his/her personality (skip
this if you know the person well) as well as his/her experience/s
with hypnosis in general.
If your subject has already been actively hypnotized before, either by

a clinical hypnotherapist or a stage hypnotist and he/she believes in
the craft completely, consider this person “half in” or 50%
hypnotized already.
A person who believes in hypnosis and what it can do is an ideal

hypnotic subject.
Why? Because a person who believes in hypnosis already has certain

expectations about what’s going to happen next. He/she would not
resist the process, unless the subject finds you suspicious or
unethical.
Of course as a street hypnotist, you must avoid showing any

behavior or attitude that would make your subject feel that you are
taking advantage of the situation. This applies to all situations,
settings and subjects.
Don’t think for a moment that your subject will not walk away from
you even if you’re already saying or doing something that runs
contrary to what people deem is good and acceptable.
In short, be an ethical street hypnotist!
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Diving Into the Subconscious Mind
If the entirety of the human mind was a mountain range, the

subconscious mind would be the street hypnotist’s personal
goldmine. The subconscious mind is where all the action is: it
processes life experiences, creates memories, stores memories, etc.
This part of the mind represents that massive mental machinery

that makes us who we are as individuals.
We imagine, dream and even fear things through the subconscious.

Milton Erickson, the father of clinical hypnotherapy, is one of the first
people in the medical field who recognized the value of using deep
hypnosis to achieve amazing things.
We’re now continuing in the tradition of Ericksonian hypnosis but

instead of focusing on dental and medical applications of hypnosis,
we’re going to explore how you can use it for entertainment (if you
like) or for influence and persuasion.
The subconscious mind is also the main seat of a person’s core

system. If you’ve read my other works, you’ve probably come across
this concept before. The core system represents the group of ideas,
beliefs and values that a person subscribes to. The core system is
molded by a person’s childhood and every other living experience
after that crucial time.
All classes of hypnotists know that the core system can either be a
boon or a bane, depending on what the person has “in the box.”
For example, if the person firmly believes that hypnotists are con
men then inducing a hypnotic trance on a person out in the street will
likely result in disappointment. Why? Because the person doesn’t
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believe in hypnosis and will do everything in his/her power to resist

it.
On the flipside, the contents of the subconscious mind aren’t set in

stone. However, before you can make any essential changes to what
is contained within, you have to ‘defeat’ its main protector: the
conscious mind or the “critical factor” as other practitioners call it.
Can hypnosis also be used to influence/persuade other people?
Yes. Always remember the core teaching of hypnosis: all hypnosis is

self-hypnosis. This simply means that when a person becomes
hypnotized, he/she does so with full complicity. This complicity with
the person performing the hypnosis is very crucial to the field of
persuasion and influence.
The biggest stumbling block to persuasion is resistance, which

manifests mainly as external (outward) objection and inner objections
(unspoken resistance). Since resistance is partly a function of the
conscious mind, resistance can be dealt with swiftly if you hypnotize
the person you’re talking to, first.
And this leads us to yet another factor that will have a significant
effect on your success as a hypnotist… Trance states.
The Hypnotic Trance State
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Self-hypnosis (or simply, hypnosis) is an altered state of

consciousness that can be induced by natural phenomenon, a
person’s chosen activities and by a distinct, external agent such as a
street hypnotist.
Inducing a trance state is one of the primary tasks of any hypnotist

and it’s one of the toughest to carry out if you don’t have sufficient
knowledge/exposure to hypnotic induction techniques.
What happens when a subject is in trance?
When a person succumbs to a street hypnotist’s hypnotic induction,

he/she gains increased awareness or hyper-awareness of what is
presently taking place.
Of course, the most vivid stimulus during a hypnotic session is the

hypnotist’s voice. So the subject becomes even more aware of the
trigger words and phrases coming in from the hypnotist.
This hyperawareness lowers the impact of the subject’s critical factor,

making him/her more vulnerable to hypnotic suggestions. My
favorite example of a hypnotic trance is when you read a good book
that you simply can’t put down or when a person is watching a
championship game that involves his/her favorite team.
The deep awareness that takes place in either of these activities,

which excludes all other stimuli, natural or not, is called natural self-
hypnosis.
We use the term ‘natural’ here because the hypnotic trance was
initiated and deepened solely by the person who is in-trance. Self-
hypnosis, in the case of watching TV or reading a great book, can
cause a person to engage in a single activity for a prolonged period of
time without stopping.
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When asked about their condition while being in-trance, people have
many interesting responses:
“I didn’t notice that I spent the whole day doing just this.”
“I’m not hungry at all, even if I skipped lunch while reading.”
“I didn’t hear that someone was knocking loudly at my door.”
“I forgot to do some chores because I was so busy doing something.”
From these examples, we can say that a hypnotized person can easily
experience time distortion and even forgetfulness when in deep
hypnosis.
What these examples demonstrate is that the human mind can

exclude a lot of things from its surface consciousness the moment a
trance state sets in. Of course, we still have to remember that a person
can move in and out of a trance state no matter how skilled a
hypnotist is.
What can cause a person to shift in and out of an existing trance state?
One word: distractions.
Distractions come in all shapes and sizes and even the smallest
distractions can cause a person to ‘wake up’ from a trance state.
The most common distraction that hypnotists in general have to

contend with is “the chore list” distraction.
People go about their day thinking of the things that they have to
accomplish. In the majority of situations, people procrastinate a lot
and so they continue thinking and worrying about the things they
have to do, even while they are in-trance.
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If you notice that your subject is frequently transitioning from one

trance to another, simply bring him/her back by giving instructions
like “focus on my words” or by using hypnotic devices like “the more
and more you listen, the clearer you understand what I said before.”
Don’t worry: hypnotized subjects will not easily forget what’s

already been said to them just because they’re transitioning between
several trance states. You just have to make sure that your subject
remains focused on you for the time being. Otherwise, your subject
may not hear your other instructions properly, which may prevent
you from efficiently completing the hypnotic sequence that you’ve
prepared for him/her.
What is hypnotic suggestibility?
Hypnotic suggestibility is a measure of how ideal a person is as a

subject of hypnosis. Full testing of a person’s hypnotizability can be
performed using formal suggestibility scales such as the Harvard
Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility or the Stanford Hypnotic
Susceptibility Scale. You can use these testing references at a later
time to further expand your understanding of how people react to
hypnosis.
Here’s what you need to know about hypnotic susceptibility:
1. Resistance to a hypnotic induction means you need to try harder.

Hypnotic induction scripts can be modified and extended to create a
trance state. While an immediate response to hypnotic induction is
favorable, it doesn’t always happen.
Does this mean that you have to give up on a new subject when
he/she doesn’t respond immediately? No. If you are a complete
beginner with street hypnosis or any kind of hypnosis for that matter,
you probably still need to polish how you apply the various
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techniques from building rapport and all the way to implanting

hypnotic suggestions.
Mastering hypnosis in just one day is a crazy notion.
It’s not that I don’t believe that you can read or learn fast, you
probably can do all of these things and more. However, the depth
and understanding that you need to comprehend the human psyche
comes with practice and experience – there’s no shortcut for this one,
I’m afraid. So if you want to speed up your mastery, learn the craft
and apply what you’ve learned as often as you can.
2. Positive experiences with hypnosis increases the effectiveness of

all future hypnosis. Experiencing hypnosis is a bit like riding a
rollercoaster. It’s exciting – you don’t exactly know how you’re going
to feel when the ride begins, but at the same time you welcome it and
enjoy it when you’re finally engrossed in the ride. If your subject says
that he/she has undergone hypnosis in the past, it won’t hurt to ask
him/her what he/she loved the most about hypnosis and what
he/she would rather forget about it.
Use this information to shape the overall experience of your subject

when you apply your street hypnosis techniques on him/her. For
example, if your subject says that other hypnotists find it hard to
make him/her go to sleep, use an induction technique that will
naturally make your subject drowsy after a few minutes. Make the
appropriate adjustments based on the feedback that you get from
your subject before the actual hypnotic process.
How does hypnosis affect the subject’s unconscious?
Hypnosis is a powerful tool and it’s capable of leaving mental prints

in the subject’s subconscious mind.
This is not a joke: when we bypass a person’s critical factor, his/her

subconscious mind becomes quite open to different kinds of hypnotic
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suggestions. If by any chance you say something that strikes a nerve,

your words will have a palpable impact on the person long after the
street hypnosis has ended.
These facts are being given to you not to frighten or demotivate you
but to show you that what you’re studying is as real as can be and
this new knowledge that you are now absorbing is the closest that we
can all get to a “superpower” because hypnosis has the uncanny
ability to change people’s minds in different situations.
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The Blueprint
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Are you ready to begin your journey as a street hypnotist?
Street hypnosis is one of the most exciting and rewarding disciplines

you can learn – there’s simply no stopping a street hypnotist the
moment he/she learns and masters the basics. This book is the best
launch pad for street hypnosis because it covers a lot of ground in
terms of what you should and can do as a street hypnotist.
Now, it’s important for you to realize early on that you’ll get the best
experience as a hypnotist if you’ve mastered an actual blueprint that
will guide you from start to finish.
Later on you’ll be able to create your own routines and even your
own hypnotic induction scripts. But for now, you need to gain
mastery of the main phases of hypnosis so you’ll become more
confident with your ability to hypnotize people anywhere and
anytime.
The blueprint that we’re going to discuss in this volume contains five
parts:
1st – Priming the Pump

2nd – System Unlock
3rd – Induction
4th – Suggestion
5th – Post-Suggestion
These five parts or phases mirror, to some extent, the procedures

used in conventional hypnotherapy. The main difference is that we’re
going to discuss variations and changes that we have to make to the
classic process to make it viable for street hypnosis.
The same applies to stage hypnosis: the setting is different and the
goals of the hypnosis are certainly distinct, but it’s more or less the
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same set of principles being adapted and remodeled for the aims of
the craft.
Step One: Priming the Pump
The first phase of street hypnosis is “priming the pump” or creating

the ideal conditions for impromptu, street hypnosis.
If you’re going to perform hypnosis on someone in an outdoor

setting, with other people and vehicles about, your first task is to
ensure that your subject is aware of the boundaries of the area where
you will be performing hypnosis.
The main purpose of setting a physical boundary is to discourage

other people (your audience, mainly) from coming too near you or
your subject and to prevent the subject from walking off if he/she
begins moving about after you’ve induced a hypnotic trance.
There are some situations where an individual will move about after
the hypnotic induction and because hypnosis can have a
somnambulistic or sleeping effect on people, your subject may walk
away without being fully aware of what’s happening to him/her.
Since you’re performing out in the street, walking around hypnotized
can be dangerous, for obvious reasons.
There are several methods of delineating the “stage” for street

hypnosis:
- Motioning with your hands (or feet) the area where you’ll be
performing the hypnosis. Do this only when there’s nothing else to
mark the area with.
- Positioning light objects such as chairs around the subject.
- Using chalk or even regular sticky tape to create a rectangle, triangle

or square on the pavement.
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When setting the physical boundaries for the stage, I highly

recommend that you inform the subject of the physical markers so
that he/she will be able to remember where not to go after you’ve
induced hypnosis on him/her.
What else can you do to make your subject safer while being hypnotized?
In addition to reminding your subject not to walk away from you

during the actual hypnosis, you can embed a hypnotic command
immediately after the induction to ensure that this very important
instruction is not forgotten. Below are some basic hypnotic
commands that you can use after induction to limit your subject’s
physical movement during the street hypnosis session:
“While we’re still talking, you will remain within the boundaries I’ve shown
you earlier, for your own safety.”
“You may not walk more than 5 meters away from me during the hypnosis.”
“Your feet are now firmly planted on the ground and the more you try to
move, the more they will become stuck to the ground.”
The last hypnotic command is actually a suggestibility test meant to

measure how hypnotizable your subject is. If your subject accepts the
hypnotic suggestions and says that his/her feet are indeed stuck to
the ground, it’s likely that the person in front of you is an ideal
hypnotic subject.
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Essential Preparations
What do you need to prepare for effective and impressive street hypnosis?
Showing your subject and your audience that you know what you’re
doing will greatly boost your confidence as a budding street
hypnotist. However, there are some big factors that you have to take
into consideration before actually heading out.
1. Confidence & Projection – If you’re not confident that you can

pull it off, you’ll become nervous or even anxious when you’re finally
face to face with a live subject. Some subjects would even say
outright that they don’t believe in hypnosis and they will laugh at the
idea of being hypnotized by someone out in the street.
Don’t let these normal reactions get to you. Focus on projecting the
image of an expert street hypnotist and take any negative feedback in
stride. Remember: you’re just starting out and it’s normal to make
mistakes and feel a little unease when you’re trying out certain
techniques for the first time.
A little unease is wildly different from being frightened of the

prospect of hypnotizing someone. Don’t let unease get the best of you
during a live, street hypnosis session because the worst thing that
could happen is your subject won’t “go under” as intended.
When this happens, you can still use other induction techniques.
There are never “injured parties” when it comes to street hypnosis,
except maybe your ego if something doesn’t work out as planned.
Being confident of your new knowledge is definitely a plus when

you’re just starting out. However, you must always be open to
learning from your actual experiences with hypnotic subjects.
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There are certain elements in street hypnosis that you will only
encounter during an actual performance. A good example would be
the different types of initial feedback that a street hypnotist gets
when he/she asks someone to be hypnotized right there where the
subject is standing.
There are four general categories of reactions when it comes to

street hypnosis: acceptance & compliance, disbelief, fear and
complete refusal.
The first class of reactions is obviously ideal because it shows that the
subject believes in hypnosis and he/she isn’t afraid of the hypnotic
process.
The second and third categories (disbelief and fear) are classified as
“workable” reactions because you can still assuage any fears about
hypnosis during the preliminary talk before the induction.
The last category suggests low hypnotic suggestibility and it would

be best to select another subject if the person says that he/she doesn’t
want anything to do with you or hypnosis. As a rule of thumb, don’t
force anyone to comply with you. Find subjects that are excited to be
hypnotized and you’ll have a much better time applying the new
knowledge that you’ve just learned.
2. Frequently Asked Questions. Before diving into the hypnotic

process, it’s always a good idea to hold a “preliminary talk” so you
will become aware of your subject’s mindset and present knowledge
of about hypnosis. It would also be a good idea to ask your subject
about his/her health.
There’s a small chance that deep hypnosis will cause problems in

individuals with a history of epileptic seizures so if the person says
that he/she has suffered from such seizures before, it would be best
to select another subject.
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Now, assuming that you’ve selected an ideal subject, the next step is
to open the floor for any questions that he/she might have about
hypnosis in general. There’s no need to set the theme for any
incoming questions from the subject. Avoid making any direct
references to “street hypnosis” as these are unnecessary during the
performance.
To help you field random questions about hypnosis, I’ve prepared a

Q&A toolbox that you can review anytime so you can answer the
most common questions about hypnosis in such a way that you’ll be
able to put your subject at ease.
Q: What is hypnosis?
A: Hypnosis is a natural state of increased focus or hyper-awareness

where your mind becomes more open to new information and
stimuli. We experience hypnosis when we watch TV or engage in any
other activity that requires a tremendous amount of attention.
Hypnosis is not some weird invention of pop culture – it’s a genuine

mental state that can actually be scientifically quantified by
measuring a person’s brain waves.
Q: What in the world are brain waves?
A: Brain waves are electrical impulses in your brain. The brain is the
central power house of the body, consuming an estimated 20 watts of
electrical power to run the whole body.
We have four kinds of brain waves: beta waves, alpha waves, theta
waves and delta waves. Now, it has been agreed that all four types of
electrical impulses are present in the brain at any one time. However,
the intensity of each wave is different depending on the person’s
level of consciousness and what he/she is doing at the present time.
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***
(The following enrichment is for the street hypnotist – that’s you – and it’s
only optional to share it with your subject during an actual street hypnosis
performance)
There’s a particular brain wave that suits each kind of mental state
or consciousness:
Beta wave – Your mind is utilizing the beta wave as you read this
book or when you engage in ordinary, day-to-day activities such as
cooking, sewing, driving, etc.
Beta waves surge when you wake up in the morning and begin your
day. Therefore, this wave-type is associated with a person’s normal
waking consciousness and the so-called critical factor, which filters
out unfamiliar and potentially harmful ideas coming in from the
environment.
Alpha wave – Alpha waves become more dominant when you are
relaxed and are engaged in creative pursuits such as reading,
drawing, painting, playing music, writing, etc.
You have better access to your imagination when you are in this state
of consciousness, which would probably explain why people find it
difficult to think of creative solutions to their problems when they are
stressed. If you’re stressed, your mind is operating largely using beta
waves, which puts the critical factor at the forefront, not your
imagination.
Theta wave – A person enters the theta state when he/she is induced
into a hypnotic trance. Being in-trance is more than just being relaxed
– it opens the imagination and the subconscious to suggestion and
also disables the most active aspects of the critical factor, which
hinders creativity and the imagination.
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Creative visualization, meditation and even deep prayer can only be

satisfactorily accomplished when a person is in alpha or theta state.
If you want to experience your theta state right now, stop reading for
a few minutes and think back to a pleasant set of memories of events
that happened a long time ago, preferably in your childhood. Allow
yourself to enter a natural trance state and when you’re done visiting
those memories, come back to the book.
How did your short trip down memory lane go? Did you note any
significant differences in the way your mind operated when you
were revisiting old memories? Did you feel relaxed while being
focused at the same time?
What you just experienced is a self-initiated trance state and if you

tried hard enough to drown out distractions, it’s likely that your
mind entered the theta state (or at least, the alpha state).
Delta wave – The delta state is the deepest possible state of relaxation
because it occurs only when you’re sleeping. Can this state be
utilized by hypnotists?
Yes, but only when you’re able to induce an almost sleep-like state in
your subject. A slightly longer induction is needed to accomplish this,
but do keep in mind that your subject may lose his/her footing when
he/she is in delta state, so be ready to support your subject the
moment delta consciousness arises.
Q: Is hypnosis the same as hypnotherapy?
A: No. Hypnotherapy is performed by clinical psychotherapists with

the intent to address existing social, mental or emotional issues that
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may be hindering the patient form living a normal and happy life.
Hypnosis can be applied for a variety of reasons, not just
psychotherapy.
Also, hypnosis is a mental state while hypnotherapy is a method of

providing much-needed therapy to someone. People often confuse
these two because they sound the same – they’re not. One is a
technique or process while the other is a lived, mental experience
with varying degrees and depths.
Q: Is hypnosis dangerous?
A: Hypnosis is not dangerous because it requires the full agreement

or compliance of the person being hypnotized in order for it to work.
A person who has been hypnotized into the deepest and most
relaxed state of consciousness can still wake up and walk away on
his/her own accord if he/she wants to.
The human mind can protect itself and only through agreement and
acceptance can an idea or set of ideas change a person’s beliefs and
values. In short, if any kind of hypnosis changes a person’s
perspective in life, which means the subject (or the person who was
hypnotized) accepted the input from the hypnotist.
Q: What if I don’t wake up from a trance –ever?!
A: This is another common misconception about hypnosis that drives

all kinds of hypnotists a little nuts. There’s a thread of thought (that
probably came from popular culture) that a person may not wake up
from a hypnotic trance once the hypnotist succeeds in making a
person “go under.”
Let’s recap the basics of hypnosis: the hypnotist induces a trance state
on the subject and the subject enters the trance state. The subject then
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listens to the words and instructions of the hypnotist. The hypnotist

ends the hypnosis by waking the subject from the trance.
Unless the subject was instructed by the hypnotist to really go to
sleep, the subject will awaken because he/she wasn’t really asleep to
begin with. He/she was simply in a trance state that made it look as
if he/she was asleep.
In the rare instance that a subject does fall asleep completely, he/she
will awaken after an hour (or a few hours later), feeling completely
refreshed. Mind you, this often happens to hypnotic subjects that feel
tired or fatigued to begin with.
When you instruct a fatigued person to go to sleep, it logically

follows that he/she will fall asleep but because of his/her physical
state, he/she may not wake up on time. There’s nothing about
hypnosis that can make a person sleep forever – that’s just a fairytale
that was probably meant to frighten people.
Q: What can I expect when I’m hypnotized?
A: During hypnosis, the subject will simply listen to the instructions

of the hypnotist so that a genuine hypnotic trance can be induced.
The length of time needed to induce hypnosis varies from person to
person. The period needed for successful induction also depends on
the skill of the hypnotist and the techniques that he/she uses in that
particular performance.
Not all hypnotists are the same. In the world of hypnosis, there are
many known subspecialties and while the foundation of all
hypnotists are the same, the actual techniques being used out in the
field may differ significantly.
Some hypnotists are more oriented with creative visualizations while

others make full use of rapid-fire inductions that can send an
individual into a trance state in a very short period of time.
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When a person is in-trance he/she will usually feel relaxed or sleepy.

In other situations, the subject may experience a sleep-like state but
will continue to have sensorial experiences. These sensorial
experiences will be situated at the periphery of waking consciousness
because of the current trance state that the subject is in at the
moment.
Introducing Oneself as a Street Hypnotist
Now that we’re done tackling the most pressing considerations when
applying street hypnosis, let’s wind back a little and discuss how you
can project yourself confidently so that people won’t have any
trouble accepting your invitations to join you in impromptu street
hypnosis sessions.
Assuming that you’re going to be hypnotizing random males and

females out in the street, the basic introductory patter would sound
something like this:
I
“Hi, my name is ______________ and I’m an expert hypnotist.”
II
“How many of you here have heard about hypnosis?”
III
“Hypnosis is actually a powerful demonstration of the power of the mind
because once the mind reaches a hypnotic state, it becomes more focused and
keen on observing and learning from its environment.”
IV
“Everyone experiences hypnosis, even small children. It’s the most natural
thing in the world, right next to breathing. And the great thing about
hypnosis is that you’ll become very relaxed while being aware of everything
that’s happening.
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A hypnotized individual actually has more control of what’s happening to

himself/herself than a person who willingly engages in activities such as
drinking alcohol or taking mind-bending substances. Point is – you’ll be in
control the whole time, not me. Again, prepare to be amazed at what we can
accomplish with instant hypnosis.”
V
“With that said, does anyone want to be hypnotized at the moment? Please
raise your hand or step forward if you do, thank you!”
The sample introductory script that I shared with you has six distinct
parts. Let’s talk about each segment so you will know why the patter
has been divided in this manner.
The 1st segment is giving your audience your name (or alternate
name) and telling them outright what you do.
You can use different titles as you please, as long as you don’t claim
to be affiliated with any organizations (unless you really are
associated with a hypnosis organization). “Professional hypnotist,”
“expert hypnotist” and “street hypnotist” are all acceptable.
The 2nd segment is asking the audience what they know about
hypnosis. At this point in time, you’re already establishing a strong
connection with your audience and potential subjects.
The great thing about asking your audience directly about hypnosis
is that one way or another, people would have already heard about
hypnosis and all of them will likely say yes, they do know about it a
little. Any form of recognition or agreement, however small, will be
your main entry point as a hypnotist. Agreement leads to more
agreement and eventually, commitment and compliance.
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The 3rd segment focuses on getting your audience to accept hypnosis

as a means to showcase their own mental prowess. As long as you
follow the logic/reasoning of the sample segment, you will be able to
create the same effect on your audience and the people who will later
volunteer as subjects.
The 4th segment of your introduction should address any common

fears that your audience may have about being hypnotized.
Emphasize that hypnosis is not only natural but also a commonly
shared experience among people from all walks of life and the subject
will have full control of the experience, despite the presence of a
hypnotist (again, that’s you!)
The 5th segment should only be integrated when you see signs of
people becoming curious or excited about the prospect of being
hypnotized. The question/invitation should be stated directly and
plainly so people would find it easier to come forward and volunteer.
First Impressions Last
Psychology experts believe that a person only needs between 20 to 60

seconds to create a lasting first impression of a complete stranger.
Creating first impressions of people, places and events is one of the

ways that the human brain is able to conserve its limited cognitive
resources so it won’t have to perform tedious analysis every time a
person meets another individual.
While the exactness or accuracy of this built-in mental mechanism is

decidedly questionable, it remains that everyone uses the same
method of heuristic scanning to determine the potential
characteristics or traits of other people.
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The natural tendency to create and depend on first impressions is

also the reason why many people change their perspective of others
once they are able to spend more time.
For example, if Ben, a high school teacher, spent more time with
Brandon, who came across as a “class clown”, it’s possible that Ben
will learn about the hidden genius his student really had and this
new information may be able to change what Ben thought of
Brandon before.
However, it still remains that unless more substantial information is

made available to the brain, it will hold fast to its initial ideas about
Brandon, whom everyone thinks is “class clown.”
Here are some additional guidelines that will help you project
confidence and expertise as a street hypnotist:
1. Wear appropriate clothes when performing street hypnosis.

Casual clothes are fine but make sure that you still look neat and
respectable. In some cases, semi-formal clothing may have a more
positive impact on people, but it still depends on the local culture,
which you should be aware of. It’s best to slightly stand out only.
You must still visually blend with other people. This visual blending
and harmonizing communicates that you are one with the people
around you.
2. Establish similarity. Similarity is of utmost importance when

you’ve just begun addressing a group of people and you don’t have a
clear idea yet of who might volunteer for hypnosis.
You can establish similarity by saying things like you’re from the
same city or you too enjoy adventure and excitement. Think of a
narrative that would appeal to a large group of people and use that to
satisfy the universal desire to find people who are similar in some
respects.
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Also, people are more likely to comply and agree with you if you
present yourself as “one of the group.” This is the infamous herd
instinct in action. In a large way, you become the leader of the herd
when you address a group of people out in the street.
People may not acknowledge it, but this is how our natural social
dynamics work. People are constantly on the lookout for potential
leaders. Why? Because we’re designed in this manner. We are
instinctually tied to the idea that we must belong to a group (the
herd) and if there’s a herd, then there most certainly must be a leader.
Why are hypnotists able to induce trance states in large groups?
Apart from the street hypnotist’s skillset, this phenomenon is also

tied integrally with the herd instinct. People don’t need a lot of
leaders in order to feel secure and grounded in the current system.
When you approach a group of people and introduce yourself as a

hypnotist and you perform the preliminary dialogue to make a
performance possible, you are essentially creating a ‘herd’ and a
system that the group may accept or not.
The basis of the system that you are creating is centrally tied to the
idea that hypnosis is a safe and enjoyable activity. If all the members
of the group subscribed to this idea, then you more or less have an
equal impact on everyone, should you try group hypnosis.
Of course, this doesn’t always happen. The reality is that within a

herd, people would have varying degrees of belief, even in the
presence of an authority figure.
It’s a good thing that you don’t have to hypnotize everyone in your
immediate vicinity. You only need one or perhaps a handful of ideal
hypnotic subjects to carry out a good performance.
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3. Use techniques that you’ve already mastered. I cannot emphasize

this enough, especially with beginning practitioners of the craft. Do
not put yourself in a situation where you’re using an untested
technique on someone during a live performance.
You can practice newer techniques when you’re not performing as a

street hypnotist. Find people who will be willing to undertake
practice with you so you can see firsthand how different techniques
affect people.
The differences between hypnotic scripts and techniques are subtle

but these small differences can have a large impact on your end-
result.
For example, if your main goal is to make your subject sleep, using a
visualization script that focuses on stimulating the senses will likely
increase the level of wakefulness of your subject. On paper, the
visualization may sound sleep-inducing… Until you find out that it
does the exact opposite because of the vividness of the details.
Sure, you can always adjust what you’re doing and I encourage street
hypnotists to be as flexible and adaptable as possible.
However, if you can avoid situations where you have to backtrack to

fix something, then you will obviously enjoy the street hypnosis
performance more and you’ll also feel more confident about your
newfound skills in inducing trance states in complete strangers.
4. Anchor positivity in your mind. This is a neat technique that we’ll

be borrowing from NLP or neurolinguistic programming. One of the
bigger obstacles that you’ll have to overcome as a street hypnotist is
feeling confident right before you perform.
29
Sometimes, this becomes very difficult especially if you’re struggling

with certain aspects of street hypnosis. Not to worry: you can
condition your mind in a way that you’ll be able to project positivity
and absolute confidence whenever you need to. Here are the steps:
1. Find a quiet place to perform this technique, preferably away from

common distractions such as ringing phones and people suddenly
walking in to talk to you. Do not perform this technique while
operating a motor vehicle or any machinery.
2. Close your eyes, relax and access the happiest and most powerful
memory in your life. It could be from a recent experience or from
your childhood. As long as the memory can brighten your day, it’s a
good memory.
Now think of another memory where you felt like the most
successful person in the world. Examine these two memories
carefully and note how positive and powerful they make you feel.
3. Next, think of all the different qualities in these memories such as

color, texture and even sound. Take note of all these special qualities
that only you can perceive and understand.
Remember them all and don’t let go of a single detail just yet. You
may need a few minutes to properly note and remember these details
so go ahead and do that, there’s no rush to move on to the next step.
4. When you’re done thinking of all the vital details from the two
memories that make you feel happy and successful, think of how you
feel when you’re about to perform street hypnosis.
Using your mind’s creative prowess, begin graying out the image of
yourself being anxious or worried and apply the details of the two
memories onto the “performance memory.” Keep applying the traits
until you’re able to form a completely new image in your mind. What
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does the image look like now? How does the new image make you
feel?
5. Now circle back to the strongest positive emotions that your two
memories produce. For your happy memory, we’re going to set a
simple trigger: touch your thumb and index finger.
So whenever you do so, I want you to remember to be as happy and

positive as you were in the memory that you chose. The second
trigger is touching your thumb and pinkie. When you perform this
action, remember how successful and powerful you felt in your past
experience. Bring the emotions and raw power of those memories
into the present.
***
This simple exercise can be modified and improved however way

you like, as long as the anchoring and the trigger-setting phases are
included. The point of this exercise is you can always make yourself
feel more confident than before without having to expend a lot of
energy.
The great thing about this is you can always use the triggers that
you’ve set for yourself to summon the most positive emotions to help
you project confidence and expertise when performing street
hypnosis.
Step Two: System Unlock
Step Two of our blueprint deals with overcoming the common

defenses of the conscious mind, which may prevent a street hypnotist
from being able to perform well. Now, it should be noted that street
hypnosis can be used in impromptu performances and day-to-day
interactions with people.
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You can use your knowledge of street hypnosis to persuade and

influence others too. The guidelines and techniques contained in this
part of the blueprint can be applied to all kinds of situations, not just
street hypnosis performances.
What is the conscious mind all about?
In order to beat your subject’s conscious mind at its own game, you
need to know how it operates. To recap, the human mind is roughly
divided into two distinct parts – the conscious mind and the
subconscious mind.
As a hypnotist, you’re primarily concerned with making contact with

the latter because that’s where the subject’s creativity, imagination
and belief-forming abilities are located. The conscious mind on the
other hand, is more concerned with maintaining the status quo,
which was formed in part by the subconscious mind.
To clarify: the subconscious mind sets the ‘rules’ (i.e. beliefs and
values) while the conscious mind is the ‘enforcer’ and guardian of the
subconscious mind. It might sound a little nuts to imagine that the
creative unconscious is the actual seat of “rule making” in the mind,
but you have to understand that the sum of all your knowledge and
life experiences are processed and filed away by your subconscious
mind.
The “raw material” for the creation of life-long beliefs are relegated to
the subconscious mind. The conscious mind is just there to ensure
that your personal beliefs and values are enacted and prioritized at
all times.
What is the conscious mind’s biggest weakness?
There are actually two things that can quickly “short-circuit” the
conscious mind’s defenses: vagueness and overloading.
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Unlike the subconscious mind, which has a virtually unlimited

capacity for processing knowledge, experiences and memories, the
conscious mind can only hold and comprehend a few bits of
information at a time. In an ideal setting, the conscious mind would
only have one piece of information to analyze every time a person
thinks.
You can scale up to 5-7 bits of information and it would still be able
to keep up. However, when you exceed 7 bits and new information
just keeps coming, this is when the conscious mind becomes
overloaded with information.
The constant overloading will reduce and eventually shut down the
critical factor. When this happens, the gates that lead to the
subconscious mind are thrown wide open and the street hypnotist is
now free to do his/her work with less resistance than before.
The “overload principle” also states that the conscious mind becomes
more open to agreeing and/or complying when it becomes
overloaded. In my own analysis, this happens because to an extent,
the conscious mind’s defenses have been ‘defeated’ and instead of
expending more cognitive resources to fully comprehend a single line
or multiple lines of thought, it will choose to wind down and become
more compliant instead. Conservation of energy and other finite
resources have always been instinctual priorities of the human body
and it appears that these also apply to how the mind works.
Overloading is the first major route to overcoming a person’s

conscious defenses. There is a second avenue that you can also
explore: vagueness. Vague statements and ideas are a nightmare for
the conscious mind because it works best with linear and rational
ideas.
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Some of you might be wondering: is there a way to use both hypnotic

tools at the same time? The answer is yes, there is. When you choose
the 2nd avenue of subverting the subconscious mind, the 1st principle
(the principle of overloading) also comes into play.
Why? Because the human mind also has a tendency to extrapolate

information when the input it receives is jumbled, garbled or
otherwise incomplete. We call this process of extrapolation a
“hallucination.”
When a person is hallucinating after encountering vague information,

he/she begins guessing and assuming as to what the vague
information might really mean. Continuous extrapolation will
naturally lead to overthinking and mental overloading.
A hypnotic subject who overthinks is also one that becomes more

open to any kind of clarification or suggestion.
How can you apply the overload principle and principle of ambiguity in
street hypnosis?
Disabling your subject’s conscious defenses is easy if you know how

to use the special language patterns used by covert influencers. These
patterns are structurally very simple and yet they have powerful
effects on the human mind. We’re going to explore some of these
language patterns so you would have a foundation in hypnotic
influence and persuasion, too.
Street hypnosis and covert influence work hand in hand: each ‘camp’
has something fantastic to offer the other side. These two crafts
complement each other by providing alternative strategies that can
be used seamlessly in social interactions and hypnotic performances.
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Unlocking Techniques
1. The Pivot – This pattern is used to immediately change the topic of

a conversation while reducing possible resistance coming in from the
subject. The actual ‘pivoting’ element is the word “but” which is
placed in between the first and second parts of the statement.
The first part of the pattern negates or discards a fact or aspect about
the main topic or subject of the conversation while the second one
introduces a new aspect or detail.
The statement should be ended immediately after stating the new

piece of information. The word “but” is used to effectively cut off or
delete the first part of the sentence so the subject will only focus on
the second part of the statement, which is more important.
Negation → “But” → Pivot
Actively negating the fact or detail that you want to remove from the
interaction will further reduce resistance. Normally people state a
positive aspect before using the word “but.” What happens is they
inadvertently cut off the positive/useful part of the statement while
maintaining the negative part such as “You’re a good looking guy but
you’re not that charming, either.”
Ex.
(1st) Hypnosis is never about what you think it is (2nd) but (3rd) what
hypnosis can accomplish for you right now, if you just say that you want to
try it out.
(1st) Love doesn’t make the world go round (2nd) but (3rd) people with good
sense who know what they really want when they get into relationships.
35
2. The Replacement – We can say that “The Replacement” pattern is

an advanced form of “The Pivot” because it not only neutralizes an
aspect/detail of the issue at hand, but it also clearly delineates the
replacement idea and expounds why the replacement idea is more
desirable than the first one. This pattern has three major parts: the
negation, the replacement and the rationale.
Negation → Replacement → Rationale
The first part of the pattern discredits the undesirable idea by stating
that it should not be the central issue at all. You must imply that the
original idea is incongruent with the present exchange/interaction.
The second part of the pattern directly states the replacement idea.
The third part of the pattern rationalizes and expands why the first
idea was discarded and why the second is one is more acceptable or
more desirable.
If you’re applying this technique in a street hypnosis performance,

it’s alright to make your statement longer than usual because that
helps with the ‘mechanical overloading’ aspect of the technique.
On the flipside, if you’re applying this technique to a social

interaction where you’re trying to convince the other person (or a
group of people) to accept a new idea in favor of an old one then it
would be best to create a series of “steps” or short statements that are
interlinked to one another:
Small Idea 1 → Small Idea 2 → Small Idea 3 (and so on) → Big Idea
There’s a good reason for this slight change in tack: shorter

statements are easier to comprehend and therefore, guarded or wary
individuals will be able to agree with you more quickly. There are
36
some situations where the overload principle causes the person to

shut down if he/she is already in a resisting and defensive state of
mind.
This extreme reaction is often caused by heightened emotions and

major breakdowns during negotiation. If your subject is already
showing signs of being hostile, you have to lead and pace him/her so
you can help shift your subject’s mind to a more flexible and open
state.
Ex.
(1st) Hypnosis is not the scary thing here, (2nd) it’s avoiding the spirit of
adventure, (3rd) because how attractive is life if you don’t have a little fun
and excitement every now and then?
(1st) Being unfamiliar with hypnosis is not the problem, (2nd) it’s being
afraid of trying new and potentially fantastic things, (3rd) because life is all
about discovery and becoming enriched with new things!
3. Unstoppable Agreement – Think about this for a moment: a

language pattern that drives home the message that the subject has to
agree with you, because it’s the best and most logical thing to do.
Next, think about a pattern that helps condition your subject so that
he/she is temporarily unable to refuse or reject new ideas. Combine
these two patterns and you have Unstoppable Agreement.
The pattern is expressed in the simplified formulas below:
Model 1: Agreement → Pivot
Model 2: Agreement → Pivot → Benefit
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Why agree with your subject in the first place?
This is the main question that people have when they encounter the
Unstoppable Agreement pattern for the first time. They ask further: if
persuasion of the subject is the goal, wouldn’t agreeing with the
subject be counterproductive?
Let me explain: we want our subjects to agree with us but at the same
time, we don’t want them to increase their resistance any more.
When a person is openly resisting you that means his /her critical
factor is fully activated and cognitive resources are being diverted to
the conscious mind. Resistance is like the trumpet that signals a
diversion of resources to whichever part of the mind that requires
more resources.
A “fully energized” critical factor will be difficult to influence

because it can simply continue rejecting new ideas without
examining them. The Unstoppable Agreement pattern does away
with this difficulty by giving the subject’s critical factor what it wants
first, before driving home the message.
So you’re going to agree with your subject and then provide new
information for him/her to accept. Whoever is able to gain the
agreement of the other party is the influencer.
So it doesn’t matter how many times you agree with your subject,
what matters is who agrees last in the conversation. You can create a
continuous series of agreement statements without really committing
to anything in particular. You’re just agreeing while presenting new
information.
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Below are some examples of the Unstoppable Agreement pattern in

action:
Model 1
“I agree and that’s why you should try hypnosis, so you’ll know more about
this wonderful state of consciousness.”
“Yes, definitely and by trying hypnosis, you’ll discover just how powerful
your mind can be.”
“Completely agree and may I add that by agreeing to street hypnosis you’re
showing everyone you’re not only brave, but smart because I’ve already told
everyone that hypnosis is as natural as breathing.”
“Couldn’t agree more with you and there you have it, you only need a few
minutes to experience one of the greatest wonders of the human mind – self-
hypnosis!”
Model 2
“I agree that it will take up a little of your time and I would continue that
with the fact that hypnosis will most certainly be worth your time and how
much more attuned with your mind will you be, when you try hypnosis
right now for just a few minutes.”
“Yes, doing your homework is boring and I would add that many of the
great things in life seem boring at first until you realize that you can have
more video game time when you finish your work earlier than expected.”
“Certainly this TV seems expensive and would add that there are dozens of
cheap Chinese brands under $100 too. How great would it be to have a
durable TV that you can use for gaming fearlessly, without fear of blowing a
panel board or fuse?”
39
Variants of Model 1 & Model 2
“I agree with some/half/a third of what you just said and

_______________.”
“I tend to agree with the majority of what you said and

________________.”
“May I just say that yes I agree and ________________.”
“I completely agree that I heard you say _______________ and

_______________.”
***
Among the four known variants of the Unstoppable Agreement

pattern, my favorite would have to be the last one: “I completely agree
that I heard you say _____________ and _____________.” This variant
can be used when you don’t want to agree with any of the things that
your subject said but would still like to use the Unstoppable
Agreement pattern.
Yes – you will simply agree that you heard something while
discarding the rest of the information! Some of you might be wary of
using this pattern because it sounds a little risky… It’s not. It’s far
riskier to block and resist your subject directly because you’ll be
going up against his/her critical factor.
This is not how hypnotists in general work. Hypnotists are after

harmony, compliance and agreement – not fights. We accomplish
more by harmonizing with our subjects and making them agree with
us. We don’t debate – we inspire and influence. Let these be your
guideposts as you deepen your practice of street hypnosis.
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The Unstoppable Agreement pattern, like other hypnotic-persuasive

language patterns, can be used in a variety of situations, not just
street hypnosis. For your homework: can you think of other ways
you can use the agreement transition to benefit your side during an
interaction? Write down your ideas in your street hypnosis journal!
4. Truth Flow – The Truth Flow pattern is reminiscent of the classic

marketing technique used in ads and other promotional materials.
This pattern is very simple: you create the conditions that will make
it very easy for your subject to say yes and eventually, your subject
will start saying yes to virtually everything you say.
The general formula for this pattern is as follows:
Fact 1 → Fact 2 → Main Message
The number of undeniable facts in your statement can be extended if

the subject is showing a high level of resistance. Essentially what
you’re going to do is to provide bits of information that are so well-
known and/or common that your subject will not be able to say no.
The commitment to fully agree with everything may require more

than one application of this pattern. On the bright side, if you do
keep using patterns like this one, your subject will eventually be
conditioned enough to agree with your main message, which you can
restate in a variety of ways. The main message is always stated last,
because you want your subject to say “yes, that’s right” at least twice
before you deliver the actual intent.
Below are some examples of undeniable facts:
“The sun shines every morning.”
“I am talking.”
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“You are reading this line.”
Of course, the information that you will be conveying to your subject

should be appropriate to the context of the conversation. If you’re
talking about hypnosis and you suddenly tell your subject something
about how yellow ripe mangoes are, you won’t have the same
impact. You may even create an unintended effect on your subject! So
stay focused on the central topic to keep your subject completely
hooked on what you’re saying.
To make this technique even more effective, make sure that the last
part of your statement (the main message) is at least partially
congruent with what you said in the previous segments. This isn’t
always possible, but do try it as this will help reduce resistance and
objections even more.
Below are some examples of this language pattern in action:
Ex.
“As you are listening to my words, understanding everything I’ve just said
you suddenly realize that you love hypnosis and we’re also ready to begin.”
“You said that hypnosis seems interesting, yes it is and it’s also a natural
state of the mind, which is also as natural as you saying yes to a 5-minute
hypnosis session? Let’s do it!”
“Whenever you say ‘I love you’ I feel lightheaded, when you say ‘I care
about you’ my heart beats faster and so does yours flutter when I say ‘let’s
order pizza and chicken wings tonight?’ ”
While the actual reactions to this language pattern varies from

situation to situation, it’s the type of language pattern that can induce
a hypnotic trance in people who are watching your conversation with
the subject.
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So even if your subject eventually says “hey, I don’t want to be

hypnotized, sorry!” you can be assured that people who were listening
in on your conversation would already be partially in-trance.
Of particular interest to a street hypnotist such as yourself would be

individuals who are expressing delight, amusement, agreement or
amazement at what you’re saying. Nonverbal cues like smiling can
point you to potential subjects who secretly want to be hypnotized
because they like what they heard from you.
Paying attention to these people will also teach you a lot about what
to expect from people when you open up the idea of impromptu
hypnosis. Some will like it, some won’t.
Still others will find your ideas strange and they would secretly think
that you’re a little off your rocker. But don’t be discouraged: all these
difficulties are part of your performance as a street hypnotist.
Eventually, you will no longer see these situations as difficulties but
as opportunities for learning and challenging your current skillset as
a hypnotist.
5. Future Flow – The Future Flow pattern is an excellent option if you

wish to condition everyone in your audience to volunteer for
hypnosis later on. Use this pattern during the preliminary talk and
there’s no way that you’ll fail to encourage at least one from the
group to volunteer for an impromptu hypnosis session.
The general formula for the Future Flow pattern is:
Observation/Verifiable Information → Pivot → Future Scenario
Let’s explore the three elements of this pattern to see what they’re for
and how these elements will help you condition potential subjects to
step up as volunteers:
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Observation/verifiable information – This part of the statement

disables the critical factor and lowers any conscious defenses that the
subject/s may have. People usually become wary when they hear
that someone is going to perform magic/hypnosis.
Don’t expect ordinary folks to have expert or high level knowledge

about your craft. Chances are, people will have some strange
assumptions about hypnosis, which you can easily counter by
following the logical flow of this pattern. Avoid statements that
might make potential subjects even more anxious about hypnosis.
Pivot – The pivot can be a word or phrase that leads to the final
segment of the statement, which contains the actual message. A good
pivot should be neutral enough not to raise any “alarms’ in the
subject’s mind but at the same time it should completely divert the
subject’s attention to the first part of your statement. Yes, the first
part of your statement is the Trojan Horse – the distraction that gets
you through the gates because it ‘looks’ innocent or harmless enough.
Future scenario – The future scenario should at least hint at

something positive, which the subject will look forward to. The idea
behind using a future scenario is you’re going to build expectation in
your subject even before you start asking your audience for
volunteers. If by chance you’re addressing just one individual, the
Future Flow pattern would have the same effect. Pertaining to your
subject indirectly would be a good idea because your subject will be
able to imagine himself/herself in the suggested scenario without
fully committing to anything… yet.
Now, it’s important that you don’t assume that your subject will be
100% willing to join you in the street hypnosis performance just
because you used this pattern or any other pattern. Pay attention to
subject feedback and adjust your strategy accordingly. Language
patterns are just tools that you can use to speed up the persuasion
44
process. They have to be used in the right context and they must also
be supported by a persuasive narrative. No one can design this
persuasive narrative but you.
Here are some examples of statements that were structured using the
Future Flow pattern:
“Hypnosis has been used for decades to provide inner healing and it’s one of
the safest and most natural things around. Imagine how it would feel to
experience the wonders of this fascinating mental state, right here, with my
help?”
“Avoiding the meeting that was set last week is going to gain you a lot of
negative attention but the real issue is here is how you’re going to make our
department shine when the higher ups are finally here. What do you think is
our best strategy when it’s time to present our accomplishments in the past
six months?”
“This new computer is more expensive than 90% of the laptops and PCs on
the market today and bear in mind that it does come from the number one
brand, globally. Imagine having the largest digital storage and the most
stable operating system for your business. That’s the advantage that serious
professionals are really after.”
Fast Tips
If this is your first time to use special language patterns to boost your
overall persuasiveness as a street hypnotist, you may feel a little lost
as to how you can integrate these patterns in an effective and
confident manner.
All hypnotists from all known sub-disciplines experience varying

degrees of difficulty when applying new techniques for the first time.
There’s no need to feel overwhelmed anymore, because I’ve taken the
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liberty of assembling a powerful list of “fast tips” that you can use
immediately to make your life easier.
Here they are:
I. Assumptions are your best friends. Normally, people avoid

making assumptions because they tend to cause misunderstanding
among individuals in regular social interactions.
When you’re using hypnotic language patterns, creating and

presenting assumptions that help drive home your message is a good
thing. For example, if your subject is saying that he/she is nervous
about hypnosis, you can make an assumption and suggest that
he/she isn’t afraid but rather, brave enough to try something new.
Assumptions that are embedded as hypnotic commands are not

harmful because these are meant to influence your subject’s
subconscious mind. Your subject will always have full control of the
situation and he/she is always free to reject whatever you’re saying.
However, from experience if you use hypnotic language patterns

properly, the risk of encountering continuous rejection or resistance
is greatly minimized.
Unless your subject is fully aware of influence techniques or what

you’re trying to do, there’s no reason for these language patterns not
to work because they complement the natural responses of the
human mind to the influx of different kinds of information. At the
end of the day, that’s what we’re still providing – information with a
pre-determined structure.
II. Don’t oppose, harmonize. When someone resists us, it’s easy to
fall into the predictable pattern of becoming defensive, especially if
we hear statements that we know are inaccurate or unfair.
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As a new street hypnotist, you will hear things that are out of this
world especially when it comes to hypnosis. People will have their
own beliefs about what you’re trying to bring to the table, which is
normal especially if you just walked up to them and introduced
yourself.
The moment you feel like debating someone about what hypnosis
really is or how it affects the mind, I want you to take a step back and
think: would my response oppose or harmonize with the subject? If
you’re unsure then it’s likely that what you’re planning to say will
oppose your subject.
Using any of the language formulas or patterns that we’ve discussed

earlier will not put you in such a position because they’re all geared
towards making your subject agree with you. Even a small yes is a
success because you’re not headed toward opposition with your
subject.
III. Practice for fun. While it’s great that you’re taking your
education as a street hypnotist seriously, you should strive to make
your practice sessions as light and fun as possible.
Why? Because the goal of practice is to make everything second

nature and instinctual. If you’re too serious about what you’re doing,
your subconscious mind will only play a supporting role in the
mastery of your new skills.
So from now on, practice like you’re just playing a game and avoid
criticizing yourself negatively when things don’t play out exactly as
you planned.
Yes, there are going to be days when your best techniques will fail to
impress a subject. Accept that these are normal days and there’s
always tomorrow to practice again. You also don’t have to practice
for inordinately long periods of time.
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Ten to fifteen minutes of practice each day will do wonders for your
skills as a hypnotist. Forget about clocking in hours of practice each
day. Hypnosis is not rocket science! It’s easy to learn the techniques
and guidelines and even advanced lessons will only take a few days
to read and digest. After studying, practice sessions should be light
and enjoyable, remember that.
The challenging aspect that you have to pay attention to is how you’ll
handle people’s responses and reactions to the idea of being
hypnotized. Also, hypnosis “on paper” and hypnosis in live
performances are slightly different so you can’t say that you’ve
mastered a technique unless you’ve already tried applying it in an
actual performance.
IV. Understand your subject’s motivations. This is extremely

important if you want to extend the scope of your practice to beyond
street hypnosis performances.
Before selecting and applying a particular technique, one must be

aware of the subject’s possible motivations and reasons for acting in a
certain way. Let’s discuss how you can accomplish this in general
social interactions and in street hypnosis scenarios.
Street hypnosis scenario – In a street hypnosis scenario, your main

obstacle to success is having very limited time to know the subject
well enough to be able to predict his/her behavior and responses.
But all is not lost: you still have two major windows of opportunity to
understand your subject’s potential motivations. The first window of
opportunity is when you’re addressing your potential audience for
the first time.
Unless you’ve pre-picked a potential subject for hypnosis, chances

are you’ll have to address everyone in the group first.
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You can begin asking questions while your target subject is still
within the group and has not been separated for the actual
demonstration. You can observe the reaction of the group as a whole
then move on to observing the individual responses of each member
of the group.
By observing and following the distinct feedback of each person of

the group, you will discover that some people harmonize or establish
rapport more quickly than others.
Some people are just shy or they hold back in the presence of people
they don’t know. By understanding the unique responses or feedback
of people, you will be able to tell if a person is a good match for
impromptu street hypnosis or not.
Covert Language Tactics
In addition to using distinct patterns to influence potential hypnotic

subjects, you can also boost your level of general persuasiveness by
using individual linguistic tactics/language tools to achieve specific
ends.
Sometimes, a single word is all you need to create a powerful effect

on your subject’s mind. Understanding and applying language as a
hypnotist-influencer will make your job as a street hypnotist 100%
easier. Time to say goodbye to resistance and objections!
1. Because – “Because” creates a fixed, logical relation between two

or more elements.
Normally, we use this word to describe things that are already

known or are easily observable. The street hypnotist on the other
hand, uses this word to create connections between ideas that are not
normally associated with each other.
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The same impact is achieved when we use the word “and” to link
together ideas that are normally held as distinct (and therefore
unrelated) to one another. The moment the ambiguity is detected, the
subject’s mind races to fill in the gaps and create possible logical
linkages between the unrelated ideas.
Ex.
“You may be afraid of hypnosis now and because of that, you’re also
learning how to be more courageous in the face of novel things.”
“I see that swimming isn’t your favorite thing and because we’re here we
can teach you to swim safely and you’ll love it by the end of the day, won’t
you?”
2. No & but – We’ve touched upon the special use of the word “but”
in a previous section. It’s not just a way adding information to a
statement – it’s actually a covert method of cutting or excising
previously stated information. When we combine “no” and “but,”
you’ll get a much better response from your subject. Consider the
following examples:
“No, don’t leave yet but you can after 5 minutes of trying my all-natural
hypnosis session. Absolutely free!”
“No, you can’t skip eating your vegetables but if you do eat vegetables for
one whole week without complaining I promise that we’ll buy a large tub of
ice cream on Saturday.”
“No, I’m not angry but being accused of eating all the leftover cookies does
make me uncomfortable and a little irritated. What made you think I ate all
of the leftover cookies?”
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While the previous statements are all initiated with a negative

declaration, the latter is quickly cut from the equation by the word
“but” and a more positive message is placed last. By disabling the
resistance trigger, the subject would have no real reason to object
during the conversation.
3. Yet – Using “yet” allows you to move swiftly from one idea to the
next no matter how incongruent or dissociated the ideas are.
Using “yet” removes the need to backtrack or modify your own idea.
You can keep your old ideas and statements and just keep adding
more ideas/statements that support your main point or message.
Below are some examples of how “yet” can dissolve paralyzed

moments in a conversation:
“When we started talking you said that you weren’t interest in hypnosis yet
here we are, still talking and having fun – won’t you try hypnosis for just 3
minutes?”
“I bought this LED TV from you 3 days ago and you’re saying that you
can’t replace it anymore because the warranty seal is broken yet I see your
manager being very interested in our conversation and I think he has
another solution to this problem, apart from me leaving this store with a
broken TV?”
4. See – Words like “see” and “notice” also have a peculiar effect on
hypnotic subjects because they cause people to accept new inputs as
if they were completely rational from the very start.
This is another case of mental extrapolation where the subject’s brain

will “fill in the blanks” to keep from overloading itself. When the
human mind (not just the conscious half) is faced with any kind of
ambiguity, it automatically exerts a minimal amount of effort to
understand what’s going on.
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We emphasize “minimal” because the brain will not normally strain

itself trying to understand one or two pieces of incomplete
information.
Unless the information is associated with a life or death situation, the

brain will not use up its limited cognitive resources to analyze the
information. And so we’re back to contending with the “automatic
effort” of the mind when it comes to comprehending ambiguous
input.
Use words like “see” to emphasize important points and to block any
objections coming from your subject. Unless your subject can also
counter with an equally powerful phrase, you’re going to come out
on top with this language tool.
Another reason why words like “notice” are ideal for street hypnosis
and other situations where you have to influence others is that when
people hear such words, it is automatically assumed that what you
are going to say next is observable, measurable and true.
Here are some examples of these powerful words in action:
“Notice how interested everybody has become when I said that hypnosis is
the most natural thing in the world – it’s even as natural as breathing and
seeing the morning sun.”
“Realize that the things that we are often fearful of are the ones that make us
grow as individuals and when you try something as safe as hypnosis, you
will be able to prove this fact to yourself too.”
“Experience what thousands of people experience only after they’ve paid

thousands of dollars to psychotherapists… What I’m offering is a free
demonstration of a mind technique that will reveal the inner powers of the
human mind.”
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“See how you’re becoming sleepy the more you listen to my words and how
your eyes are becoming heavier as you continue reading the text.”
“Become aware of your growing desire to be hypnotized right here and right
now – the desire comes like a fire, now burning brighter than ever before.”
A variant group of words can also be used if you’d like to experiment

with the sensorial preferences of your hypnotic subject. Taking off
from the VAKOG paradigm (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory
& Gustatory) you can also use sense-based words to trigger an
automatic hypnotic response in your subjects.
Here are some examples that you can use to create your own
hypnotic statements:
“Listen to how great this new product is and how it can potentially save you
hundreds of dollars every month by being more efficient than the most
popular product in the market.”
“It’s time that our department tasted sweet victory without being worked
ragged in every project. This new workflow will ensure that we finish
everything quickly every time.”
“Experiencing hypnosis is like seeing the true colors of your creative

unconscious for the very first time.”
Insights: The Rapport Conundrum
Let’s take a break from language tools and covert patterns to talk
about an equally important aspect of being a hypnotist who will
(from now on) routinely ask people out in the streets if they want to
be hypnotized.
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The majority of beginning hypnotists are wary of this part of the

hypnotic process because it really is not easy to come up to complete
strangers so you can essentially pick their minds with hypnosis.
However, as a practitioner, you don’t have a choice – you either

overcome your initial fear of introducing yourself to people or you
won’t be able to practice street hypnosis satisfactorily.
Luckily, there’s a way to establish rapport with people without being

overly concerned with what you’re doing.
I call this the Transformation Technique because it really does create

a remarkable transformation in people who use it.
The Transformation Technique can be summed up in the following

manner:
- First, identify your subject and come up to him/her.
- Second, before opening your mouth to speak, think and believe that
the person in front of you is actually a very good friend, a dear friend
and that you’re very happy to see him/her.
- Third, allow positive thoughts and emotions to overtake any other

set of thoughts and ideas you may have had when you approached
your subject for the first time.
- Finally, when you are thoroughly bathed in the positive effects of

believing that you already know the subject, feel free to speak.
Simply thinking that the person in front of you is a friend will not
have much of an impact on the way you communicate. The technique
is split into four phases so your body and mind will have sufficient
time to make adjustments and express what you’re actually feeling.
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The end-result that we want to produce is simple: we want to express

warmth and openness through all three channels of communication –
vocal, verbal and nonverbal.
The only way that we’re going to be able to accomplish this in a short
period of time is if you allow yourself to imbibe the idea that your
subject is indeed your friend or someone that you care about deeply.
Unless there is full belief, the subconscious changes in your body
language and the way you express yourself verbally will not appear.
Some of you might be wondering: can’t you just pretend that you
believe that your subject is your friend?
No. There has to be complete belief, otherwise, the strategy might not
work. People can easily tell if there is any form of incongruence
between the three channels of communication.
These incongruences arise when you’re doing or saying something

that you don’t completely agree with. Instead of risking your entire
performance, it’s much easier to simply follow the protocol and
hallucinate on the spot that your subject is your best friend.
Here are some additional protocols that will help you pace and lead
your subject on the spot:
I. Make eye contact with your subject as soon as possible. Eye

contact doesn’t have to be too intense, lest you miscommunicate that
you are somehow hostile or intimidating.
Make eye contact frequently but don’t look too deep into your
subject’s eyes unless you’re already trying to induce a hypnotic
trance state. Also, in some non-western cultures, prolonged eye
contact is considered impolite so keep this in mind if you’re planning
to practice street hypnosis in Asia, the Middle East, etc.
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II. Always keep introductions and pre-talks light. If you’re just

introducing yourself to a group or to a potential subject, there’s no
need to be very serious about your role as a street hypnotist.
Actually, there’s no need to over-emphasize your role at all. You will

get much better results if your present yourself as a friendly and
insightful individual who is offering something special/amazing to a
bunch of random individuals.
If you’ve watched street magic shows on television, you may have

noticed how simple and low-key the street magicians are when they
approach unsuspecting people in the streets.
Well-known street magicians such as David Blaine are known for

using very innocent statements and questions like “hey, do you guys
want to see something cool?” or “watch this, watch.”
III. Take note of what works and keep using them. As a budding
street performer, you will eventually develop your own set of
rapport-building tools based on your experience with different
audiences and hypnotic subjects.
While there’s nothing wrong with emulating the techniques of other

street hypnotists, make it a point to develop your own unique style
when it comes to pacing and leading your audience. And this leads
us to the next guideline, which is…
IV. Know the elements of pacing and leading. Taking street

magicians on TV as an example again, notice how these performers
are able to literally slow down the action when they approach groups
of people for the first time so they can present short, successive
segments of information to the audience up to the point where they
are ready to perform street magic.
The average “workflow” of a street magician is as follows:
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Phase 1: Basic introduction.
Phase 2: Ask a simple question that can easily be answered with a yes
or at least, a maybe.
Phase 3: When some interest in the performance has been established,

proceed to creating desire and expectation (e.g. “What if I tell you that
I can bite off half of this nickel?”)
Phase 4: Desire and expectation trigger excitement, bewilderment

and sometimes disbelief.
Phase 5: The street magician suddenly dives into the performance

without further warning.
Let’s analyze these five phases and see why they’re so effective in
pacing and leading not only street audiences but also TV audiences
who are watching the program at home.
Phase 1 interrupts the person’s current trance state. People normally

go about their days engrossed in different kinds of trance states,
depending on their regular activities and present concerns. Going up
to someone and introducing yourself disturbs the most current trance
state which then gives the interpellator the chance to induce a new
trance state in the target individuals.
Street hypnotists actively induce hypnotic trance states while other

street performers do so without noticing it. Obviously, knowing what
a trance state is and how to actively induce it is better than shooting
in the dark (i.e. hoping that people will be interested enough to stay
and participate in the public performance).
Phase 2, or asking questions that can be readily answered by a simple

“yes,” serves two major functions. Its first function is to establish a
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“zone of harmony” where agreeing with the interpellator is the norm.

The second function is to condition each member of the audience to
commit to what the main speaker is saying.
Getting your audience and/or subject to say yes to inconsequential

statements will eventually lead to saying yes to direct requests such
as “can you come up to the front and show these good people what
hypnosis looks like?” Street magicians on the other hand, just want
people to stay long enough to watch the actual performance. Keeping
everyone in-trance for the duration of your performance can even
help attract more audience from the immediate vicinity.
Phase 3, which focuses on desire and expectation, deepens the initial

interest in the performance and makes the event or experience more
personal. If we apply this to street hypnosis, this phase would be the
equivalent of the preliminary talk or “pre talk” where the street
hypnotist talks about what hypnosis is and fields questions about it
from the audience.
Group hypnosis is very much possible at this point and if you “spin
your yarn” well enough and people begin listening to you with rapt
attention, you’re going to be rewarded by many volunteers who want
to experience hypnosis first hand. This is not an exaggeration: group
hypnosis is very common and if you use a focused and well-defined
narrative during the pre-talk, the hypnotic impact is going to be very
even throughout the members of the group.
Of course, not everyone will volunteer, but the chances of

encouraging the majority to not be afraid of hypnosis will increase
dramatically. As we have discussed repeatedly throughout the book,
the street hypnotist must be prepared to dissolve any anxieties or
fears that potential subjects may have regarding hypnosis. Fear of the
new and unknown is a natural trait of humans, regardless of their
age, gender and culture. There’s no other way around this particular
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limitation than by using your own hypnotic skills to break through

the (sub)conscious resistance of the subject.
Phase 4 is the self-maintained “heightening” of the experience. When

the subject finally believes in whatever is being presented, whether it
be magic or hypnosis, the floodgates are opened and the subject
begins experiencing a host of emotions.
These raw emotions give authenticity to the overall experience,
which further heightens the hypnotic trance. However, do keep in
mind that if you accidentally triggered fear as a primary emotion by
providing the wrong type of information about hypnosis, your
subject might back out or run away at the last minute.
There’s not much to remember about Phase 5, apart from performing

the street hypnosis before the subject changes his/her mind.
Suddenly diving into the performance freezes the subject in place,

which also gives you a chance to perform your hypnosis quickly and
without additional disturbance. Remember: you have to be ready to
launch into hypnotic process the moment your subject expresses that
he/she is willing and ready for it. Speed is always of the essence!
Step Three: Induction
In the field of hypnosis, no other process is more firmly associated

with the craft than the hypnotic induction. If you’ve tried
hypnotizing someone before, you’ll know just how powerful an
effective induction can be.
The kind of hypnotic induction used in street hypnosis is slightly

different from the inductions used in clinical hypnotherapy,
primarily because the street hypnotist only has a very small window
of time to accomplish his/her task. Hypnotic induction is considered
successful if the subject “goes under” after a few minutes and the
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street hypnotist is able to move swiftly to the hypnotic suggestion

and post-suggestion phases with relative ease.
How can you deliver an effective hypnotic induction?
Your first order of business is to prepare your subject for the actual
hypnotic process before you begin any hypnotic inductions. We’ve
already discussed this in previous sections: you introduce yourself
first, then move on to conditioning your subject to be comfortable
with hypnosis so that he/she will not resist the actual process when
you finally begin.
It’s important that your subject truly understands and believes in

what you’re saying because if you’re not taken seriously, your subject
will not be able to focus on your instructions. A hypnotic induction is
essentially a series of simple instructions that will allow your subject
to focus intently on you during the hypnosis session.
A person will only be willing to listen and follow another person’s

instructions if he/she views the other person as an authority figure or
an expert. We’ve also touched upon this in Step One of our blueprint.
Natural leadership is key to improving the overall response of
individuals to the idea of volunteering for an impromptu
demonstration of hypnosis.
When you see that your subject is now clearly focused on what
you’re saying and he/she is now willing to cooperate, that would be
the best time to launch into the hypnotic induction. This guideline
still coincides with a previous point I made about beginning the
hypnotic process right after the subject shows some emotional
response to the idea of being hypnotized. Again, it’s normal for
people to be a little nervous or unsure even if they did volunteer for
the hypnosis on their own accord.
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If your subject says that he/she is afraid or nervous, simply answer

any additional questions that he/she might have and proceed with
the hypnosis.
Always be friendly and reassuring no matter how excited (or

impatient) you already are in beginning the performance. It’s better
to give your subject a few more minutes to get comfortable with the
idea that he/she is volunteering for the performance than rushing
into it, only to backtrack because your subject suddenly has
reservations.
How can you make sure that your subject is able to hear and understand
your hypnotic instructions?
You can master the most powerful hypnosis scripts in existence but if
your subject can’t hear you properly, you will have a tough time
completing a successful induction.
When giving your subject/s instructions during a hypnotic

induction, maintain a consistent and clear voice, and remember to
adjust your speech pace when you’re emphasizing trigger words.
Also, it would do you a world of good if you put adequate space in

between actual command phrases/statements to give your subject
enough time to fully comprehend what you want him/her to
do/think/feel. Below are some examples of “spacers” in induction
scripts that help increase comprehension of hypnotic patter, whether
it be in a hypnotherapist’s office or out in the street:
“Just keep listening to the sound of my voice… Let the relaxation flow
through your body and think of nothing else but sleep… Listen closely…
You are now feeling pleasantly sleepy, as if you mind was enveloped in a
thick blanket of soft feathers… Feel that now…. Now imagine that you are
floating, as light as a feather, into the sunset, with no care in the world…
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Breathe in….and breathe out…. The relaxation is now very much complete
and you know this to be true… Breath in and breathe out.”
“Stare at this point in the wall and pay attention to nothing else but this
single point… Focus now… See nothing else but this point… You’re doing
very well… Focus… As you listen to my voice, your eyelids are becoming
heavier… Down and down… Heavier become your eyelids as your eyelids
become as heavy like giant curtains, rolling down, pulled down by gravity…
Focus and listen… Take a little time to relax… Now sleep!”
Do spacers prolong the induction process? Yes they do, but the time
that you spend using these special phrases will not be wasted
because they facilitate comprehension and actually speed up the
actual induction or “going under” of your subject.
In the beginning, making full use of spacers will actually improve

your success rate during inductions because they also give you time
to remember your hypnotic script properly. Reading a hypnotic
script is easy enough but when you apply it in real life for the first
time? That’s a completely different experience!
Here are some additional examples of hypnotic instructions that

have been combined with proper spacing phrases:
“Keep listening to my voice as we continue with this relaxation

exercise…Listen to it now…”
“Keep your eyes peeled on the tip of my finger and notice how your eyelids
are becoming more and more tired, more and more sleepy… Experience this
now…”
“Keep your mind open now, as we explore the power of your mind through
hypnosis.”
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“Remember what I said earlier, now take care to listen now because I’ve
something new to teach you.”
“Breathing deeply makes you feel good… Experience even more relaxation
than before…”
Developing Your Hypnotic Patter
Hypnotists in general have a very specific way of expressing

themselves verbally to their subjects. The hypnotic patter as we know
it is a “hybrid” form of verbal expression that integrates ordinary
language, different language patterns and occasionally, techniques
from disciplines such as NLP.
But what’s really interesting about becoming a street hypnotist is you

don’t have to study everything in order to benefit from classical
hypnotic patter. For the purpose of speeding up your mastery of the
essential patter needed for hypnotic inductions, we’re going study
how you can apply commonly used phrases so you won’t struggle at
all during a performance.
Hypnotic patter serves the following functions:
1. It provides an instruction.
2. It challenges the critical factor.
3. It causes the subject to sink deeper into hypnosis.
4. It provides a means for the subject to visualize something.
5. It facilitates understanding between the subject and hypnotist.
You don’t have to be a seasoned hypnotist to understand what

particular phrases are for. When you apply specific phrases with a
particular intent, your central intent will define the contours of your
hypnotic patter. In short, these are also “mini tools” that can be used
in a variety of ways. It’s up to you to determine the use and how
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you’re going to enhance your current hypnotic script with these

hypnotic phrases.
In an earlier section of the blueprint, we discussed language patterns.

Language patterns may look similar to hypnotic phrases and
sentences but they are not the same. Hypnotic language patterns are
centered on disturbing the critical factor in order to overcome it. As
such, it deals with subverting rationality, logic, etc. If you want, you
can use hypnotic phrases to enhance a language pattern. But you still
need to understand what a pattern is for and if it’s appropriate for
your end-goal.
Here are examples of hypnotic statements and phrases (collectively

known as “hypnotic patter”). Study them and examine how they
serve to induce and deepen hypnotic trance states in impromptu
street hypnosis performances:
“Allow your imagination to take over you… Let your mind fly free and take
you to places you’ve never been… Do this now.”
“In your mind’s eye you will see that you are surrounded by people who love
you and care for you… See them now, smiling, welcoming you.”
“Let the relaxation flow throughout your body, from your head, down to
your chest and all the way down to the tips of your toes. Let the experience
overtake every other sensation in your body.”
“Stay completely focused on my words so that you will understand

everything that I have to say, because what I am about to say is very
important and will give you long-term advantages in your life.”
“For a brief moment, think of what I said before and let the message spread
throughout your heart and mind as you realize that it is completely true and
it is the very same truth that you were seeking all your life.”
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“You are doing very well… So well that you are becoming ever more relaxed
as I speak… You follow instructions clearly and as you do, you have become
more relaxed than you ever have been.”
“Visualize what it would feel like to be at a beach at the moment,

surrounded by gentle waves and a clear blue sky when the sun is about set
in a blazing orange hue.”
“Breathe deeply and when you breathe out I want you to feel all the tiredness
and fatigue in your muscles to evaporate as if there was steam coming out
from the soles of your feet. Do this now and feel even more relaxed than
before.”
“Pay close attention to the different muscles of your body and feel that each
one is saying something to you about stress. As you connect with your body
at such an intimate level you will discover that you are sinking into a very
relaxed state and you have to move your toes to find out that they’re still
there.”
“Think about the last time that you were very happy and stress-free and
bring back those great feelings to the present time and let the happy
experience flow through your body and mind. Don’t hold back and simply
allow yourself to be enveloped by those happy thoughts and feelings.”
“You are now very comfortable listening to me because you have become as
relaxed as you can be, now listen some more so we can allow all the tension
in your body to finally be released.”
“Your muscles are so relaxed that you can’t seem to move them and yet they
are there, they are fine, don’t worry about, there is no need to think of them,
just focus for a moment on being relaxed and let it wash over you
completely.”
“As you hear my voice, you feel yourself sinking further, further, further
into sleep… Welcome this sleep but stay focused on my voice. Now sleep…”
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“Notice how heavy your muscles have become as if you want to sit back in
your chair…”
***
As you may have noticed from our examples, hypnotic patter is used
primarily for instructing the subject and keeping him/her in-trance
for as long as possible. You may have also observed that the language
structure of hypnotic patter can be markedly different from what we
are used to in day-to-day conversations. The language is somewhat
strange because it uses common words but at the same time the
target message isn’t delivered immediately.
The meaning and message of the conversation is often stretched up

until the very end of the statement. Of course, there is a good reason
why hypnotists speak in this manner: they wish to actively subvert
the conscious mind so that it cannot easily latch on to the message
and resist it. By adding elements of vagueness and ambiguity to the
equation, the street hypnotist is able to carry out the hypnotic
induction without having to contend with the critical factor too
much.
Ambiguity is such an important element in hypnosis because it

allows the hypnotist to dodge the conscious defenses of the mind
with relative ease. You can also devise your own linguistic strategies
based on the examples in this book so you won’t have any trouble
applying the base concepts. In the beginning, it’s likely that you’ll be
referring heavily to sample statements and scripts but as you
progress as a street hypnotist, you will notice that your personal
strategies and scripts work best for you.
Hypnotic Induction Scripts & Techniques
This part of the book will introduce you to full-length hypnotic

inductions as well as “quick and dirty” instant inductions that street
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hypnotists are well-known for using. When you’re inducing hypnosis

in another person, always remember that the whole performance or
activity is dependent on your words and your chosen hypnotic
techniques.
“Street inductions” can be challenging to say the least because you

have to perform the induction outside and sometimes with an
audience (and not to mention high expectations!) But don’t worry
about these things: as long as you understand the principles of
hypnosis and you are actively applying the knowledge that you’ve
learned in this book, consider yourself in good hands.
The scripts that we’re about to explore will have notes and
instructions on how to apply them properly to a street hypnosis
performance. Take note of the reminders to ensure that you get the
best results.
Script 1: Sudden Shock
This is an advanced technique – use it on subjects that are highly

susceptible to hypnosis because you will only be using a very short
period of time to induce the hypnosis using the ‘instant shock’
principle. Have fun!
“Everyone gather around this man/woman. He/she was kind enough to

volunteer for little old me and because of this, I have to deliver something
special and memorable for everyone here today.
I explained earlier that hypnosis is a natural yet altered state of

consciousness. Hypnosis is already occurring in your minds, though it is
not the most dominant wave. I am holding the subject’s hand now, and I
want to shake his/her hand as we continue talking.
But wait… I changed my mind. (Look directly at the subject’s eyes, with
sudden intensity. Do this very quickly so everyone is
67
surprised/shocked at the sudden change in your physical behavior

and tone of voice.)
Listen to me now.
Go to sleep!” (Close both hands over the subject’s hand as you give the
command)
***
At first, the approach may seem too simple – that’s exactly why it’s
an advanced technique. If you keep practicing your street hypnosis
regularly, you will reach a certain level of skill when it comes to
secretly inducing hypnosis with your very words, just before you
begin the formal induction. Remember our discussion on natural
trance states? You should always strive to induce natural trance
states on your audience and potential subjects even before you invite
someone to participate as a volunteer subject.
If you succeed in inducing a natural trance state in the group that is

watching you, the actual hypnotic induction would be a mere
“formality” because your subject is likely already in-trance! Now
imagine how powerful this approach would be when you’re
addressing a client or a group of executives in an important meeting.
Like I told you before, hypnosis can have countless applications!
Script 2: Side to Side
This is a classic hypnosis induction that would require you to find a

chair for your subject. To make the performance more interesting to
your audience, we’re going to use a hypnosis script that makes use of
vivid imagery to heighten the impact of the induction on both the
audience and the subject.
Remember: it’s a public performance and you must also take care to
entertain folks who didn’t walk away from you when you revealed
68
that you are a hypnotist. After seating your subject on a chair or

anywhere he/she can sit comfortably, feel free to launch into the
script.
(Sway the subject’s head from side to side gently as you proceed with
the hypnotic patter)
“You are now seated, safe and very relaxed… Relax some more… And just
let the relaxation flow down to every part of your body, from your head,
down to your arms and feet… You have become very comfortable and
relaxed indeed… Let me make the stress go away for you, because I want to
thank you for volunteering and accompanying me here on stage… We’re
winding down some more and you will notice that you can no longer hear
the sounds around you, because you have become very focused on the
sensation of heaviness… Heavy… Your eyes have become heavy that you
cannot open them at the moment… Your eyes are fine… Just let them rest
for now… Now we’re going to count from 5 and when we reach one… You
will know… Are you ready? Good… Let’s begin the count… Listen closely
so you don’t miss anything important. That’s good… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
SLEEP!”
The moment your subject’s head feels a little limp because of your
hypnotic instructions to simply relax and become comfortable, that
would be the ideal time to initiate the end-phase of the script, which
contains the final command to sleep.
On the flipside, if your subject is exhibiting a lot of unnecessary

movement, simply extend the hypnotic script (keep the central
theme) and keep moving forward. Take note of the nonverbal signs
of hypnosis and trance and use this ‘secret information’ to time your
final hypnotic command.
Script 3: Coin Trick
69
For this next act, you’ll need just one coin and some quiet so your
subject can hear your instructions perfectly. Got both already?
Perfect!
(Hold the coin slightly above your subject’s head so he/she has to
strain his/her eyes to look at it)
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have with me a most magical of coins. This is the
Hypnotic Coin and it works just like golden watch that you may have seen
in the movies.
(Address the subject directly now)
Listen to the sound of my voice… Look the coin that I am holding up…
Observe its roundness and how small it is when I hold it up just a few
inches above your head. Remain focused on the coin and don’t think of
anything else… You will notice that as you continue looking at the coin, you
are becoming pleasantly relaxed. Not that you’re tired at the moment but
relaxing seems like a good idea and the Hypnotic Coin knows it. It’s making
your sleepy… Pleasantly sleepy now… If you can’t keep your eyes open, feel
free to close it… Center your attention on my voice now… Close your
eyes… And sleep.”
Why does the Coin Trick work at all?
The Coin Trick works because staring at any object for a long period
of time naturally strains the eyes and as a result, a person’s eyes will
begin to close after a few seconds or minutes. The street hypnotist
will simply take advantage of the eyestrain to make the hypnotic
induction speedier and less vulnerable to resistance.
You can’t argue that you’re not feeling relaxed or sleepy when your
eyes are already feeling heavy, right? The natural feeling of
relaxation that comes with many rapid induction techniques
amplifies the power of the street hypnotist, making him/her more
70
convincing and therefore, more effective in making people “go

under.”
Can you substitute objects?
Yes you can substitute objects if you don’t have a coin with you.
However, the coin is ideal because it’s small and round, which makes
it harder for the subject to focus on it.
In the absence of a coin, you can use a watch or even the round
pendant of a necklace. As long as the object is small and round, it
should work. Simply adjust the hypnotic script and be serious with
what you’re doing no matter what object you have available.
Now, in the event that your subject is somehow distracted by the

object that you’re holding up and he/she is unable to focus on your
instructions, revert to a coin or change your technique completely.
Don’t worry about such situations – it happens to the best of us.
Some hypnotic subjects are just easily distracted. But still, your
subject still volunteered for the hypnosis, which makes him/her a cut
above the rest.
Volunteering for something implies belief and acceptance and these

are exactly the things that you need when you’re trying to perform
street hypnosis in a public venue. People can just as easily say that
they don’t believe in you or they’re afraid of what you’re planning to
do. So treasure all volunteer subjects – they’re real gems, indeed.
Script 4: Pendulum Power
This is a new take on another classic technique. Instead of using a

coin, we’re going to use a pendulum. A pendulum is any object that
is suspended by a long piece of string. You’re not going to swing the
pendulum (that’s a different script, but yet that too would work) but
instead you’re going to tap directly into your subject’s imagination so
71
that he/she would animate the pendulum for you, using the
instructions that you will be giving during the hypnotic induction.
What kind of pendulum should you use?
It’s up to you what kind of pendulum you’d like to use during street
hypnosis performances. The weight can be made of plastic, crystal,
metal, etc. You can buy pendulums online or you can create one at
home using commonly found objects.
In the event that you want to impress your audience, you’re free to
use a pocket watch with a chain as a pendulum. What we’re really
after is the appearance of the pendulum and the fact that it is
suspended from a string. You’ll find out why when you try the script
for the first time.
(Bring the pendulum in front of your subject, about a foot and a half
away from his/her face)
“At this moment I am holding a simple pendulum. See how it is suspended

from a height. From its position, it can go anywhere and it can also speed up
and slow down depending on what you want to do with it. We’re going to
try something very special today, so special that you’re going to be the first
person in the group to experience it. Focus on the pendulum and through
your imagination, make it up go up… Up… Up… And then down…
Down… Down…
The power of your imagination is so immense that you can make the
pendulum move however way you want. You can make it swing from left to
right, too… Do that now, using your Mind’s Eye to see the movement of the
pendulum… What’s real to the mind becomes a fact in reality. What you see
in your Mind’s Eye is your slice of reality and right now, I want you to
make the pendulum swing wider from left to right… Left… Right… Left…
Right… Higher and higher the pendulum goes…
72
You can even make the pendulum skip like a little child, and there it goes…
Bouncing and skipping on its string… Listen to the sound of my voice…
Your imagination is a powerful thing and at the present time, you’re about
to witness something even more amazing… Hypnosis can occur at any time
and any place… It often makes you feel sleepy, drowsy, relaxed… Sleepy…
Drowsy… Relaxed… Feel your eyes closing slowly as the pendulum swings
in your Mind’s Eye from left to right… Left… Right… Now SLEEP.”
***
In the event that you don’t want to put your subject to sleep, you can
simply continue with the pendulum induction and ask your subject
questions about what is happening. You can ask things like “is the
pendulum moving right now? Are you sure?”
The point of this demonstration is that the audience will see that the
subject fully believes that he/she is able to move the pendulum with
the power of his/her mind.
All of this will be accomplished while the subject is a state of

complete hypnotic trance. As the subject answers your questions
about the movement of the pendulum, you will notice that he/she
will also be open to different hypnotic suggestions. Why? Because
again, he/she is already in-trance!
Suggestibility Check: The Imaginary Rubber Band
A suggestibility test is a short, pre-induction activity that will allow

you to gauge the readiness and willingness of your subject to
participate in the impromptu hypnosis performance.
This test is very simple: you only need to ask your subject to stand in
front of you, with both hand gripping each other. Ask the subject to
extend both index fingers so they are both pointing outwards. When
the correct hand and finger positions are in place, proceed with the
short hypnotic script:
73
“Imagine that I’ve placed several rubber bands on your two fingers, so they
will eventually stick together. Just keep in your Mind’s Eye that those pieces
of rubber are making your fingers close together. Do that now.”
After providing the instructions for the suggestibility check, use the
following criteria to gauge your subject’s suggestibility level:
High suggestibility – Your subject’s index fingers closed together

rapidly. When you ask your subject to pull them apart, he/she say
that he/she can’t do it because of rubber bands or because he/she
feels that they are somehow stuck or frozen together. Such a subject is
called “non-analytical” and this type of individual definitely ranks
high in the hypnotic susceptibility scale.
Average suggestibility – Your subject’s index fingers have closed

together a little, but there’s still a little space in between the fingers.
That little space is a visual representation of the level of resistance of
your subject to hypnotic suggestion. This doesn’t mean that you
won’t be able to hypnotize your subject. It simply means that he/she
has “moderate hypnotic suggestibility.”
Low suggestibility – Though rare, it’s possible that you will

encounter a subject who actually pulls apart his/her two index
fingers after the suggestion that you’ve put rubber bands around
them. The most common reason for this occurrence is your subject is
anxious or afraid of hypnosis. The best thing to do is take a step back
and ask your subject why he/she is anxious. Answer your subject’s
questions in such a way that his/her fears will be dealt with
satisfactorily.
Step Four: Suggestion
When your subject is finally in-trance and awaiting further

instructions from you, you can move on to the fourth step of the
74
street hypnosis performance, which is implanting suggestions in your

subject’s mind.
The suggestions that we will be discussing in this part of the book are
by no means the limit of what you can accomplish as a street
hypnotist. Understand the logic behind the suggestions and resulting
phenomena and create your own hypnotic suggestions. Many
hypnotists agree that this is the more enjoyable and entertaining part
of the street hypnosis performance, too. Let’s begin!
Suggestion 1: Sleep!
This is the most basic hypnotic suggestion that you can give your
subject and it’s also enough to shock or at least surprise the majority
of audiences. A simple sleep command, spoken firmly and clearly
enough, can make your subject close his/her eyes and appear asleep.
Take note that just because your subject has his/her eyes closed that
he/she is already in deep sleep. In a street hypnosis performance,
instant deep sleep is possible but not very common. Chances are your
subject will be in delta mode, which is an ideal state for hypnosis.
When your subject is “asleep” with his/her eyes closed, he/she will
still be active and responsive to your instructions.
To make sure that your subject doesn’t accidentally fall asleep

because he/she has his/her eyes closed, it would be best to embed a
command early in the hypnotic procedure.
Ask your subject to open his/her eyes when he/she hears a

particular trigger sound such as the word “awaken!” or the snapping
of your fingers. On the same note, snapping your fingers once, twice
or three times can be associated with a hypnotic command, which
you can use later on to further demonstrate the depth and
effectiveness of the resulting hypnotic trance.
75
Here’s a sample script you can use:
“Listen clearly to the sound of my voice. When you hear me snap my fingers
at any time, you will awaken, feeling absolutely refreshed and delighted. You
must remember this clearly, for your own safety. When I snap my finger,
simply open your eyes and awaken, no matter what happens, remember
this.”
When instructing your subject, be sure to do it with full conviction

and authority. Remember: your subject is fully focused on the sound
of your voice and in now that he/she is in a state of hypnosis, he/she
is waiting for input. You’ve deactivated the person’s conscious filters
and the critical factor has also been disabled. Now it’s up to you to
guide your subject through the hypnotic process and back.
Reversal: Feel free to associate clicking/snapping with sleep. You can

awaken your subject for a brief moment, talk to him/her and test the
embedded command if your subject was really paying attention. This
is also a good way to gauge the full susceptibility of your subject to
hypnosis in general.
Suggestion 2: Living Statue
This type of hypnotic suggestion will demonstrate to your audience

the power of the mind over physical sensations such as fatigue or
tiredness. When your subject is deeply in trance, ask your subject to
raise both hands at the sides and maintain that position.
Allow the minutes to pass and remain quiet as the subject maintains
the position with little effort. This can be extended if you want, as
long as your subject still wants to comply. If the subject is in a deep
enough state of trance, his/her trance state will easily ignore any
muscular fatigue and the posture can be theoretically maintained for
a long period of time.
76
You can also ask your subject to strike a funny pose and “freeze”
him/her on the spot with a single command. What’s really
fascinating about this demonstration is not the fact that you can
actually command someone to strike a funny pose but how the
person is able to maintain a pose without complaining of muscular
fatigue. You can confirm this later on when you’ve woken up your
subject. You can also ask your subject while he/she is still in-trance if
he/she is feeling tired of the pose or if he/she feels good with the
hypnosis.
Suggestion 3: Talk/Don’t Talk
Did you know that you could also use hypnosis to control your
subject’s ability to speak?
In terms of entertainment value, this particular demonstration is pure

gold because people will be shocked that someone who used to be
able to talk effortlessly would suddenly feel that he/she is mute and
that no intelligible sound can now come out of his/her mouth.
The “lead-in” for this kind of suggestion should be subtle, because

you wouldn’t want to frighten your subject at the prospect of what
you’re about to do. Here’s a sample patter that you can model so you
don’t spook your subject (and the audience) too much.
“Listen everyone, listen to me because I’m about to say something very

important. The mind controls everything, from your breathing and all the
way down to how you move your toes when it’s cold. Listen to the sound of
my voice now and I want you to imagine that you’re closing your voice box
for a while.
Imagine a small box with sound coming out of it. Now gently close the lid so
that no sound can come out. That’s your voice box and when I snap my
finger, I want you to try talking to see if you were able to close your voice
77
box with the power of your mind. Are you ready? That’s good… Here we go,
be ready… 3… 2… 1… Off!”
After snapping your finger, you can test the effectiveness of the
hypnosis by asking your subject to talk. If all goes well, your subject
will look surprised and motion that he/she seems to have forgotten
how to talk or he/she might be trying to speak normally but all
he/she can manage is a faint croaking sound.
Each person’s response to such commands are often unique from one
another, so just accept the natural phenomena that your subject is
experiencing – it’s part of the demonstration of hypnosis. You must
fight the urge to ‘correct’ the response of the subject, unless he/she is
doing something to actively disrupt the performance, in which case, I
think you may want to cause him/her to SLEEP!
Kidding aside, be appreciative of what your subject can manage in

terms of his/her responses to your instructions. As long as
appropriate responses are being given, that means your subject is
listening intently to what you’re saying and everything is fine.
Suggestion 4: Physical Sensations
Hypnotic physical sensations offer the hypnotist a treasure trove of

potential suggestions. Suddenly experiencing a hot or cold sensation
is the most basic. You can play around with the idea of experiencing
different bodily sensations for a truly magnificent exhibition of your
street hypnosis skills.
The following script will give you an idea as to how you can put
together a script that makes use of physical sensations:
“Now let’s focus on your right hand. Imagine that I’m putting a large ice
cube on top. I’m now moving around the piece of on top of your hand,
making a moist trail on your skin. How do you feel now? How does your
78
skin feel? Nod if you feel the piece of ice that I’ve placed on top of your hand.
Let’s move on to your other hand. Feel that I’m putting a hot piece of metal
on your skin. I’m going to do this slowly… Placing the hot metal now….
Now… How does that feel?”
Validating the hypnotic experience throughout the performance is

important because it lends authenticity to the process and the
questions also help your subject focus more on your instructions. The
more you validate the physical sensations, the deeper the resulting
trance state will be.
Step Five: Post-Suggestion
The post-suggestion phase of the hypnosis is just as important as the

induction. Since the performance is now coming to a close, it’s only
fair that you remove any and all traces of the street hypnosis from
your subject’s system. The simplest way to do this is by using a
simple post-hypnotic script that will instruct your subject on what to
do:
“Thanks for everything today, you were a wonderful guy/girl. But all things
must now come to a close and it’s now time to end the show. Listen to the
sound of my voice one last time and this is very important indeed… Listen
carefully… In a moment I will be counting backward from five. When I hit
1, you will feel a sudden change in your mind… Something will unlock and
you will forget everything that I have ever told you, every little thing that
happened today and if people ask you if you were hypnotized, you will
simply say no… That’s it… Nod if you understand? Okay good… 5… 4…
3… 2… 1… Now awaken!”
This part of the process is called “hypnotic amnesia” wherein the

hypnotist buries a message deep in the subject’s mind to forget
everything that ever happened during the hypnosis session. Bits and
pieces will return eventually, but on the whole, the hypnotized
individual will claim and believe that he/she does not remember
79
anything. The hypnotic command to forget is like a mechanical

switch that turns out the lights on the hypnotic experiment, allowing
the subject to gracefully exit without overthinking what happened
during the performance.
Practice with amnesia first because this is the safest route for
beginning street hypnotists. You can try additional post-hypnotic
commands later on when you’ve mastered hypnotic amnesia. But for
now, this is the big hurdle that you have to overcome after induction
and suggestion. Ask your subject questions after formally ending the
hypnotic performance to see how effective you were in making your
subject forget the experience. Experiment with modifying the script
and see what works… Be adventurous!
Conclusion
Thus ends our short jaunt into the world of street hypnosis. It is my
sincere hope that you enjoyed diving into the simple-yet-complex
world of hypnotic performance. The mere fact that street hypnosis is
an actual, formal craft just shows how flexible hypnosis can be. It
really can be learned by anyone who believes in the power of the
mind. In a way, learning to become a street hypnosis is the perfect
entry-point for deeper studies of this natural phenomenon.
To facilitate your mastery of this new knowledge, I highly

recommend that new students keep street hypnosis journals so
everyone can write down important reminders and gems of
knowledge whenever they should arise. Writing on your journal after
every performance is also a good way to consolidate your knowledge
and compare theory with “praxis” or action.
Push on, street hypnotist!
To The Best Hypnotic Performances Of Your Life,
80
Steve G. Jones
81

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What are the differences between street hypnosis, stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy?

What are the differences between street hypnosis, stage hypnosis and hypnotherapy?

What are the 5 steps of a street hypnosis performance?

What are the 5 steps of a street hypnosis performance?

The Street Hypnosis Handbook

People often mistake street hypnosis for stage hypnosis or

For one, the central goal of clinical hypnotherapy is to provide

Studying street hypnosis will allow you to induce hypnotic trances

Do I need to go out and find random strangers to practice on?

It would be ideal for you to be able to practice your craft on as many

Before applying any hypnosis technique on anyone, be sure to

Street hypnosis (like other forms of hypnosis) is relatively safe, but

If your subject has already been actively hypnotized before, either by

A person who believes in hypnosis and what it can do is an ideal

Why? Because a person who believes in hypnosis already has certain

Of course as a street hypnotist, you must avoid showing any

Diving Into the Subconscious Mind

If the entirety of the human mind was a mountain range, the

This part of the mind represents that massive mental machinery

We imagine, dream and even fear things through the subconscious.

We’re now continuing in the tradition of Ericksonian hypnosis but

The subconscious mind is also the main seat of a person’s core

believe in hypnosis and will do everything in his/her power to resist

On the flipside, the contents of the subconscious mind aren’t set in

Can hypnosis also be used to influence/persuade other people?

Yes. Always remember the core teaching of hypnosis: all hypnosis is

The biggest stumbling block to persuasion is resistance, which

The Hypnotic Trance State

Self-hypnosis (or simply, hypnosis) is an altered state of

Inducing a trance state is one of the primary tasks of any hypnotist

What happens when a subject is in trance?

When a person succumbs to a street hypnotist’s hypnotic induction,

Of course, the most vivid stimulus during a hypnotic session is the

This hyperawareness lowers the impact of the subject’s critical factor,

The deep awareness that takes place in either of these activities,

“I’m not hungry at all, even if I skipped lunch while reading.”

“I didn’t hear that someone was knocking loudly at my door.”

“I forgot to do some chores because I was so busy doing something.”

What these examples demonstrate is that the human mind can

One word: distractions.

The most common distraction that hypnotists in general have to

If you notice that your subject is frequently transitioning from one

Don’t worry: hypnotized subjects will not easily forget what’s

What is hypnotic suggestibility?

Hypnotic suggestibility is a measure of how ideal a person is as a

Here’s what you need to know about hypnotic susceptibility:

1. Resistance to a hypnotic induction means you need to try harder.

techniques from building rapport and all the way to implanting

2. Positive experiences with hypnosis increases the effectiveness of

Use this information to shape the overall experience of your subject

How does hypnosis affect the subject’s unconscious?

Hypnosis is a powerful tool and it’s capable of leaving mental prints

This is not a joke: when we bypass a person’s critical factor, his/her

suggestions. If by any chance you say something that strikes a nerve,

Are you ready to begin your journey as a street hypnotist?

Street hypnosis is one of the most exciting and rewarding disciplines

1st – Priming the Pump

These five parts or phases mirror, to some extent, the procedures

The first phase of street hypnosis is “priming the pump” or creating