Suggestion Engineering
The application layer — what you do once in trance. This is where most self-hypnosis books fail. They teach induction but not how to construct suggestions that actually work.
The 6 Laws of Suggestion
Synthesized from LeCron, Hunter, and Coué — these laws govern how the subconscious mind responds to suggestions. Master them, and your results multiply:
1. The Law of Repetition
Suggestions strengthen with repetition. This is how advertising works — see a commercial enough times and you buy. Repeat your suggestions daily; repeat each one 3-5 times per session. The subconscious learns through repetition, like a child learning the alphabet.
2. The Law of Reversed Effect
The harder you try, the less you succeed. If you strain to relax, you tense up. If you force yourself to sleep, you stay awake. Solution: stop trying. Let it happen. "Relaxation comes naturally when I stop forcing it." Approach suggestion with gentle expectation, not effort.
3. The Law of Expectancy
Belief shapes outcome. If you expect hypnosis to work, it works better. If you expect failure, you'll get it. This isn't magic — expectancy primes your subconscious to accept suggestions. Cultivate a "this will work" attitude, even if skeptical at first. Results will build real belief.
4. The Law of Dominant Effect
Strong emotion amplifies suggestion. A suggestion given with excitement, joy, or deep gratitude is far more powerful than one given neutrally. When you visualize your goal, feel the emotion of having achieved it. Emotion is the fuel that drives suggestions into the subconscious.
5. The Law of Conflict
When willpower and imagination conflict, imagination always wins. This is why diets fail — the dieter uses willpower but imagines the cake. Self-hypnosis works because it addresses the imagination directly. Never fight your subconscious with logic; speak its language instead.
6. The Law of Awareness
Attention focused on the desired result, not the process, accelerates results. Don't obsess over "am I hypnotized yet?" — focus on the outcome you want. The subconscious handles the process; you provide the direction.
How to Write Effective Suggestions
Follow these 7 rules for maximum effectiveness:
✓ Use Positive Framing
State what you WANT, not what you don't want. The subconscious doesn't process "not" well.
✗ "I will not be tired"
✓ "I feel energetic and vibrant"
✗ "I won't eat junk food"
✓ "I naturally choose nourishing foods"
✓ Be Permissive, Not Commanding
The subconscious resists force like a rebellious child. Suggest, don't command.
✗ "I will stop smoking"
✓ "I can easily release the smoking habit"
✗ "I must lose weight"
✓ "I am becoming slim, healthy, and confident"
✓ Use Present or Immediate Future Tense
Don't say "someday I will" — the subconscious lives in the now.
✗ "Someday I'll be confident"
✓ "I am becoming more confident each day"
✓ "In a moment, I'll feel deeply relaxed"
✓ Avoid "Try"
"Try" implies doubt. As Yoda said: "Do or do not, there is no try."
✗ "I'll try to relax"
✓ "I allow myself to relax completely"
✓ Be Specific but Not Over-Detailed
State the goal clearly, but don't micromanage the "how." Your subconscious knows the best way.
✗ "I will lose 3.7 pounds by eating exactly 1,847 calories..."
✓ "I'm naturally reaching my healthy weight"
✓ Link Words to Vivid Imagery
Words + pictures = 10× power (Powers' "3-D technique"). Always pair your verbal suggestion with a mental image.
Say: "I am confident" + SEE yourself walking confidently into a room, speaking clearly, smiling.
✓ Add Emotion
Feeling amplifies acceptance. Feel the joy, relief, or excitement of having achieved your goal.
Say: "I am free from anxiety" + FEEL the warm relief of calm washing through your body.
The Suggestion Builder Process
Use this 5-step process to create powerful, personalized suggestions:
- Define your goal clearly. "I want to be more confident" → "I want to feel calm and confident when speaking in meetings."
- Write a full paragraph describing yourself achieving it. Include sensory details — what you see, hear, feel.
- Condense into one sentence following the 7 rules above.
- Condense further into 1-2 words — your key anchor. For headaches: "Clearheaded." For confidence: "Unshakable." For sleep: "Drifting."
- Pair with a vivid image and emotion. See it, feel it, say it.
LeCron's Condensation Technique
Leslie LeCron's powerful method for making suggestions stick:
- Write out in detail what you want to accomplish (a full paragraph).
- Condense the idea into one short paragraph.
- Condense further into a single sentence.
- Condense into one or two words — your "key."
- In trance, repeat the sentence several times, then repeat the key word.
- Divert your thoughts to something pleasant — let the subconscious work.
Example: Goal = overcome headaches. Key word = "Clearheaded."While in trance: "I am becoming free from headaches. My head is clear and calm. I feel clearheaded." Repeat "Clearheaded" several times. Then visualize yourself doing something pleasant, headache-free.
Posthypnotic Suggestions
A posthypnotic suggestion is a suggestion that takes effect after you emerge from trance — triggered by a specific cue in your daily life. This is how self-hypnosis creates lasting change.
The Formula:
"Whenever [trigger/cue happens], I will [desired response], easily and naturally."
• "Whenever I reach for a cigarette, I'll feel a strong desire for fresh air instead."
• "Whenever I'm about to eat between meals, the word 'slender' will remind me of my goal."
• "Whenever I feel anxious before speaking, I'll take a deep breath and feel calm confidence."
• "Whenever I lie down to sleep, I'll quickly and easily drift into deep, restful sleep."
Choose triggers that naturally occur in your daily life. The more specific and reliable the trigger, the better the suggestion works. With repetition, the posthypnotic response becomes automatic.
The Key-Word Anchor
Roy Hunter's technique for rapid-state access. Choose a word that, once conditioned, can trigger light trance or a desired response in daily life:
- Choose a word that feels right — "calm," "focus," "relax," "energy."
- During trance, repeat: "Whenever I say [word] and wish to enter trance, I quickly and easily enter a pleasant, relaxed state."
- Practice daily. Within 1-2 weeks, the word becomes conditioned.
- Use it during the day: before a stressful meeting, say "calm" and feel the response.
This isn't magic — it's classical conditioning (Pavlov). You're training your nervous system to respond to a verbal cue, just like a bell triggers salivation in Pavlov's dogs.
Delivering Suggestions in Session
Once you're in trance and deepened, here's how to deliver suggestions:
- Mentally (or aloud) repeat your suggestion sentence 3-5 times, slowly and with feeling.
- Visualize the outcome vividly — see, hear, feel, smell it.
- Add the emotion of having already achieved it.
- Repeat your key word several times.
- Divert your thoughts — this is LeCron's crucial instruction. Stop repeating. Visualize a pleasant, unrelated scene. Let the subconscious process the suggestion undisturbed.
- Give the posthypnotic suggestion for the trigger word.
- Give the deepening suggestion for next session.
- Emerge.
Why "diverting" matters:
The subconscious needs space to absorb the suggestion. If you keep repeating obsessively, you're engaging the conscious mind, which interferes. Give the suggestion, then let it go. Trust that your subconscious is working on it. This "letting go" is often the difference between success and failure.
Suggestion Builder
Your Suggestion
I am becoming calm and confident when [your specific goal].
7 Rules Check
What suggestion will you plant? Is it positive, present-tense, and concrete? How will you know it's working?