Before I ever begin the formal induction, I draw on everything I observed during the pre-talk — the speed of their breath, how quickly they followed the pink-elephant exercise, the tightness in their shoulders. That information tells me whether to quicken or slow my words. I begin the induction itself by explaining that the mind has four parts. I'll walk you through each part the way I walk my clients through it, and you're free to use my script or adapt it to your own voice.
Many practitioners skip this teaching piece and dive straight into "close your eyes and relax." Once you go through this course, I think you'll see why I always explain it first. I start by saying, "Hypnosis works in the mind. I want you to picture your mind in four parts. Can you do that?" I watch them closely as I say this — how quickly they nod, whether their eyes track me, how easily they follow along.
Their response in those first moments tells me everything about pacing. If they struggle here, I know to go slower during the hypnosis itself. I also explain the mind as a metaphor, because the mind loves metaphors. In the sections that follow, I'll show you how I describe the mind and how it works — this is the foundation of how I help clients understand what hypnosis is, why it works, and what it will feel like.
I truly believe that taking the time to explain hypnosis to my clients is the reason almost all of them go deep on the first session.
My pre-talk script frames the conscious mind as an office and the subconscious mind as a file room holding every memory, thought, action, and limiting belief. From there I move into the pink elephant exercise: I ask them to picture an elephant, change its color to pink with white polka dots, then close their eyes and describe it back to me. This little exercise tells me how easy they will be to work with.
The more vividly they describe the elephant, the easier the session will be. Next I have them imagine they can communicate with the elephant mentally — they'll need that exact skill later, when they speak with loved ones and Spirit. Another piece of the pre-talk script shows the client how their own issues are creating their anxiety.
The pre-talk also gives them a felt sense of what it's like to be in a trance state and still able to talk and answer questions. I use the script to gauge how well the client will perform once they're under. By the time they know what to expect, they relax — and that relaxation gives them confidence they'll succeed in the session.
Another reason I love a thorough pre-talk: it gives me a shared language I can refer back to once we're in trance. The full pre-talk script is in the script section of this book. I use a beach for my induction because we live in Florida and almost everyone can relate to a beach, but the setting really doesn't matter as long as it stays grounded — a garden, a forest, or any peaceful place here on earth will do.
Practice
Try the pink elephant exercise on yourself first. Picture the elephant, change it to pink with white polka dots, then close your eyes and describe it in detail. Notice how vivid the image becomes — this is the same imaginative muscle your future clients will use in trance.