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system of belief in him or her. On the other hand it can serve as a test for the Hypnotist of the strength of
the process /{Suggestion} > \{Eyelid muscles}.
Let us analyse an involuntary closure. It involves at the minimum the eye muscles (M) and the verbally
suggested idea (S) that they are going to close. If we were thinking of such a closure as being of the
nature of a test, as in the last chapter, then we would be examining the strength of the process:
/S > \M
(the eye muscles are active only in holding the eye open, so their activity is reduced on closure).
Now a reasonably simple way of testing this would be to say to a person, with no prior eye fixation or
preamble, "I would like you to be aware of the muscles of your eyelids. Open and close them a few times
until you become aware of the slight effort it takes to keep them open. Opening is an effort, closing is a
relaxing of that effort. Now, surprisingly, I think that you will find that very soon that effort is going to
be too much for you: you will no longer be able to keep your eyes open." Suggestions on these lines may
be repeated for up to a few minutes, by which time a person for whom the above chain is strong will in
fact have found that their eyes have closed. If, on the other hand, closure has not come about, then the
Hypnotist may ask questions to see if there is any obvious reason why it has not happened.
In the above example the phenomenon is presented as clearly and simply as possible with a minimum of
secondary or concealed factors operating. The attention has been fixed on a particular system - the eyelid
muscles. The thought that it will soon be too much effort consciously to control them is given in a
non-authoritarian way. The result is observed. I would like you to contrast that process with a more
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Principles of Hypnosis (9) IThe purpose of inductions explained in a systems approach.
typical approach in Hypnosis.
The more typical process is first to ask for eye fixation as above and then, after a little while, to say
something like, "Now your eyelids will get heavier and heavier and soon you will be unable to keep them
open." In the best cases eye closure will then come quickly.
This looks simple, but there is more going on beneath the surface. Notice first that the Subject has been
subtly given two contrary directions: to keep looking at the point and to close the eyes. This, in itself,
can give rise to uncertainty in the Subject. People do not like uncertainty. There is therefore a subtle
pressure to resolve the dilemma as soon as possible in one way or the other. How has it happened that the
latter wins over the former? Well, the Hypnotist has loaded the dice in one or more of the following
ways.
First of all the eye fixation has been arranged in such a way as to activate a natural system which will
lead to eye closure. This may be by getting the Subject to look at a point which is high above the normal
line of sight, which will quickly strain and tire the eye muscles. There is also a reflex, which leads to eye
closure (for the protection of the retina) if the eye is exposed to a bright light, which can be activated if
the Subject is directed to gaze at a bright light or object. There is also a reflex to avoid eye contact at a
close distance with a relative stranger which can easily be activated by a Hypnotist who comes very close
to the Subject and says, "Now just keep on looking me in the eye."
The second point is that the Hypnotist will typically start to mention the heaviness of the eyes shortly
after some signs of incipient closure are apparent: e.g. a blink or a droop. The ball is already rolling. The
Hypnotist gives it a shove.
It is worth adding that there is good experimental evidence that if two events come close together in time
and involve different senses, then people find it hard to place them in a correct order. So, if you say,
"Your eyes will start to blink" straight after the eyes have blinked, there is a strong tendency for the
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