#expectation ritual

[yumedesutrance]

what is a “good subject”?

It’s not:

staying rigid as a board

drooling

“losing control”

being easily manipulated

That’s show business. Stage hypnosis. Theater.

And I’ll confess something:

I don’t like stages.

So the “good subject” must be something else.

A good hypnotic subject is someone who:

Can follow an internal experience without constantly sabotaging it with defensive analysis.

Can allow an instruction to become experience.

Tolerates ambiguity.

Does not need to maintain conscious control at every second.

It is not submission.

It is responsiveness.

Not the one who falls asleep. Not the one who obeys. Not the one who dissolves.

From Lacan:

The one who does not wake up too soon in the face of the impossible.

From Erickson:

The one who responds.

And here is the part that matters.

The “good subject” is not passive.

They become an artist of their own subjectivity.

Someone who:

Has the courage to loosen rational control.

Has the trust to follow a voice without fearing annihilation.

Knows the experience belongs to them.

Because at the end of the process, they do not disappear.

They remain themselves.

Perhaps —

with a little more snow gathered along the way.

✦ᛉumeᛋᛇ✦

[yumedesutrance]

Let’s stop saying “I’ve never met anyone who couldn’t be hypnotized.”

Hypnosis isn’t a spell that works in a vacuum. It needs something key: rapport. Connection. Trust.

No one surrenders to a vulnerable state unless there is at least some connection with the guide.

In person, this is woven through tone of voice, eye contact, body language, and real‑time adaptation. It’s a dance, not a monologue.

Sometimes, trust isn’t the main focus. That’s where another ingredient comes in: expectation and authority. Fame, reputation, ritual. A respected hypnotist can facilitate trance simply through the weight of what is expected of them.

And then there’s the third pillar, the most subtle: feedback. A good hypnotist reads micro‑signals (breathing, blinking, muscle tension) and adjusts their rhythm and words in real time. That’s why it’s easier to hypnotize in person than over video call, and much easier than over text. A text can’t dance with you.

So before we declare “everyone is hypnotizable,” let’s ask: What are we calling hypnosis?

Humans are bad at defining subjective experiences. If by “hypnosis” we mean someone following a simple suggestion (“your eyelids are getting heavy”), then maybe yes, everyone can. But if we’re talking about deep trance, amnesia, hallucinations… that’s another story.

✦ᛉumeᛋᛇ✦

[yumedesutrance]

Let’s stop saying “I’ve never met anyone who couldn’t be hypnotized.” pt 2

The phrase “I’ve never met someone who couldn’t be hypnotized” usually comes from someone who:

– Only works in ideal settings (workshops, pre‑selected volunteers).

– Defines “hypnosis” so broadly that any response counts as success.

– Or ignores the failures (confirmation bias, ever present).

It’s not a superpower. It’s a game of cooperative influence and, like any game, it depends on the rules, the players, and the environment.

✦ᛉumeᛋᛇ✦