I’ve heard about instant inductions – what are they and do they work?
A. Instant inductions usually rely on shock or surprise and more often than not involve a jolt or jerk to the physical body – usually to the arm or hand. It is not dangerous, but its intrusive nature probably creates a situation where the operator is dominant for a few fractions of a second. Since there is then no further reason for resistance, if the hypnotised individual wishes to be hypnotised (and s/he would not be if /she did not want to be), the state tends to persist. Many therapists are uncomfortable with rapid or instantaneous inductions, while others scarcely use anything else. Stage hypnotists often depend heavily on this type of induction.
