Hi all,

Here is a naive question I have:
Performing in an international environment, with people speaking english, but not as their native language, is it still possible to hypnotize them in english? Does it depend on their level, or fluency? Or can people only be hypnotized in their mother tongue, given the fact that we are touching the unconscious mind which may (or not) include the knowledge of a learned foreign language?

After a couple of searchs on the Café, I did not find any topic dealing with that question. If I have missed it, my apologies.

Cheers,

M.

As long as they can understand English, regardless of it being their second language then it is no problem at all.

Of course you should tell them it is important to listen to you. It is important that you speak clearly and free of national or local colloquialisms.

I was recently filming in Holland (speaking English) and did the routine where they smoke a cucumber and believe it to be a 'spliff'. Dutch people do not use that word. They just looked confused until I clarified the instruction.

Anthony

If you didn't say "Spliff", what did you say?

Joint, Jay, Blunt, Doobie, Number, Jibber, Marijuana Cigarette

They got it in the end.

Anthony

Marijuana Cigarette would do it for sure...

Doesn't get clearer than that!

Thanks!

Thanks for the clear answer Anthony. Indeed, I was wondering if it was worth learning how to hypnotize in english, in addition to the work involved to adapt the material in french. I would have suspected that people are less sensitive (suggestible) in a foreign language. But now I know I just have to put some more efforts in it and become a bilingual hypnotist
I often find myself in situations where I get to meet poeple who come from all Europe. Of course, we use then english as an international language. People are usually more fluent in english than in french.

Or to make it easy, I could hypnotize someone in english and convince him that he can speak french I watched the trailer of the TV show "i know what you did last Friday" (with Anthony as The Hypnotist) and the line Daniel delivers in 'spanish' cracks me up everytime...Paella!!

Cheers,

M.

LOL. Yes after that I had him do the same thing in Italian, Thai, then as a Cat, Dog and Monkey. He was equally proficient in all languages even animal tongues.

Anthony

I give the suggestion to anyone whose native language is not English: "And as I speak you can imagine you are dreaming in English and that you easily understand everything, listening and processing my language with the subconsious mind, intuitivly knowing the meaning of all words"

Nice. Thanks for that Richard.

Ant

Thanks Richard for this tip. I think it will indeed make the subject more at ease if he is a little anxious about the fact that he may not understand what will be said in english and therefore get tensed.

After this suggestion, I guess the hypnotist still has to keep things simple. For french people, there are a lot of so called 'false friends' in english: english words that sound close to french words, but -here comes the trick- they do not mean the same thing at all, and can be intuitively misunderstood; like 'to deceive' which is close to the french verb 'décevoir'(=to disappoint).

does anyone have encountered other intersting or funny situations in hypnosis due to the 'language barrier'?

Cheers

M.

While talking in the language of the people you want to hypnotize is important, I think you may be place too much importance on it.

There are a couple of things I think are valid. First, when it comes to performance or hypnotherapy, people know they're coming to see hypnosis and even expect and hope to be hypnotized. Communication is only a small part the actual words. One of the difficulties of communicating through relatively short posts is that people reading the post can't see body language, hear the tone of the voice and the inflection of the words.

I would respectfully suggest that you assume excellence: Assume that you will know what to say and how to say it. Assume that the client or audience will, on an unconscious level, understand what you are saying and will willingly comply with your suggestions and instructions. Anything you assume will result in trance will result in trance.

I have some friends who travel the world teaching hypnosis and NLP. They only speak English. Their classes involve hypnotizing people who aren't native speakers of English. They are very successful.

Didn't 'Tom Silver hypnotize a whole load of Chinese people through an interpreter once? Suggesting that, with belief, the hypnosis in itself works even if NOT directed through a trained hypnotist?

Can't remember his name bu there was a therapist who would hypnotise is clients then read a foriegn newspaper to them. Wake them up and send them home. He claimed he had good success rates????

Success is more to do with marketing than anything else. Marketing is hypnosis in a way.

Sorry for bringing up an old subject. I was asked to perform at a hotel resort for international guests/tourists (guests are all over Europe speaking many different languages). Client told me most of them can understand English on different levels. I am unsure of accepting the gig though as if it goes well it would become regular.

Does somebody here have any experience working in such venues? What do you suggest?

Just accept it. If it goes well it will be regular. If not it won't. Take a risk.