Skip to content
yourinductionsucks.fyi

Graham Old - Revisiting Hypnosis - PHRIT

Why Learn PHRIT

PHRIT works by gradually teaching the client how to gradually re-enter hypnosis. This technique is also a nice way to show the hypnotist that they can teach reinduction, and they shouldn’t be afraid of doing rapid inductions or reinductions. To teach PHRIT, you do not need to get someone in a ‘deep trance,’ since the fractionation component will take care of this.

In addition to this, you’ll be teaching the client how to do self-hypnosis. “As well as being a powerful induction and deepener, PHRIT works well as a framework for anchoring and establishing post-hypnotic suggestions.”

The Transcript

[[Graham Old - PHRIT]] [Improvised induction.]

  1. Get physically comfortable. You can always shift.
  2. “What I’m going to invite you to do at the beginning is simply pretend that you’re relaxed.”
  3. [improvise and respond]
  4. And maybe if you were really relaxed, you would close your eyes.
  5. Pace, then lead to “I want you to think of a time you were relaxed.” Provide examples. [Personally - real or imagined, a time lying on a beach, resting in a garden, lying in bed, walking along a trail, or even just lazily chilling out on the sofa.]
  6. [Improvise, and deepen with ETIs.] [Pace and lead deeper ‘into this experience.‘]
  7. [Improvise, some people notice the environment, while their unconscious continues deeper into that comfortable experience.] [Optional: It might remind you this is normal.]
  8. And that means you can just enjoy the feeling of letting go. You don’t need to pay attention to [leading relaxation], or wonder [how deep you can go], all you need to do is relax.
  9. [To different people / some people, it means… Stilling and calming, deep inner focus, state of resourcefulness, or even a sensation of heaviness. However your unconscious interprets it, no matter how deep you continue to go, or whatever you’re experiencing, is perfectly fine.]

[PHRIT part 1.]

  1. Now that you’ve seen how easily and quickly you can relax…
    1. In a moment, open eyes, and at that point I will invite you to take 4 deep breaths
    2. On the 4th breath say the word relax in your head as you close your eyes
    3. bring your self back to this place
  2. (Repeat instructions.)
    1. Ask for kinesthetic or verbal confirmation
    2. (V’s note - we’ve set up a posthypnotic suggestion.)
  3. I’ll count up and at 3 we can carry on talking. [Lead and ask about their enjoyment, but keep it short. Reinforce positives quickly. ]
  4. When you’re ready [4 deep breaths, on 4th exhale say relax, take yourself back.]
  5. Reinforce ETIs.

[PHRIT part 2]

  1. Pace and lead [how easy it is to return], I want you to know that…
    1. The next time you take 4 deep breaths, you can let those eyes close on the fourth breath as you say the word relax in your head
    2. and you can allow yourself to come right back to this place
    3. (V: We’ve moved from actively returning, to letting it happen.)
  2. Restate instructions.
    1. Check for confirmation.
  3. Counting up on 3.
  4. When you’re ready, count to 4, allow your eyes to close and go back.

[PHRIT part 3]

  1. And now I want you to know that… (repeat)
    1. Your eyes can close
    2. You can come right back, if not even deeper.
  2. The next time you [4, relax], those eyes (dissociative), and you’ll find yourself coming back, maybe even deeper.
  3. Check for confirmation.
  4. Bring up.
  5. Go ahead and take 4 deep breaths.
  6. Reinforce ETIs.

[PHRIT part 4]

  1. I want you to know that…
    1. (trigger)
    2. Your eyes will close and you will come right back, if not even deeper.
  2. [trigger], your eyes will close and you’ll come right back to this place, if not even deeper.

Anchors and Post-Hypnotic Suggestions

Natural anchoring is as simple as enjoying the smell of fresh baked cookies, photos of kind memories, or some even taking you all the way back to re-experiencing something. Artificial anchoring is doing this intentionally - like squeezing a hand in a happy or resourceful state. Graham argues that PHRIT uses natural anchoring, caused by fractionation, positive reinforcement, and reinduction. Post-hypnotic suggestions are not anchors, as they are not built by experiential association.

[For those of us for whom accuracy is important, strictly speaking - in NLP terms - within Anchoring, it is a ‘state’ that is anchored, not an action. However, post-hypnotic suggestions may be for an action, a feeling or any kind of physical response to occur.]

Old, Graham. Revisiting Hypnosis: The Principles and Practice of Post-Hypnotic Re-induction Training for Anchoring, Post-hypnotic Suggestions and Inductions (The Inductions Masterclass Book 2) . Plastic Spoon. Kindle Edition.

The Practice of Good Anchoring

  1. Recall a time where you felt a positive feeling.
    1. Let it grow.
    2. Reinforce VAK.
    3. When you’re at peak, make an OK sign.
    4. And maybe it grows even more.
  2. Now, open your eyes. [Make short conversation to break state.] [Verify and ask about anchor.]

The Steps to Good Anchoring

Previously - Graham spoke about a very intense trip he took to India, and how smelling and re-using the sunscreen brought back a wash of emotions:

  • The intensity of the experience
  • The uniqueness and appropriateness of the stimuli
    • Sunscreen is naturally useful in hot environments, and the olfactory bulb is pugged into the limbic system, as are the hippocampus and amygdala, which are responsible for generating emotions and memory
  • The repetition of the stimulus

NLP trainers recommend these keys to good anchoring:

  1. Intensity. Intensity affects the ease and strength of creation of the anchor.
  2. Timing. Either provide the stimulus right at the peak, or right before the peak. Attempt to maintain the intensity of the experience.
  3. Uniqueness. An effective anchor is unique to the situation - like that single brand of sunscreen’s smell. (Appropriateness is preferential, according to Graham, like a squeezed fist for strength.)
  4. Repetition. The more you try to anchor it, the more likely it’ll be successful. “don’t anchor sitting in the chair… if you want them to replicate that in the real world.” You’ll want to test your anchor afterwards, so you’ll want to break the state to test it. (Graham, when he has a patient come in, usually has a patient come in with a Problem frame of mind, and they prefer working with at Solution or Possibilities mindset, and they crack a joke or ask a weird question to break the problem frame.)

Unconscious Learned Behaviors

Graham suggests, in their on theory, that post-hypnotic suggestions are just unconscious learned behaviors. If someone forgets a number when counting due to a hypnotic or post-hypnotic suggestion, some part of them is actively withholding that information, just unconsciously, but with intention. Graham argues that the same thing is happening with a spider phobia. They suggest that this follows with the psychoeducational theory of the Four Stages of Competence.

  1. Unconscious Incompetence
  2. Conscious Incompetence
  3. Conscious Competence
  4. Unconscious Competence This maps to the four stages of the PHRIT process.

Collapsing Anchors

Collapsing anchors is used to break an association or an unwanted state.

  1. Identify the problem state.
  2. Use that to ask what they’d like from a positive state.
  3. Install the anchor for the positive state.
  4. Test and reinforce the positive anchor.
  5. Establish the negative anchor using an opposite. (EG - using the left hand instead of the right.)
  6. Break the state again.
  7. You can now go between the two states separately without breaking them - this works as a powerful convincer.
  8. Then, fire both anchors at once. This will cause some confusion.
  9. Stop the negative state, while holding the positive state.
  10. Break state.
  11. Test the negative anchor, ensuring it is neutral.
    1. If it persists, stack more positives onto the positive state and repeat. (Building the state is just a revivification exercise - describe, make it stronger, build it, find the spot right before the state, and just set the anchor. There’s a transcript on how to do this - if you’re not me that’s reading this and you have questions, let me know.)

The Basic Process

I already broke down the PHRIT process earlier, but here’s Graham’s own breakdown.

[!important]
To begin, induce Hypnosis, or even just enable the client to relax.

Then: Tell the client that when they take 4 deep breaths, as they breathe out the 4th time, they can bring themselves back into the experience they are currently having. Get their agreement.

Have them open their eyes, remind them of what to do and then invite them to do it. They bring themselves back.Tell the client that when they next take 4 deep breaths, as they breathe out the 4th time they can allow themselves to come back into the experience they are currently having.

Have them open their eyes, remind them of what to do and then have them do it. They allow themselves to come back.

Tell them that when they next breathe out the 4th time they can find themselves coming back into the experience they are currently having.  Have them open their eyes, and tell them to take 4 deep breaths. They find themselves going back.

Finally, tell them that when they next breathe out the 4th time they will go straight back…  Have them open their eyes. Tell them to take 4 deep breaths. They go straight back.

Old, Graham. Revisiting Hypnosis: The Principles and Practice of Post-Hypnotic Re-induction Training for Anchoring, Post-hypnotic Suggestions and Inductions (The Inductions Masterclass Book 2) . Plastic Spoon. Kindle Edition.

Breaking it Down

The key to PHRIT is progressive permissive fractionation. The progression goes from permissive to direct suggestions.

  • The suggestions move from permissive to direct, starting out with empowering the subject, and then directly suggested and reinforced, cementing the process.
  • Fractionation will naturally take the subject deeper on each step, therefore the statements “or even more deeply” are only there for pacing.
  • The instructional anchor is repeated, strengthening the anchor.
  • ‘Relax’ is an appropriate word for an anchor. (Along with closing their eyes and exhaling.)

Variations & Applications

  • You can do this as a 1 breath trigger, just step down the required breaths as you give the induction.
  • You can add some wording that they can do it themselves for self hypnosis to just make it a self hypnosis trigger.
  • You can modify this to have a more ‘stage hypnosis’ (or recreational) vibe.

As a process for Post-Hypnotic Suggestions.

Graham finds that their post-hypnotic suggestions are more effective after PHRIT. They also structure and reinforce the triggers in the same way…

  1. Tell them when they use the anchor, they can recall and revive the experience.
    1. Re-describe the anchor action.
    2. Get their agreement.
    3. Remind them of what to do and invite them to do it. Invite them to recall and revive the experience.
  2. When they use the anchor, they can allow themselves to go back to the confidence they just experienced.
    1. (Repeat the process.)
  3. Tell them they can find themselves going back. (Repeat.)
  4. Tell them when they use the anchor, they will experience a surge of confidence.

A Fuller Anchoring Process

  1. Create the anchor. Reinforce it with 3 other experiences.
    1. They suggest “Just see what you see, hear what you hear and feel what you feel.”
    2. And as it reaches it’s peak, lock it in.
    3. (Client uses anchor.)
    4. That’s right. Maybe it increases even more… Until that feeling can temporarily subside.
    5. Break state.
  2. PHRIT 1:
    1. In a moment. Anchor, actively recall and revive and reexperience.
    2. Check for confirmation.
    3. Fire anchor.
    4. Feeling subsides.
  3. PHRIT 2:
    1. In a moment, fire the anchor and you can allow yourself to go back [experience.] Maybe more powerful with each repetition as you practice it.
    2. Check for confirmation that they understand and agree before firing it.
    3. Fire it, [allowing yourself to go back, maybe even stronger. Maybe your unconscious is bringing in other experiences without you even knowing, find it in increase.]
    4. Let go and let that feeling subside.
  4. PHRIT 3:
    1. Fire the anchor and you’ll find yourself going back to [state.]
    2. Increasing with each visit.
    3. Check for confirmation that they understand and agree before firing it.
    4. Fire. Find yourself going back.
    5. That’s it, more and more confident.
    6. And now you can let go.
  5. PHRIT 4:
    1. Fire the anchor and you’ll find automatically feel [surge, state.]
    2. Naturally filling you head to toe.
    3. Confirmation.
    4. Fire anchor.
    5. That’s right. Immediately experiencing [state.] Your anchor is ready.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

What if they don’t go directly on the 3rd and 4th time? Find out why. They may have not understood, or you may have gone from permissive to direct too quickly, and they didn’t know how to do what you were asking of them. You can repeat the first suggestion to take themselves back more than once.

Couldn’t you have said all of this in one page? Yes! In fact, I could do better than that. I can say it all in just 4 lines:

  1. You tell them to do it - “bring yourself back”
  2. You tell them to let it happen - “allow yourself to come back”
  3. You tell them it can happen, permissively - “you will find yourself…”
  4. You tell them it will happen, directly - “you will come straight back”

Old, Graham. Revisiting Hypnosis: The Principles and Practice of Post-Hypnotic Re-induction Training for Anchoring, Post-hypnotic Suggestions and Inductions (The Inductions Masterclass Book 2) . Plastic Spoon. Kindle Edition.