Covert Hypnosis

Covert hypnosis is a subtle art of challenging the views of another person (or a group of persons) in order to replace those views with a different idea. It has many forms and incarnations that people sometimes use it unknowingly. Also known as conversational hypnotism (or conversational hypnosis), it's used by different people in different fields. The main medium in which it is applied is usually within dialogues and this is why it is a powerful tool for people to use.

Business Deals

The art of conversational hypnosis is more prominently used within the world of business. People who are experts in negotiations or marketing basically try to persuade other people so that they would buy their products. Salesmen even use various hypnosis techniques such as rapport/affinity during the first stages of business deals. Rapport is one of the most important elements that negotiators use in order to establish some form of mutual understanding with the other person. It is then followed by artful dialogue such as gentle forms of sleight of mouth (a pattern of countering ideas) in order to sway the other person into a desired direction.

Therapeutic Treatment

Psychologists also use conversational hypnosis in order to treat their patients with illnesses such as insomnia, mental stress, or phobias. As usual, the first stage is affinity/rapport. By making a sort of bond with the client through patiently listening and agreeing (or identifying) with their ideas and beliefs, the psychologist/therapist is able to gain some form of trust. Covert hypnosis in therapy happens to be a most basic process of treatment. Patients are often filled with strong yet abnormal opinions, but these are easily cured by conversational hypnotism. After affinity, a process of dialogue called distraction then follows in order to make the patient gradually reconsider his/her illogical beliefs.

Monologues

Monologues can either be speeches made by leaders or just simply longer announcements (like some advertisements). A person can use covert hypnotism so that he'd be able to persuade groups of people. At the start of a speech/announcement, the speaker would usually acknowledge specific subjects particularly important to a lot of people. Doing so makes it clear to the people listening that the speaker identifies and understands what the people are going through. A series of hypnosis techniques such as sleight of mouth or distraction (some speeches use confusion) then follows after the introductory rapport. A series of statements in the form of laconic phrases (very short and yet profound phrases) or other epigrams is what's commonly used.

Manipulation and Persuasion

Some people think that manipulation and persuasion are the same. Though both can be used for deception, it is not entirely accurate to say that they have the same meaning. In a sense, persuasion is leading another person through logic, incentive, or by example, while manipulation is all about total control (trickery, etc). For example: Persuasion is like urging a horse to go forward, while manipulation is beating the horse so that it'll be submissive. Covert hypnosis can be used for both purposes but it generally leans more toward the persuasion aspect since hypnosis actually falls under that definition rather than manipulation.