Everybody wants to learn to hypnotize someone - at least, this is what the morass of advertisements detailing the benefits of all the hypnotism programs for sale would have us believe. There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn this (assuming your motives are not nefarious), but the best way to do this is to experience hypnosis directly. You'll be in a much better position to know whether or not hypnosis is actually working on your subject.

Knowledge is power, so let's start with just a bit of history.

A Scottish neurosurgeon by the name of James Braid came up with the term hypnotism in the 1880s. Known as the Father of Hypnosis, Braid began his journey by studying the popular theories of his era — animal magnetism and mesmerism. He came to the conclusion that mesmerism and mesmeric trances had nothing to do with magnetism. Hypnotism was not a result of magnetic fluids running through our bodies.

Conducting numerous experiments and engaging in observation led Braid to conclude that hypnosis could be induced by following some basic rules. He coined the term hypnosis — after Hypnos, Greek god of sleep — because those in a "trance" appeared to be sleeping. He discovered, though, that an individual could be hypnotized and still be wide awake.

Braid's four basic rules constitute the 4-Stage Formula that follows:

*Absorb attention: in this stage the hypnotist attempts to capture the individual's focus. It requires the hypnotist to draw the subject in and then to lead the subject into the deeper levels of the unconscious (subconscious) mind with suggestion-laced language.

*Bypass the critical factor: this is the part of the mind that says, "No, this isn't possible." Resistance to hypnosis results from the critical factor (disbelief, doubt) standing between the desired hypnotic state and the subject. The subject is resistant because he or she doesn't fully believe it's possible to be hypnotized. This resistance must be bypassed if the hypnosis is to be effective and the suggestions are to sink deeply enough into the unconscious/subconscious mind.

*Activate an unconscious response: perhaps the best example of this would be the hypnotist eliciting an emotional response from the subject.

*Leading the unconscious to the desired outcome - through carefully constructed suggestions.

Once you have your subject in a hypnotic state and have accomplished the four stages, you will lead your subject to the desired outcome through the landscape of the unconscious mind. It's actually less technical than it sounds. The best way to get an idea of the process is to experience the hypnotic trance state yourself. There's nothing mystical or weird about it. An easy way to gain an experience of hypnosis is to download an mp3 or get a CD that explores an area you'd like to make improvements in. Listening to a professionally designed audio hypnosis script is the fastest way to expose yourself to the process. Just decide on a goal you'd like to achieve — for example, losing weight, sleeping better, building confidence, conquering procrastication — download the appropriate hypnosis mp3, and listen. In this way, you will learn to hypnotize someone else by experiencing hypnosis first hand. Once you've experienced the benefits directly, your subject will sense your own surefootedness, with the result that his or her critical factor will be diminished.