You now know all the basics of Méthode Dolfino and can’t wait to practice … So start playing.

On stage, a famous hypnotist speaks to you: “You... Come join me up here please.” Surprised, you look around and wonder: “Me?”

“Yes, yes, you, with the red sweater, seat number 9, please come join me on stage.”

Taken aback, you hesitate, but a little nudge from your friend convinces you to get up and go on stage.

“This is it,” you tell yourself, “I’m part of the show!”

Not yet. The master of ceremonies must first check whether you’re a good candidate by testing your suggestibility, that is, your disposition, or your ability, to easily receive suggestions.

Stage hypnotists always check the suggestibility of audience members very quickly with small tests, such as fingers moving closer together and sticking to one another.

If the hypnotist can’t get you to succeed at this test, it means your level of suggestibility is low. So they’ll send you back to your seat. Sorry, you won’t be part of the show. On the other hand, if they manage to put you into another state of consciousness, it means your degree of suggestibility is moderate or high, and then, yes, you’ll be drawn into their game.

There are several tests to check a person’s receptiveness to suggestions, and they aren’t only used by stage hypnotists. These tests are useful for anyone (psychologist, therapist, doctor, nurse, teacher, midwife, dentist...) who needs to check someone’s resistance to entering an altered state of consciousness.

If you actually found yourself on stage, in a great hypnotist’s show, how do you think you would react? In your opinion, what is your degree of suggestibility: low, moderate or high?

There is only one way to know, and that is to run suggestibility tests, because a person’s suggestibility cannot be predicted. It has nothing to do with their intelligence, their determination, or their personality. Even though it is hard to determine what a person’s degree of suggestibility depends on, there does seem to be a link between a person’s ability to trust others, their willingness to play creatively, and their suggestible nature. So the more you trust people while wanting to play creatively, the more likely you are to respond well to suggestions.

When a person has low receptivity to suggestions, you will need to pay particular attention to the induction of the hypnotic trance. Anyone can enter an altered state of consciousness — it is a natural state. In a therapeutic context, it is the person who chooses to enter an altered state of consciousness. The Méthode Dolfino® can be practiced easily with a person who has a low degree of suggestibility.

It is important to assess the suggestibility level of the person you are going to guide so you can calibrate your induction to bring them into trance. This cannot be judged at first glance. This level varies from person to person, and it can even vary over time within the same person. You will therefore use tests to measure the degree of suggestibility of the person you are accompanying.

Suggestibility tests also help create a climate of trust between the guide and the person being guided. Since these tests require a certain closeness, they foster connection and give you a shared experience. If, as a guide, you succeed in getting the guided person to easily receive your suggestions, you will see that this helps convince the person that the method works and that change is possible for them. Successfully completing the tests also generates a state that favors the induction of an altered state of consciousness.

If the suggestibility tests do not go as well as you had hoped, stay confident and remember that an altered state of consciousness can also be reached by a person with a low level of suggestibility. All it takes is more time during the induction.

One thing is certain: suggestibility tests are a good first step in your guide-guided relationship.

The tests are grouped into three classes. It is easy to get conclusive results with the class 1 tests. From there, move on to the class 2 and class 3 tests. Class 3 tests require the highest level of suggestibility from the guided person and greater confidence from the guide.

For every chance of success to be in your favor, as a guide, you must:

Take on a leader-of-the-game position for this short span of time. You are the person who must suggest things to the other, lead them to trust you, lead them to do what you suggest. The confidence you project is felt by the other person’s unconscious. The more sure of yourself you are, the more the person will trust you and the more they’ll follow what you propose. Offer these tests as fun, be playful. Think of it as training a 5-year-old to play with you.

On both a physical and psychological level, the guided person must feel constantly safe. To create a safe space and a reassuring atmosphere, always inform the person of the steps to come and keep frank eye contact with them. In the case of a backward fall, for example, tell them you’re there to catch them, that they can let go.

It’s much easier to accept taking one small step to begin with. So it’s important to start off very gently. Convincing the other person to play with you is a first step. If you manage to get them to say “yes” more than once and lead them to accept the idea of a first game, then you’ll have succeeded in creating a climate favorable to sharing.

When you give the guided person instructions concerning their body, for example, do it as if their body were dissociated from them. You’ll see that if their Young Me considers the body as an instrument rather than a part of themselves, they’ll respond more favorably to your suggestions. So say “Move the arm” rather than “Move your arm.” It’s much less constraining to move AN arm than to move THEIR arm.

You can test this with a teenager. Just ask them to “pick up THE shoes left in the entryway” rather than “pick up THEIR shoes that THEY left in the entryway.” This subject will be covered in more detail in the section on trance induction.

Add rhythm and chain the steps together. In doing so, you keep the person you’re playing with from starting to analyze, rationalize, and block your suggestions. The training effect is also very important. So, once you’ve succeeded with a class 1 test, quickly move on to a class 2 test and then a class 3 test. Don’t take time to savor your success before moving on to the next class of test. This pace will increase your success rate. You need to take advantage of the state of mind the person is in right after responding positively to a suggestion: their young me is open and wants to keep playing.

Forget what’s happening around you, the person in front of you is the most important person there is

Do the double binds at least three times (e.g. “the more you look at your fingers, the closer they get” or “the more you try to move forward, the more stuck you are”)

A small clarification before you play: know that a double bind is the association made between the expected result and the gesture produced. You tell the person what you expect from them when you make a particular gesture. For example: “The further the hands move away from the shoulders, the more you’re pulled forward.” Often there’s no logical connection between cause and effect, but the words create…

Have fun spotting these double binds in the backward fall example.

Ideally, you’ll do at least two tests consecutively. Always start with class 1 tests, since they’re easier to carry out. Also, if the guided person responded little or not at all to your suggestions during a class 1 test, continue with another class 1 test.

Hi, you’re standing there in front of me, feet on the ground, we’re looking into each other’s eyes. Would you like to play with me? I learned a little trick, it’s called the backward fall, it’s very simple and safe. Are you okay to try it?

Wonderful! So, when I put my hands on your shoulders, they’re going to become like magnets. The hands and shoulders will attract each other like magnets, and when I pull my hands away, you’ll be drawn along and your whole body will follow the hands. The further the hands move away, the more the body will lean backward (this double bind can be used several times).

[Demonstrate physically on yourself, speaking and using the double binds]

[Look into their eyes again, straighten your shoulders, you’re the expert and it’s just for fun]

Rest assured, I’ll stay behind you and hold you. [Position yourself behind the person]

Now, I’m putting my hands on your shoulders. [Place hands on shoulders]

The hands and shoulders are like magnets that attract each other and stay stuck together.

When I pull my hands away, the shoulders will follow as if drawn by the hands.

The body will lean backward as the hands move away.

Now, the hands and body are stuck together like super powerful magnets, as if welded, they’re so stuck. [Slightly emphasize the pace and excitement in your voice]

The body follows the hands...[Lift the hands very slightly off the shoulders]I’m removing my hands, and the shoulders are drawn like magnets, the body follows the hands. [Slowly pull the hands back]

The further the hands move away, the more the body leans backward...

The further the hands move away, the more the body leans backward... The body leans backward...That’s it... Wonderful... The further the hands move away, the more the body leans backward...

[Hold the person steady. Put your hands back on their back to stop the backward movement]

The choice of words, the pronunciation, the conviction you put into it and the time you take between the gesture and the words are all factors to consider to increase your chances of success. Practice until you get good results with the tests from the 1st class.

Confidence, respect and ethics will always be paramount in your practice, whether you are a novice or experienced, an amateur or a professional.

Playing to show off or to gain influence over others will only bring temporary satisfaction and is not what Dolfino teaches. Be generous with your time and your knowledge, and use them for your own greater good and that of everyone.