The Right Mix for Influence

As I continue my Lean journey, I have recently been focusing on applying Lean to sales. How do buyer's make decisions and how can I influence them is a question on every salesperson's mind. As I searched for the answer, I discovered that it is not one action but rather a mix of engaging employees, helping them accelerate their processes, and aligning with both Agile and Lean selling.

How we make decisions

It may sound overwhelming to consider how to combine those elements. So, allow me to sort out what I have found in my research. Although today's buyer is more knowledgeable, she is still human and makes decisions like everyone else in one of two states. Billionaire John Assaraf's research found that the first state uses the reptilian part of the brain that is focused on safety, belonging, and significance. If a company has a culture of fear, it limits the creativity, the ability to solve complex problems, and the development of visionary ideas. It causes people to think out of fear with their reptilian brain.

John and Harvard professor Srini Pillay MD found that the other part of the brain, the Prefrontal Cortex, has full access to the brain's resources and can make smart decisions. Although survival is always paramount, we can create an environment of comfort and allow both the seller and the decision maker to use the smart area of ​​their brains. An atmosphere of safety also develops trust between the buyer and seller. Your conversation must also communicate that you see the unique qualities of the buyer. Let the buyer know that you are in the situation together and you have similar interests. This approach will increase the safety as well as develop trust.

Being Agile

Where does Agile come into the mix? Well, being agile means we must be present and not led astray by the next shiny thing. Toyota Kata coaching stresses focus and inquiry. Practice being focused. Focusing means being present where you are at that moment in time. Listen to what the customer is saying, don't think about the past or the future. It also means don't be distracted by time wasters. The other part of the Toyota process is to inquire at multiple levels until you get to the root of the problem and then to the solution. By asking questions, you lead the customer to make complex decisions and to take ownership of them. This approach prevents buyer remorse, and in employees, it generates growth and leadership skills. Remember for buyers and employees many decisions are like crossing a swinging bridge over a chasm like those seen on TV shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race. They need to feel safe, so they can switch to the part of their brain that makes smart decisions.

Safety, Clarity, and Vision

How can you help them feel safe enough to switch and to make a decision? The brain reacts to clarity, a vision. Christine Comaford, the author of Smart Tribes , says that "an emotionally engaging mission, vision, and values ​​statement will help you get connected." In the courses I attended when I became a salesperson and then as a trainer, I learned it is critical to set and to obtain explicit expectations. It is also essential to create a vision by painting a picture with words. That is why storytelling works so well in selling.

Lean Selling and Accelerating Processes

Lean has been applied to manufacturing with great success for years. However, it is only recently that companies have begun to apply Lean to selling. Many considered sales to be an art and as such Lean was not applicable. Others thought that the latest sales training program or CRM package would solve their revenue problems. However, Lean does apply to sales. Applying Lean does not mean that the salesperson must change his or her personality. It means that you use the lean tools to define and refine your processes. You must remain relevant to the market and the changing competitive conditions. You must also locate the root cause of missing a sales target. Most often it is the process, not the person. Using Lean to streamline the process will also accelerate the results.

Examine Your Urges

Motivation doesn’t last because it diminishes the moment challenges arise.

Humans are emotional creatures and while we have highly sophisticated forebrains, our actions are dictated by our limbic brain.

Your actions are driven by unconscious desires that dwell deep in your reptilian brain, comprising of the brain stem and cerebellum. Its purpose centres on physical survival and the homoeostasis of your body.

Its primary function is to preserve your survival and control movement, breathing, reproduction and other basic survival needs.

It controls unconscious actions and is resistant to change. Even when starting a new habit, your attempts can be hijacked by the reptilian brain.

The thinking brain accounts for approximately 20% of your decision-making which explains why behavioural change is often met with resistance.

Most people live on autopilot and are dictated by their instincts which means the reptilian brain is in command.

The problem occurs when you give in to gratification instead of engaging the logical mind to examine these urges.

Motivation doesn’t last because it is a fleeting incident repeatedly commandeered by your unconscious desires, even despite your best intentions.

I liken it to having someone place their hand on your back to keep you moving forward. If they remove their hand, you are likely to lose your motivation.

It was the late American motivational speaker Jim Rohn who once said: “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” He knew that motivation alone is not enough to sustain your efforts.

I believe Sound Habits + A Compelling WHY are two important components that will help you achieve your goals and success.

The HOW, the WHAT and the WHY

I’ve coached hundreds of people over the past decade, ranging from athletes to CEOs and the one key factor that often comes up in coaching sessions is the subject of feelings.

People often say they don’t feel motivated to act or commit to a habit because they are responding to their emotional brain and give in to its demands.

I like author and doctor Kyra Bobinet’s perspective in her book Well Designed Life: 10 Lessons In Brain Science & Design Thinking For A Mindful, Healthy, & Purposeful Life: “When people say things like “I need to get motivated,” what I think they really are saying is “I want to feel stronger about doing this, and I hope that will get me to do it.” They are saying motivation, but really, they are talking about emotion.”

So if motivation doesn’t last, what does?

I’m glad you asked.

What is required is a powerful WHY?

According to motivational author Simon Sinek, many people and organisations focus on the HOW and WHAT as their primary motivators.

In his Golden Circle principle, the HOW and WHAT occupy the outer rings of the circle, while the WHY fills the centre.

The WHAT is the role of the neocortex which is responsible for rational, analytical thought and language.

The HOW is governed by the limbic brain, responsible for your feelings, trust and loyalty. It governs human behaviour and decision-making and has no capacity for language.

The WHY is ruled by the limbic brain and handles intuition and decision-making.

What this all means is when you have a commanding WHY you are likely to associate powerful emotions to your actions that leads to a greater chance of success.

Authors Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske explain in The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success how to better manage your emotions instead of allowing them to dictate your life: “The difference between a Winner’s Brain and an average brain is that Winners make a point of directing their emotions in productive ways. They don’t simply spew out emotions in an uncontrolled or thoughtless manner; they are highly sensitive to their emotional responses (even the negative ones) so that emotions can make positive contributions to current and long-term goals.”

To highlight an example, I’m currently working with a young lady who is a woman’s soccer referee. Jane (not her real name) was injured over 12 months ago when she rolled her ankle on a dry section of a soccer pitch during a game.

Whilst her injury did not require surgery, she suffered a grade II tear to the ligaments in her ankle which required twelve months of rehabilitation.

In our first meeting, I asked Jane what she enjoyed about being a soccer referee (WHY?). This was difficult for her to answer, and I had to probe further.

However, by the end of the session she stated her motivation to be a soccer referee stemmed from her childhood memories of going to soccer games with her father. She could recall the smell of the grass and experienced a flood of emotions as she recounted the experience to me.

I could see tears filling up in her eyes and I knew we had found a strong reason to help regain her full health again.

The good news is that Jane has made a full recovery and is now back refereeing because of one simple reason. She associated a compelling WHY that inspired her to show up each week to do the work because she knew it was too important to leave to motivation.

Take The Emotional Journey Into Yourself

I’ve worked with many other similar people and the common theme throughout is helping them to uncover their WHY well before they act.

I’m not saying motivation doesn’t exist or there isn’t a place for it. Based on my experience, a powerful WHY trumps motivation every time because motivation is like a fuse and burns out quickly.

Typically, I will also help my clients establish sound habits to support their goals and draw their awareness to the change cycle.

Motivation alone doesn’t guarantee results, nor can you rely on it because it comes and goes.

Everyone is motivated at the beginning of a new habit, goal or project, yet six months later the individual is unmotivated. This is when life gets in the way or when unexpected challenges arise.

In Jane’s case, four weeks out from her fitness test to qualify as a referee, she developed inflammation in her knee which required scaling back her training program.

Most people would give up, however Jane realised the goal was too important because her WHY meant more to her than the short term setback of an injured knee.

Thankfully, she managed the injury through a refined exercise program instead of giving up.

I appreciate the schools of thought that say: grit, resiliency and a growth mindset is paramount to achieving your goals.

Whilst I agree, if you do not have a convincing WHY, it is unlikely you will achieve success based on these principles alone.

Ask yourself the following questions before undertaking a goal or project to get clear on your primary motivation:

Why is this goal/project important to me?

What will it mean if I achieve this goal/project?

Will I be fulfilled if I achieve this goal/project?

In relation to the first question, when you have answered it, continue asking WHY until you reach an emotional point where you experience tears or are moved by your answer.

This process must be an emotional journey into yourself because you are trying to tap into the limbic brain.

Only then you will discover the real reason you are pursuing a specific goal or action.

After all, if you don’t understand the reason behind your motivation, what use is the goal to you when it is achieved?

Search engine optimization dominates the thinking and to a large degree the marketing efforts of many small and medium-sized companies, but have you ever noticed that many of the largest and most profitable companies in the world ignore many SEO techniques.

Of course these companies have large advertising and marketing budgets that drive traffic to their websites and generate leads, sales, and most importantly customers; and they achieve these results without having to twist their Web-marketing message out of shape in order to satisfy search engine criteria.

Their prime interest is in delivering their finely crafted, focused marketing message to their audience, not to search robots. Last I heard search engines are in the business of selling you their stuff not buying yours. But these companies also know something that you don’t; they have a secret that makes their marketing work without the need for search engine appeasement. This secret is not much of a secret, in fact it is out there for all see; unfortunately most search engine crazed entrepreneurs choose to ignore it and instead look for an easy fix, a magic bullet, search engine nirvana.

Google’s Mission

Google’s success is based on two very simple facts: one, it is the best way to find what people are looking for on the Web; and two, it has parlayed this ability into a series of paid-for services. Pretty obvious stuff until you delve deeper into why and how this works. Google understands the same thing most extraordinarily successful companies understand and that is they know what you really want. The keyword here is ‘really:’ they understand the unconscious primal need to survive, to be the alpha-ape, to be first on page one of a search for whatever it is you do, because in the SEO game, if you ain’t on the leader board you ain’t in the money.

The Google Paradox

Here’s the problem: Google can only be successful as long as they deliver relevant search results to a vast Internet audience. If they fail to deliver appropriate search results people will stop using them and their paid-for services will decline. On the other hand, you as a business executive want access to Google’s vast audience, and the only way you think you can effectively gain this access is to appear on that first search page as close to the top as possible; and you really don’t give a damn how you get there. Enter the search engine optimization gurus, boffins, and Svengalis who provide the promise of survival of the most index-able.

So now we have Google who’s success is based on delivering relevant searches and SEO companies intend on manipulating this ability to place their clients on page one near the top. Google of course being a smart bunch of guys foils the SEOs by constantly changing their methods and algorithms and trumps them by placing paid-for results in the most prominent places. And the game continues, bringing in huge profits to Google and wonderfully large fees to the search engine optimization experts, leaving you paying the shot with little to show for it.

Just as an aside, I can tell you that most of our website traffic and subsequent inquiries and worldwide clients come from Google searches, and our website is mostly Flash, concentrates on Web-video and audio, and basically ignores most search optimization tricks. We rely on providing our audience and Google with relevant material.

Back to Basics

The lesson here is clear: sound marketing practices based on the way people think and act should be your number one priority, not blind faith in the manipulation of some constantly changing mathematical formula that is increasingly playing second fiddle to paid-for placement.

Persuasion Techniques

The ability to make money on the Web is not based on traffic but rather on your ability to communicate. High volume expensive traffic that leaves your site within seconds serves no financial purpose. You should be spending your marketing dollars on methods that grab visitors’ attention and deliver a focused, informative, entertaining and memorable marketing message that resonates with your audience’s unconscious desires formed in the primitive reptilian portion of the brain.

The Lustication-Justification Process

Sales are generated by creating what Clotaire Rapaille, the reigning superstar of market research, refers to as the process of lustication and justification. Lustication is the psychological trigger of desire that makes your audience want to buy your product or service, while justification is merely the rational excuse used to expend resources.

Decoding the Motivating Triggers

Rapaille’s work is all about decoding the motivating triggers that prompt a purchase. Once found, the job of the marketing effort is to stay on code. The major research effort is to get past the excuses, the justifications, the rational left brain thinking that appeases the accountants, engineers and programmers, and to get down to the nitty-gritty, the elements and primal coding that make us tick.

Rapaille believes words carry more than their literal meaning and are ripe with unconscious associations, not a surprising revelation since all communication whether verbal or nonverbal is based on the associations we make over a lifetime of experience. These shared associations form the basis of the code we are looking to play upon in our marketing.

Where most corporations and advertising agencies use focus groups as an exercise designed to cover their collective asses, Rapaille takes a different approach. As a trained psychiatrist, he organizes his version of focus groups in stages. During the first stage he allows his subjects to gain a sense of accomplishment by justifying their reasoning through logical and rational thinking that he completing ignores. In the second stage, he pursues the more relevant hidden aspects of desire, and that’s the ultimate sales trigger he’s looking for.

An Affordable Solution

Most businesses certainly can’t afford the fees of someone like Clotaire Rapaille, but if you free yourself from conventional thinking and the need to justify and rationalize everything you do then maybe you to can find the hidden triggers of desire that form the code you need to base your marketing on.

Humans have two fundamental needs, survival and improvement; these essential requirements are subdivided into our need for food, shelter, reproduction, acceptance, community, status, and knowledge; these are motivational triggers for everything your audience does and for every cent they spend. While you’re knocking your brains out competing for top spot on a Google search, the big boys are delivering what people really want, and laughing all the way to the bank.

If you want your share of the Internet pie, you best discover what really satisfies your audience’s hunger, because that’s the basis for a marketing message and website presentation that works.

In Australia, there is a cryptid known as the Burrunjor. This creature has been in Australian tradition for a long time, most likely originating from Aboriginal oral tradition. According to these Aboriginal tales, the Burrunjor is a reptile that walks on its two hind legs and has two very short forearms. This 25-foot long monster was said to be fast and dangerous. But the account of the Burrunjor does not end with the Aboriginal people. Modern Australians, have also said to have seen or witnessed these creatures, as well as the carnage that they can cause.

Sometime in the 1950’s there were numerous cattle ranchers who reported that they found their cattle dead on their land, killed by some savage beast. In fact, these cattle were not only dead but some were also half-eaten by some big and mysterious animal that no one could identify. Other Ranchers even reported to have heard some thunderous roars in the jungle, with sounds of leaves and branches thrashing and breaking in the middle of the night. There was even one farmer who claimed to have seen the giant walking lizard up on two feet about 70 meters away. Suffice to say, not a lot of farmers or ranchers stayed.

In 1961, another person gave an account of the Burrunjor, claiming to have seen the monster in a swampland near the Gulf Coast. It was said to be 25-feet tall. Other sightings have not been limited to Australia; Bolivia, New Guinea, and South America have also reported seeing this type of creature. The last sighting of the creature was on 1982, there were three-toed footprints found in New South Wales. The footprint was said to have been caused by a bipedal reptile of humongous proportions since the footprint measured 2 feet wide, and 2 ½ feet long.

From the accounts, one can sum up the reptilian monster as a type of ancient dinosaur, quite possibly a T-Rex. It is unlikely that the creature is an actual T-Rex but it is possible that it might have been an ancestor of the dinosaur; one that has been living in the jungle and had little need to evolve much. Some might say that this is unlikely but the fact remains that something is out there. And in a land where kangaroos and wallabies, and other unusual and unique animals live, it is not hard to imagine a creature like the Burrunjor do exist.

There is a website that describes the Burrunjor and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail, this website is called: Unknown Creatures and it may be found at this url: http://www.unknown-creatures.com

Reptiles have always been associated with mythologies. Different kinds of reptiles have existed on this planet and all of them have been associated with certain symbols in various pagan religions. In Egyptian mythology, different types of aspects of human and societal development have been associated with reptiles. Reptiles have been ascribed with possessing magical and super natural powers.

Reptiles throughout Egyptian religion have also been ascribed with certain powers and associated with certain symbols. In ancient Egypt, the snake was considered as the Pharaoh’s reptile. In Egyptian Mythology, Re was one of the primary gods whose head was that of a serpent. The Pharaohs often had the symbol of the snake on their crown. The Cobra also gained a sacred status by Egyptians. The cobra which is known for its famous posture of expanding its upper neck in aggression was ascribed with the gift of immortality. Cobras have been inscribed on several Egyptian monuments built during the Old and New Egyptian Kingdoms.

Lizards have been associated with the Sun in Egyptian mythology. It is believed that lizards during spring climb on the east wall and always face the east. The sight of a blind person might also return with the movement of the lizard. The lizard in ancient Egyptian Mythology has represented good luck and divine knowledge. This was derived from the deep veneration for the Hermes and Serapes.

While the lizard brought good luck, the turtle was associated with draught. The turtle was considered to be the foe of the Sun God. Turtles also depicted the flow of the Nile River in ancient Egyptian Mythology. Crocodiles have also found a place in the Egyptian mythology. Crocodiles were associated with negative aspects of human nature. It represented the Sebek linked with deceit, duplicity, passion and betrayal. However, in some parts of Egypt, the crocodile is also associated with the sunrise, and the flooding of the Nile River.

Everyone has a Reptilian brain. The reptilian brain consists of the upper part of the spinal cord and the basal ganglia, the diencephalons, and parts of the midbrain – all of which sits atop the spinal column like a knob in the middle of our heads.

What does this have to do with weight loss? Maybe nothing physically, but conceptually it does. Possibly even in the physical sense also. We are ancient creatures and as we have progressed into modern man, we have developed some odd beliefs and behaviors. Exercise being one of the most bizarre.

Weight loss can be affected by exercise, but not in the way you may think. Our natural bodies are built to process food and to regulate our weight based on the food supply and quality of that food. Our efforts to procure that food is through movement, as it has been for thousands of years. But while we have continued through the ages, man did not run several miles, or swing from tree to tree for an hour and then go out and look for food.

Our biology has been such, and remains so, that with moderate movement and the right kinds of foods in proper amounts, the body will regulate it’s optimum weight without unnecessary crazy exercise. This is where I believe the reptilian brain comes in and affects us. Some believe that the reptilian brain is about behavior. I believe it goes deeper than that. Since it’s part of the nervous system, it affects our whole system.

So where am I going with this? To show you how I lost 100 pounds without any exercise at all. I have written about many subjects, but never myself. It’s time, because I want to share my story with you. This will be important if you have some extra pounds to lose or a lot of weight to lose. I am a glowing example of what you can obtain without exercise.

Exercise can sometimes and often times, impede your weight loss. But when you are attempting to lose weight, you normally cut back on your caloric intake. at the same time you are punishing your body and muscle tissue, trying to get it to burn calories. You are sending your body a mixed message. You are telling it to use the fuel you give it in the form of food to power it’s movement and thusly burn calories, eliminating fat which is an integral part of your body. And at the same time you are cutting back on that very fuel you are telling your body it needs to bean efficient fat burning machine. The two conflicting ideas cause body confusion. It really doesn’t know what to do. This all affects the reptilian brain which I believe, tells your body to slow down while it tries to figure out what is going on with in you.

This is where I step in and clear up the confusion. Once I figured this out, I was able to eliminate the exercise, eat the right foods and plenty of them and subsequently lose 100 pounds in just 8 months. I did this while at the same time suffering from extreme heart failure. My body was fighting more problems than you could shake a stick at, and yet it worked. I was onto something.

Bottom line is that, I did not exercise at all. Not even getting outside and walking around the neighborhood. I just stuck to the plan and the weight loss was phenomenal. The weight just seemed to melt off. So how do you do it?

I don’t have enough room nor time here to fully explain. That’s why checking out my signature box is very important. The path to the information can be found in there. You can exercise your arse off and struggle while attempting to lose weight, or you can sit back, eat and not go hungry, and watch those unwanted pounds just melt off. it’s your choice. I can almost guarantee you that with exercise your reptilian brain will fight you the whole way.

Do You React or Reason? Well that depends on which part of the brain you activate. To greatly over-simplify neuroscience, the brain can be divided into three main areas of function. Most advanced is the forebrain or the neocortex, which is responsible for thinking and reasoning. It has also been called the primate brain.

Beneath that is the lower brain, made up of the midbrain or limbic system, which includes the amygdala. This area is often called the mammalian brain. The limbic system is the emotional center. The amygdala is the center for emotional learning. Feelings of love, hate, lust, anger, fear, revenge, and contentment all come from this area of the brain.

When the amygdala is activated, feels threatened, or when there’s a sense that people might laugh at you, it takes over. Emotion rises up to shut you down. This can be seen as a natural resistance, the nagging voice that fears failure, keeps you in the safe-zone, and works to keep you from being noticed.

There is a biological underpinning that creates fear and uncertainty, finds excuses and makes tasks needlessly complex or oversimplified to halt your progress. The resistance can be so powerful that it will undermine all the shortcuts, time savers and focusing tools you try to use. It is subtle and sounds quite sensible, but it will compromise your goals and undermine your efforts.

Beneath that, is the final area, the hindbrain. It developed hundreds of millions of years ago and is found in the area of the brain stem, which is at the base of the skull emerging from the spinal column. As the oldest and smallest region of the human brain, its function is evident in your reactions.

It is similar to the entire brain of present-day reptiles. It is often called the “reptilian brain” or “lizard brain,” as it is found in lower life forms such as lizards, crocodiles and birds. This part of the brain determines your general level of alertness and regulates the autonomic brain processes of the body, such as breathing, heartbeat, digestion, blood pressure and the fight or flight response.

The reptilian brain lacks language; it acts on impulses that are ritualistic and instinctual. Fundamental needs such as survival, self-care, dominance, and mating are its primary concerns. Procrastination and being hypercritical are products of the reptilian brain, which also creates anxiety, obsessions and excuses.

When you procrastinate, your reptilian brain is sensing a threat, something that it feels like resisting. You begin to feel emotionally dull about the task, which can even lead to dread. This is your reptilian brain trying to keep you from stepping out of the box and doing something new, even if potentially beneficial. It acts out of fear and limits you to the status quo.

The reptilian brain is reacting, not thinking. When you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself, “What is the deeper reason I might feel threatened by this task.” When you deal with that or face it, you are activating the rational, thinking part of the brain and can begin to manage the task further.

For the reptilian brain, things are black and white, and never your fault. And while your reptilian brain is busy reacting, your mind will be engaged in fear-based subtle judgment and unfocused on the task at hand. Become conscious of this. The abilities to suspend snap judgment, stay on task, and move past the status quo are important steps in transforming behavior.

Often when you make choices that don’t line up with your rational belief system, or you don’t do what you think you should do, it is due to the reptilian brain influence. By calming that area of the brain, you will increase control over your thoughts and your intentional behavior.

Therefore it becomes vital that you recognize what behaviors result from the reptilian brain. When you recognize that these are simple reactions, you can begin to tackle them using the thinking part of your brain.

By breaking down the task into simple steps and resolving to only act on step one, you can diffuse the sense of threat that the reptile brain encounters. Once you have completed step one, your likelihood of continuing though the process is high, after all you were able to do the hardest part, get started. You have now established a simple way to override the reptilian brain mentality.

The reptilian brain, in partnership with the limbic system, determines and conditions a great deal of your behavior. By paying attention to these reactions, you can engage the thinking part of the brain and begin to make simple adjustments to create the outcomes you desire.

The triune model divides the human brain into reptilian, mammalian and human components. The theory is that as we grew smarter over our evolutionary history, we bolted on new structures to the brain. As such, all mammals have a simpler, more reptilian brain at the centre. Humans have extra features on top of that, creating three separate layers.

As with all of neuroscience, the truth is much more complicated than this. Even so, this simple model helps you be a better hypnotist.

The reptilian brain consists of the basal ganglia, the structures that sit on top of the spinal column. It controls involuntary actions, whether they are ingrained (such as regulating temperature and heart-rate) or learned (such as habits). It also has a role in motivation, decision-making and memory.

Any hypnotist will find this intriguing. Stage hypnotists know all about temperature – a popular opening for a routine involves hypnotising subjects to feel hot, then cold, then hot again. Then there are classic trance phenomena like arm levitations and eye locks. In other words, involuntary actions. And hypnosis is excellent for treating decision-making issues, whether they are bad habits, addictions or even depression.

Whatever hypnosis does, it clearly affects the basal ganglia.

This means that you need to keep the subject’s inner lizard happy. If the basal ganglia block the trance, it doesn’t matter what fancy moves you try. Even if the subject consciously wants to change, it doesn’t matter – the human brain is only part of the picture.

If you want to hypnotise people, you need the basal ganglia on board. One of its (many) tasks is to detect physical threats. When danger strikes – whether it’s a speeding car or angry dog – you respond before you’re consciously aware of it. What do the classic fear reactions – freeze, flight and fight – have in common? They combine automatic decision-making and involuntary actions.

So the basal ganglia will not enter a trance if the subject feels physically threatened.

This is common sense. It also contradicts the Svengali style of hypnosis, where a sinister and creepy dude battles his subjects into submission. I won’t say it’s neurologically impossible to threaten someone into trance, but it’s highly unlikely.

If you want to hypnotise someone, they should feel safe. That means being non-threatening. It also involves controlling the environment. If the subject can’t relax, you’re fighting an uphill battle from the start. This doesn’t mean you can’t hypnotise someone who’s stressed or even in a panic attack. It does mean, though, that the subject has to believe that you are a safe person to be hypnotised by. They have to believe this to their very core.