Suggestion is something without which many processes in society are impossible. Communication, upbringing, work, relationships with the opposite sex - suggestion is everywhere. This influence can be used both for selfish purposes, to achieve one's own goals, and as an auxiliary therapy - self-hypnosis and well-being.
Definition of concept
Suggestion is an impact aimed at changing the behavioral characteristics of a person, his mental and emotional state. Due to changes in behavior and psyche, the individual, to whom the suggestion is directed, freely perceives new information (setting, instruction, order). The second name for suggestion is suggestion, and the person directing the suggestion is called a suggestor.
Influences of this kind are carried out in verbal and non-verbal ways. During communication, individuals also use suggestion, constantly imposing emotions, desires, moods and opinions on each other.
The power of suggestion directly depends on the quality of the receivedinformation, the authority of a person directing influence on someone, the suggestibility of an individual. In addition, the influence on a person is enhanced under the influence of external and internal factors: natural disasters, the emotional state of the individual, his suggestibility.
Suggestion, unlike persuasion, is based not on logical arguments, but on a person's willingness to accept instructions and transmitted information at a subconscious level. It instills in the suggested ideas, sensations and feelings of others without the use of any evidence and logical explanations.
Who is the most suggestible?
Children and women, as well as adolescents, impressionable people are more susceptible to other people's influence than adult men with an established psyche. A person becomes suggestible under the influence of the following physical and mental factors:
- weakness and fatigue;
- pain;
- bodily relaxation;
- drowsy;
- emotional excitement;
- boredom;
- low-level development of thinking;
- incompetence in any area;
- weak will;
- anxiety;
- shyness;
- lack of time when making any decision.
A person can resist both intentionally and unintentionally. Intentional resistance helps to purposefully overcome suggestion. This consists in a constant conscious analysis of the information received, comparing it with personal knowledge and beliefs. If the suggested program does not match the existing data, the personrejects her. Unintentional resistance lies in the pathological tendency to doubt of certain individuals.
Forms of suggestion
There are three main forms of influence on a person:
- hypnosis;
- suggestion when a person is completely relaxed, both mental and physical;
- suggestion in daily life, while the individual is awake.
The impact of this kind is aimed at reducing the vigilance of a person, weakening his thought processes to receive information, while using the emotions of the suggestible. That is, during the installation, new information is associated with facts already familiar to a person, people, situations that cause purely positive emotions in him. This allows you to win over the individual, inspire his confidence. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that if negative emotions appear, the installation will be completely rejected.
Persuasion
Suggestion and persuasion are similar and at the same time radically different concepts. The latter can be equated with a subspecies of suggestion. This method of influence uses logical techniques combined with social and psychological pressure. That is, references to authoritative sources of information, the influence of a group of individuals are used here as a tool. In the latter case, persuasion works more effectively, since the group influence on a person is stronger than the influence of one individual on another.
Persuasion is directed directly at the logic and mind of a person. Therefore, whenimpact takes into account the level of personality development. At a low level, persuasion may not work, as underdeveloped individuals usually lack logical thinking completely or partially.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis and suggestion are practically inseparable concepts. Hypnosis is a state in which a person is between sleep and wakefulness. In another way, hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, a trance. The hypnotist uses various techniques to put a person into a trance, influencing the psyche of the hypnotized.
The hypnotist performs several actions at the same time: induction into a trance; introduction into the subconscious of one's own attitudes, suggestion of certain tasks. A person is immersed in a hypnotic state through the constant, monotonous actions of a hypnotist aimed at irritating certain sense organs:
- touch (touching, stroking);
- hearing (muted music, calm tone of voice);
- vision (fixation of gaze on any attribute of the hypnotist).
Also, some hypnotists practice a complete blockage of the senses - physical relaxation, closing the eyes during the session. A person can enter a hypnotic state only if his brain has a predisposition to transitions into an inhibited state.
The voice of a hypnotist seems to take possession of a person's subconscious, blocking the flow of other information.
Autosuggestion
This subspecies of suggestion isacceptance of self-government. A person constantly inspires himself with any thoughts, imposes emotions and a desire to act. The impact on one's own self is actively used in pedagogy, education, self-study in various sciences. Self-hypnosis is a psychological suggestion that helps you overcome your own fears and achieve your goal.
The main forms of this impact are:
- affirmations - text and speech suggestions;
- visualization - images and pictures that create a mood, personifying a specific goal;
- meditation and self-hypnosis - suggestion with thoughts.
Self-hypnosis does not always give a positive attitude, often a person unconsciously inspires himself with a negative outcome of events, mentally lowers self-esteem. This does not allow the individual to develop and improve normally. Therefore, self-hypnosis must always be positive and conscious. The effectiveness of the impact depends on the person's susceptibility to attitudes, as well as their quality - incorrect and unrealistic attitudes are usually not perceived by the subconscious.
Methods and types of suggestion
Basically, suggestion is a verbal, verbal influence, enhanced by various auxiliary techniques. According to historical data, the word has always had the strongest influence on a person, it helped to cure dangerous diseases, it could stop and unleash a war.
In any of the methods, the impact first irritates one of the areas of the brain, while slowing down the work of the remaining part of it, and then, with the help of discharge,suggestible thought, word or idea is firmly fixed in the subconscious.
Mechanisms of suggestion are:
- Straight. Here the main role is played by the speech of the person directing the suggestion.
- Indirect. In addition to speech, other types of influence are used, stimuli that enhance the effect of suggestion
Suggestion with thoughts
Mental suggestion, the introduction of one's own desires and ideas - the impact, the result of which is a change in attitudes, beliefs and attitudes towards something or someone. This also includes the emergence of new aspirations in life, which the individual has not previously thought about.
This method of influence is used in the absence of close contact with the suggested person, that is, at a distance. The suggestor imagines in detail that the object of suggestion is currently next to him, while feeling how his thoughts reach their destination point - the subconscious of the suggested. In order for mental suggestion to come true, a person needs to believe in his own strength, as well as to imagine in detail what he wants to achieve from the suggestible, in what state he wants to introduce him.
Verbal or verbal suggestion
Influence of this kind implies a complete immersion of the suggestible in a relaxed state. This increases the strength of the verbal signals sent by the suggestor. The latter must be completely confident in their own abilities, collected and focused on the implementation of the plan.
Verbal or verbalsuggestion has several subspecies:
- Direct. Here, simple settings are used that are understandable both to the suggestor himself and to the suggestible. They are quickly spoken out and carried out, while the suggestible does not have the opportunity to refuse to accept the installation. This method of suggestion was previously used to block pain during operations.
- Indirect. With such an impact, a person does not understand what the suggestor is trying to achieve from him, and he has a choice whether to accept the installation or resist it.
- Open verbal suggestion. Here, the suggestible is offered several different attitudes, by accepting which, he can begin to act. The success of suggestion depends on the person's attitude to the information received.
- Hidden verbal suggestion. This is the combination of the calm speech of the individual with certain hidden orders (commands, settings).
All phrases and individual words are pronounced insistently, but at the same time calmly and evenly, not too loudly. The voice must contain the strength and confidence of the suggestor. The power of suggestion with words increases several times if phrases are constantly repeated, as repetition helps to fix new information in the subconscious of the suggested.
Nonverbal suggestion
The influence is carried out with the help of visual contact with the suggestible, changes in the intonation of the suggestor, various gestures, fixing a person's gaze on a constantly moving object. Words are used here as an auxiliary tool.
Methods of suggestion with non-verbal influence:
- Change in the physical condition of a person - catalepsy. During the suggestion, the individual takes a certain pose, which the suggestor imposes on him.
- Introducing pauses into spoken text. The suggested involuntarily fills the gaps between the information received with his own thoughts, decisions and attitudes.
- Levitation suggestion. Here the physical influence is completely absent, the suggestible plunges into a trance only thanks to his own imagination.
How to make suggestion more effective
Whatever the impact on a person, to achieve a positive result, you must be guided by the following rules:
- The suggestible should be in a relaxed state, while his logic and critical thinking should be completely turned off. This is possible with mild alcohol intoxication, as well as immersion in a trance.
- The suggestor needs to believe in what he is trying to inspire a person, otherwise the impact will not be effective. Also, he should not doubt his own abilities during the session.
- To achieve the desired result, you need to constantly train and improve yourself.
- During the influence, the suggestor must fulfill all the promises given to the ward, otherwise the suggestion will not be effective.
How to protect yourself from exposure
Due to the fact that many scammers use suggestion as a way to gain profit, it becomes necessary to protect themselves from this influence.
Recommendations to helpdefend against suggestion:
- When communicating with strangers, you need to remember your own goals, if necessary, transferring the conversation to a topic of interest to you.
- In the dialogue, you need to constantly change your position, use gestures, periodically changing intonation and tempo, voice timbre. It is also recommended to change the breathing rate.
- At the slightest suspicion of suggestion and inability to get rid of it, you need to abruptly cut off the dialogue and leave.
- During a conversation, experts do not recommend looking into the eyes of a person trying to inspire you with something, as well as watching his manipulations, whether it's waving his arms or using any objects that attract attention. Here you should fix your eyes on a static object, or constantly move your eyes from one object to another.
- If you understand that someone else's ideas and desires are trying to inspire you, then you need to immerse yourself in memories, mentally draw a picture of any events.
- Communication with your own "I", listening to loud music, reading aloud any text helps to stop the influence from the outside.
Remember that suggestion can be either positive or negative. A positive one helps to restore a person's self-confidence, restore he alth and give up addictions, when, as a negative suggestion, it destroys a person from the inside, setting up a negative outcome of events.
