A question was asked in another hypnosis group about being given a suggestion that both reflects erotic desire and has potentially damaging results in ones live and if that suggestion would have effect. I answered there, but though it was interesting enough to post the answer here as well because, it displays a common human interaction between fantasy and reality as well as how that interacts with suggestion. That is to say that if we are truly honest with ourselves we all have desires that are beyond our ability limits and personal boundaries and ethics. The idea that they are so taboo as to set off our personal alarm bells is part of what makes them work so well in the venue of fantasy.

It is easy to think of this as a deep down vs surface level desire. That is deep down you have a desire and surface level there are practical issues that need to be addressed. However, the actual issue is more one of Gestalt and shows parts in conflict. That is part of desires, perhaps even needs to be taken through those taboos, however other parts of you have individual life concerns. These issues conflict and create a type paradox that has a stalemate effect in the mind and it a large or small degree renders the suggestion impotent, and depending on the individual and generally momentary degree of suggestibility. Some people are overarching more or less suggestible but that also changes moment to moment and topic to topic.

This is why often suggestions need to be taken out of the realm of pure hypnosis (scripts and suggestion) and into the realm of hypnotherapy and potentially further and to where they can be addressed individually. This can generally be done in a few ways.

1. Reframing - where possible and if it makes logical sense to reframe the perception of negative consequences to positive ones.

2. Compromise - there are times that compromises may be reached between parts.

Outside of hypnotherapy

1. Behavioral modification - work to create new conditioned responses that become future behaviors.

2. Rewards - create an environment where there is greater gain for engaging in the behavior and that outweighs the detriments and potential risks

3. Brainwashing - Not ethical - but tear down the ego and create a reality where there is less safety or risk potential for negative consequences in engaging in the taboo.

There are many ways to overcome this conflict of self needs, but it does often need to be worked with differently than by scripts alone. There are other methods as well, however remember that hypnosis is kind of clicky and many schools will just call a technique something else when it is a play off of a particular theme.

Erotic hypnosis often pushes this well beyond the limits of ethical therapy, specifically to address these taboos. However, I also find the most of the people operating in that arena are not qualified to do what they are attempting. Mercifully this generally manifests as fumbling and lack of efficacy which limits the amount of damage, but if you are asking somebody to what is in essence “break a mind” at some point you have to acknowledge the very real risk that is involved in that and choose who you work with very carefully.