One of the main ingredients to a successful induction is fixation of attention. Previously it was thought that the best way to obtain fixation of attention in a subject was to get them to stare at an object. Ancient shamanic tribes often entered altered states whilst gazing at the flames of a fire.

In more recent years the hypnotist has preferred to use such items as a candle flame, an electric light or, perhaps more famously, a swinging pocket watch. In fact it was by pure chance that fixation of attention lead to the discovering of hypnosis as we know it today. Hypnosis was previously known as animal magnetism. Although the outcome was pretty much the same as it is today, the induction process was very different. Subjects wishing to be magnetized would lay down and a series of passes be made over their bodies using magnets. The process did work, although it took a ridiculously long time to do so. This method of induction was used for many years until, upon entering his surgery, a practitioner of magnetism, James Braid, noticed that one of his patients, whilst waiting in his waiting room, had become transfixed on the pin point reflections of an old lamp. His appearance was similar to that which is brought about by the onset of the altered state. His eyes were glazed and his breathing deep. Through curiosity Braid tried a few experiments with simple suggestions and the results were very encouraging.

These days Braid´s discovery plays an important part in the onset of trance induction. To create fixation of attention quickly in your subjects get them to focus their vision on a point on the ceiling. This not only limits their attention, so guiding them towards trance, but it also does another very useful thing. When we fix our vision on a point above the normal eye level our eyes quickly become fatigued and as a results of this we have a desire to close our eyes. This is very useful to the hypnotist as when the eyes close it serves as a signal to the subject that the trance process is beginning to work. Once the eyes are closed you can get your subjects to fixate their attention of a thought, this is usually the task of counting backwards in their minds. You can also suggest that the further back they count the deeper into trance this will take them. Fixation of attention can be upon something as simple as the subjects own breathing and by combining this train of thought with suggestions to relax using linguistic bridges you are able to produce a very powerful induction script.