Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis [Paperback]

John Grinder (Author), Richard Bandler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0911226230 | ISBN-13: 978-0911226232 | Publication Date: 1981

What is a trance state? How do you access a previous trance state? What is pattern interruption? Stacked realities? Generative change? Reframing? And how in the world do you use all this stuff to do anything productive? Better yet, how do you keep from using all this stuff to be unproductive? Well, this will give a you a taste of what lies in store for you in this book. It's the best book to learn about real hypnosis, the structure of hypnosis. There are many books that can teach you to hypnotize people, but few that can teach you to break through the consensual trance that you are already in. This book can get you on the road to doing that. "Hypnosis is a word that usually gets strong responses from people" - positive or negative. Often, people associate trance states with mysticism or magic, which has not helped the reputation of hypnosis. We encourage skeptics to suspend their beliefs or assumptions about hypnosis long enough to read this book. NLP cofounders Bandler and Grinder studied the famous therapist Milton Erickson to determine the structure of hypnosis. This book turns the "magic" into specific understandable procedures, some of which are useful in everyday conversation. In addition to the hows of hypnosis (basic and advanced), the authors describe numerous important uses for this science. A great introduction to the subject - and an important reference book for hypnosis practitioners.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Real People Press (1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911226230
• ISBN-13: 978-0911226232
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Stress > Hypnosis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible of of NLP Books. Interested in NLP? Get this book!, January 6, 2004

By 

TonyD "[e-mail]" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis (Paperback)

John Grinder and Richard Bandlers collaboration in Trance Formations truly aims at the heart of what NLP is all about.

While many other books and individuals have tried to capitalize upon the methodologies within NLP, this book is probably where a lot of the other books derived from. Because of this, the book is highly concentrated with information about linguistics and most importantly, using it to your advantage.

This highly distilled book is comprised essentially of the transcript of a seminar which doesn't allow for the best outlay that you may come to expect in a book. There is no table of contents or an index. However, the fact that what these guys are saying is so clear, so distilled, and so elucidating, it's extremely easy to forgive them for the lack of structure in the book.

I personally carried this book around like a bible after I had first bought it reading as much as possible. Most of the seminar transcript is also where Grinder/Bandler are using the NLP to influence the audience, so you can actually see how masters of NLP use their technique.

Some of the topics that are covered are: presuppositions, nominalizations, unspecified referential indexes, deletion, mind-reading, ordinal numerals, awareness predicates, and a whole slew of other techniques.

It was only after the usage of this book that I truly began to integrate the use of NLP into my life and finally understood how language, pacing, breathing, and touching can truly allow someone to experience things in a different manner.

This book took me a little extra time to digest, keeping in mind that the intended audience is well educated therapists. However, their speaking style is not difficult to comprehend and anyone wanting to learn NLP and you can do so very well with a solid study of this book.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bandler never ceases to amaze me, May 30, 2000

By 

Bluestream (in my world) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from my university library... and i haven't returned it for 3 months! A book where you can learn heaps from! Basically, Bandler/Grinder talks and teaches about hypnosis, theraphy, NLP and Milton Erikson. The amazing thing about this type of hypnosis (Indirect Hypnosis) is that you can hypnotise using embeded commands. Lets face it, almost all communication, beliefs, thoughts are hypnosis. Everything is hypnosis. Start thinking you're clumsy and you'll notice you actually are! The trick is, we must choose to hypnotise and instil beliefs that are positive and useful to us, not those that limit us! Bandler and Grinder models the technique of Eriksson, one of the greatest hypno-thrapist in the world before he passed away. Erikson was reknowned for being able to tell a patient a story about a tomato plant (with embeded commands in the story) to relieve the pain of the cancer patient! Totally unrelated story, but indirectly, he's hypnotised his unconscious! A great read for those interested.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Two Can Learn Hypnosis!, December 12, 1999

By 

rareoopdvds (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis (Paperback)

Bandler and Grinder's lecture style book is easy to read with many experiemtns to try out. Learning the ways of NLP you can do anchoring, light or deep trance inductions, reframing, and other phenomenal occurences. Also is the discussion of natural states of trance as well as phony mind readers. Putting the reader in a light trance during the intercourse of the book, internally the reader becomes unconsciously aware of how to hypnotize anyone, and when practice, all unconscious information becomes conscious. So then you know it all! Excellent book, well written with humor, wit and practicality for just about anyone doing anything. Bandler and Grinder have mastered their art to an easily accessible practice. Highly reccomended. If you have not already bought 'Frogs Into Princess,' Structure of Magic 1&2,' Patterns 1&2,' and 'Reframing,' you may be advised in the course of reading to read it.