Suggestion

Direct vs Indirect Suggestion: Understanding the Broad Context of Suggestion

"Virtually all writings comparing and contrasting the use of direct and indirect suggestions in hypnosis refer to the structure of language. But there is much beyond the way we word suggestions that can have a major suggestive impact. These impacts are something we need to be keenly aware of in order to give maximum benefit to the influence of suggestions. Body language, facial expressions, tone and volume of voice, gestures, timing, eye contact, physical contact such as a handshake, gender, age, bearing and appearance, including health, body type and clothing can all be major indirect suggestions that affect the meaning of our language. The meaning of language will also affect and be understood by each individual uniquely because of the various personal meanings and connotations each of us associates to words and phrases, and by the emotional state, mood and expectancies of your client.
Further indirect suggestions are given by colors, harmony of styles, cleanliness, temperature, aromas or odors, condition of the office, reception area, facilities and office building, and by the function, form, style and quality of furniture. Various additional aspects of location include the size and prestige of the city or town, neighboring offices and adjacent buildings, section of city or town and immediate neighborhood, people one may encounter in the vicinity of your office, and noise levels. Cultural and semantic factors also influence the meaning of suggestions, including the culture and language in which you and your client meet and converse, and each of your backgrounds and life experience. Time of day or night, current events and seasonal factors, including holiday periods, can be indirect suggestions that affect the way language influences people at a particular time.
There are many indirect influences in the written word as well as the spoken word. When seeing a suggestion or opinion in writing we are influenced by the venue, be it a book, magazine, newspaper article, advertisement, letter, email or billboard, and whether it be from a friend, a relative, an organization we belong to, a government agency, or spam email. When reading a book the quality of writing, the book's quality and size, the cover, the background and additional writings of the author, etc., all add a context that affects the meaning and attention given to suggestions.

There is no such thing as a simple, independent direct suggestion. The context of a so-called "direct suggestion" always has a great many indirect surrounding influences. In fact the distinction of such influences becomes blurred, and some of the influences may be considered direct rather than indirect, depending on the situation and moment in time."