"I'd like to talk to you for a little while about the word 'yes'. It's my favorite word in the English language and if you take a little time with me to think about it, I'm sure it's going to become one of your favorite words, too. Because when you think about it, 'yes' has so many wonderful associations. It's positive, it's friendly, and it expresses agreement with a world of possibilities. It's comfort and acceptance reduced down to its essence, a single word that says all those positive things at once. Just take a moment as I pause and let your lips form the word, and think about how good it feels. It's nice to say yes. Isn't it?
"It really is. Your mouth just naturally seems to smile when you say the word 'yes'. Your whole mind seems to smile when you hear yourself say it. When you're talking with someone and they're so happy to see you and you're happy to see them, the two of you just seem to resonate perfectly with one another every time one of you says it. That 'yes' feels so warm and immediate that it comes out almost without even thinking. You love to feel that sense of kinship, don't you?
"Exactly. And the best thing about that feeling is that it grows. It gets deeper, more profound and more intimate as you spend time talking and listening and accepting that other person the same way they accept you. When you agree with someone like that, it doesn't take long at all before you feel yourself growing comfortable and relaxed around them. It's only natural, really. You're agreeing and agreeable, the situation is calm and friendly, and there's nothing to get in the way of that gentle rapport that forms so easily with each 'yes'. Doesn't that sound so nice?
"I agree. And that's the other wonderful thing about 'yes'. Each 'yes' just leads right along to another 'yes', easily and effortlessly. You agree with me, and then I agree right along with your agreement, and before you know it we're agreeing on everything. Every time you say 'yes', you know our rapport is deepening, and every time I agree with your agreement, it just makes you want to agree more. Doesn't that feel lovely?
"Yes. And when you are feeling so agreeing and agreeable, you can relax and put aside your cares for a while. They can't get inside this happy, cheerful space we're sharing together, and so you can just let yourself be carried along on that warm tide of acceptance and let go of your concerns while you spend time with someone who understands you. You can simply listen and agree. It's so nice to listen and agree, isn't it?
"Yes. You already see how easy it is. Every 'yes' leads to the next 'yes', every 'yes' makes you feel more relaxed and comfortable with our conversation as you smile along to the flow of my words and respond with a 'yes'. It's so easy to relax into that warm, agreeable feeling and let it carry you right through to the next chance to say 'yes' to me. You enjoy being peaceful and relaxed like that, don't you?
"Of course you do. It's so easy. After a while, you don't even need to think about it. It's just an instinctive response. You only need to listen to my words, letting them float past you on a warm tide of amiable relaxation, and at the end you say 'yes'. It's so simple and enjoyable that you don't even really need to engage your mind at all. Your thoughts can wander and drift wherever they want, knowing that they can always come back to 'yes'. Isn't that wonderful?
"That's right, wonderful and effortless. Everything I'm saying sounds so reasonable, so soothing and happy and peaceful that all you really want to do is listen and smile and say 'yes'. There's no need to think about it anymore, because you already know that we're in perfect agreement. All you need to do, all you want to do is just focus on my voice and let the words drift past your conscious mind until that next pause. That's when you get to say your new favorite word. It is your new favorite word, isn't it?
"And because you're very focused on my voice and very relaxed, you can pay attention without even needing to really listen. There's a special word for that kind of relaxation and focus, and it's called 'trance'. When you're in a trance, your conscious mind is thinking only about one thing, like the sound of my voice as you let it drift into your ears. But your unconscious mind is paying very close attention to every word I say, taking it all in and absorbing it easily and effortlessly. And of course, every time I ask you a question about what I'm saying, you answer 'yes'. Isn't that right?
"Very good. And while your conscious mind is just saying 'yes' because you enjoy that warm, happy feeling that comes with the word, your unconscious mind is listening carefully and knows exactly what you're saying 'yes' to. So when I say something like, 'You are feeling very relaxed and focused, and going into a warm hypnotic trance for me,' you know already how you're going to respond, and your unconscious mind knows exactly what it means when you say...?
"And because it feels very good, responding and drifting and relaxing and going into a deep hypnotic state like this, your unconscious mind encourages you to keep agreeing with me like this. Your deep, unconscious self is happy to say 'yes' for me, and so it tells you that it's okay not to think. It's okay to let all those hypnotic words, the ones like 'drift' and 'relax' and 'deep', float through your entranced mind while you simply listen and agree. Your deep self wants to be hypnotized, doesn't it?
"That's right. And right now your deep self is the part of you that's in control. Your conscious self is deep asleep, focused so intently on the sound of my voice and the warm feeling of 'yes' that you surrender all your control to your unconscious mind and let it make all the decisions for you. And your unconscious mind wants to be hypnotized. So that means you want to say 'yes' and be hypnotized, don't you?
