Backing up Blog Post 12 from DrakeG's blog

Hello all, welcome back. We are doing another round of discussing techniques. This round brings an extra warning that these techniques should not be used lightly. While these technique can be very useful, they need to be applied carefully, more so than some of the others we have discussed. These techniques can cause problems if not applied without considering the full effects of them and making sure that the subject is also aware of them. And as always, this is based on my experience and opinions. If you have any questions or have topics you’d like to see me discuss, please let me know.
The 1st technique is numbing. As you would expect, this is a technique mainly used for pain management. The important disclaimer here is like with pain medicines, the removal of the pain does not remove the source. So even if feeling better, the subject needs to be careful not to injure their self further. For hypnotists, I recommend not doing this without a doctor’s written consent. Especially where powerful pain medicines run the risk of addiction, most doctors aren’t going to object to a non addictive option. Getting it in writing gives you proof that the subject has spoke to a doctor and it helps prevent lawsuits incase the subject injures their self further while under the effect.
With all of that out of the way, the process is not that hard. The 1st step is to create a slight numbing sensation in the subject. The feeling of your hand starting to fall asleep is an easy way to do this. So while in trance, have the subject raise their hand and hold it out. Then start to draw their attention to how their hand is starting to feel different, and then move on to suggest that slight numb feeling of your hand starting to fall asleep. Once you have that sensation, suggest that the sensation is going to start to move. I normally have it go to a foot. As it does suggest that the sensation will double and while it transfers the hand will lower down so that it is resting comfortably when fully transferred. Then repeat the process again. I normally go to the other hand having it raise up as the transfer takes place. Then again to the other foot. And then back to the original hand. At this point you can transfer the numbing sensation to where it is needed, doubling one more time for good measure. With this method, the sensation that started as small has been transferred and doubled 5 time, which means that it is 32 times stronger (give or take for human error) than when it started. If you find that the subject needs more than that, a couple more transfers take this over 100 times the original and even a slight numbing should be fully blocking at this point.
Next are post hypnotic triggers. Most commonly just called triggers. This is one of the most common techniques used in hypnosis. I am including this in the group of other techniques that I feel need a special warning because not all triggers are made equally, and poorly worded triggers can have unexpected consequences. For example, I have heard of a story where someone tried to help someone else lose weight, but worded the trigger in a way where the subject ended up unable to eat at all because it make them nauseous. For this reason, triggers should almost always be set with limits to prevent them from happening by accident. Common limits would be set as something like, “when you are somewhere safe”, “when in an appropriate setting”, or “when at home“. Adding those into the trigger means they won’t happen all the time and will help keep the subject safe.
Triggers work very much like if/then logic in computer programming. The subject is told when X happens, do Y. On the topic of pain management, a specific type is migraines. I have used a trigger (among other steps) to redirect the effects of a migraine into a pinky twitch. This way the person can know they are experiencing one and take the steps needed to handle it, but not have to deal with the pain of it. If a subject and hypnotist are going to be working together a lot, the hypnotist may set a phrase to put the subject back into trance quickly. It is also possible to set triggers to help deal with the symptoms of an issue while working on the source. For example, if someone bites at their nails, the desire to bite their nails can be a trigger to pull at their watch band. This helps stop the issue while the hypnotist works to get rid of the desire. 
Triggers can also be linked together. Continuing the example, nail biting is normally a symptom of anxiety. A trigger could then be set that when the subject pulls on their watch band, they feel a sense of calm come over them. The triggers can also be used to create a circular effect, where one triggers a 2nd, which triggers the 1st. Rounding out this example, a trigger could be set that when the subject feels calm, they will feel more confident in their self and when they feel confident in their self, they will feel calm. So when the subject gets anxious and try to bite their nails, they will pull their watch band which will calm them. As they calm down, they will feel confident. As they feel confident, they will feel more calm. This is where people and computers differ. A computer would get stuck in an infinite loop and lock up. A person will get tired of doing the triggers and stop after a while, until the next time they try to bite their nails.
Creating or modifying memory is the last technique for today. For better or worse, our memories make us who we are. A trained therapist can certainly use hypnosis to help someone dealing with issues see their memories in a new light and maybe better deal with their negative experiences. And while the subjects mind will try to protect the subject from harm, modifying or creating memories should be done only after very careful consideration to what the repercussions could be. This also walks a fine line that the subject should be 100% on board with the changes but it is normally best not to give them the specific details of the changes to limit their mind from questioning what was there before.
Once the hypnotist is at the point of doing this process, here are things that should be taken into consideration:
Focus on what the subject should remember, not what they shouldn't
Give a lot of detail, even if the subject doesn’t remember it all.
Give a lot of detail in the subject’s primary sense. 
Tell the subject to remember it. 
Once you have went through it once, go over the details again. As you do tell the subject to focus on each one.
Then tell the subject to take a moment to make it a part of them self and let you know when it is done. Their response can be verbal or non verbal to confirm this, whatever was set up earlier in the session.
After this is done, it can lead to some funny moments especially if you set a trigger to allow and disallow access to the knowledge. On a fun session I did with someone, I set a trigger to block and unblock a memory from them. In one broken exchange they would go from confidently knowing it to having no clue what I was talking about with just a couple words from me. Amusingly, they didn’t even notice the change was happening moment to moment. And for those of you worried, I did undo the trigger when done.
That brings us to the end of another discussion. If you have any questions or suggestions for things you would like to see me cover in the future, please let me know.