Conversational Belief Change with Hypnosis and NLP: the Power of Yet

It is really common for my hypnosis clients to tell me, with a great deal of conviction, just what they cannot do.

For example many of my clients have said to me, “I just cannot imagine going for the rest of my life without a cigarette.” I usually use a simple and elegant response that I learned from my study of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) that loosens some of their certainty by causing them to re-imagine their future in a positive way.

That response is “yet”.

“It may not be your habit to challenge your friend's unnecessarily limiting beliefs yet.” Is an example of “yet” at work.

The "yet" in this case causes the listener to, however briefly, imagine that they will have the habit of challenging their friends limiting beliefs in the future.

Of course, “yet” can have another meaning. It can also mean “but”.

“You say that you are poor at math, yet you figured out the discounted price of that CD you have been wanting in three seconds flat.” In this case the “yet” negates everything in the sentence that came before it.

Another way to use “yet” requires a little bit of a pause.

Someone once said to me, “I refuse to try anything new that I cannot do perfectly the first time.”

“Yet...you learned to walk, and that required walking imperfectly hundreds of times along the way before you developed your current state of walking perfection. And, that means that you did not always think that way, doesn't it?” was my reply.

In that last example, “yet” could mean both “but” and imply that the person will try something new without the certainty of perfection in the future.

Of course, we can use “yet” to challenge our own limiting beliefs, too. Be careful if you do though.

Please read the warning label carefully:

Side effects of frequently saying “yet”after limiting statements include a loss of limiting beliefs, higher levels of personal and career success, and a more cheerful outlook on life.

By now, you may not have yet imagined just how much fun you can have by turning those discouraging and limiting beliefs of your friends, family, and even yourself, into something more useful. No matter. Just remember that when you do bring “yet” into play, there is no official hypnosis necessary. It is simply a matter of applying a little of the linguistic magic of NLP.