How to Bypass ANYONE’S Will
In this business, people make a lot of claims
about technique without actual verification that the methods work.
It’s not always their fault. Most of us don’t have access to the
kinds of funding required to run double-blind studies. And, while
there have been tremendously impressive studies in cognitive
psychology, the research is still lagging a little behind what some
of us are doing in the field.
However, there’s quite a few hypnotists and influencers I know that
pay no attention to research papers and the strides that
traditional scientific studies have made. They feel that they know
everything, without checking to see if they’re on the wrong path.
It’s one thing if they delude themselves into believing their
theories work. But, since the placebo effect can make their
followers also believe the techniques are working (at least,
temporarily), it becomes dangerous to all. They become like the
proverbial Pied Piper, leading the children of Hamelin into
dangerous territory.
There are some incredibly gifted practitioners that chart new
waters and are always on the cutting-edge of persuasion. But, the
ones who fall into this category (and I count myself among them)
are few and far in between. Most of us keep up with the real
science behind change. Those that don’t are still gifted enough to
do the job right.
Why do I bring this up?
A week ago, I was going through my archives of research papers and
articles, and I came across one of my favorites.
This is the one that I send to people I meet that don’t believe in
hypnosis. This is the one I refer to people for them to understand
that NO ONE is immune from unconscious influence.
It’s called “Bypassing the Will,” and it is a scientific paper,
backed by actual research. It was written by John Bargh, a fiercely
intelligent researcher of how habits are formed. He’s written some
incredible stuff on how goals and behaviors are formed outside of
conscious control (can you see why I’ve been fascinated with his
work?).
While it may be a research paper, it’s a very quick and easy read.
I recommend that you download it and spend an hour to read it this
weekend.
You can grab it here:
http://lucaswest.com/WillBypass/
If the material sounds at all familiar to you, it’s because part of
it was written about in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink. But this is
the original research paper.
Give it a read. And, if you think anyone else would be interested
in reading this paper, direct them to this post, or the above
webpage.
I think it’s important for all of us to keep up with what’s going
on in this field. That way, you’ll know when you’re following the
advice of someone who actually knows what he’s doing, and can
actually help you achieve your goals.
Otherwise, you’re just blindly following the Piper.
Yours for more Power,
Lucas
March 18th, 2008 at 6:49 am
In Cialdini’s seminal work, Influence, you’d find how easy it is to bypass the will using certain cues like Consistency, Liking, Scarcity and Authority. In the hands of mass marketers, it’s hard to resist unless you’re aware of these techniques.
The stuff obviously works- what with billions of dollars going into consumer goods we don’t really need.