When working with trance and suggestion, we very often encounter a certain level of minor resistance. The conscious mind wants to “check,” “test,” or “hold back” just a little. One elegant way to work with this is through the deliberate use of negative forms of language.

Rather than trying to oppose resistance head on, these phrases act like a lightning rod. They give that resistance somewhere harmless to go, while the deeper positive suggestion can slip through and take effect.

On the face of it, these are simple questions or tag-questions. In practice, they gently challenge the client’s conscious objections and invite a “Yes” at an unconscious level.

Below are some common examples, together with the style and structure you can notice and use.

The Basic Pattern

All of these suggestions follow a similar frame:

  • A statement of ability, inevitability, or permission
  • Followed by a negative tag-question that requires internal agreement

For example:

“You will, will you not?”
“And you can, can you not?”

Here the client is presented with an implied truth (“You will”, “You can”), then invited to confirm it. The negative form of the tag (“will you not?”, “can you not?”) creates a small mental jolt that focuses attention, and often draws the client into agreement almost automatically.

Examples of Negative Tag Suggestions

  1. “You will, will you not?”
    This suggestion presupposes that the client will do or experience something. The “will you not?” encourages an internal check that usually leads to: “Yes, I will.”
  2. “And you can, can you not?”
    Here you are implying ability. The client is nudged to search internally for evidence that they can do what is suggested. The negative tag pulls them toward confirming that ability.
  3. “You can’t stop it, can you?”
    This form is often used where you want a response or process to continue automatically. The phrase suggests that the emerging change, relaxation, or response is now beyond conscious interference. Internally, the client is invited to notice that, actually, they can’t easily stop what is already happening.
  4. “You can try, can’t you?”
    This is a gentle invitation. Even a resistant client will often accept the idea of “trying.” Once they begin to “try,” they are already engaging with the process. The negative tag places a subtle pressure to agree that they are at least willing to attempt the experience.
  5. “You do, don’t you?”
    Here you are affirming something that is already true or partially true for the client (for example, “You do want to feel better, don’t you?”). The negative question at the end naturally invites agreement and strengthens the positive intention.

Allowing Rather Than Forcing

Sometimes it is more useful to invite permission than to demand action. In these cases the language focuses on “allowing” and “not having to” rather than “must” and “should.”

  1. “And why not just allow that to occur?”
    This phrase explicitly encourages the client to let go of active effort and simply allow a process (relaxation, comfort, insight, change) to happen. It softens any internal argument against change: instead of “You must,” it offers “Why not?”
  2. “And you really don’t have to … until …”
    This structure works by lifting pressure. For example:
    “And you really don’t have to make any changes… until you’re fully ready inside.”
    By saying “you don’t have to,” you temporarily remove the demand, which often reduces resistance. The “until” then quietly sets a future point where change or action becomes natural.
  3. “And you won’t … until …”
    This is similar in form. For example:
    “And you won’t fully notice how different this feels… until later, when you look back.”
    On the surface, you appear to be saying that something won’t happen. In reality, you are presupposing that it will happen—just at the right time. The mind tends to accept the implied inevitability.
  4. “You don’t need to …”
    This removes obligation and lowers defensiveness. For instance:
    “You don’t need to understand how this works… for it to work perfectly well.”
    As soon as the client is told that they do not need to do something, the pressure drops. Under that lowered pressure, the desired process often unfolds more smoothly.

General Negative Tag Formats

You can also use more open, content-free frames that can be adapted to many situations:

  1.  “… are you not?”
    This is a very flexible tag that can be added to a wide range of statements.
    “You are beginning to relax now, are you not?”
    “You are noticing those changes, are you not?”
    • In each case the phrase presupposes that the process is already under way.
  2. “… doesn’t it?”
    This can be attached to statements about sensations, experiences or understandings:
    “It becomes easier as you continue, doesn’t it?”
    “That makes a certain kind of sense, doesn’t it?”
    • The negative form invites a confirming “Yes” internally.
  3. “… don’t you?”
    This focuses directly on the client’s own experience or motivation:
    “You want to be more comfortable, don’t you?”
    “You notice those subtle shifts, don’t you?”
    • Again, the structure leans the client toward agreement with a positive presupposition about their state, desire, or perception.

Using These Patterns in Practice

When using negatives to discharge resistance:

  • Aim to soften, not to argue.
  • Use these forms to redirect attention rather than confront it.
  • Embed them within a generally permissive, respectful tone.

In essence, these negative suggestions offer the conscious mind a familiar, almost conversational pattern, while the unconscious mind absorbs the implied direction. By learning to use them artfully, you can transform minor resistance into cooperation, allowing change to occur more smoothly and naturally.

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