Repetition of Suggestions

When we talk about the “Law of Concentrated Attention” we are really talking about a straightforward, yet compelling idea:

What we repeatedly focus on tends to be realised.

If a person keeps returning their attention to a particular thought, goal, or inner image, that focus gradually shapes their experience, their feelings, and often their behaviour. In hypnosis and therapeutic change-work, we deliberately use this principle through the repetition of suggestions.

On the Face of it

At first glance, repetition might sound basic or even crude – as if we are simply “saying the same thing over and over.” In practice, it is more subtle than that. It is about repeatedly directing the client’s attention toward a particular idea so that:

• The idea feels more familiar.
• The nervous system begins to accept it as normal.
• The unconscious mind starts to act as if it is already true.

In other words, repetition is not just about words; it is about repeatedly guiding the client’s inner focus.

Direct Repetition of Suggestions

One straightforward way to use this law is through direct repetition. You state a suggestion, and then you state it again, and perhaps again, each time allowing it to sink a little deeper.

For example, when you are formulating an important hypnotic suggestion, you may choose to:

• Repeat the core message several times (often three or four).
• Use slight variations in wording so it doesn’t feel mechanical or forced.
• Maintain the same underlying intention while changing the surface structure of the sentence. (for more infromation on surface and deep structure head over to NLP4UOnline)

So a practitioner might say:

“You can begin to feel more relaxed now…”
“More and more, a deep sense of relaxation can spread through you…”
“And as you notice that relaxation, it becomes easier to relax even more…”

On the surface, these are different sentences. At a deeper level, they are all pointing attention towards the same experience: relaxing more deeply.

Using Synonymous Language

Repetition doesn’t have to be literal. We can repeat the same suggestion by using overlapping, synonymous phrases that keep circling around the same theme.

For instance, when working on confidence, you might hear:

• “You can feel more confident in yourself.”
• “You can begin to trust your own abilities.”
• “A quiet inner certainty can grow inside you.”

Different words, same direction of attention. The client’s mind is repeatedly exposed to the idea of confidence from slightly different angles, which allows it to feel more rounded, more believable, and more integrated.

Indirect Repetition Through Metaphor

There is, however, another way to repeat a suggestion that is less obvious and often more elegant: indirect repetition through metaphor and story.

Rather than stating the suggestion directly, you can:

1. Tell a metaphor or story that contains the essence of the suggestion.
2. Allow the client’s unconscious mind to “search” for relevance and meaning inside that story.
3. Later, connect (or “bridge”) the story to the client’s own situation.
4. Finally, offer the direct suggestion that the story has already prepared them to accept.

In this way, the idea is repeated twice:

• First, symbolically inside the metaphor.
• Second, explicitly in the direct suggestion that follows.

Seeding an Idea

Think of a metaphor as a way of “seeding” an idea in the unconscious mind. You briefly step away from the client’s immediate problem and talk about “something else”:

• A person who discovered a new way of thinking.
• A gardener who patiently tended a plant until it flourished.
• A traveller who found unexpected resources within themselves.

At the surface level, it is simply a story. At the deeper level, it carries the same structure as the client’s desired change: starting from difficulty, discovering new resources, and arriving at a more empowered state.

The Bridging Association

Once the story has been told, you then create a bridge. This is the moment where you quietly link the metaphor back to the client’s experience.

You might say something like:

“Just as that gardener learned that small, repeated actions transformed the garden over time… you can discover how small, repeated changes in the way you think and feel can transform your life.”

This bridging association does three important things:

1. It highlights the relevance of the story.
2. It helps the client recognise the pattern in their own life.
3. It prepares the ground for a direct suggestion that now feels natural and appropriate.

Direct Suggestions After the Story

Once the idea has been seeded and the bridge has been built, you offer the direct suggestion. At this point, the suggestion is not arriving “cold”; it is landing in a mind that has already been primed by repeated exposure to the same idea, both indirectly and directly.

For example:

• Story: A person who used to struggle with anxiety learns to breathe, focus, and remain calm.
• Bridge: “In a similar way, you can also discover that you have more control over your calmness than you realised.”
• Direct suggestion: “From now on, in situations that used to worry you, you can find yourself breathing more slowly, thinking more clearly, and feeling steadily calmer.”

Notice the layering:

• First repetition: The idea appears inside the story.
• Second repetition: The idea is connected to the client’s life through the bridge.
• Third repetition: The idea is delivered as a clear, direct suggestion.

Summary

To use the Law of Concentrated Attention and repetition of suggestions in your own hypnotherapy practice, you can follow this simple structure:

1. Identify the Core Idea
   – What do you want the client to experience or believe?
   – e.g., “I can relax,” “I am safe,” “I can change,” “I can feel confident.”
2. Repeat the Suggestion Directly
   – State the idea clearly several times.
   – Use synonymous phrases and gentle variation.
   – Keep the focus on the same underlying message.
3. Create or Choose a Metaphor
   – Find a simple story that mirrors the structure of the client’s issue and desired outcome.
   – Ensure the story includes movement from problem to solution.
4. Tell the Metaphor to Seed the Idea
   – Share the story calmly and naturally.
   – Allow the client to imagine themselves into the scenario if appropriate.
5. Make a Bridging Association
   – Explicitly link the story to the client’s situation.
   – Use phrases such as “In the same way…” or “Just as… so you can…”
6. Offer Direct Suggestions Again
   – Now repeat the core idea in simple, straightforward language.
   – Let the suggestion be the natural “conclusion” of the story and bridge.

By combining direct repetition, synonymous wording, metaphor, bridging, and then direct suggestion again, you are making full use of the Law of Concentrated Attention. You are repeatedly guiding the client’s mind towards the same outcome, from different angles, until that outcome feels not only possible, but inevitable.