Journal logo

The Magic of Hypnotic Writing: Introduction

The power of hypnotic writing is like the power of a magician. Hypnotic writings employ certain techniques that involve guiding the reader into a state of hypnosis, they can have very persuasive effects. Here is an intro.

By Jamu LimPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
Top Story - September 2022
98

I got my "hypnotized" writing skills from two strange places.

I used to read writers like Jack London, Mark Twain, Shirley Jackson, and Ernest Hemingway and be in awe of how they could weave words so that I would laugh, cry, or feel dread.

How did they manage that? The masters who produced the classics used the same alphabet and vocabulary as us, but the majority of us write like an average kid.

What's going on?

Then, as I read sales letters by John Caples, Bruce Barton, or Robert Collier, I would ponder how they, despite in difficult economic circumstances, managed to persuade readers to part with their hard-earned cash while using the same language.

How did the well-known copywriters accomplish that? How did they persuade through writing?

I looked into both types of writing because I was so curious. I spent my entire college career and many years following that studying literature.

English and American literature were my minors. I adored writers like William Saroyan, Herman Melville, Jack London, Mark Twain, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

I tried to use what I was learning while I created fiction, plays, and poetry, and I did pretty well at it. I have a good number of publications.

Later, I took copywriting classes. I read everything I could get my hands on, including out-of-print collectibles and books about marketing that were still in print. My life was altered by The Robert Collier Letter Book. I learned so much from John Caples' writings.

I put what I was learning into practice by creating sales letters that occasionally flopped but more frequently broke all records—some of them bordering on the miraculous.

As a result of this experience, I developed a form of writing that I later called "hypnotic writing." I also launched my own copywriting team The Design Nerds.

Of course, it didn't happen overnight. Before the recipe was complete, I had to cook for well over 20 years. And it didn't come together for me until I had read the book Unlimited Selling Power.

In general, hypnotic writing is any writing that captures your interest. They refer to it as a "waking trance" (which I will explain in a minute). All communication invites the recipient into a hypnotic state, according to John Burton's advanced book Hypnotic Language.

Take note of his statement that it induces hypnosis. You don't want to entice readers into a trance by starting to write anything and then boring them.

You can start talking to someone and induce a trance in them as well, but if you are dull, their attention will wander.

Hypnotic writing, in my opinion, is the deliberate use of words to influence readers into a concentrated frame of mind where they are more likely to purchase a good or service.

Writing for sales is typically the goal when I work as a copywriter and marketing consultant. That implies that hypnotic writing is any form of writing that captures your interest long enough to secure your purchase.

I don't mean to sound direct with that. I'm a guy who values outcomes. If you didn't want to learn how to write to sell, you wouldn't be reading this essay, in my opinion.

So let's be truthful to one another. You want to learn how to use language to persuade readers to purchase your goods or service. You're not attempting to build a cult or peddle quackery. You have faith in the quality of your offering. Both helping people and making money are things you want to do.

Mystery novelist Agatha Christie literally hypnotizes her readers.

Scientists from three prestigious institutions examined 80 of the renowned novelist's works, according to a British television show that aired in December 2005, and found that she employed phrases that caused chemical reactions in her readers' brains.

The Agatha Project entailed analyzing Christie's words, phrases, and sentences by putting her works into a computer. The researchers came to the conclusion that her sentences cause a pleasurable reaction. This makes people keep looking for her novels, almost like an addiction.

The study claims that Christie used literary devices that have a hypnotic impact on readers, similar to those used by hypnotherapists and psychologists. This is unequivocal proof that the concepts you'll learn in my next few articles actually work.

According to the study, Christie frequently uses words and phrases that cause the brain's levels of the pleasure-inducing chemicals serotonin and endorphins to rise.

Unconsciously, some words and phrases cause people to press buttons. They react without realizing it. With these precise insights, I've spent more than 30 years instructing people on how to improve the copy on their websites and sales letters. According to one scientist who was not hypnotized, Agatha Christie employed hypnotic writing to make her works "unputdownable."

For her, it undoubtedly worked. The most well-known mystery author in the world is probably Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (1890–1976). With more than two billion copies printed in the English language, she holds the record for being the best-selling fiction novelist of all time according to the Guinness Book of Records. Clearly, hypnotic writing was beneficial to her.

The study continued by revealing the following information regarding Agatha's writings: Favorite words or phrases, used repeatedly in a "mesmerizing" manner, aid in stimulating the pleasure-inducing part of the brain. She, yeah, girl, nice, smiled, and suddenly are among them.

In his book Hypnotic Techniques for Standard Psychotherapy and Formal Hypnosis, George Gafner asserts that specific words cause people to enter trance states. Such terms, according to him, include amazement, envision, and story.

Again, this isn't news to me. Similar words and expressions are used in marketing to stimulate thinking and later purchasing.

Are you familiar with them?

Do you know what they are?

Probably not.

Few people do.

But I will reveal more copywriting secrets in the next article. Stay tuned!

literature
98

About the Creator

Jamu Lim

I am a writer. I am a human being who writes. Sometimes people call me a novelist, but that’s not really accurate. I’ve written short stories and poetry, but I would classify myself more as a storyteller.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  3. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  1. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  3. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  4. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  5. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

Add your insights

Comments (18)

Jamu Lim is not accepting comments at the moment

Want to show your support? Send them a one-off tip.

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.