Every hypnotic invitation [called "induction "in some circles] involves these 3 elements -

1 an experience - relaxation, look at a spot, listen to my voice ... etc

2 focus on the relaxation, spot, voice ... etc

3 absorption into the experience of focusing

4 naming the experience as hypnosis. This is particularly important if a client specifically requests hypnosis. If we don't say that this is hypnosis, or what we mean by hypnosis, they can be left uncertain, and we risk disappointing them by not satisfying their expectations.

I want now to add another element, and one which is given prominence after Erickson, and that is ... 

ratification.

By ratification, I simply mean articulating any desirable changes that we want to enhance - stillness, change in breathing, alteration in the blinking ... anything that we can observe. When we verbalise our observations, the changes tend to be enhanced so this contributes to the hypnotic process.

Ratification must be observations not interpretations. So we can say "There is a relative stillness in your body" but we cannot say "You are feeling more comfortable" since the latter is our interpretation only, and may not be consistent with the client's experience.