Advertisers spend billions of pounds every year trying to influence our choices when it comes to spending money. Their clever adverts are designed to get into our subconscious so that we quite naturally think of their washing powder or beer or chocolate when we are shopping, and are therefore more likely to buy their products. The BBC is technically not allowed to advertise but if you look closely enough at some programmes, when you see your favourite star eating a certain chocolate bar or drinking a certain canned drink, you can bet money to nothing that some advertising rep has succeeded in getting their product placed. Advertisers want you to believe that if it is good enough for an Eastender to eat, it's good enough for you.

When we have a focused state of attention, then we could well be in a very light state of hypnosis. Our emotions are controlled by our subconscious mind, if you don't believe me then make yourself cry right now....................now allow yourself to smile and laugh hysterically. Unless you are an actor or actress, you very probably couldn't do it.

When we are totally engrossed in a film, book or play, then we could be in a state of light hypnosis. Remember ET? If you cried or felt weepy when the flower wilted and the red light began to fade in ET's heart, then your illogical and emotional subconscious was in charge, reality took a back seat for a while. However, if you saw the same scene and thought "what a great puppet, I wonder how much Mr Spielberg made from this film?" then your logical conscious mind was in charge, no hypnosis.

Some hypnotherapists and many NLP'ers believe that this light state is ideal to bring about change. I don't, there are many depths levels to the hypnotic state, and this light level is not one that I ever use. But advertisers do. If Peggy Mitchell said "I feel poorly, I must phone the Doctor", would everyone watching TV get up and phone their GP? No. But this light level can be very effective for compounding simple suggestions i.e. buy my product. If we are told often enough that such and such washes whiter than white, we may well start to believe it.

For those in the UK, fill in the blanks. As far as I am aware, none of these catch lines have been used for many years.

A **** a day, helps you work, rest and play.

See the face you love light up with ******* *** ****.

And all because the lady loves **** ****.

Be happy,

Dave.