Zebu: The Hypnotic Language Card Game.

Zebu: The Hypnotic Language Card Game.

ZEBU is a normal boxed deck of 52 playing cards with 52 extraordinary language patterns taken from the field of NLP and the field of hypnosis from the work of Milton Hyland Erickson (5 December 1901 – 25 March 1980), M.D.  Each card in the ZEBU deck has a language pattern written at the top and bottom, and a commentary in the center. ZEBU is a tool you can use to practice and learn important language patterns and have fun doing it! Playing ZEBU is learning at its best, because the whole time is spent listening to and using the language patterns -- and it's entertaining.

"I created ZEBU to help me teach my classes in Ericksonian Hypnosis. The level of proficiency that my students developed was nothing short of phenomenal, and it's all due to this card game . . . Playing ZEBU we've laughed so hard it hurt, and at other times we've used the ZEBU cards to actually hypnotize members of the class. Enjoy!" — Robert Anue 

Introduction to Zebu Cards

The Hypnotic Language Card Game. While you Play Zebu and Laugh with you friends you’ll learn how to deliver Embedded Commands, Make indirect Suggestions and Speak Hypnotically!  

Classes in Ericksonian Hypnosis. Playing Zebu is learning at its best, because the whole time is spent listening to and using the language patterns. What could be better? 

Embedded Commands

An Embedded Command is a fragment of a sentence that if spoken alone would be a verbal command. Examples of embedded commands are written in italics in the commentaries on the playing cards. An embedded command is a powerful way to make a suggestion to another person, because people won't consciously notice it, but it registers and has an impact at an unconscious level.  In order to be effective, you need to mark your embedded command, which means that you do something different while you are saying the words of the embedded command. You can practice embedded commands by reading examples on the cards out loud, and lowering the pitch of your voice while you read the words in italics. Then try reading the same sentence, and marking the embedded command by touching the person you are talking to while you read the words in italics.  You can mark embedded commands by changing the pitch or the volume of your voice, tilting your head, looking the person in the eye, touching the person, increasing the pressure of a touch, pointing at the person, smiling, pausing just before the embedded command, etc. You might want to practice all these ways of making embedded commands while reading the examples on the cards. 

Instructions to Zebu Cards

Each card in a deck has a language pattern written at the top and bottom, and a commentary in the center. An underlined blank in a language pattern indicates a place for an embedded command. The words in italics in the commentaries on the cards are examples of embedded commands. The underlined words in the commentaries are just underlined for emphasis.  
Zebu is a tool that you can use to practice and learn important language patterns, and have fun doing it! Before you begin playing Zebu, have all the players agree not to take any of the suggestions made during the game seriously. Then you are free to practice making hypnotic and trance inducing suggestions to the other players without the fear of anyone falling asleep. Of course that makes it fair game to offer mischievous suggestions as well!  

How to play Zebu

Any normal card game can be turned into a Zebu game by adding the following rule: Before you take your normal turn, make a statement using the language pattern on the card that was last played, and say it to another player in the game. A good game for Zebu is the Modified Crazy Eights game; it's easy to learn and each game doesn't last long.  

The Modified Crazy Eights game  

Deal out 7 cards to each player. Put the remaining cards face down to form the draw pile. Turn one card over from the draw pile to form the discard pile. Take turns playing one card onto the discard pile, clockwise around the table. A person can play a card from their hand onto the discard pile only if it matches the suit or the number (or A, K, Q, J) of the previous card. Eights are the exception you can play an eight on any card. If you can't play a card, then turn over from the draw pile to the discard pile. Always begin your turn by making up a statement using the language pattern of the top card on the discard pile, and say it to someone else in the game. The first person to play all their cards wins.

Game Variations.

In the beginning.  

• You might want to begin by playing on game of modified crazy eights without saying any of the language patterns, so that everyone understands the card game.  
• To make it easier, you can limit the kinds of suggestions that players should make. Try limiting the suggestions to hypnotic induction suggestions like Relax, Feel Comfortable, and Close your eyes.  
Game Variations for advanced Players  
• Make each player's statement build on statements of the previous players, so that all the statements form a continuous monologue.  
• Let the dealer of the hand specify how the embedded commands will be marked for that hand. This is a great way to generate flexibility in the many ways to mark embedded commands.  
• If you have experience inducing hypnosis, you can use the Zebu cards to generate a hypnotic induction. Just turn over Zebu cards one at a time, and make a hypnotic statement with the patterns on each card. This is great fun with a group, where several people take turns flipping over cards and talking, and one person goes into trance.