Suggestible: The Evolutionary Mechanics Behind Hypnosis, Persuasion, and Influence
By James Pesch
What if the reason you believe what you believe... isn't belief at all?
Raised in the pulsing heart of charismatic Christianity, James Pesch once preached miracles, spoke in tongues, and laid hands on the sick—convinced he was a vessel for divine power. But the deeper he leaned into faith, the more he began to see cracks in the holy facade. What began as ministry slowly unraveled into a sobering realization: it wasn’t a god moving through people. It was suggestion.
Suggestible is a groundbreaking exploration of how humans are wired to be influenced—from tribal survival instincts and mirror neurons to the manipulative techniques of faith healers, hypnotists, cult leaders, marketers, and mentalists. Drawing on neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, linguistics, and personal experience, Pesch lifts the curtain on the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) forces that shape our decisions, behaviors, and beliefs.
In this book, you’ll discover:
Why your brain takes emotional shortcuts before logic can catch up
How rituals, repetition, and rhythm override your critical thinking
The hidden mechanics behind hypnosis, NLP, cold reading, and crowd psychology
Why being susceptible to suggestion isn’t a flaw—it’s an evolutionary feature
Practical tools for spotting manipulation—and reclaiming your agency
This isn’t a guide to manipulation. It’s a survival manual for your mind.
Whether you’ve fallen for a scam, changed your mind in a crowd, or just wondered why smart people sometimes believe strange things, Suggestible will change how you see influence—and yourself—forever.
You're more suggestible than you think. We all are. The difference is, after this book, you'll know what is actually happening and when it's happening.
