There's a less stressful "freeze": flat of your palm on the top of the head.
In nature the mother will put her chin on top of the kit's head as a "sit down and shut up, there's a predator about" signal.
This is how Oolong became famous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolong_(rabbit)
(You can also hypnotise budgerigars).
It's probably stressful for them, so it's frowned upon in rabbit circles. But it's a handy trick if your rabbit is a pain in the ass and you have to trim his claws.
Interestingly, some rabbits love to lie on their backs internationally. It doesn't seem to cause tonic immobility or stress them out when they do it themselves. They only do it when they feel exceptionally comfortable and safe.