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Self Hypnosis: A Path to Health, Wealth and Self-fulfilment
from: Adam Sargant, RN(MH), Dip. H., NLP(master prac)As a professional hypnotherapist with a strong interest in
personal development it always amazes me when I suggest
self-hypnosis techniques to a client and they respond with
"what, you mean I could hypnotise myself?"
There is a truism in hypnosis circles... all hypnosis is
self-hypnosis. By this we mean that the hypnotist simply acts as
a guide, leading the client into trance by going first and
assisting the client by directing the client's attention in
specific ways.
Hypnosis is many things... in many ways it similar to the photon
in quantum physics... what it is and how it behaves depends on
how one views it and the preconceptions one brings to it.
Hypnosis is communication... all communication directs attention
in one way or another. With language and non-verbal
communication we shape events in another human being's mind. We
cannot NOT communicate. Self-hypnosis is a process of
communicating with oneself, directing one's own attention in
specific ways in order to produce states that are commonly
recognised as trance states.
Trance states are nothing special, we go in and out of these
states all the time. There is a mystique built up around this
term trance, but a trance state can be characterised by the
direction of attention being inwardly focussed. This focus can
be very intense, as in deep meditation, or broad and unspecified
as in daydreaming states. If you have ever driven a car and
realised that you have no recollection of the last three miles,
or if you have ever been so absorbed in a book or a film that
you've failed to hear someone calling your name, then you have
been in a trance state.
In hypnosis we use those trance states to positive effect,
through a combination of any or all of techniques such as
suggestion, mental rehearsal, guided imagery/visualisation and
more. In self-hypnosis you can do exactly the same.
I am going to share a very simply yet profoundly effective
method of inducing such a trance state with you right now.
Although it can help to speak out loud while learning the
technique, once you are comfortable with this approach you can
practice in silence, which makes it ideal for all sorts of
circumstances.
This technique is a variation of that developed by Elizabeth
(Betty) Erickson, wife of the late Milton Erickson. Dr Erickson
is recognised by many as one of the greatest clinical
hypnotherapists of the 20th century and founded an approach to
therapy that bears his name, Ericksonian Hypnosis. However, his
wife Betty was no mean hypnotist herself and had a deep
understanding of the relationship between perception and mental
state, as experience with this technique will show.
There are a number of ways in which you can use this
technique... you could use it to enter into a state in which you
then carry out a guided visualisation using symbols or visual
metaphors or a mental rehearsal of yourself performing with
excellence in some future activity. You could give yourself
positive suggestions prior to the induction, saying something
like "and as I enter a state of deep relaxation, I become
increasingly (positive quality one wishes to acquire)..." The
possibilities are limited only by your imagination, and will be
explored in a future article.
Now to the technique, the Betty Erickson Self Hypnotic
Induction. First, ensure you are sat somewhere comfortable.
Somewhere with some external activity is useful but not too
stimulating, and that has some visual variation (you will
understand why in a moment). Take a few deep, slow breaths
(always a good precursor to relaxation, and with practice will
give you a head start in entering that trance state).
So, now you are sat comfortably, notice, and make comment about,
something you see (e.g. I see the shadows formed by
irregularities on the wall). Do this three times with three
different observations. Do this slowly and give yourself plenty
of time.
Notice, and make comment about, something you hear (e.g. I hear
the sound of my own breathing). Do this three times with three
different observations.
Notice, and make comment about, something you feel (e.g. I feel
the temperature of the air on my skin). Do this three times with
three different observations.
Repeat the cycle (I see... I hear... I feel...) twice for each
sense (sight, sound and sensation) with two different
observations, and then again once for each sense.
You may wish at this point to close your eyes if you haven't
done so already, and repeat the whole process from within an
imagined scene, or using internal images and external sounds and
sensation. The trick with this technique is not to be too rigid,
but to go with what works for you. After some practice I find
myself in trance quite rapidly and usually close my eyes around
the point at which I repeat the visual observation twice. If
your mind wanders, that's OK, just relax into the state. This is
a method of entering deep states of relaxation, not a
competitive sport!
That really is it. As I said, a profoundly simple yet effective
technique. Use it to relax, use it to install positive
suggestion or use it to simply enter a calm still space within.
With practice you can enter deeply relaxing trance states very
quickly, in all sorts of situations, at work, travelling, at
home, and use this states to boost productivity, explore your
own personal/spiritual development and step up to excellence in
all aspects of performance. Enjoy!
About the author:
Adam Sargant is a professional hypnotherapist with his own
clinic in the UK,
Hypnotherapy and Healing Clinic. He is the author of
Course in Self-Hypnosis and has a free mp3 guide to the
Erickson Induction.
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