The Principles

and Practice
of Hypnotherapy

L. MAX BAKER
F.A.S.C.H. (emeritus)

The Principles
and Practice
of Hypnotherapy
L. MAX BAKER
F.A.S.C.H. (emeritus)

Edited & Designed by Ian Hayward

DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Although hypnosis is completely safe, many physical and
mental symptoms described here within this text may have serious
consequences if not treated correctly. For this reason the book or the
information contained within, should not be seen as a replacement for
seeking the advice of a qualifed health professional.
A qualifed health professional must be consulted if there is any doubt
about the nature or cause of symptoms.
The author has taken every care to provide accurate information
for proper use of hypnosis but cannot take any responsibility for
health problems of those using this book or the information contained
within. Your use of this material means you accept these terms and
conditions.
COPYRIGHT 2007 BY SYLVIAN PRODUCTIONS
All rights reserved. L. Max Baker Author of The Principles and
Practice of Hypnotherapy. No part of this material may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without permission of
the author.

About The Author

L. Max Baker has over twenty ve years experience as a

hypnotherapist and more than a decade lecturing at the government
accredited Academy of Hypnotic Science. He is a now retired clinical
member of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association and a registered
member of the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists. The
latter awarded him a Fellowship for services to the Society and to
hypnotherapy.
He gained a Post-Grad Diploma at The Australian Academy of
Hypnotic Science and was awarded a Fellowship for his thesis on The
Evolution of Hypnotherapy.
He has produced many CDs on guided meditation and developed
a program to Stop Smoking. Sylvian Productions recently completed
a DVD about him and his career as a hypnotherapist. The DVD also
demonstrates a number of techniques.
On the occasion of his retirement from the Academy of Hypnotic
Science he was created the First Life Member of The Academy
and Master of the Academy in perpetuity. Max has also lectured in
the Business Studies Dept of Swinburne University for many years
and has an early background in engineering, sales and Human
Resources.

iv

Foreword

Once every so often, now and then, a person comes along

capable of inuencing a great many people in a very deep and
profound way. L. Max Baker is such a person. For over twenty ve
years Max has inuenced the lives of many people assisting them to
discover the skills and resources within themselves for improving the
quality of their lives. To many Max is a hypnotherapist, a teacher and
trainer, a mentor and a friend. He is held in high esteem and regard by
all that know him. And so it is an honour for me to be asked to write
this foreword for The Principles and Practice of Hypnotherapy.
The book is the result of Maxs dedication to the art and science of
hypnosis and a willingness to share his accumulated knowledge and
experience with others in the eld. The methods and techniques in this
book describe the many clinical applications of hypnosis and provide
an in depth understanding of the minds workings and its response
to the power of suggestion. It is written in plain easy to understand
language with detailed explanations and many script examples.
The Principles and Practice of Hypnotherapy is a guidebook, a
reference manual, and a practical resource for therapists, students,
and lay persons alike serving to increase a greater mastery of the
science of hypnosis on these many levels.
Ian Hayward
N.D., B. Health Sc. Nat.; Dip. Clin. Hyp.

Melbourne, March 2007

About The Book

This book is a response to the urgings of students I have taught
or worked with for many years. It will interest anyone contemplating
consulting a hypnotherapist. Primarily it will encourage practitioners
and students of hypnotherapy to rely less on the conservative practices
of age regression, past lives and abreaction. Guidelines show the
practitioner how to stimulate the subconscious to do its own healing
and how to create harmony amongst the often conicting ego-states.
The teacher /lecturer will see it as the why, what and how of
hypnotherapy. Numerous demonstrations and scripts are included,
accompanied by the relevant theory.
The cloak of mumbo-jumbo is pushed aside and hypnotherapy is
shown to be a safe and effective health modality worthy of its place
alongside other professional health practices.

Key Concepts Covered In This Book

A. The Nature Of Mind
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mind functions at different levels

Selective thinking
Hypnosis a normal human function
Our beliefs determine our life
Our hidden protector
B. Inductions

1. Various techniques (a) Lengthy, (b) rapid, (c) confusion

2. Recognising trance states
3. Restoring full awareness
C. Deepening
1 .Use visual images
2. Use audio suggestions
3. Use tactile suggestions
4. Use stories and metaphors
D. The Therapeutic Process
1. Soliciting the help and cooperation of the subconscious
2. Locating and uncovering repressed information
3. Accessing subjects internal resources
4. Enabling the assimilation of the information along with moral,
physical and emotional adjustment involved

vi

About The Book

E. Therapeutic Techniques
1. Establishing and using ideo-motor signals (Finger signals).
2. Selecting and using appropriate induction technique.
3. Establishing the deepest level of trance that the subject can
achieve that is comfortable.
F. Therapy
1. Use of authoritarian direct suggestions.
2. Use of permissive suggestions.
3. Use of Metaphors. Subconscious ability to relate to cultural,
childhood metaphors and archetypes.
4. Age regression. When appropriate. Procedure to access past
sensitising event.
5. Past Life regression. Appropriate use. Procedure to access
previous incarnation.
6. Importance of ego-strengthening for all subjects in therapy.
7. Dual Mind Concept. The mature and the sensitive mind
occupying left and right hemispheres. Procedure to change
dominant role of the hurting mind. Enable mature mind to
dominate. Enhance support each gives the other.
8. Healing below conscious level. Procedure to heal through
dialogue between the conscious and sub-conscious. Occurs in
privacy of subjects own mind. Subject is not required to talk
whilst in trance state.
9. Phobias (a) Desensitisation. (b) Projection to safe outcome.
10. Habits and Addictions
11. Physical Conditions. (a) Distress, (b) Improve wellbeing,
(c) Procedure to encourage breast enlargement.
G. Quantum Consciousness
The importance of understanding the nature of our being.

vii

Contents
About The Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
About The Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Chapter One - The Conscious and the Subconscious . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter Two - As We Think - So We Become . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter Three - Beyond the Critical Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter Four - In and Out of Trance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter Five - Rapidly Boosting Egos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter Six - Private Subconscious Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter Seven - Age Regression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter Eight - Past Life Regression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter Nine - Dual Mind Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Chapter Ten - We Are A Conditioned People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter Eleven - Dealing With Physical Disorders . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Chapter Twelve - Dealing with Phobias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Chapter Thirteen - Dealing with Common Addictions . . . . . . . . . 73
Chapter Fourteen - The Language of Hypnotherapy . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chapter Fofteen - Whats It All About? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

viii

Introduction
Whoever acquires knowledge and does not
practice it resembles him who ploughs his
land and leaves it unsown.
- James RossGulistan (1258)
ost people are ill-informed about hypnosis and they
M
are unaware of the enormous contribution it makes
to the well being of many of its adherents. Available

information is misleading. The word hypnosis comes

from the Greek hypnos meaning sleep. Most denitions
of hypnosis refer to induced sleep or sleep like states, so
most people think it is sleep. Hypnosis is not sleep. It is
very different to sleep. A hypnotised subject may appear
to be asleep, but is not asleep. It is of course possible
for a subject to fall asleep during hypnosis. Every writer,
author and lawyer has a denition of hypnosis they vary
widely.
There is a need to remove the blanket of mystery that surrounds
hypnotherapy. It changes dull, anxious and ailing lives. It can be a
valuable power for good in a troubled society. Hypnosis has fascinated
people for years, particularly since the late nineteenth century. This
is probably due to the writers, novelists, movie makers and television
presenters. They emphasise anything that appears fantastic, weird or
frightening, with little regard for the truth.
Franz Mesmer in the
eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries became interested
in a widespread belief that
all disease was caused by a
disturbance in the magnetic
eld surrounding the human
body. He called it animal
magnetism.

In 1894 George Du Maurier wrote the novel Trilby. The main

character Svengali was a hypnotist who supposedly took control of
another persons mind to cause them to do whatever he suggested.
People still have images of swinging watches, hypnotic gestures
and characters with mystical powers. Negative aspects are exaggerated
whilst little is said or written about the benets. Regardless of the
pain relief provided by hypnotherapists to chronic sufferers many
medical practitioners are dubious or prejudiced towards hypnosis.
Some psychologists and psychiatrists are strangely ignorant of the

ix

Introduction
the subject and it is missing from the training and education of most
healthcare practitioners. Happily there has been a growing recognition
of the link between the mind and physical health.
Hypnosis has been practiced for centuries. It was known in
ancient Egypt and in Roman times. It came in to prominence due
to the activities of Franz Mesmer in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. He became interested in a widespread belief that all disease
was caused by a disturbance in the magnetic eld surrounding the
human body. Mesmer called it animal magnetism. He claimed that
by using powerful magnets he could correct any imbalance in the
distribution of the uid around the body. He is reputed to have had
much success with a variety of ailments and gained a large following
of patients.

Repression was the basis

on which Freud developed
psychoanalysis and hypnoanalysis. Fundamental to the
idea was the existence of a
subconscious mind in which
all memories are stored.

In 1784 a special commission was appointed to investigate his

activities. They reported unfavourably. Despite this, the practice of
mesmerism continued. It is thought that much of Mesmers success
could be due to the power of suggestion and the expectation and
belief of his followers. Modern Hypnotherapy has learned much from
Mesmer and his work.
In France, Jean-Martin Charcot an investigator into hypnosis
decided it was an articially induced neurosis when used therapeutically
could cure certain symptoms. In Nancy, a group inuenced by A.
A. Liebault determined that hypnosis was a normal psychological
phenomenon to which virtually everyone was susceptible. This view
became known as the animist position. In 1895 Freud and Breuer
theorised that symptoms of hysteria resulted from repressed emotions
from a traumatic event. As these emotions had not been properly or
fully expressed they caused the distressing symptoms. Repression
was the basis on which Freud developed psychoanalysis and hypnoanalysis. Fundamental to the idea was the existence of a subconscious
mind in which all memories are stored. Therapy involved the release
and resolution of these repressed memories and the associated
emotions. Abreaction was encouraged i.e. the release of emotional
feelings during the reliving of the original sensitising event.
British Doctor James Braid was the rst to use the term hypnosis
and to identify the difference between sleep and hypnosis. Doctor
James Esdaile, whilst in India, used hypnosis to anaesthetise patients
for surgical operations including amputations. Hateld and Brown
concluded that essential to recovery was a re-experiencing of the
original event rather than a simple recollection. However it is no longer
considered to be so. During World War 1, hypnosis was used to treat
combat neuroses and to uncover the memory of traumatic battleeld
experiences. After World War 2 regression was the means of bringing
to consciousness previously unconscious impulses.
In 1951, B. Gindes in his work New Concepts of Hypnosis
described two essential stages in hypno-analytical procedure.

Introduction
1. The location of the repressed information.
2. Its assimilation along with the moral, physical, mental, and
emotional adjustment involved.
The study of hypnosis would be incomplete without mention
of Milton H. Erickson whose creativity and ingenuity developed the
means for the mind to use internal resources to resolve conict. He
had a skill with difcult subjects, using fascinating ways and is reputed
to have induced hypnosis with a handshake. He was brilliant in the
way he adapted stories, metaphors and commands to each patient.
Born in 1901, he suffered polio in his adolescence and spent much
of his life in a wheel chair. He was in pain throughout his life which
he overcame in remarkable ways. His condition meant that he spent
a lot of time watching how people behave and became skilful at
reading body language. He had a clear understanding of non-verbal
communication. He only achieved public recognition late in life and
died on March 25th, 1980.
Milton H. Erickson developed
the means for the mind to
use internal resources to
resolve conict. He had a clear
understanding of non-verbal
communication.

Bandler and Grinder in the U.S.A perpetuated the techniques of

Erickson and developed Neuro Linguistic Programming, which claims
that we have within us all the resources we need to make any changes
we wish. A signicant contribution was made to hypnotherapy by Dave
Elman. His father had been stricken with cancer and Elman was
greatly impressed when his father was give relief by a stage hypnotist.
Later he worked briey as a stage hypnotist himself and developed
his rapid induction techniques. Later still he became a teacher of
hypnosis. He had no formal qualications, yet became the most well
known teacher of hypnosis in U.S.A.
To really appreciate hypnosis I believe we need to understand
that all life is energy. Consequently, our brain is energy, our mind
is energy and there is continuous vibration occurring at all levels of
mind. When the slower energy frequencies of the brain dominate, the
primitive mind dominates. A state of atavism exists. In this state the
limbic system, which is the seat of the emotions is subdued and the
analytical function of the neo cortex is negated.
In early childhood this primitive mind is mostly unaffected by
environmental or sociological inuences. It exists to experience
pleasure and to avoid pain or discomfort. It does not know fear. To
be contented, a small child needs food and to experience pleasurable
oral and bodily sensations. Typically it knows what it wants and when
it wants it, which is usually NOW.
As development takes place the restrictions imposed by society
are felt causing a struggle to occur between the primitive forces on
the one hand and of society on the other. Later, there is increased
inuence from the emotions and the child learns to experience fear,
anger, hate and love. The struggle between the conicting forces
continues as a mediator in the form of the ego or personality is
developed. What we believe and how we deal with the events in
our life is affected by what has formed at the deeper level of mind.

xi

Introduction
This is the source of much that ails us and is the part of us that
requires therapy to improve the quality of life.
In Australia, hypnosis has been viewed suspiciously and
acceptance is still slow. For a time hypnosis was illegal in
some states unless practiced by a doctor, dentist or psychologist.
In recent times the law was reviewed and changed. Today, trained and
qualied hypnotherapists with professional accreditation have been
accepted. In Victoria, the Academy of Hypnotic Science is accredited
by The Government of Victoria as a provider of comprehensive
training. Until recently it was the only accredited provider in Victoria
and one of only two in Australia. No doubt this will change as
hypnotherapy becomes more acceptable to the wider community.
The characteristics that we associate with hypnosis are really
quite normal and occur in all of us at differing times and in differing
situations. The very simplicity of hypnosis may have contributed to the
skepticism of many people. Having witnessed seemingly miraculous
events they attribute them to spiritual interventions, mystical powers,
or black magic. It is to be hoped that the material in this book will help
to remove some of the mystery that has surrounded this most valuable
therapeutic modality.
As a 10 year old boy, my father told me about the work of the great
Emile Cou the creator of those words I learned by heart, Each and
every day, in every way I get better and better. I was also given a
valuable and lasting few words of advice, Son, stand on the threshold
of your brow, and monitor the thoughts that you allow in to your mind
and if any are unhelpful silently reject them. I practiced it in my life for
forty years before I realised that it was hypnosis.

xii

CHAPTER

The Conscious and

the Subconscious

It is important
that we realise
that we are not
alone inside this
body. There is
more than one I
inside this body.

hen I was a youth I did not believe in miracles.

W
As I have grown older I have realised that I am
a miracle. I live inside this amazing body which has

so many characteristics that it must be considered a

miracle of creation. It keeps renewing itself endlessly
which makes it a self perpetuating organism, that when
created was programmed to last forever. However, it also
has the ability to defeat itself and to even self-destruct.
I shall explore what we can do to protect the self-perpetuating
qualities our bodies have and how we can avoid or overcome those
things that stimulate thoughts and behaviours which precipitate the
self defeating mechanisms.
It is important that we realise that we are not alone inside this body.
There is more than one I inside this body. There are conversations
going on inside our heads, discussions, arguments and at times a
constant chatter of seemingly meaningless thoughts. Some of these
messages are positive in nature and support and strengthen us.
Unfortunately, for many of us the majorities of these messages are
negative and sabotage the very nature of our being. They spoil the
quality of our lives. There is an overriding inuence that dominates
our thinking and determines the way we behave. We nd ourselves
acting in ways that are not the way we want to, but persist despite our
intention to behave differently. It is an inuence that is not consistent
in its intent, it may get us into trouble whilst at other times ensures that
we avoid trouble.
Of all the organs of the body the brain is the master. All the
activities of the other organs are controlled by the brain. The brain is
like an overcrowded conference hall during a break when everybody is
expressing an opinion. Background noise prevents us from receiving
messages we can properly understand. It is not surprising that the
wrong messages are received or the correct action is not implemented.
Disastrous mechanisms could be set in motion.

The brain is the master organ

within the body.

Life is energy; matter is energy; you are energy and our brains are
energy. Energy is alive. It is a force, it is not static. The physical body
including the brain is a complex system of structures and processes
which vibrate with independent wave formations.

The Conscious and the Subconscious // 1

Brain wave frequencies change as we experience changes in our
state of consciousness. With guidance changes can be made in the
brain wave frequencies. When we are in a normal wide awake alert
state of mind we experience Beta brain waves (14-28 cycles per
second). The brain wave frequency declines as we become more and
more physically and/or mentally relaxed. We move into an Alpha state
(8-13 cycles per second) and our eyes gently close. As we progress
to deeper states of relaxation we enter a Theta state (3-7 cycles
per second), a dreamy kind of state. Extreme relaxation enables
us to experience Delta brain waves (1-3 cycles per second). These
latter states can be experienced during sleep as well as when in a
hypnotic trance. Whilst certain physical characteristics are evident as
someone experiences these states, (eye closure, uttering eyelids,
slow breathing and paleness of the skin), they may be measured by

Brain wave frequencies

change as we experience
changes in our state of
consciousness. The brain
wave frequency declines as
we become more and more
physically and/or mentally
relaxed.

a device called an electro-encephalograph. This may not always be

practical during a therapeutic consultation. The physical characteristics
shown by the patient can be a useful guide to the level of
consciousness that they are experiencing. It is important to know that
as our brain wave frequency changes from a Beta state to an Alpha
state; our deeper mind becomes more receptive to suggestion.
The mind functions at least at two levels. There is a conscious
mind. lt makes us aware of ourselves and aware of our surroundings.
There is also a deeper mind which we call the subconscious (often
referred to as the unconscious) mind, in which there is cognitive
activity taking place that we are normally unaware of. These two
minds communicate with each other and the exchange of information
between the two minds inuences the way we behave.

The Conscious and the Subconscious // 1

Whatever is accepted and believed at a conscious level is passed
to the subconscious mind and becomes part of our belief system.
This process is called auto-suggestion. The deeper the state of
consciousness we experience, the more likely we are to accept and let
through the suggestions we are exposed to. The surface or conscious
mind is a rational, analytical mind. It is the decision maker, it makes
choices. It is an intelligent mind which receives numerous suggestions
or stimuli and decides what to accept or reject. Once the choice is
made, the accepted information goes through to the subconscious
mind. it is accepted unreservedly, blindly, without question and stored
in our memory bank.
Every experience, every piece of information, every suggestion
accepted at a conscious level is conveyed to the subconscious and is
stored in the memory. Information may date back to the time of birth.
There is evidence to suggest that even memories in utero may be
retained. We have a perfect memory. In terms of storage, our brain
more than matches the most sophisticated of computers. A computer,
however, is more efcient in retrieving information.
The brain is often compared to a computer and there are some
similarities. They both perform complex calculations rapidly and
solve difcult problems. The brain takes in information and stores
it. It processes information according to instructions. Information is
received, processed and stored as symbols, words, visual images, or
sounds. Like a computer the brain can be programmed or conditioned
to assemble information to make sense of it.
The Reticular Activating
System connects with every
other part of the brain and
underlies our awareness of the
world and our ability to think,
learn and act.

The human brain is remarkably compact, it weighs about 1.4

Kilos and requires 1/10 volt of electricity to perform effectively. It
functions electrochemically unlike a computer and has tens of billions
of nerve cells, (neurons), which gives it a truly staggering capacity.
The interconnections, (synapses), give it the potential to process up
to 2 x 10 to the power of 13 bits of information. Most of this capacity
is unused, as much as 98% in some estimates. Imagine what
our lives could be like if we doubled our use of this idle
capacity.
We receive information from our environment via our senses,
(sight, sound, smell touch and taste). Once received by our
sense organs the information is relayed in the form of nerve
impulses to the brain. The brain receives the information and
sends information by means of nerve impulses throughout
the body. The nerve impulses reach the brain via specialized
cells that form the Reticular Activating System, (RAS).
The Reticular Activating System is about 10 centimeters
long and the thickness of a small nger. It connects
with every other part of the brain and underlies our
awareness of the world and our ability to think, learn
and act. Conscious sensation is only experienced when
nerve impulses arrive at the brain. For example, pain

The Conscious and the Subconscious // 1

associated with an area of the body can only experienced when
the pain impulse arrives at the brain. This applies to all sensory
experiences. The brain is stimulated in normal activity by a constant
ow of nerve impulses carrying information. The Reticular Activating
System acts as a kind of lter or sentry. It interprets information that is
passed through to the brain. If the amount of stimulation is reduced,
the sentry, (the RAS), goes to sleep. It closes down, although never
completely. The individual goes into a state of deep relaxation or
sleep.
The role of the RAS is to create an awareness of our environment,
to be analytical, critical and to accept or reject the conditions of our
environment. It activates thoughts relative to the conditions of this
environment stimulating the mechanisms of our imagination and our
will power. When we are hypnotised and go into a trance state, our
brain wave frequency slows down to an alpha level or lower, an
indication that the function of the RAS has been inhibited or negated.
The Reticular Activating System analyses the information
recieved from our senses and either lets it pass through to the brain
or rejects it. The part of the brain at the unconscious level does not
have this ability to reject information. Changes are established in
our program. Conditioning has taken place. Through the power of
hypnosis, the analytical function of the Reticular Activating System can
be deactivated, allowing direct access to our mind, (Bio-computer),
ensuring the best possible program.
During a hypnotic induction, the hypnotherapist uses words and
images to create an increasingly relaxed state in the subject. Soon
the subjects RAS begins to attach more importance to the voice of
the hypnotist than to any other stimuli. As the therapy progresses, the
RAS allows the therapists suggestions to pass to the subconscious.
The brain further inuences the activity of the RAS. The mind
becomes conditioned to accept the suggestions and/or implement any
suggested action. For the client there is a new perception of reality.

The RAS allows the therapists

suggestions to pass to the
subconscious. For the client
there is a new perception of
reality.

Later I will describe various methods of inducing hypnosis and

give suggestions for the relief of some human conditions. For now,
understand what is happening for the client is not visible to a casual
observer, but an experienced practitioner will observe clues to what
is happening at both the conscious and subconscious levels of the
mind.
During induction the subject gradually changes his/her state of
consciousness, going deeper and deeper into the realms of the
unconscious mind. A number of physical manifestations appear,
indicating the depth of trance being experienced. The act alone of
closing the eyes brings about a changed state. The level of relaxation
increases and the subject moves into a deeper trance state. At rst,
the state is light. It is called a hypnoidal state. It is recognised
by the relaxed state of the physical body, the eye closure. There
may be uttering of the eyelids. More suggestions to deepen the

The Conscious and the Subconscious // 1

state bring about a medium trance known as the cataleptic state.
Catalepsy is indicated when suggestions bring about a locking of the
eyes. Limbs too, can be locked in position. The subject is unable
to unlock them despite much effort. This is a valuable state which
can be used to bring about pain relief, anesthesia and implant
post-hypnotic suggestions. Post hypnotic suggestions are used to
implement behavioral change that continues on after the subject
returns to a state of normal awareness.
Further deepening may induce somnambulism, in which state the
subject remains in a trance but with the eyes open continues to see
the images experienced in trance. Suggestions that are given in this
state, that they will see a scene that is not present or that they will fail
to see something that is present will, if successful indicate positive or
negative hallucination. For example, if whilst in trance the subject is told
that someone has left the room, they will not be aware of that person,
even though the eyes are open. That is negative hallucination. Posthypnotic amnesia may also be suggested successfully in this state.
Somnambulism is associated with sleep walking, but the state of
somnambulism referred to here is a hypnotic state which is induced
when a subjects brain wave frequency drops to between 1 and 3 cycles
per second, the Delta level. It needs to be restated that hypnosis is not a
sleep state, even though a hypnotized subject may appear to be asleep.
In fact the mind may be even more active than in normal wakefulness.
On occasion a hypnotised subject may fall asleep whilst in
a hypnotic trance. This does not interfere with the suggestions
being presented, as the subconscious mind remains aware of
what is happening. If verbal responses are needed from the
subject then the therapist can awaken the subject while retaining
the trance state. We will deal with this in more detail later.
It is sufcient to say that tests show there is no similarity between sleep
and the hypnotic trance. Patterns from an electro-encephalograph
differ for sleeping subjects compared to those of a hypnotised subject.
In our ordinary awake state, when we are given a suggestion, the
receptors of the mind are in a widely scattered state or coping with
many diverse stimuli. Consequently, the power of the suggestion is
weak. It is also subjected to analytical assessment. If the suggestion
is contrary to our existing beliefs or feelings, the suggestion has only
a slight chance of reaching the subconscious mind. When we go
into a hypnotic trance the mind becomes more focused. It is as if
the minds receptors are concentrated on the suggestion and are
less distracted by other stimuli or nerve impulses. Messages from
the sensory systems may be ignored. When the subject comes out
of the trance state, the subconscious mind retains the suggestions.
Because we constantly experience suggestions and our
consciousness is changing during the day, it is important to be alert to
the self-talk going on inside our heads. We receive numerous negative
messages from our environment, but we give negative messages to

The Conscious and the Subconscious // 1

ourselves inside our head, which reinforces any existing negativity
we already harbor. We must ensure that only positive messages are
allowed to change our behavior and quality of our life, with amazing
results. Through the power of positive suggestions delivered in a
hypnotic state, subjects are empowered to overcome many mental,
physical and emotional disorders. Habits such as smoking and nail
biting are overcome. Stress and anxiety can be relieved. Pain is
reduced, changed and if appropriate eliminated.
Physical disorders are often caused by underlying emotional
distress. These include afictions such as migraine headaches, and
skin irritations. The emotions may also affect or interfere with the
normal function of a number of important systems. The most common
of these are the digestive, reproductive and circulatory systems.
Many physical conditions have been cured or alleviated by the
power of the mind aided by hypnotherapy. However, hypnosis is not
a magic wand. Hypnotherapists are not miracle workers, although
seemingly miraculous effects have been known to occur. Therapy
is rarely an instant x. Professional expertise is required to ensure
lasting benets are provided. A professional hypnotherapist has the
skill to induce a state which is conducive to the healing process.
Ideal conditions include establishing a strong focus of attention on
the idea being presented to the mind, and in a way that ensures
it sinks down into the subconscious. It is important to have the
focus of attention upon an idea with all the images and mental
pictures associated with it. The mind can then be left to do its work.

Many physical conditions have

been cured or alleviated by the
power of the mind aided by
hypnotherapy.

When the mind accepts the idea, a process commences which

brings about a change of behavior in the subject. The subconscious
mind knows all the events and experiences in our lives and knows the
solution to all the problems that ail us. The subconscious works out
a solution to the problem which is in the best interests of the subject.
Then it passes it back into the conscious mind where it can be put
into action. The action may not always be visible or obvious but
may occur covertly to change our perception, or the way we feel
and think about something. When the conscious and subconscious
minds are in harmony with each other the results can be dramatic.

CHAPTER

As We Think So We Become

We all use
hypnosis, in
different ways, in
our normal daily
lives. We do it
often without
realising we are
doing it. Mothers,
for example, are
excellent
hypnotists...

Hypnosis has been practiced

down throughout the ages by
most cultures including the
Egyptians.

ypnosis has been practiced for a long time. It was

part of the religious ceremonies of people in ancient
H
times. Egyptian priests are known to have practiced a
ceremony known as temple sleep, during which, whilst
in a trance state, (self induced), they gave followers
advice presumed to have come from the gods to relieve
physical problems and personal problems.

By contrast many Christian believers feared that people who

were hypnotised were being subjected to satanic powers. It was
likened to black magic. Even today superstition prevails. In the late
20th Century, in the state of Victoria, Australia, as a result of public
pressure, the activities of an organisation known as Scientology were
banned. There was a widespread belief in the community that the
scientologists used hypnosis to inuence people to become members
or make donations. Hypnosis was also banned unless practiced by a
medical practitioner or a registered psychologist.
Scientologists later declared themselves to be a religious
organisation and using the freedom of religion policy, had the ban on
scientology rescinded. The ban on hypnotherapy remained for many
years. Meanwhile much skepticism has continued. Few doctors have
studied or used hypnosis. Some psychologists have taken it up as an
extra curricula activity and acquired sufcient prociency to use it as a
major therapeutic modality.
The way in which hypnotherapy is practiced has continued to
develop and has gradually gained recognition. There are skeptics
and even people who think that hypnotists can take control of their
minds. The activities of stage hypnotists have been unhelpful and
encouraged this perception. Similarly, there have been the activities
of some unprofessional and probably unqualied practitioners who
attribute ALL emotional disorders to childhood sexual abuse. This
has raised controversy and a practice known as Repressed Memory
Therapy has been banned or outlawed by many reputable and
professional hypnotherapy organisations world wide.
It is accepted that many disorders, particularly of an emotional
nature, may be the result of earlier traumas, and that hypnotherapy
could uncover the trauma. The subject, whilst in hypnosis, would re-

As We Think - So We Become // 2
experience an event, with the arousal and expression of the emotions
that had been involved, the objective being to enable the patient to
uncover, review with fresh mature eyes, and resolve the underlying
issue. In the past, the subject in this state, would often experience
physical or emotional abreaction and become distressed. Now it is
generally agreed that abreaction is not a necessary part of the process.
Resolution can be obtained in a more comfortable way. Hypnotherapy
when practiced by a well-trained and qualied practitioner that is a
member of a professional body such as the Australian Society of
Clinical Hypnotherapist or The Australian Hypnotherapists Association
is probably one of the safest forms of therapy for treating a wide range
of disorders.
We all use hypnosis in different ways in our normal daily lives.
We do it often without realising we are doing it. Mothers are excellent
hypnotists. My mother, when I was a child, could soothe away many
ordinary hurts that children experience during play. I can recall times
when I may have a fallen and started to cry, mother would say, Come
to me, and let me kiss it better. Once the kiss was delivered, the pain
was gone as if by magic. When it was a lesser pain, I was advised to
rub it better, with the same result.
People who use positive language,when making requests, are
more effective than those who use negative words. Others will be
more co-operative when you tell them what to do rather than what not
to do. It is important to be watchful of our own self talk. Those who use
afrmations can often perpetuate their problems by giving themselves
wrong messages.
Emile Cou, who made auto-suggestion a household word in the
second decade of the 20th century, coined the words, Day by day in
every way I am getting better and better. This is a positive powerful
afrmation. Saying to yourself, I am not going to get sick is counterproductive and better replaced by I am in perfect health. I am not
afraid can be replaced by I can do it or I have all the resources to
meet this situation.
Any positive statement that is expressed in positive terms and
present tense produces a better outcome than a negative one.
Remember, I will is projecting to an indenite future. When? Well,
sometime, but who knows when? Use I am, it is a powerful instruction
to the subconscious mind to act in the NOW.

Kirlian photography displaying

the energy eld of a leaf. We
are part of an energy system.
As living human beings we are
a force which we call the Life
Force.

Unless we change our beliefs we are stuck. What we believe,

what we put our faith in, is vital. We are part of an energy system.
As living human beings we are a force which we call the Life Force.
There are many forces in and around us. Some lie dormant within us.
Few of us know what force is directing our behavior at any time or
what ability we have for success until something happens. There is a
ash of inspiration, an intuitive moment that energises us. We become
aroused, our condence is elevated. How does this happen? It may be
a spoken word, a thought, a sensation, a visual image or a suggestion

As We Think - So We Become // 2
picked up. There is a power you can learn to trust and believe in. A
power you have access to and you can allow to work through you to
solve seemingly impossible problems. You can feel in harmony with
the Innite, the Absolute. The Innite or Absolute is the source of all
creation. We are part of creation and the Life Force with which we are
endowed with has this creative faculty. We are instruments of creation.
Everything on this earth created by mankind began as a thought or an
idea in someones mind.
A thought arises and the thought creates a need. The need
generates ideas. Images form in the mind. We are able to visualise
that which arises, we see it in clear detail. It becomes real for us. It
is part of our inner world, where to all intents and purposes, it is real.
Desire appears and wants to bring it in to the outer physical world.
Another energising force becomes active. It is alert to the physical
environment, it inuences our behavior to seek out and nd the most
conducive conditions and circumstances for our creation.
The behavior is intensied, working, seeking and intent on
manifesting that which is desired. All of this takes place below
conscious level. When the original thought, the suggestion is accepted,
the subconscious acts upon it. In fact any suggestion once accepted,
whether true or not, is acted upon without analysis, without rationality,
in an impersonal way.
Suggestions that are received and accepted, remain in the
subconscious memory bank, are held there and can affect us at any
time for the rest of our lives. The subconscious does not form beliefs
itself, but is conditioned by whatever is held as truth at a conscious
level of mind. In effect we are the programmers of our own internal
Bio-computer. Under normal conditions the mind is never still. It is
alert and responding to all the stimuli that it is subjected to. It is storing
information, analysing information, making choices, formulating plans
for action and creating possibilities out of probabilities.
The subconscious mind always has the intention to protect the
welfare of the whole person. From early childhood it learns behaviours
often by experience or by observation. The behaviors are many and
diverse. They can be physical actions or verbal responses. They
are usually automatic responses to particular stimuli. They can be
responses that are happening at a subconscious level. They may be
stimulating internal reactions, rapid heart beat, increased hormonal
activity, ow of adrenaline, or arousing emotional feelings. The ght or
ight response may be triggered. All is enacted with the intention of
protecting the whole person.
There is a catch! The learned behavior may have passed its
useful date. The learned behavior may have worked very well when
it was rst implemented, but what was a useful response during
childhood may be totally inappropriate for an adult. If the subconscious
is still initiating the same response, then a problem exists. A habit,
such as smoking, acquired during adolescence, may enable us to feel

As We Think - So We Become // 2
accepted by our peers. We feel grown up and sophisticated, may feel
sexy or attractive to the opposite sex. The habit is reinforced when
we come to believe that it works. In later life, even though we realise
that smoking is harmful and antisocial, there is a part of us, at a
subconscious level that is still holding on to the habit. It still believes
that it is benecial to do so. We try to convince ourselves to quit the
habit, but we try to quit at a conscious level of mind. The power to
inuence the part that tenaciously holds on to the habit, evades us.
What we once accepted and believed at a conscious level
of mind has become xed at a subconscious level. By accessing
the subconscious mind we can implement positive suggestions that
enable it to release its hold on the undesirable behaviours level.
Through hypnotherapy, the subconscious mind can be accessed in
order to change the conditioning; to change the program. Nothing
happens to your body that does not rst happen in your mind. When
you get sick, the sickness started in your mind. It happened because
you had accepted a belief at a conscious level or it had got stuck in
your subconscious mind through thinking negatively at some previous
time.
We have a perception of our body as being of a physical nature.
We need to stop thinking of ourselves as physical beings. We are
a life force; we are thinking stuff in a eld of energy, a non-material
world, which is also thinking stuff. The thoughts we think inuence the
way the body that we occupy responds. It is affected by the force of
our own thinking, and may also be affected by the thoughts of those
around us. We have a body but we are not our body. We are the
custodians, as it were, of this remarkable creation.

The thoughts we think

inuence the way the body
that we occupy responds.

The body constantly renews itself. Without realising it we are the

architects of reconstruction. We are also the builders of our bodies.
The conditions of our lives are the consequence of the thoughts,
emotions and feelings that we have entertained. To a degree the
thoughts and feelings of those to whom we relate have also contributed.
Unless we change our beliefs, we are stuck. In order to change we
must let go the past and start afresh. Fear, anxiety, and all that holds
us back, must be overcome. All our fears; fear we will get sick, fear
that we will lose our job, fear that our house will burn down, fear that
our investments will fail, must be let go. We must refuse to let criticism,
jealousy, judgment or condemnation by others possess us. If we fail to
do this, we may nd ourselves in a sea of negativity. It is time to swim
not drown.

10

CHAPTER

Beyond the Critical

Mind

The subconscious mind is

a vast storehouse
of data on every
person, place,
condition, and
experience over
our whole
lifetime.

o be capable of taking control of our lives, or to

help others take control of theirs, we must have an
T
understanding of how the mind works. The Life Force is
the intelligent energy in human form. It manifests itself
by the expression of conscious awareness. It is selfconscious so that we are aware of ourselves and of
our surroundings. The environment is all around us and
impacts upon us. Millions of stimuli are inuencing us,
constantly, every day and all day.

From this massive bombardment we select the messages to give

our attention to. Having selected the messages, we organise them to
give meaning to the world. At the same time we interpret them. We
create an image of a world which is uniquely ours. Each one of us has
our own world, a world that has little resemblance to the real world - if
there is a real world.
This view that we have of the world, determines how
we relate to our environment, and how we relate to other
people. Information is processed, and allowed to pass
to the subconscious mind, easily, if it agrees with our
existing beliefs and feelings. Once accepted, it merges
with a lifetime of information and becomes part of our belief
system.
The subconscious mind is a vast storehouse of data
on every person, place, condition, and experience over
our whole lifetime. Here, there is great wisdom and
understanding. It knows what ails us. It knows how to
resolve all the bothers, worries, anxieties, fears, and guilt
that trouble us.

Millions of stimuli are

inuencing us, constantly,
every day and all day.

11

The subconscious has other close companions. They

are the instincts; the instinct for self-preservation, and the
instinct for self satisfaction. The instinct for self satisfaction
is often referred to as the pleasure principle. It causes us to act to
avoid pain, seek reward or gain pleasure. The subconscious does
not decide for itself. It acts according to its belief system, whether
it is good or bad, positive or negative. It has another important
attribute, and that is its ability to recreate thoughts, feelings, and

Beyond The Critical Mind // 3

reactions associated with its belief system. These may be benecial or
destructive to the human organism. This ability to recreate experiences
may be triggered by a memory, a casual thought, or some stimulus
from the environment. It might be a song, or piece of music associated
with a happy moment in the past. It could be a sight or sound, images
start to form in the mind.
There are times when this recreation process is taking place
below conscious level of mind, so we do not recollect the original
event. The emotions or feelings aroused by the event however, do
come up to conscious awareness and are experienced as if the event
had just occurred, We experience all the anxiety, the feelings, panic,
guilt, associated with an event that took place years before. It may be
an event long forgotten, it may be a trauma that was so distressing
at the time that it was suppressed and has remained hidden from
conscious awareness ever since. We experience the feelings and
emotions of this initial sensitising event with no realisation at a
conscious level of the cause or source of our discomfort.
In order to relieve this suffering, the original event can be
uncovered with hypnotherapy and resolved so that the associated
feelings are let go or reprogrammed. It is important that there should
be no preconceived assumptions as to the nature of the sensitising
event, but that it is left to the subconscious to uncover it.
Age regression has long been the means used by hypnotherapists
to uncover past traumas and other distressing events. It should not be
confused with Repressed Memory Syndrome, whereby a practitioner
makes an assumption, before any form of trance induction has been
used that the problem was sexual abuse in childhood. It is sufcient
to say that not all emotional problems or untoward feelings are the
consequence of childhood sexual abuse.
My experience suggests that problems could have their origins in
much more trivial events than sexual or physical abuse. All children
experience what is to their immature minds, a trauma or some form
of distressing event. Some are more dramatic than others. Typical
examples are; break up of parents marriage; serious accidental injury;
perceived or real rejection by one or both parents; witnessing a
dramatic event; an unhappy home life; an unhappy school life.
Not all emotional problems
originate in childhood. Adults
can carry unconscious
burdens without realising it.
Whilst some people are aware
of the source of their
discomfort, others are
oblivious to the cause of their
misery.

Not all emotional problems originate in childhood. Adults can

carry unconscious burdens without realising it. Typical examples of
these are; broken relationships; suppressed anger; guilt over some
perceived action or failure to act; unhappy work environment; and
any source of unbearable stress. Whilst some people are aware of
the source of their discomfort, others are oblivious to the cause of
their misery. It is the latter that are often most severely affected.
The hidden or suppressed emotions or feelings will manifest in physical
ailments, such as migraine headaches, skin rashes, and even more
serious psychosomatic illnesses. They may have lowered immune
system protection, and become vulnerable to life threatening diseases.

12

Beyond The Critical Mind // 3

Every painful experience we have had is safely guarded by the
subconscious mind. It is held there with many hidden thoughts, deep
convictions, beliefs, prejudices and rst impressions, stored together
with the reactions that were experienced at the time. When memories
are aroused at either or both conscious and subconscious levels, then
we can experience similar reactions to those triggered by the original
event.
When we experience constant repetitions of these reactions
without recalling a memory of their source, the impact on the physical
body can be severe. The mind becomes the director of the physiology
and of chemical and hormonal processes. The connection between
mind and body is sure, constant, and alert. The mind is without doubt
the ruler of the body. The mind is like a fertile eld ready to accept
every seed of grain or weed that falls upon it.
If our mind is always concerned about disease, sickness or threats
to our physical well being, It attracts to itself that which it is focused
upon. The healthy body is inuenced by a mind that is permanently
focused on good health, vigor and vitality. If our behavior, even if it is
apparently benecial, is prompted by fear of illness or disease, then it
loses most of its power to protect us. We have been the builders of
our bodies and we get a new body approximately once a year.
The thoughts and feelings we have been allowing to dominate
our lives, have determined the conditions of our lives. In addition, we
attract to us the circumstances of our lives. If we are in the midst of
poverty, greed, accidents and misadventure, then we need to change
our thinking. In order to x our life we must rst x our thoughts.
All of us have the power to access our internal resources in
order to turn failure in to success, sickness in to health, anger in to
peace and hate in to love. We fail to use this power, because we
are distracted by the materialism all around us and the pressures
to compete with one another for material wealth. If we just turn our
attention inwards away from attempts to justify our self worth by the
value of our possessions, the size of our house or our position on the
executive ladder. We will nd a new sense of self worth and those
other things will be added to us.
The ability to re-experience events that we have been discussing
relies on the capacity of the brain to store information and is called
experiential storage. There are two other forms of storage that we
should concern ourselves with. They are word storage and conceptual
storage. Word storage gives us the ability to make connections
between words and images. If we see or hear the word tree, we are
able to generate an image in the mind of a tree. We may not all have
the same image of course. The tree that I create in my mind may be
that of a huge oak tree, another person may visualise a rose tree,
whilst someone else imagines a shoe-tree, assuming of course that
shoe-tree is in their stored vocabulary.

13

Beyond The Critical Mind // 3

Conceptual storage gives us the ability to conceive ideas and make
some sense of things using our stored up knowledge. So that if I
should say to you: I saw a small creature with wings last Christmas
in the snow perched on a holly tree, its red breast contrasting
with the holly berries... many of you might make the connection
with the Robin, a red breasted bird commonly seen at winter time
in thenorthern hemisphere. This is, providing of course, that the
necessary information was in you store of knowledge. Just like a
computer the brain has input, (information in), and it has programs,
(the way the information is assembled), and it has output, (the sense
that we make of things). The programs are interrelated to the three
kinds of storage; experiential, word and conceptual. Thus we are able
to think thoughts. It also means we can think in words and we can
think in images.
If I ask you to put the book down and cast your mind back over
the events of your day so far, you may think back over the day silently
talking to yourself using normal language. Others may see the events
of the day as a kind of video recording, whilst others may experience a
combination of both. So you see, some of us think predominantly with
words others think in visual images. The way people think, is reected
in the way they talk. People who think internally, with words, say
things like I know what you mean or I understand what your saying.
Visual people say things like, I see what you mean, It looks very
clear to me. There are others too. There are the auditory thinkers.
It sounds really good; I like the sound of your project. Then there are
the kinesthetic types, the touchy feely people who say, Feels good to
me; Yes, I can get a handle on that. If you listen carefully to peoples
conversations and the language they use, you can identify the different
kinds of thinking, going on in their minds. If you use similar language
to theirs it will be much easier to relate and harmonise with them.
A hypnotherapist will be alert to the way a subject expresses
thoughts and take it in to account when assisting a subject to get in
to a trance state. During the induction it is helpful to utilise and focus
attention on those systems that are the most dominant in the subjects
thinking process. One might say:
As you walk through the woods, you see the trees and the colours
of nature The green the brown the rust the gold.
A hypnotherapist is alert to
the way that subjects express
thoughts, and so use similar
language to best relate and
harmonise with them.

You are using the subjects visual faculty. To continue, you could say:
You can hear the sounds of leaves rustling in the breeze and
the sound of birds chattering and singing. You can feel the warmth
of the sun and the ground beneath your feet is soft from recent
rain.
In this way you work to the subjects sense of sound and touch.
In the course of a fairly lengthy induction one may continue to
focus the subject to turn his or her thoughts inward to create an
imaginary world, removed from the reality of the external environment.
Once the subjects attention is removed from their immediate

14

Beyond The Critical Mind // 3

environment a trance state can be assumed to be present. This is
a changed state of consciousness. As the induction continues, brain
wave frequency changes can occur, bringing about deeper states
of consciousness. Suggestions, which are then delivered, can get
past the critical analytical function of the Reticular Activating System.
The subject will, more and more, appear to be asleep, but despite
exhibiting the physical characteristics of a sleeping person, the subject
is in trance. In this trance state the subject is able to hear what is being
said, will be aware of any extraneous sounds or noises and could
even have a heightened state of awareness. The important point is
that the critical analytical function has been negated.
The conscious mind of the subject will occupy itself in any one
of a number of different ways, and could in fact go to sleep. Some
hypnotised subjects on being aroused have doubted whether they
have been hypnotised and said, I heard everything you said. Others
may say, I found it hard to concentrate on what you were saying and
found myself thinking about something all together different.
What is experienced by the conscious mind is of no importance,
providing it is not being obstructive or critically analytical. The
subconscious mind does not sleep and must accept any suggestion
that is allowed to reach it. Hypnotherapy relies on this receptiveness
of the subconscious mind.
All the functions of the human body are inuenced by the beliefs
that are held in the subconscious mind and how they affect the
nervous system. In addition to our beliefs, emotions and feelings have
an impact on the physical body. Another key to success is the self-talk
that is going on inside your head. The conversations going on inside
your head can boost condence or undermine it. The condence that
you have in your ability to accomplish your goals through the power of
your own mind is one of the greatest powers at your command. Just
remember that what you tell yourself has the greatest power over your
life. It determines how you feel. It determines whether you are happy,
contented or miserable and anxious. The way you feel inuences to a
great degree the health and wellbeing of your physical body. The body
does not function well if you are miserable or anxious. The messages
that you give to yourself will determine what you can or cannot do.
Now that we have discussed some of the important aspects of
how the mind works and how the instrument of the mind is played,
(we are referring to the brain as the instrument of mind), we can
start to explore the conditions and practices that ensure the induction
of trance states and the factors that make for suggestions that are
effective.

15

CHAPTER

4 In and Out of Trance

Many hypnotists
use a variety of
devices for the
subject to focus
their attention on.
Amongst these
are spirals, candle
ames, a nger or
thumb, a swinging
pendulum and
gurines or small
statues.

n formulating hypnotic suggestions and techniques

for use as a therapist, there are some fundamental
Iprinciples
that apply. Some are equally valuable if used

when practicing self-hypnosis or as auto-suggestions.

In a clinical setting the relationship between the therapist
and the subject is paramount. I cannot lay too much
importance on the need to establish rapport with the
subject before attempting to induce a hypnotic trance.
Clients often present with little knowledge or understanding
of hypnotherapy. The stage hypnotist, some novelists, theatrical
producers, television programs and others, have conspired to present
hypnosis in a variety of dramatic, threatening or demeaning ways.
Consequently with nothing else to rely on, a subject seeking
hypnotherapy will invariably experience a decree of apprehension and
defensiveness.
Remember that whatever change in patient behavior is necessary;
it is the patient that will ultimately make the change. The therapist is
a facilitator who enables a subject to access resources and abilities
they have hitherto neglected or may not even have been aware of.
The extent to which the therapist exudes a warm, understanding and
caring manner will do much to develop a cooperative relationship.
In addition to creating a welcoming warm approach, the extent
to which the therapist displays condence, professionalism in both
appearance and speech will be conducive to a successful induction.
The way we present ourselves is the prime inuence upon peoples
rst and usually lasting, impression of us.
I have long believed that successful inductions are determined
well before the formal procedures commence. Many years ago I went
to purchase tickets for a musical show at one of the large theatres in
the town where I lived. There was a hypnotist appearing in the theatre
at the time. His name was Peter Casson. The name Casson was
famous in theatrical circles. Peter Cassons parents, Lewis Casson
and his wife Sybil Thorndyke were famous Shakespearean actors.
The local press had devoted much space to the performance of
Peter Casson, highlighting incidents in his show, proclaiming his

16

In and Out of Trance // 4

professionalism and some of the amazing feats of hypnosis he had
apparently performed. His stage performance was in the true family
tradition His prestige was well and truly established. When I entered
the foyer of the theatre I was immediately aware of many posters,
large framed pictorials, images of Peter Casson in action with subjects
drawn from the audience. Some of these images showed subjects
in sleep-like states, others showed subjects in a variety of antics
performed under hypnosis. Wherever one turned or looked these
images confronted every one that walked in to the foyer of the theatre.
The effect was to create anticipation in the minds of people attending
that show of what to expect. Prospective volunteer subjects were
being preconditioned and made receptive to the hypnotic inductions
of Peter Casson even before they took their seats in the auditorium.
His prestige and their anticipation made a powerful pre-hypnotic
state of expectation that subjects WOULD be hypnotised. Successful
inductions had already commenced.
Whilst hypnotherapists operate in a vastly different way to the
stage hypnotist, we can learn something from them by building our
prestige, our image and creating an expectation that a successful
induction and outcome will occur. Efforts will be further enhanced by
creating a relaxed, safe, caring environment The decor and ambiance
of a hypnotherapy clinic is also an important factor in the therapeutic
process. Many practitioners nd that relaxing background music can
be helpful. My personal preference is for a quiet serene environment.
We are not all alike, and do not all appreciate the same type of music.
What can be calming for one person may be distracting or irritating for
another. If music is to be used, I suggest it be played softly and just
prior to the commencement of the formal induction. The music that
I consider most helpful in assisting the induction process is Baroque
Music. The characteristics of which are: there is no identiable melody;
it has no accompanying words or song; you are unlikely to hum or
whistle the tune whilst listening to it; the listener does not verbalise
any words or accompany it internally. This music was popular during
the 17th and 18th centuries. Music that is sometimes called New Age
Music may also have these characteristics.

Visual Imagery of calm, placid

scenery that the subject can
easily relate to such as the
beach, is used as part of the
induction process.

17

When working with a subject that has not been previously

hypnotised, I favour a lengthy induction comprising, progressive
relaxation from the feet to the head. This is followed by visual Imagery
of calm, placid scenery that the subject can easily relate to. Some
subjects respond well to an imaginary walk in the countryside including
sights, sounds and sensations to be found there. Another subject
may relate more easily to images of the beach, or a ight in an air
balloon, or a snow capped mountain. The possibilities are endless.
Talking with the subject and discussing the things they like to do
as well as identifying any phobias, is the best way to go. The
aim is to create the most propitious state of relaxation. Some
subjects happily and spontaneously close their eyes when the
induction commences, others are, at rst, reluctant. These latter

In and Out of Trance // 4

subjects should be asked to x their gaze on a suitable object until
their eyes tire and gently close over. Many hypnotists use a variety
of devices for the subject to focus their attention on. Amongst these
are spirals, candle ames, a nger or thumb, a swinging pendulum
and gurines or small statues. The swinging watches and the hypnotic
stare are probably best left to the stage hypnotist. I usually let the
client choose their own focus of attention, but most elect to simply
close their eyes. By having the subject focus attention on a specic
visual stimulus, their eyes will begin to tire and may close. As this
begins to happen, the hypnotists voice becomes the more dominant
stimulus and the mind starts to accept the suggestions that are put to
it. A state of atavism is affecting the subject, enabling the by-passing
of the critical analytical faculty. The Reticular Activating Faculty of the
subject is in repose.
The induction process can be further encouraged by the
use of dissociation. Dissociation is used to create a perceived
separation between body and mind. It can he used most effectively
during progressive relaxation. The parts of the subjects body are
depersonalised and are referred to as objects. We might say, Let
those eyes close over, instead of Let your eyes close over, or As I
lift this hand, this body relaxes twice as relaxed as it is now, instead
of, As I lift your hand, your body relaxes twice as relaxed as it is
now. Another example could be, Allow these feet to relax; or This
body is becoming more and more relaxed or This arm is becoming
stiff and rigid, stiff and rigid like an iron bar.

As a subject goes deeper into

hypnosis certain physiological
changes are taking place.
Blood pressure is likely to
lower, the heart beat becomes
slower and catalepsy of eyes
and limbs may be present.

It is as well to remember that as a subject goes deeper into

hypnosis, certain physiological changes are taking place as well as
the psychological changes. The subjects blood pressure is likely to
lower and the heart beat become slower. Catalepsy of eyes and limbs
may be present. The circulatory system may be affected causing
some subjects to become quite pale. To ensure the wellbeing of the
subject, establish before commencing any hypnotic induction that the
subject does not suffer from low blood pressure or any circulatory
condition that may be adversely affected. As a precaution all subjects
should be aroused slowly and asked to remain sitting for a while to
allow normal functions of the body return. Many therapists use a count
of ve to bring a client back to full conscious awareness. I have always
used a count of ten, believing it to be better for the subject. The words
I favour are as follows:
In a moment I shall count from one to ten. On completion of
the count of ten your eyes will open and you will be wide awake,
refreshed and feeling very, very well. One the energy returns to
your feet and hands. Two the energy returns to your arms and
legs. Three all your bodily functions return to a healthy normal
state. Four... Your blood pressure returns to a healthy normal
state. Five your breathing returns to normal. Six Seven
Eight Coming up slowly now in your own time... very soon your
eyes will open you will be wide awake and feeling so very good.

18

In and Out of Trance // 4

Ten when youre ready eyes open wide awake feeling
ne.
This procedure returns the subject to full awareness comfortably and
gradually. It reduces the possibility of light-headedness or vertigo
which is unusual in any event. Importantly it ensures that the subject
is restored to full awareness and no longer in a trance.
New and inexperienced hypnotherapists have two concerns. Will
I be able to hypnotise this person? and If I am successful, will I be
able to awaken this person? Subjects have similar concerns about
their own ability to be hypnotised and the therapists ability to restore
them back to normality. Clients can be assured that almost everyone
that wants to he hypnotised, can be hypnotised. Persons suffering
from psychoses, schizophrenia or epilepsy are the noted exceptions.
If a subject expresses concern about waking up, just say: Do not
worry. We have a very pleasant room in which we store all the subjects
that do not wake up. This usually attracts a smile and a sense of
reality.

A subject new to hypnosis

almost invariably responds to
a lengthy induction made up
of progressive relaxation and
visual imagery.

There are some occasions when subjects are slow or even reluctant
to return to full wakefulness after experiencing the trance state.
A snap of the ngers or hand clap will usually arouse a sleepy subject.
I am not aware of any recorded instance of a subject that could
not be aroused from a hypnotic state. Some instances have been
reported of clients being left to sleep and awaken naturally later. I have
not experienced this situation in over 25 years involvement with the
profession. A subject that is very resistant will usually revive quickly
if told the consultation fee is doubled whilst they continue to remain
in trance. Now that we know how to arouse the subject, we can feel
very comfortable about putting the subject in to a hypnotic state. It is
so much easier than most people would imagine. Hypnosis in reality is
a very normal condition in which all of us spend most of our so-called
waking hours.
We are a conditioned people. We are programmed to behave in
a certain way in different situations. Repetition is a great conditioner.
So many things in our lives we repeat over and over until they are
ingrained in us and we manifest the behaviour automatically without
conscious thought. This behaviour is being implemented from the
subconscious level of mind. Before we can change the program that
has been established in the subconscious mind we need to make
contact with the subconscious. We achieve this with the hypnotic
induction. The client or subject that has not experienced hypnosis
previously, almost invariably responds to a lengthy induction, made up
of progressive relaxation and visual imagery. The ways of doing this
are numerous.
What follows is an example that can be varied to match the clients
and the therapists experience. The therapist that describes images
that he or she is visualising will be more effective than one quoting

19

In and Out of Trance // 4

or reading from a book. It creates a feeling in the subject that the
therapist is nearby. This can be reassuring for the nervous subject.
Settle back in your chair or couch, make yourself comfortable
and when youre ready let your eyes close over. To begin take
three deep breaths and as you let out the breath, release the
breath just like a sigh. Thats very good. So now put your
attention on your feet. As you put your attention on your feet
and allow your feet to relax think of relaxation as something
tangible like treacle or honey and that the relaxation is going
to ow very slowly from your feet through to the rest of your body.
So now as your feet relax allow that relaxation to ow from
your feet past your ankles through to your calf muscles As your
calf muscles relax let the relaxation ow from your calf muscles
through to your thighs and let your thighs relax As your thighs
relax let the relaxation ow from your thighs through to our
lower torso starting with your lower back muscles and allow
your lower back muscles to relax just by thinking about them.
As those lower back muscles relax allow the relaxation
to ow through to the stomach muscles and allow the stomach
muscles to relax. (Dissociation has commenced.) As those
stomach muscles relax.... Allow the relaxation to ow all around
the pelvic area as the whole body relaxes deeper and deeper
Now put your attention on the upper back muscles and allow
them to relax As those upper back muscles relax deeper and
deeper, allow the relaxation to ow around to the chest muscles
and allow the chest muscles to relax As those chest muscles
relax, you become more aware of your breathing and the rhythm
of your breathing And now you realise that every breath you
take helps you to relax deeper and deeper relaxed And now
the legs are relaxed, the lower torso is relaxed, the upper back
muscles are relaxed and you are more aware of your breathing
the rhythm of your breathing and every breath is helping you to
relax deeper and deeper. Now put your attention on the shoulder
muscles, these are usually the rst muscles to experience tension
when you become stressed so give them your full attention
allow them to relax.
As those shoulder muscles relax allow the relaxation to
ow from the shoulder muscles down through the upper arms,
past the elbows, down through the forearms, past the wrists
through to the hands so that even the nger tips are relaxing now
and you are relaxing deeper and deeper. And now the relaxation
ows on through the neck muscles through to the jaw muscles.
Allow the jaw muscles to relax and then relax all those muscles
around the chin and the mouth and the cheeks Now put
your attention on those eyes and the tiny muscles of those
eyes these are some of the smallest in the whole of the
body. Let them relax until they are so relaxed that they just
want to stay closed. As you continue relaxing just imagine

20

In and Out of Trance // 4

yourself in a place that you like to be doing something that you
like doing And when you are in a place that you like to be doing
something you like doing, just nod your head to let me know.
By now the subject will have become deeply relaxed and may
already be in a trance state. What follows will continue the induction
phase and take the subject in to a deeper trance.
The purpose of this stage is to remove the subjects perception
of being in the real world to an internal reality which is a product of
their own imagination facilitated by the hypnotherapist. It is of little
consequence whether the subject is visualising precisely what is being
described. The client is having an experience which is removed from
the reality of a therapists clinic or room.

Each time you take a step

you double your relaxation
so that by the time you get
down to the beach you will be
more relaxed more relaxed
than you have been in a long,
long time.

21

As you relax, listening to my voice imagine yourself

outdoors on a beautiful day standing on high ground looking
down on to a lovely beach. The sun is shining the sky is blue
there is an occasional cloud just drifting by the air is fresh
and clear and a gentle breeze blows through your hair and
cools your brow. You look out to the sea which is fairly calm
the waves are strong and you hear them break and watch the
breeze greet them and blow a stream of spray across the crest
back out to sea. Nearby is a stairway leading down to the beach
so go across to the stairs look down there are ten steps
leading down to the beach and there is a hand rail on one
side.
In a moment I shall ask you to go down the steps you can
use the hand rail. When you go down the steps as I count from
ten down to one each time you take a step you double your
relaxation so that by the time you get down to the beach you will
be more relaxed more relaxed than you have been in a long,
long time.
So make your way down from the tenth step to the ninth
and you relax continue on down from the ninth to the eighth
doubling your relaxation from the eighth to the seventh deeper
relaxed sixth to the fth, more and more relaxed fth to the
fourth, still relaxing deeper and deeper... fourth to the third third
to the second second to the rst, so relaxed now as you step off
and onto the beach just pause there and allow the stairway to
fade away.
Allow the scene to change so that as you look to one side you
will now see a lovely garden lled with owers. There are blossoms
with so many colours there are reds, pinks, greens, blues
so many colours. You can smell the fragrance of the owers
and hear the humming of insects as they search for pollen. Now
look to the other side there is a couch on a soft green lawn
Make your way over to the couch feel the turf beneath
your feet see the shadows of trees. As you reach the couch
you can see the cushions and rugs on the couch. Arrange them
to your liking and then settle your self down on the couch. As
you sink down into the couch you know that tonight when you

In and Out of Trance // 4

go to bed and lay your head down to go to sleep you will go
into a deep restful sleep that will last through the night unless
you have any reason to awake. So when you awake in the
morning you will awake refreshed and invigorated looking
forward to the new day with the realisation that each new day is
the rst day of the rest of your life and that nothing in the past
can harm you or hurt you unless you allow it do so. Consequently
you are more condent than ever before so be at peace.
The foregoing script delivered slowly, rmly and quietly should
ensure a sound medium trance in any receptive subject. However,
a professional hypnotherapist will have numerous ways of inducing
a trance state. We shall now explore other options, some of which
produce the hypnotic state in seconds rather than minutes.

22

CHAPTER

5 Rapidly Boosting Egos

We are what we
think we are! In
order to change
your life, you need
to change your
thinking. By
changing your
perception of your
self, you discover
an inner reality.

Is life really a bowl of cherries

... and just who decides?

23

ne of my favourite entertainers, Ms Shirley McLaine

used to sing a song called Life is just a bowl of
O
cherries. It has set my mind thinking along a path I shall
share with you.

Imagine that you have walked into the kitchen of your home, (or a
friends), and on the kitchen bench, before you is a bowl of beautiful
fresh, luscious cherries. You pick up one of the cherries and bite into
it. You feel your teeth against the smooth, shining, brilliant red skin.
As your teeth break through the skin you feel the ow of sweet cherry
juice on to your tongue. It is a truly lovely avour and you reach for
another cherry. Imagine that as you reach out for the second cherry,
that magically the bowl of cherries, with its contents, doubles in
size. So now, the cherry you pick up to eat is the size of a large
plum. You again enjoy the great taste of cherry, a larger cherry! You
decide you will have another one. This time, as you reach
for the cherry, it grows in size to that of a large grapefruit.
The avour is still wonderful and you feel compelled to have
another, wondering how big these cherries might become.
Your desire seems to be pushing you now to go on eating
the cherries. Before long, you are in a large bowl moving in
amongst giant cherries taking a bite here and there. You
do not really taste the cherries anymore, just biting off
pieces at random. Suddenly, you realise that the cherries
are so huge and many times your size. Now you are just
another grub crawling around in a large bowl of cherries that
have lost their attraction and lost their avour. Life can be
overwhelming. We all need to grow and develop ourselves
as time passes. If we spend all our time tasting the fruit life
has to offer, but neglect our own growth. Sooner or later we
lose our identity, we are dwarfed.
Many people that come to my clinic in order to bring about change
in their lives have lost their identity. They have lost their sense of selfworth. They have no appreciation of their inherent value as human
beings. Many have been trying to get their happiness from life, from
their environment, from their friends and from loved ones. Happiness
and contentment is not out there. It is not something to be grabbed
and briey savoured. It is not the accumulation of wealth and material

Rapidly Boosting Egos // 5

goods. It is to be found within, it is a state of mind. We are what
we think we are! In order to change your life, you just change your
thinking. You change your perception of your self, you discover an
inner reality.
Hypnotherapy is the most effective means we have to enable us
to access our inner world and change the program. In order to access
this inner world and make the changes necessary to achieve a state
of inner peace for the clients who seek our help, we must master rstly
the ability to induce a hypnotic trance.
In the previous chapter we outlined a rather lengthy process of
progressive relaxation, combined with visualisation and deepening
techniques. This method is very effective but is also time consuming.
If you reach the stage where you are running a busy practice then
you will want to induce hypnosis fairly rapidly, in order to commence
therapeutic suggestions. The following methods may be applied
individually or in combination. You could experiment, in order to nd
the inductions that you nd most effective or that you as practitioner
are most comfortable with.
One thing you may discover early in your experience is that many
of your clients will slip easily into hypnosis whilst you are doing the
progressive relaxation. A further number of subjects will achieve a
trance state during the visual imagery stage. So when working with an
experienced subject, progressive relaxation or visual imagery on its
own can produce a trance state. If you endeavour to use as many of
the senses as possible in your descriptions, you enhance the process.
That means using expressions such as, you see, you hear you
can feel, and if appropriate, you can smell you can taste. These
suggestions all assist in creating a seemingly real inner world, far
removed from the reality of your consulting room.
During the induction stage I frequently use a technique that was
taught by the man who learned the techniques of hypnotic induction
from his father, a stage hypnotist and who for a while was a stage
hypnotist himself. He was one of the great teachers of hypnosis
during the 20th century. I refer, of course to Dave Elman. His book,
Hypnotherapy, is a classic volume that deserves to be on the
bookshelves of any aspiring hypnotherapist.
Elman would say to a subject:
Close your eyes and pretend you cant open them. And when
the subject responds he would then say, So long as you keep
pretending that you cant open your eyes you will feel nothing.
Nothing will bother you no matter what happens.
Dave Elman was one of the
great teachers of hypnosis
during the 20th century.

When the client responded to his suggestions, selective thinking

was established and the critical analytical faculty bypassed. A similar
condition is induced when a subject is asked to close eyes and
visualise his or her self performing an activity that they are familiar with.
This concept can be adapted and used to achieve a trance state with

24

Rapidly Boosting Egos // 5

great rapidity. I may say to a client:
Let your eyes close over and allow them to relax. Let them
relax until they are so relaxed that they want to stay closed and do
not want to open. When they are so relaxed that they want to stay
closed and do not want to open, relax them even more until they
are so relaxed that they want to stay closed and they just do not
work. When you are sure that they are so relaxed that they just do
not work... Test them to be sure that they are so relaxed that they
do not work and when you have made your test and are satised
that they do not work, allow that relaxation to ow over the whole
of your head and right down through you all through you right
to the very tips of your toes. Then continue to relax deeper and
deeper with every breath you take.
In my experience the subject will invariably go in to a deep trance
state when responding to the method as described. Eye catalepsy
has been achieved. In the event that the subject does in fact open
the eyes, it is indicative that the critical analytical mind has interfered
in the process. If this happens, reassure the client with the following
words.
Thats all right... you are just making sure that your eyes do
work. I want you to relax them to the point where they do not
work, try again, you will get it right in a moment. Close your eyes
tightly, relax and let them relax until they are so relaxed they do
not work. When you are sure, when you are quite sure that they
are so relaxed they do not work, again test them to be sure that
they do not work. Now let that relaxation ow over the whole of
your head and right down through you.
This is usually sufcient to x the problem and it would be very
unusual for one to need to repeat it. As I have said, the method enables
the induction of trance state very quickly. A professional hypnotherapist
will of course have a range of techniques at ones disposal. We have,
so far, considered the use of progressive relaxation, visual imagery
and eye catalepsy. I shall now outline a quite different approach which
may enable subjects that nd trance difcult to achieve a deep trance.
This is the confusion technique. It creates a state of mental confusion
which tires the mind. The mind as a consequence seeks solace in the
trance state.
Allow yourself to begin to relax, with your eyes closed, getting
ready to go into a trance, wondering what it feels like, what kinds
of thoughts, emotions, sensations may arise. Sowing the seeds of
an idea as the farmer sows his seeds. Up and down the furrows
like furrows in the brow of the young buck learning to deal with
thevicissitudes of life. His seeds are sown and he may buck the
system. What kind of system might he be asked to deal with, like
the dealer of a pack of cards? The kings and queens, the hearts
are trumps; the jacks are knaves, held in the hand to be discarded
or held. Held for a moment, face up or maybe face down.

25

Rapidly Boosting Egos // 5

Not down for long, not duck down, not down the road, the
long road nor the short road, but trying to get on the right road is
what it is all about. So just keep right on to the end of the road
you will come to a happy abode. Then it is all aboard sailing
off into the sunset. Riding on the crest of the wave that we
wave to our friends waiting to greet us not been waiting
long not getting bored. Not aboard, not rising and falling just
drifting easily and comfortably carried by the tide. An ebb tide
perhaps ebbing and owing, perhaps rising and falling under
the inuence of the moon under the light of the moon and the
stars as they sparkle, shining on through the night, all through
the night, waiting for the sun to rise on a new day. Awaken to
the gleam of sunlight, the song of the birds and a song in our
hearts that seems so comfortable. That seems to be something,
but is really nothing in your trance as you just pause, wait, rest
and wonder what may drift into your mind, more relaxing thoughts
as you relax even more, drifting down deeper down even deeper
than before into a deeper comfortable trance. You can go deeper
into trance in whatever way you wish, nding the right level,
the level that is right for you, where you can make the changes
you need to make for a happier, more contented, healthy and
purposeful life.
The foregoing script is most effective when delivered slowly,
without any particular emphasis. It is suitable for any subject, and
seems to be more effective than some other methods of induction
when used with those who nd going into trance difcult.
Once a subject has entered trance for the rst time, it is usual for
them to go into trance more quickly, deeper and easily on subsequent
occasions. A procedure known as fractionation can be used to
achieve this. It just involves putting the subject in to a trance , then
telling them to open their eyes, when the eyes open tell them to close
them again and go deeper. This can be repeated until the therapist is
satised with the state of trance achieved.
There is another, partly physical, technique which can induce a
deep trance quickly. It works this way. Tell the subject to make him or
her self very comfortable on a chair or couch. When settled ask her
to:
Take three deep breaths holding each breath for the count of
four.
Now ask the subject to give you their right hand. Hold it slightly
raised above the arm of the chair and with your left hand touch a
spot on the top of the subjects head and ask them with eyes wide
open, to roll the eyes back as if trying to look through the spot.
Inducing a trance using a
rapid induction that includes a
physical technique combined
with suggestions.

When the subject rolls the eyes back say:

Thats good. Now whilst you do that, take a good deep breath, let
your eyes close over, as I let this arm plop down you go down, all

26

Rapidly Boosting Egos // 5

the way down, relaxing deeper and deeper with every breath you
take.
This method may then be followed by a deepening technique,
such as visualising going down a ight of stairs, descending in a lift or
going down an escalator. Most subjects will experience a deep trance
state. It is good therapy to reinforce and compliment your subjects
before, during and after trance.
Thats good, you are doing really well. Notice how loose limp
and heavy your limbs have become. As I stroke your hand, just
notice how the anesthesia begins to ow across your arm right up
to your shoulder. As I count from ve down to one, feel yourself
going deeper and deeper into trance.
It is also good to get feedback from your subject, to conrm what is
going on inside the mind, say:
When your eyes are so relaxed that they are locked shut and
cant open, test them to be sure that they are locked shut and
cannot open. When you have made your test, nod your head to
let me know.
You can observe the subject give a slight nod of the head
after appearing to make an attempt to open the eyelids. This is
conrmation that your client has entered a trance state. I said earlier
that many people are lacking self-condence or have a poor self
image. Every client that comes for therapy can benet from a boost
in self condence or enhancement of their self image. The following
script has proved of great benet to many of my clients. The script
is delivered once a trance has been induced and some deepening
techniques have ensured a satisfactory depth has been established.
If it is felt that further deepening is desirable tell the subject:
I am now going to count from ve down to one and as I do
just take yourself all the way down to the deepest level of sleep
like trance the you are capable of right now that is comfortable for
you.
Count down - then continue:
You have now become so deeply relaxed, so deeply in to
a sleep-like trance and your mind is so sensitive and receptive
to what I say.... that the things I say will go deep in to
the back of your mind and become xed and imprinted in
your deeper mind. They will cause a lasting impression there
that nothing can remove. Consequently they will exercise a
more and more powerful inuence upon the way you think
over the way you feel and the way you behave. In addition these
things that I say will stay imbedded in the subconscious part of
your mind where you can use them whenever you wish and
wherever you are throughout your life. The inuence upon you will
be and remain powerful at all times whether you are alone or

27

Rapidly Boosting Egos // 5

with others. You are continuing to go deeper and deeper with
every breath you take and at the sound of my voice all the
things that I am about to tell you that will happen to you for the
benet of the whole person will happen in the way that I tell you
they will happen and all the feelings and experiences that I tell
you that you will experience you will experience just the way I
tell you. Every day wherever you are as each day goes by
your nerves become stronger and steadier your mind becomes
calmer and clearer you are more composed.... more placid more
tranquil. You are becoming much more free of worries much
calmer you are less agitated and are no longer apprehensive
or inclined to get upset. You see things in their true perspective
and refrain from magnifying your difculties as you keep a sense
of proportion. Each and every day you become emotionally much
calmer you are more settled... undisturbed. You always remain
more and more relaxed less tense.... as your condence in your
self continues to grow.
Every day you are always anticipating success in so many
ways and you enjoy being at ease with your success you
no longer have fear of failure or of consequences you are
free of anxiety and your condence still grows and grows
as you become the person you have always wanted to be
independent self assured able to stand up for yourself and
deal with the events of your life even when they may be difcult.
Consequently you start to feel a sense of wellbeing and a
feeling of personal safety more than you have ever felt before.
As a result you change your view of life you become more
optimistic more contented much happier. And all these things
take place easily without you conscious will or effort.
The foregoing script is very powerful and is lled with posthypnotic suggestions that can bring about rapid changes in the life
of a subject. It also has the effect of deepening a trance so that
more specic suggestions about specic problems can follow. It is
inherently therapeutic. The next chapter will give guidance in dealing
with emotional problems.

28

CHAPTER

Private Subconscious
Healing

Ideo-motor
signals in the
form of nger
signals are a
means of
establishing good
communication
whilst at the same
time maintaining a
deep trance
state.

The pointer nger is the yes

nger
The middle nger is the no
nger
The small nger is the
I dont know nger

29

rivate subconscious healing necessitates the

establishing of a method of communication with
P
the subjects conscious and subconscious minds that
informs the therapist how the procedure is progressing
without the need for the subject to talk about the details
of what is being revealed to them. The method employed
is called ideo-motor signaling.

A common ideo-motor signal that we are all familiar with is

the nodding or shaking of the head during ordinary conversation.
We express our agreement or disagreements with what is being said,
and are mostly unaware that we are doing so.
The use of the voice by a hypnotised person tends to increase their
awareness and so lightens the depth of trance being experienced.
Ideo-motor signals in the form of nger signals are a means of
establishing good communication whilst at the same time maintaining
a deep trance state. The subconscious more easily indicates a yes or
no response to an appropriately worded question without the need to
bring the thought, or memory up to a conscious level
To establish nger signals ask the subject to sit comfortably with
eyes closed and hands resting on the lap where they are visible to the
therapist. Then say, Please keep thinking yesyesyes over and
over again... soon as you do so one of your ngers on one of your
hands will feel light and will lift let it lift. As you continue thinking
yes yes... the nger will get even lighter and soon is so light that it
lifts higher until it is quite high. There it is... that is your yes nger. You
may now let it oat back down again.
The same procedure is used to establish a no nger and you
may like to include a nger that indicates I dont want to answer or I
dont know. It is likely to be more convenient if all the ngers used are
on the same hand. As we deal with more complex conditions and use
hypno-analysis techniques nger signals will be preferred, although
the head nod can still be helpful. In the demonstrations that are outlined here, we assume nger signals are established.
The pointer nger is the yes nger
The middle nger is the no nger
The small nger is the I dont know nger

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

Many of the conditions that clients bring to us, as hypnotherapists,
are symptoms of a deeper underlying problem rather than being
the prime source of their discomfort and distress. Typical of such
conditions can be smoking addiction, overeating, nail biting, as well as
more serious conditions like panic attacks, migraine headaches, skin
ailments, and an abusive or violent disposition.
These clients are usually people who are carrying unresolved
emotions. or feelings suppressed over a long period of time. They may
have acquired a defense mechanism at some time in their life which
worked for them then, and they have continued to use it even though
it may no longer be an appropriate response.

A child at school when

threatened physically may
resort to physical violence. It
may also be a reaction to
insults or perceived threats to
the self-image.

A child may be humiliated by a parent or teacher causing it

to experience intense anger. The child has been brought up to
believe that displays of anger are unacceptable and likely to result in
punishment. Consequently the child bottles up any display of anger.
The anger is felt but not manifested; it is suppressed. This situation
may be repeated many times over many years. It may be directed
towards a particular person, or even a situation or event. The need
to keep this anger under restraint keeps the subject in a state of
unrecognised continuing stress and inevitably manifests in some way,
at some time. A child at school when threatened physically may resort
to physical violence in response to this apparent threat; it may also be
a reaction to insults or perceived threats to the self-image. Whilst the
behavior may be overlooked when the child is young, it is no longer
acceptable for a mature adult. This adult may become physically or
verbally abusive to people who are thought to be a real or imagined
threat. Alternatively he or she may have learned to suppress the
associated feelings in order to meet the demands of society; these
suppressed feelings could seek expression through some physical or
emotional distress.
People are often aware that they are carrying undesirable feelings
towards somebody or some thing. However all conscious effort to free
themselves from such feelings is unsuccessful. The part that is holding
on to these feelings or emotions is seated in the subconscious. The
part that is holding on to the feelings or emotions associated with the
undesirable behavior must be accessed and convinced to let go the
associated feelings or emotions.
The process that follows is very effective in accessing the part or
ego-state that is holding on to an undesirable behavior. It may be more
appropriate to say that it is really holding on to the feelings or emotions
which are associated with the behavior. The feelings and emotions
must be let go by the part and through this process the associated
behavior is also let go. The method that I shall describe now should
ensure a successful outcome.

Stage One - The Induction Stage

Once the client is comfortably settled and at ease, proceed as
follows: Just take two nice deep breaths, to help you relax. Hold each

30

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

breath for a second or two and then let it all the way out. Now just
let me have your right hand and l shall hold it like this.
Take the clients hand by the wrist and hold it about ve centimeters
above the arm of the couch on which they are resting, or above the
lap if more convenient.
Now with your eyes wide open, just roll your eyes as if trying
to look through this spot on the top of your head.
Place your nger close to the crown of the clients head and watch for
the eyes to roll back. When they roll back say:
Take a good deep breath let your eyes close over and as you
let your hand go let it just op down loose and limp like a wet
dish cloth.
Release the hand and observe to what degree it is relaxed - and then
continue:
In a moment l am going to count from one to threeon
completion of the count to three I shall pick up this right hand
again and allow the hand to just plop down again and as it
does you double your relaxation. One Two Three (Release
hand). just double your relaxation. Thats very good. Again,
l am going to count from one to three and this time shall ask
you to open your eyes and you will be able to open your eyes
then I shall ask you to close your eyes and as you close your
eyes you relax four times as relaxed as you are now One
Two Three open your eyes and close your eyes. Feel that
relaxation all through you right through you. Now we are going
to do that again. Once again I pick up this hand One Two
Three and this time when I let it go you relax four times as
relaxed as you are now (Release hand). Again I shall ask you
to open your eyes and you will be able to open your eyes
then I ask you to close your eyes and when you close your
eyes you relax eight times as relaxed as you are nowOne
Two Three open your eyes and close your eyes. Feel that
relaxation all through you right through you

Stage Two - Deepening the Trance State

As you continue to listen to my voice let you mind roam
around your body and look for any tension if you nd any
lingering tension just let it go let it go completely. As you
continue relaxing, deeper and deeper use your imagination.
Imagine you are standing on the tenth oor of a building waiting
for a lift to arrive when the lift arrives and the doors open walk
in to the lift turn and face the doors of the lift. The lift arrives
the doors open walk into the lift and face the doors of the lift. On
one side of the doors you will see an indicator board showing you
are on the tenth oor of the building. In a moment I shall ask you
to press the down button and the lift will descend slowly to the

31

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

ground oor. It is not going to stop at the intermediate oors but
as it passes each oor you just double your relaxation so that
by the time you get to the ground oor you will be more relaxed
than you have been in a long long time Okay now... you press
the down button and the lift descends slowly from the tenth oor
to the ninth and you relax. It continues on from the tenth to the
ninth double your relaxation. From the ninth to the eighth still
relaxing deeper and deeper. From the eighth to the seventh
still relaxing. The seventh to the sixth more and more relaxed.
Sixth to the fth deeper and deeper relaxed. Fifth to the fourth
fourth to the third so relaxed now. Third to the second second
to the rst and now to the ground oor and the lift stops.
Now you are very relaxed but even though you are so very
relaxed there are deeper states of relaxation even than this.
So now I am going to allow you to experience an even
deeper state of relaxation a beautiful state of deep relaxation.
Look at the indicator board again and you will see there are
three basement levels below the ground oor. Each of these
basement levels is capable of producing for you a much deeper
a more beautiful state of relaxation. So once again press the
down button and the lift descends down through basement
one continues on down through basement two and arrives
at basement three and the lift stops. The doors open and
now you walk out in to a corridor and soon you come to a
door on the side of the corridor. The door is highly polished
has some wood paneling and a large brass door handle.
Behind this door is a beautiful room I call it the room of
complete tranquility. I would like you now to go in to this room.
So open the door go into the room. Now you nd yourself
in this beautiful room. There is a thick pile carpet on the oor
lovely drapes around the walls some works of art ornaments
and a magnicent couch in the centre of the room. At the far end
of the room is a large open replace. In the replace there are
some logs burning. As you move down towards the replace
you can hear the logs crackle and splutter you can see the
smoke twirl up the chimney you can feel the warmth of the
re and see its gentle glow. Close by to the re is a table.
Clients may be asked to
imagine a safe, comfortable
place such as a beautiful
room.

On the table are some documents let us call them papers.

I have a special name for these papers. I call them, paid up
accounts. The reason I call them paid up accounts is because
well theyre all paid up of course. Every one is satised there is
no debt there is nothing owing. These documents represent,
for you... old bothers old worries old anxieties fears
guilts that have been hanging around for some time but
they are all paid up there is nothing owing and you do not
have to hold on to them any longer. It is okay to let go these
old bothers old worries anxieties fears guilts. You do

32

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

not need them it is okay to let them go. You can let them go.
Just take them over to the replace put them on the re and
watch them burn. Watch them turn to ash watch the re glow
more brightly as it consumes these old bothers old worries
old anxieties old fears old guilts. You do not need them.
Let them go. When all that is done go over to the couch
settle yourself on the couch. As you sink comfortably in to the
couch raise the pointer nger on your right hand to let me know
it is all done.
Wait for the nger to rise.
As you continue to relax deeper and deeper I am going
to count from ve down to one. As I do take yourself all the
way down to the deepest level of sleep like trance that you can
experience right now that is comfortable for you.... Five four
take yourself down three all the way down two and one.
As you continue to relax you can experience a dreamydrowsy
kind of state. And now as you drift in that dreamy drowsy
kind of way you become aware of a beautiful screen up against
one of the walls in this lovely room. It is a really grand screen
and behind the screen there is an equally wonderful mirror. This
mirror behind the screen is what one might call a magic mirror.
It has some very amazing qualities and characteristics. In a few
moments I shall ask you to leave the couch and go over to the
mirror move it aside and look into the mirror.
When you look into the mirror you are going to see an image
of that part of you that has been holding on to the feelings and
emotions associated with the distress that that you have been
experiencing in your life and the wonderful thing is that, you will
not only be able to see the image of the part but you will be able
to communicate with the part and it will be able to communicate
with you. I need to tell you this the part that you see may not
look the way you expect it to look it may look younger it
may look quite different it could look strange and it may even
look weird but whatever you see will be the part that has been
holding on to the feelings and emotions that have been causing
you distress or it will represent or be symbolic of the part.

Stage Three - The Therapeutic Process

The client rst observes an
image of the part requiring
change in the mirror.
Communication between the
part and client occurs at a
deep subconscious level.

So now, go over to the screen and move the screen aside

and look in to the mirror. See the image and when you have done
that, raise the pointer nger on your right hand to let me know.
From now on if at any time you experience difculty you can
raise the middle nger to let me know.
Wait for the nger to rise, and then continue.
Good. Now that you can see the image I want you to start
communicating. To begin ask the part why it has been holding
on to the feelings and emotions that have been associated with

33

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

the distress and discomfort that have been spoiling the quality of
your life. Listen carefully to the part. When you understand why
the part has been holding on to these feelings and emotions that
spoil you life let me know that you know by raising the pointer
nger (nger rises). Now that you know why the part has been
holding on to these feelings and emotions I want you to use
all your wisdom all your understanding your maturity and
experience and explain to the part why it would be in the best
interest of the whole person for it to release its hold on those
feelings and emotions. When you have done that again raise
the pointer nger to let me know (nger rises).
Now that you have explained to the part why it is in the best
interests of the whole person for it to release its hold on those
feelings and emotions I want to address myself directly to the
part. I want to say to the part rstly Thank you for taking part in
this process also for receiving the wisdom and reasons why you
should release your hold on the feelings and emotions associated
with the condition that has been causing distress in (subjects
name) life. I also want to let you know that I believe in the past you
have been holding on to these feelings and emotions because
you felt it was in the best interest of the whole person to do so
But now you have received new knowledge and information so
in the light of this new knowledge and information I ask you lf you
are willing and able to release your hold on these feelings and
emotions if a way can be found are you willing and able to
release your hold. If you are please raise the pointer nger on
(subjects name) right hand to let me know. (nger rises)
Good thank you for that. The part has received the
new information and wisdom that you have given to it. It has
acknowledged it and has declared that it is willing and able to
release its hold on the feelings and emotions that have been
troubling you. Now I want you together with the part to work
out a way for the part to release its hold on the feelings and
emotions that are the source of what has troubled you. When a
way has been worked out let me know by raising the pointer
nger. It is normal for there to be a short pause prior to a
response. (nger rises)
Now that a way has been worked out for the part to release
its hold I want to again address myself to the part. To the part
I say again thank you for your participation in this process
thank you for accepting the new information thank you for being
willing and able to release you hold on the uncomfortable feelings
and emotions now that a way has been found for you to do so.
Thank you.
Now would you please implement this way from this moment
on and as an acknowledgment that it has been implemented

34

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

please raise the pointer nger on (subjects name) right hand
to let me know. (nger rises)
Thank you for thatNow that the way has been worked out
and it has been put in to effect will you also thank the part?
When you have done that reassure the part that you will also be
doing your bit to ensure the well-being of the whole person. When
that is done place the screen back in position. Return to the couch
and settle yourself comfortably. Now you are back on the couch
you should be feeling pretty good inside. If you are feeling good
inside raise the pointer nger to let me know. (nger rises)
If you are feeling really good inside give me a smile to let
me know. (subject smiles)
The smile is a powerful conrmation message.
For a few moments project your mind forward in time about
six weeks. Are you still feeling okay? Let the pointer nger rise.
(nger rises)
Now project your mind forward six months in time. Are you
still feeling good inside? Let the nger rise. (nger rises)

Stage Four - Return to Full Awareness

In a moment I shall count from one to ten. On completion of
the count of ten your eyes will open and you will be wide awake,
refreshed and feeling very, very good. One the energy returns to
your feet and hands. Two the energy returns to your arms and
legs. Three all your bodily functions return to a healthy normal
state. Four... Your blood pressure returns to a healthy normal state.
Five your breathing returns to normal. Six Seven Eight
Coming up slowly now in your own time... very soon your eyes will
open you will be wide awake and feeling so very good. Ten
when youre ready eyes open wide awake feeling ne.

Comment:
There are a number of situations that could arise during the
process as dealt with above. Early in the dialogue we suggest to
the subject that if any difculty is experienced the middle nger, as
opposed to the pointer nger, will rise up. Should this happen, it is
necessary to ask:
What is the difculty? Tell me about it.
The difculty once understood is usually easy to deal with. The
most common problem is due to the subject being confused by what
they see in the mirror. They do not see what they expect to see. The
image may not be a likeness of themselves, either as they are or at
an earlier time. Some see strange or weird images. Examples I have
had described to me include a big black spider, a wolfs head with
bared fangs, streaks of blue light and dark shadows. When asked, the
subject might say, I cannot see anything, just some dark shadows, or
there are only blue streaks across the mirror.

35

Private Subconscious Healing // 6

Sometimes, when pressed, the subject insists that the mirror is
completely clear, in which case, I tell the subject to ask the image to
show itself, or in some cases I may say: Tell the invisible image to
acknowledge that it is really present. Often, one can ignore the lack
of a visible image and carry on as if it was visible and the subject
may get verbal responses. It is worth persevering in establishing
communication and success usually results. Should all efforts fail to
establish communication, change direction and try another approach.
Then try again during a later consultation. In the meantime, endeavor
to establish a strong relationship with the client so as to ensure a
trusting deeper mind that will feel secure enough to open up and
participate in the process.
I believe this technique is the most valuable and versatile
that I have worked with throughout my years as a practitioner.
So much of what ails us, phobias, habits, fears and panic attacks are
the consequence of an initial sensitising event which aroused intense
feelings or emotions. Subsequent events have further strengthened
or reinforced these feelings and emotions to the extent that they
become attached or held on to. The degree of attachment is held the
more rmly in situations where they have formed part of a defense
mechanism, thus creating an unconscious perception that it is in the
best interest of the whole person and its protection to keep a hold on
those feelings and emotions.

Phobias, habits, fears and

panic attacks are the
consequence of an initial
sensitizing event which
aroused intense feelings
and/or emotions.

It is the practice of most hypnotherapists to deal with these initial

sensitising events by using age regression. This requires the induction
of a deep trance state, and the uses of suggestions to enable the
subject to revivify, that is to say, relive the initial event. Most initial
sensitising events occur at a much younger age and the subject is
able to re assess the event with greater maturity, so enabling them
to resolve the issue. Any subsequent reinforcing events are dealt with
in the same way. The method can be quite lengthy and may involve
a number of sessions to get resolution. There is the possibility that
the subject will abreact, (manifest physical distress and emotional
reaction), whilst re-experiencing the trauma of the event. Recent
concerns about false memory therapy and insurance indemnity
provisions are diminished by using the method I have described.
Age regression has been interpreted by many as likely to have some
degree of false memory implanted in the mind prior to the induction of
hypnosis. A well qualied, professional hypnotherapist will take care to
avoid implanting any preconceived ideas in the mind of the subject.
There will, however, be times when age regression is an
appropriate method to employ. I shall deal with it in the next chapter.

36

CHAPTER

7 Age Regression
It is imperative
during Age
Regression that
the subconscious
be allowed to
describe what it
sees without any
inuence either by
the subject or by
any chance or
deliberate
message
conveyed by the
therapist.

any hypnotherapists seem to consider age

regression as a panacea for almost every condition
M
that clients present with. They assume that most

conditions that are diagnosed as not being due to a

physical, viral or bacterial afiction, are the result of an
initial sensitising event. This event is most frequently
thought to be an event that causes trauma, and one
that is reinforced by the repetition of similar events over
time. It probably occurred in childhood but not inevitably.
It may be attributed to abuse of a physical, emotional, or
sexual nature.
I want to emphasise here that care must be taken to avoid any
assumption as to the nature of the event either before or during the
trance induction. It is easy to present an idea to the mind which
presupposes the nature of the event resulting in an acceptance that
it is true. The safest approach is to say to the subject in trance, Let
your mind drift back to the rst event that has anything to do with
your current distress (or problem). Avoid any reference to a specic
situation. Allow the subconscious to describe what it sees without any
inuence consciously imposed on it either by the subject, due to false
assumptions, or by any chance or deliberate message conveyed by
the therapist.
Age regressions starts with the trance induction, followed by
deepening, in order to achieve as deep a trance state that is
comfortable for the subject. In such a state the subjects memory
becomes an open book or even a re-enactment of past events.
During age regression the subjects memory may function in any of
three ways. It may recall an event in great detail, it may experience a
visual image of the event taking place or it may relive the event. This
latter condition is the most powerful, it is known as revivication. The
subject experiences the event as if they are back in time with the
same things happening just as they were at that time. There are a
number of different techniques used to take the mind back in time.
It may be to a specic time, or to an event known or unknown. It
might even be to when a feeling or emotion was rst experienced in a
distressing way that that has continued to manifest in the subjects life.

37

Age Regression // 7
It is the source of the discomfort that is spoiling the quality of life.
The process commences with the induction.

Stage One - The Induction

The subjects I have hypnotised, in most cases experienced a
deeper state of trance with each successive induction. Consequently,
I use age regression techniques, when appropriate, during a second
or subsequent session. There may be times when it is desirable to
use age regression during an initial consultation, but the client is
more receptive and, I believe, responsive, when initial apprehension
or cynicism has been dealt with. Then the use of a rapid induction
technique seems to enable the subject to go quickly into a much
deeper trance.

The Method
Once the subject is comfortably seated or lying on a chair or couch,
request him or her to take a few deep breaths and then say:
When you are comfortable let your eyes close over.
When the eyes close, continue:
Now allow your eyes to relax and let them relax until they are
so relaxed that they want to stay closed and they do not want to
open. When they are so relaxed that they want to stay closed and
do not want to open please nod your head to let me know.
The subjects head nods. ( Ideo-motor signal)
Now relax those eyes even more let them relax until they
are so relaxed they are locked shut and cannot open and when
they are so relaxed that they are locked shut and cannot open
test them to be sure that they are so relaxed they are locked shut
and cannot open and when you have made your test nod your
head to let me know.
When the head nods continue.
Now in a moment I shall touch your shoulder and your eyes
will immediately unlock you will feel wide awake it will be as if
nothing has happened but any time I touch your wrist your eyes
will immediately lock shut again and you will listen to my voice.
Touch subjects shoulder. Eyes open. Say to subject:
Are you nice and comfortable? Are you nice and relaxed?
Allow subject to respond and then touch the wrist. The eyes will lock
shut again. Say to subject:
As you continue listening to my voice you can feel yourself
in a place that you like to be doing something that you like
doing and when you feel yourself in that nice place nod your
head.

38

Age Regression // 7
Head nods.
And in that pleasant place you can see, you can hear and maybe
smell all the nice things going on there. When you can see
hear feel maybe even smell all the nice things going on
there nod your head to let me know. Head nods.
Where is that pleasant place?
In my garden, is a typical subject response.
Good. You are in your garden. Is it a nice sunny day or cloudy
and dull?
Its sunny.
You feel pleasantly warm I am sure. Are you nice and warm?
Yes.
What can you see in your garden? Is anyone else there are you
alone any sounds?
I am alone.
Allow the client to visualise
themselves in a safe and
pleasant place such as a
garden.

What can you see in the garden?

Flowers birds.
Any sounds?
The birds are a bit noisy
Anything else happening? In a moment I shall ask you to open
your eyes but you will remain in your pleasant place and continue
to see hear feel maybe even smell all the pleasant things
happening there. All right now remaining in your pleasant
places open your eyes. Eyes open.
Are you still in your garden? Head nods.
Good. Are the birds still being noisy?
Yes.
Are you comfortable and warm?
Yes.
Are there any owers in bloom?
Yes the roses are in ower.
What colour are the roses?
Some are red and there are white ones at the back.
In a moment I shall touch your shoulder and all those memories

39

Age Regression // 7
will be forgotten and you will feel as if nothing has happened.
But any time I touch your wrist your eyes will close and you
will immediately return to your pleasant place with all its pleasant
memories.
Touch the shoulder. The subject is now consciously aware. Say:
Are you still nice and relaxed and comfortable?
Subject verbally responds. Touch the wrist. The eyes close.
Are you enjoying your pleasant place, the garden?
The head nods.
Good. Continue to enjoy it as you relax even deeper than before
Stage Two - Soliciting the Help of the Subconscious Mind
Having established a deep trance state we now obtain the support of
the subjects subconscious mind. Say:
I want to address myself directly to your subconscious mind.
Does your subconscious mind really want me to help? If your
subconscious mind really wants me to help please allow the yes
nger on the right hand to rise up.
When yes nger moves it is wise to seek conrmation of the origin of
the signal.
Did that response come from the deep subconscious mind? If so,
please allow the yes nger to rise up
Now the yes nger makes a slight movement in an upward direction.
(Note that a slight movement is a better indicator of a subconscious
response than a strong movement. A strong movement could indicate
that the response is coming from the conscious mind.
Is it all right for the subconscious mind to look at some
subconscious memories that are beyond the reach of the
conscious memory?
The yes nger moves. (Should a no response be given, ask if it is okay
to look at some memories.)
Subconscious mind please project back in time, at a
subconscious level to the rst experience which has anything
to do with the distress in your life or the feelings and emotions
associated with that experience. When you are there let me know
by raising the yes nger.
The yes nger gently rises.
Good. Please now review that experience in detail at a
subconscious level and when the review has been completed

40

Age Regression // 7
allow the yes nger to rise to let me know.
The yes nger moves.
If the experience is one that is frightening or causes you to feel
scared let the yes nger rise.
The yes nger moves.
Are the feelings or emotions associated with the experience
hurtful is there any anger involved or is there any guilt
present?
The yes nger moves.
Is there any hurt?
The yes nger moves.
Is there any anger?
The yes nger moves.
Is there any guilt associated with this experience?
The yes nger moves.
Is there anything sexual about this experience?
No nger rises.
Did this experience occur at the age of ve or younger?
The no nger moves.
Did it occur at the age of ten or younger?
The no nger moves.
Did it occur before the age of sixteen?
The yes nger moves.
At the time of this experience are you fteen years old?
The no nger moves.
Are you fourteen years old?
The yes nger moves.
You are fourteen years old, is that right?
The yes nger moves.
Would it be all right for (subjects name) to know about this
experience up here on? (Current Date)
If it is okay the yes nger can rise to let me know.

41

Age Regression // 7
The yes nger moves.
Would it be okay for (subjects name) to feel all the feelings
associated with this experience? If it is the yes nger can rise to
let me know.
The yes nger moves.
Would you now please allow those scary feelings to come up to
a level where they can be felt? The yes nger will rise when this
has been done.
The yes nger rises.
This request is repeated for each of the feelings previously identied
i.e. anger, hurt and guilt. Then when each feeling has been felt ask:
Would it be all right to talk to me about this experience?
If the subject agrees to talk about it, the therapist has the opportunity
now to guide the person to a reappraisal of the experience during
which the subject can see, hear, and feel everything associated with
the experience. The difference being that it is now being recaptured
by a more mature mind than when it rst happened. Ask the mature
mind to use all its wisdom, understanding and experience to help
the fourteen year old mind that has been holding on to all these
uncomfortable feelings to realise it does not have to go through the
rest of life carrying the burden of these feelings. When the realisation
is achieved, let the two levels of mind nd a way to let go the unwanted
feelings of fear, anger, hurt and guilt.
When all those uncomfortable feelings that have been spoiling
the quality of your life have been let go, allow the yes nger to rise
up to let me know.
When the yes nger rises it is important to pose a nal question.
Is there anything else that we need to know that may continue to
be a source of discomfort in (subjects name) life?
If anything is identied it must be dealt with in a similar way to what
has been done before .
Now ask the mind to project foreword in time, so it can see itself going
through a typical day in a new enhanced positive manner.
The subject can now be brought slowly to full conscious awareness.
Of all the procedures using age regression to access initial
sensitising events, I believe the way so described is the most effective
and comfortable for the client. It virtually removes any unpleasant
abreactions. It works with the cooperation of the subconscious mind
throughout the process; this is almost a guarantee of a benecial
outcome.

42

Age Regression // 7
Comment:
When the subject talks about the experience, the role of
the therapist is one of guide and counselor. A sympathetic and
compassionate manner is important. The emphasis should be to
enable the mind to see the event in a different way. To recognise the
experience is in the past and the past no longer exists, it is just a
memory, like a photograph or a movie. It can help to re-assess the
perceived motives, feelings and intentions of other people involved in
the experience. Things overlooked or passed over at the time of the
event can become obvious in review. The task is to gain acceptance
that old outgrown outworn feelings and emotions can be let go and are
let go.

43

CHAPTER

8 Past Life Regression

It is important to
be aware that
when working
with hypnosis a
past life may
appear
spontaneously
without any
deliberate attempt
by the therapist to
access it.

hen we are using age regression it seems that

the deeper the subject goes into the trance state
W
the easier it becomes to access the memories that
we need to uncover. Whilst it is impracticable to
actually measure the depth of trance without the use of
measuring devices such as an electroencephalograph or
biofeedback machine, there are a number of techniques
we can employ to bring about the desirable state of
trance conducive to effective therapy. The most pertinent
of these include the use of rapid inductions, fractionation,
amnesia, and the employment of ideo-motor signals.
Rapid Inductions
Experience suggests that rapid inductions, when used subsequent
to a previous induction, are conducive to really deep states of trance.
A rapid induction can be any procedure that is accepted by the subject
as an action which will cause them to go immediately into a trance
state. Asking the subject to close their eyes and then let them relax
until they are so relaxed that they want to stay closed and not want to
open, with a request to nod when they are so relaxed, is the followed
by.
Now relax them until they are so relaxed they are locked shut
and cannot open. When they are so relaxed they are locked shut
and cannot open... test them to be sure they are locked shut and
cannot open... and when you have made your test nod your head
to let me know.
Observing the subject attempt to open the eyes and then nod
the head is conclusive evidence of a deep trance state. The eye roll
back as previously described (Chapter Five) can be very effective
in attaining a deep trance state. Once a therapist is condent, any
gesture with a sufciently powerful suggestion can be used.

It is well worth taking a slow

lengthy progression towards a
meeting with a past life.

As I pass my hand down over your eyes Iet your eyes close
over and allow yourself to just drift down to the deepest level that
is comfortable for you right now. Or, In a moment I shall tap the

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Past Life Regression // 8

centre of your forehead and your eyes will immediately shut tight
and you will go into a deep hypnotic trance.
Rapid inductions are very powerful and limited only by the
imagination.

Fractionation
This is purely a process of repeated rapid induction. Hypnotise
the subject and after the subject goes into trance, awaken them and
when they awaken, immediately hypnotise them again. The method
can be repeated until a satisfactory depth of hypnosis is achieved. It
can also be applied at any time the subject is in trance if the therapy
might benet from it.

Number losing (Amnesia)

When a subject is in trance and the therapist is using visualisation
as a deepening technique, the following process is effective.

Visualisation can be used

as a deepening technique in
combination with suggestions
and metaphors.

As you continue your walk through the park you can see just
ahead of you a park bench. Go over to the park bench and sit
down comfortably on it. Now look up to the sky and you can see
a long line of numbers stretched right across the sky, starting with
one hundred and going all the way back to zero. In a moment I
am going to ask you to look up again and nd the number one
hundred and then I want you to say out loud, the words one
hundred. As you do so you double your relaxation and then look
for the next number... 99 , .. say 99 double your relaxation and
try to nd the next number and say the number. Each time you
say a number you double your relaxation and as you proceed
the numbers become smaller and fainter as you go. By the time
you get down to about 95 the numbers will have become so small
and faint that you will be unable to nd them and then you say, All
gone...
Ask the subject to start counting whilst encouraging them.
Find the next number say the number and double your
relaxation notice how the numbers are becoming smaller and
fainter. Try to nd the next number and say the number. When
they are all gone just say, All Gone ...

Opening The Door To Trance

Typical visualisations can be divided into three classes: Spacing
out, focused awareness and dissociation.
Spacing out includes imagining lying on a grassy bank watching
the clouds drift by or listening to a dull sermon or lecture. Focused
awareness could be imagining watching a lm and being fully
involved or listening to a great orchestra or a repetitive work activity.
Disassociation might be playing a musical instrument which you have
completely mastered or just doodling whist in a kind of day dream.

45

Past Life Regression // 8

Again one is only limited by ones imagination. Where the therapist
guides, the subject follows. Not all subjects are the same and the
therapist needs to nd what works best for each person. Some
people are very suggestible and are considered highly hypnotiseable.
Most are somewhat hypnotiseable and some represent a challenge.
The rest that are not appropriate subjects include psychotics,
schizophrenics and extreme endogenous depressives, and subjects
with Bipolar Disorder.
Some students experience difculty in recognising the indications
that a subject is indeed in a trance state.
Here are a few indicators that can help and reassure the student
that they have successfully hypnotised their subject:

Flattening of the facial

muscles and uttering eyelids
are two key indicators of the
hypnotic trance state.

Flattening of the facial muscles.

Fluttering eyelids
Increased lacrimation (tears)
Eyeballs turn upwards into head
Immobility
Catalepsy
Changes in blinking and swallowing
Altered breathing and pulse
Change in pallor.
Changed voice quality
Time lag in response
Fixed gaze
Far away look
Jerky movements
Relaxed state of the bodys muscles
Two or more of these are good indicators of trance.
Depth of trance is not as vital as it may seem to be, and new
or inexperienced practitioners are often unnecessarily anxious about
it. As soon as the undivided attention of the subconscious mind has
been accessed, the therapeutic process can be assumed to begin.
Hypnosis is present any time that the critical faculty of the conscious
mind is bypassed, or communication with the subconscious mind is
established. In reality we all spend many of our waking hours in a
trance state. We can be fully aware with conscious thought processes
going on without interference whilst at the same time exhibiting
subconscious responses to suggestion. An idea or many ideas can be
accepted without conscious interference. Experienced drivers of motor
vehicles are able to consciously plan their day driving to work, whilst
at the same time the subconscious mind is focused on driving the
car. In the event of an unusual situation arising, the conscious
mind immediately takes over in order to make a decision. The
subconscious cannot make decisions. A person deeply absorbed in
a television program may respond to another persons suggestion
without being aware that they have done so. We have a hypnotic state
as long as there is no conscious blocking of communication with the

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Past Life Regression // 8

deeper mind. When using hypnosis it is best to assume that the trance
state is established, because if it is not, it probably soon will be. If it
does not occur it will become fairly obvious in some way. The subject
is unlikely to be a good judge of their depth of trance. Having said all
that, still aim for the depth of trance that is the deepest the subject
is comfortable with. Age regression is one of the processes that work
best when the brain wave frequencies are in the theta or delta range.
This applies particularly to a form of age regression which is often
referred to as past lives regression.

Past Lives Regression

This subject is a controversial one and from a therapeutic aspect
needs to be dealt with care and sensitivity. It is not necessary for
a therapist to believe in past lives in order to deal with a situation
should a past life become manifest. It is important to be aware that
when working with hypnosis a past life may appear spontaneously
without any deliberate attempt by the therapist to access it. One does
not have to be a so called past life therapist to encounter a past life
situation, they do occasionally occur uninvited!
It is unfortunate that the subject of past life therapy has attracted
a lot of interest in the media and publishing industry. The more
seemingly dramatic the presentation, the more attention it gets. It
is true that some subjects have experienced quite amazing recalls
of a past life, many of which have been supported by research into
the period concerned. In such cases it is difcult to come up with
an explanation other than to accept that the subject has had a past
life experience. As a therapist I am not concerned with how true
the experience was, but the fact that it must have been present in
the mind of the subject and may be the source of what ails them.
My role is to help the subject resolve any issues associated with the
phenomenon rather than to make judgments about it. If we concern
ourselves with the phenomenon we become distracted from our role
as therapists. It impacts upon our religious and philosophical beliefs
which should be no part of our therapeutic process. It would be
strange, however if we were not moved or inuenced in our own
thinking about such things.
A situation may arise in which the hypnotherapist believes it is
in the interest of the client to explore the possibility of a past life.
Normally, my preference is to use age regression, in which the mind is
asked to orient back to the FIRST EVENT that has anything to do with
the clients current distress. However, it would be strange to discuss
past life regression and not give some guidance on how a past life
might be revealed. A subject should in any event be advised that they
may be disappointed in the event that a past life is not forthcoming. Not
every person is able to access a past life, whether this is because they
do not have one or because the mind is protective for some reason.
When a past life does manifest the clients expectation that they had
a previous life as some famous or notorious gure is seldom realised.

47

Past Life Regression // 8

Procedure To Contact a Past Incarnation

It is well worth taking a slow lengthy progression towards a
meeting with a past life. The induction you use is a matter of personal
preference, but once having induced a trance state it is desirable to
spend a while further deepening the state.
The following is an example of what may be used:
Your body is now very relaxed. Your eye muscles are
completely and utterly relaxed. Your jaw muscles are relaxed. Your
facial muscles are relaxed. The whole of your being is relaxed
at peace and any thoughts you have seem to dissolve or just
fade away. You are aware of your breathing as every breath
enables you to continue to relax deeper and deeper. The rhythm
of your breathing seems to put you in harmony with the entire
universe. You feel an inner glow expanding outwards enveloping
you. You are at peace loved and loving. You are in complete
harmony with all of life. There is no separation between you and
the energetic forces that pervade all of life. As you breathe in
now you draw in a brilliant pure white light it enters through the
top of your head it lls your whole body. Every muscle every
tissue every organ every cell is surrounded by the light. The
white light protects you there is no harm no negative force
that can affect you. You are safe completely protected. Take
one more deep breath and relax even deeper... Let everything
go.
Now imagine yourself in a place that you would like to be
a beautiful place somewhere in nature. Maybe a place you
already know or a place that exists only in your imagination. In
this place you can see you can hear... maybe even smell all the
nice things that are there. Use all your senses to really experience
this place. See the trees and listen to the gentle rustling of the
leaves. If there are owers smell their fragrance... feel the warmth
of the suns rays or a cool gentle breeze. This is your special
place a sanctuary from all cares. Spend a few moments in
this special sanctuary enjoying the feeling of peace calm and
security.
Now we shall commence a journey that leads us to a
signicant period in time that will help you to gain insight and
benet the whole person. Imagine you have left your pleasant
place and are walking along a pathway out in the open. You can
see the green grass, a blue sky and white clouds just drifting by.
Just ahead of you is a wooded area and soon you are in amongst
the trees listening to the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.
The ground beneath your feet is soft and the air is lled with the
scent of gum leaves. The path you are on is winding downward.
The trees are gradually thinning out and there is a light haze
forming.The path continues on down and the haze thickens
into a ne mist. Despite the mist the path beneath your feet is

48

Past Life Regression // 8

clear and you know that you are safe and secure. You continue
on your journey. In the distance you can hear the sound of water
cascading and you know that a river is not far away. Nearby you
can see a pool and lights being reected from its surface. The mist
starts to spiral to form a cloud that clings to the earth and from its
centre comes a sound. At rst its a faint hum that gets louder
and you become aware that your guide is approaching. Your guide
has come to you from a timeless state to be with you to offer
unconditional love and support.
Your guide has come to provide love guidance and
insight. The cloud lifts a little greet your guide ask your guide
its name ask for any advice the guide has for you. Then let
the guide lead you through the mist. You feel so safe and secure.
The sound of water owing and seeming to lap against a bank is
clearer now. Is it the ever owing river of life? Then you realise
that you are walking along the river bank. The water seems to
shine through the mist which has now become quite thick. Your
guide leads you on along the river bank until in a while you can
just make out a wooden bridge across the river. Your guide tells
you that this bridge leads to another place... another time... and
you may cross over if you wish. Soon you are at the end of the
bridge and you are about to cross over the river knowing that
you can return to your pleasant sanctuary at any time. You thank
you guide and step on to the bridge.
You are on the bridge the bridge leads over the river to
another place and time. It leads to a time that may have an
important memory or an event that is causing you problems
in your present life. An event that can be revisited resolved
reassessed or may even be corrected. At the end of the bridge is a
past life a life in the endless stream of lives throughout eternity.
Then let the guide lead you
through the mist. You feel so
safe and secure...

In a moment I shall count from twenty down to one as each

step takes you closer to your past life. Every step is taking you
near to that period in time that has meaning for you. Twenty
nineteen eighteen soon you will be in another place another
time. Seventeen sixteen fteen every step is taking you
closer. Fourteen thirteen twelve getting closer and closer.
Eleven ten nine closer now. Eight seven soon you will
arrive at that time. Six ve ever closer. The mist is still thick
but you are ne. Four just a few more steps. Three almost
there. Two just a step away now. Take the next step forward on
the count of one. One and you have arrived in another time
you are in one of your previous lives. The mist lifts and all is
clear.
As the mist has cleared take a moment or two to become
aware of yourself and your surroundings.
Look down at your feet. Are you wearing shoes?

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Past Life Regression // 8

The subject will usually answer verbally. You can encourage it by
saying:
Allow the voice to answer
Are these the feet of a man or a woman?
Decide whether you have the feet of a young person or an old
person.
Are you a young person or an old person?
The therapist can continue asking questions to ascertain the
nature of the subjects physical form as well as the environment that
the subject is experiencing.
Typical questions might be:
Now look around and become aware of whether you are
indoors or outdoors. What is beneath your feet? Is it grass, wood,
tiles, paving, earth or something different?
Are you warm or cold?
What is covering your body?
Are you in the countryside, a town or village maybe, or a city?
Can you see any buildings nearby?
What kind of buildings are they! Are they tall, built of brick, stone,
wood? Are they modern looking or very old style?
Are there any other people about? Do you recognise anyone, or
do they look familiar?
Notice your feelings and your emotions. Does it feel good to be in
this life?
Do you feel at all uncomfortable or apprehensive?
Now project yourself to a time in this life that has some signicance
for you. When you arrive in this time allow your head to nod to
let me know
Once this time and event is established, typical analytical therapy
can be conducted as it would for any sensitising event. Once the
matter has been resolved and the emotions and feelings released or
let go, the subject can be reoriented back to the present.
It is now time to return to your present life. Let this previous
life fade away as you now return to the here and now. Having
looked through the curtains of life you feel relaxed and calm. Your
whole being has been enhanced by the experience.
Normal awakening procedure can now be used:
In a moment I shall count from
The foregoing is an example of how a past life experience can
be conducted. The subject can be guided to move around within
the life to explore a number of events. For example, relationships,
conicts, sickness and even the moment of death in that life. Should
an abreaction occur at any time, the subject can just be asked to rise
above what is happening and become an observer, or just leave the
event and move on to some other situation.

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Past Life Regression // 8

Hypnotherapy is founded on the concept that our behavior is
almost entirely due to conditioning by the events and people we
experience during our life. Past life therapy suggests that we can
carry over from one incarnation to another the feelings and emotions
that were unresolved in that previous incarnation. The acceptance of
this proposition relies on a belief in reincarnation which not everyone
is prepared for. Whether one believes or not, the phenomenon
does occur, sometimes spontaneously as well as with the help of a
procedure similar to that outlined. When it occurs the experienced
practitioner should deal with it in a matter of fact way, the subject
is having an experience that may provide the opportunity to release
a source of discomfort in their life. Whatever ones personal belief
is, the wellbeing of the subject is of prime concern. Conditioning is
usually the result of the repetition of some experience or association
of incidents. Superstitions are a typical example of this. One event is
seemingly always followed by another event. This event is seemingly
always followed by a similar event and through repetition becomes
part of the belief system.
Another form of conditioning is referred to as Reward and
Punishment or Pleasure and Pain. This means that we are likely
to keep repeating behavior that is pleasurable or rewarding, whilst
endeavouring to avoid situations that are painful, distressing, fearful
and perceived as punishing.
Superstitions are an example
of conditioning where one
event is seemingly always
followed by another event, and
through repetition becomes
part of the belief system.

Learning experiences can also be conditioning. When we learn

that a particular behaviour solves a problem of some kind, we will
expect it to continue to do so every time afterwards. Some behaviours
are inherent; we bring them in to the world with us. These relate to
our physical needs of food, shelter, sex and safety. We also have an
inherent need to belong to a group. We need to be accepted or loved
by those we wish to be identied with. The family and work groups are
powerful inuences in this regard.
From a therapy point of view, the objective is to reveal the
conditioned behaviour that is a cause for concern and replace it with
a more appropriate, benecial behaviour.

51

CHAPTER

9 Dual Mind Theory

Each side of the
brain possesses
an autonomous,
distinct
personality so
that we have two
minds. Each mind
has its own
memories,
motivations and
behaviours.

ost people know that the brain has two

hemispheres and have some knowledge of the
M
functions that are associated with each hemisphere.
They also know that the hemisphere on the right side
controls the left side of the physical body and vice versa.
Whilst this may be taken as true for most proposes,
there are other considerations.

We know that both hemispheres are actively involved in mental

processes. The right and left hemispheres are able to process
information independently, and can continue to do so when surgically
separated by the cutting of the corpus callossum, a link connecting the
two hemispheres of the human brain.
The characteristics exhibited by each hemisphere may be
summarised. The Left Hemisphere reasons and deals in logical
sequences. It processes stuff step by step. One thing nishes before
the next begins. Thinking follows a straight path, has a linear
quality about it. Left hemisphere dominent people tend to be logical
and see the link between cause and effect. They process material
piece by piece working towards the complete whole. Left
hemisphere dominent people are planners. When they
read, word follows word, when they speak they do so
logically, condent in reaching a conclusion. They are time
conscious, day follows day, life is lived chronologically.
The Right Hemisphere dominant person imagines
and recognises whole things all at once. There is little
concern for accuracy, preferring a general overall view with
immediate recognition or awareness. Final conclusions are
of minor interest and so issues are open ended. Images are
internalised, resulting in day dreams, fantasies and spacing
out. Right Hemisphere dominant people are often intuitive,
spiritual and creative. They can make a connection between
widely seemingly diverse and dispersed things. The whole
picture is their rst priority, before they are concerned with
its parts. Time is not an issue for them. They have ashes
or glimpses; they have revelations. The world, the cosmos,
life, is all in the eternal present.

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Dual Mind Theory // 9

With such differing processes going on in the two hemispheres it
is a wonder that we manage to function effectively. It is a fact of life
that we are all multiple personalities and, as long as each personality
takes its turns in being the leader, life goes on without much distress.
The environment is the determinant as to which personality is the
leader in any situation. Most of us are aware that we and our friends
or relatives behave differently according to the environment. We may
be strong and determined in one situation, but apprehensive, fearful
or embarrassed in another.
We have previously referred to the mind functioning at two levels,
a conscious level and an subconscious level. Perhaps we could think
of there being two minds, one dwelling in the right hemisphere and
one in the left hemisphere.

In Dual Mind Theory, each

mind has its own memories,
motivations and behaviours.

Dr Frederic Schiffer M.D. in his book, Of Two Minds, presents

evidence that each side of the brain possesses an autonomous,
distinct personality. He says we have two minds. Each mind has its
own memories, motivations and behaviours. He portrays each mind
as having its own degree of maturity. So we can have one mind that
is very mature, strong and self sufcient while the other mind may be
immature, sensitive and dependent.
Dr Schiffer has applied this concept to individual psychotherapy
successfully. He has combined this brain theory with counseling and
patient training to treat many mental, emotional and psychosomatic
illnesses. I have been encouraged by the work of Dr Schiffer to make
contact with these two minds and through hypnosis I have opened up
communication with the two minds. The aim is to provide support for
a hurting sensitive mind and encourage greater participation from a
mature, rational sometime indifferent mind.
Every child experiences some degree of trauma. They encounter
frightening situations, experience real and imagined fears. In order to
deal with these encounters they develop coping behaviours. Some
of these behaviours enable the child to deal with the associated
anxieties, feelings and emotions. In some, the behaviour will be
perpetuated throughout life. This may be all right in most cases, but
what may have been an acceptable behaviour in childhood could
be socially unacceptable in adults. In many there remains a hurt, or
an anxiety, or anger, or fear, or guilt which stays in the mind and
continues to manifest in response to life events.
Dual-mind theory leads us to expect that these hurts are being
borne by the sensitive mind which is so distressed that it has become
the dominant mind. We may assume there is a mature, logical perhaps
blas mind that has stood aside and allowed the sensitive mind to take
the lead. Therapy involves creating a balance or harmony between
the two minds, as well as showing support for the sensitive mind.
The mature mind is then persuaded to take over the lead from a willing
sensitive mind.

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Dual Mind Theory // 9

Procedure For Using Dual Mind Theory

I like to start with Three Deep Breathes followed by a rapid
induction. The induction is a matter of preference for each therapist,
but should be followed by a deepening technique.
Focus attention on the breathing. Your breathing now becomes
relaxed automatic. As I count from ve down to one take
yourself all the way down to the deepest level of sleeplike trance
that you can achieve right now that is comfortable for you.
The aim is to attain delta brain wave activity (1-3 cycles per
second) or as deep as possible. Then suggest the subject goes to
their own special place. And so continue:
As you relax, calm and completely at ease in your own
peaceful pleasant place your conscious mind has absolutely
nothing to do because awake or asleep your subconscious
mind is always presentit hears it accepts it understands
and remembers the images and thoughts that are brought to
its attention. So, having nothing to do your conscious mind can
rest relax... and even sleep if it wishes. Your subconscious mind
continues hearing accepting understanding remembering
and using those images and thoughts brought to its attention
to help you. You remain relaxed and composed. All sounds
including the sound of my voice any thoughts they pass
through your mind effortlessly and easily. They are like clouds
drifting lazily effortlessly through the sky. They are like ripples
owing across still water. You too drift effortlessly deeper and
deeper calm... at peace. As this is happening my words are
being received at the deepest level of mind in order to bring great
blessings and desirable changes in your life. Relax be at peace
experience the bliss as you seek and nd that level of trance that
can enhance and facilitate those outcomes that you desire.
As you continue in this beautiful state of bliss allow yourself
to become aware that deep inside you there are two minds.
Two intact reasonably intelligent independent minds. Each
of these minds has ifs own motivations its own memories
temperaments and behaviours. One mind may feel very secure
and condent. One may be affected by past traumas bothers
anxietiesshame, fear or guilt. This part may suffer feelings of
discomfort distress or unhappiness. Feelings which may have
lingered or been persistently held on to... from the past. This
mind could be a troubled mind. It seems that this mind at times
encourages you to act or react in ways that are contrary to your
present needs and desires. Yet I am sure it is doing so due to its
belief that it is acting in your best interest and for reasons that
seem appropriate from its perception.
The other mind the secure mature condent mind a
healthy mind knows that what is past is past and that it no longer

54

Dual Mind Theory // 9

exists. It is a well grounded part that knows that nothing from the
past can harm you or hurt you in any way unless it is allowed
to do so. This is the mind that faces the world with complete
condence contentment and in the most positive way. It is
your healthy healing mind. This healthy healing mature mind
has an absolute unlimited innite capacity to bring enormous
benecial change about for the benet of the whole person. It does
so easily without reliance on any external aid or substance.
Now understand that these two minds sometimes struggle
together each seeking to be the dominant part or they
can cooperate with each other. It seems that the troubled
distressed (hurt angry or guilty) sensitive mind has been
taking control of your life. The mature condent well grounded
mind has been side lined or just stood aside. So... listen carefully
now at the deepest level of mind as I talk to the troubled
distressed uncomfortable mind. Pay close attention now
troubled mind I know you do not yet understand why you are so
distressed or troubled however I and your mature healthy side
will now help you to understand yourself. If you feel okay about
that just nod the head to let me know. Good.
I believe that you have had a positive purpose in behaving
in the way that you have behaved? That you have used your
behaviour as a defence or protection in some way even though
this behaviour has been expressed in some out worn out
grown obsolete way or perhaps in an habitual way? If this is
correct please raise the pointer nger on the right hand to let me
know. The nger rises.
Now please let me speak with the other side the mature
side. Mature side please pay close attention. I say to you now
arouse yourself! You are the healthy mature self. You are the
mind that knows how to be relaxed at ease composed. You
have the ability to bring wellbeing to the whole person. You are
self assured relaxed and condent. I know that you can take
care of (subjects name) and ensure that he or she is in touch
with all the resources that are needed for a full happy and
healthy life. So now please assume this important role. Explain
to the distressed unhappy part why its actions and behavior
has been inappropriate and out dated. Let it know how that has
created considerable disharmony and ill-effects... and problems.
When that is done give to the part all the help it needs to
become whole and healthy. Show it more creative options more
life enhancing processes. Help it to enhance the entire body-mind
system which of course includes itself. Give your full cooperation
to the uncomfortable part help it especially by taking a more
leading role. Cooperate with the other part express all your
positive qualities in support of new benecial behaviours by the
sensitive mind.

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Dual Mind Theory // 9

Sensitive mind accept all this help and assistance from the
mature mind. It can comfort renew and restore you as you
begin to implement more appropriate behaviors more healthful
and positive behaviours. So now please stop attacking (subjects
name) or negatively affecting (subjects name). You have new
behavioral patterns which can be conveyed to conscious levels for
implementation and reinforced by dreams and experience.
From this time on cooperate with your other side... for the
total well being of (subjects name). Let the other side take a
more active leading role. By more cooperation you will prevent
life continuing to run off course and get back on track in perfect
harmony.
Before bringing the subject to full awareness, ask the subject to
project forward in time to a situation, any situation, in which they see
themselves dealing with events in a positive way. The nal images
that the subject has are images of his or her self coping with lifes
situations in a way that they desire.
The value of this procedure lies in the underlying message.
The subject now acknowledges that they have a mind that is strong
and mature. A mind which is there to provide strength and well being.
They may have been functioning under the inuence of their sensitive
part but now their sensitive mind has the comfort and support that was
missing. And the healthful part is able to assume the dominant role.

56

CHAPTER

We
Are
A
Conditioned
10 People
The words that
we use will
inuence the mind
more effectively if
we avoid putting
people down and
aim to build them
up. Positive
messages work
better than
negative
messages

be useful when using hypnosis to think of the

Brain as the home of the conscious mind and
IthetLeftcan
Right Brain as the home of the subconscious mind.
So that when working, at a conscious level, it is better
to stick with things known or with facts and apply
logic. When communicating with the subconscious we
do better with stories, metaphors, images, fantasy
and nonsense suggestions. Remembering of course
that each mind has the ability to work independently
cooperatively or in opposition to the other.

Be aware that the subconscious (right brain) always seeks to

protect both the conscious and the whole person. The problem arises
when it protects in the best way it knows how according to its
perception of reality. Whilst these ways may have been appropriate,
available, or permissible at one time, the protective behaviour may
be quite wrong in the persons present circumstances. Consequently,
it has to be convinced that this old protective behaviour no longer
works in the interest of the whole person and a new more appropriate
behaviour must be found.
Growing up in a particular social environment or culture impacts
on the subconscious mind and may produce acceptable behaviour.
The subconscious does however, frequently get the messages wrong.
It does not know right from wrong, it receives whatever the conscious
mind believes and accepts and behaves accordingly. No questions are
asked, there is no critical analysis, and it is the perfect servant of the
conscious. All of which is ne unless the message was misconstrued
or taken literally and quite unintended in the rst instance. The more
often the message is repeated, the more impact it has. The result is
that in any situation that reoccurs, frequently or with regularity, we are
conditioned to repeat the behaviour in more or less the same way. We
develop behaviour patterns or responses to the commonly occurring
events in our lives.

In the vast memory storehouse of the human mind lies

millions of images.

57

Typical examples include events such as responding to criticism

or perceived threats, or it may be simple every day things like eating a
meal, the way we shower, shave or apply make up. Are we punctual,
considerate or disorderly?

We Are A Conditioned People // 10

The way we drive a car is determined long before we ever get our
licence. In early childhood most of us are taught to be time conscious.
The recurring messages we probably received included:
Stop wasting time.
Hurry up, stop dawdling.
It is rude to be late.
Keep up or you will get left behind.
Get there early to get to the front of the queue.
Ill race you to the end of the street.
Why did you let Jane beat you?
Who is the fastest in your school?
My Dads car does l50kph. Its faster than your Dads.
First is better than second.
We keep hearing these kinds of messages repeatedly daily
throughout life. Our subconscious mind accepts and believes them
and responds with appropriate behaviour. The conditioned behaviour
will manifest in appropriate and inappropriate ways. For example, we
value punctuality but feel a compulsion to speed in built up areas, or
experience frustration when we are held up in some way. Attempts to
change the behaviour at a conscious level are unlikely to succeed.
Society exhorts people to drive more slowly but makes heroes of the
fastest racing drivers. The subconscious gets the message: - fast is
fun; its good to be rst; fast people are special. The messages are
also confusing. Society puts the fastest performers on a pedestal but
nes the ones who break the speed limit.
We recieve mixed messages
on a regular basis - Society
demands people who drive to
slow down but encourage us
to work faster, or to beat the
clock.

Most people have a need to be appreciated. Criticism is more

common than appreciation. It must make sense that people are more
likely to respond to appreciation than to criticism So in our efforts
to change behaviour we need to put the emphasis on appreciation
rather than on criticism. Positive messages will be more powerful than
negative ones. In fact the subconscious has a habit of deleting the
negatives from some of the messages it receives.
If you say to someone Dont think about crocodiles, they think
about crocodiles. Say, You dont have to be afraid?, and they feel
apprehensive. Tell young Johnny, Dont go near that vase, and the
vase becomes an item of interest. Put up a sign Wet paint, dont
touch, and see how many passers-by can resist touching it.
The language of the subconscious must be understood in order to
communicate effectively with it. The words that we use will inuence
the mind more effectively if we avoid putting people down and aim to
build them up. Appreciation is powerful; criticism is counter productive.
Positive messages work better than negative messages. So let us tell
people that they have all the qualities that they want or need in their
lives. Tell them they already have them. The subconscious will accept
the message and start to implement appropriate behaviour to match
the belief. We can make it even more powerful if we can create visual
images to reinforce the power of the messages.

58

We Are A Conditioned People // 10

Now project your mind forward in time and see yourself going
through your normal daily routine, see how relaxed and calm you
are. Notice how condently you deal with the task at hand. Notice
how good you feel and how well you look.
This kind of message can be built in to any script a therapist could
use. We can go beyond this through the use of metaphors and stories.
The English language is host to literally thousands of metaphors.
We use them daily without giving much thought to them so that our
subconscious mind is well versed in the interpretation of metaphors.
Metaphors add spice to the language; they stimulate the imagination
and induce visual images which can be realistic and vivid. So what is
a metaphor? A metaphor involves the use of a name, term or a word
and applying it to something to which it would not normally apply. One
might say that metaphors are in our blood and that any hypnotherapist
worth his salt and without going out on a limb will already be in the
picture and not have to rely on a bolt out of the blue to develop a script
that by any yardstick is a winner.
The Australian version of English adds many more. You may come
from the Back of Burke or from beyond the Black Stump. You might
be awake before sparrow twit and rub shoulders with the hoy poloy.
You may get bushed from time to time, but no one ever comes the raw
prawn with you, mate. In dealing with metaphors you could say we are
all in the same boat.

We learn through stories to

make the connection between
the hidden language behind
metaphors, fables, fairy
stories and the circumstances
that surround our lives.

59

As children we learn through stories to make the connection

between the hidden language behind metaphors, fables, fairy stories
and the circumstances that surround our lives. The very young enjoy
them and they become part of the conditioning process that inuences
our view of the world. There are powerful messages in the stories of
knights in shining armour saving damsels in distress. Thomas The
Tank Engine overcomes trials and burdens. Childrens books such
as The Secret Seven, Wind in the Willows and Red Riding Hood all
leave a mark on the young mind. Now with the inuence of television
there are even more messages. These can be quite diverse ranging
from programs like Play School, The Railway Children, and Star Wars
through to Rambo and Terminator. For the very young mind these
images, these messages present an impression of the world outside
the home and school. This is reinforced when a child is subjected to
some kind of sensitising event or trauma that relates to or makes a
connection with those early impressions.
In the vast memory storehouse of the human mind lies millions of
images and the brain has the capacity to make trillions of connections.
Every stimulus is received brings up to the surface of the mind
some image and all the emotions and feelings that are attached to
it. Hypnotherapy relies on the premise that the subconscious mind
carries the memory of every event ever experienced right back to
birth and probably in utero. We do indeed have a perfect memory,
even if the recall process is often sluggish. The subconscious has

We Are A Conditioned People // 10

demonstrated an ability to know the cause of our distress and to be
able to x it. The skill required of the hypnotherapist is to facilitate the
process by giving suggestions that either enable the mind to review
a memory and reappraise it in a more mature way, or to help it nd a
way to let go the feelings and/or emotions it has become attached to.
Direct positive suggestions can be very powerful. Some clients may
require more subtle approaches. Lets look at one example.
The process begins with:
The Induction
Some Deepening of the trance state
Some ego-strengthening suggestions
followed by:

You are on a pathway

leading to a magnicent
forest...

I want you to imagine yourself outdoors on a beautiful day.

The sun is shining the sky is blue you can feel the warmth
of the sun but there is a gentle breeze that cools your head
and soothes your brow. The ground beneath your feet is soft from
recent rain the colours of nature surround you. There are trees
and shrubs there is green and brown rust and gold. You are
on a pathway leading to a magnicent forest. Soon you enter
the forest. The air here is still. You can hear the rustle of leaves
in these mighty trees there is the sound of birds chattering and
singing. The undergrowth each side of the path you walk on is
thick and lled with life. You sense the presence of many different
small creatures. You feel safe here, surrounded by the tall trees,
their roots going deep into the earth. The branches form a great
canopy that shelters all that is below. They give protection from
storms and from a blazing sun. Yet there are shafts of sunlight
that penetrate the foliage to bring pockets of brightness along your
way
Now you are deeper in to the forest still feeling so very safe
and secure As you go even deeper in you become aware of
a great mound close to the path. As you get closer to it you see
that it is the base of what was a massive tree. The girth of the
tree must have been greater than any you ever saw.. The tree was
felled removed and this great stump was left. You realise as you
get closer that a beautiful great chair has been carved into this
mass of wood. You feel drawn to it and now you are climbing up
into this amazing chair.
You settle comfortably and almost at once you become
aware of forces powerful forces that are working on you
and seem to be draining all the negative thoughts feelings
emotions that you have been carrying. You look at the arms of
the chair you see green shoots breaking out from them. The
base has more shoots and you know that this chair has life.
You feel a sense of eternal bliss a sense of restoration and
renewal. You become even more relaxed You look towards
the depth of the forest.You can see a gure emerging from it...

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We Are A Conditioned People // 10

A gure in shimmering white that carries before it a velvet
cushion on which rests a small golden casket. The gure moves
towards you inviting you to open the casket. The casket is before
you you open the casket. Inside the casket is a quality an
attribute a characteristic that belongs to you. It has been missing
from you life it was always yours and now it is returned to you.
Remove it from the casket and embrace it make it yours again.
Feel it enhancing your whole being you are whole again. Thank
the gure in white. Watch as it moves away back into the depths
from which it came.
For a few moments project your mind forward in time a
few days weeks months. See yourself going through your
daily routines relaxed refreshed and renewed. See yourself
the way you want to be dealing with the events in your life in a
positive calm and self assured way
The session can be concluded by bringing about full awareness.
The foregoing is an example of a story entrenched with symbolism.
Going deeper into the forest can be interpreted as going into the
deeper realms of the mind, with the gure in shimmering white bringing
from the depths a solution to the presenting problem. Tall trees are
symbols of strength and power or can represent masculinity. Their roots
are rmly grounded and the overhanging branches symbolise shelter
and protection. The subconscious mind has the ability to understand the
relevance of it and to make a connection between this story and the self.
Used in the right context it can be a very powerful self healing initiator.
The subconscious often uses symbolism in communicating with
the conscious mind. In a previous chapter we described the subject
whilst in trance looking in to a mirror at the image of a part of itself
that was holding on to uncomfortable feelings and emotions. Subjects
I have worked with have seen an assortment of images in the mirror,
whilst a much younger self, is the most common image. Others
have included a wolfs head, a black spider, a rainbow and just the
head of the subject. The subject should be forewarned that what
they see may be symbolic or representational of the part concerned.
The person who saw the image of the wolfs head had sought help
in overcoming aggressive behaviour, including road rage and verbal
abuse to his partner and employees. By the end of the session he had
made a deal with the part to keep out of his life unless he was in a life
threatening situation! The subject seeing the rainbow when brought
back to full awareness declared, I have been living my life the wrong
way, I have lived to please others and to conform to what they want.
In future I shall live my own life in my own way.
Those who use metaphors, fables and stories to make contact
with the subconscious will become familiar with:
Corridors and tunnels.
Escalators and lifts.

61

We Are A Conditioned People // 10

Water that may be turbulent on the surface and calm below.
Roads that are strewn with boulders and pot holes requiring
much ingenuity to travel.
Caves and caverns that are storehouses of memories or the
abode of wise old characters.
The imagination is so very powerful and it enables us to do
things that are not credible to the rational, logical conscious mind.
The segment that follows has been in use a long time and its origin
escapes me.

The imagination is so very

powerful that it enables us
to do things not credible to
the rational, logical, conscious
mind.

In a moment I shall count from ve down to one as I do you

take yourself all the way down to the deepest level of sleep like
trance that you can experience right now that is comfortable for
you. Five Four going down now Three take yourself all
the way down... Two deeper and deeper One (pause). And
then of course there is zero... Now hold an image of the symbol
for zero just out in front of you. See the symbol for zero there in
front of you and watch as it begins to get bigger. It is getting
bigger and bigger bigger and bigger so that now it is so big
that you could oat right through it. Now do that... Just let yourself
oat right through the centre of zero through to the other side. As
you come through to the other side you get a wonderful feeling
of eternal bliss. This lovely feeling is accompanied by a sense of
renewal and restoration. You have a realisation that life is not a
dress rehearsal for something else. It is the eternal moment
of now. This is your moment. A moment you can choose to
enjoy, so choose. As you continue to experience this endless
bliss I would like you now to go deep inside yourself
right to the very truth in yourself and see yourself as you
truly are. When you can see yourself as you truly are let
me know by raising the pointer nger on the right hand.
The nger rises.
Now decide if you like what you see. If you like what you see
raise the middle nger if you want to change what you see raise
the pointer nger.
The pointer nger rises.
Do you know what it is that you wish to change? If you know
what you wish to change raise the pointer nger.
The pointer nger rises.
You can change that which you wish to change so change
it. When it is changed raise the pointer nger on the right hand.
The pointer nger rises.
How does it look now? Is this how you want to be? If this is
how you want to be raise the pointer nger.
The pointer nger rises.

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We Are A Conditioned People // 10

Good. Can you lock it in? If you can lock it in, lock it in and
when it is locked in raise the pointer nger to let me know.
The pointer nger rises.
That is very good. Now project your mind forward three
months is it looking good? Raise the pointer nger if it still looks
good.
The pointer nger rises.
Project forward six months, is it still looking good? If it still
looks good raise the pointer nger.
The pointer nger rises.
Good. Now you can oat back through the centre of zero. As
you come back bring with you all those good feelings of renewal
restoration and revitalisation. Once back settle your self down
on the couch and relax.
The subject is now ready to be brought up to full conscious
awareness. The possibilities opened up through metaphor, stories,
fable and symbolism are limitless. As a hypnotherapist becomes
uent in their use, then he or she is uent in the language of the
subconscious.

63

CHAPTER

Dealing With Physical

11 Disorders
Our physical
bodies are in a
permanent state
of alertness in
order to protect
ourselves from
the effect of
environmental
forces.

o far, most of what we have discussed has

concentrated on helping clients to resolves issues
S
in which feelings and emotions are the prime source of
their unhappiness or undesirable behaviour. Hypnosis
can also be helpful in dealing with physical discomfort
and many disorders.
Of course we cannot magically repair broken limbs or provide
instantaneous cures for life threatening diseases. What we can do is
help subjects to deal with pain and speed up the healing processes.
This includes stimulating the bodies own self correcting mechanisms,
utilising the amazing pharmacy of the body and the hormonal products
that have a profound affect on the overall feeling of well being.
It is good to think of the body as being created perfect and having
everything it needs to continue to maintain this perfection inbuilt. In a
perfect world it would continue to remain in this state. Unfortunately
we do not live in a perfect world, so we have to cope with whatever our
environment subjects us to. This includes the atmosphere, material
objects, animals, vegetation and other human beings.
Our physical bodies are in a permanent state of alertness in order
to protect ourselves from the effect of these environmental forces.
These forces stimulate our sensory system and cause responses
which may impact in a negative way on our bodily functions. We
may witness a particularly unpleasant scene, be startled by a loud
noise, receive a knock or cut of some kind, eat something that is
disagreeable, or be exposed to disgusting smells. Our body responds
by releasing chemicals into our system to meet the apparent attack.

Pain is a message that

something is amiss. We, as
therapists, must be careful not
to interfere with the warning
role of pain.

What often happens is an over reaction resulting in too much of

a particular bodily uid being released. This in turn creates another
stimulus, another reaction in a cycle of negative stimuli, creating
negative responses which in turn act as negative stimuli and so on.
This condition is self perpetuating and will remain unless the chain can
be broken. Through hypnotherapy we can access the deeper mind to
break the chain of events and allow the normal function to resume.
There are a number of commonly employed techniques for inuencing
physical conditions and bodily functions.

64

Dealing With Physical Disorders // 11

Glove Anesthesia
A well known procedure for dealing with pain is known as glove
anesthesia. The subject whilst in trance is asked to visualise a bucket
lled with water and ice blocks. The subject then imagines having a
hand in the bucket. The hand is so cold that soon it is quite numb
and insensitive to touch. This hand can then be applied to any part of
the body experiencing pain and transfer the anesthesia to that part. It
is important to be sure that the pain to be relieved is not on the arm
which has the hand in the water.
I have achieved good results with a client with severe toothache
using a similar approach. The person approached me in a crowded
foyer and requested my help. Whilst standing in a quiet corner, I asked
the subject to close her eyes, let me hold her hand which I gently
stroked suggesting that it would soon lose all feeling and become
quite numb, I asked her to nod her head when this had happened.
When she nodded I told her to hold the hand against her cheek near
the offending tooth and to nod her head when the pain had gone. She
soon nodded her head and we went in to the hail where a meeting was
held.
When more complex or deeper seated disorders are involved, the
subject in hypnosis can enter the control room of the mind to change
the way the body behaves. Whilst in trance the subjects visualise
themselves standing outside their body looking at the relaxed state of
the body. They then imagine the part outside the body to be shrinking
in size getting smaller and smaller until it is so small it can re-enter the
body in any way it chooses. The part then travels through the body to
the brain where it enters the control room of the mind. Once inside, the
part nds numerous pedestals with monitors, dials, levers, gauges,
and small wheels. Each pedestal is labeled according to the body
function it inuences e.g. pain sensitivity. The subject moves through
the control room until he or she nds the pedestal relevant to his or
her problem. The appropriate adjustment is then performed by the
subject, after which he or she leaves the control room, travels to the
point where the body was entered, leaves, resumes normal size and
reunited with the whole person.

Suggestions can be given to

a subject that their T-cells
are knights on white chargers
going in to battle an invading
virus.

65

Another variation of this technique requires the part once inside

the body to travel to the point of discomfort and perform repairs to
the part of the body aficted. Suggestions can also be given to the
subject to visualise their T-cells as knights on white chargers going in
to battle to defeat invading monsters (viruses). It may sound fantastic
but amazing results are frequently achieved. It should be stressed that
pain is a message that something is amiss. Frequently it is present
to prevent further injury from occurring. We must be careful that we
do not interfere with the warning role of pain. The solution where this
possibility exists is to remove unnecessary pain or change the nature
of the pain to one that is more bearable. A sharp stabbing pain might
be changed to throbbing pain. A burning pain could be changed to a

Dealing With Physical Disorders // 11

pressing pain. Some therapists get their clients to ascribe shape and
colour to their pain, then have them change the colour and shape.
Perhaps a pain described as like a red rough object might change to a
yellow smooth ball. The script that follows is useful for all kinds of skin
disorders. The client is in trance and is wandering through a pretty
wood.
You feel very safe as you follow the path beneath the trees,
listening to the sounds of so many different birds. Shafts of
sunlight add to the beauty of nature and seem to call you deeper
and deeper into the wood. Just ahead you see a brightly light
area and as you get closer you nd yourself along side a lovely
clear water pool. It is quite large and just deep enough to swim in.
There are a few rocks around the edge and at one place there is
a small waterfall cascading down over a small rocky out crop. It is
very inviting as the air around is still and warm.
You nd a grassy bank and sit down at the waters edge. You
reach out and run your hand through the still water watching
ripples spread across the surface. The water is pleasantly warm.
The air has a faint aroma of eucalyptus. There is all around a
chorus of sounds the gentle breeze the leaves in the trees
and the hum of winged insects.
The pool is a special pool. it has healing properties. All
who bathe in this pool leave its waters renewed refreshed
restored and invigorated. You prepare yourself to enter the pool.
As you enter the pool it is refreshing and feels a little cooler than
it did before. It is safe to swim or oat or just lie in a shallow part
of the pool.

A client in trance is guided

through a pretty wood to a
pool that has healing qualities.
This visualisation benets
many different complaints.

You become aware of its energy as the water caresses

your body. It relaxes taut muscles and soothes the skin. After
a while you go over to a low rock below the gentle cascading
ow of water and allow it to ow over your head across your
shoulders down your spine, spreading right around your body.
Soon it will be time to leave the pool so you lower yourself
back in to the water and propel yourself across to the place you
entered you leave the pool dry off get dressed and are
ready for the walk back through the wood.
While I have referred to this script as benecial for skin disorders,
it can be equally valuable for chronic pain or just general healing. I
have also found it useful in a case of breast enlargement.

Breast Enlargement
Irene was a thirty-nine year old divorcee, and a part time counselor.
She was in good health, a nonsmoker, and nondrinker. Initial appraisal
revealed a person anxious to prove herself and achieve recognition.
She felt isolated, alone but showed no evidence of depression. She
was in a relationship which lacked intimacy, tenderness and seemed
boring. She suffered occasional sinus headaches and feared heights

66

Dealing With Physical Disorders // 11

and freeways. She described her joy at being full breasted after the
birth of her children and felt it had enhanced her intimate relationships.
Time had passed and her breasts had lost their fullness and shape. In
fact, they sagged. Irene had a nice pleasant appearance and quite a
good gure for her age. I had no previous cases of breast enlargement
to refer to, and Irene was made aware of this. Whilst I was optimistic
about a satisfactory outcome it was not possible to predict the degree
of success we might achieve. The procedure to be employed had
three stages.
1. Change Irenes perception of her bodily image from one that
was negative to one that is positive.
2. Apply a technique used with sports people, where they visualise
themselves performing exercises to develop specic muscles
or build up the body.
3. Make contact with the deeper mind and enlist the help of the part
that had been responsible for forming the breasts at puberty, in
order to restore them to their correct state.
Time was spent explaining the basis of hypnotherapy and what we
might expect from our work together. She was reassured that she was
a suitable subject for the treatment Irene agreed she was ready to go
ahead. Sessions were one week apart.

The First Session

A slow induction of progressive relaxation and visualisation
achieved a deep trance. This was followed by ego-strengthening and
the call up of internal resources to achieve the desired goal.

The Second Session

Irene reported an improved sense of well being. A rapid induction
and repeated deepening produced a deep trance. Visualisation took
Irene to a secluded pool in the heart of a wood. The pool is warm,
surrounded by a variety of plants, shrubs and trees. Small streams
are cascading as small waterfalls. Irene is told to imagine herself
swimming in the pool; she feels a pleasant exing of the pectoral
muscles. The water is energising and invigorating to her breasts.
After swimming, she imagines herself sitting under a small waterfall
allowing the water to ow down over her shoulders and breasts. She
feels them rm and tighten. She is told to feel a warm glowing energy
lling her upper torso as she feels even more relaxed whilst drifting
deeper and deeper. Followed by:
From this day forward each and every day you awake feeling
t and healthy. Each night when you go to bed and lay your head
down to go to sleep you go into a beautiful deep sleep which
lasts through the night unless there is any reason why you
should awaken. Every day when you look in the mirror when
you are dressing or doing your hair you will think and say to your
self, How attractive I am. How good looking I am and I have a

67

Dealing With Physical Disorders // 11

nice shapely gure that all my friends and relatives admire. Each
day you recognise that subtle but desirable changes are taking
place to make you even more attractive. You know that you are
becoming that person that you want to be that you can be and
it is happening now.

The Third Session

When Irene returned after a week, she said that she believed
her bust measurement had already increased and that her waist was
smaller. She was also more aware that she was wearing a bra. Once
in a deep trance she revisited the pool and waterfall. The following
suggestions were used:
In your normal waking state you may not believe that you
can control the ow of blood in your body. Yet you do know that
just one word can bring a blush to your face. Your body has so
much experience of controlling the blood ow to your face. So it
is surely able to control the ow to your upper torso. Your body
has experienced turning pale due to something frightening and
turning red from the heat of a warm day or white when cold.
Your body has such a great wealth of experience that we could
give it a suggestion for it to control capillary ow stimulate salivary
glands or stimulate any of the glands. We know that words can
cause tears to ow .There is all this knowledge we have all
working below our awareness made manifest when stimulated by
the right psychological or physiological message.
Estrogens allow the deposition of fat in the breasts the
development of stromal tissues and the establishment of a
healthy ductile system. Estrogens are responsible for the external
appearance and growth of the female breast. Your sub- conscious
mind which never sleeps is continually working for your welfare
even though you conscious mind may be unaware of it. It
responds to your positive afrmations and develops the you
that you intend to be old cells die off and new cells take
their place. Through the power of your positive thoughts every
muscle every tissue every organ every cell is know working to
create that new healthy attractive you.

The Fourth Session

Irene was satised that a 2.5 centimetre gain had been achieved.
She was given repeated suggestions about bodily change. She visited
a room where she discarded all worries, anxieties and guilts. She
found a special mirror in which she could see how attractive she was
becoming.

The Fifth Session

She had decided to get a larger bra size. In this session she was
regressed to childhood to access the part responsible for her breast
development during puberty. She asked the part to cooperate to

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Dealing With Physical Disorders // 11

ensure that her adult breasts are as healthy, rm and attractive as they
are supposed to be. Reinforcement followed, with ego-strengthening
and repeat of thoughts when using mirror, etc.

The Sixth Session

Irene is happy with her body image and well rounded breasts.
The suggestions used on visit four are repeated. The program was
considered completed. Two weeks later Irene phoned to say she had
increased her bust size from 90 centimetres to 97 centimetres whilst
on the program.

Migraine is almost always

associated with repressed
anger and requires release
by the part experiencing that
emotion.

69

The kinds of images and suggestions used in the foregoing

program have been used in other situations including skin complaints,
leg ulcers and to reduce inammation. Before leaving this section,
I should comment on the treatment of Migraine. Migraine in my
experience is almost always associated with repressed anger. The
subject is not always aware that they are holding repressed anger
which may have its origin back in childhood or even be recent. The
therapy involves connecting with the part holding on to the anger and
releasing it. The mirror technique discussed in earlier chapters works
exceptionally well for migraine sufferers.

CHAPTER

12 Dealing with Phobias

It is rst
necessary to
distinguish
between the fear
of an object and
the fear of an
experience.

he subconscious mind behaves like a most obedient

servant. Whatever the conscious mind accepts and
T
believes, is passed to the subconscious mind where it is

accepted and forms the basis of much of our behaviour.

The subconscious does not analyse, rationalise or
consider logically. Once it accepts information, that
information forms part of the belief system. It may be
reinforced by repetition and by self talk. It is difcult
for the conscious mind to change the belief at that
subconscious level.
Some people through constant repetition of new information can
affect a change. A trauma or other dramatic event may do so. The
value of hypnosis is its ability to access the subconscious mind and
effect a change at that level.
Another characteristic of the subconscious is its inability to tell the
difference between what is real and what is imagined. Hypnosis relies
very much on this quality and the use of visualisation and suggestion.
Human beings are protected in many ways. We said that the role
of pain is to protects us or warn us. We are also protected by our
capacity to experience fear. A problem arises when we are affected by
irrational fears, unfounded fears and non-existent threats.

If the fear is of objects

such as spiders, snakes or
heights, then a process of
desensitising is the best
approach.

Our existence has always been in the midst of danger and the
world becomes an ever more dangerous place as time goes by. Most
of us learn to live and cope with this environment. Events and negative
messages sometimes impact upon us to create a fear which normally
would be analysed, assessed rationally, and resolved at a comfort
level. The force of the messages gets past the rational conscious
mind and is accepted at a subconscious level. This can result in
a phobic condition. People experience fear of so many things. The
most common include heights, snakes, mice, crowded places, open
spaces, the dentist, and air travel. Less common ones are fear of
crossing the road, expressways, re, being mugged, house breakers,
and germs. The list is endless.
When using hypnotherapy to deal with a phobia, it is necessary to
distinguish between the fear of an object and the fear of an experience.

70

Dealing With Phobias // 12

If the fear is of objects such as spiders, snakes or heights, then
a process of desensitising is the best approach. If it is to do with
an experience such as going to the dentist or taking a ight, then
projective visualisation works very well. Whichever method is used, a
deep trance and vivid images will ensure success.

Desensitisation
This method starts with a deep trance state. Once achieved, the
suggestion is given that the source of the fear is at a safe distance
from where the subject now sees themselves. Gradually the subject is
guided in their imagination in the direction of the object. The subject
is told that if he or she becomes uncomfortable or disturbed as they
get closer to the object, then to indicate by raising the pointer nger.
Any time the nger rises as they are guided to the place of fear,
the therapist gives additional suggestions of relaxation, reinforcing
messages of condence, and security. The guided journey then
continues until the nger rises again or the destination is reached and
the fear encountered. The purpose may be achieved in one session
or could require a number of sessions. In cases where success is not
being achieved, the therapist needs to explore underlying emotions or
feelings which may need to be dealt with before persevering with this
approach.

Projective Visualisation
This technique is very effective with a phobia about an experience.
Typical examples are going to the dentist or fear of ying. The method
involves an in-depth discussion surrounding the environment in which
the experience is likely to occur.

The Fear Of Flying

Establish the following:
Time and date of the journey.
Departure and arrival.
Day of the week.
Point of departure and point of arrival.
People likely to be present before, during and on arrival.
Transport involved e.g. Taxi, bus, or car. Aircraft type, within
understanding.
Stopovers, if applicable.
The Projective Visualisation
technique is very effective
method for dealing with a
phobia about an experience
such as a fear of ying.

71

The foregoing information enables the therapist to create images

that are easily accepted by the mind of the subject. The process
requires a deep trance state, followed by some powerful egostrengthening messages. These images should always be positive,
repetitive and motivational. Suggest to the subject that their journey
has just been concluded. Then they visualise themselves leaving
the arrival lounge and being greeted by their friends or relatives
in an appropriate manner. The client is then guided back in time
(from the arrival back to the commencement of the journey), step by
step. At each stage, images are used to create a sense of comfort,

Dealing With Phobias // 12

pleasure and safety. The journey is depicted as an experience that is
happy in every way. The ight is very stable and smooth. The crew
and ight attendants are attentive and caring in their communications
with the subject and other passengers. The stages used could feature
images such as: the descent at destination; meal times in ight; ascent
at departure point; sitting in the departure lounge; arrival at the airport;
journey to the airport; ready and waiting to leave home for the airport.
Before arousing the subject spend a little time projecting to some
happy experiences in the days following the journey. When the subject
has been aroused and during the time before they leave the clinic,
reassure them as to the effectiveness of the session and that it
will work equally well on their return journey. This method relies on
creating a powerful idea in the mind that they arrive safely after a
pleasant experience.
Another technique that has found interest with practitioners is
sometimes referred to as the rapid phobia cure. The method requires
the subject, in trance, to imagine him or herself sitting in the auditorium
of a cinema looking up at the screen. On the screen they visualise
a still, black and white picture of themselves just prior to the phobic
event. They are then told to imagine themselves in the projection room
where they look down and can see themselves watching the picture
on the screen. When this is achieved they are told to convert the
picture on the screen to a colour movie picture which now moves
rapidly through the phobic event. It then rapidly rewinds back through
the event and then again moves through the event. The procedure is
repeated once more.

Phobias are not always

straightforward and may be
symptomatic of a more
complex underlying problem.

It should be understood that phobias are not always straightforward

and may be symptomatic of a more complex underlying problem.
In any event it is safe to assume that that the mind is holding on
to the problem in the belief that it is protecting the individual from
a perceived threat. Whilst the methods outlined above can all be
effective, I believe it is wise to include a session which deals with the
uncovering and release of fears and emotions that the subconscious
has been clinging to. This procedure was dealt with in detail in Chapter
Six.

72

CHAPTER

Dealing with Common

13 Addictions
Addictions are
more likely to be
destructive and
frequently are the
symptoms of a
deeper underlying
problem.

he most common conditions that clients present with

at the hypnotherapists clinic are surely a smoking
T
addiction and an eating disorder. The latter is usually

expressed as a desire to lose weight. However,

addictions can be almost anything. Everybody acquires
habits, and they are mostly quite harmless, other than
perhaps being a nuisance, embarrassing or antisocial.
It is when they become so entrenched that we are enslaved by
them that we can call them an addiction. Habits are prevalent but
can usually be broken with consistent conscious effort. Addictions are
more likely to be destructive and frequently are the symptoms of a
deeper underlying problem.

Addictions are most often linked to:

Guilt
Lack of self-esteem
Helplessness
Loneliness
Avoidance Behavior
Fears (Real or Imagined)
Escapism
The addiction may be a substitute for some other thing.
The addiction could relate to a substance, behaviour, or both.

Therapy for addictions such

as cigarette smoking should
always include a deep trance
state, lots of egostrengthening, and strong
suggestions that the subject
will nd it easy to live without
the substance.

73

Substance addiction may involve:

Alcohol
Nicotine
Marijuana
Cocaine
Prescription Drugs
Legal Drugs (Analgesics)
Herbs, Vitamin or similar supplements

Dealing With Common Addictions // 13

Behavior addictions may involve:

Smoking
Gambling
Excessive Speeding (Vehicle)
Sexual Practices
Deviant Behavior
Eating disorders including over indulgence, Anorexia, Bulimia
Aggression - physical or verbal
Foul Language.
Some substance addictions can be difcult to overcome due to the
impact they have on the physical body. They can create a dependency
which makes a permanent x unlikely unless dealt with in a holistic
way. Hypnosis becomes a valuable adjunct used with other therapies.
These may include medical intervention, hospitalisation, and removal
from access to the substance and/or environmental change. Social
factors may also need to be considered. Friends and relatives can be
positive inuences. However, too often they turn out to be a negative
inuence.
Therapy will be enhanced if there is recognition by victims of their
need for help and an acknowledgment that addicts rarely get free on
their own. State government health departments provide drug and
alcohol services. These services are free and should be involved in
helping victims of hard drugs or new drugs that keep appearing on the
streets.

Behavioural addictions
invariably arise where there
is an underlying problem that
perpetuates the addiction.

Behavioural addictions invariably arise where there is an

underlying problem that perpetuates the addiction. If so, it is essential
that this cause be found. Hypnotherapy provides a rapid means of
making contact with the part (ego-state therapy or parts therapy) that
is holding on to the behaviour. Although in reality it is holding on to
the feelings and emotions that generate the behaviour in a search
for comfort, appreciation, love, or security. It is necessary to nd out
why it is holding on to these feelings and emotions and establish a
more acceptable and appropriate way of dealing with the essential
problem and/or resolve the issue. The new behaviour is then put in to
effect. The method discussed in Chapter Five is suitable for this kind
of addiction.
Not all addictions are of this type. The conscious mind may have
been encouraging the subconscious over a long period and a program
of addictive behaviour has been established which the conscious
mind now wishes to change. Like a naughty child the subconscious
now resists. The conscious is often not consistent in its messages to
the subconscious. So confusion is created which the subconscious
ignores. If the messages are couched in negative terms they too will
be ignored or even be turned into directions of an opposite intent.
Repetition is helpful and persistence vital. For many people this is too
demanding.

74

Dealing With Common Addictions // 13

Self defeating messages abound. For example, stopping smoking:
Ill give up when things ease up at work
I get stressed without a cigarette. They relax me
Its too difcult whilst my partner smokes.
Its fun and it makes me feel good
Its legal, and my mother does it
Its something to do when I get bored
I do really enjoy smoking.
There are many other messages that we can hear every day.
Therapy for addictions should always include a deep trance state, lots
of ego-strengthening, strong suggestions that the subject will nd it
easy to live without the substance; that due to the great control of the
subconscious mind, they can resist the craving for this destructive and
vicious habit that has been affecting their health and well being.
The messages:
You were a smoker but you are no longer a smoker You will
not gain unnecessary weight instead you treat your body in a
healthy proper manner
These are valuable suggestions for use with smokers. It is helpful
to have the subjects visualise themselves parting with cigarettes.
Throw the cigarettes into the basket of a hot air balloon and watch it
sail in to oblivion. Put them in a box and take it out to sea and throw
it overboard and see it disappear into the depth of the ocean. Finish
the session, always with a projection to a future time and having the
subject see themselves functioning effectively; all without a cigarette.

Hypnotherapy can help in

establishing a liking for good,
fresh healthy nutritious foods.

Where weight is the issue, any therapy needs to be conditional on

an agreement by the subject that a change in lifestyle is an acceptable
part of the therapy. Any therapy is likely to be effective only in the short
term unless such change is implemented. The change need not be
dramatic or a chore. Provided there is no physical illness or disease
we can be sure that the weight problem has much of its origin in
the subjects lifestyle. There will be a history of poor nutrition or
over indulgence and little if any signicant activity or exercise. It is
a simple fact of life that for a normally otherwise healthy person,
that if the calories consumed exceed the calories expended, then
weight will increase. Any change should be one that the person can be
comfortable with and be happy to incorporate into their daily routine.
Reducing the consumption of one or more foods or snacks, or just
eating less is an option. The exercise component can be an additional
20 minute walk a day over and above any existing plan.
Hypnotherapy becomes an adjunct to motivate the subject to
establish the new routine. It can help in establishing a liking for good,
fresh healthy nutritious foods. It can cause the subject to eat more
slowly, thereby feeling full earlier during the meal. It can create a
reduced interest in the high calorie, sweet or fatty foods. Through
visualisation it can help make the daily exercise interesting and

75

Dealing With Common Addictions // 13

motivating. Additional visualisation can help to create an image of the
person that the subject would like to be, slim, taut and terric.
The examples we have used show different approaches dependent
on the nature of the addiction. The techniques can be adapted to most
of the more common addictions.
It is an unfortunate fact of life that many of the subjects that come
to us for help are looking for a magic bullet that relieves them of
responsibility for their condition. The rst task is to disillusion them and
get a commitment.
Obese people may be carrying a fear of being thin at an
unconscious level. Thin, to them, means deprivation, sickness or
weakness. Images abound of people around the world who are
starving and emaciated. No one wants to be identied with such
images. These subjects are usually people who are anxious to please.
They eat whatever is put before them. It is very difcult for them to say
No. Others have been conditioned from childhood that big is better.
Big is good. Be a big boy This will make you big and strong.
For some people fat can be a protection. The unconscious may use
excess weight as a means of discouraging unwanted approaches
from the opposite sex. It can be perceived as a protection from any
kind of threat.
In some cases it is a regression back to the cradle, at which
time feeding was used to pacify and comfort an unhappy baby. The
baby felt safe in its mothers arms, was being nurtured and was
experiencing pleasurable oral sensations. Now as an adult there is an
unconscious longing for that same feeling of security. Obese subjects
are likely to be long term clients who need regular ego-strengthening,
motivation and reinforcement.
Addictions are invariably due to some unconscious repressed
emotion. The most common addictions are those that are seen as
being acceptable in the subjects social environment. Parents smoke
or drink alcohol. Friends use pot, cocaine or ecstasy. The environment
must be recognised as a contributory factor in therapy. The prime
purpose will always be to uncover the unresolved conict and resolve it.

76

CHAPTER

The Language of
14 Hypnotherapy
Positive
suggestions,
couched in
present terms and
accompanied by
vivid positive
visual images are
the hallmark of
effective therapy.

e have, in the foregoing chapters, featured the

different types of messages and visual suggestions
W
that a hypnotherapist might use. Whilst the words are
very important it is equally important to give life and
energy to the words. It is also essential to put them
together in phrases that are acceptable to the conscious
mind and slide easily past the RAS, then to be accepted
by the subconscious mind.

The voice, due to its ability to impact on people, is the most

valuable tool in every therapists stock in trade.
The versatility of the voice enables us to express our feelings
and emotions. We can deliver a command or request using the same
words. We can sing a lullaby or utter a call to arms. It just depends on
how we use it.
Words are created in the oral cavity which has a resonating quality
that causes each sound to reverberate in a specic vibrating pattern.
The vibrations pass through a sounding board in the roof of the mouth,
called the palate. These vibrations resound in the brain in particular
patterns. The way this is used changes the nature of speech. It is
helpful to practice using the voice in different ways. Reading out loud,
changing emphasis, being aware of the vibrations being created are
excellent exercises. Discover how you make different sounds. Some
from the front of the mouth, others in the throat. Singing in the shower
is to be encouraged. Chanting can also be benecial.
Phraseology is especially important when giving hypnotic
suggestions. Our suggestions are often be more effective when
expressed as a question. Would you mind sitting here in this chair?
will invariably produce action, rather than a verbal response.
Adopting a permissive approach empowers the subject, but achieves
acceptance.

Emile Cous phrase, Each

and everyday in every way
I get better and better has
stood the test of time.

77

When you are ready and feeling comfortable allow your eyes
to close over. or You might like to imagine yourself in a place
where you like to be doing something that you like doing.
Giving people choices is good. Providing choices for what you
want them to do usually produces greater cooperation.

The Language Of Hypnotherapy // 14

Would you prefer to go in to a trance quickly or slowly? or You
can close your eyes now if you wish or just silently count to ten and
then close them.
We grow up in a world surrounded by negativity. Our
communications as therapists should aim to be positive. Be alert to
the NO words and eliminate them as much as possible. This may
require a rephrasing of messages or making a positive alternative
suggestion. For example, change:
You will no longer feel any distress when
to: You always feel calm and relaxed when...
The new sentence is now positive and in the present tense.
Messages that talk about changes happening in the now are
much more powerful than those which suggest future change. You
are calm relaxed and free of all unnecessary pain. is a better
message than:
You WILL be calm relaxed and free of unnecessary pain.
We stress that positive suggestions, couched in present terms
and accompanied by vivid positive visual images, is the hallmark of
effective therapy. The message You will be is received by the
subconscious and interpreted as an event to take place at some
indenite future time. Remember the subconscious is not able to
distinguish a difference between what is imagined and what is reality.
If it accepts something as happening now, it will rally all resources
to match that perceived reality. Emile Cous, Each and everyday in
every way I get better and better, has stood the test of time because
it suggests something is happening and continues to happen.
If a client claims to be unable to accept a suggestion that suggests
they are free of pain, it may be easier for them to accept the words
You are becoming free....
Some subjects have difculty going in to trance. Often they are
trying to help by making an effort themselves to go into trance. They
may be anxious to go into trance, but instead of just allowing it to
happen naturally, they try to force it. It does not work. The following
induction may be more appropriate for them. They are not told that the
induction process has commenced.
Before you go into trance I want you to just be aware of your
surroundings. So please become aware of the colour of the walls
in this room think about the colour at the same time you might
notice the sounds of the trafc in the street outside you can also
be aware of the faint aroma of lavender in the air and notice the
warmth where your hand is resting on your thigh.
These are repeated once or twice, and then continue:
Continue to be aware of the sounds of the trafc outside you
may still be aware of the aroma of lavender in the air. Notice the

78

The Language Of Hypnotherapy // 14

warmth of your hand on your thigh... and feel the pressure of the
chair against your body as you relax comfortably
Repeat this once or twice from: Continue to be aware
As you remain aware of the aroma of lavender and the
warmth where your hand is on your thigh you relax comfortably
and feel a sense of peace start to ll your being.
Again repeat, and then continue:
You can still feel the warmth of your hand on your thigh
as you relax even more comfortably as the sense of peace
grows and grows and a kind of dreamy drowsiness is taking you
over
Again repeat, and then continue:
You can continue to relax comfortably the sense of peace
still grows and grows the dreamy drowsiness becomes more
pronounced and your eyes are heavy and want to close over.
You can let them close over.
This procedure must be done slowly. It is almost impossible to do
hypnosis too slowly. Observe the subject carefully and measure your
speed of delivery according to the subjects reactions. Pause between
suggestions. You can modify my words to suit your own conditions.
The idea is to start with veriable suggestions and gradually move
to less or non-veriable suggestions. The subjects focus of attention
needs to become narrower until soon the focus is on the voice of the
hypnotist. There are words I shall call joining words that are helpful.
They include: and, as, while, when, so, because.
As you do this this happens
Whilst you continue to you feel yourself
When I use the word you will immediately
The purpose is to link something that is known to happen with
something that is expected to happen.
Everyone has trance like experiences in the course of the day:

Everyone has the ability to

achieve a trance-like
experience such as when
daydreaming.

79

When watching Television or a DVD

In the cinema watching a movie
At the theatre watching a play
Driving a motor vehicle
Reading a good book
Playing a computer game
Daydreaming
When working with a subject in trance it can be a powerful
deepening mechanism to re-evoke some of these experiences. There
is another category of subjects who claim to be unable to visualise.
Some of them do not understand what is meant by visualise and they
do not pose a problem. For others it may be true for them in their
personal reality.

The Language Of Hypnotherapy // 14

What they are saying is: I am unable to become consciously aware
of the images that my mind is creating at this moment. Pictures
are being created but are being blocked from conscious awareness.
Their visual system is an unconscious system that is out of conscious
awareness. When one cannot bring to conscious awareness a visual,
audio or kinesthetic system then it is an out of conscious system.
The person may be seeing something distressing but has not the
ability to know that they are seeing it. This is a problem. The person
is aware of feelings of distress but cannot control what is consciously
experienced and doesnt know the source of the feelings.
In normal circumstances, when we recall memories and can
see the images clearly, we also have an awareness of any feelings
associated with the images. For example, They are playing our tune
or This is the spot we rst met. Most of us are able to stop the visions
or change them to something else. We remind ourselves that it is all in
the past. The non-visual person has past images going on internally,
and is afraid of seeing them. They avoid seeing them consciously,
perceiving them to be unpleasant and blocking them out. As a result
they have the feelings but the source is blocked off.
The material presented in this book is intended to provide some
techniques and procedures to unblock the system.

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CHAPTER

15 Whats It All About?

As hypnotherapists we can
help to free our
clients from much
of their limited
view of
themselves.

ur physical senses are the means by which we are

able to enjoy lifes experiences. They are also the
O
source of what ails and troubles us. They are the

manifestation of life; they provide the receptors that

respond to the stimuli that abound around us. They are
precious and without them life would be void.
So what is life? Life is energy. You are energy. Every part of
you is energy. Your brain is an energy converter. It converts signals
into something recogniseable, and it responds by creating a fresh
signal or implementing an action of some kind. It is all going on in
a world of intermingling energy elds. The relevant structures in the
brain are tuned to vibrate at different frequencies, the
components of our physical body vibrate at varying
frequencies and our mental processes nd expression
in different wave formations. We are able to interpret
these wave forms as thoughts and translate the
thoughts in to words. The words can be sent forth as
sounds to be received as signals. The process begins
again. How is this possible?
All matter including our physical bodies, is made
up of interacting electro-magnetic elds vibrating at
extremely high frequencies. Matter consists of minute
particles called atoms. At normal room temperature
(23 C) an atom vibrates at a rate of 10 to the power
of 15 cycles per second; the nucleus of an atom even
faster at 10 to the power of 22. We are talking about
vibrating a million billion times a second as it changes
rapidly between positive and negative states. It could
be thought of as a system by which the interjection of
some attenuation turns into a very fast sophisticated communication
mechanism. Atoms combine together to form molecules, which being
of greater mass, vibrate at lower frequencies. From the molecules
evolved live cells which are the building blocks of all organisms, as

81

Whats It All About? // 15

well as nerve cells. The vibration level is slower at about ten to the
power of three for these live cells which constitute a nervous system
that responds to stimuli in that vibratory range. The cells respond in a
positive-negative pattern, or put another way, in an action-rest format.
Our senses in effect interpret our environment in a sort of on-off way.
In reality our nervous system is a signaling device.
When we refer to consciousness, we mean a system that has
the capacity to respond to stimuli. This is what a nervous system
does. The application of different stimuli produces different responses
from the system. The quantity of responses generated represents the
degree of consciousness manifested. We associate consciousness
only with living things, which is limited thinking. There is growing
consensus that consciousness is present in all matter. Humans are
created with an inherent ability to interact with anything that has
consciousness
If we accept there is consciousness in all matter, then we can
presume that we are surrounded by an ocean of consciousness. We
may not be aware of it through our senses, our physicality. It is at a
different level, a level wherein our deeper mind is able to send and
receive impressions. By developing our deeper consciousness, we
can absorb from this energy eld and interact with this other world; a
world that has been and continues to be made up of the totality of all
energy, including every thought, idea, and expression ever generated.
It may be Carl Jungs collective consciousness or the Maharishi
Mahesh Yogis Unied Field. It may be a place that we can experience
through deep meditation. The mind can also access it whilst in deep
hypnotic states.

Carl Jungs collective

consciousness is a place that
we can experience through
deep meditation or whilst in
deep hypnotic states.

In these very deep altered states of consciousness, we spend

increasing time in this subjective space-like dimension. Our vibrations
slow down, so we spend more time in the negative component of
the wave form. It happens many times a second of course, but
it enables us to observe what is there. It occurs at what seems
to be comfortable speed. In this way we make a connection with
other minds, other thoughts. Through regular experience of these
deeper states we become increasingly sensitive to others and to our
world. This subjective space-like state is boundless; it is not three
dimensional like our physical state. It is limitless.
Another interesting thing about energy is that whilst it travels in
wave form it can collapse into a particle spontaneously. Light is a
useful example. Light leaves the sun as a wave but arrives as a
particle. We do not see the wave of light in transit; we only see
it when it meets another object. There is scientic support for the
theory that wave forms collapse and become particles by the act of
observation. This leads to the conclusion that our physical world exists
as a consequence of our observing it. We are in effect the creators
of our own world, and the three dimensional nature of this world that
surrounds us is of our making. We can however escape for a time

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Whats It All About? // 15

from these physical restrictions by the practice of meditation.
Hitherto we have discussed the nature of the conscious and the
subconscious. Let us now consider the likelihood of a higher state
of consciousness. An experiment was conducted at a University in
the USA where a blind person was hypnotised to become deaf. Tests
were made to establish the deafness. Whilst in the hypnotic trance,
the blind and now deaf person was asked if there was any part of
himself that could hear what was taking place. The person raised a
nger to signal yes and promptly came out of trance. Asked, why?,
the person replied, I felt my nger rise and came out to see what was
happening. The part that could hear despite the induced deafness
has since been dubbed The Hidden Observer. The question arises
as to whether there is an entity within us that is aware of our condition,
but functions beyond the range of our senses. Do we exist as a trinity,
a conscious, a subconscious and a super-conscious? We could exist
as a being made up of the physical, mental and spiritual aspects, each
interacting with the others, and with a direct link via the higher state of
conscious with the vast universal consciousness that is the source of
all things.
We can come to understand that we are more than we have
thought ourselves to be. We live in this physical world, seemingly
trapped in our physical bodies. Our perception of this existence is
what restricts us and is the cause of all our limitations.

Do we exist as a trinity,
a conscious, a subconscious
and a super-conscious?

As hypnotherapists we can help to free our clients from much of

their limited view of themselves. We can all learn to recognise that
we are not just isolated entities locked in a human body, but part of a
whole universe of consciousness, interconnected and interrelated.
We can learn to look at life events afresh, without judgments,
recognising that when we judge others we are part of that being
judged. Always be aware of our conscious thoughts, because once we
accept them they pass to the subconscious which will make them part
of our belief system. I was taught as a boy this message:
You must stand on the threshold of your brow and monitor the
thoughts you allow into your mind. If there are any that might be
unhelpful, silently turn them aside and say I reject that.

83

Glossary Of Terms
Abreaction
A physical movement or emotional outburst as a reaction to a
suggestion whilst in the state of hypnosis. Usually spontaneous or
may be created by the therapist to enhance or deal with revivication.
Once considered a necessary part of the healing process. Now felt to
be unnecessary and is dissipated in the interest of subject comfort.
Age Regression
It is suggested to the subject that he or she is of a younger age or
at an earlier time so that the subject can re-live certain experiences
and/or events. The subject is able to use their now mature resources
to reappraise the earlier experience.
Alpha
A brainwave activity during hypnosis (resting but awake). Also known
as a hypnoidal state. A range between Beta (fully awake) and Theta
(a deeper state.)
Conscious
The 12% of our mind that is aware of the self and the environment, it
is responsible for logic, reasoning, choosing, and will power.
Desensitization
In a trance state the subject visualises or imagines an event that
they in their normal aware state nd traumatic or frightening. The
subject is maintained in a very relaxed state whilst being progressively
introduced to the object of their fear
The procedure continues until the subject is able to confront the object
of their fear comfortably.
Defense Mechanisms
A behaviour that is based on the instinct for survival which is seated
at a subconscious level. The subject acts in ways that deny or
distort reality. Typical examples are: Rationalisation, Projection, and
Withdrawal.
Delta
The slowest brainwave frequency and the deepest state of hypnosis
(somnambulism). It is present in normal sleep states. Hypnotised
subjects may respond with amnesia, anesthesia and hallucinations
(both positive and negative).

84

Glossary Of Terms
Direct Suggestion
Suggestions phrased as a command or direction rather than by
inference.
Glove Anesthesia
The creation of a numb feeling in the subjects hand which can then
be transferred to any part of the body where pain is felt.
Hypnosis
An altered state of consciousness resulting in increased receptiveness
and response to suggestion. It may be triggered naturally by
environmental stimuli or shocks. It is purposely induced by a hypnotist.
Hypnotherapist
One who uses hypnosis as a means of helping subjects achieve
behavioural change or achieve their goals. The emphasis is on the
role of the subconscious and its role in the persons life.
Ideomotor response
A response that comes from the individuals subconscious mind.
It is a way of avoiding the inuence of the critical analytical mind (the
conscious) and its judgmental nature.
Induction
The technique of hypnotising a person.
Limbic system
Is generally concerned with processes associated with the emotional
state of the individual; particularly those associated with fear, anger,
ight and defence.
Modality
Anything that attempts to change human behaviour through the
inuence or creation of the belief system.
Post Hypnotic Suggestion
A suggestion given to take effect after the subject has returned to
conscious awareness.
Progressive Relaxation
A method used to induce a trance state, in which the body is
progressively relaxed from head to toe, accompanied by a count from
ve down to zero. Some therapists prefer a count from toe to head (as
does the author).
Self Hypnosis
A hypnotic state that is self induced.
Subconscious
The 88% of our mind below our level of awareness. It is responsible
for reexive actions, ideomotive responses and holds on to the positive
and negative associations we have made throughout our life.

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Bibliography
Edgar A Barnett. Ontario, Canada 1981.Analytical HypnotherapyPrinciples and practice. Junica Publishing Company.
Edgar A Barnett. Ontario, Canada 1985. Unlock your mind and
be free - A practical approach to hypnotherapy. Junica Publishing
Company.
C. H. Brooks. London, 1984. Self mastery through conscious autosuggestion by Emile Coue and The practice of auto-suggestion by the
method of Emile Coue. George Allen & Unwin.
E. De Beauport. Madras, 1996. The three faces of mind. Quest
Books, Theosophical Publishing House.
Dave Elman. Glendale. California, Hypnotherapy Westwood
Publishing Company.
D. C. Hammond. New York, 1990, Hypnotic suggestions and
metaphors. W. N. Norton and Co Ltd. An American Society of Clinical
Hypnosis Book.
Denise Linn. London, 1994. Past Lives, Present Dreams. Judy
Piatkus (Publishers) Ltd.
F. Schiffer. New York, 1998, Of two minds - The revolutionary science
of Dual Brain psychology The Free Press.
S. Wolinsky. Connecticut, 1991, Trances people live - Healing
approaches to Quantum Psychology. The Brambles Company.
S. Wolinsky. Connecticut, 1993, Quantum Consciousness. The guide
to experiencing Quantum Psychology. Brambles Books.
There are numerous books written on hypnosis, and over the last
twenty ve years I felt as if I must have read most of them. The
books listed above are books that once discovered have become
constant companions to me. Anyone wishing to become a professional
hypnotherapist should make it a lifetime objective to search for and
gain from the experience of others. All practioners should endeavour
to share their expertise for the benet of the community we all wish to
serve.

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