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Advanced Course
In
Practical Hypnotism
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INDIAN SOCIETY OF APPLIED HYPNOSIS
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K-BAL ROAD,
SRIRAMPURAM,
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BANGALORE- 560 021
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advanced course in practical hypnotism
BY
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BASANT WABHE
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DIRECTOR
HYPNOSIS CENTRE
BANGALORE - NEW DELHI
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1986
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INDIAN SOCIETY OF APLIED HYPNOSIS
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../THIS COURSE IS DEDICATED TO
THE REAL PI CHEERS IN THE FIELD
OF HYPNOTISM -'THE Li'HAAN' 1M
LABOURED LONG AND HARD,BRAVING
AGE-OLD PREJUDICES, TO GAIN...
ACCEPTANCE OF HYPNOSIS BY THE
PUBLIC
AND THE MEDICAL
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DENTAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL & ALLIED
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PROFESSION...AND VfflO NOW FACE
THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE
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THIS IS NOT AN APOLOGY
This course is not intended t o be a literary masterpiece and this note is not an apology for its literary imperfections.
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The ADVANCED COURSE IN PRACTICAL HYPNOTISM is intended to
impart the hypnotic techniques ir as effective a manner as
possible. Judging from the way the author's personal instruc
tions has been received, it has been considered advisable to
transfer his oral instructions to the printed page with a
minimum of editing. The major portions of the instruction
material has therefore been transcibed directly from the
tape-recordingi) made at various of his seminars all over
the country. These parts of the^ course 'sound .like Basant
Wadhi talking', in the words of one reviewer . This kind of
'talking' may detract from proper literary construction. It
is our hope, however, that the auvanrages
advantages ux
of 'listening' to
'Basant Wadhi talking ' before his classes will outweigh the
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literary defects of the course
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COM'ENTS
PAGE-
PREFACE
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7
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INTRODUCTION
HISTORICAL OUTLINE
CHAPTER
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1.
2.
PRELIMINARY SUGGESTIBIUTY TESTS
3.
FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE INFLUENCES
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
DANGERS OF HYPNOTISM
INDUCTION TECHNIQUES - STANDARD AND BASIC
9.
ADVANCED METHODS
10.
INSTANTANEOUS METHODS AND INDIRECT METHODS
11.
BEST TECHNIQUES OF DEEPENING HYPNOSIS
12.
PRACTICAL USES OF HYPNOSIS
RECOGNITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECTS
PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM
STAGES OF HYPNOSIS
PHENOMENA OF HYPNOSIS
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ALSO AVAILABLE
BASIC COURSE IN PRACTICAL HYPNOTISM
, HOW TO TRAIN OTHERS IN SELF HYPNOSIS
PRIZE WINNING METHODS OF HYPNOSIS
TECHNIQUES OF SPEED HYPNOSIS
BEST TECHNIQUES OF DEEPENING HYPNOSIS
INDIRECT METHODS OF HYPNOSIS
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SELF HYPNOSIS AND SELF SUGGESTIONS
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HYPNOSIS FOR MEMORY IMPROVEMENT
GET SLIM THROUGH HYPNOSIS
QUIT SMOKING THROUGH HYPNOSIS
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH HYPNOSIS
ALL ABOUT HYPNOSIS
HYPNOSIS (QUARTERLY)
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PREFACE
I Started teaching hypnosis in 1978 on a small scale; my
first class was a mixed group of professional people. During
the three years prior to that X had obtained my own training
in hypnosis, mainly via the meager supply of available books
on the subject, since schools of instructions were unknown at
that time. Indeed I had heard of only four professional
hypnotists active in the country during this period. Three of
them stage hypnotists and one a Lecturer of Biochemistry
practicing hypnotherapy. X was not aware of any physicians,
dentists, psychologists or psychiatrists openly employing
hypnosis at that time, though it is probable that some
unobtrusive application of hypnosis by professional (medical)
operators wesoin progress.
In 1978 i published a 64-page booklet called 'Master Course
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in Hypnotism. It was intended mainly for use as syllabus.of
my personal and postal courses. It has been thoroughly
revised and published as BASIC COURSE IN PRACTICAL HYPNOTISM.
However, upon urging by some of my students, who wanted to
know more about hypnotism, I prepared this ADVANCED COURSE
IN PRACTICAL HYPNOTISM in 1981 and since then it is being
used to train those individuals who wish to become expert
hypnosis practitioners. It is yet to be published and made
available to the public through normal channels as a Text Book.
In more than eight years of teaching, my course of.personal
instructions was modified many times. I made special point
of familiarising myself with other courses being offered to
professionals and to laymen. I took special note of the
inadequacies of these courses as well as their good points.
I incorporated the important material and eliminated
discussions of theories and other unnecessary verbiage.
Gradually my course developed into a thoroughly organised
and complete course in scietific ethical practical hypnosis.
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Its superiority to other/:courses has been attested to by
professional and lay students who have taken the best of
others, and are..therefore deemed qualified to judge.
This book is my ADVANCED COURSE IN PRACTICAL HYPNOTISM in
essence. The induction techniques and other important
material have been transcribed from tape recording of actual
class sessions, lacking only the practice sessions, the
visual demonstrations on the student subjects and the
question and answer period, the ADVANCED COURSE IN PRACTICAL
HYPNOTISM is one of the first attempts to present a
comprehensive hypnosis course. In this sense, it is a Text
Book of Hypnotism.
BANGALORE
1986
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BASANT WADHI
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INTRODUCTI ON
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TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE ADVANCED COURSE IN PRACTICAL HYPNOTISM
is the first organised text book on the subject. It differs
from others in that it contains detailed instructions for
inducing hypnosis as well as a large number of methods. The
course in its present form includes the best methods of the
old masters, the results of the investigations of prominent
European and American psychologists, the fruits of the
author’s own active practice and experimentations and a
number of important advances in the methodology made in the
past three decades. It is the main text of the course in
Scietific Hypnosis of HYPNOSIS CENTRE sponsored by INDIAN
SOCIETY OP APPLIED HYPNOSIS.
This course differs in another respect. It is scientific and
strictly true to fact. Hypnotism is presented stripped of
its heritage of hokum and mysticism. Such things as animal
magnetism, magnetic healing and similar bugaboos are point
edly ignored. Most statements made represent the consenses
of opinion. In those cases, where the author's opinion is
given, the fact is clearly stated. The methods explained
have been tried and proven and sensationalism and exagger
ation have been studiously avoided. Hypnotism is presented
truely as a science. In short, here the wheat is separated
from the chaff.
This course is for beginners as well, as for advanced students.
To the beginners especially, the author desires to address a
few pertinent remarks...'It is easy to learn to hypnotise,
but only by dint of persistent practice and application may
one become an expert nyprotist. The author suggests that
these chapters be studied - not just read - in the order and
sequence in which they appear. The Preliminary Tests which
form a practical screening procedure should be thoroughly
mastered. The Psychology of Suggestion must be well undergoo
stood. The student should, in particular, be quite familiar
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with the attendent conditions and the possible dangers and
have at his fingertips the means for meeting any emergencies
which might arise. The course should be completed and begun
a second time bef6r«?e any attempts at actual induction are
to be made. Perseverance and assidous practice will do the
rest. The author earnestly hope that once the student has
mastered the hypnotic art, he be conscientious about its
application and refrain from using it for the furtherance of
questionable ends. Finally, hypnosis should be used for
therapeutic purposes only by those who are qualified to do
so by virtue of formal training in the healing arts, or
under the supervision or direction of licenced physicians,
dentists,9 psychiatrists or clinical psychologists.
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HI ST ORE CAL OUTLINE
Since time immemorial, man has believed that it'is possible
to create a state of mind in which thought and behaviour can
be controlled by others. Lacking scientific understanding,
he attributed this power to magic or the supernatural. He
thought himself bewitched, entranced, mesmerised or, more
recently as we call it, hypnotised. Nobody knows for certain
when the phenomena which can be produced by the application
of hypnotism were first observed.
This strange force which lies latent within maniri nd has been
evoked time and again by various means; sometimes by design,
sometimes by accident and has been responsible for countless
'miracles *.
In India and the East, holy men and fakirs have used it for
centuries to induce trance like states and develop apparently
super-normal powers.
The shamans of Korea made religion around it; Abyssinian
fakirs made slaves with it; and Chinese magicians in Borneo
healed with it. And probably long before them, tribal
medicine-men were using it as proof of their awesome powers.
Stretching back into the mist of time, we find countless
instances which tell us that the anicients were well aware
of this power, although they attributed it to fanciful or
superstitious origin.
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The Egyptians built sleep temples where priest-physicians
healed the sick by ^putting them to sleep' and telling them
that they would be cured — the classic induct!027 and
suggestion of hypnosis. A stone pillar, carved with details
of a hypnotic session, survives from three thousand years
ago.
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From Egypt the sleep temples spread to Greece, and by 400 B.C.
there were hundreds of them across the country dedicated to
the Greek god of medicine ’Asclepiuo*. A century later the
cult had spread to Rome where the plaques outside each temple
were impressive testimony to the efficiency of the priests
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and their treatment.
If hypnosis - although it would not be called this for an
other two thousand years - had been allowed to develop
logically, the whole concept of medicine might have taken a
different course. It is hardly imaginable that we would have
had to wait for almost until the twenty-first century from
that time for the theory of psychosomatic medicine to be
taken seriously. But the advent of Christianity tolled the
death knell for the sleep temples and hypnosis. It was branded
as supernatural, the work of the devil and it was swept aside
along with every thing else that resembled faith healing.
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MODERN HYPNOTISL^i BEGINS with Friedrich (Franz) Anton Mesmer
(17 34 - 1815). It was he who expounded the principles of
Animal Magnetism, more commonly known as Mesmerism, a system
of healing based on the belief that a disturbance of equili
brium of a ’universal fluid* causes disease in human beings,
and that a magnetic adjustment of this 'all-pervading, invisi
ble fluid’ serves to cure diseases. Although Mesmer produced
the hypnotic state innumerable tines, he was quite unaware
of the fa.et, it remained for his pupil, the Marquis Armand
de Puysegur, to actually discover the hypnotic trance, which
he called the ARTIFICIAL SOMNAMBULISM by analogy with sponta
neous somnambulism as securing during natural sleep.
The followers of Mesmer and Puysegur adhered to erroneous
principles of Animal Magnetism for a long time. But in 1841?
Dr. James Braid, a Manchester (England) physician, coined
the word ’HYPNOSIS’ from the Greek of ’HYPNOS', meaning ’sleep’ 9
and the scientific era began. He put no stock in magnetism,
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believing raiher in 'fascinaiion1 (fixation or concentration)
and verbal suggestion'.' Braid, Elliotson and Esdaii also
instituted the use of hypnosis as anesthesia for both minor
and major operations.
In the 70's of the nineteenth century the famous dispute broke
out between the two rival schools of thought in France, the
Salpetriere School of Paris, headed by Dr. Jean Martin Charcot
and the Nancy School, led by Professor Hypolyte Bernheim of
the University of Nancy. Dr. Charcot believed 'major hypnotism'
as he called it, to comprise three well defined stages which
could be produced only by physical or neurological stimulation.
Professor Bernheim and his followers claimed that hypnosis was
caused by, and consisted of, pure suggestion, thus making
their interpretation somewhat too broad. Eventually Dr. Charcot's
claims were proven to be based on the false theories, and
strange enough, indirect, inadvertent suggestion.
With suggestion firmly established, it but remained for Myers
to introduce the hypothesis of SUBIIMINAL SELF - a sort of
duel personality dwelling beneath the threshold of conscious
ness. This hypothesis was clarified and improved by several
American psychologists, including Professor William James and
Dr. Boris Sidis, and became known as the theory of 'Subconscious
mind . Its adherents are spoken of as following the New Nancy
School. Such famous men as 'Charles Richer, Pierre Janet, Emil
Coue, Paul Dubois, Ochorowich, Mobius, Myers, Gurney, Stanley
Hall and Forel belonged to this School.
Although hypnotists do not generally class themselves in any
of these Schools, they are, with but a very few exceptions
are adherents to the principles of the New Nancy School.
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CHAPTER ONE
RECOGNITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECTS
QUALIFICATIONS OF A SUBJECT:
Psychology will teach you that a person's traits, temprament,
characteristics, intelligence and many other factors, give
indications of his susceptibility to hypnosis. Generally,it
may be said that every normal person is hypnotisable. The
principal exceptions are the infants, the insane, and the
mentally deficient. However,9 there are exceptions to the
excepti ons.
By an infant we mean a child under six or seven. It has been
found, however, that precocious child of four or five may be
hypnotisable, while a child of subnormal development at the
age of eight or nine may not be.
The insane cannot be hypnotised while they are actively
disturbed. However, in comparatively lucid periods,9 they may
be inducted into hypnosis quite easily.
A person with a schizophrenic trend cannot be hypnotised if he
is too withdrawn. However, in the early stages 9 he ruay be
quite a good subject.
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Persons of paranoid trend are most difficult to hypnotise.
They are much too suspicious. Suspicion, distrust and delusions
of persecution are characteristics of their disorder.
Among maniac depressives, hypnosis is possible during the
maniac or excitable phase but is rarely possible in the
depressed phase. It is fairly certain that the feeble minded,
or mentally deficient, cannot be hypnotised at all. They do
have sufficient mental developments It is fairly safe to say
that a person with an I.Q. of less than 70 is not hypnotisable.
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9O/o HYPNOTI SABEE:
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An expert hypnotist should be able to hypnotise 80% of
susceptible subjects in three or four attempts. Another 10%
may be inducted into hypnosis with additional attempts and
different methods.
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The remaining 10% cannot be hypnotised at all. There are
numerous reasons, such as unconscious resistance, lack of
faith in the operator, or perhaps a natural antagonism to
him or his type. There are, however, instances where these
conditions do not exist and yet some people simply cannot
be hypnotised. Until we find more about the nature of
hypnosis, we will probably never know exactly why a small
percentage remains refractory.
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The above refers to expert hypnotists. However a beginner
should be able to influence 4-0% or 50% of pre-tested subjects.
As he gains skill, he should steadily develop to the point
where he can hypnotise at least 80% of his subjects.
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AGE AND SEX:
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A child of 7 to 8 is considered to be in the most suggestible
period of life. However suggestibility is not necessarily
synonymous with hypnotisability, although it is an important
ingredient. A child of 7 or 8, therefore, can appear to be
easily hypnotised but when tested for the depth will be in a
very shallow state of hypnosis♦ A child that young does not
seem capable of deep hypnotic trance.
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From 8 to about 14, the mind rapidly develops. The period
from 14 to 21 is by far the best period for both, ease of
induction as well as depth of hypnosis. From 21 upwards,
there is gradual decline in hypnotisability. This does not
mean that an 80 year old person cannot be good subject. It
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simply means that there are fewer good subjects in the older
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Sex seems to be factor also. We have more female subjecus than
male subjects. This may be due to the fact that most operators
are males. I dare say that if we haa an equal proportion of
male and female operators, we would probably have an equal
proportion of male and female subjects. At this point, however,
it seems that a male operator is more successful with a female
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Whether a person is brunette, blond or red haired has no.
bearing on his suggestibility to hypnosis. And the same is
with the colour of his eyes. A subject does not have to be
weak minded and the operator does not have to be strong willed.
In fact, if we take an operator with just an average will and
a subject with a strong one,, and if the subject simply sets his
will aside temporarily, hypnosis can result. It is more
important for a subject to have a good mind than the operator 9
because the ’power’or the capability for hypnosis is actually
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OCCUPATION:
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people engaged in occupations Of .monotonous or strictly
routine character seem to become unusually susceptible to
hypnosis. Factory workers, for example, who perform the same
motion or series of motions at a machine throughout the day,
tend to become peculiarly susceptible. Their minds seem to
get into a static mental cycle which is conductive to the
induction of hypnosis.
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People who ar§ accustomed to implicite obedience are good
subjects- The best example is soldiers. For this reason, we
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always see soldiers picked out of an audience where a singe
hypnotist is performing because the hypnotist knpws that
these subjects are best. Soldiers become accustomed to obeying
verbal commands without question. They are also obedient to
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symbolic commands. For example, the sight of a uniform or an
insignia causes them to salute almost automatically. It is
almost as if the salute had become a conditioned reflex.
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Very religious people are good subjects for pretty much the
same reasons. Religious people, those who are fanatically
religious, are unquestioningly obedient to the dictates of
tradition especially.
Leisurely workers, especially those with a scientific bent,
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-tend to be refractory with the usual methods. Engineers, tor
example, and other scientific workers who require that every
thing confirm to definite physical laws, who require that two
and two make four, are not generally susceptible. With hypnosis 9
the sum of two and two is not always four. The subject has to
he capable of accepting statements even though they may not
be scientifically factual. However, scientists can be
hypnotised by other than standard methods. People who are
accustomed to analysing every thing are, fur the same reason,
refractory under usual conditions.
CHKIATE AND NATIONALITY0.
Climate and nationality seem to be
factors in susceptibility
to hypnosis.
people who are born or bred in the torrid zones are better
probably because of their becoming accustomed to
subjects,
relaxing. They are conditioned to assume a state of complete
lassitude which is conductive to the attainment of hypnosis.
As we go towards the colder climatee, susceptibility seems
to decrease.
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In considering nationalities, we find substantiation for the
above. We find, for example, that the Indian, the French, the
Spanish, and the Italians are especially good subjects. These
are the so called ’hot-blooded races’. These people are
sensitive, impressionable, expressive, emotional, passionate — all qualifications of good subjects. Among the Germans, the
English, and the Americans, we have a wide range of subjects
from the very best, to the very worst. They very in their
suggestibility according to their individual personality
differences.
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The inhabitants of India are particularly good subjects,
probably because they are prone to believe in the mystical
and the occult, as evidenced by the Voodoo rights and cere
monies and similar activities all over the lane'.
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The Chinese, the Japanese, the Russians were not experimented
with sufficiently for anything definite to be said regarding
their hypnotisability, but they are probably susceptible with
operators of their own race and nationality.
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PERSONALITY AND TEMPERAMENT:
Persons of artistic temperament make excellent subjects. They
are usually very imaginative, which is the chief requirement
and more or less sensitive. These characteristics make them
very impressionable and suggestible.
People who are neurotic generally make good subjects, unless
the nature of their neurosis militates against thei?r being
cooperative. If we can assume that a person with neurotic
complaints has been influenced by negative suggestions, we can
r logically conclude from the fact that he has basic suggesti
bility which has been directed in the wrong channels.
The most Important personal qualifications of a good subject
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are. imagination, sensitivity and impressionabilty. If a
person has these characteristics, he will usually compensate
for other factors which are not favourable to the induction
of hypnosis.
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CHAPTER TWO
PREUMNARY SUGGESTI BE LI TY TESTS
3.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE HYPNOTISING:
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One of the principal objections to the use of hypnosis9
especially in the professions, is the belief that it is too
time consuming. This would be true if the operator tried to
hypnotise every person who came to him. Some people can be
hypnotised quickly, with some it takes a few minutes, with
some it takes quite a long, and occassionally you find a
person who is not suitable for hypnosis at all or who requires
special conditions which do not prevail at the moment. In
order to make the use of hypnosis practical, one must be able
to evaluate his subjects and determine who should be
hypnotised immediately and who should be left alone. For this
purpose a screening procedure is absolutely necessary. The
tests which follow comprise a practical screening procedure.
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THREE PURPOSES:
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There are three purposes of preliminary suggestibility tests:
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The first purpose is classification. Through these tests,
the operator is able to determine whether a persone is good,
fair, difficult or indifferent subject.
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2. The second purpose involves a ’warm-up 1 or conditioning of •
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the subject. Through these tests7 the subject is gradually
readied to go into hypnosis. He is warmed up, he is
conditioned to accept the hypnotic state. If you try to
hypnotise a person ’cold’, without taking him through any
kind of a preparation period, the chances of success are
greatly diminished.
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3. The third purpose of the tests is possibly even more
important than the first two. As you watch your subject's
responses, you will get clues from his reactions as to
which of the various methods of induction is more likely
-to be effective. No one method,9 no matter how skillful one
may be with it, is effective with every one. Therefore,
your skill in determining which method to use will go a
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long way to minimise the chances of failure.
CHEVREUL'S PENDULUM:
I choose Chevreul's Pendulum as the first and one of the most
important of these preliminaries because I have used it with
good results in still another way to help in the students
training. Although it was designed by M. Chevreul, a French
man, primarily for the purpose of testing a subject's
susceptibility to hypnosis, I have used it besides as an aid
in increasing the studentb concentration power. It can be
described as follows:
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A strong thread or thin cord, or better still, a thin watch
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or key chain between 25 to 35 cms. long is attached at one
end to a heavy ring, key or similar object, preferably some
thing bright and shiny. Crystal or plastic balls, with chain
attached, are available from Hypnosis Centre. The other end
of the cord or chain should be fastened or hung on the eraser
end of a long pencil. This is the pendulum proper. Nect a
heavy circle between 15 to 20 cms. in diameter is drawn on a
white background (white paper, unlined may be used, but I have
found a square of white cardboard to be more practical). In
side the circle are drawn two heavy lines crossing each other
at the centre. We may designate the horizontie line as A - B,
■the vertical line as C — D, and the centre as 21..
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The chart is placed on a chair or low 1^1)10 9 and "the person
holding the pendulum sits or stands alongside the chair,
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looking down at the chart. The pendulum should he held by the
pointed end of the pencil, with the thumbs and fore-fingers of
both hands, so that the pencil is held horizontie and the
weight on. the end of the cord hangs free over the centre of
the chart,9 the point X. Now tell the person...
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"You must stand upright , feet together, the body relaxed as
much as possible. Your elbows must not touch your sides as
your hands hold the end of the pencil, while the pendulum
hangs straight down over the chart...
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1
i
Now fix your eyes on the point X. The ring (key or ball or
whatever you are using as a pendulum) should be about on a
straight line between your eyes and point X. Now if you
concentrate hard on point X, keeping your eyes fixed there
steadily, the pendulum will hang still over it, perhaps moving
ever so slightly. Now move your eyes to point A of the
horizontie line A - B; then move your gaze across to B, then
back to A, and so on, continuing to move your eyes back and
forth along the line and concentrating on it as you do so.”
Keep this up steadily and without interruptijon - "back and
forth, back and forth - and in a short while you will find the
pendulum following the line of your thoughts and your gaze 9
gradually swinging further and further; the harder you
concentrate the more steadily the pendulum will swing back and
forth along the line.
e
a.
n
a_
Ta.
tx
s.
hv
Ii
”1
Bb
i
il
After this has proceeded for several minutes, suddenly change
from the line A - B to line C - I), continuing as before, but
this time making your gaze travel up and down along the line
C - D. In a short while the course of the pendulum’s swing
will gradually change, until it is again obeying your thoughts
and gaze,9 this time swinging up and down.
il
th
as
st
ar
th
1 1
Now if you start concentrating on the circumference of the
circle, with your eyes going around and around the circumference, the pendulum will again change its course and follow
your mindb. dk^dct^bns, swinging in a circle or elipse. If you
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Wh
th
th
te
ho
T
i
t
suddenly stop and concentrate anew on point X, the pendulum
will come to a complete halt over the centre.
This is a permissive end of the Chevreul’s Pendulum Test..
A variation of the test’s >end is in this way. After the
pendulum is swinging around and around in a circle, then say...
" The pendulum is moving all by itself. You cannot stop it,
even if you try. You cannot stop it ... it moves all by itself
and you cannot stop it ... you try to stop it ... but you' can
not . . . you try to stop it ... but you cannot . . . stop trying
and relax ....
This is a authoritarian approach. If the person is submissive,
and can be dominated, he will not be able to stop it, but if
the person is authoritarian and resent being commanded, he may
stop the movements of the pendulum. This gives y^u the clue
how to proceed further with the subject.
In some cases, the pendulum test may not work initially, then
you say...
’’This may not, of course,
course work with you at the first trial.
But keep it up for a while, resting your mind occassionally
if necessary, and making certain that the cord is long enough,
the pendulum object of sufficient weight, although not so heavy
as to prevent its swinging freely and especially that you are
standing properly, relaxed, not leaning against anything, your
arms slightly away from your sides and concentrating - that is
the chief requirement.
When testing the subject with Chevreul’s Pendulum you follow
the same general rules that I have outlined, making certain
that you instruct him fully and correctly. It is best, when
telling him to gaze back and forth along the line, that you
help him along at first with your finger, which you hold under
-21-
the pendulum and move back and forth as desired, at about one
second intervals, at the same time repeating in monotonous
tones - "back and forth ... along the line ..." This should be
repeated rhythmically, monotonously. The other formulae, of
course, are similar: "up and down ... along the line ...
concentrate ... up and down ..." etc. And - "Around and 'round
'round and around ..."
... etc. These
... just keep it up ... 'round
verbal suggestions go a Ions
long way
way to
to stimulate the pendulum's
gyrati ons.
This exercise may be varied in a rather interesting and amusing
manner, but in this you must be careful to choose the right
type of subject. A person of perspicacity is likely to feel
insulted, or at best consider you a simpleton, when you purpose
him trying the following test: Explain that your pendulum has
been chemically treated, or endowed with magnetic properties,
so that it reacts to sex - in fact, that it acts as a 'Sex
Indicator'. State that, if held over the arm of a male, it
will move along the arm, back and forth; if over a female's
arm it will go around in a circle. Demonstrate it over your
own arm, indulging in a little faking, of course, and then
n yc-vrs, and
hand it to him to try over his his own arm, ov
ov^over the arm of any other person who may be present.
Strangely enough, this works quite often with, as I have
pointed out, the right subjects, who are usually very suggesa. —,, and also perhaps somewhat naive - a fact
tible,, gullible
you should not admit to them.
This variation 2 s an indirect approach to test a person's
suggestibility am it works very well with children.
AUTOSUGGESTION THE BASIC PRINCIPLE:
Already in this first test we are employing one of the
fundamental psychological principles on which hypnosis is
-22-
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T
based - the principle that we call in everyday language
"Mind, over Matter"; in this particular case it is "Mind over
Body". But you must realise that by this we do not ibean the
the control by the Kind of one person of the body of another
but rather the power of the same person's nind over his body.
In this way you can honestly explain to a prospective subject
that it is not your intention to hypnotise hiri with Chevreul's
Pendulum, but rather that you are interested in testing his
concentration power, the power of his mind (not yours). This
attitude on your part will make him anxious to do well, and
success with this and other preliminary experiments will give
him a feeling of importance, confidence in you and desire to
continue with you in your experimentation.
There is nothing magical or supernatural about the Pendulum's
implicit obedience to the subject's thoughts. The principle
involved is a natural and scientific one, called "AutoSuggestion". What actually happens is this.
You as the subject, are holding the pendulum and concentrating
on, say, the horizontie line guided by the movements of your
eyes, your thoughts go back and forth along that line while
you stand relaxed and apparently motionless. But you are not
really motionless. Your mind reacts on your body, on your
nerves,and causes you to make slight, imperceptible movements
of which you are usually unaware and which are therefore uncon
scious, and then you are astonished when the pendulum starts
to swing along with your thoughts - apparently without any
help from, you.'
So far I have only hinted at the importance of suggestion and
auto-suggestion and that is all that I intend to do now, beyond
adding that auto-suggestion principle is the foundation of all
the priliminary exercises and experiments.
In the use of Chevreul's Pendulum in your own concentration
training, remember that concentration is a condition of all
anoorptibn in a. particulotc sh
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absorption in a particular task. Distractions must be ignored
to the point where you are completely oblivious of every thing
but the job in hand - in this case concentration on a line or
a circle. Similarly in hypnotisation it helps if you become
absorbed in the task of putting your subjects into hypnosis,
concentrating your attention
attention on
on your
your task and paying no heed
to any distractions
distractions that
that might
might exist.
exist. Therefore, you will find
that a few minutes a day with Chevreul's Pendulum will increase
your concentration power very noticeably,
noticeally, so that by the time
GU are ready for the methods of
of induction
induction you
you will be able to
proceed in this work without any difficulty.
PREIIMNARY SUGGESTIBIIITY TESTS - A SCREENING PROCEDURE
TWO TYPES OR PRELIM NARY TESTS.'
discussing the Priliminary Tests as well as the Methods of
Induction which will follow? I shall he referring to two types
In
of techniques - the Authoritarian Types and the Permissive
Types.
The Authoritarian Techniques are some times referred to as the
"Paternal Techniques" pertaining to the paternal authority m
the family constellation. These techniques involve a strong,
commanding, dominating approach.
The Permissive Techniques are some times referred to as the
"Maternal or Mother Techniques". These are soft spoken, easy
going, persuasive but they minimise the authoritarian element.
It is important to discover what kind of approach is more
likely to work on a given subject. A person who is submissive
is likely to respond better to an authoritarian approach. On
the other hand, a person who is himself accustomed to being in
a position of authority, will tend to resent the authoritarian
approach. For him a permissive technique is better. Naturally
a knowledge of psychological types of human nature will help
you to evaluate your subject correctly and determine what
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13 likely to bo noro elleotlvo with hiB.
tests,
approach
the best procedure
Will
give
you
a
good
idea
o±
however,
we must always be watchuse. Therefore, in applying to tests,
the appropriate
which
will
help
us
determine
ful for clues
approach.
ARIAS RISING AND FALLING TEST:
host of all priliminary suggestibility
This test is by far the
a clear picture of the subject before you,
tests. It gives you
as to how he will respond to the
providing several clues
induction. The Arms Rising and Falling
procedure of hypnotic
used individually or with groups of any size.
Test can be
willing to cooperate to stand up.
You begin by asking every one
in front of them so
Make certain that they have enough room
they will not touch any
that if they stretch their arms out,
have them stand in a straight line facing
.
If
possible,
one
they can stand up right in front of
If
there
are
too
many,
you
to be be. Proceed as
their seats, wherever they may happen
follows:
feet together and
’•please stand erect but relaxed, with your
sides. Now close your eyes and keep
your arms loosely at your
. Listen easily and
them closed until I tell you to open them
effortlessly to my voice.
can use your imagination. In
’’This test will show how well you
of the power of your own a manner of speaking, it is a test
closed, raise your
own mind over your own body. With your eyes
shoulder level,
arms forward and upwardi until they are at your
with palms facing down to the floor.
"Now here is where your imagination comes in . Imagine - pretend
—---- left wrist,
- visualise a heavy shopping bag hanging on your
filled with helium gas
Imagine also that a bunch of balloons i
.. think ••• that the
are tied on your right wrist. Imagine .
m -
A .’o:
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balloons are pulling your right arm up and the shopping bag is
r
pulling the left arm down. Imagine your right arm is getting
lighter and rising - your left arm is getting heavier and
falling. Right arm going up - that’s it - left axmi going down
- that’g fiite. Right arm rising - higher ... higher - left arm
falling - lower ... lower. Right arm: going ...up ... up ... up
— loft arm going • . • down • • . down • . . down. Right arm rising,
left arm falling. Right arm getting lighter, left arm getting
1-
heavier".
Continue in this vein for several minutes, occassionally
varying the technique by raising the pitch of your voice on
"rising" and lowering it on "falling". In other words, it is r ..
not the suggestions, but the manner in which the suggestions
are given which helps the person to respond - helps to stimulate
his imagination You can use the words and expressions similar
to these:
"Keep on thinking that your right arm is rising and your left
arm is falling - right arm rising higher - that's it - left arm
falling lower - that’s fine. Right arm still higher and higher,
left arm still lower and lower" . . . and so on ...
Then, tell your subject to open their eyes and look at their
hands and watch the way they react. Some of them may show
surprise at the fact that their arms have -changed their positions.
They may not even have been,aware of the reaction that they had.
These are the best subjects'- those who are unconscious or
unaware of the movements of their arms. The average good subject,
however, will know that his arms have separated; he felt it. The
reactions were involuntary nevertheless. Of course a few will
not responded at all. These are the subjects who possibly are
not suitable for hypnosis or perhaps not suitable for this kind
of technique. This does not mean they cannot be hypnotised.
You have to test them further to see.if a response can be
elicited.
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Occassionally, a persons’s arms will change very, rapidly with
the right arm right up and the 'left arm going down. This
usually indicates that the person is faking, because true,
authentic hypnotic reactions are slow and sluggish. If the
reactions are too rapid, you have to regard them with suspicion®
Occassionally, a person will have reverse response, that is
when his eyes open, his left arm is slightly above his right —
exactly the opposite to the intention. This may indicate two
things. First of all, it indicates that he is delibrately
resisting. He feels a slight reaction but intentionally reverse
it. But since his eyes are closed and he cannot see how his
arms are responding, he tends to over compensate his reaction?
thereby causing the left arm to end up above the right. This
would therefore also indicate that the person is basically
suggestible but that some thing is causing him to resist.
Often a little discussion with him will help to dispel what
ever fears or misconceptions he may have, with the result that
he may become a good subject.
' This test is a permissive test,. The subjects are not commanded
to do anything. They are only asked to use their imagination.
If they do so, the reaction follows. Therefore, they are
simply ’permitted’ to exhibit reactions which are within them
selves. No commanding or domination is involved.
It should be pointed out that the suggestions are given in a
pattern or rhythm, with the same number of syllables on
’rising* and the same number on 'falling’. Fur example:’’Right
arm is going up - up - up; left arm is going down - down down. Right arm rising 'higher and higher’, leftarm ’falling
lower and lower”. The pattern and rhythm of the suggestions
are helpful in lulling a person into a responsive state.
THE FALLING BACKWARD TEST:
This test can be done individually only. Select a subject and
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instruct him to stand erect but relaxed, feet together, arms at
side. Take your position behind him and tell him that that you
are going to test him to make certain that he is relaxed by
pulling him backwards. He must allow himself to fall, but
assure him that you will stop him when he has fallen only a few
centimeters. In falling backwards, his body must remain erect
with feet flat on the floor, hinging only at the ankles. Test
him by pulling him gently back by the shoulders. Stop him by
placing your hands on the shoulder blades before he has fallen
more than a few centimeters. He must be assure,! that he will
not be'allowed to fall and hurt himself. I f he falls straight
back as desired, it indicates that he is relaxed and ready for
the test .proper.
J
>
Now instruct him to bend his way back so that he can see the
ceiling directly above hiiu and tell him to close his eyes,
remaining in that position. fake your own position directly
behind him, keeping one foot slightly in front, of the other for
good balance. Place your hands on his shoulder blades and stand
fairly close so that your arms are slightly bent. In this
position, you can support an individual of more than twice your
weight without danger of his falling. Make suggestions as
follows:
i
■ v
’’Imagine yourself standing next to a haystack with your back to
it. Think that you are falling backwards. Picture yourself
standing at the edge of a heystack, falling backward. When I
take my hands away, you will fall right back. Think you are
falling backwards - falling backwards - falling backwards”.
Repeat these phrases four or five times, then move your hands
from his shouldei blades while you are talking. If he is
responsive, he will fall right back and you must immediately
stop him by grasping him by the shoulders or by pushing him
back at.the shoulder blades. Only a few centimeters are nece
ssary; do not allow him to fall back too far. If you watch
closely, you may notice that when you begin to make your
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*
suggestions of falling, the subject will often lean slightly
forward instead and after a while begin to sway slightly back
wards. This is a natural reaction and does not necessarily
mean that he is antagonistic or resisting. Occasi onally a
person will actually fall forward or continue swaying forward.
This may indicate that he has a fear of falling or is actually
resisting in some way *
This is a authoritarian test. It is very widely known and used.
It is favorite of stage hypnotists. A person who resents autho
rity is likely to fail to respond to the Falling Backward Test.
PERMISSIVE BODY BALANCE TEST:
The permissive Body Balance Test is a very good test for those
who do not respond to the Authoritarian Falling Backward Test.
This test can be done individually or with groups.
You begin as in the Arms Rising and Falling Test asking them to
stand up, making sure that they have enough room or space around
them and proceed as follows °o
. .. Stand erect but relaxed , with your feet together and your
arms loosely at your sides. Now close your eyes and listen to
me.
"This test will show you how your mind effects your body. With
your eyes closed, imagine - visualise - picture yourself
standing in a small boat which is in water (say a lake or river
■ or sea). There are big waves in water that are hitting the boat
and the boat is shaking. As the boat is shaking you see your
self swaying left or right o keep your balance. Everytime a
wave hits the boat, the boat shakes more and more and you also
sway more either to the left or right to keep your equilibrium,
Think that the boat is shaking more and more - tilting more
and more - and you are swaying more and more to keep your
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balance. As the boat is shaking more and more - it is getting
more and more difficult to keep your balance ..." etc. Keep
repeating these and similar suggestions for a couple of minutes
If they are responsive they will start swaying left and right
on their heels immediately and will continue doing so until
you tell them to open their eyes and watch their reactions.
Their swaying movements were involuntary nevertheless.
THE CCUE'S HANDS-CLASP TEST:
This test, employed originally by the famous French autosuggestionist Emile Coue, is a rather difficult one and had
better not be used on any but suggestible subjects. Lt is in
reality a very temporary and fleeting hypnotic trance, and the
subjects who fail it should not be considered refractory for
.that reason? so long as they have reacted positively to the
previous tests.
In working Cone's test, the subject should stand before
you
looking into your eyes. You instruct him to stretch out his arms
in front of him and clasp his hands tightly together, fingers
interwined. Direct him as follows in a commanding fashion:
Make your arms stiff and rigid and squeeze your hands tighter
and tighter together - tighter and tighter. At the same time
concentrate on the idea that you cannot open your hands. Think
that you cannot unclasp your hands. Squeeze them still tighter
and tighter and think you cannot open them. When I count 'three'
you will try to open your hands, but you will be unable to do
so. On the count of 'three' you will try but will be powerless
to open them. You cannot open them' Now - one' - two! - three'
you cannot open them! Try - but you cannot J Now stop trying”
Beware the person who struggles very hard to unclasp his hands
gets red in the face with effort, or perhaps tries to break
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A
them apart over his knee., In cases of this sort, the chances
are that he is fakingTo sum up, we can sy that persons who show positive reactions
to all these tests will make excellent and very easy subjects
for hypnosis proper. Those who do well with the first three
and fail only with the Hands-Clasp Test may also be considered
quite good subjects.
PERMISSIVE HANDS-CLASP TEST".
A far superior test is the Permissive Hands-Clasp Test. Often,
a person who will not respond to the authoritarian test because
he resents authority, will respond quite readily to the
Permissive Hands-Clasp Test if he is sufficiently suggestible.
Tell him to raise his arms in a comfortable position, bent at
the elbows, and to hold them over his lap with fingers inter
twined and the hands loosly clasped. Continue in this vein:
"As you sit there, look down at your hands as they are loosely
clasped before you. Imagine that your hands are the jaws of a
vise. This a kind of an instrument where you turn a handle or
screw on one side and cause the jaws to come closer and closer
- ? unable to imagine a vise, think of the
together. If you are
action of a vise.. You
- - know what happens when a vise is gradually
closed up " the jaws come closer and closer together. If your
hands are the jaws of a vise, your hand will gradually come
closer together also. Now as you keep thinking of that, as you
keep imagining of that, you may notice certain little reactions
in your hands. One of the first reactions wight be a twitch of
1
a finger as it seems to close down against the hand. You might
notice a certain amount of pulsing of the blood m your hands
and fingers. This is due undoubtedly to a gradual although
possibly imperceptible tension developing, Now as the inner
may begin to ’feel’ the tension,
tension gradually increases, you
;
because the pulsing of the blood will increas and you may also
notice a slight blanching or whitening in your fingers where
-31-
they touch one another. You may also notice a slight whitening
of the knuckles and, as you see your fingers gradually close
down against the backs of your hands, you may also notice that
your fingertips gradually become white because the pressure of
your fingertips against the backs of your hands pushes the
blood out of that region, causing the whiteness. As you watch
you notice how your fingers are gradually tightening up. Every
once in a while, there is a twitch , a little movement, and the
tightness gradually increases. You can see it now. You can see
the whiteness of the knuckles. You can see the whiteness of
the fingers where they cross, touch one another, feu can see
the whiteness of the fingertips. You can feel the tension /A
steadily increasing. Your hands are gradually getting tighter
and tighter. You can see it now; you can feel it as well. Now
your hands are so tight - They are tight as a vise which has
been locked! Your hands are clasped tightly tcgejxxur, _ocked
like a vise, and you cannot open them! When I say ’three’ you
will try to open them and you will-not be able to do so. One!
- your hands are getting tighter and tighter, they are tightly
tightly clasped and you cannot open them. Two! - they are
glued together, tightly stuck and you cannot open them - locked
tightly like a vise! Three! - you cannot open them! Try but
you cannot! Now stop trying! As you relax your hands, they
open up easily now. That is fine.”
There is a gradual buildup in the way you make these suggestions
You start out very permissively, softly, easily, slowly. As you
see the reactions that you are describing, you point them out
so it seems to the subject that his reactions precede the sugg
estions that you made and thus you gradually lead him along.
You point out each thing that you see occurring - the whiteness
of the fingers, the blanching of the knuckles, the gradual
closing up of the fingertips against the backs of the hands,
the steadily increasing tension, as you proceed in this manner
he becomes more and more convinced that it is working because
’he can see' it working. He gets the impression that it is
^•32-
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I
II
4
working from within himself rather than because you are causing
it. He is not being commanded to do anything. Towards the end
of the test, of course, when you challenge him to open the
hands, you become firmer and more commanding for greater
emphasis and effectiveness.
It is important to be able to differentiate between the Authori
tarian and the Permissive Hands-Clasp tests and to be able to
judge which type is more likely to succeed on a given subject.
LAW OF WILL VERSUS IMAGINATION:
It is appropriate at this time to explain briefly the law
governing auto-suggestion. We can advantageously cite Coue ? s
illustration of a wooden plank placed across the floor, You
will without hesitation step onto it, walk back and forth on
it, even balance yourself on one foot without the slightest
danger of falling off. But suppose the same board is used as
a bridge between the roofs of two ten-story buildings - would
you dare to step on to it? And if you did, what chance would
you have of maintaining your balance? Very little - you will
grant, unless perhaps you were a circus performer accustomed
to heights and therefore unafraid.
Much as you may desire to live,9 and as much WILL as you may
exercise to keep your equilibrium,9 the fear that you will fall
- imagining that you are falling! - may actually make you fall.
It does not matter how much WILL you use, the IMAGINATION will
win. The law,9 therefore, is stated as follows:
”V/hen the WILL and the IMAGINATION come in conflict, the
IMAGINATI ON I NVA HL ABLY WI NS ” .
Of course, there are people, such as circus performers, who are
perfectly at ease at dizzy heights. Why? Merely because their
imaginations and wills are not conflicting, but rather working
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in cooperation. They do not ‘imagine’ themselves as falling,
they entertain no 'fear' of the ‘possibility’, and therefore the
all-powerful imagination, instead of working against the will,
is allied with it, thus producing perfect confidence. For the
same reason you are perfectly safe on the plank on the floor.
It would be ridiculous for you to imagine that you are losing
your balance, that you are falling to your death from a board
on the floor. So here your imagination and will are in agree
ment, resulting in self-confidence.
You should now understand why, in the preliminary tests, I so
often use the expressions ’imagine‘visualisef,’picture’,
‘think’, etc. You should understand that imagination is the
most potent factor in auto-suggestion; if you do you will
later with
have better results with the Priliminary Tests, and
•
hypnosis proper.
PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION TEST:
The next test, if successful, actually puts a person into
hypnosis, although he may not be aware of this fact.
To prepare for this test, have the subject seated comfortably
or lying supine. Lake sure that his back is supported and that
if he is seated, his feet are flat on the floor. Do not allow
him to cross his knees or even his ankles. When he is all set,
tell him to close his eyes,9 and proceed as follows:
’’The relaxation procedure is really quite a simple one, as you
are about to learn. After you have closed your eyes, the first
thing to do is to make sure that your teeth and jaws are not
clenched and tense - the area of the jaws and throat plays an
important part in relaxing or the failure to do so. So open
your mouth slightly, separate your jaws just a bit - make sure
your teeth are not clenched-. Fine. Now your throat muscles will
have a better chance to relax.
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”We will now proceed to relax every part of your body progres
sively. While we are doing this you will hear my voice clearly
and distinctly even though it may go down to a whisper from
time to time0 You will be aware of your surroundings , although
you may care less and less about what goes on around you.
”As you sit there quietly, direct your thoughts to the general
area of your throat ... and think - imagine ... that your
throat muscles are becoming releixed. No this easily - effort
lessly - that's important - as effort tends to defeat its own
purpose.
’’Now direct your thoughts to the top of your head - your scalp
- and think that whatever tension exists there is rapidly
vanishing. Your scalp is becoming less and less taut and the
top of your head is becoming completely relaxed. Now think of
your forehead and your eyes and all the small muscle groups in
that region and permit these muscles to become relaxed. Just
let yourself go — and relaxation in this area will, naturally
follow. Now return for a moment to the throat area. You should
be able to actually feel how much more relaxed this region is
now than it was before we started. Relaxed - fully and comple
tely relaxed.
"Simply by thinking of certain parts of your body - by dwelling
on the idea of those parts becoming relaxed - you are able to
throw off all tension like a mentis and with it all fatigue
and irritation, That is what relaxation can do for you. Now
visualise your neck and your shoulders - and permit your neck
and shoulder muscles to relax. Now think of your chest - all
the muscles and organs within your chest - and let these
relax completely. Place your attention upon Che region of your
diaphragm - and rela.x ... relax. Your abdomen - all the muscles
and organs within that area — allow them to become flaccid
and relaxed. The pelvic region - and relax, fully, completely
relaxed. Think of your thighs - relax all your muscles there.
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relax.
Your knees ... the calves of your legs - relax - relax
r
Your ankles ... feet <>.. your very toes - relax - fully relaxed.
Just let yourself go completely . .. just go limp all over permit every organ, every fiber of your being to become comp
letely, profoundly relaxed. It feels so restful, so pleasant,
to be fully relaxed. You are now completely relaxed."
With experience, you will learn signs and indications of your
progress with individual subjects, As a general rule, if the
subject is restless, keeps clearin ; his throat or swallowing
unduly, moving his hands and feet. it is not likely that he is
being favorably influenced. In this case vou may have to
repeat the procedure, perhaps several times, before you test
him for hypnosis. When he is completely immobile 9 you may
proceed as follows:
’’The condition in which you are at present is called ’Progress
ive Relaxation1. It is the deepest degree, a state of relax
ation that very, very few people can attain unaided. In this
condition you are so profoundly relaxed that you do not seem to
care what goes on around you, although you can hear my voice
very clearly and distinctly. Your arms and legs - if you will
think of them for a moment - feel rather neavy - they are so
relaxed - and also quite numb and dull, though pleasantly so.
In fact you entire body feels heavy in this condition - heavy 9
so heavy that it seems that it would require a superhuman
effort to move a muscle.
II
Your eyes especially - the muscles around your eyes 9 your
eyelids - feel so heavy and relaxed, that it seems they are
glued shut. Your eyelids are heavy as lead - so heavy that it
seems it would be impossible to raise them. The muscles control
ling your eyes are so relaxed - so flaccid and inert - that you
probably could not activate them , could not open your eyes if
and not before then - I want
you tried. When I say 'three*
you to try to open your eyes, but you will be amazed to find
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that you are completely powerless to move those muscles, quite
unable to open your eyes. 1 shall count to ’t.iree! and on
every count your eyes will become more and more relaxed 9 your
muscles in that area more and more flaccid and inert - and
when I reach the count of ’three’ you will find that you are
unable to open your eyes. powerless to raise your eyelids".
By this time you have become gradually more intense in your
manner, slightly more authoritarian and direct. You speak more
rapidly, so that your subject does not have time to think
around your suggestions.
"Now, ONE! ... your eyes are stuck tightly together.. The muscles
around your eyes are relaxed, flaccid, limpo TWO! ... Your
eyelids are heavy as lead - stuck and you cannot open them.
You are completely powerless to open your eyes - you cannot
open your eyes - you cannot open then. THREE! ... They are
stuck - tightly stuck? You cannot open your eyes - you cannot
open them! Try - but you cannot open them! They are stuck tightly stuck! Now stop trying! . .. and relax completely."
Do not let him. try too long; a few seconds are sufficient. Your
luck must not be pushed too far. After he has stopped trying,
keep talking to him for awhile, urging him to go into a deeper
state of progressive relaxation. You must by this time have
realised that the term ’Progressive Relaxation' is but a subs
titute for hypnosis and that in other respects the induction
procedure is pretty much the same as the direct verbal sugges
tion method.
Actually, the Progressive Relaxation Test produces hypnosis,
though the subject is not aware of the fact unless you explain
it to him. So you see how by the gradual progression of the
Preliminary Tests you bring the subject close to, if not
actually into, hypnosis.
To awaken hin9 you simply tell him that upon the count of
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'five1 (or any other signal) he will open his eyes and cone out
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of the state of progressive relaxation. It is as simple as that.
And your subject nay never know or suspect for a moment that he
was in hypnosis.
INDICATIONS OF THE SCREENING PROCEDURE:
After having taken a subject through the foregoing tests
certain indications should have developed.
If the person has responded to the Pendulum Test with a permi
ssive end, the Arms Rising and Falling Test,3 the Body Balance
Test, and the Permissive Hands-Clasp Test, you can be fairly
certain that he will respond well to a permissive induction
method. I f he has done better with Pendulum Test with an autho
ritarian end, the Falling Backward Test, and with Lhe Autho
ritarian Coue’s Hands - Clasp Test, the indications are that
an authoritarian approach may be preferable. If he has responded
equally well to all the tests, then it actually does not matter
what kind of approach you use. He is a ’push-over’ as a subject.
Now the Progressive Relaxation mathod has both authoritarian
and permissive aspects, so it cannot be properly classified.
Therefore, the Progressive Relaxation Te^t can be used as an
induction method with either kind of subject.
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CHAPTER THREE
'j
FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE INFLUENCES
Certain conditions of the immediate environment are conductive
to the induction of hypnosis, while others prove definite
hindrances. The beginner should learn these conditions
thoroughly in order to avoid unnecessary failures. The expert
hypnotist need not concern himself so much about favorable and
unfavorable conditions because, when he occassionally fails,
it does not affect him adversely. But the beginner cannot
afford to be negligent in this respect. A series of failures
might have a deflating influence on his ego. On the other
hand, nothing succeeds like success, so it is necessary for
the beginner to observe as many of the favorable conditions as
possible in order to assure continued success.
INFLUENCE OF LIGHT AND COLOUR:
Generally speaking, a subdued lighting effect is best for the
induction of hypnosis. If it is daytime, shades should be
drawn in order to produce a subdued effect. If it is at night
coloured lights can be used to produce the most beneficial
atmosphere.
It has been found that blues and the greens are the best
colours for the induction of hypnosis. The seem to have a rest
ful and soothing effect. Anything in the red family seems to
be tiring and irritating and should be avoided. Red, orange,
and yellow, therefore, should be avoided during the induction
of hypnosis.
INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE:
An even temperature, perhaps slightly on the warm side, favors
bodily comfort during induction. Extremes of hot or cold should
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be avoided. Sudden cold drafts of air should be carefully
avoided. It has been found that a sudden draft of cold air can
hinder induction or may completely awaken a person who has
already been hypnotised. Watch for drafts from fans, open
windows, and air conditioners. Once a person is in hypnosis,
however, and if it happens to be a bit too warn or a bit too
cold, the temperature can be modified by simple suggestion.
INFLUENCE OF ODOURS:
It is assumed that when one works in close proximity to some
one else, as you do in hypnosis, you will avoid the unpleasant
odours of onions, garlic, etc. However, there are some things
which are not so obvious about which you would also be careful
Some subjects, in hypnosis will become extremely intolerant of
things which they are able to stand under normal conditions.
For example, a non-smoker, who is able to tolerate the smoking
of people around him, under hypnosis may find the presence of
the odour of the tobacco smoke extremely irritating, to the
extent that he may fail to go into hypnosis or awaken pre
maturely. Therefore, if you know a person does not smoke 9 even
though he has not expressed himself to be against it, be on the
safe side by avoiding smoking during the induction of hypnosis.
Some experimenters have found that certain odours can actually
bo -helpful. They seem to favor strong, sweetly oppressive
odours and have even recommended perfumes from such flowers as
heliotropes, lilacs, and tube roses.
Actually, incense could be helpful as it could be obtained in
different scents. However, the use of incense is not desirable
due to its association with the mystical and the occult, Therefore, if anyone decides to use incense, he might as well wear
a turban, a robe,9 and adopt the title of a swami.
INFLUENCE OF MUSIC AND SOUND:
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Music has a calming and relaxing effect onhuman beings as it
does on animals and is therefore helpful in the process of
induction of hypnosis. When music is employed. It should be
used as a background. It should not be too loud and may
emanate from an adjoining room or closet. The sound should be
subdued. Tape recordings and record players can be put to use
for this purpose.
In addition to music, certain sounds are helpful. Any mono
tonous sound can be an aid. The metronome is an example. The
sound of a fan motor, or the motor of an air conditioner can
. be helpful. Certain sounds in the high and low frequency
'•'ranges are sometimes used for induction. It has been reported
that experiments are being conducted with ultrasonic sound
but the results of these experiments have not yet been made
known.
INFLUENCE OF QUIET
The importance of perfect quiet has been greatly exaggerated.
Naturally it is helpful if there are no distractions during
the induction process. But the usual sounds of traffic and
other activity will not hinder induction -unless the operator
attaches to much importance to i’t. If the operator sounds
annoyed, he will transfer his feelings to the subject. If the
operator pays no attention to the usual sounds in the surround
ings, the subject will not either. The attitude of the operator
is all-important in this respect. Sometimes, sounds of traffic
can be used as a helpful influence. luring the induction
process, a suggestion can be made that whatever sound the
subject may hear from the street will have a soothing and
lulling effect; thus you turn apparent adverse circumstances
to good advantage.
I made a study of this problem over an year . During this period
I had two offices, one completely soundproof, the other in a
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very noisy spot. I found no appreciable difference in the
results in these two offices.
INFLUENCE OF EASE AND COMFORT:
Personal comfort naturally aids the induction of hypnosis.
There are a few things which we must watch.
If the subject is seated, you have to make sure that his back
is supported against the back of his chair. His feet should be
flat on the floor or, if a footrest is available,9 they must be
supported on that. Knees ’must never be crossed and the ankles
must not be crossed. His hands should rest on the arms of the
chair or on his thighs or loosely on his lap. The arms must
never be crossed on the subject’s chest or placed on any part
of his body except his thighs. The mere weight of the hands or
arms on the chest or abdomen may be hindrance. If a backrest
is available for the head. this is helpful but it is by no
means necessary. The head should be held in an evenly balanced
position. Usually,but not always, as a person relaxes and goes
into hypnosis, the head falls forward or to one side You must
be careful not to allow the head to fall back as it relaxes.
Should you notice the head tilting backward 9 it is permissible
to move it forward in order to get it -started in that direction.
If the subject assumes a recumbent position, his arms should
lie alongside of him and his head should be slightly elevated
from the body. The important thing to remember is that the
subject’s posture should be such as to allow complete relax
ation of his entire body.
Be certain also that his clo'thing is loose, tie and coller
open if too tight, belt eased, and shoes, if not comfortable,
removed. With female subjects pay particular attention to cor
sets and shoes. Spects and contact lenses removed. Be sure that
nothing is there in their mouth like-•chewingum, candies, etc.
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INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL CONDITION:
If a person is in pain or under any kind of physical discomfort 9
this is usually a hindrance to the induction of hypnosis. If
he has a temperature, no matter how slight, if he is perspir
ing unduly, these also are hindrances. Some subjects have
cold, clammy, hands and feet. These conditions should be cor
rected before induction is begun. They should be instructed to
dry their hands with a handkerchief and rub them vigorously
together, meanwhile walking briskly around the room to stimulate
circulation in the extremities.
Occassionally the presence of severe pain actually becomes an
incentive for a person to seek relief in hypnosis. There have
been a number of cases where unbearable pain was actually used
But these are
as a springboard to get a person into hypnosis
except!ons, rather than the rule.
If a person is overtired, this works against hypnosis. Physical
exhaustion my put a person into a natural sleep rather than
into hypnosis. Actually, the closer a person's condition is to
normal, the better it is for the induction of hypnosis.
If a person is intoxicated, it is a definite hindrance. Intoxi
cation impairs his ability to concentrate. The influence of
drugs is likewise unfavorable. It seems that any condition
which clouds the mind or which dulls the higher centers of the
brain is a hindrance to the induction of hypnotic state. Under
some conditions a minor dosage of a drug can be used as a
'placebo' to help induce hypnosis. In these cases, however, it
is the suggestive effect which does the work, rather than the
drug. In most cases drugs are
Eire hindrances.
hindrances Even tranquilizers
should be avoided.
INFLUENCE OF THE EMOTIONS:
If the subjectb emotions can be aroused in fai
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of being
hypnotised, this facilitates matters greatly. Onerof the best
ways of arousing a person's emotions in this way is to have him
observe someone else being hypnotised, ^any hypnotists set up..
their offices in such ways that newcomers are givpn thn. benefit
of observing other subjects in hypnosis, in order to arouse
their expectations to the maximum. Stage hypnotists use this
factor to advantage. They always pick the best subject first.
Their success with the first subject is an important factor in
arousing the expectation of the succeeding subjects. On the
contrary, should the first attempt fail, the hypnotist may have
a whole line of failures before he can break the wrong influence.
V
Generally speaking 9 love, respect, trust, prestige of the
operator, are favorable influences to ths induction of hypnosis
9
while anger , irritation, distrust, hate, are unfavorable»
Occassionally9 a certain type of fear of the operator can be a
conductive influence. This
awe than an actual fear.
however9 is more a fascination or
CONCLUSION:
Judging prospective subjects accurately by quickly analysing
their personal qualifications will save tne hypnotist much
time. Then he can further eliminate undesirable or refractory
subjects by means of the preliminary susceptibility tests, thus
assuring success when he finally proceeds to induce hypnosis
proper.
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CHAPTER FOUR
RANGERS OF HYPNOTISM AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Before you attempt to actually hypnotise anybody, you must
know what precautions to observe and exactly what to do should
an emergency arise.
The actual dangers of hypnosis can be minimised provided the
operator is thoroughly familiar with hypnotism. We might say
that this is true in the sense that driving an automobile is
harmless if the driver knows how, or conversely, that eating
might be dangerous because a person might choke on the food he
eats. You will agree that outlawing eating and driving because
of these dangers would be ridiculous. On the other hand,
practicing hypnotism without knowing the hazards and being
familiar with the methods of meeting possible emergencies would
certainly be unwise.
The first and most important danger to consider is the danger
danger to the hypnotist. Hypnosis is an inter-personal relation
ship of great delicacy and like other relationships can develop disturbances and trouble.
Because o£ the stigma attached to hypnosis, there is alwa^ys a
risk that a female subject may accuse a male operator of impro
per conduct or a third person may do likewise. Such willful
charges are comparatively rare, however. Another possibility
is that a certain type of subject, usually a female, may deve
lop an undue attachment to the hypnotist. This attachment,
when uccurring between a doctor and patient, is often referred
to as the ’transference’ and is a familiar phenomenon among
physicians, dentists, and psychologists. With a certain type
of female subject, generally the frustrated old maid type 9
there is a chance that the hypnotic relationship might cause
what is known in psychological circles as ’rape fantasy’. This
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is a feeling of conviction on the part of the subject that she
was actually raped by the operator. It has happened to profes
sional people in the various specialties, particularly, where
a general anesthetic was involved, that such disturbed patients
broughts charges of improper conduct against them, to the
extent that there actually have been court trials. With hypno
tists the same thing may occur with the same type of subject.
The best precaution against this possibility is to have a third
person present while hypnotising females who appear disturbed.
Of course, once you learn that the subject may be trusted, the
precaution is no longer necessary’. Ordinarily the presence of
a third party will discourage unscrupulous people from attempt
ing to take advantage of situation of this kind. This precau
tion is particularly important for the lay hypnotist. While
the physician and, dentist is covered by malpractice insurance
policies, the layman is not. Therefore, should charges be
brought against him, the liability is entirely his own.
Occassionally the question arises: what would happen to a
subject should the operator fall sick or for some other reason
be forced to leave a subject without awakening him? This is no
danger at all. The simplest thing to do is to place the hypno
tised person on a bed or couch and let him ’sleep it off’. He
will awaken of his own accord in a few minutes - never will a
subject sleep without specific command for more than a half
hour or so. A hypnotist who expects to be called away for any
reason can, as a precaution, instruct his subject to obey the
commands of an assistant he names, who will then proceed to do
the awakening.
You should avoid subjecting the hypnotised person to sudden
shocks. The sudden announcement of the death of a loved one,
for example, or the declaration that the building is on fire,
would shock him exactly the same way as it would if he were in
a waking state. Should the person be prone to heart attacks,
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heart attack. The fact that he is
such a shock might cause a
hypnotised would not obviate this possibility.
Avoid changing the subject's erotions iron one extreme to
another. There is a favorite hypnotic stunt in which the"subject
is made to see a comedy on television, causing him to laugh.
tragedy and to cry. Changing the
Then he is told to see a
may be upsetting
emotions too quickly, from laughing to crying
to a delicate nervous system. Common sense will tell you to
avoid such ajitics.
Some people are
are still laboring under the fallacious belief
destructive influence
that hypnotic subjects can withstand the
This is not true. A subject
of heat, cold, injuries, and so on
in a flame,
may be anesthetised and told to hold his fingers
flesh would be seared
without feeling the heat or pain, but his
would not feel the
nevertheless. With his arm anesthetised he
if the neeale is not
pain of a needle under the skin, but
sterile, infection may result.
Catalepsy should be induced gradually. For example, if catalepsy
of the arm is induced suddenly, at a snap of the finger,
e
sudden movement, the sudden stiffening of the aim, can coneei •
ablystrain a muscle or crack or tear something. The ol
catalepsy test, where the whole body is made rigid and ^-te
between two chairs with weights being placed on the subj
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middle, is also dangerous. While a hypnotised person can
support such weights, should he have an inner weakness, sue
as a hernia, the stunt might easily do real damage. The thing
to remember is that a source of danger at any time can be a
similar source of danger under hypnosis.
make a subject stare
Common sense will tell you that if you
this could cause blindwide-eyed at the sun, hypnotised or not,
’ » to lift weights
ness. The person under hypnosis might be able
which he could not lift in a waking state, but
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how to lift, such an exercise might cause a strain. A subject
might be tricked into eating ground glass and other harmful
substances, believing them to be food, but it stands to reason
that such an activity can result in real damage< It must not
be forgotten that a person, though hypnotised, is still human •)
and cannot do anything harmful without suffering the conseq
uences attendant upon them*
THREE PRINCIPAL DANGERS:
1. CARDIAC CASES:
A person with a bad heart should not be hypnotised except for
medical purposes, and under medical supervision. I do not mean
that hypnosis can be harmful in cardiac conditions. The possi
bility, however, that the subject might sustain a shock in
hypnosis which would cause a heart attack, might prove embarras
sing to the operator. The same shock received under hypnosis or
in the waking state might be fetel, but should it unfortunately
happen in the hypnotic state, the operator would probably,
though unjustly, be held accountable. Of course, when this is
done under medical supervision, the physician present would
know how to deal with a heart attack.
2< HYSTERICAL CASES :
People who are hysterical, who tend upon slight provocation to
experience laughing, crying, or various other types of seizures,
should also be avoided except for therapeutic purposes.Although
no actual harm can occur from hysterical seizures, a person
falling into such a state can make a very unpleasant scene and
can cause spectators to lose confidence in the operator and to
exaggerate the dangers of hypnosis. Such disturbances are
caused by the lowering of the threshold of consciousness- That
is, while undergoing induction, a subject's self-control is
slackened, his conscious control is removed: whatever trouble-
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some impulses, which have been hitherto repressed or held back,
are at present, suddenly rise into consciousness, resulting in
an outburst of hysterics.
Should this occur, the subject should on no account be imme
diately awakened. Awakening him during a hysterical seizure
would remove the possibility of hypnotic control and would
leave him without any conscious control. The hysterical episode
would then have to run its course; and it might take as long
as half an hour before it would be completely dissipated.
Instead, the operator should do his best to calm the subject,
keeping him under hypnosis and talking to him in soothing tones.
Thus, the duration of the seizure would be lessened, although
it cannot be eliminated completely by suggestion. The subject
should be awakened only after he has been fully calmed down
and has taken hold of himself. Whatever spectators are present
must be kept quiet and prevented from calling the police or
other authorities, whose intervention could really do nothing
but aggravate the condition and possibly create panic . It is
in just such emergencies that a hypnotist 's personal qualities,
particularly self-possession, are of the greatest advantage to
him.
Fortunately, hysterical subjects can be recognised in most
cases prior to induction or during the induction process.
Usually, as a subject begins to go under, he betrays hysterical
reactions with certain unmistakable signs. The most common sign
is a back and forth movement of the head - a rhythmic, conti
nuing movement. Sometimes the movement of the head is circular
or eliptical. It is a rocking or swaying movement. Occassionally
the movement is coordinated with exaggerated breathing so that
a person breaths deeply and heavily in time with his rocking.
Occassionally the hands and fingers tremble or the knees move
back and forth in a peculiar rhythmic and continuing fashion.
I am not referring here to an occassional movement, but a conti
nuing movement in a rhythcic pattern.
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These movements indicate the lowering of the threshold of
consciousness and the arousal of. subconscious reactions. It
actually indicates that the subject is beginning to' go into
hypnosis. The thing to do at this point is to stop raking
hypnotic suggestions, or suggestions of going into hypnosis.
Instead, start making suggestions of calmness, self-control,
relaxation, peace, tranquility, serenity, and so on. At the
same time, make soothing motions over the forehead and over
the temples and under cover of these notions, take hold of
the head and slow up the movements; but do it casually so
that the subject does not notice that you are in any way
concerned. Having physically stopped the movements and calmed
him down, let go of his head, keep on talking and see whether
the movements will resume. They nay not. The movements might
only have been indication of a tendency toward hysteria, but
there might not be an actual hysterical episode resulting.
In this case, you can proceed with the induction process.
However, shouls the movements resume, stop them again by using
the same method, calm him down completely, and when he is
perfectly still, gradually bring him out of it,9 and leave him
alone.
For therapeutic purposes, in the hands of a psychiatrist or
clinical psychologist, a hysterical seizure might actuall be
helpful. It might be helpful in unearthing hidden causes of
his trouble. It might also be helpful as a psychological
cathartic, releasing from the subconscious troublesome impulses
and feelings. Often, when these pent up feelings are released 9
a person feels much better. However a layman should avoid any
contact with this kind of a situation.
3- UNQUALIFIED THERAPY:
One of the major dangers - not of hypnosis, but of its impro
per use - is the possibility that a person who needs help may
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go to a hypnotist who is unqualified to treat him. The delay
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in seeking qualified help may not only be dangerous, but
conceivably actually fatal. Hypnosis for therapeutic purposes
should be used only by physicians and clinical psychologists.
A layman has no right in this area unless he is performing
specific functions as prescribed by a licenced physician. A
layman is not able or permitted to diagnose cases and ray
therefore fall into th© trap of trying to treat sympton.s with
out being aware of the cause.
There is some danger of precipitating emotional disturbances
in some people. If a person is psychologically ill, he should
seek proper help. Hypnotising a person with emotional dis
orders might conceivably precipitate more trouble. Therefore,
if a subject shows any signs of instability, the lay hypnotist
should avoid working on that person unless he is instructed
to do so by a licenced physician, or clinical psychologist.
Age regression is a remarkable phenomenon but one which should
be left in the hands of qualified practitioners of the healing
arts and possibly should be limited to psychiatrists or clini
cal psychologists. Through age regression, it is fairly easy
to arouse emotional disturbances which a person might have
been holding in check. Although there have been no documented
cases of psychosis precipitated by hypnosis, the possibility
exists. The recommendation therefore is that age regression be
used only as a therapeutic tool and only by those qualified
to practice psychotherapy.
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CHAPTER FIVE
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PSYCHOLOGY OF HYPNOTISM
Imagination is much more stronger than will and in any conflict
between imagination and will, the imagination invariably wins.
Then how imagination can be manipulated - the answer is by
suggestion.
A mind can think so many things at the same time - true. Also
a mind cannot think two opposite things at the same time. 1 Yes
I can1 and fNo, I cannotf can not be thought at once. There
is a fraction of a moment difference. The mind wavers and then
one thought always become dominant and the thought that becomes
dominant is carried out. Then how to make one thought dominant
- the answer is again by suggestion.
11
Emotion sensitise the mind. When the mind is sensitised, the
reasoning is pushed back or relegated. Any idea absorbed by the
mind in this state will be directly acted upon. Then how the
emotions can be aroused - the answer is once again by suggestion.
So you have seen that the suggestion is a comirion denominator.
What actually is hypnosis? What causes the hypnotic trance?
What are its characteristics?
Dr. Boris Sidis, a pupil of the great Professor William James
defines it thus?” Hypnosis is an abnormal (or super normal)
state of mind, induced by artificial means, and characterised
chiefly by the presence of suggestibility”. I f we analyse this
definition closely we find ’suggestion1 to be the dominant
factor: the artificial means Dr. Sidis speaks of are suggestion;
the result of these means, hypnosis/ is a condition or mental
state of increased suggestibility, a condition favorable to
the acceptance of one’s suggestions or commands.
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What, then, is suggestion? Dr. Sidis says: ’'By suggestion is
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meant the intrusion into the mind of an idea; met with more or
less opposition by the person (subject); accepted uncritically
at last; and realised unreflectively, almost automatically.”
Dr. Baldwin understands suggestion to be: "A great class of
phenomena characterised by the abrupt entrance from without
. into consciousness of an idea or image ... which becomes a
part of the stream of thought ...” temporarily - that is, the
suggestion is accepted by the subject and acted upon or
realised.
A suggestion may be defined as any expression that directly
arouses one’s feelings or emotions. It may be a written or
spoken word or sentence. It may be an object that one may see
or event which one may encounter. It may be movement, Voice,
speech, touch, gazing, manners, behavior, action, postures,
gestures, music or noise, which creates certain Impression in
the mind producing certain viberations in the system in the
form of feelings or emotions iriovements or commotion, and
moleculer motion or physiological reaction, which create a
certain tendency to follow the same and act accordingly.
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In hypnotic jargon, the word suggestion is used in its narrow
sense to designate the things an operator says while inducing
the hypnotic state, as well as the commands and orders he gives
the already hypnotised subject. And by suggestibility is meant
’’the peculiar state of mind favorable to the acceptance of
suggestion” - i.e., hypnosis as well as the condition prior to
induction (susceptibility or hypnotisability)<
THE SUBCONSCIOUS MND:'
There are two parts , or figuratively, two compartments in the
human mind; for the sake of simplicity we might say that every
person has two minds - the conscious, and the subconscious.
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When we are awake, the conscious mind controls our actions, or
most of them - we are ’awake' or 'conscious'. Those organs and
~ “ i of will,
parts of the body which we can control by the exercise
or volition, are under the jurisdiction of the conscious mind.
When we are asleep we are largely unconscious - the conscious
mind is subdued or inactive. Any movements or actions that we
perform while asleep are caused by the subconscious mind.
Dreams also are stirred up by subconscious activity. But
during natural sleep the subconscious mind as well as the cons
cious is inaccessible from outside. We might say that both
minds are fasleep1, though not totally.
Under hypnosis,9 however, the conscious mind is rendered inact
ive and the subconscious awakened to a proportionate extent the more ♦unconscious1 the subject is, the deeper the hypnotic
trance. In the hypnotic sleep the subconscious mind controls
the entire organism,not the voluntary system alone, but also
the involuntary nervous system. It is for this reason that
- mental and nervous ills can be cured through hypnosis.
A hypnotised person accepts most of the suggestions of the
operator, except only those that might offend his sense of
decency, character, and deep rooted moral and religious values.
The mind being extremely plastic , is easily swayed, and through
the mind all the functions of the body can be caused to under
go alterations and modifications to a marked degree. The senses
also can be subdued so that the subject seems to become un
aware of certain stimuli, such as pain, tnus achieving a
condition of anesthesia. Thus hypnosis is a subconscious acti
vity.
CONCENT RAH ON:
In ordinary waking state mind is fulfilled with thousand and
one diluted thoughts, while units of mind remain scattered,
and any suggestion given in this condition cannot be absorbed
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i
by all units of mind, accepting only a small portion, and
hence the effect is negligible or weak.
r
In hypnotised condition units of r.ind are concentrated on one
thought or one train of thoughts by removing the extreneous
thoughts and effective and desired suggestions implanted by
the operator can be absorbed more and more by all the mind
units than that of waking state and make a strong effect.
After termination of hypnosis the mind units scatter again but
also carry a strong dose of suggestions and the person feels
as suggested.
Thus hypnosis is a state of super concentration of mind which
cannot be achieved ordinarily, unless proper training is
obtained, but can be achieved accidently or incidently under
any emotional circumstances without operator and any idea or
thought implanted in the rind will directly act, as many dis
eases are caught or self created in this manner, which cannot
be cured by orthodox treatmeit but only by hypnosis.
So hypnosis is relaxation! subconscious activity! concentration!
Then what is the relationship between relaxation, concentration,
and subconscious activity - the answer is the discussion with *
the visual aid called ’Smiths’ Triangles.
The actual nature of hypnosis is not yet known. Kiost autho
rities in the field are quick to admit they do not know exactly
what hypnosis1 is. The several theries which have been advanced
through the years are inadequate to explain the hypnotic pheno
menon. In fact, all the teories put together do not answer all
the questions that we have.
We hope that in future some experimenter will be able to throw
more light on the subject ... and that may be you.
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'i
CHAPTER SIX
INDUCTION TECHNIQUES
To the uninitiated, the hypnotic induction process seems to
cosist of a Mumbo Jumbo of sleep talk. It seems to be very
haphazard and aimless. Actually the induction process has a
very definite plan. We might say there is a design behind the
induction method. I call this plan of induction the "THREESTEP PROCEDURE".
The first step is the preparatory or introductory step in
which the operator describes the signs or symptoms of approach
ing hypnosis. Speaking in the future tense, he tells the sub
ject how he will become relaxed, how his arms or legs will
become heavy, how his eyelids will begin to droop as his eyes
become tired, how he will become drowsy and sleepy, how finally
his eyelids will flutter and his eyes will close and how he
will fall into a deep and,sound sleep. Every thing is couched
in terms of 'will happen1 so that the subject begins to expect
these things to happen. He is led along gradually. This process
may take anywhere from a minute to four or five minutes.
The future tense suggestions are kept up until there are some
signs that they are beginning to take effect. One of the signs,
for example, is narrowing of the eyes, the drooping of the eye
lids. Another sign is a tendency for the body to sag. There
are often obvious signs of relaxation. Then you are ready for
the second step.
This step is called "talking sleep". You now begin to tell the
subject how he is already feeling and you talk in the present
tense, telling him that now his eyes are feeling tired and his
eyelids are heavy and drooping, that his body is relaxed and
i.s relaxing more and more, that every muscle is becoming loose
and limp, that he is becoming drowsy,- sleepy, and tired, that
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A,
it is difficult to keep his eyes open and that soon he will
close them and fall into a deep, sound 9 hypnotic sleep.
The second step is the main part of the induction procedure.
It is kept up until the subject's eyes close. If the eyes
close spontaneously , this is a good sign that he is going into
hypnosis, sothat you can take the third step.
In the third step, you
.
assume n"control". If the subject's eyes
close spontaneously, it is a good sign that he is going into
hypnosis. Therefore you drop the monotonous patter which is
the main characteristic of the second step and become firmer
and more authoritative in your’suggestions. You "take over".
You assume "control". You tell him that now he is falling into
a deep, sleep, deep and sound sleep, and he is now in effect
under your’’control".
therefore, the three steps of the induction
To summarise, therefore,
process are: first, the preparatory or introductory step con
sisting of a description of the symptoms the subject is about
to experience. Second, the talking sleep step in which sugges
tions of sleep are repeated in the present tense as happening
at the moment, and third, the step in which you assume the
hypnotic control, when the monotonous stimulation of the sleep
talk is quickly replaced by direct, emphatic, unequivocal sug
gestions of sleep. These steps are used in most of the ordinary
methods of induction. In instantaneous methods and in very
rapid inductions,9 the first two steps are usually eliminated.
Corresponding to the above three steps of induction, the subject
goes through three mental phases.
In the past, the subject was told to concentrate on a spot or
on the operator's voice. Concentration involves conscious
effort and only the very best subjects are able through this
method to go into hypnosis. This method has to work quickly. If
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it does not work in a few moments, the effort of concentration
tends to produce an opposite reaction. It tends to produce
fatigue so that the concentration and attention drop and the
subject's mind drifts of the attention spot. Therefore
Therefore, for
about 75% of the subjects the concentration element is not
only undesirable but actually hinders induction.
A far better technique to use is to induce the idea of
"contention". Contention is a coined word and is actually a
combination of several other ideas. It can be expressed as
follows: The subject is told to look at a spot on the wall, for
example, he is told to place his attention on this spot and not
to remove his attention for a moment, not to let his eyes drift
away from it. In other words, he is told to keep his attention
focused or fixed on the object, but he is told to do it easi ly,
effortlessly, that it is not a hard task to keep one's attention
on a spot. Contention can be expressed as a combination of
attention and concentration of thought minus the effort which
is usually involved in concentration. So we might ^nll it, for
the sake of simplicity, effortless concentration.
This is the first phase that the subject enters and it corres
ponds to the preparatory or introductory step of the operator,
as he effortlessly concentrates upon a.spot, the operator des
cribes how he is going to feel and what symptoms he is going to
experience as he approaches hypnosis. Gradually, the subject's
attention becomes fixed on the object, but now completely with
out effort. It is very similar to the situation which we some
times encounter in speaking of an orator; you often hear the
remark "the audience was hanging on his words". The subject
finds himself in a similar state of mind. He is hanging on the
operatorb words. His attention is hanging, fixed, spontaneously,
completely without effort, on the fixation object. This condi
tion is called "fixation and sometimes monoideism'.' It is a
condition in which one idea or train of thought prevails m the
subject's mind: the idea of going into hypnosis. It is a comp-
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'4
letely effortless and spontaneous condition of fixed attention.
While the subject is in this phase, the operator is "talking
sleep". This is the main part of the induction process. Then
as this phase progresses, the subject's eyes become very, very
tired, and finally they flutter and close. As they close, the
operator assumes control and the subject drops into a condition
of complete passivity - a condition which corresponds to and
becomes hypnosis as the operator "takes over". The taking over
of control at this point, produces the condition known as
"rapport".
It is imperative that you understand the above three steps of
the induction process. It is important for this reason. If you
tell a subject prematurely that his eyes are tired, that he is
drowsy and sleepy, in his own mind he thinks - "Friend, you are
a liar?" because he does not feel that way at all. He rejects
that suggestion and tends to reject the suggestions that follow.
Therefore, you must not tell him anything which is not true.
You can give him a lot of possibilities of what will happen,
but do not say that it is happening until you actually see
evidence that it is. As pointed out earlier, some of the signs
that the suggestions are starting to "take" are: deeper breath
ing, drooping of the eyelids, narrowing of the eyes, perhaps a
slumping or slouching of the body, a tenency for the head to
droop forward or to one side, etc.
When you point out something which is already occurring the
subject develops confidence in you. and thinks to himself he- is talking about J I do feel that way!
"this man knows \what
--- —
- and this leads him on to accept the suggestions which follow
and therefore steadily leads him into hypnosis.
THE "PURE" VERBAL SUGGESTION KETHOD:
form.
The following is ’the verbal suggestion method in its pure
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It is very rarely used in this way. It is usually combined with
counting or other devices which tend to lend it more body and
substance. However, the basis of most of the standard methods
is verbal suggestion. Therefore, it is advisable that you
familiarise yourself with this method. Notice especially, the
gradual transition from the first to the second steps and then
to the third. Notice also, how the subject is brought into the
condition of contention. Be reminded that these transitions
from step to step are to be made in such a way as to be imper
ceptible to the subject or to untrained observers.
With the subject in the proper position, either seated or
lying down, you place or lipid a suitable object before him and
proceed as follows 2
’’Now relax completely and place your attention on this object
in front of you. Look at it steadily but without straining.
Bo not take your eyes away for a moment. Keep your attention
focused on the object. Bo so easily, effortlessly. It is not
much of a task to keep your attention focused on this object.
Now, as you gaze at it, your body will gradually and steadily
become very, very relaxed. Your arms will relax, and your legs
will relax. Gradually, a vague numbness and dullness will come
over your arms and your legs. Your eyes will become rather
tired as you gaze at this object. Your eyelids will get heavy.
Gradually, your eyelids will droop and your eyes will slowly
narrow down to slits. Your arms and legs will begin to feel
this vague numbiess and dullness. They will get more and more
numb and dull and heavy as I go on. You will become drowsy,
drowsy and sleepy. Your eyelids will get heavier and heavier.
Your eyes will feel like closing. Your head may get heavy too.
Your head may seem to droop forward or to one side. At some
point your eyes will close; your eyelids may droop first, may
flutter, and then your eyes will close, your head will fall
forward on your chest possibly, or maybe to one side, and you
will fall into a deep, sound, sleep”.
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4
-5
These, and similar suggestions that will occur to you as you’
gain experience are repeated over and over again. Do not begin
the second step until the subject is perfectly motionless and
you begin to see some of the signs mentioned, and you have
reason to believe that he is perfectly relaxed, Then continue!
"You are now completely relaxed, both in mind and body. Just
let yourself go completely and soon you will he fast asleep.
Your eyelids feel heavy now. They are doopy now. Drooping more
and more. Your eyes are narrowing down to slits. Your arms and
legs are getting that numb feeling I mentioned, Your breathing
is getting deeper and more regular. Your eyes feel very, very
tired. Your eyelids feel heavy as lead. You are getting drowsy
and sleepy, more drowsy and sleepy and tired as I go on. Your,
aims and legs are numb and dull. Your head feels heavy with
sleep; your entire body is heavy 'with sleep. The object is
becoming blurred and indistinct; your eyes are very tired and
bleary. They may even start to tear somewhat. Your eyes feel
like closing. It would feel so good to close your eyes and go
into a deep, sound hypnotic sleep. You are getting more and
more sleepy, very, very, sleepy - more and more sleepy and
tired; your breathing is deep and regular, your head is heavy
with sleep, arms and legs are numb and dull, entire body feels
heavy with sleep, your eyelids feel heavy as lead, your eyes
feel like closing. You are very, very sleepy, very sleepy,
your eyelids are beginning to droop. It would feel so good to
close your eyes. They are drooping more and more. Your eyelids
are fluttering now - now they are closing, closing ... That is
right, close your eyes and go into a deep and sound sleep now.’
Deep and sound sleep}"
At this point, your voice becomes more firm, more authoritative
and you keep on saying "deeper and deeper asleep", strongly,
firmly, authoritatively. By this time, if your subject closed
his eyes spontaneously, he is probably in hypnosis. But you
cannot be too certain. In any case, it is better to take a
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little more time and try to put him into a deeper state. There
fore you continue, speaking in a slightly louder.tone, rather
emphatically and forcefully:
r
“You are now deep and sound asleep but I shall now put you into
a deeper state still. Every word you hear from me will put you
into a still deeper and deepez^ sleep. Finally you will be in a
very deep and sound sleep and completely in hypnosis. You will
obey all my commands implicitly. Now you are going deeper and
deeper asleep, You are sinking into a deeper and deeper hypno
tic state, more and more deeper still, letting go completely
going deep, deep asleep, very deep and sound and restful
hypnotic sleep, deeper and deeper and deeper in hypnosis, deep
asleep, sound asleep, you are in a deep and sound hypnotic
sleepI V
This ends the induction. Now the subject is usually tested to
see whether he is actually under hypnosis. The test may be an
eye catalepsy challenge or an arm catalepsy challenge. We will
go into this phase later.
ADDITIONAL HYPNOTIC PHRASES:
The suggestions in the above method can be varied in many ways
as you will learn through experience. The following are some
additional,9 excellent, tried and tested hypnotic phrases.
"Gaze steadily at the disc, steadily and fixedly. Your eyes
are tearing. It would feel so good to close them. Your head is
lolling forward, heavy with sleep. Every thing is going forther
and further away. Sleep is approaching. A dense cloud of sleep
is enveloping you. It is very hard to keep your eyes open. They
feel like closing. Every word is making you more drowsy and
sleepy. More and more drowsy, and sleepy, and tired. Every word
seems to forcing you deeper and deeper asleep. Your entire body
seems numb and dull and devoid of any sensation. You feel like
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!
I
I
1
*4
you are floating in the air. Like you are swaying or rocking
back and forth. Gr your -whole body feels so heavy that you are
sinking down and down. Your mind has no thought except the one
■ idea of sleep. You are falling deeper and deeper asleep”, and
so on.
PREPARATORY OR I NT RODUCTORY TALK?
In preparing subjects for induction, especially subjects who
seem fearful or skeptical due to ignorance, it is wise to give
them a rough idea of the nature of hypnosis. It may be explained
that no possible harm can result from its application by an
expert, that the hypnotic sleep is healthful, and restful, and
that there are untold advantages in its use. It should be
stressed that no one can be hypnotised against his will and
that even in the deepest stages the subject does not respond
to suggestions offensive to his moral principles. Explain the
desirability and benefits of complete relaxation; a person
must”let himself go” both in mind and body - he must be willing
to be hypnotised. If he is unwilling, either consciously or
unconsciously, your efforts can be of no avail.
Taking the subject into your confidence in this manner will
increase your prestige in his eyes and give him the feeling
that you are indeed earnest and sinceres and an able hypnotist.
Very often the most skeptical subject can be won over in this
way, thus insuring a successful hypnosis.
SUBJECT'S POSITION:
The subject may be seated or may lie down on a bed or couch.
Actually the seated position is preferable because the recumbent
position has a tendency to put a person into a natural sleep.
Have the subject sit in a chair in such a way that his back is
firmly supported. His feet should be flat on the floor in a
position that will permit the thighs to be completely relaxed.
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Do not allow him to cross his knees or his ankles. As a person
starts to go into hypnosis, and becomes completely relaxed, his
body becomes very heavy. Should his legs be crossed, the weigho
of one leg upon the other can become so oppressive as to keep
him from going into hypnosis. Do not allow to rest his hand on
his stomach or his chest. Have then resting either on the arms
of the chair or lying loosly on his thighs. Make certain that
he is comfortable in other ways, that his coller is loose and
that his belt is eased. With many subjects, as they go into
hypnosis the breathing seems to change from chest breathing to
abdominal breathing so that the tightness of the belt might
cause constriction around the waist interfering with the free
dom of his breathing.
d
THE FIXATION OBJECT:
The fixation object can be almost anything from a very simple
spot on the wall to a complicated hypno-aid such as revolving
disc or a revolving mirror. Today hypno-aids are available from
the publishers of this course. Catalogues of hypno-aids are
available on request.
Generally speaking, if the small fixation object such as a
crystal ball, is used, it should be held about 25 or so centi
meters from the subject's eyes slightly above his eye level.
Larger objects may be placed at proportionately greater dis
tances from the subject. It is usually more convenient for the
fixation object to be fixed on the wall or placed on some
article of furniture so that the operator can stand slightly
behind the subject and to one side in order to be out of the
subjectrs range of vision, and yet in such a position that the
side of the subject’s face and one eye can be easily seen in
order to note his responses.
METHODS OF AWAKENING:
There are really many methods of awakening hypnotised subjects
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I
but at present we need concern ourselves with only one, the
method that I consider most effective and best for beginners.
l
Tell the subject that you are about to awaken him. Impress
upon him authoritatively that when ho awakens he will feel
quite all right in every way. State that you are going to count
to five and when you say ’’five” he will be periD^bl.y wide awake,
feel fine in every respect, and even better than before he was
hypnotised. Then say ” One - two - three - four - five! - Wake
up! You are wide awake! quite sharply, and clap your hands or
snap your fingers to emphasize your commands.
Never slap a subject’s face to awaken him. And avoid awakening
him suddenly; it is preferable that you induce expectation
first, and then bring him out of it gradually by counting.
Unless a subject is awakened properly, with suitable suggestions
of health and general well-being given him previously, he is
likely to experience headaches, eye-strain, or other discomforts
after awakening.
INDUCTION TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED) - ST.ANDA.1U) METHODS:
DR. FLOWER’S METHOD:
The method that follows is a very easy method because it does
not require much sustained and continued use of hypnotic patter.
The method consists largely of counting. Whatever talking has
to be done comprises the first or introductory step. The second
step consists almost entirely of counting on the part of the
operator and opening and closing of the eyes on the part of the
subject. Therefore it is a method in which the subject actively
participates.
Seat your subject in the usual position, but facing a blank wall
or door. You stand behind him and slightly to one side. In this
position you are able to see the side of his face and one eye
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V
so that you can closely observe his reactions, In
xn this
uhxq method
t'he fixation of the eyes on a particular object is nor required.
Begin as follows:
’’Just relax and look at the wall, or door, in front of you in a
vague , general, dreamy sort of way. In a little while, I will
begin to count. On each count I want you to close your eyes
and between counts open them, in this manner”.
Get in front of him and illustrate the procedure that you want
him to follow. Count ’’one”, and shut your eyes for a second,
then open them. Say ’"two
’twoii”,9 close your eyes again and open them
again. Say ’’three”, and repeat the procedure. On the third
count pretend that it is becoming difficult for you to open
your eyes, as you are opening them with effort, thus lending
added strength to this suggestion. Resume your position behind
him and continue.
Yon will keep on closing your eyes on every count , and opening
them between counts until they get very tired It will become
more and more difficult to reopen your eyes each time and you
ii
will get drowsy and sleepy as you continue. Every time you
close your eyes, it will seem to become still more and more
difficult to open them. You will become more and more reluctant
to open your eyes between counts. As you continue in this
fashion, your arms will get heavy and your legs will get heavy.
Your entire body more and more relaxed. Finally you will be so
sleepy and tired, it will be so difficult to reopen your eyes
between counts that you would not bother any more. At some
point along the way, you will just close them and go into a
deep,7 sound sleep”.
Having explained what the subject is to expect, (step one) begin
to count evenly and monotonously Count up to twenty and if his
still have not closed, continue counting, going back to one and
around to twenty again. Continue in series of twenty until
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4
hypnosis results. A good subject will close his eyes perhaps
even before you reach fifteen. The first indication is usually
a noticeable effort in opening the eyes. Also, there is a loss
of coordination often so that the opening and the closing of
the eyes are not in time with your counting. When they finally
remain closed together, you can often observe a raising and
lowering of the eyebrows as if the subject is continuing to
make vain efforts to open his eyes between the counts.
Once his eyes are closed, you stop counting and make emphatic
suggestions that he is now going into hypnosis (step three), if
you wish, you may continue to count until you reach twenty but
now each count is associated with deepening suggestions. You
tell him that on each count he is going deeper and deeper into
hypnosis and finally when you reach the count of twenty, you
become especially firm and authoritative, and take over. Assume
control as is required in the third step.
Sometimes, the subject's eyes do not close 9 but coordination
becomes so impaired, that it is not necessary to wait until
they close. Therefore, when you reach twenty, if the coordination is extremely impaired, stop counting and take over
control and give him emphatic suggestion that he is going
into hypnosis.
If he has not closed his eyes after you have completed three
series of twenty, and if there is not a definite impairment of
coordination, then you can assume that the method is not work
ing. But it is not wise to stop in the middle of a method. In
this case, therefore, when you reach the third twenty, tell him
to.close his eyes and relax and then proceed with a relaxation
method or with any other method which can be continued with the
eyas closed. The average subject will not even realise that you
are switching methods. He will just assume that this is the way
you ordinarily operate.
There are three common variations in Dr. Flowers’s Method. The
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first is the spontaneous closing of the eyes, at which point
the operator takes over control., Second is the inpaiment of
coordination in opening and closing of the eyes, making it
logical to tell him to close them and taking over at that
point; and third, when it is obvious the method is not working,
switching to another method.
INTERMITTENT COUNTING ANN SUGGESTION I'.iETHOB:
This method employs the frequency principle of suggestion
rather than the repetition principle. That is, repetition of
sleep suggestions are broken up with counting. The frequency
principle is generally more effective than the repetition
.principle.
In the first step. explain to the subject that you are going
to count to twenty and that on every count he will get more
and more sleepy, etc. This introductory phase is kept up for
several minutes while the subject gazes at the fixation point,
as in the verbal suggestion method. The fixation object can be
almost anything you care to select. You do not start the second
step until there are signs that some of the reactions that you
are describing arc beginning to work. Exrmples: the drooping of
the eyelids, sagging of the head, the appearance of relaxation
of the body. When you feel the time is ripe for the second step
you begin to count as follows’
i?One, two, three, four - you are getting more and more relaxed
on every count. Your eyes are becoming rather tired and your
eyelids are beginning to droop. Five, six - more and more tired
on each and every count. You are becoming drowsy, drowsy and
sleepy. Seven, eight, nine — more and more drowsy and sleepy.
Your arms and legs are developing a vague numbness and dull
ness, a strange heaviness. Your entire body is becoming heavy
with sleep. Ten - very heavy and very, very tired. Your breath
ing is becoming deeper and more regular. Eleven, twelve - very,
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I
t-
very tired and sleepy. Your arms are so heavy and your legs
are so heavy. Your entire body is very heavy and relaxed. Your
breathing is deeper and more regular Your eyelids are becoming
heavier as I go on. Thirteen - it is becoming difficult to
keep your eyes open. When I say twenty, your eyes will close
and you will drop into a deep, sound and restful sleep. Four
teen, fifteen - very drowsy, very sleepy, and very tired.
Sixteen - very, very tired, very, very sleepy. Seventeen your eyes are starting to close. It is becoming difficult to
keep them open. They are narrowed down to slits. Eighteen closing, closing - nineteen - that is right, let them close
now. Twenty! - and go into a deep, sound and restful sleep!
Very, very deep, very sound and restful sleep!”
Sometimes, shortly after you begin to count, if you notice
that it is becoming difficult for him to keep his eyes open 3
you might inject the suggestion that ”your eyes will close on
the count of twenty and possibly even before". This will cause
him to close his eyes anytime rather than forcing him to wait
for the count of twenty. Therefore, if his eyes close before
you reach twenty, you take over at that point. You continue
counting to twenty but each count then becomes a deepener 3
rather than a part of the original induction procedure.
The idea, then, is to interrupt the counting with verbal sug
gestion as in the very first method, gradually building up the
subject’s expectation of going into hypnosis on the count of
twenty. This is why you should keep on repeating: “Every count .
is making you more and more sleepy. On the count of twenty
your eyes will close, your head will fall forward”, etc. The
count of twenty is a signal which the subject is made to anti
cipate - the psychological moment at which point he will be
projected into hypnosis.
I
If, when you reach about fifteen or sixteen, there are no indi
cations that his eyes are becoming tired, it may be advisable
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1
”on the
to change your li ne s om.ewha t So rather than saying
count of twenty your eyes wiix
will ciose-,
close", it is advisable to say,
"on the count of twenty you will pencil y^r eyes to close",
thereby leaving you an opening so that when you reach twenty,
if his eyes do not close spontaneously, he will know he is
expected to close them voluntarily. If this is the case you
have no right to expect that he is now in hypnosis. This,
therefore, is a time when you again have to shiftsto another
method. Here again, you might change to the Progressive Relax
ation method or to any other method in which you can proceed
with the eyes already closed. Or you can continue with inter
mittent counting and suggestion, saying now, "I am going to
count from one to ten. On the count of ten you will go into a
deep. sound hypnotic state". And you continue counting - inter
rupting the count with suggestions. If you wish, you can then
go into a series of five telling him that on the count of five
he will drop into hypnosis. You continue in this way until you
have some inkling that he is in hypnosis; then you go into the
li
test to determine if he actually is under.
"twenty", "ten",
When you reach the signal counts such as
becoine more emphatic and authoritative because
”five”, you
'
this marks the 'beginning: of the third step at which y^u take
over control. The intermittent counting and suggestions constitutes the second step.
Each
The above methods are not single methods in themselves.
one is a combination of two, three, or more other methods. A
hypnotist who learns the above three methods thoroughly and
can apply them expertly, can consider himself fairly well
equipped. It must be borne in mind, however, that no one
method can be effective to a like degree on all subjects.
Individual psychological differences must be taken into consi
deration and methods used to suit particular cases. This can
be best accomplished through experience.
• 1
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THE CHALLENGE:
When you think a person is in hypnosis and you do the first
test to determine that he is, this called a challenge. The
simplest and easiest challenge to do at the beginning is the
"Eye Catalepsy Challenge”. Regardless of what method you use,
when you are ready for the challenge, you proceed as follows:
"Your eyes are closed and the muscles around your eyes are
flaccid, loose, limp, and relaxed. Your eyes are tightly shut 9
and you cannot open them but do not try. Do not try until I
count to three. On the count of three, you will try to open
your eyes but you will not be able to do so. Your eyes will be
stuck, glued together and you will not be able to open them.
On the count of three you will try to open your eyes but you
will not be able to do so. If you make strong effort, you may
be able to raise your eyebrows, because a different set of
muscles, a larger set, is involved in raising the eyebrows,
but you cannot raise your eyelids. It is as if you have for
gotten how to move the appropriate muscles. You simply cannot
open your eyes.
’’Now OHE! - your eyes arc stuck and you cannot open them! TWO!
- they are glued tightly together and you cannot open them!
THREE! - you cannot open them! Try, but you cannot! Try, but
you cannot! Stop trying! And now go deeper and deeper into a
hypnotic state.”
You must not give the subject too much of a chance with the
first challenge. A few seconds is sufficient. If he cannot open
his eyes in a few seconds do not let him try any longer because
if he make a continued effort. he may eventually open them. The
first test is very precarious. You do not really know whether
or not the subject is under or how deep he is. Hany a subject
has been "lost” because of the improper performance of the
first test or challenge. If the first test has worked out well,
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you can allow him to try a little longer in the second one.
The second test is the Arm Catalepsy Test. Raise his arm,
stretch it out, and give it a slight tug as if you intend in
this way to make it rigid. At the same time tell him "Your arm
is now becoming cataleptic. The muscles inside are tensing up.
Your arm is stuck, it is rigid, it is cataleptic! You cannot
move your arm! You cannot lower it! When I say three, you will
try to lower your arm but you will not be able to do so. If
you I*
you try to push it down, it will bounce back. Now, ONE!
arm is stuck and you cannot lower it. TWO! - you cannot lower
your arm. THREE! - you cannot lower it! Try to lower it but
you cannot do so! Try hard but you cannot do it! Try really
hard - but you cannot! Now stop trying and go into a deeper
hypnosis! And now, as I loosen up your arm and put it down
into your lap,9 you go into a still deeper hypnosis!"
Suiting action to your words, you take hold of his arm, you
loosen up the elbow, loosen up the shoulders, slowly lower it 9
at the same time telling him to go deeper and deeper in
hypnosis.
EMERGENCY METHODS OF AWAKENING:
Should a subject fail to awaken promptly through the ordinary
method, which is a very rare occurrence, it is usually either
because he enjoys the complete relaxation of hypnotic sleep
and wishes to continue it,9 or because of a preconceived fear
that he will not awaken.
'Do not lose your self-assurance. Determine what the reason is
through questioning. Explain that his fears are unfounded and
impress upon him the desirability of awakening. Or state that
he has rested sufficiently and is now ready to awaken. On the
count of ’’Five.’" he is to be wide awake. Then proceed as in the
ordinary method. The actual awakening can be varied in an inter
esting manner by having the subject himself do the counting and
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awaken as he does so. He may also be told to tate a deep breath
on each count.
Sometimes blowing sharply on his closed eyes will awaken the
subject. Also you may raise the lids and blow short 9 sharp
breaths into the naked eyes.
In extreme cases, place a small fan in front of the subject,
prop his eyes open, and allow the cool air to hit his face and
eyes. Should a certain amount of lassitude continue, get him
on his feet and walk him briskly about in the open air to sti
mulate circulation.
Should all these methods fail, which is rare indeed., merely
place the subject on a bed or couch, instruct him to sleep
until he feels like awakening, and leave him. Tn due time he
will awaken of his own accord. In no case can any harm result
in this respect, if you do not become alarmed.
INDUCTION TECHNIQUES (CONTINUED) - BA .SIC METHODS:
MESMERIC METHODS:
These include all the methods in which are employed ’’passes”
with or without contact, so called after Franz Anton Mesmer,
the originator of Animal Magnetism, or Mesmerism. Mesmerism
itself is now obsolete and useless because of the erroneous
principles on which it was founded, but passes are still used
by many hypnotists as aids to induction.
Passes without contact are made by moving the palms and fingers
of your hands downwards across the subjects face and body with
out actually touching him. These passes should be made quite
slowly9 beginning over the top of the head and continuing 9
always downward, over the face and chest, and, if the subject
is in a recumbent position, along the abdomen. hips and Jegs.
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Passes are repeated continuously while at the sawe tiii-e verbal
suggestions of sleep are made. In rest cases passes should be
made only after the eyes are closed•
I
Passes with contact are usually limited to the face. They are
made downward with the fingers across the forehead from the
hairline to the bridge of the nose, or outward from the center
of the forehead and along the temples. It takes practice to be
able to make passes with contact in a suitable manner; begin
ners should limit themselves to suggestion methods and noeontac t pas s e s.
It must be stressed that passes have no real value. They are
simply indirect suggestions and their effect might be termed a
"placebo" effect. Many hypnotists never use them at all.
LI EBEAULT ’ S METHOD :
This consisted of holding the fore-finger and middle fingers
of the right hand about half a motor from the subject's face,
and while making suggestions, gradually bringing them closer
and closer. When the fingers are almost touching the subject's
eyes, his lids droop and his eyes close. ... fevz commands of
Vsleep:" usually sufficed to bring him under control.
BERNHEIM 1 S METrfUB :
Hypolyte Bernheim, Liebeault’s pupil and head of the Nancy
School, also used two fingers, but only for concentration of
attention. The rest of the method consisted entirely of verbal
suggestion.
BRAID'S METHOD:
Janes Braid, the inventor of the word ’’hypnosis", used the
bright reflection of light on his surgeon’s scalpel as an object
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for fixation. He ‘believed fixation to be of the utmost impor
tance 9 though he used verbal suggestions as well.
CANDLE METHOD:
This consist having the subject stare at the flickering flame
of a candle while the operator makes suggestions. Although
very effective, this method is undesirable because its use may
result in headaches upon awakening.
PROS’. COOK'S METHOD:
The method of Prof. William W. Cook differs from the ordinary
methods in that the subject is himself required to hold the
hypno-disc before his eyes. He holds it in one hand by means
of a handle attached to the back of the disc. After a few
minutes, during which time the subject becomes very fatigued,
the operator relieves him of the task of holding the disc, and
continue in the usual manner, using suggestions in conjunction
LUY’S METHOD:
Dr. Luy used a mechanism called the "revolving mirrors" for
fixation. This comprised two small mirrors mounted on the ends
of a short horizontie bar which in turn was fixed to a vertical
bar, making a figure T. The foot of the T was mounted on a base
which revolved by clockwork. The "revolving mirror" forms the
basis of many similar mechanisms employed as aids to induction.
Some operators employ sound mechanisms, such as metronomes, to
supply continuous auditory stimulation. Recordings of entire
sleep-suggestion methods are often used to make the hypnotist’s
task easier and to hypnotise people without his presence.
Recordings, however, will not influence a sufficient percentage
of subjects, probably because of the absence of the necessary
personal prestige of the operator.
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I>
VILK'S METHOD
Though using many methods, Dr. Eduard Vilk deserves credit for
originating the so-called "religious"methods. These can be
applied with good results to devoutly religious' subjects. Both
fixation and suggestion are necessary in this method; the only
real difference are the operator's pious mein and his use of
the "thee" and "thou" forms in making suggestions.
METHOD FOR BALD-HEADED SUBJECTS:
Dr. X. Lamotte Sage considered the following method effective
with bald headed men and others with high or receding hair-’
lines. The subject is seated as usual, with his eyes closed at
the start. The operator stands before him and, with the first
three fingers of his right hand, taps him gently on the head
just above where his hairline normally would have been. This
tapping should continue steadily and without interruption at
about one second intervals, the operator meanwhile keeping up
a running fire of suggestions, until hypnosis is induced. This
method is based on the metronome method in which the auditory
stimulation supplied by the ticking of the metronome causes
hypnosis. Here, the tapping supplies not nly the sensory sti
mulation, but also tho "touch- object"(instead of the sight
object or hypnodisc) for the purpose of fixation. Thus, you
should understand that fixation does not apply merely to the
sense of sight, by using a disk, but also to the sense of hear
ing, as with the metronome, or the sense of touch, as exampli
fied by tapping. (Mesmeric passes are also in this class). Of
course, two or more types of fixation may be used simultaneously.
Optic fixation upon a hypnodisc and auditory fixation upon a
metronome's ticking are good example of multiple fixation.
METHODS OF THE OLD MASTERS SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE:
It should he noted that the basic methods as used by the old
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I
masters were extremely effective in spite of being very, very
rudimentary. Apparently they were able to producerhypnosis
much more quickly with a la,rger proportion of subjects than it
is possible today. Undoubtedly this was due to the fact that
the subjects in those days were "unsophisticated ”. Today,
everybody knows a little about everything, psychology and
hypnosis included. Therefore, this has taken tne edge off
their suggestibility. They have to know why everything happens.
This tendency to question Ls responsible for the tendency to
resist hypnosis.
Also in those days a professional man exercised much more
prestige than he does today. A doctor was someone to be reckoned
with. Today a doctor is just another "Good Joe".
Modern methods, therefore, are much more complex and yet, in
spite of this complexity, they are not as effective today as
the very simple methods of the past were.
r
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CHAPTER SEVEN
11
STAGES OF HYPNOSIS
11
There are almost as many systems for dividing hypnosis into
stages or levels as there are operators. The Davis and Husband
Susceptibility Scoring System has tnirty divisions, and another 9
the LeOron-Bordeaux Scoring system, has fifty. Other systems
contain three to nine divisions. I have found, however, that
dividing hypnosis into six stages gives us an adequate and
workable system for all practical purposes. These stages are
as follows:
or Lethargic Stage
1. Hypnoidal
or Light Hypnosis
2. Light Sleep
or Light Medium Hypnosis
3. Sleep
or Medium Hypnosis
4. Deep Sleep
or Deep Medium Hypnosis
5. S omnambuli sm
6. Profound Somnambulism or Deep Hypnosis
The first three stages are termed mnosic (memory-retain!ng)
stages while the last three are amnesic (no-memory) stages.
The first three stages are characterised by a greatly varying
degree of consciousness or awareness of the surroundings. Upon
awakening the subject usually remembers all that transpired in
the trance. In the first two stages the subject may be unable
to open his eyes upon challenge and may also be unable to bend
or lower his arm if told he cannot do so (partial catalepsy).
In the third stage there is fairly good control of the volunt
ary muscular system; the subject will be unable to activate
any muscle or group of muscles so that he will be unable to
rise or sit down, he will be unable to speak if told he cannot
use his organs of speech and he will be unable to articulate
specific words or sounds upon appropriate command, Thus, if
told to count and that a particular number will not come out
but he
of his mouth, he will be unable to utter that number 9
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will not have forgotten it in the third stage. Only negligible
post-hypnotic reactions are possible in the first and second
stages4 Upon awakening the subject is likely to express doubt
that he was hypnotised at all. It is quite common to hear him
say, "I could have opened my eyes (or lowered my arm, etc.)
had I tried a little harder”. (As if it takes any effort to
perform these simple actions!)
In the third stage it is possible to produce glove or partial
analgesia' (insensibility to pain), partial or fragmentary
amnesia and incomplete hallucinations (visualisation) of some
of the senses with the eyes closed; having the subject open
his eyes in this stage may result in awakening. Post-hypnotic
suggestions involving fairly simple actions will be performed.
Temporary, fragmentary amnesia may exist in some subjects
after they awaken if strong suggestions to that effect are
made.
The fourth stage is the beginning of the amnesic stages. A
subject will forget a num.ber, his name and almost anything
else that is suggested to him. Upon awakening ho will be unable
to recall the events of the trance fur possibly several hours.
It is possible to produce analgesia so that he will not feel
any pain stimuli, but he will retain the ability to feel the
sensation or touch; thus, a severe pinch may be felt as a
slight pressure. His eyes can be opened without danger of
awakening him. Smell and taste hallucinations can be created.
Post-hypnotic suggestions will be carried out. Hypermnesia nay
be developed. The hypnotic state can be reinduced upon a post
hypnotic command or signal; similarly, the subject himself may
rcinduce the trance by self-admiinisteration of a post-hypnotic
signal-
The fifth is the beginning of the somnambulic stages. Complete
anesthesia can be induced so that the subject will deny feel
ing any sensation whatsoever. Complete or selective amnesia is
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possible, both hypnotically and in the post-hypnotic state.
Both positive and sometimes negative hallooinations are possi
ble in the fifth stage. The sixth stage is profound somnam
bulism in which all the phenomena of hypnosis, including nega
tive hallucinations (the subject dues not see or hear people
or things that are present), are manifested.
rRrtej Though this is a controversial point, most experimenters
believe that post-hypnotic amnesia depends upon direct or
implied suggestions.
JUDGING HYPNOTIC DEPTH:
decide the depth of any given hypnotic state, one starts
To
with the simpler experiments, increasing their complexity
..radually until there are indications that the subject can go
- - further. For example, a subject's arm is made cataleptic
and he is told he cannot lower it; if he lowers it, albeit
with some difficulty, he is only in the first stage, providing
he has been unable to open his eyes. Should he be unable to
lower his arm, he is judged to be in at least the second stage.
Then he is told to count to ten and unable to articulate the
number between 5 and ?• Should he hesitate at that point for
a while , with the obvious but futile effort to form the word
asix”, it can be concluded that he did not say it only because
of the muscular inability to do so (stage 3); the effort
To
involved makes it plain that he did not forget the number.
further substantiate the stage, analgesia is attempted,. If he
has a slight degree of insensibility to pain stimuli, it
- is
fairly certain he is in the third stage.
upon suggestion that he has forgotten a certain number,
If,
it
the subject counts right through without appreciable pause,
be assumed that he has amnesia for that number. To make it
'-an
doubly certain, it is advisable to suggest amnesia of his name,
or his address. With the fact of amnesia established, it can
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i
be concluded that he is in at least the fourth stage, in which
it is possible to produce complete analgesia, perhaps halluci
nations, and have the subject open his eyes without impairing
the trance. Should all the above phenomena manifest themselves,
it is certain that he will also have a good degree of post
hypnotic amnesia and will he able to hypnotise himself soon
after awakening upon self-administeration of a post-hypnotic
signal.
Beyond the fourth stage we have the somnambulic stages. Io
decide whether a subject is in somnambulism, he can be given
the suggestion that he feels no pain and not even a touch upon
stimulation. Should he feel nothing, he is in at least the
fifth stage, or somnambulism. He will also be able to have
both positive visual and auditory hallucinations. To decide
whether he is in the sixth stage or profound somnambulism, one
may experiment with negative hallucinations. Occassional subject
manifest negative visual hallucinations in the fifth stage, but
when both visual and auditory negative hallucinations are
easily produced, it may be said that the subject is in the
stage of profound somnambulism. In this level all the phenomena
of hypnosis may be produced, barring personality difficulties
which may obviate some manifestations of deep trance. For
example, some subjects never have complete amnesia because of
morbid fear of losing contact with outside world or surround
f
ings. Others may not permit themselves to have anesthesia,
while some may have anesthesia for one type of stimulus but
not for another. One of my subjects, an excellent somnambule 9
would permit a major operation under hypnotic anesthesia, but
react voilently when a lighter or match is struck. Upon quest
ioning, it was discovered that this subject, at the age of six,
experienced a great fright during a fire, and this accounts
for her unusual behavior under hypnosis; she becomes disturbed
at the mere sound of a match being struck, in spite of strong
hypnotic suggestions to the contrary.
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> f
ALL DIVISIONS OF HYPNOSIS ARE ARBITRARY?.
It cannot be stressed too strongly that the divisions of
hypnosis are not exact. It is impossible to set up hard and
fast rules in hypnosis. There is considerable overlapping of
stages, and care roust be exercised not to assume because one
phenomenon is present, or because one is absent, a definite
decision can be made on that flimsy bases as to exactly vzhich
stage exists. Two or more phenomena should be used as criteria,
if possible, and individual differences should be taken into
account. Some subjects, for example, can manifest hallucinations
in earlier stages than expected, and some manifest hallucina
tions of certain senses, such as the olfectory or gustatory
senses before they will react to suggestions of tactile or
:r
I
auditory changes.
It takes skill and knowledge, to become proficient in judging
depth of hypnosis; an open mind and keen powers of observation
are helpful in develping this proficiency.
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i
Ii
. I
■
CHAPTER EIGHT
PHENOMENA OF HYPNOSIS
The phenomena of hypnosis fall into seven general categories.
Here these categories are outlined and specific examples are
given with numbers in parenthesis after each experiment speci
fying the stage of hypnosis in which this phenomenon can be
produced. By referring this occassionally, you will be reminded
that it is important to know the stages of hypnosis in order
to be able to decide what type of phenomenon can be produced
in a specified level. Thus you will be able to avoid the mis
take of forcing upon the subject responses that he is not
capable of performing in the level that exists.
1. CONTROL OF VOLUNTARY SYSTEM:
A - Simple Muscular Control - Eyelid Catalepsy (No.l),
Arm Catalepsy (No.2), Clenched Fist (No.2), Inability
to Raise Arm (No.2), etc.
B - Muscular and Simple Functional Control - Inability to
Rise from Chair (No.3), Inability to Walk from Spot (NO.
3), Revolving Arms and Inability to Stop them (No.3),
Aphasia - Inability to Articulate Name or Number (No.3)
etc.
2. AMNESIA:
Inability to Remember Number, Name, Adress,
Adress etc.
(No.4)
Inability to Remember Events of the Trance (No.4)
3. ANALGESIA ANU ANESTHESIA:
Insensibility to Pain (No.4)? Insensibility to Sensation or
Feeling as well as to Pain (No. 5)
4. HALLUCINATIONS:
A - Positive Hallucinations - Seeing or Hearing Something
That is not there (No.5)
B — Negative Hallucinations - Inability to See or to Hear
Something That is there (No.6)
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1
The above four categories have been discussei already under
STAGES OF HYPNOSIS and for that reason appear in outline form.
The categories that follow have not yet been discussed and
will receiveza little more attention.
5. HYPERKINESIA:
Hypermnesia refers to the ability to remember better, recall
more, and generally is considered to be the opposite of
amnesia. There are three different types of hyperm.nesia
experiments that are common to hypnosis.
A - Recall of incidents which have been consciously forgot
ten (No.4 and occassionally No.3)* If a person is told
to remember the name of his first grade teacher while
he is under hypnosis, he is likely to be able to do so
even though in the waking state he has forgotten that
name. He may be told to remember many other details of
his early life and childhood which he is unable to do in
the waking state. In other words, a hypnotised person
can brush aside the shroud of accumulated experiences
and get behind them to events of the past which have
long been consciously forgotten.
B - Age Regression - Reliving past events (No.5 and No.6)
Age regression is a rather remarkable phenomenon in
which the subject is apparently able to relive events
of the past with all the feelings and emotions that was
attached to those experiences. Sometimes, if he is reg
ressed to a childhood period, he may even speak like a
child and behave like one. Thus, if you wanted a person
to remember the name of his first-grade teacher through
age regression, you could tell him that he is now sitting
in his classroom and you could ask him to name the child
wren who are around him. He could then tell you who is up
in front at the desk, whether it is a man or a woman,
what he or she looks like and also to give that person's
name. He would reply in the present tense, acting in
every wa„y as if he were actually reliving that experience
at the present time.
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Age regression is an important tool for the therapist.
It should not be played around with without good reason
and it certainly should not be used in stage perform
ances .
c - Photographic Ijemory (No.5 and No.6 with certain subjects).
Some subjects are able to perform feats of memory which
are extremly remarkable. Thus, a subject may be told to
look at one side of a room, to close his eyes immediatly
and to recite all the objects that he saw on that side
of the room. Or, he may be told to look at a page in a
book , to close the book and to read the tenth line. If
he has a photographic memory, he may be able to do it
with remarkable accuracy. A photographic memory is not
something that a person can achieve or develop. It is a
talent that some people have and most people have not.
It is extremely rare. In my experience I have seen only
six cases of true photographic memory. An ordinary hyp
notised subject can be helped to improve his memory
through hypnosis, but he cannot produce feats of photo
graphic memory to any great extent.
6. SENSORY HYPERESTHESIA (Exaltation of the Senses)*
Experiments in increasing acuity of the five senses vary
with the subject and with the sense involved. Some of the
senses can be modified in as early as third stage, while
others cannot be changed till a person reaches somnambulism.
Because of the variations in response, sensory hyperesthesia
is not reliable as a criterion for judging a person's depth
of trance.
A - Olfactory Sense
A subjects sense of smell can be modified so greatly
that if you tell him a bottle of water smells like
perfume, it may be so. Also, a bottle of ammonia may be
w held under his nose with a suggestion that it is perfume 9
and he will smell it with apparent enjoyment.
B - Gustatory Sense
A subject's sense of taste can be so modified j that a
4
- - taste like wine. He nay actually be—
glass of water nay
by drinking this water and vice versa.
c one intoxicated
:
C - Tectile Sense
Actually a negative hallucination of' the tectile sense
produces analgesia and anesthesia — the subject's sense
of touch is nullified. However, his sense of touch can
often be made much more- acute so that he can be made to
feel that a touch with a /pencil is a touch with a hot
iron and will jump at such contact, Or his fingertips
can be rendered very acute so .that .if he rests them on
a piece of cloth, ituinay. seem to hiit that. he feels the
texture of the cloth under his fingers.
■^Modification of the. visual and auditory senses have been
discussed under heading of "Hallucinations'1.
7 - MODIFICATIONS OF PHYSICAL FUNC'TI ONS
By suggestion, a subject's respiration may be modified,
causing his breathing, to come faster or slower. Also,
his heart action and pulse rate can be similarly changed
Peristaltic actions.can be stimulated and flow of gas
trie juices increased. Bleeding can be greatly reduced,
and salivation increased or-rainmised. Experiments of
this type should be conducted, under medical supervision
whenever possible.
k
POST-HYPNOTIC PHENOMENA:
Post-hypnotic suggestions become effective beginning with the
second stage of hypnosis. In the second stage, only those
phenomena which can be produced under hypnosis can be proj
ected into the subsequent waking state. However, this work for
brief periods only.
Were it not for the phenomenon of post-hypnosis, hypnosis would
te about as good as a sleeping pill. The elleot would prevail
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only while the person was hypnotised. Iiraf.ediately upon awake
ning, it would be dispelled. Therefore, it is important for
us to understand post-hypnotic suggestion and its varies types
in order to be able to make the maximum use of them in our
work with hypnosis.
Post-hypnotic suggestion may be divided into two types. The
first is the kind that is continued or projected from hypnosis
into the waking state. For example, a person is told that he
has forgotten his name and even after he awakens, he will
continue not no know his name until a specific signal is given
or until a specified time has elapsed. When he wakes up, there
fore, he will not know who he is. The suggestion is continued
or projected from hypnosis right into the waking state* He is
wide awakw in all respects except that he does not remember
hi s name.
I
In the other type, the hypnotic effect is elicited in the
waking state upon a signal arranged while the person is under
hypnosis. Using the same example, we might describe this condi
tion as follows: The subject is told under hypnosis that he
does not know who he is. Then his name is given beck to him and then he is told, before he is awakened, that after he
wakes up he will know who he is but when the operator claps
his hands twice, or gives some similar’signal, he will forget
his name again. He is therefore awakened, perfectly normal in
every way; he knows who he is, and then when the operator
claps his hands twice,9 he suddenly loses his name again.
In the latter example, the clapping of the hands is a signal
which awakens a subconscious impulse, the hypnotic suggestion,
and the subject reacts with amnesia for his name.
The second type of post-hypnotic suggestion is more effective
than the first in the sense that it can be made to persist for
a longer period of time. Let me give you an example of a more
practical type.
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I
\
A subject is conditioned for dentistry. He is hypnotised and
it is found that he has a sufficient degree of analgesia for
the extraction of a tooth. He is hypnotised in the hypnotist's
office and then sent to the dentist’s office for the actual
dental work. The trip from one office to the other may take as
L-.uch as half an hour. If the first type of post-hypnotic sug
gestion is used, that is, if he is told that his jaw is numb
and will continue to be numb until after he has reached the
dentist's office and completed his work, the numbness may or
nay not last that long. Since the analgesia is in offec*-
throughout his trip from one office to the other, it is gradu
ally wearing out. The effect is gradually dissipating so that
by the tine he reaches the dentist's office, it may be gone or
greatly diminished. When you use the second type of post
hypnotic suggestion, it works in this way: The suject is told
when he wakes up from hypnosis that he will be normal in every
way and that therewill be no numbness in his jaw at all. How
ever,he is told that when he reaches the dentist's office and
sits in his chair, all he needs to do is rub his jaw with his
hand, whereupon the anesthesia will inmiediately return. In
most cases, the anesthesia recurs in its full force and not in
a dissipated or modified form.
Post-hypnotic suggestion is responsible for the nr.ny benefits
thrit can accrue to us through hypnosis. Post-hypnotic suggestion
is the principle which is employed in therapy. The therapeutic
suggestion is made to continue over a period of time and its
activity persists through repetition by the operator or by the
subject himself. In improving memory, concentration power, and
other personal qualities, post-hypnotic suggestion is the key.
In the breaking of habits, post-hypnotic suggestion is the
major factor in bringing about such corrections. In short, post
hypnotic suggestion is the power which makes hypnotic influ
ence persist and become permanant with proper techniques.
RELEASE FriOl';'. PuST-HYPNOTIC CONTROL:
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Every post-hypnotic suggestion given with the intention of
being temporary, should be .accompanied by its release. For
example, if you tell your subject that aftpr awakening he will
be unable to light a cigarette with a match, he will indeed,
upon awakening, be unable to bring his arm close enough bo
light the cigarette. His arms will stiffen and he will not be
able to bring the flame near enough. This inability may persist
for several hours or possibly for tne rest of the day unless a
signal releasing him from it is given. A satisfactory release
may be a clap of the hands, a cough, a snap of the fingers, or
a time limit. Be sure to remember just which release was arran
ged for just which post-hypnotic. If you become confused and
give the wrong release, it will of course not work. It has
occurred in a number of instances that the subject was given a
to have anesthesia upon awakening. Unless this suggestion is
removed, the anesthesia tends to persist for a period of time
proportionate with the depth of trance. Although it will even
tually wear off the subject may become alarmed at the numbness,
and the alarm may re-charge the post-hypnotic suggestion and
cause it to last longer than it normally would .
AUTO-HYPNOSIS CR SELF-HYPNOSIS^
There are comparatively few cases on record where people have
succeeded in actually hypnotising themselves without the help
of an outside agent. However9 it is quite possible for a good
hypnotic subject to be trained to induce self-hypnosis. The
best way of accomplishing this is through post-hypnotic sugges
tion. A hetero-hypnotic state is required to begin with. Then
the subject is merely given post-hypnotic suggestions repeat
edly over a period of time to the effect that thereafter he
will fall into hypnosis without the presence or aid of the
hypnotist at some specified signal that he gives himself. For
example9 he might count to ten, he might take four or five
deep breaths; the counting or the breaths are the post-hypnotic
signals to induce self-hypnosis. In order to awaken at a certain
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time, the subject merely thinks before he hypnotises himself
of the particular time when he wants to awaken and, lo o.nd
behold, he awakens at that time. A better way is to also give
himself a signal for the awakening. Thus, when a time elapses,
he can count back from five to one, or merely take a few more
deep breaths, whereupon he awakens as per signal.
Thus, it should be easy to see how all important the phenomenon
of post-hypnotic suggestion actually is.
.L'
f’
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CHAPTER NINE
r
ADVANCED METHODS
PERMISSIVE INDUCTION TECHNIQUES
Thus far we have discussed the standard methods of induction,
which have been used for many years. In these standard methods 9
the subject externalises his attention. He focusses upon or
concentrates upon some thing or some one outside himself. This
may be the operator’s voice, it may be the operator’s fingers,
or it may be an object the operate is holding or to which he
calls the subject’s attention. The idea is to attract the sub
ject so much to the external object, that he becomes largely
unaware of himself,9 so that the suggestions go readily into the
subconscious.
r;
As a result of the last two world wars, some of the doctors
who were forced to use hypnosis while in the service continued
to use these techniques after getting back into private prac
tice. Among these doctors were a small group of psychoanalysts.
Psychoanalysis is a non-directive technique in which the
patient is not told what to do. Tne patient lies on a couch
usually and talks freely - this is called free association.
The doctor is not supposed to give him any directions and
actually is not even supposed to,answer any questions directly.
He assumes an’unstructured personality*. If the patient-asks a
question, the doctor will usually counter with another question.
This may sound extreme, but it is nontheless true of the ortho
dox psychoanalytic methods.
These doctors were forced by necessity to use hypnotic tech
niques in the service. Upon getting back into private practice
it seemed a shame to drop these techniques. They wanted to
continue them but they were reluctant to do so because this
would run counter to their way of working in the psychoanalytic
practice.
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A few of the more courageous of the analysts finally worked out
a little system through which they wore able to induce hypnosis
in their patients, apparently without giving the patient any
commands or direct suggestions. They did it by having the
subject contemplate himself internally, so to speak, rather
than contemplating an object externally as in the standard
method. Thus they would call attention to the he felt, physi
cally and mentally. They would call attention to his breathing 9
to the movements of his chest, the circulation of the blood,
and to certain minor physical reactions which are termed .
sensori-motor reactions. Gradually, by extending this process,
they got the person into hypnosis. The following method is an
illustration of the permissive approach to the induction of
hypnosis.
The subject is usually seated in a comfortable ...sition and the
operator is also seated in front of him or perhaps somewhat to
oneside. There is no hooting and hollering on the part of the
operator; there are no commands, no direct statements - in the
beginning at least - of any sort. The operator speaks slowly 9
calmly, somewhat in this veins
”As you sit there comfortably, look down in the general direction of your hands. If you wish , you can look at your right
hand, or if you prefer,
prefer at the left hand. Or perhaps you would
much rather look between your hands, at, your thighs or down at
the floor. Do not look at any particular spot but just in the
vague, general area and direction of your hands.
"You probably think that you are sitting motionless, but
actually you are not. As 1 shall point out to you, no living
human being is completely motionless. There is always something
going on in the body. Ordinarily you are not aware of the beat
ing of your heart because you are not paying any attention to
it, but if you think of your heart beating, not only can you
feel it, but you can sometimes even hear it. Your lungs are
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• I
always contracting and expanding, of course on an unconscious
level. But if you think of the action of your lungs, you can
actually feel the expension and contraction of your chest.
"In a minor way, the circulation of your blood is also some
thing of which you can become aware if you think of it. You
may actually feel the way your blood courses through your veins.
Ina minor sense still, as you look down on any part of your
body, as you contemplate any part of your body, you are about
to notice little reactions whic-h you would not notice if you
did not contemplate that area. For example, since you are look
ing in the general direction of your hands you probably will
notice little reactions developing in them. One or the other
hand will start out very shortly with some sort of reaction.
You might feel a tingle or a twitch in some part of the either
hand. For example, one of the fingers of your right hand might
move slightly, might twitch, or of course, it might be your
left hand. Instead of a twitch there might be another kind of
reaction. You might feel a little tingling sensation or an itch
s omewhe re on the hand; on the back of the hand, or on the palm,
or on one of the fingers.
i
”As soon as you notice any kind of reaction, any kind of move
ment, or any kind of feeling in either hand, place your attention upon that hand and upon the area where you felt the reac
tion and forget about the other hand completely.
’’There I just noticed a little movement in the little finger
of your right hand. Place your attention upon that finger. See
if you can figure out what caused that finger to move and see
if you can anticipate what is going to happen next. Can you
guess which finger is going to move next? Will it be the fore
finger or the middle finger, or the ring finger or the thumb?
Will it be something else rather than a movement? Will it be
a feeling? Will it be a sensation? Your hand might become light
and might develop a cool feeling. With many subjects this is
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11
what is reported. Some subjects report that the palm of the
hand starts to arch and with others the fingers sfart to move
and tremble in a strange way. All the while in most subjects
the hand becomes lighter and cooler and after a while one
finger lifts up off the thigh, then another, then a third, and
finally, the whole hand tends to lift up off the thigh and
seems to float into the air. Will this also happen with you?
If so, how will it work? Will the fingers go up off your thigh
first? Or will the wrist leave your thigh first, or the palm of
the hand? Will the hand go up straight or will the hand cup or
arch as it goes up? There, another finger just moved! Your
forefinger this time. Yes, and your thumb has just lifted up
off your thigh. It seems now that your hand is becoming lighter;
I can see the light under your hand now as it arches. By this
time, it probably feels to you that it is barely resting upon
your thigh, whereas the other hand, the left hand, is resting
upon your thigh very heavily. But your right hand is getting
lighter and lighter apparently. You can see it getting lighter.
You can feel it getting lighter because you can actually see
it lifting up off your thigh. Now, only two of your fingers are
touching your thigh. There they go, they are lifting up also
and you may develop a strange feeling, as many subjects do, a
strange sensation as if your arm and hand has a mind of its
own, as if it has a will and a motive power of its own which
s e ems to cause it to float up into the air, to lift up higher
and higher. As your hand continues to lift, keep watching it.
Keep analysing it. Keep trying to guess what is going to happen
next. Will your hand lift straight up into the air or will it
move outwards or inwards laterally towards your body? Will the
elbow bend or will your arm go up straight? In your case it
seems like the arm is continuing straight up into the air and
now your elbow seems to be lifting up off your thigh as well.
Your arm is sort of stretching out and as you watch it you may
be amazed to see these things happening apparently of their
ovzn accord. And all the while you keep on wondering what is
going to happen next. Will the arm continue to lift up the way
it is until it roaches shoulder level? This is what usually
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happens. Very often when the arm reaches shoulder level, the
elbow begins to bend and the hand starts to floa'fc towards the
face. Yes, it seems that is what is happening with you too.
With some subjects of course, other reactions occur. With you,
the hand is now apparently approaching your face. Slowly but
steadily, it seems to be moving closer and closer to your face.
’’Now as your hand move closer and closer to your face, it actually/indicates your readiness to go into hypnosis. In fact,
you are going into hypnosis with a speed and readiness dictated
by your subconscious mind. When you are inwardly ready, when
your subconscious mind is ready for you to drop into hypnosis,
your hand will touch your face. That will be signal denoting
your inner readiness to go into hypnosis. As soon as your hand
touches your face, therefore, your eyes will close and you will
drop into a deep, sound, hypnotic sleep. Your hand is moving
ever closer, closer, and closer. It is now only a couple of
centimeters from your face. At this point you may try to guess
which part of your hand will touch which part of your face,
y/ill the thumb touch your nose? Will the back of your hand
touch your chin or your forehead? Frankly, it does not matter
which part of the hand touches which part of the face. As soon
as there is a contact, your eyes at that point will close
because you will be ready to go into hypnosis and you will
indeed drop into a deep, hypnotic sleep. It is coming closer
a,nd closer, your hand is almost touching now. Your thumb is
almost touching your nose. There it goes, it has touched; your
eyes are closed, and you are dropping into a deep, hypnotic
sleep’ So let yourself go completely and go down, way down,
way down deep into a restful hypnotic state”.
At this point you assume control ? and if you wish, you can
deepen the hypnosis with the standard method before you actually
begin to work.
The foregoing method is an example of a Permissive Induction
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I
Technique. As you noticed, at the beginning no direct statements were made. A number of possibilities were brought forward
to the subject indicating what had happened with other subjects.
The subject before you then picks one of these alternatives,
whatever it may be; and as you begin to see something occur
ring, as a visible reaction occurs, you point it out to the
subject and he feels that it is happening of its own accord,
not that you have caused it to happen. In this way you lead him
gradually along until he goes into hypnosis. At the end of the
method, of course, it is advisable to become somewhat more firm
and emphatic and authoritarian in order to assume the hypnotic
control and to establish a rapport.
VARLATT.ONS OF RESPONSES AND TECHNIQUE’
With some subjects, the hand may go up a few centimeters and
not continue to move further. If four or five minutes have
and the hand has not moved, it is usually advisable to
elapsed
change your tec tics somewhat. You therefore prcceed in this
fashion?
" Your hand has now gone up about 10 centimeters. That is suffi
cient. Now I am going to count back from ten to one. As I count,
back from ten to one, your arc. will gradually retrace its
course, gradually drop back upon your thigh. When your hand,
drops back upon your thigh at the count of one,9 your eyes will
close and you will drop deep into hypnosis. Ten! - your arc. is
starting to go down now. Nine! - it is slowly retracing its
course. Eight! - going down,9 down. Seven! - and as your hand
goes down, you go down, deeper and deeper into hypnosis. Six!
the closer and closer your hand goes down towards your thigh,
the closer and closer you come to a deep, sound, hypnotic
state. Five! - coming down, down, and you are going down,
deeper and deeper. Four! - relaxing more completely. Three!
your hand is droping to your thigh. Two! - right down upon
your thigh. One! - your eyes are closed now and you are going
^96-
deeper into hypnosis. Deep, sound and restful hypnotic state”.
‘Arm levitation occurs readily in those subjects who are capable
of sensori-motor activity. This is usually indicated by a posi
tive response to the Arms Rising and Falling test. With other
subjects who do not react readily the arm levitation method of
induction may not work in the sense that you may not be able to
elicit- any levitation responses.
However, it would not be wise to stop in the middle of the
method with the admission of failure. The wiser procedure is to
switch to a different method. The switch can be accomplished
in a casual way so that the subject will not even know that one
method has been abandoned and another one substituted. Since
you have not been saying anything really definite to the
subject, since you have not said unequivocally that the arm
would rise but only that many subjects report that such action
occurs, you would therefore logically be able to switch around
to another method by proceeding in this fashion:
,1
•V
"With most subjects the hand gets lighter and eventually rises
up. However, with some subjects, rather than get lighter, the
hands and arms seem to become heavier. Possibly this is the
reaction that you are now feeling. Perhaps you feel now the
weight of your hands upon your thighs. Perhaps you feel the
warmth of your hands through the cloth of your trousers (or
your dress). As you continue to feel this weight and you conti
nue to feel this warmth, your arms and hands seem to be becom
ing heavier and heavier and they seem to be almost digging into
your thighs, making indentations in your thighs.
"As your arms become heavier and heavier, you notice a heavi
ness developing in your eyelids. Your eyes are barely open now;
in fact it is becoming difficult to keep your eyes open. As
your hands and arms become heavier and heavier, your eyelids
become heavier and heavier. You feel like closing your eyes.
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7
Soon you may indeed close them. I will now count from one to
ten. On the count of ten your eyes will close and ,you will go
-I
deep into hypnosis”.
f
What you are actually doing here is calling attention to the
natural heaviness of the arms, a fact which is more likely to
be in evidence because of gravity. Then you associate the heavi
ness of the arms with the heaviness of the eyelids. Actually,
you are shifting to a standard method of induction in which
gazing at the hands becomes tantamount to lookinh at a fixation
’object. Then you associate more and more with heaviness of the
lids and the eyes and you go into suggestions of the drowsiness
and sleepiness and gradually lead the person on into one of the
standard methods. You can actually switch to the Intermittent
Counting and Suggestion method, so that the counting to ten,
interrupted by suggestions, becomes your new procedure. You can
also, if you desire, switch to Progressive relaxation and pro
ceed as with the standard technique.
CONFUSION AND DISTRACTION METHOD
In a sense, the Arm and Hand Levitation method is based some
what on distracting the subject from what the operator is saying.
Therefore 9 by becoming aware of the movements of his own body <>
he does not listen too closely to the operator and therefore
the suggestions of going into hypnosis tend to go more readily
into the subconscious. The method which follows is more closelybased on distraction and confusion. It is more obvious with
this r.ethbd that the operator is attempting to get the subject
not to listen to him too closely. Ths method is a far cry from
the old idea that the subject must concentrate hard on what the
operator is saying and must make his mind a blank to everything
except the'operator1s voice. The following is a rather effect
ive confusion technique based on the Arm' and Hand levitation
method oo
You start as with the Ann Levitation method and you keep on
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until the hand has risen slightly off the thigh. Then you tell
the subject to start counting backwards from 100, aloud. He
starts counting backwards; while doing so he has to watch his
hand, of course; he has to keep his conscious mind on his
counting, and he also thinks that he has to listen to you.
Therefore he is doing three things at the same time. Since the
fact that his arm has risen slightly indicates that he is al
ready partly Ln hypnosis, he finds it difficult to do three
things at the same time. He becomes confused. His counting
shows it. He may skip a number or repeat a number, or he may
start going up instead of down. As his confusion increases,
the operator becomes somewhat louder, a bit more insistent,
contributing further to the confusion.
Somewhere along the line, perhaps when the subject reaches 60
or 50 or 40, his confusion becomes so great that his annoyance
is obvious. His brow may crease up. his voice may indicate
annoyance, he may show every indication of being extremely
irritated and confused. Therefore, at the psychological moment
- at the peak of confusion - the operator suddenly drops what
he is doing and commandingly and insistingly says "Close your
eyes! - stop the counting! - drop your hand! - and go into a
deep and sound sleep!"
The subject responds very readily because he is glad to be
relieved of the confusing situation. In a sense, therefore, he
seeks relief by retreating into hypnosis. The confusion method
affords the subject an escape from an intolerable situation
and he often drops readily into hypnosis and sometimes more
deeply than he had done in previous attempts.
Sometimes, when a subject is doing too well, and is not becoming
sufficiently confused, it may be advisable for the operator to
go into Intermittent Counting and Suggestion method. That is,
he may start to count up from one,9 telling the subject he will
go deeper on each count. Therefore, we have a situation where
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vis counting backward and the operator is counting
the subject is counting o
cOntributes greatly
forward, sort of "against the gmin . mis
to the subject's confusion.
VISUALL SATI ON METHOD:
CONFUSION, DISTRACTION AND
x:.1
4-n th? Pro'ressive
Relaxation method.
It is far superior to the
the Progressive
Ycu urepare
the subject
I shall give it here in some detail.
detail. You
You prepare
Pr-Pc
-L
.
„_
n___ u-r
or-.H
as follows.
Relaxation
and nroceed
proceed as
as you would for Progressive
"As you sit there with your eyes cioseu,
closed, listen easiiy and
•
Tn fnct vou do
do not really h^vc
effortlessly to my voice. In fact, you
you
q+eninR to
listen to me. If I had my way, I would not ave y
me at all - consciously, that is. You see, whether you
.
listening to me consciously or not your subconscious mind is
Xne everything that I an saying. Your conscious mnd tends
to be somewhat of a hindrance,
therefore have a
would have you not listening to me
al .
tnfficult
suggestion which will help you to accomplish
task.
consc.•I will give you sonething to do which will occupy your
likely to listen to me closely.
ious Bind. Thus you will be less
that you are looking
I would like you to visualise - imagine cloudy sky, or you may see
into
a
night
sky.
You
may
see
a
up
twinkling in it. Frankly it
deep
blue
sky
with
stars
a clear,
Whatever comes to
does not matter what kind of a sky you see.
your mind, that is satisfactory.
, It is an
see a
see some
but
the background of
sort of a wheel directly above you against
the night sky. You my see a wagon wheel, or it might be a
spinning wheel, or it could be bicycle wheel - perh.p even a
or
I
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gambling wheel. Whatever kind of a wheel occurs to you, what
ever kind of a wheel you in your mind, look at it,' watch it,
and as you do, you will notice that it gradually starts to
recede, gradually starts to go up into the sky. As it does so,
it may remain in a stationary position, or it may be revolving,
slowly or rapidly. Whatever the wheel does in your mind, let
it do. Do not try to force it to do anything in any way.
"Gradually, you will notice that as the wheel recedes into the
heavens, it becomes smaller and smaller. Eventually, after
five, or possibly ten or fifteen minutes, ;it will disapear
behind the clouds or perhaps mix with the stars and di sapear
in that way.
"as you keep visualising the wheel against the background of
the sky, I want you now to do something else. Mentally I want
you to start to count back from 100 at aoout this speed (and
you illustrate the count, going at about 2 second intervals).
As you are counting backwards mentally and watching the wheel
up in the sky, your mind will be occupied with this task and
you will therefore be less likely to listen to me. That is
exactly what I want to accomplish. As your conscious mind is
occupied with the two tasks that I have given you, your sub
conscious will be free to accept the suggestion vhat I make
and therefore you will go very readily and deeply into hypnosis.
"Now as you watch the wheel receding into the sky, and as you
keep counting backwards, you find yourself relaxing more and
more". Keep on in this vein, doing either a Progressive Relax
ation or some other method which can be done with the eyes
closed. Because the subject is not listening to you too closely,
the subconscious mind is more easily accessible and he goes
readily into hypnosis. As you go on this way, you keep throw
ing in occassional suggestions that when he reaches the count
of one, he will raise his right forefinger slightly to indicate
that he has completed his task. Just thi?ow/-this suggestion in
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M40
"A
L*
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p .
occassionally. It gets into his subconscious too.9 and when he
reaches the count of one, his right forefinger goes upy often
spontaneously. Whether it goes up spontaneously or whether he
voluntarily raises it9 you assume at that point? that he is
in hypnosis and you become somewhat more a.uthoritarian and
take over.
I
You then proceed with the usual tests and with whatever deep
ening measure you want to take.
I have found the Distraction method very helpful with those • .
subjects who have been under the misconception that they have
to listen very closely to what the operator is saying. In doing
so9 they actually defeat their own purpose because the effort
of listening is a conscious effort. The conscious effort of the
mind tends to prevent the dissociation of the conscious from
the subconscious and tends to prevent hypnosis. Over anxiety
on the part of the subject has a similar frustrating effect.
AN EXCELLENT VISUALISATION - DISTRACTION METHOD:
This method also can he done both individually and with groups..
Preparing the subject as for the Progressive Relaxation Method 9
you proceed as follows?
I
”1 want you to visualise, with your eyes closed, that you have
a blackboard before you. If you have a good imagination, you
can actually see the blackboard. If you cannot see it, simply
imagine you do. Now imagine that in the centre of the black
board there has been drawn a large circle, possibly 30 or 35
centimeters in diameter. The circle is drawn in chalk. Inside
the circle there is a large cross drawn in such a way that the
four feet of the X (cross) touch the circle at four different
points. Now I want you to imagine that you are picking up the
eraser. It is your job to erase the cross (x) without damaging
the circle. Since the cross (X) is touching the circle at four
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*<!
points, this may not be a very easy thing to do. Therefore, I
make the following suggestion. Using a corner of the eraser,
simply make a little break in each leg of the cross(X), just
below where it touches the circle. Proceed to make it now m
one leg - in the second - in the third - and in the fourth,
very care fully. With that accomplished, you can now proceed
to erase the rest of the cross (X) without damaging the circle.
Now switch the eraser to the other hand and pick up a piece of
a chalk: Draw a capital A inside the circle, but make the A
only about half the size of the circle to be sure that you do
not damage the circle; that is important. Now that you have
in the other hand, erase the A. Now
made an A, with the eraser '— —Now make a C, and
make a B, and with the eraser, erase the B.
a moment and listen
now erase the C. Now hold every thing for
a signal in
to my further instructions. I am going to give you
a moment, at which point you will continue making the next
letter and erasing it , and go right on down through the alpha
bet until you have made and erased the letter Z. I want to
keep your attention on what you are doing and do not make any
spepial effort to listen to me With your conscious mind thus
occupied, my hypnotic suggestions will go> directly into your
subconscious and produce a deep, hypnotic state. When you have
completed the alphabet, I want you to put the eraser down, put
• right forefinger slightly,
the chalk down, and just raise your
to indicate to me that you have completed your job. At that
point you will be in hypnosis.
it and keep
•’Now, make the next letter, the letter D and erase
right on going, paying no further attention to me. You are
becoming very, very relaxed now - very drowsy, sleepy. Your
entire body is becoming completely relaxed. Everytime you make
a letter and erase it, you go deeper and deeper into hypnosis".
And continue in this vein until the person raises his forefinger; then assume control in usual fashion.
REHEARSAL TECHNIQUE: The ehearsal Technique is used only as a
last resort. It is time consuming and therefore would only be
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feasible when every other wethod has failed.
You take the subject into your confidence and you tell him in
effect the following?
"Now look here, I have used every method that I know.
You have
failed to respond. I know one more method which I
am quite
certain will work - if you agree to submit to it. In this
method you have to agree to devote another ten or twelve
sessions separately. All I want you to do is pr0T(ina
pretend that you
are going into hypnosis. Act tfae part of the hypnotised subject.
Pretend that you are confirming to the experiments I an giving
you. Pretend i’hat everything is working, hake believe that you
are an actor in a play, playing the role of a hypnotised subject. At no time are you to test yourself to see whether
you
actually are in hypnosis.. Just play a part".
If the subject agrees to do this, you proceed with any method
of induction. He pretends to go into hypnosis. Then you do the
Eye Catalepsy Test. He pretends he cannot-open his eyus. You
do the Arm Catalepsy Test. He pretends he cannot put his arm
down. You continue with other similar tests, especially those
which have to do with muscular inability. You avoid amnesia
tests, anesthesia tests, and hallucination experiments.
After three or four sessions, the subject begins to wonder
whether he actually couid lower his arm or whether he actually
could open his eyes, if_h(L.in_d_eed did try. When a person pre
tends inability to lower his arm, he does not actually know
whether he could or not unless he did make an effort. Since he
must nor really lower it - since he is only pretending - it
1<'^ve<5 a doubt in his mind. Session after session, the doubt
increases. In the mean time, you are able to get indications
from his subjective responses of the progress that you are
making. After awakening from hypnosis, he may indicate that he
had feelings of. numbness, or a tingling sensation in the finger-
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I
tips. He may indicate that he had feelings of heaviness, or
feelings of lightness or floating. He may, upon awakening,
develop time distortion; that is, he may have a distorted
conception of how long he was in hypnosis. This is a very good
sign. Therefore, after ten or twelve sessions, if you have
'achieved some of these subjective indications and you have
fairly good reason to believe that your subject may indeed be
m hypnosis, you finally try a crucial test.
Perhaps, in the middle of a catalepsy test, you suddenly say "Now, I want you to actually try to lower your arm - but you
cannot do it! Really try to put it down! But you cannot lower
it! Your arm is stuck, cataleptic, and you cannot lower it!
Now, go deep into hypnosis!”
This very often works. The idea behind it rs very similar to
the idea of a person lying constantly about the same thing.
After a while, he is not sure whether he is telling the truth
or lying. So wlietlier you actually carry out a certain act or
only pretend to carry it out, it causes similar patterns to
develop in the brain. The act becomes a reality.
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CHAPTER TEN
!
INSTANTANEOUS METHODS AND INDIRECT METHODS
INSTANTANE OU S METHOD S:
Those methods which produce hypnosis instantly or almost instan
tly are called Instantaneous Methods. My book "Techniques of
Speed Hypnosis" deals comprehensively with the rapid methods
of induction. For our purpose here, it should suffice to exp
lain the principles on which these methods are based and to
give a few examples. Actually there are only two types of inst
antaneous methods or rapid induction techniques.
1
The first type is based on post-hypnotic suggestion. A sub
ject who goes into at least the third stage is given a signal
by means of which he can be instantaneously projected into
hypnosis thereafter. The ability of going into hypnosis at ci
signal becomes permanent with sufficient repetition.
The signal can be almost anything.. It can be word 9 counting to
five or ten9 taking a few deep breaths, or any other signal
that is agreed upon during hypnosis. The operator gives the
subject the instructions in a very precise manner and the sub
ject carries these instructions out in the subsequent waking
state, upon being exposed to the signal agreed upon.
Actually when this has been repeated a few times, the subject
becomes convinced of his ability to go into hypnosis instantly
whereupon this ability becomes a permanent one. Thereafter, the
signal is not actually required. The subject’s acceptance that
he can go back into hypnosis instantly is sufficient.
2. Even without being previously hypnotised, some subjects can
be rapidly projected into hypnosis. These methods do require a
good subject. Among the Indian population, only about 25% are
are capable of going into rapid hypnosis without having been
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previously hypnotised.
The usual method is to produce in the subject a conviction that
something unusual is occuring. Thereupon, a sudden command of
’’sleep” drives him into hypnosis.
The Hand-Clasp Test is a good example. The subject is told to
clasp his hands together and that upon the count of three he
will be unable to open them. Then while he is struggling to
open his hands, and he is convinced that he cannot do so, the
sudden command of ’’sleep!” at this point, drops him into the
hypnotic state.
Actually the mere fact that he could not open his hands is evi
dence that he is already in a fleeting waking hypnotic trance.
The command of going to sleep is tentamount to a declaration
that a hypnotic state now exists.
All the other methods of induction of rapid hypnosis given in
the book, ’’Techniques of Speed Hypnosis”, are based on the same
principle: A conviction that something unusual is occuring is
forced upon the subject. A command to go into hypnosis does the
rest. Once the operator understand this principle thoroughly,
he does not actually need to use a definite method. He can
invent his own variations.
INDIRECT OR DISGUISED TECHNIQUES:
Hypnosis may he induced in a disguised fashion so that the
subject does not know he is being hypnotised. It must be stres
sed that this not to imply that the subject is being hypnotised
against his will. The approach is made in such a way that he is
actually guided into hypnosis without being aware that the con
dition that he is in is hypnosis.
The success of indirect methods of induction depends upon tho
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‘ 5. The average person
subject's misconception about hypnosis
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he
has
to
be
unconscious
or
thinks that to be hypnotised, 1-- .
asleep. Since unconsciousness and sleep have nothing to do with
hypnosis, he can , therefore, be readily guided into a hypnotic
s+ate without being aware of the fact.
There are three types of approaches to indirect induction:
1. The first type is through Progressive Relaxation. This
method is explained thoroughly in my book , "The Best and Easiest Disguised Methods of Inducing Hypnosis". The procedure is
the same as when doing the Progressive Relaxation Test. However,
the words, "hypnosis",, "drowsy", "sleepy", "sleep" are not employed. The subject only thinks that he is being relaxed. When
the relaxation technique is over, he is in hypnosis. If he has
eye catalepsy, it is evidence that he is already in a hypnotic
state - although he may not be aware of the fact.
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2. The.second approach to indirect induction is througn the
sensori-motor reactions of the subject. To explain this type
of method, I can advantageously cite an actual case that occured
several years ago.
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A woman approached me to arrange for hypnotic conditioning for
child birth. During the conversation, I discovered that she
had only two more weeks to go before the expected delivery. I
explained to her there was not sufficient time for the condi
tioning. I explained that ordinarily we start in the fourth or
fifth month and that quite a few things have to be done to pre
pare the expectant mother for a hypnotic delivery. I suggested,
therefore, that she forget about it for this pregnancy but call
on me for the next one. She was extremely disappointed, but
since there was nothing else to do,2 we terminated our conver
sation.
The next year she called on me again.
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"What!" I said in surprise. "Are you pregnant again?"
"No H 9 she replied, "but I want to be ready this. time".
She came over with her husband and the first question she asked
me was: "Mr. W.adhi, do you think you could really hypnotise me?"
I asked her why she was so doubtful. Whereupon she admitted to
me that when I turned her down the previous year, she had gone
to two other hypnotists. Each tried to hypnotise her on three
different occassions. Both failed and both declared that she
was impossible to hypnotise. She came to me,
me, therefore, with
this attitude of defeatism.
I explained that I could not possibly tell her for certain
whether she could be hypnotised or not? under the circumstances 9
but I was willing to test her and would then bo able to give
her a better idea. She agreed to be tested.
I knew at this point that I could not possibly succeed with her
with the methods that the others had employed. She was so exp
ectant of failure with these methods, they could not possibly
work- I, therefore, questioned her exhaustively in an effort
to determine what they had done. For testing, both had used
authoritarian tests. One has used the Falling Backwards Test
and one had used the Hand-Clasp Test. Both had used the Pendulum
Test; this was the only thing that worked. For induction of
hypnosis, they had used the Direct Stare, Progressive Relaxation,
and direct fixation methods. None had an effect on her. I asked
her whether any of them had used the Arms Rising and Falling
Test or the Sensori-kotor Techniques. She was not familiar with
the terms. Now I had an idea how to proceed.
Since the Chevreul Pendulum Test had worked with her, I started
with this test. She responded beautifully o Since she was not
familiar with the Arms Rising and Falling Test, I did that next.
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The response was quite good. Now I could not do the Hand-Clasp
Test or the Falling Backwards Test, sol proceeded<as follows:
"I have one more test, which, if you pass will indicate quite
clearly that you can be hypnotised. Please sit down in the
chair. Place your hands upon your thighs and 1 will now test
your sensori-motor reactions.
"As you sit there, I want you to look down at your hands and
listen easily and effortlessly to my voice. As you observe
your hands, you will notice certain peculiar reactions in your
body. You may feel your breathing, you may feel the pulsing of
the blood in your veins and you may feel other reactions which
are termed sensori-motor responses. As you look at your hands,
you may notice little movements—perhaps a twitch of the finger.
Perhaps you may notice inner sensations like a tug of a ligament
or a twinge of a nerve, I want you to observe carefully anyphysical response or any feeling that you may have. Analyse
each movement. Analyse every sensation".
You will notice that I had started the Arm and Hand Levitation
method of induction. I used it, however, as a test and I deliIrately told the subject to "analyse ", to watch, knowing full
well that the average subject would be distracted from the mere
idea of hypnosis when such words as "analyse" are employed.
As the subject watched her hands, the movements started almost
immediately. She had very good hand levitation reactions. As
soon as 1 saw something happening, I pointed these reactions
out to her and kept urging her to analyse whatever she saw, to
trv to figure out exactly what was happening, depending upon
these suggestions to keep her off the track that she was actu
ally being hypnotised.
suggestions , the
Her arm rose steadily and then, upon indirect
inaireci, sagges
elbow started to bend and the hand started to approach the
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face. I kept on in the same vein until finally her hand touched
at which point I suggested that she would be much .more comfor
table if she would allow her eyes to close, and rather than
looking at her hand, would feel it against her face. I suggested
that she feel the touch of her hand, the warmth of her hand; I
told her to think about whatever other feeling she might have.
Her hand remained in that position. I kept on for four or five
minutes just to be sure. With the hand in that upraised position 9
the average subject would have become extremely fatigued and
would have allowed the hand to drop or at least to sag. There
was no such sign with her. This was a clear indication to me
that she was already in hypnosis. However 1 could not let her
know that this was the case.
My problepi now was to test her without giving away that she
was being hypnotised. I therefore proceeded as follows:
"As your hand rests against your face, the position has caused
the blood to run out of your arm and into your body causing a
certain nombness to develop in your hand due to the lack of
blood. This numbness is becoming more and more profound as
your hand remains in the air so that the back of your hand
feels especially numb, feels almost as if it has been anesthetised. Although you may feel a touch on your hand, you can feel
no pain in it because there is not sufficient blood there to
give you the proper sensations” .
the back of her hand
As I spoke I started to pinch the skin on
and I watched her face intently. There was no reaction. I pinched harder. Still there was no reaction. Finally I said to her:
’’Tell me, can you feel anything?”
"Sure", she replied. "You are touching me".
I then called to her husband and motioned to him to pinch his
wife's hand. He proceedc very gingerly at first, but when he
saw she was not reacting, he pinched harder and harder. Again
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I asked her if she felt anything.
"Of course”9 she replied9 ’’Rajan is touching me”.
This was enough for me. I then said to her, ’'Un the count of
five you will open your eyes ”, I did not mentioned anything
about av/akening. I then counted from one to five and she opened
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her eyes and said”
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”V/ell9 what do you think? ti
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When 1 declared that she had been in hypnosis, she just would
not believe it. She would never have believed, that she had
been pinched, had her husband not been present. Even so it
took quite a little convincing for her to finally accept the
fact that she had anesthesia in her hand. In other words, she
was already somewhere between the third and fourth stage.
This is an. excellent illustration of the disguised sensorimotor approach to hypnosis.
3: The third approach to indirect induction is through the use
an innocuous
of placebos. A placebo, in medical parlance, is
:
drug or pill, which is purported to produce a. certain effect 9
but has no actual value. Placebos can be made of sugar, bread
bread,
or saline injections. Placebos of this type should be used only
medically.
A physician may give a subject a placebo with a suggestion that
if the subject takes this with a glass of water , he will be fast
asleep in two minutes. With the proper subject, this works amaz-
ingly well.
Following is a placebo method that I observed many years ago in
a dentist’s office.
The dentist told an eleven year old boy who was an extremely
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troublesome patient that he had obtained a ’’special nitrous
oxide” which, he said, would not put him to sleep, but would
only place him in a dreamy state in which he would be comple
tely insensible to pain and would be able to very easily tole
rate the drilling. He then placed the nitrous oxide mask over
the subject's nose and mouth, told him to breath deeply and to
count back fi om ten to one. By the time the boy reached seven,
he was’out1. His body became limp, he relaxed completely, and
the dentist proceeded to work. The boy was aware of the things
around him, he was able to answer the dentist's questions; he
was in a peculiar, dreamy, detached condition, and he felt
absolutely no pain or discomfort from dental work.
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Actually, the nitrous oxide mask was not even connected to the
machine. The machine has been turned on so thau it emitted a
peculiar buzz, but this was merely for effect.
Ina sense, hypno-discs and similar hypno-aids are placebos.
The passes , with or without contact, that the hypnotist some
times makes over the subject's face and body, are likewise
placebo applications. The placebo has a purely suggestive
effect.
As pointed out earlier, the indirect methods are effective
because the average subject thinks that, to be hypnotised, he
must lapse into unconsciousness or into sleep. Since hypnosis
is not related to either, he goes into it without being aware
that he is in hypnosis.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
BEST TECHNIQUES FOR DEEPENING HYPNOSIS
The problem of deepening the hypnotic state to the maximum
degree possible for a given subject is a more serious one than
the problem of inducing the trance in the first instance^. It
is common knowledge that at least 90% of the Indian population
can be hypnotised at the first attempt or after a number of
induction sessions. It is known, too, (though many -of us are
reluctant to accept the fact) that only a small percentage of
hypnotisable are able to reach the somnambulic stage. Induction
methods and related information can be found in abundance in
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most books and courses on the subject of hypnotism. Procedures
for deepening the trance have received but sketchy treatment
in most of the published works. Stage performers are not great
ly concerned with the problem because, having large audiences
for subject selection, they rarely fail to isolate a number of
somnambules for demonstration purposes. It is the hypnotist
working in a private office setting, faced vzith the task of
producing results in any subject that presents himself, who is
seriously affected.
Professional hypnotherapists have resorted to the rationalisa
tion that even light degrees of trance are sufficient for theraputic purposes. This may indeed be so; they use "hypnoidal
states", "reverie", "relaxation", "waking suggestion", and
other media for conveying therapeutic suggestion to their pat
ients. For some purposes, however, the lighter stages are inad
equate. Some psychotherapists claim that a majority of subjects
will ultimately attain a deep trance, providing the hypnotist
has enough skill and patience, and providing still further, I
might add, that the subject has sufficient time and money to
test the operator's "skill and patience".
I have found in my experience that practical considerations
require that a subject be projected into a workable degree of
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hypnosis in six to ten sessions. I have found further
that the
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average subject can reach the maximum degree possible for him
within that time. It is usually a waste of time, money and
energy to expect a subject to exceed the ^epth of his tenth
hypnosis. It is hoped that the following information will help
the frustrated hypnotist to deepen the hypnotic trance of his
subjects as much as possible within a reasonable time - and to
make the best of the situation with those who remain on a
superficial level. It is a practical assumption that subjects
who reach a certain degree after ten sessions will remain at
that level, with but a few exceptions.
EIGHT TYPES OF DEEPENING TECHNIQUES:
Deepening techniques can arbitrarily be divided into eight
general headings:
Deepening by Realisation
Deepening by Pyramiding of Suggestions
Deepening by Post-Hypnotic Suggestion
Deepening by Repeated Induction
Deepening by "Placebo" Suggestion
Deepening through Utilisation of Sensori-kotor Reactions
7. Peed-Back Methods
8. Counting Methods
1.
2.
3.
4.
56.
1. Deepening by Realisation: In most instances of initial induc
tion the subject does not know that he is under iiypnosis, since
he hears the operator, is more or less aware of his surroundings
and does not '‘feel different" from the way he usually feels.
He does not feel that he is asleep or in a trance, as many sub
jects have previously conceived that they would feel. It is
therefore necessary to make him realise that he is indeed hyp
notised. One of the most elementary of the realisation sugges
tions is to challenge him to open his eyes, at the same time
stating convincingly that he is powerless to do so. His inabi
lity to perform this simple function often startles him into
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the realisation that he is not as awake as he thought. Any of
the muscular control experiments can be used for this purpose;
an arm can be made rigid, for example, and the subject challen
ged to bend or lower it, with accompanying patter somewhat as
follows:
"Your arm is outstretched before you, stiff and rigid like a
bar of steel. You are completely powerless to bend or lower it.
In fact the harder you try - the more impossible it is, because
you are in hypnosis, you see, and are implicitly obedient to
my every command. What is even more remarkable, you will notice
that as you try to lower your arm, it begins to go up instead!
The harder you try to lower your arm - the higher and higher
it goes. Now try - try hard to bend your arm or put it down and now see how it keeps rising - higher and higher. You simply
cannot lower your arm until I say that you can!” What you are
doing here is impressing forcibly upon the subject’s conscious
ness that he is indeed under your "hypnotic control" - else why
can he not do something so simple as lowering his arm?
With some subjects realisation suggestions are more effective
in the post-hypnotic state. A suggestion may be made that a few
minutes after awakening he would become aware of a terrible
itching sensation in his back just between the shoulderblades 9
where it would be difficult to scratch.
You continue,"You will be very annoyed with this itching and
will go into all sorts of contortions to scratch this spot,
even rubbing your back against the wall and against articles
of furniture. But nothing will help. Finally, you will apeal
for my help in the matter, because only I will be able to
relieve this itching. I will simply snap my fingers twice like this (snap, snap) and the itching will disappear instantly
This will convince you beyond the shadow of a doubt that you
are indeed under hypnosis, so that when I hypnotise you again
you will go into a much deeper trance, much more quickly and
easily".
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In short, making the subject realise that,
in spite
of the fact
r
that he feels awake, hypnotic suggestions
work on him, causes
him to fall into deeper hypnosis.
2. Pyramiding of Suggestions:
Pyramiding of suggestions is
usually combined with the realisation technique• Thus9no
sooner
has the subject realised that he cannot lower his
arm then you
say:
"Now, on the count of "three"
three your arm will go limp all at
once and fall heavily to your side. And as it does so you will
fall deeper and deeper asleep. One ... two ... three!
The re!
Go deep asleep now - deeper asleep!"
Proceed■ immediately to other tests,
while he is still amazed
at the 1way the previous ones worked,
Nothing succeeds like
success. While the subject is still emotionally imbued with
the confidence of his first success,
pile on other suggestions 9
gradually increasing their complexity
as one after the other
is carried out. The idea is follow
up each successful culmination of a suggestion with the assertion that he is going
into deeper and deeper hypnosis,
And as it becomes apparent
that the trance is becoming more profound, more advanced experiments are attempted, It is important to know how far to go, so
that you stop just short of failure. Just as success increases
a subject's confidence , so the realisation of a failure can
have a deleterious effect.
3. Post Hypnotic Suggestion: One of the better known methods
of deepening hypnosis is telling the subiect just before awak
ening him that the next time he will go into a deeper trance
much more quickly and easily. This suggestion is more effective
when the induction is repeated twice a week, but it has been
found that it carries over from week to week. So common is this
method that most hypnotists employ suggestions in this vein
almost as a, matter of course whether deepening is needed or not.
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4<> Repeated Induction: Continued re-hypnotisation is probably
the most reliable way of deepening hypnosis. The mere proceaure of re-inducing the hypnotic state seems to have the effect
of rendering it more profound, probably because, as the subject
1
becomes accustomed to letting go,9 resistances of conscious or
unconscious nature fade away.
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Ordinarily, this technique is coupled with post-hypnotic suggestions in weekly, bi-weekly,, or daily sessions. However, re-hyp-
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notisation during the same session is often helpful; some times
a subject may be awakened and re—hypnotised four or five times
within a two-hour period, with five or ten minutes intermissions
to permit the operator to rest and to test the subject’s posthypnotic reactions.
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The hypnotic sessions• can be anywhere from fifteen to fortyfive
minutes in duration, :most of the time being spent in repetition
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of suggest!ons,. This method is hard work and requires persis
tence and stamina on the part of the operator. In recent years
some short-cuts have been devised. These can be tried first to
test their efficiency. Should results be unsatisfactory 9 the
orthodox methods can be employed.
One of the short-cuts involves awakening a subject and re-hypnotising him immediately without giving him a chance to become
fully aroused. T recommend the following procedure:
”1 am going to awaken you”. You tell the subject at the proper
juncture. At the count of three you will awaken and open your
eyeo<> As you do so your eyes will meet mine as I stand over
you. You will look intently into my eyes. I will then count
slowly io five • As i count, you. will very quickly become extre
mely sleepy. Your head will feel very heavy and your eyes will
feel like closing. When I reach three your eyes will be half
closed and you will be almost asleep. When I reach five your
eyes will close tightly, your head will droop and fall forward
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and you will go back into a deep, deep sleep. But deeper - much
deeper than ever before - you will go into a very deep, profound
somnambulic sleep at the count of five.Now - one ... two ...
three ... four ... five! Go deep asleep now - deeper, much
deeper than ever before ...”
I usually pass my open hand, without contact, over the subject’s
face in the final count. Almost invariably, his eyes close as
my fingers pass over them on the count of five. This procedure
can be repeated four or five times in the same session, with
variations if desired. Bor instance, my American friend Ormond
MacGill, recommends awakening the subject, having him stand up,
walk over to another chair, sit down, and then go to sleep with
the counting routine, or perhaps at a certain signal as speci
fied in the post-hypnotic suggestion. But the essence of the
entire procedure is the repetition of the hypnotic induction
in one form or the other.
>
5. Deepening by Placebo Suggestion: In medical parlance a
placebo is a pill, capsule, or injection of an innocuous sub
stance, administered to the patient in the guise of medicine 9
in the hope that the accompanying suggestion will have the
-intended psychological effect. Placebos have been used by wise
doctors from time immemorial, but today, with the advancing
knowledge hypnotism and practical suggestion, placebo administeration is enjoying a greater vogue than ever.
A placebo is merely a indirect hypnotic suggestion. Its use
need not be restricted to medicine, though its application in
therapy is most logical and feasible. In hypnotic work, it has
limited application in cases where direct suggestion appears
to meet subject’s resistance. The following example may give
you some idea of how it may be employed.
I had hypnotised a patient in a dentist1s office. The subject
was in an intermediate stage, fluctuating between the mnesic to
amnesic, with a good degree of analgesia but no anesthesia.
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Several extractions had been performed without any discomfort
on previous occassions, but now the dentist was grinding a
tooth down for a porcelain jacket and after fifteen minutes of
grinding the analgesia was wearing thin. Ordinarily a supple
mentary chemical anesthetic would be used, but in this case 1
decided to try a placebo. 1 signalled my intention to the
dentist, and then saids
'‘Doctor, the patient is in pain. Obviously, the hypnosis is
not deep enough for all this grinding. I suggest you give him
a small injection of some of that new procain that worked so
well yesterday on Mr. B -”.
r
The doctor voiced his agreement and proceeded to prepare the
injection. He went through all the motions .of administering
an injection, at the same time discussing the new drug with me,
stressing that while it had the same analgesic effect as novo
cain, it went to work more rapidly; also, the dentist always
knew when the analgesia was completebecause the patient would
feel a strong tingling sensation in the fingertips.' He actually
punctured the gum in pretending to make the injection; two min
utes later the patient reported the awaited tingling and the
dentist resumed his work without any further trouble. The
strong, indirect suggestion of complete analgesia - actually,
of course, nothing whatsoever was injected into the patient -
had the effect of deepening the hypnotic state. Naturally, this
type of suggestion must be handled very judiciously, and only
with selected subjects.
!
Physicians and dentists are in the most fortunate position
strtegically to use placebo suggestions^ Chiropractors use,
instead of drugs, various appliances to which they attribute
certain specific hypnotic effects; thus when only a light
- degree of hypnosis can be induced via ordinary methods, they
may place the patient on a viberating couch, fit him with dark 5
multicoloured goggles and have him gaze at blinking multi -
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coloured lights, all of which are intended, and often do, pro
duce deeper hypnosis. Their manual adjustment, accompanied by
expected to follow.
suggestions of the specific results that were
have similar effects on suitable patients. All
All these
rnese ruses,
r^.o and
■
others too nororous to mention, are in the nature of
Even the so-called mesmeric passes with and wi
suggestions.
which in the light of modern knowledge are used
out contact,
fall within the
to serve the purpose of indirect suggestion,
same category.
6 Deepening Through Utilisation of Sensori-Motor React!ons:
The Sensorimotor technique, more commonly known as the Arm
and Hand Levitation method, is ordinarily employed rn the rn
uction procedure. When used for deepening purposes, suggestion
of hand and arm levitation are commenced after a light degree
______ Koon n-rodnced via a different method,
of hypnosis has already been produced via a
The premise behind this type of deepening technique is this:
the subject remains in a light
generaj-L^ agreed
a.g,x-cc^,
Since,, as is generally
unconscious resistances within
stage because of conscious or
the burden of the matter
himself, it often helps to thrust
in effect:
back upon himself. The operator says,
"Now look here! You are under hypnosis, but for reasons eyon
my control you refuse to go deeper. So now I leave it to you.
You can go deeper if you really want to.
will do hand an
arm levitation now - your hand will rise off your thigh and
arm-will continue rising, slowly but steadily, unti i
your
shoulder level. Then your arm will bend at the elbow
reaches i
■ hand will approach your face. The speed of your reac
and your
will be determined by your own subconscious willingness
tions
In other words - when you are
and desire to go into hypnosis
ready to go into a deep trance - and not before - your hand
will touch your face. This will, in effect, be a signal from
your subconscious mind that you are ready to go deep asleep.
hand touches your face you will instantly,
So as soon as your
sound, somnambulic sleep", etc.
at that point, drop into a deep,
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The levitation suggestions, ordinarily performed with the
subject’s eyes open and fixed on his hands., are in the case of
deepening procedures done with the eyes closed; having the
subject open his while he is in a superficial tran-ce would
probably result in his becoming completely aroused. It must be
understood that sensori-motor reactions proceed at a pace which
the subject himself sets. He goes into a deeper trance, if and
when he desires. At least this is the theory. If this does not
work, the operator can easily disclaim responsibility for the
subjects failure to go into a deep trance. The employment of
this technique does require considerable skill; patience too
will be found to be a helpful attribute of the operator.
7.'Feed-Back Methods: In essence, the lightly hypnotised subject
is taken on an imaginary walk through an endless, winding corri
dor or a tunnel, or on a lazy boat-ride on a lake. During the
the course of these excursions into phantasy, various images
and sensations are conjured up by the hypnotist, while the sub
ject sits quietly in his chair, mentally experiencing whatever
is suggested to him. He is not asked to perform any physical
action or to speak; his reactions are investigated and evalu
ated post-hypnotically.
The subject is asked to imagine that he is lying comfortably
in the boat, which the operator is rowing, and that his hand is
dragging in the water. It is suggested that the water is warm
in one spot and cold’in other. The appropriate sensations are
described in detail. In the tunnel walk, a pail of ice-cold
water is encountered and the subject is told to immerse his arm
in it and to feel the sensations of freezing as they progress,
Next, hallucinations of a verdant garden may be aroused and the
subject encouraged to .enjoy the sight and smell of various
flowers, fruits, etc. In other words, hallucinations of the
senses are created; upon awakening the subject describes just
how he felt, enabling the operator to determine which of the
senses are more amnable to suggestion, Some subjects are able
to hallucinate visual images easily, others are influenced by
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olfactory sensations, still others are susceptible to suggest
ions of tactile changes, etc. The idea, then, is to work on
those senses which the individual subject shows to be most sus
ceptible to suggestions. Thus, in subsequent hypnosis, pyrami
ding of suggestions is facilitated due to avoidance of experi
ments that tend to fail. Often, deepening is accomplished
during the boat-ride or tunnel trips, with the subject kept in
a passive state through a number of successive inductions, pro
gress being determined on the basis of post-hypnotic evaluations
of each session. As has already been mentioned, combinations of
several deepening techniques are advisable where indicated.
During the tunnel or corridor walk the subject is taken into
the rooms which appear in the side of the corridor. In these
rooms, he is subjected to crystal gazing, theater or TV phan
tasy, and other experiments which the operator may deem advisa
ble. All these techniques are described in Wolberg’s books in
adequate detail.
8. Deepening by Counting Methods: One of the simplest and easi
est deepening methods is counting methods is counting backwards.
It can be done in a variety of ways.
a. You simply tell the subject that you will now count backwards
from one hundred and that on each count he will go deeper and
deeper into hypnosis until at the count of one, he will be
in the deepest hypnotic state possible for him at this time.
Then all you do is count monotonously.
b. Variation of this is to count and 9 between each count, use
the one word, "Deeper". In other words , you say, "hundred deeper", " ninety-nine - deeper", "ninety-eight - deeper",
and so on until you have reached the count of "one".
c. Another variation is to have the subject count. It is usually
best to have him count mentally, while you keep perfectly
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[ -, -
I
still. Instruct him that when he reaches the count of one,
one, he will raise his right forefinger slightly to show you
. I'
that he is finished so that you can continue. While he is
doing this, you can actually leave the room if you wish
keeping your eye on your watch and coining back within.four
or five minutes before he is actually finished.
d. Another variation yet is to have i
him count backwards while
you are talking. Strangely enough this works quite well;
since his mind is partly occupied with the counting backwards
he is less likely to pay too much attention consciously to
what you arc saying and tends to go into hypnosis more readily.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
PRACTICAL USES OF HYPNOSIS
FUNCTIONS OF THE HYPNOSIS TECHNICIAN
The applications of hypnosis in the healing arts are well
known and need not he elaborated here. There are, however,
applications in othei- fields that are not familiar to most
people. Such applications include the use of hypnosis in adver
tising and selling, in business management, in education, in
law enforcement and in sports.
In the past, only two areas of application were recognised,
namely, in the healing arts and in the entertainment. Since in
many countries, medical associations have formally approved
hypnosis as a medical and allied tool, however, its use as a
form of entertainment has declined and its practical values in
medicine and allied arts have come to the forefront. Many
physicians, dentists, surgeons, psychiatrists and. psychologists
are using hypnosis in their work all over the world, and in
effect it has become a medical instrument.
When hypnosis is employed in such areas as advertising and
selling, business management, in education and sports, person
ality development and law enforcement, then it is employed as
an educational modality than ak.medical tool, and is not consi
dered to be governed by the restrictions of medical practice.
These are called non-therapeutic applications.
Since the establishment of the INDIAN SOCIETY OF APPLIED HYPNOSIS in 1978, the non-therapeutic applications of hypnosis have
received considerable attention. In addition, the medical 9 dontai and allied uses of hypnosis in the hands of lay (non-medical)
hypnotist have attained a certain amount of recognition. Such
activities, naturally, must be carried out only under medical
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i
1
supervision. The Society, v/hich includes iriembers of all the
professions as well as serious laymen, has set up a Code of
Ethics and Standards which attempts to regulate the practice
of hypnosis by its members. The lay members of the Society are
referred to as hypno-technicians or hypnosi s.consultants .The
main objectives of the ISAH is to establish hypno-technicinns
as members of ’’the healing teamIJ” on a professional par with
registered nurses, X-Ray technician, physio-therapists and
others who operate in an adjunctive capacity and under medical
supervision.
Several countries have already recognised the function of
hypnotechnicians at least in principle and permit lay hypnotists
to practice their art providing their clients are referred to
them by licenced medical practitioners and that they carryout
the instructions of those doctors. It is hoped that eventually
in India, the various states will establish regular licencing
procedures for hypnotechnicians who operate under the Code of
Ethics and Standards of Indian Society of Applied Hypnosis.
lhe applications of hypnosis described herewith are considered
in the framework of the operations of ethical hypnotechnicians.
The actual mode of the employment of hypnosis in the various
conditions mentioned, however, would be similar whether the
operator is a hypnotechnician, a dentist, a psychologist, an
educator, or a law enforcement officer. It must be understood,
of course, that professional people use hypnosis only within
their own area of competence, and that they employ hypnotech—
nicians who limit their activities to the area of competence
of the referring or supervising doctor.
The applications which follw are presented in the form of case
studies. For greater clarity, the studies are somewhat simpli
fied, and in a few instances two or more cases are combined in
order to illustrate the essential elements of each. The cases
described are those that occur most frequently in the work of
a hypnotechnician.
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HYDNOTIC ENFORCEMENT OF DIET (WEIGHT LOSE):
Case of G.S. Referred by her physician, Mrs. G.S. gave the
usual account of having tried everything medical without sue
cess except for brief periods. Pills would work while she used
them, but her weight increased again as soon as she stopped
medication. Strict diets would help her to lose four to seven
kilogrammes, but the effort involved was so fatiguing that
invariably she put the weight back on again.
Mrs. G.S. was a light stage subject who was disappointed that
she could not go into somnambulism. However, she started to
lose after second session, and with the help of self-hypnosis,
lost 20 kgs in three months. Following is a sampling of sugges
tions she received.
"Hereafter you will find it EASIER and EASIER every day to
..
-rmiiv Hon tor’s diet. You will get more FI Lil NG- bAiib
FACTION from less food every day. You will eat and ENJOY those
foods which are GOOD FOR YOU, the high-protein foods,those
which are recommended by your doctor..But you will tin.
EASY TO STAY AWAY from those foods which are fattening. You
will get COMPLETE SATISFACTION and NOURISmENT from
calo
ries f dav. You will find it easy to stick to c 1000 calorie
diet. You^wi. 1 lose two to three kgs. every week. When you see
that you are losing weight and that it is so EASY and EFFORTTmcts you will be PROUD of the fact that you can do this
wiotglS th^POWBR 01? YOUE OWH MHO. You -ill be PLEASED ana
PH00E8of your APPEARANCE. You will find the excess weight just
ROLIING OFF YOU, just MELTING- AV/AY from those parts of your
bodv where there is too much. In a short time, you will be
down to the weight that you want to be, to
that you want to be. You can
yourself in your mind s eye
exactly as you will be in a short time - SUM and oHAPBLY,
with exactly the size, the shape, the contours that you want
t o have."
The suggestions are couched in positive terms as much as possihie. Such phrases as "You will find it easy ", "You will get
uuu , "You will be proud,
more filling satisfaction with less food",
help
the subject
to attain
of your appearance and your ability" 1
..
the proper frame of mind. The words and phrases in capitals
are the "key" elements in these suggestions.
The subject was also taught to hypnotise herself and to
herself suggestions while in a self-induced state. Such suggt-s
tions were prepared for her in advance because self-sugges
must be all the more.carefully worded to make certain th-t th y
are positive suggestions.
Tn most cases, one
one or two sessions a week are sufficient. After
the subject has been losing weight steadily for four or fi a
weeks, the hetero-hypnotic sessions may be discontinued, bu
she must keep up the self-hypnotic reinforcement for c. consid r
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ably longer time, until she has developed the proper eating
habits.
BREAKING- THE CIGARET HABIT:
Case of C.B. The subject smoked 40 cigarets a day and felt it
might prove injurious to his health. His doctor could not find
anything physically wrong with him and recommended hypnosis.
C.B. was a medium depth subject, testing out for analgesia and
amnesia after the third session. A system of cutting-down was
used and after eight sessions he had completely given up the
habit. After he was placed in hypnosis 9 suggestions were given
as follows:
’’For the coming week you will smoke only thirty cigarets a day.
When you get up tomorrow morning, you will take thirty cigrets
and make up your mind right then and thereJ, CAHALY BUT BETERMINEDLY, that those thirty cigrets a day will be MORE THAN
ENOUGH EOR YOU. You will indeed findthirty cigarets a day MORE
THAN ENOUGH FOR YOU. Somehow, your subconscious mind will app
ortion these thirty cigrets over the day in such a way that
you will not have any period of unusual deprivation. You will
find thirty cigrets a day more than enough for you. And do not
be surprised, when you go to bed at night, if you have two or
three cigrets left over.
’’Also, you will now be AWARE of your smoking. That is, from
the time you reach for a cigaret, light it and start to smoke 9
you will be AWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING EVERY MOMENT OF THE
TIME. Thus, since the main element of a habit is its unconsc
ious or unaware aspect, we are simply tearing your smoking
habit up by the roots. Since you are aware of what you are
doing, you are no longer in the habit. However, I want you to
continue smoking and cut down gradually, in order to avoid an
undue shock to your nervous system. This will make it EASY and
EFFORTLESS. In fact, your awareness of your smoking may actually
annoy you, so that you may wish to put the cigaret out while
you.are only half finished with it. It may not taste as good
as it used to and you simply will not wish to continue”.
The subject was also taught self-hypnosis, and the first week
he was told to repeat the autosuggestion ” I find thirty cigarets a day more than enough for me”, ■three
”
times a d'ay. The
second week he was cut down to twenty cigarets a day and conti
nued the same procedure for the second week. When he camo for
the third session he reported that he felt he did not want to
out down to ten cigarets th© next week, but only to fifteen,
as he thought he might have some difficulty. His suggestion
was accepted. Thereafter he was cut down five cigarets a day
each week. When he reached the point where he was only smoking
five cigarets a day, he felt that he could now stop completely.
And he di d.
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The main elements in this system of breaking the cigaret habit
are cutting down, creation of awareness, and self-hypnotic
reinforcement. The awareness removes the unconscious compulsion
to smoke-and the cutting down process is made easy and effort
less, because no conscious effort is needed. Deep hypnosis is
not necessary for breaking the cigaret habit.
The old procedure of making cigarets taste foul simply does not
work well. Since post-hypnotic effects are temporary, and dep
end on trance depth, the subject quickly learns when the bad
taste will wear off; he waits impatiently, and when the taste
is normal again, he goes back to smoking more heavily than ever
and often makes up for the lost time.
BREAKING THE NAIL-BITING HABIT:
Case of Mrs. M.A. This subject was actually referred by her
doctor for diet control, but in the course of initial inter
view she revealed that bhe would also like to stop the nailbiting habit, though she had little hope of succeeding. I
phoned her doctor for permission to include this little project
in my efforts and obtained it.
Five sessions, during which the subject entered a medium i:o
deep trance, failed to produce any results with the diet control.
A psychological evaluation to determine possible emotional
reasons for this failure was not productive. After two more
sessions the attempt to control the subject's di^t w°s abandoabando
ned .
However, in the process she completely stopped biting her nails
- and that too after the very first session! Here is the proce
dure that was followed. While in the hypnosis she was given
these suggestions:
"Whenever you have the slightest desire to bite your nails in fact, just as soon as you start raising your hand towards
your mouth - you will instantly become FULLY AWARE OF WHAT IS
GOING ON. You will therefore stop your hand about midway to
your mouth and you PAUSE AND THINK whether you actually do want
to start biting your nails. You will be fully aware of your
hand and you will stop to decide what you intend to do and what
you really want to do. If you feel you really do want to bite
your nails - well, then go right ahead and do it! But the chan
ces are you will PREFER TO LOWER YOUR HAND AGAIN. That is, the
mere AWARENESS OF YOUR HAND WILL TEND TO
SSIPATE^the^compulsion to bite your nails - you are simply being given an awareness of the compulsion. As a result, the compulsion
compulsion disappears;
disappears,
the energy behind the compulsion becomes completely dissipated
and you find that you do not really have any need to bite your
naiIs" .
- ~. Deep hypnosis is
This system works like a charm in many cases,
but
the
deeper
the
hypnosis
the more definite the
not required, '-- .
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awareness that is created. Often one session isrsufficient,
but it is always advisable to take a few more just to consoli
date the gains made.
Case of J.L. Mindful of the fact that many experimenters in
the field,especially psychiatrists, are constantly warning
against symptom removal and the possibility of symptom-substi
tution (the possibility that removing one symptom will cause
another and possibly a more harmful symptom to take its place) 9
I now present such a case to illustrate that this eventuality
can be easily detected and guarded against. However, this
occurrance is extremely rare. In over fifteen years, I have
seen less than half a dozen cases in which nail-biting removal
tended towards development of a substitute symptom; and in no
case was the substitute symptom more serious than the original
one. The psychologist with whom I am associated finds such
reactions negligible on the basis of her own experience.
J.L. was the 11-year old son of a dentist pupil of mine. In
spite of a physician’s referral and a psychologist’s evalua
tion, I undertook the case with reluctance, because I was aware
that the boy’s parents were having marital difficulties and
that his nail-biting was probably a sign of his resulting feel-ings of insecurity; but there was a great deal of insistence
on the part of the dentist and the physician that the attempt
be made.
The boy was an instant somnambule, exhibiting all the classic
signs of the somnambulic trance. He was given the ’’awareness”
routine and told to return in a week. At the second session he
came in with his mother rather than his father. His mother was
very pleased, reporting that he had completely stopped biting
his nails. Occassionally, she would find him”looking at his
‘hands in a peculiar way”, but he never actually raised them to
his mouth. Incidently, the mother did not know the technique
that was used. The only thing that concerned her was that the
boy, while watching television, would occassinally take his
shoes off and pick on his toes.
He was rehypnotised and given awareness suggestions in connec
tion with his toes, and sent home. At ihe third session, his
• mother,reported that there was no nail-biting and no toe-pick
ing, but now the boy had started making grimaces with his face!
At this juncture I pointed out very forcefully that the boy
needed a deeper therapy and referred him to the psychologist.
Actually, the possibility of symptom substitution showed up at
the very second session and by the third session it was a sure
thing. To continue removing symptoms when an emotional cause
is apparent would be foolish. It must also be pointed out that
a, lay hypnotist does not have the training and qualifications
to enable him to search for these hidden causes; This comes
properly wit! in the work of psychiatrists and clinical psycho
logists.
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HYPNOTIC CONDITIONING FOR CHILDBIRTH:
Case of Nirs. H.G. The expectant mother was placed in hypnosis
and taught how to hypnotise herself by taking deep breaths and
counting back from five to one as she exhaled. Then she was
instructed to count back mentally from 100 to 1 while she was
in the self-induced trance; then she was to awaken herself by.
counting forward from one to five. She was instructed to per
form this exercise three times daily in order to condition her
self.
It was explained to her that the procedure of coun'Ding back
from 100 had the effect of producing anesthesia in those parts
of the body which were involved in the processes of labor and
delivery. When she was ready to go to the hospital, she was to
hypnotise herself just before she felt a contraction coming on
and then count backward from 100 during contractions. The act
of counting was a post-hypnotic suggestion which would make
her anesthetic so that she could feel none of the pain of the.
contractions - only the pressure and the movements..When the
contraction was over she was to awaken herself by,counting
from one to five. She was to keep this up until she was taken
to the delivery room, at which point the obstetrician would
take over. In response to a post-hypnotic signal, she would
again go into hypnosis when the doctor uttered the words:
’’CLOSE YOUR EYES, RELAX AND SLEEP!” Thereafter the doctor
would proceed in the usual way, but would simply make sugges
tions of anesthesia instead of using chemical agents.
At least the third stage of hypnosis is needed for anesthesia
during childbirth, but often, for normal deliveries, even
lighter stages of relaxation are helpful in eliminating appre
hension and in dulling the pains of childbirth. For episio
tomies and for other surgical procedures at least fourth stage
is required, and sometimes chemical anesthetics are used in
conjunction.
The hypnotechnician does not appear in the hospital, all his
work is done beforehand. The physician, naturally, needs a
briefing if he has no previous experience with hypnosis. Also
it is advisable for the technician and the obstetrician to get
together with the patient at least once in order for the hypnotist to transfer RAPPORT to the ductor. Hypnotic conditioning
for childbirth may be effectively done in groups.
HYPNOTIC CONDITIONING FOR DENTISTRY:
Case of L.R. The patient was referred by a dentist who had no
experience with hypnosis and wanted to perform the extraction
of a second lower molar entirely via post-hypnotic suggestion.
Usually it is preferable that the technician go to the dentist's
office to act as a"anesthetist” but the distance made this pro
cedure prohibitive.
In three sessions the patient was conditioned into the fourth
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stage. He was then taught to hypnotise himself
anesthesia in the right
the anesthesia during the operation, he was told to keep a
moving contact of his hands on the arms of the chair and to
keep his mind on this contact.
L
When the subject finally went to the dentist's office, he was
fully confident of his ability to carry on by himself. The
operation was a rather difficult one, lasting nearly half an
hour, but the subject without any help whatsoever
the
dentist, was able to remain in hypnosis and to keep the anes
thetic state active in the manner described above.
It must be streesed that, under painful stimulation, anesthesia
wears off rapidly; hence the necessity for "doing something
self-hypnotically to maintain the anesthesia. Naturally, when
the operator is present, his suggestions serve the purpose. Of
course "rapport" can be transferred to the dentist, whose
suggestions would then keep the anesthesia in effect.
HYPNOTIC CONDITIONING FOR SURGERY:
Case of E.T. A fourteen year old girl, E.T. had a heart condi
tion which made the use of chemical anesthesia dangerous in
knee operation for the removal of a displaced ligament. She
went into a light fifth stage (light somnambulism) and was
conditioned to respond to the suggestions on a tape recorder
which was brought into the operating room. Actually she was
able to hypnotise herself easily, but she was not able to
remain in hypnosis for long without my presence; I could not
be admitted to the operating room because I am not a physician,
Sa 5e surgeon did go* feel content to take over the ruport
of the subject, having no previous experience with hypnosis.
The suggestion on the tape are reproduced below m somewhat
condensed form:
’’Evelyn, as 1 count from one to five , you go easily into a
deep hypnotic state. One - two - three - four - five ... go
deep asleep now! Go down ... way dov.n into a very deep, sound
and restful hypnotic sleep! That
1-- is fine ... Deep asleep ...
”Now you know of course that you are about to have your knee
’ doctor and 1 have
fixed up. You have every^confidence in v
will~feel
no
pain
or
discomfort^of
any
assured you that you 1,.-— -but
you
sort. As"I
As 1 am talking to you, the operation^ begins,
’
- unconcerned
about what is going on. You know
are completely
i-------your
left
leg"
is
there
and
they are working on it, but you
your
leg does not belong to you,
have a strange feeling that the
\
that it belongs to someone else temporarily 9 until the operation is over and it is fixed up properly.
’’Now take your mind fully off your leg and think of what I am
saying. My words seem to fill your mind, fill your awareness,
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! *
*
so that you cannot really think of anything else. In fact, 1
will now start to count backward from 100. Each count will
seem to push deeper and deeper into hypnosis. Each count is
making you less and less aware of your leg, because your l^g
is completely anesthetic, you see, and 5, uu_ cou— nc . f ,el c.ny
thing in it even if you tried. Each count is making your leg
more and more anesthetic, and pushes you deeper and deeper
into hypnosis at the same time. Now, as I count, I want 7°^ to
anticipate the next count. That is as I say hundred, you tl in
ahead to 99 - as I say 99, you think of 98 - as I say 98, you^
think of 97 and so on. In other words you will be listening to
me and thinking ahead to the next number at the same time.
This will occupy your mind so fully that you will not
to think of your leg or anything else".
Then there was counting from one-hundred down to eighty, for a
few moments suggestions were given about her leg being comp
letely insensible to pain" and that her mind remained fully
occupied with the counting. Then the counting continued for a
while longer, followed by additional suggestions,for anesthesia
The important thing to remember is that anesthesia, under pain
ful stimulations, depends upon subject's mind being engrossed
with things that simply distract from the operation itself.
For this purpose a running commentry of suggestions is neces
sary. If no suggestions are given, the anesthesia would be
likely to "wear off" rather rapidly.
In the case of E.T., when the operation was over the doctor
awakened her on a post-hypnotic signal and she was taken back
to her room. The anesthesia in her leg9 however, remained in
accordance with suitable suggestions on tape. Two hours later
1 came in to see her. ■The anesthesia was just beginning to
wear off, so she was hypnotised again with suggestions that
her leg would remain anesthetic through the night and that in
the morning, although the feeling would be back, there would
be no pain because the healing process was already well under
way. Suggestions for more rapid healing were also made.
HYPNOSIS IN BREAKING- URINARY RETENTION:
Case of Nirs. E.C.S. This a remarkable case in which a single
hypnotic session corrected a condition on which medical science
had given up.
I received an emergency call from a hospital at 11 o’clock of
St. Patrick’s Bay morning. The patient, a woman oi 51? had
undergone a plastic repair of cystocele and rectocelc 13 days
■previously. After the operation, she was unable to urinate, a
not uncommon condition following this type of surgery. To make
matters worse, the condition persisted unduly long which nece
ssitated frequent catheterization. To avoid unduo catheteriza
tion, the patient was given salt solutions to drink and all
the drugs and tranquilisers that the doctors could thimc o±
were administered. But all to no avail.
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When hypnosis was proposed as a, 1st resort, the surgeon on the
case laughed, saying that hypnosis could not possibly do any
good after all the drugs had failed. Finally, tiowever,
however, the
attending physician had me called in.
Mrs. E.C.S. was a beautiful woman with a red rose in her hair.
She greeted me with a remark that I was her last hope of spend
ing the St. Patrick’s Day at home with family. If I could not.
help her, she said, then she could see nothing but mental asyleum.
In questioning Mrs. E.C.S., I found that she had been catheterized that morning. This was an adverse circumstance; had her
bladder been full, hypnotic suggestion could have had an imme
diate effect, but under the circumstances the desired effects
would have to come from post-hypnotic suggestion. Another very
important consideration was, of course, that her muscle tone
was probably impaired due to the almost daily catheterization.
The outlook was not promising at all, but I naturally assumed
a very confident air and assured her that hypnosis would do
trick.
I knew, moreover, that whatever was done must be accomplished
in one session, as 1 certainly would not have the opportunity
of a second attempt. It was therefore important that every
thing that was said or done be calculated to produce the
desired effect.
No preliminary tests were performed, to avoid the let-down
effect of -possible failure. Mrs. E.C.S. was seated in a comfor
table chair and, while the nurse guarded the doer against pos
sible visitors, I proceeded with the relaxation method of indu
ction. Twenty-five minutes were spent in this procedure.
The patient appeared relaxed but the only observable symptoms
of hypnosis were the absence of voluntary movements and a
slight drooping of the head. No challenges were attempted. The
hypnosis, if it were indeed hypnosis was so superficial that
any slight failure would have stopped everything short.
I then proceeded to give her strong suggestions for the resum
ption of normal functioning. I explained that hypnosis has a
definite post-hypnotic effect, so that when her bladder filled
up again she would easily and effortlessly proceed to void. I
gave her instructions that when she went to the lavatory, she
would start .counting backward from 100 in order to keep her
mind off the process; I explained, too, that this counting pro
cedure was in effect a post-hypnotic suggestion in response to
which the subconscious mind would proceed to restore normal
functioning. After fifteen minutes of strong suggestions, Mrs.
E.C.S. was awakened.
Her first reaction was to question the fact that this was
hypnosis. She was assured on this score in a firm and confident
way, but I realised that the patient was by no means convinced.
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I waited for the opportunity to play my aco^card1; the opportunity came with her question as to what
--- the
— feer was.
I told her what my fee was and added: "But ... you du not pay
me until after you see that my work has accomplished the inten
ded purpose. Send me a cheque in the morning from home".
And then I picked up my coat and started to leave, I said:
"YOU WILL HAVE A HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S BAY! Good-bye!"
tors. E.C.S. did not obey all the above post-hypnotic suggestions
to the letter. I received the cheque very next day - she sent
it from the hospital less than half an hour after I left and
immediately after she emptied her bladder for the first time in
-- a- catheter.
--.'.1-'.
She was discharged from
13 days without the —
aid1 of
the hospital that afternoon after voiding spontaneously several
times. Accompanying the cheque was following note:
"I certainly am most greatful for your help and your name will
be the one that I will remember for a long time".
This is. an excellent illustration of the effectiveness of light
hypnotic or hypnoidal suggestion combined with skillfully app
lied waking indirect suggestion.
ENUKESIS (BED-WETTING):'
Case of T.G. This is a spectacular illustration of the results
achieved in a case of enuresis through a single application of
hypnotic suggestion. It must be stressed that this is an un
usual case, the success of which was due largely to the circum
stances surrounding the first and only hypnotic session. In
most cases of enuresis the therapy is more time consuming and
should be applied in a medical or psychiatric setting.
The subject was a 10-year old boy. Presenting on the surface a
picture of a lively, intelligent, vibrantly healthy child, he
was self-conscious and unhappy about his inability to stop
wetting his bed. He and his mother was taking therapy at a
Child Guidance Clinic to discover and erase any underlying
emotional causes. The psychologist admitted frankly that it
might be quite sometime before the troublesome habit itself
would be corrected. When asked if he had any objection to the
use of hypnosis for removing the symptom, he replied in the
negative, but warned that attendance at the clinic must not be
interrupted.
The fortunate circumstance in this case was that T.G. was a
play-mate of my nephew. The prestige factor was very strong;
nevertheless T.G. was reluctant to confide in me because of
his fear that his play-mate would learn of his habit. This dif
ficulty was circumvented by arranging a social meeting between
our two families, during which I was prevailed upon(!) to per
form some group experiments using my wife and daughter, my
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j
-
nephew and T.G. as subjects. The buy was found to be an exce
llent subject. Care was taken that he would remember.every
thing upon awakening from the mass hypnosis, to eliminate any
possibility of distrust. However, in the course of the experi
ments several post-hypnotic suggestions were unobtrusively
introduced to the effect that after awakening.T.G. would be
be.
most anxious to be hypnotised alone and in private. Everything
w$s done in a light vein; T.G.'s difficulty was not mentioned
any time .
After the group was awakened, T.G. did an admirable job of
maneuvering me away from the group and into a bedroom, where
he fell into a deep hypnosis very quickly. I .immediately
dropped all pietenses, declaring very authoritatively that
T.G.'s bed-wetting was now a thing of past. A veritable
barrage of suggestions followed, to the effect that T.G. would
never again wet the bed and would be a happier and more cent
ented boy as a consequence . I spoke in terms of the pride he
would have in his dry bed every morning - that he no longer
would be different from other boys in his group. He now could
participate in the overnight hikes of his scout troop with
perfect safety. Upon awakening every morning, he would run bo
his mother and tell her with great pride that his bed was dry.
Feelings of increasing confidence and well being were instilled
repeatedly. No questions or doubts were entertained in these
suggestions; every vestige of prestige I had in T.G. s eyes
were allowed to have its full effect. I also recounted (and
invented) other cases of enuresis that I had "cured in one
sitting. The entire attitude was. Gne of assumption that T.G. s
done with once and for all time. No amnesia.
trouble was over and
1
but
T.G.
was told that his mother (and only she)
was suggested,
would be taken into' our confidence.
The
The boy's
boy's mother played an important part in the actual therapy.
Sht;
was instructed,
at the bed time that night,- to remove, the
She was
•
rubber 311001; from T.G.
bed very osfenfufiously cind ncippi y,
with simultaneous remarks to the effect that this nuisance was
no longer needed and that she was discarding it forever. She
was further instructed in the administeration of indirect sugg
estion at every oppertunity, and warned never for a moment to
suggest or otherwise entertain doubts of the outcome.
No efforts were made to restrict his fluids at bed time as has
previously been attempted without avail. He had been.told under
hypnosis, however, that he would awaken as soon as his blander
filled up sufficiently and immediately go to the bathroom. His
mother was to remind him gently of this every night as a.means
of recharging the original suggestion; the reminder, having
been suggested under hypnosis was in itself a post-hypnotic
suggestion.
Through the procedure on the surface was comparatively simple
should recognise
the important
one, the experienced hypnotist
-----ingradients that contributed to the successiul outcome
delicate handling at
prestige of the operator, the
— indirect
----
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1
+bo start the excellence of a subject cf his age and the intel
ligent cooperation of the mother. The fact that they were being
handled at the Child Guidance Clinic at the same time may have
had an important bearing on the case. It should also be pi
out that the removal of the troublesome symptom m-y, by thsame token, have had a bearing on the successful completion
the work at the clinic.
In the case of T.G., the main suggestion would have been a „
"feeling of fullness in the bladder" causing him to awaken -nd
go to the bathroom; this again is the awareness gimmick which
is so effective when applicable. The primary factor contributing
to the^success cf the above two oaees Is the factor of "prestise"
of the operator, which was played upto the hilt*
NON-THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS:
Because the NON-THERAPEUTIC applications are considered educa
tional tools rather than medical techniques, a physician s
referral may not be required. However, because a lay hypnotist
is not qualified to make diagnosis, m cases of doubt a medical
referral should be resorted to as a precautionary measure. The
cases that follow are samplings of non-therapeutic applications
of hypnosis:
FACT M TATI NG- THE LEARNING- PROCESS:
I
I. '
Case of G.M. The subject was 37 years old law student who hud
already failed the Bar twice. He simply could not afford to
fail a third time and wanted to use all the necessary means. t
assure his success. Naturally because of his age, his learning
ability was not as good as it had been when he was younger. He
was sent to a psychologist to evaluate his chances and to ascer
tain that there were no serious emotional problems which migh
serve as stumbling-blocks in the way of success in this project.
No contraindications were found.
G-.N. never attained anything beyond a hypnoidal state, but he
was taught the techniques cf self-hypnosis nevertheless and
•was given a series of suggestions to use during his self-hypn tic exercises. These suggestions, as well as those given heterohypnotically, were slanted to cope with the three major factors
in learning — impression, retention and recall. Suggestion
increase impression were couched in the following terms.
"When you sit down to study, you will find yourself COMPLETELY
ABSORBED AND BULLY ENGROSSED IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Outside
sounds will not bother you. Things which used to distract you
in the past will seem to ROLL OFF YOU LIKE WATER ROLLS OF A
DUCK'S BACK. You will be completely UNCONCERNED WITH EVERY
THING AROUND YOU as you study; you will be fully engrossed in
the material to the exclusion of all else. Thus, concentration
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. I.
i^assured. Since you will bo concentrating spontaneouslv SEP^^STING'lMPRESSrONS61'10'1'
wil1
jj.E.nr Aiw JjAbiiMGr IMPRESSIONS in your mind. Everything veu read
As 5
I™EHB1E IKMSSSIONS on your suboonsolos
Ao c... result o± these deep impressions, vour retention o-f nil
the MATERIAL YOU LEARN WILL BE LASTING AND PERMANENT" .
The capitalised suggestions arc th..
'
the key
suggestions for the
purpose of increasing impression and
r’
r~ retention. To
~-rd^assuring
2de^itate the —-11 factor>
following su^SstitEf
5 we re
"Whatever you have learned will EASILY AND READILY RECALLED
nGUd ii;- When takinS oxaminaticns, you will fLd
facts o.nd figures and other needed material flowing freely and
easily through your mind. There will be nu need tJ grope or
^teriaJ that y°u havu learned but you hfvYforpotwuSkiS for ^uu^’+h
’ bucause y°ur subconscious mind is
.king _or you9 things come much mere quickly c.nd certainlv
much more eusily. There is no effort invulved^t Etll" - W
Whatever
you hc.vu learned is released by your subconscious ,
which is a
giant storehouse, whenever you need it. Therefore whatever
Jithouthnv"1^?!1^3 fre61y and °asily
your mind
9
°n yuUr part- The fact that you are relaxed
uci 11 tettes this process greatly.
The subject was also taught a more methodical study techniaue
in which he studies for briefer periods with short periods of’
Uli? batween‘ He was also ndvised to hypnotise himself occassionally during the rest periods in order to eliminate fatigue
w?kinvGsthpCOnG+?tra'fci°?‘ A11 thG studyinS is done in the
h'h hMUh
U p&U-hypnOtlC suSBGstiun providing the bene- '
fits. Studying.under hypnosis is not an effective method, un-bGU0Ue R?Urial t0 b° 1Garncd is t0 be committed to memory
Ml Un R1 “Qm°ri^ing does not assure the integration of the
material into the individual
individual's previous fund of knowledge.
Gr+* I'®?0X”fced ^-^d improvement in concentration and recall
ft®? hree sessions- After eight sessions the training termi
nated. Two months later he took his Bar - and passed.
HYPNOSIS FOR REMEDIAL READING:
>>£ oAsus
suj.-srsu ni: sstHo
beginning to feel the effects uf this deficiency.
’
iiZni?pSnf0+hUil2d+Mi?CreaSG his reaaing speed appreciabljy
9
inspitc of the fact that he was a good medium depth subject.
However, there was a marked change in the gross result of his
n°w Setting much more out of it. His comprehenfhd U Y ? bti lal was rauch greater, and he was now able to
imd the technical material mure meaningful and therefore easier
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■I
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I
1
to assimilate.
4
This is a good example of a case where the subject thinks his
faults lie in one area, whereas the actual trouble is elsewhere.
HYPNOSI S FOR IF-PROVI NG- SALES-ABIIITY :
Case of R.H. R.H. was an insurance salesman who. suffered from
some of the common faults found m this profession; lack of
self-confidence, poor planning, lack of drive, low rate of
"cold calls”, and the tendency to ego-deflation whenever a door
was slammed in his face. He was taught self-hypnosis and
through ten sessions, one fault at a time was tackled and e i
minated or minimised.
Planning was the first item corrected. The suggestions given,
both hetero-hypnotically and self-hypnotically, centered around
the key suggestion ’’PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN”. Of
course, the subject, was urged to sit down several times a week
and plan his work for the next few days consciouslyThe sugge
stions simply reinforced his desires to "carry out his plan .
Next his ’’drive” was increased, as a result of which he was
easily able to make prescribed number of ’’cold calls each day.
His tendency towards ego-deflation and his lack of confidence
were connected and took considerable longer to correct.
regard to his lack of confidence, he spent two. sessions with a
psychologist to give him some working insight into his problems.
Thereafter, it was reasonably easy for him to. develop a kmf o±
"immunity” to slamming doors; the key suggestion centered aroun
the idea of the irritations and annoyances of everyday life
"ROLLING OF HII'i LIKE WATER ROLLS OFF A BUCK’S BACK”. Picturesque
expressions like the above seem to more readily penetrate into
the subconscious.
i
In general, a subject’s individual faults must be analysed and
specific suggestions formulated to cope with those faults. Those
suggestions are then administered hetero-hypnotically and selfhypnotically; the hypnotic suggestion of the operator make
deeper impressions on the subconscious initially and the sub
ject’s autosuggestions serve to reinforce or ’’recharge” the
hetero-af firmati'ons.
In a manner of speaking, hypnosis for salesmen is similar to
the PEP-TALKS they receive from the salesmanagers regularly.
But whereas the PEP-TALKS wear off rapidly due to the fact that
their effect is superficial, hypnosis, reinforced with self
hypnosis, has a constantly self-reactivating effect.
HYPNOSIS IN SPORTS»
Case of J.M. The subject whs a professional soccer player. He
was able to play well and scoree too but was troubled with the
inconsistant. Upon question
fact that his performance was so
l
felt
’’good” he did very well
ing it was found that when J.1V1.
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j, but on those occassions when ’’doubts crept in his
in the game,
he
could
drop down in his performance as rpuch as 50%.
mind” ]
The work commenced with suggestions to the effect that when he
played he would be ’’completely unconcerned with everything
around him except what he is doing” on the theory that distrac
tions throw one off. Suggestions of being ’’absorbed in his game”
were also given for the same purpose, and suggestions of gene
ral self-confidence and self-assurance were added. His perfor
mance improved slightly.
I
Then this formula was attempted: ’’When you are about to hit just imagin in your mind’s eye the exact spot where you want
your ball to go - where it is going to place and then go ahead”.
It must be stressed that no one formula will be equally effect
ive' for every one. It is an individual matter. An attempt must
be made to find just where the person is having the trouble,
and suggestions must be formulated to cope with the situation
that exists. When one suggestion does not work, other should
bo tried until the right formula is found.
'
In the case of J.M., the suggestion to visualise a strike just
before stepping up for the hit caused his mind to become ’’set”
on that idea, thereby preventing the last moment doubt which
usually ”threw him.off”.
HYPNOSI S IN LAW-ENFORCEMENT:
Law-enforcement is actually a fertile field for the applications
st
of hypnosis, but the old stigmas'and
misconceptions are so
strong among the authorities that law-enforcement officers generally are very cautious in their espousal of this science.
Generally speaking, hypnosis may bo applied in these areas:
1. Amnesia-breaking
2. Interrogation
3. Lie-detection (with or without the polygraph)
4. Facilitating recall
The following brief case studies should give- you a rough idea
of how hypnosis is and has Been employed in those areas:
BREAKING AN AMNESIA ■ CASE :
Gase of J.R. A.C.P. of Hyderabad called me to examine a man
who was picked up in a dazed state, with complete amnesia for
events prior to that day. A.C.P. has had become familiar with
the possibilities of hypnosis ^nly the previous week, when!
appeared on the same TV program with him and later .was invited
to address his investigating inspectors on the subject.
In four sessions, I was able to clear up the man’s memory comp
letely and send him on his way. * The full story of this amaz
ing case will appear shortly in HYPNOSIS QUARTERLY.
-140-
*!
Case of D.Co The subject, a 12-year-old boy witnessed a hold-up
- at least, that part of it where the hold-up men dashed out of
»
SI
in the licence number. On questioning by investigating officers,
the boy became confused, so that eventually, instead of remem
bering more of the numbers, he was no longer certain of the
first'two digits. I was then called in by the I.O.’s.
The boy proved a somnambule. Luring questioning under hypnosis
he was able to recall many details of the car and the hold-up
men that he had not previously told. Nindful of the co^£usicn^
in the boy's mind regarding the licence number, this, matter was
not even touched upon at the beginning. Finally, the following
suggestions were made:
"Now I want you to see a black-board in front of you.. Tell me
when you see it clearly. Fine! Now if you look closely,
will notice that the black-board is covered with a. piece of
velvet cloth - dark velvet cloth. Bo you see it? Fine! Now
there is something beneath that cloth that you naturally cannot
see. That is, you cannot see it now because it is covered. But
in a moment, 1 shall whisk that cloth aside and you will see
clearly what is beneath that cloth on the black-board. Bo not
even be concerned about what it is; you do not need to be,
because you will soon see it very clearly, right before your
eyes. When I whisk the cloth away you will see a licence plate
there hung on the black-board — the licence plate that was on
the car in that hold-up. Right now you see nothing but the vel
vet cloth, but in a moment,
moment as 1 count "Three!” and whisk the
cloth away, vou
will
see that licence plate very clearly and
you
will
call
out
the
numbers instantly. Call it out^ instantly
you
- without thinking. Now ... one . .
. . two ... three! There goes
the cloth! You see the number! Nuw 9 tell us - what is the number
you see?”
ill
y
J
Gt
--
x
!
J-
^22 a number without the slightest hesitation,
The boy rattled off
checked
and found to be that of a car belonging
The number was < '
to a man in another city. The car had been stolen from a parking
lot, used in the hold-up and returned to the lot.
The tricky part of this case was the necessity of clearing the
boy’s mind of the confusion caused by trying to recall the
number consciously. It is a well known fact that conscious
efforts to remember often have the opposite effect. It is not
likely that the hallucination ruse would have worked on a lighter
subject. Age-regression is another technique that could nave
been used in this case.
Case v/L
of J.O.
J.C The subject was being held in Rs. 20,000/- bail
material witness in a murder case. His girl friend had
confessed to killing a man who, she claimed, tried to make
advances to her. But she implicated her boy-friend, who, she
0 C. huweve
said, helped her to dispose of the body. JJ.C.
1" a" r, di s-"
-141-
(
-.I.. matter,
' •, protesting that at the
claimed any knowledge of.the
at
work
running
an
elevator
at a construction site.
time he was a, ..-_1_
*
When ordinary interrogation failed, the man was subjected to a
polygraph (lie-detection) examination. however, he was so nervous during the examination that the findings were not considered valid. I was called in at this point.
J.C<>was a, light subject. He could not be pushed beyond third
stage at the most. However, he was so relaxed that a. polygraph
examination, conducted post-hypnotically with the suggestion^
that he would remain relaxed, came out so well that the
ners were able to state conclusively that he was telling the
truth.
Moreover, during another hypnosis immediately following the
polygraph examination, a "rapid-fire" interrogation technique
wasused which further substantiated the finding that he was
innocent. In this technique, he was told to respond to simple
questions instantly, without stopping to think. He did so with
split-second precision, even responding to "+-st questions
like “Do you masterbate?” without a moment pause. J0C. s
was reduced to Rs. 5,000/- and shortly afterwards he was comp
letely exonerated.
I
I
Case of Mrs. F.L.P. The subject accused a physician of making
improper advances to her while she was under hypnosis and
threatened to take him to the court. The doctor, however, had
SpeiXrded all sessions with, this patient without her know- ■
ledre; his attorney consulted with the woman's lawyer ana c.ll
concerned agreed to subject her to hypnotic lie-detection exam
ination. I was called in to perform the examination with the^
"automatic response" technique which I had a hand m original
ing.
The woman was a medium-tc-deep subject. Under hypnosis she was
conditioned to develop an uncontrollable twitch of her right
forefinger whenever her wrist was touched. When tnis work
Repeatedly, she was then told that the same twitch would occur
at the coSAt of "three". Both touch and count of "three" were •
given repeatedly until the twitch of her forefinger was also- .
lutelv uncontrollable. She was even unable to resist the twitch,
when told to try as hard as possible. Then she- received the
following suggestion:
"When you are awake, every time you lie your finger will twitch
or when 1 count to
just as it does when I touch your wrist, control
this twitch;
three. You will be completely unable to
more
voilently
your
in fact the harder you try to control it,
finger will jump".
" > lawyer asked her the pertinent
Then she was awakened and“ the
continued
to
lie like a trooper- but her.tellquestions. She <
tale forefinger gave her away unmisiukubly 1 Tnis method is well
-142-
Il • ’ r
d
si
if
nigh fuci
with
rca cti ons. Proof
Naturally, subjects who
responsive
revealed to the
the purpose
subject until the i ohe twi tch o?0 ^^o-m&tor
control. This method
should
response £G quite
c not be
hypnotic
better
amnesia, but works
out of his
even when 5 when thj subject has
gcing on and
?J
tries
hard
1
S
fully
°nse come tnrough.
uware of 1what
• pust-1 to
to control
is
himself,
Phe autonomic
—
o
resphypnosi S
Nft? STAGE-Fhi GET:
Case of Mrs. p,bs
Now" w?thopera
PFa^^g^e! subject was a 40-yCrn-t
Prior to
with two
care, she
shG wantede?oa®? children
was well on X
----- -on the
*
e. r PerfoXX
her
■I
<i
tevnrsg"' r--
having bee,-, Z
ln two■ weetaTtlae* she '"1S scheSednt?>21 ShC
M«ht "rreeae5p«frQm
f toe
S *» ~ beoX*1™
freeze'e,
re a vast audienc.
f’ he fcared she
^-rly years, S h?“Vi?g hM = 1
occurrence
emotional 2sb^JSychol°gical oheck up fc5d hSZ fM«history
d
-- shape.
l a regood
Since she had only two rthree
-1 Sol rShteG traini
find she was _
give hJrsJ?3 taught selSXfCf
instructed
effect that her
first <
rating and succeSS
fu£ appearance on the'suggestions to^e S’
success with ■ "
that she would ato.ge would be "nvin-i
her career wi. Plocisurabie
anticipa-ti on" "lock forward 1 b 11£i~
th
’ that she was"loher new
perfect
seltand that " the •
-'assurance
sight
of
a
;
and self-con?, h
Pleasure and
.rarge audience would fiXt nCe"
unbounded
—1 self-- confidence, "
11-LI her with
You will
■lt't;LC0 ‘that such
stage-fnight"
words as "f
ear„
"fear
absent
"freezi ng-up",
— from the
negative r» - ■training,> Iters, r T ^NPaoti c s,------ GxPressi ons
were compietel
Pation" that she • • became so suggestions? As- a
1 imbued
result of this
J ui effpoievent.
effect, n.forgot" with II1 Pleasurable
r
to bo Efraia
-1 of the\ coming
Case ^f P o V7• r"
The
30drama
■ He hZd Near ,sold. object
- u
u
was a member
J been <'
Parts, but
of a loc
uow
he
v
X
ng
.
quite
well
in
sing a long
wa®.t0 star in a
script. Time was runniMPlay which S*JH supporung
schedule
running out nnd herequired memoriscrfXX
ortance
so 8re.4,“StX.;
lecXs'^o^^^ind
was
first 1 ■
built up n Xf^ng role
ther tonderoa his
J up a lot
---- 1 his
turned to
P-W. was a.----ln a,isperation.
Poor subject;
first stage"of
in fact, he
failed to enter even
. However,
and
-J kept up hypnosis
his
he was
--J exercises
-J ^agularly und
^Soe^* 5
j
i.
i
sossir
:^z
w’
/
I
f
Z' toft"011
isX;t xwer
lost ^Ost of hi 3 -•
Soss:nt^^h
he the
£,? n3
’rins
tension and was well
1
Mlaxafio"
ne wus
was? also
n'
>■
-143-
X
on
suggest!ons of
contidence,) expec-
!
I’
:
r•
• z/
'T
Ration of success, and was taught a study method in which he
studied for fifteen minute-periods which were broken up with
ten-minute rest periods devoted to listening music• He did
very well on the opening night and had no problems thereafter.
|
AUTOCONDITIONING is Dr. Hornell Hart’s method which relies
largely on ’’progressive relaxation” with suggestions being
given regardless of the presence or absence of hypnosis.
I I
UiP
** f ’if’
■
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You have seen that in most cases, the patients (subjects) are
to be trained in self-hypnosis. Thus it behoove for the operator
to be proficient in this aspect also. For this I have prepared
a special training' programme (course) Hcvz to Train others in
Self-Hypnosis. For details, please write or contact:
Secretary 5,
Indian Society of Applied Hypnosis,
61, K.B.G-. Road, Srirampuram,
Bangalore - 560 021.
G
W'
H
i -jB
4-4
s'
5
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