SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICAL SELF HYPNOSIS
"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them."
       - Albert Einstein

Many times we are kind and gentle in dealing with others, but not in dealing with ourselves. Thus, we cause ourselves needless and purposeless suffering. To make matters worse, when we have bad habits (such as smoking or overeating, or being angry too much) that we want to change, being harsh with ourselves, becomes self defeating because it makes it harder to change.

Many patients I have seen and people who have contacted me on the internet, have read a lot about self-hypnosis and tried many times to hypnotize themselves with little success. They may have felt awake, restless, and unable to enter into a hypnotic state. Some have even visited hypnosis practitioners and felt that even then they could not be hypnotized. THE PROBLEM IS THEY TRIED TOO HARD!

Hypnosis is not an effortful activity. The harder you try, the harder it becomes. The SECRET is to stop trying.

Hypnosis is effortless, concentrated attention and absorption in a simple pleasant activity, such as, just paying attention to your breathing with your eyes closed, or day dreaming about sitting beside a gurgling mountain stream, or laying on the beach.

On this website, their are several scripts for your use for getting a sense of what it feels like to enter self hypnosis.

CAUTION: It is always best however, to learn about self hypnosis by first having the experience of visiting a Clinical Hypnosis professional to have several sessions of experiencing what it feels like to be hypnotized by a competent professional, and then, to be taught how to enter and exit the hypnosis state by that professional. For a list of referrals to qualified Clinical Hypnosis Practitioners in your area, visit http://www.asch.net, the official website of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

If you meditate in prayer, this is not unlike the hypnotic trance state. When we pray, we ask God to grant us our wishes, we praise God's greatness and express our appreciation for His goodness. Then, we become absorbed in our meditation / prayer.

When we use self hypnosis, we do the same, although, we do not have to bring God into it, although if you are religious, you may wish to, as God is in everything.

So . . . . after you have learned how to enter and exit the relaxed, self hypnosis, trance state, to work with self hypnosis in a practical and efficient manner:

I. First , make up A SUGGESTION. Word it simply and positively, in the present tense.

It's like an AFFIRMATION. For Example, if you want to Stop Smoking, you might write down on an index card:

1. "I am now a non-smoker, and every day, in every way I feel better and better."

2. "I no longer need or want to smoke."

Or, a sequence of simple, meaningful suggestions like,

1. "My body is precious".

2. "I respect and take care of my body. So, I keep poison out of my body."

3. "Cigarettes are poison for my body".

4. "So, I keep cigarettes and cigarette smoke away from my precious body.

5. "I no longer smoke, and I no longer have any wish or urge, or desire to smoke."

II. After you’ve written the suggestions down on the index card, read them to yourself 5 to 6 times.

III. Then, use a self-hypnosis INDUCTION technique to relax yourself into a relaxed, meditative, quiet, contemplative state. This is how you enter self hypnosis.

While in the relaxed, self hypnosis state, do not think the suggestions. Just let your Unconscious Mind naturally and effortlessly do the work.

IV. When you have relaxed enough, alert yourself and go about your business.

BOOKS:

Two good books to read, in my honest opinion, for learning simple methods for relaxing into self hypnosis are:

1. Discovering the Power of Self Hypnosis: The Simple, Natural Mind-Body Approach to Change and Healing, Second Edition

2. Hypnotize Yourself Out Of Pain Now!