The cure of the soul has to be effected by the use of certain charms and these charms are fair words.
Socrates
Self-Hypnosis:
The Magic Doorway
One of the fastest ways to tap the great power of your inner mind is through self-hypnosis—a doorway to the tremendous storehouse of your subconscious wisdom. There is no power in the world as great as the forces in your own mind, and self-hypnosis is a direct pipeline through which you can release these powers. The person who learns the technique of self-hypnosis has discovered the secret of successful living, thus it is important that you understand hypnosis in order to use self-hypnosis most effectively.
Many people still have some very confused notions about hypnosis because of the classic fictional portrait of a bearded Svengali with his long black cape, making weird passes over the helpless subject, Trilby. Unfortunately, it is true that some stage hypnotists have perverted the purpose of hypnosis by using it to make people bark like dogs or cluck like chickens, and generally make fools of themselves. Occasionally amateurs, after learning a few basic principles of hypnosis, use it to show off at parties, and may cause harm by giving their subjects detrimental suggestions.
The danger is not in hypnosis per se, but in the application of it. Hypnosis is extremely beneficial because it is a state of very deep relaxation. In the hands of a trained professional, hypnosis can alleviate insomnia, reduce anxiety, facilitate weight loss, help overcome bad habits, and improve our lives in a great many ways. Hypnosis has an essential place in psychotherapy, where it can be used to enhance the therapeutic process, and in surgery and dentistry, where it is used for pain relief. Under hypnosis you will feel totally relaxed, calm, and peaceful, an altered state extremely beneficial to your body. Hypnosis will help you get in touch with the most profound part of your nature, the subconscious mind.
Hypnosis doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has to be in a trance, as you might think of a trance state. It is merely an extension of common states of mind, of the everyday trances all of us have from time to time when we become deeply absorbed in reverie, or preoccupied with something, oblivious to what is happening around us.
We see waking hypnosis around us every day. It is not some strange, mysterious thing limited to abnormal conditions, but a daily occurrence for all of us. In its most elementary form it’s called salesmanship; in its most profound form it can save your life. Have you ever been driving your car down the freeway and discovered you passed the exit you wanted? That’s because you were in a mild hypnotic trance, deeply absorbed in thought. Or, have you ever driven through a town and later didn’t remember having gone through it? That’s hypnotic amnesia. We drive both consciously and subconsciously. It has become such a habit that the conscious mind can be totally engaged in talking or thinking while the subconscious keeps the car on the road. Typists are familiar with this phenomenon. One can be typing material while his or her mind is engaged in thinking of several different things, because it is partly done unconsciously.
Hypnosis is simply a state of heightened suggestibility. It doesn’t necessarily involve closing your eyes and going into a trance. Any time you accept a suggestion from someone else, that’s a form of hypnosis. For instance, if I say: “You should wear your raincoat today because I think it’s going to rain,” and you do it, that’s a form of mild hypnosis because you have accepted my suggestion.
Human life could not go on without the use of hypnosis because, if no one ever accepted a suggestion from someone else, nothing would happen. Corporations pay huge fees to advertising agencies, which know the art of getting others to accept suggestions. Television commercials are filled with ideas that flow in such rapid succession, and in so many attractive forms, that observers don’t have the opportunity to use their reason; thus, the suggestions become lodged in the subconscious mind. Whenever you go out and buy a product you have seen advertised, you are responding to a hypnotic suggestion. Life would be very limited without the power of suggestion, but it is a matter of learning to accept the right suggestions—the ideas that we want to see manifested in our lives, and also dehypnotizing ourselves to the negative suggestions we have already accepted.
Contrary to popular belief, no one can hypnotize you if you are unwilling because, in the final analysis, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. No one has any special power that you do not possess yourself. A hypnotist is merely a person who has learned a technique for helping you to contact your own subconscious mind. But you must be willing to go along with the suggestions, or they won’t work. If you are willing to play the part of the subject and allow someone else to play the part of the operator, you can be hypnotized. The ability to be hypnotized is not some mysterious, magical thing; it’s really very easy and simple, and anyone who is willing to try can achieve it. Hypnosis is a matter of degree. Some people make excellent subjects right from the beginning and can go very deeply into the trance state, but others may require some training. Hypnosis is a learned ability; if you wish to become a good subject, you can be trained to achieve a deep trance state. The important thing to remember is that the power to be hypnotized does not lie with the hypnotist; it lies with the subject.
Hypnosis is imagination, not willpower. It’s not a matter of domination or being weak-willed. Hypnosis is a matter of concentration and the willingness to accept suggestions, and has nothing whatsoever to do with willpower. In fact, highly intelligent, creative people tend to be the best hypnotic subjects. Doctors Ernest and Josephine Hilgard, through research in the Psychology department at Stanford University, discovered that university students who have a history of, and a capability for, a high degree of imaginative involvement make excellent subjects. “By imaginative involvement,” say the Hilgards, “is meant an absorption in some kind of fantasy so real that ordinary reality is set aside; the experience is felt as actually being lived, and is savored as such. The scientist who enjoys science fiction, without any detriment to his or her career as a critical scientist, furnishes an illustration of this flexibility. The areas of involvement differ from person to person, such as reading, music, religion, an aesthetic interest in nature, extensive daydreaming, some forms of physical activity, such as skiing, skin-diving, cave-exploring, any of these areas may provide a preparation for and a path into hypnotic experience.” Creative people, who have highly developed imaginations, are excellent subjects for hypnosis. Youngsters are also very responsive to hypnosis because their imagination is less restrained and rigid than their elders.
Most people find self-hypnosis relatively easy to master, but others require more practice. It may be helpful for you to be put into a hypnotic trance by a professional person first because, once the state has been experienced, it’s easier to do it yourself. Although people fear giving up control to another person, the fact is that hypnosis will not rob you of your willpower, nor diminish your self-control. No one can force you to be hypnotized, nor can he or she make you do something under hypnosis that you don’t want to do. If you are told to do something that is objectionable to you, you will simply sit there and do nothing, or you will open your eyes and come out of the trance.
I once told a man under hypnosis that the glass of water I handed him was a caffeinated soft drink. His eyes remained closed, but he would not take a sip of the water. He later revealed that he was a member of a church that did not allow drinking any beverage containing caffeine. There is something operating within us that protects us from acting on suggestions that are contrary to our nature; otherwise, we would buy every product that advertisers pitch on television. Even so, you should never allow yourself to be hypnotized by a person who does not fully understand the incredible forces that are being dealt with under hypnosis. If you seek help for an emotional problem, carefully check the background and credentials of the hypnotist, who should be someone licensed in the healing arts, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, marriage and family counselor (certified in some states, such as California, to practice hypnosis), or clinical social worker.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no loss of consciousness in hypnosis. The subject is actually acutely aware, even in the deepest stages. If the demonstration is before a group, the subject is conscious of the fact that he or she is being observed. During a class demonstration, a hypnotist once placed me in a state of catalepsy in order to be suspended in a horizontal position between two chairs, my body supported only by my head and feet. I had just had my hair styled in a French bun that morning, and one of the men who lifted my rigid body into position accidentally knocked my head and ruined the hairstyle. I was wholly aware of this—and was a little disturbed by it—but it didn’t interfere with the trance.
It is often difficult for most people to tell when they have achieved the hypnotic state. The transition from the conscious to the trance state is so gradual, and the psychological and physiological evidence of change so subtle, it is practically impossible, especially when using self-hypnosis, to determine which state exists at any given moment. It is entirely possible for a person to go into a trance with one’s eyes wide open—and remain open during the trance. It is certainly possible to talk, although one’s speech is usually slowed down. Some individuals experience sensations in hypnosis such as floating, disassociation from their bodies, lightheadedness, tingling, heaviness of the limbs, and so forth; but others notice very little difference. For example, I have hypnotized people to stop smoking who felt nothing had actually taken place during the session, and thought the hypnosis hadn’t worked, but who never smoked another cigarette again.
Another myth is that a hypnotized person is asleep. Although the induction procedure usually contains such suggestions as “you are feeling very sleepy and tired,” what the subject achieves is a “sleep-resembling” state, but not actual sleep. The subject has to be sufficiently awake to hear the instructions of the hypnotist and, if he or she actually falls asleep, the instructions will not be carried out. Although the muscles are loose and relaxed during hypnosis, the brain is acutely concentrated, and the subject focuses on what the hypnotist says to a very high degree. Occasionally, the subject will go into a light sleep under hypnosis. Studies have shown that hypnosis is still effective because the suggestions of the hypnotist will go directly into the subject’s subconscious mind. If imagery work is used, however, such as having an overweight woman imagine herself slim, it is better for the subject to be awake to participate in the visualization.
Another misconception about hypnosis is that there is a complete loss of memory of everything that has occurred while in a trance. This happens very infrequently and usually only when the hypnotist has given the subject the direct suggestion that there will be amnesia regarding what has taken place. Under ordinary circumstances, a subject is aware of everything that is said, and able to recall it.
One of the great fears of many people is that they will reveal all their deep, dark secrets under hypnosis. Since hypnotic subjects are completely aware of their surroundings, they would no more betray a confidence, or embarrass themselves, than if they were wide awake in front of the same people. Subjects do not volunteer information under hypnosis; if a question should prove embarrassing, they will simply sit there and say nothing. An alert hypnotist will spot the resistance and change the suggestion.
People often wonder what would happen if the hypnotist dies, or walks away and never comes back while a subject is under hypnosis? Though this is extremely unlikely, the subject will merely awaken spontaneously when ready. Very infrequently, a subject will not open his or her eyes when instructed to do so by the hypnotist. This is no cause for alarm; usually the person is simply tired and enjoying the rest. Given the suggestion that five minutes of hypnotic “sleep” is equal to five hours of real sleep, the person will awaken completely refreshed after five minutes. Or, the subject can simply be allowed to awaken whenever he or she wants. In self-hypnosis, you will give yourself a prearranged signal to awaken at a certain time, or after counting to a certain number.
The secret involved in hypnosis, including self-hypnosis, is an inner agreement with one’s self. You must consciously cooperate in the process and be as open and receptive as possible. If you are thinking: “This isn’t going to work,” you lessen the efficacy of the process. If, on the other hand, you completely accept that you are going to be successful, your subconscious mind will accept it also. Affirming to yourself that what is being suggested is really happening, leads to conviction.
A trained hypnotist is able to determine how deeply hypnotized a subject is by observing the bodily signs carefully, or by making certain tests, such as locking the subject’s fingers together or questioning him or her with prearranged finger signals. Certain phenomena are characteristic of each of the three basic stages of hypnosis, although individual responses may vary.
Lethargy is the first and lightest stage of hypnosis, characterized by muscular relaxation and dormancy of the senses.
The second stage is Catalepsy. It is usually produced by a sharp clap of the hands or another kind of loud noise in the ears of a lethargic subject. In this state the subject is characterized by a statuesque immobility. The muscles are rigid, not relaxed, and will remain in the most difficult postures for hours without apparent fatigue. Hypnotists who perform for entertainment often demonstrate this stage by stretching the subject across the top of two chairs, suspended by only the back of their neck and ankles. Then, to prove that it’s not just playacting, they have one or two people sit on the subject’s stomach, and they will remain rigid.
Somnambulism is the deepest stage of hypnosis. This state results in an increased activity of the senses. It is the stage at which the wonders of hypnosis manifest. People are able to produce phenomena that they could not possibly duplicate while in their normal, waking state. These are such phenomena as tremendous feats of memory, super strength, acuity in hearing, etc., sometimes reported in the news media. For example, you may have heard about the 110-pound mother who lifted a Volkswagen with one hand and pulled her trapped son from beneath it with the other hand. Under normal conditions she would have been incapable of this kind of strength, but at that moment of panic her rational mind could not tell her she was unable to lift a car, so she tapped directly into her subconscious mind and found the ability inherent within her. This was a state of self-induced hypnosis. This is what hypnosis demonstrates: that there are virtually limitless capabilities within all of us if we only learn how to tap the wisdom of the subconscious mind.
The reason hypnosis works is because of the following four principles:
1. Imagination is more powerful than willpower.
In any battle between the will and the imagination, the imagination always wins. If you imagine something under hypnosis, even though your reason is telling you it isn’t so, you will produce the effect. Using this principle, you should employ your imagination, not your reason, if you want to achieve something. For instance, if you want to lose a few pounds and are offered a delicious dish of ice cream, you should immediately imagine how attractive and happy you will be when you reach your weight goal, rather than trying to use willpower to argue against accepting the dessert. If, instead, you begin to imagine how good the ice cream will taste, and then attempt to use your willpower to resist the temptation, you will be defeated.
2. Imagination is more powerful than reason.
This principle has led many normal, rational people to blindly follow a despot or dictator because their imagination overpowered their reason. This is why the con artist is successful: he or she manipulates people’s imagination. It is also why we sometimes fall in love with someone our reason tells us is totally wrong for us, but something about them has captured our imagination (our fantasy), and we are overcome by it.
3. Only one idea can be entertained by the mind at any given time.
If a hypnotist tells you that your hands are stuck tightly together, either you must affirm to yourself that they are, or think: “No, they are not.” Conflicting ideas cannot be held at one and the same time, thus, to be successful in hypnosis, you must not resist the suggestion given.
4. Any imagined condition will become real if persisted in, provided only that it is logical.
The subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between an idea that is strongly imagined and something actually happening in the outer world. That is why hypnosis and imaging work. After the hypnotic suggestion has incubated, it will begin to manifest itself in your life, provided only that the suggestion is logical.
Inducing Self-Hypnosis
The first requirement for inducing self-hypnosis is to get into a relaxed position. Sit in a comfortable chair, hands loosely on your lap, legs uncrossed, and feet flat on the floor. Adjust any uncomfortable clothing, such as a tight belt. Focus your eyes on a point near the ceiling. Almost any object will do, but be sure it is above eye level since this puts a small strain on the eyes and makes it easier to close them. As you focus on this object, say to yourself: “My eyelids are becoming heavier and heavier. Soon they will be so heavy that they will close, and I will be totally relaxed.” Pay close attention to your eyelids and, as you repeat the sentences to yourself, you will feel the desire to close your eyes. Don’t resist the urge; just allow your eyes to close when you are ready.
As an alternative, you can count from one to ten, closing your eyes on the even numbers and opening them on the odd ones. Your eyes should stay closed by the time you get to ten; if not, simply begin your count again. As your eyes close, it is a good idea to use a key phrase, such as “relax now,” to deepen the state. This phrase should be repeated very slowly three times. This will become your trigger for inducing the state again and should be used each time. If you wish, you can use the “Relaxation Process” in Appendix A to bring your entire body into a state of deep relaxation after you close your eyes by putting this suggestion on tape, and playing it while relaxing.
The next step is to choose a way to induce increased, deep muscular relaxation. A common image used by hypnotists is the suggestion of going down in an elevator, while counting the floors from one to ten. If you are afraid of elevators, you can use an escalator or staircase. I usually find, however, that by giving the suggestion to subjects that “this is a very safe elevator, perfectly safe in every way,” even those who dislike elevators are not averse to riding it in their imagination. You can count the floors one to ten, or backwards from ten to one, just as though you were going down into the basement of a large department store. The idea of going down into the subconscious is a universally used symbol. Going up symbolizes the conscious mind; going down is, of course, associated with going deeper.
As you begin your slow descent and accompanying count of the floors you pass, repeat phrases to yourself that indicate relaxing, getting sleepy and tired, going deeper and deeper. In your mind’s eye, see the numbers on the elevator indicator taking you further and further down. When you arrive at the bottom floor, imagine the elevator door opening to a room that has a big, soft, comfortable bed in it. You walk over to the bed, stretch out on it, and go into a hypnotic sleep. As you lie down on the bed, say to yourself: “I am now in a very pleasant hypnotic sleep, and I will stay in this state until I come back up the elevator.” (Or, until you count to ten, or until whatever prearranged signal.)
You will now be at least lightly in hypnosis and, after practice, will be able to achieve a deep state. If you feel that you are not completely relaxed while lying in the bed, imagine some other scene of relaxation—lying on the grass under a tree on a warm, summer day, or sitting by a placid lake, or even relaxing in a hot bath. Use any image that conveys to you the idea of becoming more deeply relaxed.
While you are in a state of hypnosis, time may seem to pass very quickly. Sometimes it seems as though you’ve been in the state for an hour or so although it’s actually only been fifteen minutes. You may even drop off into a light sleep if you are tired. You can avoid this by taking a sitting, not reclining, position and by giving yourself suggestions that you will remain awake. It is crucial to be awake in self-hypnosis because you have to give yourself suggestions. You can also give yourself a posthypnotic suggestion that you will awaken fully at a specific time so that you control the length of time you remain under hypnosis. This is the technique many people use to nap for exactly half an hour, and always wake up at the designated time.
In your initial sessions, you must allow yourself at least a half-hour for induction and suggestions. After you become proficient at self-hypnosis, you should be able to put yourself under in as little as five minutes, then take another ten minutes or so for your suggestions.
After you have given yourself the suggestion that you are now in a hypnotic sleep, test the depth of the hypnotic state, and practice accepting a suggestion you make to yourself. A good initial test is the “stuck eyelids test.” With your eyes closed, say to yourself: “I am going to count to five; at the count of five, my eyelids will be stuck tightly together, and I will be unable to open them until I am ready to wake up.” Then repeat something similar to the following:
1. My eyelids are now sticking tightly together, and I am unable to open them.
2. The harder I try, the tighter the lids will stick together.
3. My eyelids are now stuck tightly together, just as though there were a thick, heavy glue on them locking them together; and I cannot open my eyes until I’m ready to come out of my hypnotic state.
4. In a moment I am going to try to open my eyelids, but I will not be able to do so because they are locked so tightly together. It is impossible to open them; the harder I try, the more they resist.
5. Tight, tight, locked tight; and I cannot open my eyes until I am ready to wake up.
Now, try to open your eyes. If the test is successful, your eyelids will stay closed no matter how hard you try to open them. The principle involved here is that you cannot think two conflicting thoughts at the same time. As long as you strongly believe that you cannot open your eyes, it will be quite impossible to open them. In accepting your suggestion, your subconscious blocks the nerve impulses from reaching the muscles of your eyelids, so they will not move.
Some people may not like to use this test since the thought of not being able to open their eyes is frightening, even though they’re in control. If you feel this way, use a similar test, the “hand-clasp test.” Before entering hypnosis, interlock your fingers in a comfortable position in your lap. After the induction process, give yourself the same type of suggestions used for stuck eyelids, but substitute “stuck hands.” As you lock your hands together, squeeze your palms tightly, and visualize a thick, heavy glue locking them in this position. Either of these tests will deepen hypnosis.
If you fail the test, give yourself further suggestions to deepen the relaxation, such as, “As I lie here relaxing, I am going deeper and deeper and becoming more and more relaxed. Physical comfort exists, and my subconscious mind has slowed down my breathing and pulse rate as I relax even deeper. I am becoming an excellent hypnotic subject, and my subconscious mind is responding to all my suggestions. Now I am drifting down more and more rapidly and becoming more drowsy and tired. I am now going into a very pleasant hypnotic sleep.” You can also use a hand signal, such as saying to yourself: “When my index finger rises, I will then be in a deep hypnotic trance.” Then wait for your subconscious mind to carry out this order.
Once you are in a hypnotic state, tell yourself: “My subconscious mind is now totally open and receptive to everything I am saying. It will carry out all of my instructions because this is what I consciously desire.” At this point you should begin giving yourself direct, positive suggestions for whatever you wish. Appendix B includes a sample induction talk you can use as a guide for constructing suggestions to stop smoking, lose weight, gain self-confidence, or whatever it is that you want to work on through self-hypnosis.
It’s a good idea to write out your suggestions in advance so that they are exact. You must be very careful not to program your subconscious mind with incorrect suggestions. A beginner should always carefully edit his or her ideas and follow the rules outlined in the chapter on visualization (see page 145). Suggestions can be abbreviated into a key word, such as “healthy,” “slender,” or “confident” when you are in a hurry and don’t have sufficient time for the entire program. Or, you can condense the idea into one sentence, such as: “I am now rapidly losing weight.”
Repetition is the main rule in giving effective suggestions. Repeat your suggestions at least three times to be sure they penetrate your subconscious mind. Certainly, advertisers are aware of this principle; television commercials are repeated over and over again so that the conscious mind becomes bored with them and ceases to pay attention. At that point the commercial goes directly into the subconscious without hindrance.
Mental imagery should be added to your positive suggestions, because the subconscious thinks in pictures. The visualization technique is discussed fully in chapter 5 (see page 67). Suffice to say that you should, in your mind’s eye, see yourself being slender, acting confidently, passing an exam, or whatever you are working on. The visual image should always represent the desired result. It’s best to work on no more than two suggestions at one time so that your energy doesn’t become scattered over too wide a field. Or, you can work on one objective for a week and then switch to another while your subconscious mind begins carrying out the first suggestions.
When you are ready to awaken from your hypnotic state, say to yourself: “I will easily be able to carry out all the suggestions I have given myself. The next time I do this, I will be able to go even deeper, very quickly. I will now count from one to five (or whatever your prearranged awakening signal is). At the count of five, I will awaken, completely refreshed and rejuvenated, full of energy, and feeling wonderful in every way!”
Theory of Hypnosis
Ideas are conceived in the conscious part of the mind, which turns them over to the subconscious. The subconscious responds to the idea and begins carrying it out. The conscious mind produces the impression, while the subconscious produces the expression. It is always the conscious mind that determines what is to be done, and the subconscious furnishes the power with which to do it. You, the soul, have the ability to think the thought, to make the decision, to create an idea, but you do not have the power to carry it out.
For example, if you wish to raise your hand to ask a question in class, you can consciously make the decision, but you don’t know how to move the muscles involved in that act. The subconscious does the work, and you know nothing about how it operates, all you can consciously do is originate the idea.
Under hypnosis, the conscious mind relinquishes its originative ability for the time being, and turns that over to the hypnotist. The hypnotist then temporarily becomes the originator for the individual, and thinks up the idea that the subject’s subconscious will carry out. Thus, under hypnosis we form what may be termed a “composite personality” between two individuals, acting together as one (see Figure 6, below).
Figure 6. Composite Personality of Hypnosis.
Remember that the subconscious mind can function only deductively, as explained in chapter 3 on “Reprogramming Your Mind.” It has absolutely no power to reason, analyze, judge, select, negate, or disagree with any idea that is given to it. Ideas must be selected at the conscious level because, once a concept is accepted by the conscious mind, it penetrates the subconscious and remains there permanently, regardless of whether it is true or false, right or wrong. The simple secret of lodging an idea into the subconscious is this: If it’s logical, it lodges; and if it lodges, you’re hooked! Now, logical does not necessarily mean true. It simply means that the idea cannot be refuted by the present knowledge of the conscious part of the mind, and thus it is accepted, sinks into the subconscious, and becomes a part of the person’s psychic fabric.
Since the subconscious cannot reject or negate ideas given to it by the conscious mind, if you keep telling your subconscious that this or that is harmful to you, and may cause you to eventually have a heart attack, or develop cancer, or whatever destructive idea you give it, it will eventually begin carrying out your order. If you repeatedly tell your subconscious mind that you are inadequate, fearful, incompetent, unable to succeed financially, and so forth, it will accommodate you and obey your order.
If the subconscious could reject certain ideas, and select only those for our health and growth, we would never be sick, we would never fail, and we would always be happy, healthy, competent individuals, but we would not have any free will. We would all be basically the same, because the subconscious would select only constructive, positive ideas, and reject the rest. This, however, is not the function of the subconscious mind. The soul (conscious mind) must be in charge of the personality, and it is the job of the soul to select the correct, positive, healthy ideas it wants to see manifested in our lives.
When under hypnosis, you are contacting directly your subconscious mind, and it will not argue with the ideas you give it. For example, if you should tell a person under hypnosis when the subconscious is laid bare, that she has super strength, or will not feel any pain when you put a needle in her arm, Spirit will not question it, and will carry out the suggestion. The one function of the subconscious is to express the ideas that it has been given, and it never objects nor reasons upon what is said, but willingly accepts and obeys.
Ideas that get into the subconscious can come either from other people, or they may originate in the individual’s own conscious mind. The important thing to remember is that ideas or concepts are lodged in every person’s subconscious and, if they are of a negative character, they will sooner or later cause trouble in the individual’s physical and emotional life. The subconscious mind is the power behind the throne; it is the source of dynamic energy in a person’s life. It receives the impressions of the thoughts and desires of the conscious mind, and expresses them inevitably in the physical organism, and in the character and life of the person. The subconscious is the great inner world from which all things proceed. What is programmed there is what governs our lives!
Dr. Thurman Fleet, founder of Concept-Therapy says: “To an extent greater than you have ever dreamed, you get from life exactly what you expect innately. Your subconscious power arranges your affairs and draws to you exactly those things and conditions that you have thought about and visualized in your conscious thinking. What you are now, your position in life, is the result of past thought. There is no such thing as chance. You have visualized a certain mode of life and thought about it to such an extent that you have directed your subconscious power to manifest it for you.” Thus, if you want to know what you’ve been asking for, look at what you’ve got. If you don’t like it, you have the power to change it, by the very same process through which it originally became manifest.
Remember, the great Creative Power Within does not think. It has no power to reason. It cannot of itself act, but must be set in motion either from your own thought or from an impression gained from others. The techniques for transformation presented here show how you may consciously direct Spirit properly, so you can change your whole life for the better. Not only can you change your environment or your financial condition, you can even alter the state of your physical and mental health.
Remember always that the subconscious is your servant. You are the originator of ideas, and all that is required is for you to conceive positive ideas instead of negative ones. By holding these concepts in your mind constantly, they will gradually sink down into your subconscious, and then will manifest in your life. You become a creator in your own right, and create positive thoughts that, in time, will be brought into being.
So far as we know this Creative Power Within is limitless. What you really desire and confidently expect, you will receive. Therefore, use this power intelligently. Think positive, constructive thoughts, and never entertain negative, destructive ideas. If you desire something in your life that is constructive and proper for you to have, then visualize it, and you will find in time it will come to you. Repeat daily the mental picture or the suggestion and, if this is persisted in without entertaining doubts, that something will surely come to you. Your only limitations are your own thoughts—you have no other limitations!
To summarize the main points in this chapter:
1. Write out your suggestions so that they are accurate and exact.
2. Symbolize the suggestions with a key word (conditioned response).
3. Read your suggestions aloud before hypnotizing yourself, to set them in your mind.
4. Select a quiet place where you can spend an uninterrupted fifteen to thirty minutes each day practicing self-hypnosis.
5. Seat yourself in a comfortable chair with your hands resting in your lap and your legs uncrossed.
6. Fix your eyes on a spot above eye level. As you are staring at this spot, relax your body and tell yourself repeatedly that your eyelids are getting very, very heavy, and that they will soon close and stay closed until you are ready to come out of the hypnotic state.
7. With your eyes closed, talk to yourself about becoming more relaxed. Start at the top of your head and relax every muscle down to your feet, or work in a reverse pattern. Begin with your key phrase, “relax now.”
8. Visualize a restful scene, such as lying down on the soft grass in the woods, taking a hot bath, going down in an elevator to the tenth floor, and stretching out in a comfortable bed.
9. Give yourself a triggering cue, such as raising your index finger to indicate to yourself that you are now in hypnosis. When this occurs, say to yourself, “I am now in deep hypnosis.”
10. Visualize the outcome of your suggestion, using as much sensory input as possible. For example, visualize yourself at your desired weight and wearing clothes that will fit you at that size. Visualize other people telling you how good you look.
11. Give yourself direct, positive suggestions that you are now doing what you want to do and being what you want to become.
12. Work on only one, or at most two, suggestions within one session.
13. Before giving the signal to awaken, tell yourself that you will carry out all the suggestions you have made and that you will go even deeper into hypnosis the next time. Remind yourself that you will feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and energetic upon awakening.
14. Practice the art of self-hypnosis every day to become an adept practitioner.
This method of self-hypnosis, if applied diligently, will help you to achieve your desired goals in life. Excellent progress in self-development can be made by anyone who is willing to take the time to form a relationship with his or her subconscious mind. You have the power; all you need to do is apply it!
Hypnosis is the key to a happier life and the means whereby we can contact our higher self. This Great Power within us stands ready to serve our every need, if only we will call upon it. By means of this technique, you can set your goals and reach them, and learn how to gain information from your subconscious mind you are not consciously aware of. In ancient Greece there was an inscription over the Temple of Delphos that simply stated: “Know Thyself.” Hypnosis is a means whereby one can come into contact with the deepest part of oneself, and thereby live a much fuller life.