Tim Phizackerley had been a full-time, UK-based hypnotherapist for several years when he created PSTEC (percussive suggestion technique). Previously, he had specialised in various therapeutic areas using hypnosis, including resolving bulimic and anorexic behaviour. It is recognised that these are some of the toughest issues to ‘crack’ using conventional therapy methods.
Tim developed new techniques to assist him in dealing with these exceptionally demanding issues. This is one reason why he created the ‘PSTEC™ audios’, which we will explain in a minute.
Before coming to hypnosis, Tim was a professional programmer and computer analyst. While working in the computer programming field, one of his interests was writing computer programs of an artificially intelligent nature for applications such as chess, draughts, or the interpretation of language.
Tim had always been conscious that the human mind is the product of evolutionary processes. At its core lies an organic computer. The one thing which absolutely all computers have in common is that they run programs. As he delved deeper into the mechanisms underlying hypnosis, he recognised certain things about the interaction between the conscious and subconscious mind that he believed could open the door to literally reprogramming the human subconscious computer in new and innovative ways.
At the beginning, Tim never expected to be applying what he knew about artificial intelligence, or computer programming, to working with people, but fate seemed to have hypnotherapy, and hypnosis, in mind for him, along with applications like PSTEC. As it happens, hypnosis, and PSTEC, have played a pivotal role in encouraging a full recovery from a medical crisis of a close member of his family. Since then he has used hypnosis and PSTEC for various emergencies and it has been of tremendous value to his family, as well as his clients.
PSTEC audios combine a variety of existing and well-known psychological principles presented in a highly focused and very specific way. These techniques include ‘pattern interrupting’ and associative conditioning, and also suggestion. These particular techniques have been extensively studied by psychologists* and all have been previously applied with varying levels of success in a number of therapeutic methodologies. Other therapies, such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) tend to use only one approach or principle at any given time, whereas PSTEC blends multiple methods in extremely rapid and highly interwoven combinations. The specific mix of these and other components, together with precision timing, careful integration and minute attention to detail in the formulation of the PSTEC audios, is what sets PSTEC apart from other ways of changing beliefs and emotional states.
In simple terms, the intricate composition of the PSTEC audio ‘click tracks’ provides a very powerful and repetitive delivery of these techniques and a number of others.
As well as suggesting new outcomes, the basic PSTEC click tracks overlay emotionally neutral states on what would have been emotionally charged thoughts, or memories. Because the old automatic responses have been interrupted, the mind is able to quickly accept the new suggested outcomes, and this usually provides a rapid and lasting release from any problem feeling or negative emotion.
PSTEC is not a passive exercise so it is important to follow the instructions completely. You will be listening to the voice of Tim Phizackerley on the audio tracks together with two click beat tracks, and also a tone track. There is a click beat track for the fingers of your right hand to tap along to and another, different click beat track for the fingers of your left hand to tap along to. Finally, the third track has no clicks; it is simply a tone, and when you hear that you tap along with the fingers of both hands.
Initially, Tim created two free PSTEC click tracks that could be listened to alternatively. The choice of tracks helps to keep the subconscious from becoming too familiar to any one set of tapping instructions so you can use them alternatively, or occasionally switch tracks to add variety.
Many people have used the free click tracks to resolve and release a wide variety of issues with great success. In recent years, Tim has gone on to create and develop additional optional PSTEC tracks, often to address specific issues, as well as PSTEC tracks to embed positive changes. A complete listing with full descriptions is available in the ‘PSTEC turbo charge your results’ section of this book (see page 44).
To download the free PSTEC click tracks go to www.your7simplesteps.com and click on the PSTEC tab.
This amazing technique is deceptively simple. The basic free PSTEC click tracks can be used for almost anything. Many people have utilised these tracks to clear tremendous amounts of trauma without having to spend any money at all.
When using PSTEC the important thing to remember is that you need to be ‘in the emotion’. Use the SUD scale to check the intensity of the experience and get it as high on the scale as you possibly can. Try getting it up to a 10 out of 10. Remember, when working on your own it is important to consider your mental wellbeing and build up your confidence and resilience by practising using PSTEC on issues that are not emotionally overwhelming. So, begin on less important issues. For instance if you are struggling with an issue with someone who is very important in your life you will need to practise and experiment with PSTEC prior to tackling that issue. Begin perhaps by focusing on a person who is more peripheral in your life. This could be a co-worker; or you could focus on a trivial incidence in a shop or on public transport and work on the emotions that experience engenders first. Run the click track remembering to stay in the emotion as you listen and interact. It is vital to concentrate only on the experience you started with. Tempting as it may be, do not allow your mind to drift off on to any other experiences.
Before you start working with PSTEC we suggest you make a list of the issues you have with your body, and with food, that make you uncomfortable. Include any experiences, either old or recent, that may have had an impact on how you view yourself or how you view food.
Here are a few suggestions to prompt you to come up with your own:
Choose an experience that feels uncomfortable for you. Ask yourself, ‘Does this feel familiar?’ If it does, allow your mind to gently drift back to an earlier memory of the same, familiar feeling. Let yourself be there so that you can see what you saw then, and feel what you felt then. You may be able to track that familiar feeling back several times to a very early memory, or perhaps even to the first time you felt those feelings.
Once you are fully there, seeing and feeling those same old, familiar feelings, score it on the SUD scale from zero to 10.
Go to a place where you won’t be disturbed. Turn off your phone, and make yourself comfortable. Don’t lie down as you might find you drop off to sleep, and that would not be helpful!
Listening to the PSTEC click tracks over headphones is best. The voice-over will talk you through the process at the beginning of the track, giving you all the instructions you need, so make sure you listen to this carefully.
It is a confusing and demanding process, so commit to doing the best you can. Hold the thought or memory that you are working on in your mind.
When the track has finished, revisit the experience in your mind and see how high the intensity is now. Does the SUD scale register a reduction in intensity? Don’t be alarmed if it hasn’t shifted at all. Although this is very rare, just run the click track through again, ensuring that you are really tapping in to your emotions. It often helps to sip from a glass of water. Continue listening, and interacting with the click tracks until the intensity is down to zero.
It is important to remember that you must not switch your attention to another experience at any time while running the track – just retain your focus and keep working on your experience until it has no emotional charge at all.
Clear out those old negatives memories one by one, and notice how different you begin to feel. You may notice that you’re feeling lighter and happier, and in many cases your old eating patterns will start to change for the better.
Please note: ‘Reminder statements’ are the short phrases you say out loud while tapping each point when working with emotional freedom technique (EFT). When you are working with percussive suggestion technique (PSTEC) ‘reminder statements’ should NOT be used since this can be counterproductive for some people. For anyone who feels they really need a reminder to help them stay focused on their issue, then a single word reminder is okay, such as this anger, or this disappointment.
It is possible to undertake an impressive amount of therapeutic work using just the free PSTEC audio tracks. However, there is so much more to the amazing PSTEC process than just the free click tracks. Tim Phizackerley has created additional, powerful, dedicated click tracks to turbo-charge your results, as well as click tracks which focus on specific issues.
Additional click tracks are individually available for a small fee. It is your choice to work with just the free click tracks or to invest in buying optional tracks as you work through your issues. As you begin to recognise the amazing changes you can make with the free PSTEC click tracks, you can choose to add additional tracks to speed your work or embed positive changes.
The accelerator tracks can make PSTEC work better and even faster. They can stimulate recall so that you are able to clear more problems. They are almost essential for longer-term use to ensure your subconscious does not become familiar with the order of clicks and tones in the two free click tracks.
Extra-strong click tracks are also available for issues that are particularly resistant to releasing, such as negative feelings or emotions that have been experienced for a long period of time, or have multiple sources. (These tracks are also available as part of the level one package.)
This includes additional guidance on how best to work with the PSTEC tracks as well as the ‘PSTEC Positive’ track to help shift your limiting beliefs and EEF’s extra-powerful click tracks too. (Limiting beliefs and how they impact on your life and issues around weight are fully explored later in the book on page 55).
PSTEC positive tracks are the perfect technique to embed specific positive changes into your subconscious mind. (Also available as part of level one package.)
This technique works extraordinarily well in making emotional shifts to release memories, or events around a specific theme. If there is a strong thematic link to periods of your life, or you notice repetitions of destructive patterns in weight loss and weight gain, then you can turbo charge your results by using one of the optional PSTEC click tracks. PSTEC Cascade Release was created for working with associated events, memories or conclusions you have about yourself that keep you stuck and no longer serve you. It enables you to resolve and release numerous events, or memories, simultaneously around common themes. It works on the subconscious mind completely differently from the other PSTEC tools and so with this technique you’ll find you can even work where there are no feelings and no known memories.
An example of this could be working through the patterns of weight gain you experience when in a long-term relationship. It’s quite common to gain weight while in a settled relationship and that pattern would be an ideal theme to resolve with PSTEC Cascade Release. You might have many memories of staying in during the evening and how the cooking and eating of food plays an important bonding, or reward/treat-type role in your relationship. Another example of a theme may be around eating and work. Perhaps you often overeat when stressed at work? Again, this pattern of behaviour could be released successfully using this technique. Just use the many memories you have of rushing lunch at your desk or grazing on snacks all afternoon and your subconscious mind will do the rest.
This variant adds extra power to PSTEC Positive and provides essential variety. It is important with all click tracks that your subconscious does not become too familiar with the order of any of the clicks and tones.
Tim Phizackerley has produced two highly effective click tracks developed to specifically deal with food and drink cravings. They are designed to break addictions to junk foods and sugary drinks. The compulsion to consume these items is replaced with suggestions to eat healthier alternatives.
Go to www.your7simplesteps.com and click on the PSTEC Turbo Charge for a complete listing and description of all the PSTEC optional tools.
* Anyone wishing to know about ‘anchors’ should read about the Nobel Prize winning research of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. An anchor is a modern name for the neurological connections he both discovered and studied which relate to conditioned responses. ‘Pattern interrupts’ interfere with conditioned neurological responses in order to open up new possibilities. They are used widely in NLP. For a reasonably clear explanation of pattern interrupts, Edward de Bono’s classic book Mechanism of Mind is a good place to begin.