Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis
"Most of my work is not hypnotizing people, but rather, dehypnotizing them. A great many people walk around in a kind of hypnotic state already."
Dr. Joshua David Stone

By
Dr. Joshua David Stone

Hypnosis and self hypnosis are incredibly misunderstood in our society. Hypnosis to the ordinary person has a very negative stigma, caused by a misuse of the tool by the stage hypnotists and misinformation perpetuated by the media.

Hypnosis is actually a very common incident which occurs to each of us throughout our day. As I mentioned previously, every time you are a victim or are on automatic pilot you are in hypnosis. Every time you let the subconscious mind run you, you are in hypnosis. Every time another person's thoughts or feelings affect you, you are in a subtle state of hypnosis.

When you go to sleep at night you go through stages of hypnosis. When you read a book, watch television or drive your car, you go into hypnosis. A person who is a victim instead of a master of his life lives most of his life in hypnosis.

Hypnosis can be described in a number of ways. It is relaxation. It is suggestibility. It is allowing yourself to be a victim in the controlled, protected setting of a qualified hypnotherapist's office. Hypnosis occurs when the subconscious mind is running the conscious mind when we are doing things by habit, daydreaming, fantasizing, or on automatic pilot.

Hypnosis is not bad. It is a normal state that we go in and out of every day. It becomes dangerous only when we are not consciously choosing or controlling, or in some way monitoring, guiding and directing the process. The term "hypnosis" is usually thought of in terms of a hypnotist hypnotizing another person. In reality, there is no hypnosis except self hypnosis. If you were in my office and I were to give you suggestions to relax, the only effect they would have is the effect you, the patient, would let them have. I, as the hypnotherapist, cannot force suggestions into your mind.

Remember, you cause your own reality. I don't cause your reality unless you let me, so in reality you are hypnotizing yourself by allowing yourself to accept my suggestions. A person cannot be hypnotized against his personal power or will.

Let me give another example. Let's say that we have a chance meeting at the market. Imagine that I am someone you really admire, to whom you have given, psychologically, your power. I tell you that you don't look so well, as though you might have the flu. If you don't have your power, your bubble of protection up, and your discriminating mind functioning, my suggestions will go right into your subconscious mind. Ten minutes after I leave you will start feeling sick.

I will have unintentionally programmed you to be sick. Maybe what I said was just an inaccurate observation. If you believe it and let it in, it will become your reality even though it wasn't true. This kind of thing happens all the time.

If someone judges or criticizes you and you feel hurt and rejected, you have been negatively hypnotized. You let another person be the programmer of your emotions. Most of my work as a counselor is not to hypnotize people but to dehypnotize people. Many people are living in hypnosis, and I am trying to get them out of it.

People would be much more open to hypnosis if it were called by a different name. If it were called deep relaxation, guided imagery, meditation or biofeedback people wouldn't be so wary.

Another myth about hypnosis is that we lose total control. The classic fear is that someone will program us to rob a bank, have sex with them, or some other crazy thing. It is important to understand that ninety five percent of the time when people are hypnotized they are aware of what is going on.

Secondly, you will never do anything that goes against your moral or ethical values. A good example of this is a stage show where a suggestion is given to five people under hypnosis that they are naked. Two of the people go and hide behind the piano, not wanting the audience to see them. The other three are strutting around unembarrassed.

Why? The same suggestion was given to all five. Each person responded according to his programming. The two behind the piano had programming of being shy about their bodies while the other three were very extroverted about exhibiting theirs.

If you program a sane person to rob a bank, he won't do it. If you hypnotized a sociopathic, psychopathic killer and gave him this suggestion, he might do it. This is not something a sane person would do. It is possible to pull yourself out of hypnosis in an emergency.

People on stage shows like to act crazy and enjoy the feeling of being in hypnosis. You have to remember that they chose or volunteered to go on stage, and only extroverts would volunteer in the first place.

Another myth about hypnosis is that you won't wake up, or come out of it. If the hypnotist left the office the worst that could happen is that you would fall asleep and would wake up from the experience as if you just had a nap.

There are three basic depths of hypnosis: Light, medium and heavy. These are also called hypnoidal, cataleptic and somnambulistic. In biofeedback terminology these states of consciousness have been described as:

Beta Full consciousness.
Alpha Falling asleep, waking up, hypnosis, meditation.
Theta Early stages of sleep, deep hypnosis, deep meditation.
Delta Sound sleeping.

Occasionally someone will go into a heavy or somnambulistic trance, but most clinical work is done in the light or medium level. The deeper a person is, the more suggestible he becomes. If a suggestion is given in a conscious state, the reasoning or critical faculty immediately rejects or accepts it.

In hypnosis it goes immediately into the subconscious mind. This is the reason for giving yourself suggestions while in an altered state of consciousness. An ideal time for programming is during meditation, or when you are awakening or falling asleep. Programming with suggestions and affirmations still works when you are in a conscious state, but it requires more repetition.

Some people are convinced that they can't be hypnotized. This is another myth. Everyone who can go to sleep or relax (which, obviously, everyone can do) can be hypnotized. There are those who are not being hypnotized because they choose, either consciously or unconsciously, not to be hypnotized because of some fear of hypnosis or of the hypnotist.

People who are hypnotized never think they are. I have seen stage shows where people were so hypnotized that it was unbelievable. Yet, when they were awakened and asked if they thought they were hypnotized they said "no". I think this happens because of increased awareness under hypnosis.

Meditation and hypnosis are very similar. They are both altered states of consciousness. One of the main differences is the intent of the experience. The intent of hypnosis is for giving suggestions to the subconscious mind. The intent of meditation is for quieting the mind or approaching the spiritual world. The actual altered state of consciousness is not too dissimilar.

There are two ways of hypnotizing people. One is called the maternal approach, and the other is the paternal. The maternal approach is what is used for most clinical psychotherapeutic work, and the one which I use. It is the soft, gently, guided relaxation method.

It is possible, however, to hypnotize people with shock types of methods. I have never used this method myself, but I have seen lots of demonstrations of this. People can be shocked into the state of hypnosis almost immediately.

An example of this is when a hypnotist has someone stand next to him with his hand on the subject's neck. He jerks the neck, without hurting the person and shouts "Sleep!!" I have seen many people go instantly under hypnosis. It is fascinating to watch.

It could be of great benefit to you to learn self hypnosis. There is nothing wrong with hypnosis, but you don't want to have to pay a large sum of money every time you want to do reprogramming.

The methods for self hypnosis and hypnosis are exactly the same. The only difference is that in self hypnosis you do it to yourself, instead of having the hypnotist give you the suggestions. It is occasionally nice to have someone else do it for you, then you can totally surrender to the experience, without keeping a part of you out to give yourself direction.

If you record your instructions on tape, then you can surrender to the experience completely. Once self hypnosis is learned, you can go very deep with no problem.

Children are excellent subjects for hypnosis. Children have such vivid imaginations that they go right under. Using imagery is one of the quickest ways to put someone into hypnosis. Physical Signs Indicating Hypnosis

There are a number of signs that indicate when a person is in hypnosis. Usually the heart and breathing slow down and the limbs become heavy. There is a disinclination to move.

Sometimes the eyelids will begin to flutter. A hypnotic sigh is a deep breath and sigh, which indicates a deepening is taking place. Sometimes a person will describe a lightness as opposed to a heaviness. There is also usually a reluctance to come out of the experience because it is so pleasant.

When a person is hypnotized he can be made to have what is called positive and negative hallucinations. A positive hallucination is to see, hear, taste, smell and touch something that is not really there. A subject can be programmed to see a vision, hear something that isn't there, smell something that isn't there or feel something that isn't there. This is because the subconscious inner subtler senses are in the forefront when the subconscious is in control, as it is under hypnosis.

A negative hallucination is the ability to give a suggestion to have the subject not see, hear, taste or smell something that is right in front of him. So it is possible to make a person sense something that is not there or not to sense something that is there.

In stage shows a person is given a glass of water and is told that it is a martini. To the person under hypnosis the water tastes, smells, looks, sounds and feels like a martini, even though it isn't. What is really happening here is just the projection of thought and imagery onto our world.

What is the difference between this and interpreting a given circumstance as a problem rather than a teaching and lesson? We are creating something that is not there, being pessimistic rather than optimistic, thinking egotistically rather than spiritually. We are seeing something that is not really there; we just think it is. We all create hallucinations all the time.

We do this with imagery also. I am sure we have all had the experience of looking for something and then realizing it was right in front of us and we didn't see it. This is because we programmed ourselves that it wasn't there, so we didn't see it. We see with our minds, not with our eyes.

This is another interesting hypnotic phenomenon. A person can be given a suggestion to respond to a certain cue after he has been awakened and taken out of the hypnosis. An example of this might be the suggestion that two minutes after his head touches the pillow at night he will fall deep asleep.

Time can be distorted while being under hypnosis. This can be compared with dreaming. When we dream we think it takes a long time when, in actuality, dreams do not last for longer than thirty to sixty seconds. When under hypnosis a person can be programmed to think five minutes is half an hour and an hour is ten minutes.

In the future hypnosis, self hypnosis and the understanding of programming and suggestion will be a basic part of every aspect of our society. The understanding of these dynamics affects everything. It affects our relationships, health work, spiritual life and on and on.

Hypnosis can be used in so many areas and for so many problems. It can be used for any type of physical, mental or emotional problem. The following is a list of some of the possibilities: Replacement for anesthesia, insomnia, headaches, phobias, healing, past life recollection, dentistry, surgery, weight control, smoking, constipation, stage fright, pain alleviation, childbirth, habit removal, emotional healing, sexual dysfunction, crime and law enforcement, sports, learning languages, amnesia, and finding lost objects, to name a few. Since the subconscious mind runs the body, any physical problem can be dealt with through hypnosis. A dentist might accomplish the anesthesia effect by having a patient imagine there is a bucket of ice water next to him. The patient imagines putting his hand in the bucket of ice water and having it become totally numb.

The dentist then gives the suggestion that whatever that hand touches becomes totally numb. He has the patient touch his face, and the face becomes totally numb. The dentist does his dental work and then gives suggestions for the numbness to go away. Amazing, isn't it?

All past life memories are in the deeper layers of the subconscious mind. Through past life regression a person can be guided back to look at and experience past lives.

There are two kinds of regressions, complete regression or partial regression. A partial regression is where you just observe what happens in a past life or even in an early childhood memory. A complete regression is where you go back and re- experience some traumatic event. Either partial or complete regression can at times be extremely helpful in releasing some deep subconscious block.

Surgeons and nurses can stop the flow of blood and promote healing by giving suggestions during surgery. It is also important for surgeons and nurses to be careful what they say when a person is under anesthesia. There was a study done where a person was under heavy anesthesia for six hours and a week later, under hypnosis could relate every single thing the doctors and nurses had said. An inappropriate comment or bad joke about the patient's body can serve to program the subconscious.

The criminal justice department uses hypnosis, and there is a continual legal debate regarding whether the evidence obtained from hypnosis is admissible in a court of law. In a waking state witnesses may remember nothing about a bank robbery. Under hypnosis they can tell the license number of the car the robbers were driving.

The subconscious is the seat of our memory and picks up everything that is going on, even though the conscious reasoning mind does not. Einstein said we use only something like eight percent of our brain. Most people use their subconscious mind or superconscious mind barely at all, and only a fraction of the conscious, reasoning mind.

It is important to realize that hypnosis is a tool. It is not a therapy, philosophy or psychological methodology in itself. There are many hypnotists who are not spiritual, are not licensed as counselors, and who are not qualified to do some of the things they are doing. Hypnosis can be misused.

It is important to find someone who is very qualified and who is, preferably, a licensed counselor. Find also someone with whom you have a good rapport and whom you trust. There is a certain surrendering to another person. This is fine as long as the person you are seeing is qualified to deal with any other emotional issue that comes up.

A lot of hypnotists, I find, are over identified with the subconscious mind and don't know the first thing about personal power, let alone the spiritual laws I have been discussing in this book. I have been giving you a very positive view of hypnosis because I know how to use the tool, and I use it within the greater context of the spiritual philosophy I teach. Be aware that most hypnotists do not have this greater understanding.

In exploring hypnosis you are entering into the psychic world. You want someone who really knows what he is doing, not someone who is using hypnosis as a hobby. The crazy thing is that people do not have to be licensed to practice hypnosis. only licensed people have to get a license to use it. Unlicensed people can use it with no license in California.

This last section is in no way trying to discourage you from exploring hypnosis and self hypnosis. It is just that, if you were going for counseling, you would want to see a good counselor. If you go to a lousy counselor or psychologist you stand the chance of becoming emotionally damaged. The same goes for hypnosis. You will be fine as long as the person doing it is trustworthy, qualified and licensed.

There is one false statement that I find in almost all books on hypnosis. The statement was attributed to Emile Coue, a famous French hypnotist who did fantastic work. It was he who coined the famous affirmation, "Every day in every way I am getting better and better." He said, "When the will and the imagination are in conflict, the imagination will win out."

This statement is completely false, in my opinion, and every book on hypnosis quotes this statement. The imagination is the seat of the subconscious mind. So what the statement is saying is that the subconscious mind is more powerful than the conscious mind. Nothing could be more false.

The most powerful force in this universe is your will and personal power. Never forget this. There is no force more powerful than this. If this were not true, we could never achieve self mastery. The subconscious is definitely more powerful if you are under hypnosis, but not if you are not under hypnosis.

The example often used is walking across a stream on a narrow board. Even if the subconscious is giving you thoughts and fears that you are going to fall in, the conscious reasoning mind can override this with will and personal power to keep one centered and steady.

This kind of statement is what I spoke of earlier about hypnotists being over identified with the subconscious mind and not having a complete understanding of the conscious mind and superconscious mind.

There was a study done at Chicago University demonstrating the power of the mind on performance. The study designated three groups of men shooting baskets at a basketball hoop. The first group practiced one hour a day for a month. The second group didn't practice at all. The third group practiced an hour a day in their minds only, not physically. At the end of the month tests were given of the three groups actually shooting baskets physically. The group that didn't practice made something like twenty nine percent. The group that practiced in their minds made seventy nine percent. The group that practiced physically made eighty percent. Practicing in one's mind obviously helps physical performance. The ideal would be to practice both physically and mentally.

In the chapter on getting in contact with your Higher Self, I already outlined a process for self hypnosis induction that you might try. The following is similar but a little more in depth. It also addresses methods for hypnotizing someone else, if you would like to try that. At the end of this process is also the technique for awakening yourself or someone else from hypnosis.

Begin by having the person focus his eyes on the wall or above eye level. Have the person take five deep breaths, and on every exhale say the words, "Relax now." After the fifth breath have him close his eyes. Do a progressive relaxation, going through each part of the body and telling it to relax.

Have him imagine a gold white light hovering above his head. Have him imagine that this golden white light bubble has special properties. Everything it touches is cleared, cleansed, balanced, attuned, healed and relaxed. Have him imagine this bubble moving down through his body and arms from the tip of his head to the tips of his toes. Then have him imagine he is floating in the clouds in this protective bubble. Then have him floating in space in the protective bubble.

Have him imagine that, while floating in the bubble, there are ten distinct levels of depth. Number ten is the highest number; one is the lowest. Count downward from ten to one, and after each count use "hypnotic patter: (presented on following pages).

After reaching level number one, have him imagine a beautiful meadow, or mountain, nature or an ocean scene, visualizing it as clearly as possible using all five senses seeing it, smelling it, tasting it, touching it, hearing it. Use imagery such as: Stream, hot tub, hammock, sunshine, flowers, trees, birds, clouds, wind, waterfall, cabin, waterbed, animals, grass, favorite foods, swimming, ornature sounds.

Then give actual suggestions to him. Have him visualize and actually be that which he wants to be or manifest within his life. It is also possible to read a suggestion or ad lib a suggestion. When you are finished with the suggestions, have him relax in the nature scene.

The following exercise is the process you can use to do a regression on yourself and others to an early childhood memory or even a past life memory.

This can be used after you have gone through the entire hypnosis induction and the person is in a medium to deep hypnotic state of consciousness.

There are two kinds of regression. One is a direct experience where the person actually re-experiences the feeling and emotions of the experience. The other is to have the person observe the experience like watching a movie or television. If you feel it would be better to have a partial regression, just say to the person: "You are an observer, no emotion, no pain, just an observer." Keep repeating this until the person moves into that more detached space. Once he is in the experience, have him share out loud what he is experiencing.

Induction: Say: