BETTY ERICKSON’S SELF-HYPNOSIS TECHNIQUE
* Get in a comfortable position – Find a comfortable chair to sit in or lie down for the duration of the process. Then start breathing slowly and easily, allowing yourself to become relaxed.
* Determine the length of time for the session – 20 minutes is pretty standard, but you could go longer or shorter (15 or 30 minutes, for example).
* State your desired outcome – Speaking out loud or inside your head, verbally state your goal. For example: “I’m entering a state of self-hypnosis for 15 minutes for the purpose of allowing my unconscious mind to assist me in becoming extremely self confident (fill in the blank however you like).”
Then say how you want to feel at the end of the session. I usually reinforce my goal by also including it in this sentence. “When I awake in 15 minutes, I will feel joyous, full of positive energy and extremely self-confident,” for example. Or you might want to feel deeply relaxed at the end if bedtime is approaching. Experiment with different goals for your sessions. Immediately after you’ve made your goal statement, you’re ready to begin the induction process.
* The Process – Looking in front of you, notice three things (one at a time) that you see. Go slowly, pausing for a short while on each. Look at small things, such as a spot on the wall, door knob, candle flame, crystal on the table, etc. Some people like to name the items as they look at them.
As you stare, focus all of your attention on the object’s appearance and try to keep your mind as free of random thoughts as possible.
Now turn your attention to your auditory channel and notice, one by one, three things that you hear. You might notice the sound of a clock ticking, fan blowing, creak of a settling building, cars passing by outside, or birds chirping.
If it seems perfectly quiet in your particularly environment, notice the sounds of your breathing, or create a sound by gently tapping your foot or clicking your teeth.
Next shift your attention to your physical being, and notice three sensations that you feel. Again, go slowly from one to the next. Try to use sensations that normally are outside of your awareness, such as the weight of your eyeglasses or the skin sensations created by a watch, piece of jewelry, article of clothing, hair on your forehead or neck, the soles of your shoes, , etc.
Repeat the process with two different objects, two different sounds and two different feelings.
Repeat the cycle once again using one different object, one different sound and one different feeling.
At this point, you’ve completed the “external” portion of the process. Now it’s time to begin the “internal” part by closing your eyes.
Imagine one small thing you see. Use whatever pops into your head (a leaf, book, toothbrush, etc.) and focus all of your attention on it for a short while.
Then imagine one thing you hear. It could be a part of a song or the sound of a lawnmower, dog barking, running water, etc.
Next, imagine one thing you feel. You could think of the feelings created by the sun on your back, wet sand under your toes, wind on your face, etc.
Repeat the process with two different images, two different sounds, and two different feelings.
Repeat the cycle once again using three different images, three different sounds, and three different feelings.
In quick review, the process goes like this…
After making your statement of purpose, including how long to stay in trance, and how to feel upon emerging from trance, notice and focus on:
* Three things you see, three things you hear, and three things you feel.
* Two things you see, two things you hear, and two things you feel.
* One thing you see, one thing you hear, and one thing you feel.
Then close your eyes, imagining and focusing on:
* One thing you see, one thing you hear, and one thing you feel.
* Two things you see, two things you hear, and two things you feel.
* Three things you see, three things you hear, and three things you feel.
If you don’t get all the way through, relax! In fact, it’s a sign that you’ve gone deep enough if you lose track of where you are in the process. Just let your mind wander where it will and trust that your unconscious is carrying out the suggestions you gave it with your well-formed outcome. Allow yourself to come out of trance whenever it feels appropriate. You’ll often find that you come very near the time you suggested to be in trance.
Provided to you by Connie & Michael Brannan, Mindworks Hypnosis & NLP.