Hyperempiria: Experience as an Art Form

Hypnosis and Unwanted Orgasms

2012-02-06T11:14:00.013-05:00

The phenomenon of spontaneous female orgasms is documented in the psychological and medical research literature. While the following excerpt from the television series,"Grey's Anatomy," is obviously played up for dramatic and entertainment purposes, this condition is rare but not unknown.

I am not aware of any successful treatment outcomes with hypnosis in females. Females presenting with this condition should be referred to a local medical society. When undesired sexual hyperstimulation occurs in males, however, it is usually the result of a combination of thoughts and physical stimuli resulting in premature ejaculation, which is treatable with a combination of hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Are We Over-Diagnosing and Over-Medicating?

2012-01-31T17:15:00.011-05:00

The following video, illustrating that the right experience, rather than the proper psychiatric diagnosis and the right medication, may often be better answer to improving learning for children and adults, has been viewed on You Tube by over eight million people.

Self-Hypnosis Training and Demonstration Tape

2012-01-30T05:54:00.012-05:00

I am the senior author of a chapter in the American Psychological Association's Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis which instructs clinicians in how to use hypnosis in their practice. The most effective way to learn and use self-hypnosis, however, is with an appropriately trained clinician who can provide you with individualized instruction in the most effective way to attain your goal. In teaching self-hypnosis to clinicians and to my own clients, I recommend the following instructional tape, both as an introduction to the experience of hypnosis and for use between sessions as a training and practice aid. It has been viewed almost 900,00 times since its initial posting on YouTube four years ago.

Additional information on self-hypnosis is available at my Blog posting of December 27, 2011, entitled, "How to Hypnotize Yourself Using the Best Me Technique."

Hypnosis and Hyperempiria for Improving Psychic Ability

2012-01-19T07:18:00.013-05:00

Imaginatively gifted individuals who are also high in psychic ability may be more easily able to exercise or regain these powers when suggestions of a mystical nature are provided for transcending the boundaries of space and time, and which restore a basic sense of trust with the Universe. Now that we are able to induce mystical experiences at will, some striking singularities have been noted by my clients and by others with whom I have corresponded; and this appears to be a fruitful area for future investigation.

Jessica Bergkvist said, "I have known many people (myself included) who remember having some kind of 'supernatural' ability as a child (visions, seeing energy/auras, going out of body, feeling 'bad vibes,' dreams that came true). Many dismiss it as having had an "over-active imagination" because that is what they were told (as if imagination were a bad thing...) by the adults in their lives. Sometimes they dismiss the whole idea of it because they were taught (by religious teachers/parents) that it was 'wrong' or the 'work of the devil.'Whatever their reasons for suppressing their natural abilities, I have seen some powerful changes happen in people's lives when they (through hypnosis) remember that they have these abilities and learn to trust themselves, God, and the Universe. One client I worked with on this was very afraid of her intuitive feelings due to some religious issues. When she finally learned to trust that it was a gift from God, her abilities began to grow quickly. Today, she is a full time psychic reader (and a very accurate and popular one...)."

Trust does seem to provide the key in the lock. The culture is full of warnings about the dangers which we expose ourselves to when our psychic abilities suddenly outstrip the limitations of our intelligence. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge because, "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." In Greek mythology, Icarus fell to his death when, exulting in his new-found power of flight, he ignored his father's warnings and flew too near the sun, which melted his wings. Shakespeare's MacBeth trusted in the accurate predictions of the witches, only to be impaled on the sword of his enemy. In Ibsen's classic horror tale, "The Monkey's Paw," each successive owner of this grisly relic was destroyed by the magical powers which it conveyed upon them. And even in the realm of humor, the laughable consequences of what happens when someone finds a bottle and releases the genie trapped inside are too numerous to mention.

Counterposed against this are the numerous instances of people who have overcome the fear of using their psychic powers because they didn't have much fear to begin with, as is the case of little children who frequently score well on ESP tests, or in trivial situations such as "knowing" when you are about to get a parking place, or in occasionally picking the winners of a horse race which you have not bet on, or in a crisis when a loved one is dying and the bond is strong enough to overcome your fear, or in religious contexts where we can trust in the infinite wisdom and goodness of an all-powerful deity not to destroy us.It's a two-factor situation: the fear of using a godlike power is balanced against the fear of the consequences of doing so because of the limitations of human intelligence. But when this basic trust in God, in oneself, and in the Universe can be created or restored through suggestion-enhanced experience in hypnosis, this may be one way to create or restore our psychic potential as well.

Hypnosis for Pain-Free Childbirth

2012-01-14T07:21:00.006-05:00

It's easy to learn to use your mind in hypnotic ways if you want to do so and have the proper training, as illustrated by the following video on pain-free childbirth and the other videos that you can click on at the end of this one. (Note the polite skepticism of the male newscaster at the beginning of the piece, and compare his comments with the statements of the women who have actually experienced hypnotically-assisted childbirth for themselves.)

Don't Pay Through the Nose for Information!

2012-01-07T18:58:00.005-05:00

When I was in graduate school, I learned that there were over five hundred different types of therapy in use. In attempting to learn as many as I could (in order to try to understand hypnosis, of course!), I discovered that several of these schools of therapy were mutually exclusive and mutually contradictory -- except where they overlapped with each other and said the same thing in a different way. Yet they all seemed to "work," at least with some of the people some of the time, and well enough for a few businessmen and sales types to move to the top of their particular totem pole by putting on a series of high-priced seminars and workshops extolling the virtues of the latest trendy technique.

But this seemingly endless variety in healing rituals is not limited exclusively to Western culture. Similar tactics have been employed by medicine men and witch doctors since the dawn of pre-history, and some contemporary medicine men have even developed reputations which caused occasional Western clients to seek them out.

So what's a body to do? I was at a total loss, until I came across the quotation from Dr., Irving Yalom: "It's the relationship that heals. It's the relationship that heals. It's the relationship that heals. My professional rosary." That did the trick! Finally, I understood.

With the coming of the Internet, we are going through an information revolution which is much more far-reaching in its implications than the ones that occurred when steam power replaced the horse, and electricity replaced steam; and the essentials of almost any technique you might care to mention are freely available, though perhaps by another name. Don't pay through the nose for information. The totem poles are on fire!

Re-Energizing a Mystical Experience

2012-01-03T18:56:00.003-05:00

Mother Teresa had a mystical experience while she was in her teens, and spent the rest of her life futilely trying to re-capture it. But as hypnotists we know that this is possible, at least for the experientially gifted.

Many other people have had mystical experiences, and when such a history is present, it can serve as a focus for re-energizing their present view of life. For example, a 58 year old retired English teacher and mother of five grown children who recently had been divorced after a marriage of forty years came to me for help with depression. She was spending the greater part of each day in bed, with the blankets drawn up over her head. She was taking antidepressants, but they did not seem to help. She responded well to hypnosis, and early in the course of therapy, she mentioned that when she was about sixteen, she had a mystical experience: "I could step beyond the ordinary world of reality, and I felt totally loved." I asked her if she would like to re-visit this mystical experience as a way of getting over her depression, and she immediately agreed.

I told her that for best results, it would help if she were to re-capture her mystical experience with the same life-changing intensity that she had experienced it the first time. She readily agreed to this also. Pulling out all the stops in order to provide an experience of life-changing intensity, which she obviously needed, I regressed her to her earlier mystical event, and told her that we were going to make it even stronger using hyperempiria, or suggestion-enhanced experience. I suggested that we were reaching down into her vast, untapped potential for feeling happiness and joy. This potential for happiness and joy was flowing out from the innermost depths of her being in many different ways and on many different levels, like water from a hundred secret springs. As these feelings continued to flow without limit, they were healing and cleansing every muscle and fiber and nerve of her body, driving out all of the worry, and all of the stress, and all of the care that she had ever felt, and leaving her glowing from head to toe with such an intensity of happiness that she could not bear it if she were not hypnotized.

She remained outwardly impassive as I continued in this vein, emphasizing that this happiness was greater and more intense than anything she had ever hoped for, dreamed of, longed for, or imagined. To further emphasize its strength, I suggested that when she returned from hypnosis, she would not be able to bring all of this intensity back with her, because it would be more than she could bear in the everyday state of consciousness in which we live and move and have our being. But nevertheless, it would transform her life, and turn each new day into a thing of wondrous beauty.

Her depression lifted within two more sessions. Because she was a Buddhist, it was easy to frame her mystical experience as evidence that true happiness comes from within. She no longer remains in bed all day, and frequently goes out to go shopping, play cards or to visit with friends. Her demeanor is pleasant, relaxed, and cheerful. She is continuing to come in for monthly sessions in order to keep her orientation focused on the positive aspects of life, and as a means of continuing her personal and spiritual development.

The client's youngest daughter, who has had a great many personal difficulties of her own, has recently moved in with her. Even though she frequently serves as a lightning rod for her daughter's wrath, the client has remained impassive, and has managed to maintain a generally congenial relationship with her daughter (when the daughter is on speaking terms!)

Experientialism is the philosophical theory that experience is the source of knowledge. It is indeed an honor to work with the experientially gifted, for they truly are "the bearers of the light," which all of us may one day hope to follow.

How to Hypnotize Yourself Using the Best Me Technique

2011-12-27T15:23:00.030-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

(Tallies available on the WikiHow Website indicate that at the time this article was uploaded, it had been co-edited by 1003 people and viewed by over 455,000 readers.)

The "Best Me Technique" is a form of hyperempiria, or suggestion-enhanced experience, which involves your whole person in the content of a suggested event. Every letter in "Best Me" corresponds with an element of suggestion. These elements can be applied in a variety of ways, including visualization exercises and other forms of hypnosis and self hypnosis. Instead of merely picturing something in the mind’s eye, the Best Me Technique enables you to paint upon the canvas of your experience almost any masterpiece you may desire.

Steps

An induction procedure is like the theme music to a motion picture or a television drama. It allows us to shift our thinking from a strictly logical mode of thought to a more flexible, more imaginative way of looking at the world. And we can all do that!
- Unless you actually intend to do so, choose a time when you are not too sleepy or tired, so that you are not likely to doze off.
- Turn off your cell phone or pager, if you have one, and take the telephone off the hook or put it on answer mode with the ringer turned off.
- Sit down or lie down in a position which will enable you to relax deeply. If you should find yourself becoming uncomfortable during the session, it should not disturb you to gently adjust your position in order to keep yourself as comfortable as possible.
Guide yourself through the elements of the Best Me Technique, using whatever words feel most natural to you. The following example is merely for purposes of illustration. In actual use, Best Me suggestions may be presented in any order and varied as often as necessary, much as you might vary the verses and choruses of a song. (You can make sure that you are including all the steps of the Best Me Technique by silently counting them off on your fingers as you go along.
Belief systems. Picture yourself in a happy place, either real or imaginary, where you can drift off into a calm and peaceful nap. For the sake of illustration, we will use the example of lying on a blanket in the middle of a beautiful meadow, late on a warm spring morning.
Emotions. Let your entire being absorb the peacefulness which is all around you.
Sensations and physical perceptions. Feel the cool breeze upon your skin, and savour the freshness of the pure, country air. Listen to the twitter of the birds in the distance, and the sound of the water quietly splashing against the rocks in the brook, as you gently relax into the blanket and that warm, golden glow of the sunlight relaxes you completely from head to toe.
Thoughts and images. Sinking down and shutting down, and sinking down and shutting down. Sinking down and shutting down, Shutting down completely.
Motives. It’s so calm, and so peaceful that all you want to do is keep drifting, and dreaming, and floating on, and on, and on, into your own personal paradise.
Expectations. And the deeper you go, the deeper you're able to go, and the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go, and the more enjoyable the experience becomes."
As you go through each step, believe it will happen, 'expect' it to happen, and 'feel it happening. The exact number of repetitions is not as important as the degree to which you are able to believe in your suggestions, as well as merely believing them.
If you are inclined to doubt whether or not you have achieved self-hypnosis after a few minutes, you probably have. For many people, there is no such thing as a "hypnotized" feeling.
(Note: I am indebted to James Hazelrig for the following comments regarding eye closure.)
A private paradise is like a private room. When you enter a private space, it's not unusual to close the door to leave all worries and cares outside. You've already done this by closing your eyelids.
Of course, you can lock that door so that you can be safe and secure anytime you want. Now, after locking a door, it's natural to check it by tugging in vain at the doorknob and finding it locked tight. So, when you're certain you've locked your eyelids shut, make sure by tugging in vain at the doorknob and finding you've locked those eyelids shut, until you're ready to conclude your self-hypnosis session.
As soon as you're certain, you can stop trying, relax the eyelids, and allow that relaxation to flow through your body as you feel a sense of pride that you have just hypnotized yourself. You have given your body a suggestion, and your body has carried it out!
Once you have become sufficiently familiar with the elements of the Best Me Technique, you will be able to use them automatically and seamlessly in order to provide yourself with a self-hypnosis experience which is both enjoyable and effective.

Video

This video will let you see what the experience of self-hypnosis is really like. Since it was first posted on YouTube four years ago, it has been viewed by over 884,000 people. The presenter, Richard Nongard, is a master hypnotist who has several other instructional videos on YouTube and is very well respected in hypnosis circles. If you have not experienced hypnosis before (and even if you have!) get ready for some exciting new experiences.

Pre-Experiencing the Rewards of a Future Goal

Choose the goal. This example illustrates the accomplishment of a specific goal: graduation, in order to provide the incentive to get there, reducing or eliminating the need for "will power."
- You can increase the incentive value of the Best Me Technique still further by pre-experiencing other rewarding aspects of your goal, such as celebrating at a graduation party with friends and family, or relaxing on the deck of a cruise ship as you treat yourself to a much-deserved vacation after your goal has been achieved.
- You may also want to pre-experience the rewards of sub-goals along the way, such as completing a unit of study, presenting a paper, or passing a major examination while overcoming the stress that goes with it, secure in the knowledge that you are on the way to a pre-determined and inevitable success.
- The Best Me Technique can also be used to enhance performance in many other areas, such as singing, dance, athletics, creative writing, motivating yourself to work out, or starting your own business. It may also be a helpful part of a program to lose weight, stop smoking, or to rid yourself of other forms of addiction.
Take all the time you need in order to thoroughly pre-experience the attainment of your goal, using whatever order and wording you prefer, as long as you include all of the "Best Me" steps. Allow yourself to experience each step as strongly as possible, but don't just daydream. Hyperempiria is like riding a bicycle. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but after a bit of practice it feels very natural. You can generally tell how well you are doing in your BMT experience by how good it makes you feel.
- (B) Imagine yourself in the future, at the very moment you receive your diploma.
- (E) Feel the admiring looks of your friends and family upon you, and enjoy to the fullest your sense of pride and accomplishment as you dwell on the glow of your success.
- (S) See it happen, hear it happen, and feel it happening, as you allow yourself to experience this thrill of achievement throughout every part of your body, from head to toe.
- (T) Visualize this goal so clearly that it feels as if you were actually willing it into existence.
- (M) Let yourself believe that you are headed toward a certain and inevitable success.
- (E) And as a result, allow yourself to act, think, and feel as if it were impossible to fail.

Concluding Your Hyperempiric Session

Whenever you are ready, you can think to yourself that you will gradually emerge from hyperempiria as you silently count from one to five, telling yourself that by the time you get to five, you are going to be back in the nomal, everyday frame of mind in which we spend most of our waking lives.
- You can also give yourself a suggestion that each time you enter hyperempiria, you will be able to go in deeper and more rapidly, and derive even more benefits, from the experience, some of which you may already know and some of which you may not yet realize. (This will allow your unconscious to provide you with additional benefits which you may not yet be aware of.)
Then you can silently count from one to five, telling yourself that at the count of five you will be back wide awake and feeling wonderful, using words like this: One. Beginning to return now, as your mind begins to return to its normal level of functioning. Two. You will be smiling, happy, and confident as you prepare to resume your life’s adventure. Three. Coming back more and more now. Four. Almost back. Five. You can open your eyes now, feeling wonderful. You can open your eyes now, feeling wonderful'.

Things You'll Need

Some ability to respond to suggestion
A quiet place with subdued lighting, where you are not likely to be disturbd for at least half an hour.

Tips

If you are inclined to doubt whether or not you have achieved self-hypnosis after a few minutes, you probably have.
- For many people, there is no such thing as a "hypnotized" feeling.
- An induction procedure is like the theme music to a motion picture or a television drama. It allows us to shift our thinking from a strictly logical mode of thought to a more flexible, more imaginative way of looking at the world. And we can all do that!
As a general rule, it is better to use as few words as possible with your Best Me suggestions.The images and experiences you encounter at each step, and the conviction with which you hold them, are much more important in determining the final outcome.
The building blocks of a Best Me experience need not be conceptually "pure." The purpose of the Best Me Technique is comprehensiveness; and each part of a Best Me experience may contain elements of the others.
If you already know how to perform self-hypnosis, you may prefer to use your own induction at the beginning, and then use the Best Me Technique for goal achievement.n
You should focus on only one goal per session, rather than making up a "laundry list" of things to pursue. Having too many goals at once might tend to interfere with your ability to clearly focus your imagination on the rewards of goal attainment.
Regular practice using the Best Me Technique is essential until your long-term goal has been achieved. (When you are driving a car, you don't want to turn off the ignition until you have arrived at your destination!).
If other thoughts should start to distract you during your BMT session, just passively observe them and let them go, as one might do while practicing meditation.*Recordings are also used to extend the effectiveness of hypnotic suggestions provided by someone else (or you can make your own). You may need to experiment a bit to find which method or combination works best for you.
If you should find that you need to Build Self Confidence in order to pursue a much-desired goal, and if self-help books and articles are not useful enough, you may need to seek the services of a psychologist, counselor, clinical social worker, or life coach to provide the necessary support and encouragement, and to help you sort out your goals more clearly.
If you are finding it difficult to put the necessary degree of conviction into your suggestions to Accomplish a Goal, you may need to go back and analyze your goal to see if there are any hidden conflicts which may be preventing you from focusing completely upon its achievement.
Don't forget the importance of "environmental engineering." In addition to using self-hypnosis, you need to make whatever changes you have to in yourself and in your daily life in order to bring your goal to completion, such as learning to Control Your Emotions, or to Deal with Impossible People you may meet along the way.
The potential applications of the Best Me Technique are quite large. When used correctly, suggestion may be regarded as an artistic medium which enables us to work directly with the ultimate art form, 'human experience itself.'

Warnings

There is an old saying which goes, "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it." Things almost never turn out exactly as we expect them to. But our willingness to take calculated risks, to "dream the impossible dream," and, if necessary, to make our own luck -- is part of what makes us human -- and it's what having free will is all about!
- Suggestion should not be used to treat any type of mental condition, or to recover old memories, except under the direction and supervision of an appropriately qualified and licensed mental health professional.
- Do not use the power of suggestion to eliminate pain or other physical symptoms, except under appropriate medical supervision. Such symptoms are often a natural warning signal from your body that something is wrong (or that something may be GOING wrong). Similarly, you should not attempt to use the power of suggestion to overcome depression, mood swings, hearing voices or seeing things that do not exist. And unless you are a physician or a licensed mental health professional yourself, there are probably a large number of potentially serious conditions that you have never even 'heard of!
- You should not stop taking any type of prescription medication while using self-suggestion without talking to your doctor.
Don't try to use the Best Me Technique to "scare yourself" into achieving your goal, and don't include any shoulds, oughts, or musts in your suggestions. Psychological research has conclusively shown that human beings are motivated primarily by reward rather than by the threat of punishment. Keep it positive!
Don't try to use positive suggestion to maintain a failing relationship, or to rescue a relationship which is in trouble. This is most likely to be a form of denial. See a therapist or counselor.
Hypnosis and hyperempiria will not weaken your will, leave you susceptible to demonic or occult influences, or turn you into someone else's willing servant.
Do not allow yourself to be misled by the exaggerated claims of advertisers, or by or phony or unregulated degrees, accreditations, and "board certifications."
- Self-hypnosis is not difficult to learn. People can end up paying thousands of dollars to acquire these skills, but they can just as learn master them free of charge if they are willing to put forth the necessary time and effort in order to do so.
Many self-improvement projects may require the additional professional assistance of a licensed psychologist, counselor, or social worker for their successful completion.
- Psychiatrists can perform these services too, of course. But, with a few fortunate exceptions, the demands of today's marketplace have led many psychiatrists to concentrate primarily on diagnosing mental illness and prescribing psychotropic medication.
- Many insurance companies do not pay for consulting a hypnotist or hypnotherapist if this is their only professional qualification. If you have insurance which covers mental health, you can call your State psychological, counseling, or social work association and ask for the names of members near you who include hypnosis as one of their specialties, or you can check your phone book listings under these headings.
- You may want to check ahead of time to see whether or not your particular need is covered and, if so, which types of mental health providers your insurance carrier is willing to recognize. You also need to determine whether or not the particular provider you have chosen is in your insurance carrier's network or is able to accept out-of-network reimbursement from that particular provider. Your insurance carrier or your mental health services provider needs to inform you whether or not pre-authorization is necessary, if there is a deductible which has to be met first, how many visits they are willing to authorize, and how much the co-pay, if any, is going to be.
We must always retain the ability to recognize when a goal is really not worth pursuing, in order to keep from wasting our lives in futile effort.
- If we can learn to overcome the discouragement which has protected us in from our own mistakes in goal selection, we have an added responsibility to make certain that the goals which we have chosen really are worth going after, and that they are within the scope of our ability to attain them.
- The world is full of people whose "impossible dreams" will always be impossible. But there are many others for whom an iron determination can make all the difference, no matter what the odds against them. As we put this powerful new technology into use, it is up to each of us to decide just how idealistic or how practical we choose to be.
Finally, just as there are some people who are color blind cannot comprehend the experience of color, some people are hypnosis blind and cannot comprehend the experience of hypnosis.
- The ability to respond to suggestion is distributed in the general population in much the same way that height, weight, and intelligence are. Some of us have a little, and some of us have a lot, but most of us have enough to get by.
- But for everyone whose ability to respond to suggestion is extremely low or virtually nonexistent, there is someone else who can harness the power of suggestion for many areas of personal growth and self-improvement. Such is the potential and the promise of hyperempiria for those who are able and willing to make use of it.

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Newton, M. (2004). Life between lives: Hypnotherapy for spiritual regression. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
O’Hare, C., White, G., MacPhillamy, D., & Lunden, B. (1975). An experiment in stepwise mutual hypnosis and shared guided fantasy. American Jouranl of Clinical Hypnosis, 15(4), 233-238.
Phillips, B. D. (2007). Tranceplay: Experimental approaches to interactive drama involving experiential trance. Journal of Interactive Drama, 2(1), pp. 15-55.
Sacerdote, P. (1977). Applications of hypnotically elicited mystical states to the treatment of physical and emotional pain. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 25(4), pp. 309-324.
Shor, R. E., & Orne, E. C. (1962). Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Spiegel, H. (1977). The Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP): A review of its development. In W. E. Edmonston (Ed.), Conceptual and investigative approaches to hypnotic phenomena: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 296, 119-128.
Spiegel, H. (1974). The grade 5 syndrome: The highly hypnotizable person. International Journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis, 22(4), 303-319.
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How to Meditate Effectively

2011-12-27T14:48:00.005-05:00

The following article, which was originally published on WikiHow, is the product of a collaborative effort by over 535 people. According to the tally at the end of the original article, it has been viewed over a million times. Of course, the last person to edit a wiki is the one whose comment will show up until the next one comes along. But WikiHow has several volunteers who regularly patrol their sites to correct I have been watching this article carefully for the past three years, and the quality appears to be not only intact but continually improving.

By comparing it with the preceding Best Me Technique article and the more conventional self-hypnosis article, you can get a better idea of which type of procedure is most appealing to you.

How to Meditate

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. There are many different meditation methods.
At the core of meditation is the goal to focus and eventually quiet your mind. As you progress, you will find that you can meditate anywhere and at any time, accessing an inner calm no matter what's going on around you. You will also find that you can better control your reactions to things as you become increasingly aware of your thoughts (letting go of anger, for example). But first, you have to learn to tame your mind.

Steps

Make time to meditate. Set aside enough time in your daily routine for meditating. The effects of meditation are most noticeable when you do it regularly and consistently rather than sporadically.
- Some people will find a five minute meditation worthwhile, for others, the benefits of longer meditation are well worth the time.
- You can meditate at any time of day; some people like to start their day off with meditation, others like to end the day by clearing their mind, and some prefer to find refuge in meditation in the middle of a busy day. Generally, however, the easiest time to meditate is in the morning, before the day tires your body out and gives your mind more to think about.
- Don't meditate immediately following a meal, or when you are likely to be hungry. The body's digestive system can be very distracting.
Find or create a quiet, relaxing environment. It's especially important, when you're starting out, to avoid any obstacles to attention. Turn off any TV sets, phone(s) or other noisy appliances. If you play music, make sure it's calm, repetitive and gentle, so as not to break your concentration. Meditating outside can be conducive, as long as you don't sit near a busy roadway or another source of loud noise.
Sit on level ground. Sit on a cushion if the ground is uncomfortable. You don't have to twist your limbs into the half lotus or full lotus position or adopt any unusual postures. The important thing is to keep your back straight, as this will help with breathing later on.
- Tilt your pelvis forward by sitting on the forward edge of a thick cushion, or on a chair that has its back legs lifted off the ground 8 to 10 cm (3 or 4 inches).
- Starting from your bottom, stack up the vertebrae in your spine, so that they are balanced one on top of another and support the whole weight of your torso, neck, and head. Done correctly, it feels as if no effort is required to hold your torso up. (A small amount of effort is in fact required, but with the right posture, it is so small and evenly distributed you don't notice it.)
- Relax your arms and legs. They don't need to be in any special position, just as long as they are relaxed and don't interfere with balancing your torso. You can put your hands on your thighs, but it might be easier at first to let your arms hang at your sides - the hanging weight helps reveal where things are out of alignment.
Relax everything, and keep searching for things that aren't relaxed. When you find them, (and you will), relax them. You may find that you can't relax them unless you adjust your posture so that you are better aligned, and that place doesn't need to work anymore. This commonly happens with muscles near your spine. You may also notice that you are twisted a little and need to straighten out. Little muscles in your face often keep getting tense, too.
Let your attention rest on the flow of your breath. Listen to it, follow it, but make no judgments on it (such as "It sounds a little raspy...maybe I'm getting a cold?"). The goal is to allow the "chattering" in your mind to gradually fade away. Find an "anchor" to settle your mind.
- Try reciting a mantra (repetition of a sacred word) A single word like "aum" uttered at a steady rhythm is best. You can recite it verbally or just with the voice in your mind. Beginners may find it easier to count their breaths. Try counting your breath from 1 to 10, then simply start again at 1.
- To circumvent images that keep intruding on your thoughts, visualize a place that calms you. It can be real or imaginary. Imagine you are at the top of a staircase leading to a peaceful place. Count your way down the steps until you are peaceful and relaxed.
Silence your mind. Once you've trained your mind to focus on just one thing at a time, the next step is focus on nothing at all, essentially "clearing" your mind. This requires tremendous discipline but is the pinnacle of meditation. After focusing on a single point as described in the previous step, you can either cast it away, or observe it impartially and let it come and then go, without labeling it as "good" or "bad". Take the same approach to any thoughts which return to your mind until silence perseveres.

Tips

For some people, focusing attention on a point or object does exactly the opposite of what meditation is all about. It takes you back to the life of focus, concentration, strain. In this case, as an alternative to the above techniques, some meditators recommend un-focusing your attention. Instead of focusing attention on a point or an object, this type of meditation is achieved by attaining a state of zero. Take your attention above all thoughts to a point where you lose all attention and all thoughts.
What you do with a silent mind is up to you. Some people find that it is a good time to introduce an intention or a desired outcome to the subconscious mind. Others prefer to "rest" in the rare silence that meditation offers.
You should be comfortable enough to concentrate, but not so comfortable that you feel the urge to fall asleep.
Make some effort to be mindful of your mood and thoughts when not meditating. You may notice that you feel calmer, happier, and sharper on days when you have meditated, and notice a decrease in these qualities when you have not.
It may be beneficial to mentally review or replay the previous day at the start of your sessions, if you can do so in a relaxed, passive way. This often happens naturally, and sometimes it's best to allow this to happen, as long as you don't get emotionally wrapped up or let it go on too long before beginning meditation. This procedure is known as "processing" of recent events, and becoming skilled at performing a non-judgmental review of events does much to increase awareness and emotional well-being.
The benefits of meditation can be experienced long before the practitioner has been successful in maintaining focus or clearing the mind, simply as a result of the practice.
Set aside a specific time each day for meditation, but don't overdo it. If 20-30 minutes in the morning isn't enough, add another session later in the day instead of trying for a single, longer session.
It is easy to lose track of time while meditating. Being concerned about time can be distracting to meditation. Some people find it liberating to set a timer and let it be concerned about how long you have to meditate. Choose a gentle timer. If it is too jarring, the anticipation of the alarm can be distracting also.
With good posture, it will be easier to breathe as your lungs will have more space. In fact, you may notice how most of the muscles in your torso work to help you breathe, from the muscles in the base of your pelvis to the ones in your neck, centered on the main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. They work just a little, assisting the diaphragm. If you notice this, it's a good sign you have established a good posture. The right posture is easy and comfortable. You almost feel like you are floating.
Do what works best for you. What works for some people might have other techniques that might not work for you. Don't let that get you down.

Warnings

Don't expect immediate results. The purpose of meditation is not to turn you into a Zen master overnight. Meditation works best when it is done for its own sake, without becoming attached to results.
If you find your mind is wandering, try not to scold or beat up on yourself about it. Wandering restlessly is the normal state of the conditioned mind. This is the first lesson many people learn in meditation and it is a valuable one. Simply, gently, invite your attention back to your breath, remembering that you've just had a small but precious "awakening." Becoming aware of your wandering mind is a success, not a failure.
Some people find it's difficult to meditate immediately before bedtime. If you're very sleepy, you may find yourself nodding off. Conversely, meditating may energize your mind, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
As you meet other people who meditate, you may encounter a few who will boast about their endurance for long meditation sessions, even hours and hours at a sitting. Don't be tempted to change your practice to "keep up." Meditation is not competitive. It's a way of life.
If your posture is good, you will almost certainly feel a stretch on the back of your neck, and possibly in your shoulders. Just relax. If the stretch is so pronounced that it is painful, work on stretching and relaxing that area when you aren't meditating.

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Experience as an Art Form: Alternative Paradigm for Hypnosis?

2011-12-19T14:39:00.009-05:00

(An earlier version of this posting was presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association,San Francisco, CA: August, 1999).

I would like to propose an alternative paradigm for hypnosis and related phenomena, moving from primary reliance upon a medical/counseling model to a concurrent view of suggestion as a tool for the creative artist, and experience itself as an artistic medium.

We have all the mastery we need right now to knock the socks off of Hollywood! We can not only guide our participants through an experience of being Harry Potter jousting on his broom, or Indiana Jones in pursuit of hidden treasure, or Juliet on her balcony, or anything else the participant would care to experience, we can also tell them how it will feel, how it will be remembered, and how much they will enjoy (and want to repeat) this kind of experience. And, just as a little child needs to be cautioned, as I was at that age, “It’s only a movie,” so that they don’t become too frightened or otherwise emotionally involved, we can caution our participants in the same way so that the experience does not affect their personality in the same way that a therapeutically-motivated one might.

Many writers and investigators have envisioned the types of innovation which those who choose to adopt such an alternative paradigm will almost immediately be able to provide. Aldous Huxley, in his book, Brave New World (1958, p. 23), predicted that motion picture technology would develop to a point where it would involve not only the sense of vision, but all of the other senses as well, in a totally absorbing entertainment medium which he referred to as the "Feelies." Followers of the Star Trek series are familiar with the use of "Holodeck" programs -- three-dimensional holographic images, with which the participants are able to interact as if the computer-generated images were actual people and events (Okuda, Okuda, & Mirek, 1994, p. 128), as illustrated by the following example of a mock combat exercise between two Starship officers which almost got out of hand:

But we don't have to wait for the development of virtual reality programs to reach this level of sophistication. Those who are familiar with the phenomena of hypnosis will immediately recognize that all of the aforementioned experiences can be undergone by sufficiently willing and able hypnotic subjects with relative ease -- in most cases, if the subject is experientially gifted, merely by suggesting that they are to take place. But the degree of involvement which is possible by means of hypnosis is much greater than it might be with the fictional Holodeck. The focus in hypnosis is upon the experiential dimensions of the whole person, inside and out, rather than relying solely upon the external physical dimensions of the environment -- and therefore the possibilities for creating meaningful experiences are even much greater than those portrayed in the above encounter!

Just as a painter works with brush upon canvas, and a sculptor works with chisel upon stone, psychologists who choose to adopt this new paradigm will be able to with suggestion as a new art form, and human experience as a new medium. As with any other art form, experiences based upon the new paradigm will have as their purpose the facilitation of personal growth, the ennoblement of the human spirit, and the enrichment of human existence.

Of course, since suggestibility is normally distributed in the general population (Hilgard, 1970; Hull, 1939), the number of people who may be able to benefit from the use of this alternative paradigm is necessarily limited, at least at present. But this should not deter us from making use of this approach for those who are able to respond to it without additional training. With an appropriately trained professional guide, individuals who respond well to suggestion may learn to respond to suggested experiences under hypnosis with a considerably greater degree of personal involvement than is usually obtained when one is reading a novel, or watching a motion picture, or a play -- and with much greater protection against the possibility of deleterious consequences than is available to individuals who are exposed virtually at random to the excesses of contemporary media.

In order to provide an opportunity for spontaneous innovation to enhance the quality of the situation, hypnotically directed experiences should probably not be scripted in complete detail ahead of time -- particularly if the hypnotist/director is to remain present to guide and interpret the experience as it unfolds. Nevertheless, the theme, intention, and many of the major details of each directed experience should be thoroughly discussed with the participant beforehand, so that he or she has a clear understanding of what is about to take place. Such planning will help to insure the participant's wholehearted cooperation and to tailor the experience to the participant's own personal tastes and preferences, in order to maximize the pleasure and personal fulfillment which is to be derived from the experience itself (Gibbons, 2000, 2001).

It should not be difficult to find sources for application of the foregoing technique from contemporary media. For example, it should be relatively simple to utilize "Best Me" suggestions (Gibbons, 2001) to create a directed experience in which one is clinging to a piece of floating wreckage and watching the sinking Titanic, much more vividly than one is able to imagine merely by watching a motion picture -- experiencing the intensity of the scene almost as intensely if one were really there, while at the same time emotionally dissociating oneself from the full pain and horror of the situation, much as we have all learned to do through years of exposure to the mass media. The therapeutic potential of the experience, of course, is manifested in the heroine's subsequent promise to never give up no matter what life may bring in the future. Utilizing our therapeutic license as hypnotist/director, the experience can be modified so that this promise need not necessarily be made to a lover who is rapidly expiring of hypothermia, but perhaps to God, to the memory of a loved one, or to one's own best self.

Several clinical applications of hyperempiria, or suggestion-enhanced experience, have been developed, including applications for mood control, motivation, and spiritual enhancement,. Numerous other applicaations of this new paradigm are possible for the enhancement of human potential, the ennoblement of the human spirit, and the fulfillment of human existence.

References

Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford.

Gibbons, D. E. (2000). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press (originally published 1979 by Plenum Press).

Gibbons, D. E. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the Best Me technique.Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press.

Hilgard, E. R. (1965). Hypnotic susceptibility. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.

Hull, C. L. (1933). Hypnosis and suggestibility: An experimental approach. New York: Appleton-Century.

Huxley, A. (1958). Brave New World. New York: Bantam.

Lazarus, A. A. (1989). The practice of multimodal therapy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Okuda, M., Okuda, D., & Mirek, D. (1994). The Star Trek encyclopedia: A reference guide to the future. New York: Pocket Books.

How to Get Top Listed on Google Free of Charge

2011-12-19T12:05:00.008-05:00

Do you remember those ads saying, "Get top listed on Google" (for a fee, of course)? They were all the rage for a while, until it became obvious to everyone that we couldn't ALL be top-listed at the same time, regardless of whether or not a fee was involved.

Google gives a higher ranking to those pages which have the largest number of other pages that link to them. After writing my own WikiHow page entitled, "How to Hypnotize Yourself Using the Best Me Technique,," I linked it to as many other similar WikiHow pages as I cohld, and then linked those pages back to my own, which they make extremely easy to do. Finally, I linked my page to my blog, which contains ads for my books For several weeks, if you entered just the word "hypnotize," my entry would show up first. But ite what the ads implied, I discovered that the mere fact of being top-listed won't make you rich! (In fact, you'll probably not notice much of a difference (which is why I gave up trying to add more links after a while in order to stay on top).

As Richard Nongard correctly pointed out, "It makes a difference in profit, but not that much. Frankly internet marketing is important but RELATIONSHIP marketing, meeting people and letting people know who you are either in real life or online is FAR more important."

I couldn't agree more!

What are the Requirements for a Ph.D? NOTHING!

2011-11-26T10:16:00.010-05:00

I have read about how easy it is to set up universities in England with impressive-sounding titles, offering courses and degrees in all sorts of subjects, who may then group themselves into unsanctioned regional associations to accredit each other.

I once met a man in the U.S. a few years ago who was offering a Ph.D. in hypnosis after only a few months of study, which created quite a stir in some lay hypnosis circles. What he was doing was not illegal, of course, because anyone can go to a printer and have a Ph.D. certificate made up, and present it to somebody, who can then validly claim to have a doctorate. Nowadays, you can do it on your home computer. You can have a Ph.D. or any other type of degree in literally anything, because licensing laws only cover holding your services out to the public in various categories of occupations. I don't know whether or not this guy is still around, but I haven't heard anything about him or his program in several years.

I subsequently had a telephone conversation with one of his graduates, who was vigorously defending the academic content of her doctoral program from, this man, which she had completed after a few months of study. I told her that I had no doubt that he had put together some good reading lists which incorporated a lot of sound psychological principles. But, having spent thirteen years of my life earning a "real" doctorate which was recognized by the proper regional accrediting body (and not one which had been organized by the diploma mills themselves in order to accredit each other), I assured her that a doctoral program such as the one she had completed would be so adulterated by comparison as to be totally useless in the real world. Her voice suddenly began to quaver, and our conversation ended shortly thereafter.

Whenever you hear someone say that they can paper the wall of their office with their academic degrees, or see an official-looking diploma signed by people who have a large number of degrees in several different fields after their name, this should be a signal to examine the situation further.(Just think how many years or decades it would take to earn all those degrees!) Most of the people who signed my own doctorate used no initials at all after their name, and let the title of their position speak for them, as is often the custom..

How Difficult is it to Hypnotize Someone? Not Very!

2011-11-22T06:20:00.025-05:00

Many people spend a great deal of time and money going from workshop to workshop in order to perfect their technique, when the success of an induction actually depends more on the client than it does on them. Hypnotizing another person is neither difficult nor does it require a lot of training. On the contrary, it has been regarded by many as being almost too easy, as long as you have a sufficiently willing and responsive volunteer, because almost anyone is able to learn how to perform hypnosis, regardless of their professional qualifications or level of education. In support of this assertion, I would like to submit the very first, "bare bones" induction that I ever did in order to illustrate some basic points on the nature of hypnosis itself and what is required in order to achieve it.

The first time I hypnotized anyone, I was in the tenth grade. I had been reading about hypnosis in a chapter in a set of encyclopedia-type books which we had at home, and in a couple of books which I had checked out of the local library. Finally, I saw an induction done on television. (Now it is illegal to do a hypnotic induction on television, because we realize that somebody in the viewing audience might be hypnotized, just by watching it!) I started saying at school that I knew how to hypnotize people, and a seventh-grader came up to me and said defiantly, "Aah, you can't hypnotize me -- that's a bunch of baloney!" I remembered what I had read about how to hypnotize a "skeptical" subject, and I told him solemnly, "Well if you cooperate and you do exactly as I say, you'll be hypnotized." (That was a "waking suggestion," of course, but he didn't know it.)

He assured me that he would.

I asked him to sit down on a long, low stone wall which the students commonly used as a bench, and to close his eyes. When he had done so, I said, "I'm going to count slowly from one to ten; and by the time I get to the count of ten, you will be resting comfortably in a deep, sound sleep." Then I improvised a hypnotic induction based on what I had read, pausing appropriately and speaking with conviction, which went something like this.

One. Just let your whole body relax, and as you listen to my voice, every word that I utter will put you into a deep, sound sleep.

Two. You can feel a heavy, relaxed feeling coming over you as you continue to listen to my voice. You can feel your arms relaxing, and your legs relaxing, and your entire body relaxing completely, as you continue floating, on and on, into a deep, peaceful and relaxing sleep.

Three. You can feel yourself relaxing even more deeply now, as that heavy, relaxed feeling continues to grow. You are relaxing deeper and deeper all the time, as you continue to drift and to float, slowly and aimlessly, on, and on, and on.

Four. You can feel that heavy, relaxed feeling growing stronger and stronger. And as I continue the count on up to ten, that heavy, relaxed feeling is going to continue growing stronger with every passing second, until it causes you to drift into a deep, sound sleep.

Five. Every word that I utter is putting you into a deep, sound sleep, as I continue to count and that heavy, relaxed feeling continues to grow. You are relaxing so very, very deeply now, relaxing so deeply that you can just let yourself go completely and begin to drift even faster into a deep, sound sleep.

Six. Just listen to my voice, as I continue to count, and by the time I get to the count of ten, you will be resting comfortably in a deep, sound sleep.

Seven. You are drifting even faster now, drifting faster and faster into a deep, sound sleep; and by the time I get to the count of ten, you will be resting comfortably in a deep, sound sleep.

Eight Every word that I utter is putting you faster and faster into a deep, sound sleep, deeper and faster, and deeper and faster, all the time. You are drifting very, very rapidly now into a deep, sound sleep, a deep, sound sleep.

Nine. Into a deep, sound sleep now, a deep, sound sleep.

Ten. Very deeply drifting, in a deep, sound sleep. Very deeply drifting, in a deep, sound sleep. Continuing to drift deeper, with each passing second, drifting deeper and deeper, down, and down, and down.

In less than five minutes, he was out like a light!

I told him that he wouldn't be able to feel anything in his scalp, and tugged on his hair hard enough to make a seventh-grader say ouch, but he didn't respond. Then a "big kid" came up, took hold of a lock of his hair, and pulled so hard that I thought he was going to pull his hair out. Still no response.

I told my volunteer that I was going to count to the count of five, and by the count of five he would be wide awake and feeling fine. I slowly counted to five, continuing my suggestions as I went along, which sounded something like this:

One. You are beginning to wake up now. Waking up more and more, and by the time I get to the count of five, you will be wide awake and fully refreshed.

Two. You are waking up more and more now, and by the time I get to the count of five, you will be completely awake.

Three. Waking up more and more.

Four. Almost awake now.

Five. Now you are completely awake, and feeling wonderful.

My seventh-grade volunteer dazedly disappeared among the crowd of students which had gathered around us and the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving me to wonder what in the world was going on.

"You hit it just right," a colleague said to me many years later, after I had become a psychologist, and of course he was correct. But why did I hit it just right? The method which I used was called "progressive relaxation," because that is what it entails. But I would rather think of it as "compounded conviction," because that is how it works. The volunteer had accepted my suggestion that if he cooperated fully with my instructions he would be in a deep hypnotic sleep by the time I got to the count of ten. As I began the count, I asked him to relax. Then, as he did so, I suggested, "You can feel yourself relaxing now. You can feel a heavy, relaxed feeling coming over you" (which implied that this voluntary relaxation was the hypnosis beginning to work). Then, all I had to do was to gradually suggest that this heavy relaxation was getting stronger and stronger, as it carried him into a deep, sound sleep, and finally, that he was asleep. After that, he could accept the suggestion that he could not feel anything in his scalp as just another property of the hypnotic state which he was in.

Stage hypnotists, who have less time to perform an induction than I did because they must retain the interest of their audience, can identify experientially gifted volunteers with only the briefest of screenings, and hypnotize them much more rapidly. Clearly, technique is much less important than many other factors.

As Steve Lynn and I were to put it many years later, in our induction chapter in the Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis, "

. . .how clients respond to suggestions depends less on the nature and success of a particular induction than on the following variables: (a) clients' prehypnotic attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and expectations about hypnosis; (b) their ability to think, fantasize, and absorb themselves in suggestions; (c) their ability to form a trusting relationship with the hypnotist; (d) their ability to interpret suggestions appropriately and view their responses as successful; (e) their ability to discern task demands and cues; (f) their ongoing interaction with the hypnotist; and (g) the appropriateness of the therapeutic methods and suggestions to treating the presenting problem. . . . Accordingly, clinicians should devise inductions and suggestions with these variables in mind and tailor their approach to the unique personal characteristics and agenda of each client they encounter" (Gibbons & Lynn, 2010, p. 289).

It's one thing to convince someone that they have been hypnotized, and quite another to get your therapeutic suggestions to work. Nowadays, you can convince almost anyone of the former, as the polished professional demonstrations now available have admirably shown. But successfully accomplishing the latter result requires that sufficient attention be paid to the conditions mentioned in the previous paragraph, regardless of the technical sophistication of the induction which is employed.

Reference

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J. (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. In Ruhe, J.W., Lynn, S.J., & Kirsch, I. (Eds.) Handbook of Clincial Hypnosis, 2nd. ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association..

Hypnotherapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Psychology: Made for Each Other!

2011-11-22T06:11:00.005-05:00

In a seventh-grade classroom, the teacher calls upon Johnny, an excellent student, to come up in front of the class and give a summary of the previous night's homework assignment. Johnny sits frozen in his seat, unable to respond. After a few seconds, the teacher calls on someone else and the incident is quickly forgotten -- to everyone but Johnny.

What was going through Johnny's mind when the teacher called on him? He was probably thinking, "I can't do it!" (an automatic thought which was too rapid to be noticed unless he was specifically trained to do so). What was the belief which produced that automatic thought? "Everyone will laugh at me!" (a cognitive distortion, or a habit of thinking which makes things appear to be much worse than they actually are). And what caused this cognitive distortion? A schema, or a fundamental underlying belief that Johnny is a worthless and inadequate person, which was instilled in him by his father's relentless bullying.

Later, as an adult, Johnny may come to us for help because he is upset over several things in his life, in particular because he believes that his boss is driving him crazy. He also has anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, possibly complicated by alcohol and drug abuse, possibly made even worse by the fact that his boss or someone close to him may have a personality disorder, which he is poorly prepared to cope with

Suggestion-based therapy is suggestion ideal for identifying and correcting the underlying beliefs identified by cognitive-behavioral psychology which lead to so much distress in everyday life. We may use our own special brand of experiential therapy, or other academic applications of evidence-based hypnotherapy.

I'm very much impressed by the work of the people at www.smartrecovery.org which is a group of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts who use cognitive-behavioral methods instead of the traditional twelve-step approach of A.A. and N.A. As far as I have been able to tell, their material is not copyrighted because they want people to use it.

Their tool chest of resources is a treasure-trove for people who are looking for material to help their clients combat cravings of every type. Cravings are cravings, and their techniques will work not just with drugs and alcohol, but also with cravings for food, nicotine, sex, gambling, and even chocolate! (Have I got your interest yet?)

To help people find out what goal to substitute for a particular craving, they have a hierarchy of values and a values and goals clarification list, so that you can know what positive images to concentrate on in place of the substances which you crave. They have a cost-benefits analysis worksheet to help people see just what their addiction is costing them, a worksheet for challenging your unhelpful idea, and a change plan worksheet for how to go about it. There's a trigger homework sheetto help you avoid the triggers which set off your cravings in the first place (which is one of the things that we as hypnotists tend not to pay enough attention to), a list of activities you might enjoy to take your mind off your cravings, and an "Encyclopedia of Rational Coping Statements and Disputations" which can easily be converted into suggestions and autosuggestions to make them even more potent than they already are!

Examples include" Confidence Building and Anxiety Reducing Rational Beliefs, Coping Statements for Dealing with Anxiety about Anxiety, Helpful Things to Say to Myself to Overcome Perfectionism, Putting the Past Behind You, and Rational Beliefs to Increase Frustration Tolerance.

There's also a list of Forward Steps to Recovery, coupled with a list of Backward Steps to Addictive Behavior. and How to Deal with Backsliding.

In addition, they have a list of Articles and Essays containing a great deal of practical material which can be directly put into use, and a superb reading list.

But this is only part of what they have to offer. For a systematic, comprehensive approach to dealing with problems related to cravings, check it out. You'll be as happy as a kid in a candy store -- and I guarantee, you'll crave more!

Premature Ejaculation Treated with CBT and Suggestion

2011-11-17T04:43:00.011-05:00

Although it is not always to employ a formal induction, it is always possible to include positive suggestion in our approach to treatment.

Several years ago, I saw a nineteen year old, newly-married male client, who had grown up in a strict Baptist household, as had his wife. His previous experience with women was extremely limited. He had not learned to hold himself back when he and his wife were about to make love, and always climaxed too soon. His wife did not participate in the sessions, due to an expressed reluctance to discuss such intimate topics with anyone but her husband. Because of his strict Baptist upbringing, he rejected the idea of hypnosis. Therefore, my treatment was a combination of support and encouragement, positive suggestion, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

First, the client was reassured that his responses were perfectly normal. I explained that most young males need to learn to restrain their natural tendency to "let go" in response to their first sexual contacts with a woman.

In discussing his feelings for his wife, the client agreed that the most erotically arousing stimulus imaginable was to experience her in the throes of orgasm, which she had previously attained fairly quickly through heavy petting. He also reported that his wife was multi-orgasmic during these times, but one or two climaxes was all that he was able to manage. His wife had expressed disdain for mechanical vibrators, ribbed condoms, and the like, stating, "They aren't you!"

I assured him that he was extremely fortunate in having a multi-orgasmic wife whom he would be able to pleasure repeatedly as he acquired a greater degree of control. As the couple gained more familiarity with each other's bodies, all of his efforts were to be directed toward attaining this goal of pleasuring her as frequently and as intensely as possible, which took his mind off himself.

He was encouraged to frankly and openly discuss with his wife how they liked to be touched, and to continue to talk during intercourse, exchanging tender words and encouraging the types of stimulation that would be most satisfying at the moment.

The client was instructed to make the foreplay as long and drawn out as possible, with maximum clitoral stimulation for the wife, repeatedly leading her as close to orgasm as possible without actually achieving it unless she insisted. This could be either manual or oral, or both. Without revealing this to his wife, as the couple began to have intercourse and he felt that he was about to "let go," he was instructed to slow down and think of a series of the grossest, most repulsive things he possibly could as he began to make love, and the more tempted he feel to let go, the stronger he needed to make these images, until they filled his mind completely! The images were to be individually chosen by the client to make sure that they would be as repulsive as he could make them.

I also explained that it was okay to even stop once in a while, if he needed to, explaining, "It's just too good -- I have to stop a minute." The wife would recognize this a tribute to her femininity and to the intensity of her husband's desire for her.

The client was assured, as the lovemaking continued at a slower pace and his adaptation level gradually built up as he and his wife grew more used to each other's carnal presence, he would be able to tolerate more and more intense stimulation until his and his wife's respective arousal levels were more evenly matched. He was also instructed that it might take some time for his control to build up to the necessary level, but he was assured that if he practiced this restraint training, he would eventually be successful.

He was seen for a total of ten sessions, weekly at first for the first three sessions, and then spread out over the course of a three-month period, and at the end of this time he reported complete success.

Hypnosis, Suggestion, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

2011-11-16T08:05:00.011-05:00

He was probably thinking, "I can't do it!" (an automatic thought which was too rapid to be noticed unless he was specifically trained to do so). What was the belief which produced that automatic thoughtt? "Everyone will laugh at me (a cognitive distortion, or a habit of thinking which makes things appear to be much worse than they actually are). And what caused this cognitive distortion? A schema, or a fundamental underlying belief that Johnny is a worthless and inadequate person, which was instilled in him by his father's relentless bullying.

Later, as an adult, he may come to us for help because he is upset over several things in his life, in particular because he believes that his boss is driving him crazy. He also has anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, possibly complicated by alcohol and drug abuse, and the fact that his boss or someone close to him may have a personality disorder, which he is poorly prepared to cope with

Hypnotherapy and suggestion are ideal for identifying and correcting the underlying beliefs identified by cognitive-behavioral psychology which lead to so much distress in everyday life. We may use our own special brand of experiential therapy, or other academic applications of evidence-based hypnotherapy. Additionally, the folks at smartrecovery.org have a tool chest of affirmations and positive beliefs, and a collection of articles and essays specifically designed for problems of alcohol and drug abuse, which can be presented much more easily in hypnosis than outside of it. With only slight changes in wording, this material can be converted into hypnosis scripts which can be applied to a wide variety of emotional disturbances.

What do We REALLY Know about Hypnosis?

2011-11-15T18:47:00.018-05:00

If we form our understanding of hypnosis on the basis of our own personal investigations, or on the collective wisdom of the groups which we belong to, or on the opinions of one or two gurus whom we especially revere, instead of looking at the field as a whole, then we're going to miss the big picture as it emerges.

The poem, The Blind Men and the Elephant, by John G. Saxe, illustrates the difficulties of this approach.

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;"
'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

And so it is with hypnosis. But what if the blind men could BECOME the elephant? if we use an entirely different paradigm which regards suggestion as an art form and experience as an artistic medium, we won't be blind any more, we won't run the risk of getting stepped on -- and we'll be able to learn from personal experience everything there is to know about elephants!

Autosuggestions for Combating Perfectionism

2011-11-15T16:41:00.013-05:00

The following list is adapted from a posting on www.smartrecovery.com. Since the things we say to ourselves as in self-hypnosis are more effective than the things we say to ourselves in everyday life, these provide an excellent source of self-hypnotic autosuggestions if perfectionism has been a difficulty for you. Use the ones which you find most appealing, and take one or two at a time to use during each self-hypnosis session.

Many other helpful lists are available at the foregoing site which may be adapted for use in self-hypnosis in a similar manner.

No one can be totally perfect.
I'm not perfect and I never will be — tough!
It's okay to want to do my best. Doing well does not necessarily mean being the best.
I perform in many different roles and it is highly unlikely that I will excel in every role at all times.
Just because I make a mistake does not mean I am a mistake.
To be human is to err.
The pressure I put on myself to perform perfectly is an unrealistic pressure that can actually cause me to perform worse because I will be worried and nervous.
The pressure I put on myself to perform perfectly creates an extra source of stress that can affect me emotionally and physically.
Trying to do my best is a reasonable goal, but it will not always be achieved.
Few things in life are exact. Things can be done in a variety of ways and have many different solutions.
People do not always agree on what is correct or right. Judgments are often subjective.
I will try to set my own realistic goals, please myself, and have the strength to be creative and different in the face of others' potential disapproval.
Our whole society is geared to expect that people will make mistakes and errors. Examples are traffic tickets, prison, consumer recalls, consumer complaints, refunds, legal suits, etc.
True friends accept imperfection.
Mistakes do not equal incompetence. Mistakes are just mistakes —period!

See also:

Multimodal Self-Hypnosis

Autosuggestions for Building Confidence and Reducing Anxiety

2011-11-15T16:38:00.013-05:00

The following list is adapted from a posting on www.smartrecovery.com. Since the things we say to ourselves as in self-hypnosis are more effective than the things we say to ourselves in everyday life, these provide an excellent source of self-hypnotic autosuggestions if anxiety and lack of self-confidence have created difficulties for you. Use the ones which you find most appealing, and take one or two at a time to use during each self-hypnosis session.

Many other helpful lists are available at the foregoing site which may be adapted for use in self-hypnosis in a similar manner.

Just because things are not succeeding today does not mean I'm a "no-hoper" or that I will not succeed in the future.
While it is very desirable to achieve well and be recognized by others, I do not need achievement or recognition to survive and be happy.
Mistakes and rejections are inevitable. I will work hard at accepting myself while hating my mistakes and setbacks.
My performance at work — perfect or otherwise — does not determine my worth as a person.
Things are rarely as bad, awful, or catastrophic as I imagine them to be.
I accept who I am, even though I may not like some of my traits and behaviors.
There are many things about me that I like and do well (enumerate them).
I have done many things at work successfully in the past, I will succeed in the future.
I am intelligent and talented enough to learn what I have to do and how to do it in order to accomplish my goals.
I am confident that everything will turn out okay given that I have my goals, know what to do, and work hard.

See also:

Multimodal Self-Hypnosis

Autosuggestions for Combating Depression

2011-11-15T16:35:00.005-05:00

The following list is adapted from a posting on www.smartrecovery.com. Since the things we say to ourselves as in self-hypnosis are more effective than the things we say to ourselves in everyday life, these provide an excellent source of self-hypnotic autosuggestions if anxiety and lack of self-confidence have created difficulties for you. Use the ones which you find most appealing, and take one or two at a time to use during each self-hypnosis session.

Many other helpful lists are available at the foregoing site which may be adapted for use in self-hypnosis in a similar manner.

Feelings of depression are caused by self-blame, self-pity, and other-pity.

Self-Blame:

No one makes you psychologically depressed. You do that by the things you say to yourself.
You are not worthless even if important people in your life reject you.
Doing badly never makes you a bad person — only imperfect.
You have a right to be wrong.
Guilt is created in two steps: a) You do something bad and b) you decide you're awful.
Never blame yourself for anything. Instead, admit your responsibility for wrongdoing.
Self-blamers are grandiose in the sense that they judge themselves more harshly than they judge others who commit similar errors.
You can always forgive yourself since you are a) imperfect b) ignorant or c) disturbed.
Separate the rating of your behavior from the rating of your self.

Self-Pity:

You don't have to have everything you want. The world was not made just for you.
Not getting your way is only disappointing or sad—not the end of the world.
Count your blessings. You have put up with disappointments all your life; you can tolerate this one too.

Other-Pity:

Caring for others is mature. Over-caring is neurotic.
All the pain you feel for the suffering of others does not relieve them of the slightest pain.
Healthy detachment by you helps others face up to their self-defeating behaviors.
You won't get burned out as a helper if you don't break your heart over others.

See also:

Multimodal Self-Hypnosis

How Many of These Ideas do YOU Believe?

2011-11-14T20:37:00.014-05:00

The following ideas are ALL false. But we all tend to believe at least some of them once in a while, and we make ourselves unhappy when we do!

All or nothing - thinking

You see things in black and white categories. If a situation falls short of perfect, you see it as a total failure. When a young woman on a diet ate a spoonful of ice cream, she told herself, 'I've blown my diet completely.' This thought upset her so much that she gobbled down an entire quart of ice cream!

Overgeneralization

You see a single negative event, such as a romantic rejection or a career reversal as a never-ending pattern of defeat by using words such as 'always' or "never" when you think about it. A depressed salesman became terribly upset when he noticed bird dung on the windshield of his car. He told himself, 'Just my luck! Birds are always crapping on my car!'

Mental filter

You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively, so that your vision of all of reality becomes darkened, like the drop of ink that discolors a beaker of water. Example: You receive many positive comments about your presentation to a group of associates at work, but one of them says something mildly critical. You obsess about his reaction for days and ignore all the positive feedback.

Discounting the positive

You reject positive experiences by insisting they 'don't count.' If you do a good job, you may tell yourself that it wasn't good enough or that anyone could have done as well. Discounting the positive takes the joy out of life and makes you feel inadequate and unrewarded.

Jumping to conclusions

You interpret things negatively when there are no facts to support your conclusion.

Mind reading

Without checking it out, you arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you.

Fortune telling

You predict that things will turn out badly. Before a test you may tell yourself, 'I'm really going to blow it. What if I flunk?' If you're depressed you may tell yourself, 'I'll never get better.'

Magnification

You exaggerate the importance of your problems and shortcomings, or you minimize the importance of your desirable qualities. This is also called the 'binocular trick.'

Emotional reasoning

You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: "I feel terrified about going on airplanes. It must be very dangerous to fly." Or "I feel guilty. I must be a rotten person." Or "I feel angry. This proves I'm being treated unfairly." Or "I feel so inferior. This means I'm a second-rate person." Or "I feel hopeless. I must really be hopeless."

"Should statements"

You tell yourself that things should be the way you hoped or expected them to be. After playing a difficult piece on the piano, a gifted pianist told herself, "I shouldn't have made so many mistakes." This made her feel so disgusted that she quit practicing for several days. "Musts," "oughts'" and "have to's" are similar offenders.

"Should statements" that are directed against yourself lead to guilt and frustration. Should statements that are directed against other people or the world in general lead to anger and frustration: "He shouldn't be so stubborn and argumentative" Many people try to motivate themselves with shoulds and shouldn’ts, as if they were delinquents who had to be punished before they could be expected to do anything. "I shouldn't eat that doughnut." This usually doesn't work because all these shoulds and musts make you feel rebellious and you get the urge to do just the opposite.

Labeling

Labeling is an extreme form of all-or-nothing thinking. Instead of saying "I made a mistake." you attach a negative label to yourself: 'I'm a loser.' You might alsolabel yourself 'a fool' or 'a failure' or 'a jerk.' Labeling is quite irrational because you are not the same as what you do. Human beings exist. but 'fools,' 'losers,' and 'jerks' do not. These labels are useless abstractions that lead to anger, anxiety, frustration, and low self- esteem.

You may also label others. When someone does something that rubs you the wrong way, you may tell yourself: 'He's an S.O.B Then you feel that the problem is with that person's 'character' or 'essence' instead of with their thinking or behavior. You see them as totally bad. This makes you feel hostile and hopeless about improving things and leaves little room for constructive communication.

Personalization and blame

Personalization occurs when you hold yourself personally responsible for an event that isn't entirely under your control. When a woman received a note that her child was having difficulties at school, she told herself, 'this shows what a bad mother I am,' instead of trying to pinpoint the cause of the problem so that she could be helpful to her child. When another woman's husband beat her, she told herself, lf only I were better in bed, he wouldn't beat me.' Personalization leads to guilt, shame, and feelings of inadequacy. Same people do the opposite. They blame other people or their circumstances for their problems, and they overlook ways that they might be contributing to the problem: 'The reason my marriage is so lousy is because my spouse is totally unreasonable.' Blame usually doesn't work very well because other people will resent being a scapegoat and they will just toss the blame right back in your lap. It's like the game of hot potato - no one wants to get stuck with it.

The total number of schemas, or fundamental beliefs about the self, the world, and the future, is theoretically without limit -- which is why hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral psychology go hand in hand. For more information on schemas and the rules and automatic thoughts which they generate, see the following posts?

How to Keep Your Boss from Driving You Crazy

Cognitive Distortions: How Not to Upset Yourself

How to Recognize a Personality Disorder

How to Keep Your Boss from Driving You Crazy

2011-11-11T20:34:00.024-05:00

The boss yelled at you today and it made you angry. Why did he do it?

Maybe he and his wife are getting a divorce.
Maybe his kids are on drugs.
Maybe he just got arrested for drunk driving.
Maybe something else is wrong that is even worse.

If your boss really had accused you of something that was false, of course you need to speak up. But why did it make you angry?

You could have thought that he was out to get you and felt afraid.
You could have thought that it was a personal put-down and felt hurt.
You could even have thought that he was making a fool of himself and felt amused.

If your boss has a personality disorder, or is out to get you for other reasons, you need to check your own beliefs that might prevent you from keeping your cool. In addition to the ones mentioned in the link, you might have beliefs like these:

Whenever anybody raises their voice to me, it is an attack on my personal worth.
I secretly believe that everything should always go my way.
My boss is one hundred percent wrong, and I are one hundred percent right.
I always have to have my boss's approval in order to feel OK.
If my boss started it, I am justified in pushing it to the limit, even if it costs me my job and a good reference.

In addition to these, both you and your boss might be in the habit of seeing things in ways which make them look worse than they actually are. Trying to see both sides may lead to a better understanding. Cutting your boss some slack can also leave the door open for an apology. And, if your boss really is out to get you, at least it may give you some time to look for another job.

The most important thing, however, is that you are in control of your own emotional reactions, and these come from your own beliefs and values. This is the secret to something you can change!

Cognitive Distortions: How Not to Upset Yourself

2011-11-10T19:27:00.028-05:00

The ancient Greek philosopher Epictitus said, "We are disturbed not by events, but by the views which we take of them." This statement has formed the basis of what is currently known as cognitive-behavioral psychology. If you are willing to work at it, you can "be your own philosopher" and learn to see things more realistically. Most of us have used at least some of the following habits of thought to make things appear worse than they actually are, and some people do this so often that it keeps them in a constant state of depression, anger, or anxiety. See how many of the following cognitive distortions you may have used in the past which kept you from getting more out of life.

All-or-nothing thinking: Everything is good or bad, with nothing in between. If you aren't perfect, then you're a failure.

Overgeneralization: A single negative event turns into a never-ending pattern of defeat. "I didn't get a phone call.I'll never hear from anybody again."

Mental filter: One single negative thing colors everything else. When you're depressed, it sometimes feels like you're "looking at the world through mud-colored glasses."

Disqualifying the positive: If somebody says something good about you, it doesn't count. But if somebody says something bad about you, you "knew it all along."

Jumping to conclusions: You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that convincingly support your conclusion.

Mind reading: You think somebody is thinking negative things about you and don't bother to check it out. You just assume that he is.

The Fortune Teller Error: You think that things are going to turn out badly, and convince yourself that this is already a fact.

Magnification (catastrophizing) or minimization: Imagine that you're looking at yourself or somebodyelse through a pair of binoculars. You might think that a mistake you made or somebody else's achievement are more important than they really are. Now imagine that you've turned the binoculars around and you're looking through them backwards. Something you've done might look less important than it really is, and somebody else's faults might look less important than they really are.

Emotional reasoning: You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things reallyare: "I feel it, therefore it must be true."

Should statements: You beat up on yourself as a way of getting motivated to do something. You"should" do this, you "must" to this, you "ought" to do this, and so on. This doesn't make you want to doit, it only makes you feel guilty. When you direct should statements toward others, you feel anger,frustration, and resentment.

Labeling and mislabeling: This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. When you make a mistake,you give yourself a label, such as, "I'm a loser." When someone else's behavior rubs you the wrong way,you attach a negative label to him, "He's an ass." Mislabeling involves describing an event with languagethat is highly colored and emotionally loaded.

Personalization: You believe that you were the cause of something bad that happened, when you really didn't have very much to do with it.

How to Recognize a Personality Disorder

False Beliefs which Prevent You from Keeping Your Cool

How to Recognize a Personality Disorder

2011-11-09T17:34:00.030-05:00

If a person is obviously mentally ill or has a substance abuse problem, we usually have a pretty clear idea of what is wrong and how to go about getting help for them.. But what about the people we interact with every day, and whom we may even be very close to emotionally, who are often so difficult to get along with because something about them is just -- well, different?

Personality disordered people are not “crazy” in the popular sense of the term, and they usually do not end up in mental hospitals unless something else is wrong with them. People who have personality disorders are usually not even aware that they have a problem, because these patterns tend to lie at the very core of their sense of self. They may sometimes even be proud of the traits that make them different and set them apart from others.

While actual diagnosis and treatment should only be undertaken by a mental health professional, the summaries which follow will help you to gain at least occasional insights into the behavior of many of the people you interact with every day, and which probably forms the basis of many toxic relationships in the workplace, and possibly even within your own family and circle of friends. We all occasionally have some of these traits; but if you think that you may have a particular type of personality disorder, you should only consider this question very carefully, with professional help -- and the chances are very good that you don't.

The following descriptions of personality disorders have been compiled by some of the best minds in the field of mental health, drawing upon years of clinical observation and literally hundreds of research studies to find patterns which “clump together” in present-day culture. Please keep in mind, however, that it is possible to have more than one personality disorder at a time, and many people can possess some of the traits of one or more personality disorders without having enough to qualify for a formal diagnosis.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

The ancient Greeks used to tell the story of Narcissus -- a lad who was so good-looking that he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, and spent so much time gazing at it that he eventually fell into the pool and drowned. People who are given a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder are often perceived as being selfish or conceited. They may often spend a great deal of time telling you how great they are, or boasting of their achievements or accomplishments.

Some people think of a person with a narcissistic personality disorder as having a superiority complex to cover up for an inferiority complex. When you get to know such people well, it soon becomes apparent that the reason they spend so much time “tooting their own horn” is that deep down inside, they really feel afraid, inadequate, and unlovable.

Narcissists do not always act selfishly in the short term. They are often highly motivated to pursue long-term goals in order to prove their worth both to themselves and others. For this reason, narcissists often tend to gravitate to positions of leadership in business, government, education -- and yes, even churches.

Histrionic Personality Disorder.

People who have been diafnosed with histrionic personality disorder may often be compared to an adult version of the “spoiled child” who will do anything to remain the center of attention. If histrionics are able to “show off” and remain the center of attention by doing a good job, they often accomplish a great deal. But if they feel that they are being ignored, or that the attention which they crave so deeply is denied them, they may become angry and disruptive in order to get it back again -- even if it’s unfavorable attention this time!

Antisocial Personality Disorder.

People with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder did not incorporate our society’s standards of right and wrong into their personalities as well as the rest of us have. They begin getting into trouble with the authorities by the time they are adolescents, and don’t grow out of it. As you might suppose, this pattern is much more common in men than in women.

Since personality disorders are so difficult to change, many such people keep going back and forth to jail from their teen years until middle age, when they seem to mellow out of their own accord. They make up the bulk of most prison populations, and often have a history of substance abuse or substance dependency. However, people with antisocial personality traits (I like to call them stealth antisocials) may be encountered almost anywhere, even at the highest levels of many organizations; and they may not be found out until their behavior gets them into trouble. (The discovery and apprehension of stealth antisocials in high-profile positions is the basis of many of the news stories we read about every day.)

Borderline Personality Disorder.

To understand the person who qualifies for a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, think back to some of the stormiest days of your own adolescence, or the adolescence of someone you know well. With an incompletely developed sense of self, the borderlines have no firm idea of who they are and where they are going. Their lives are often erratic, with frequent job changes and alterations in long term goals, and intense and unstable friendships and romantic involvements.

Because of their poorly developed sense of self, borderlines often have difficulty with so-called “boundary issues,” or the ability to distinguish between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in a given situation. Some borderlines, in fact, may find it difficult to even talk to a person of the opposite sex for very long without acting as if they are falling in love with them.

Borderlines often engage in “splitting,” with either extremely positive or extremely negative feelings towards others, sometimes suddenly reversing from extreme friendliness to extreme rejection and vice-versa. This changeability frequently leads them to engage in behavior that is highly manipulative. This splitting may also be the reason why the interpersonal relationships of borderlines are often centered around real of imagined fears of abandonment. (One book on borderline personality disorder is entitled, I Hate You - Don’t Leave Me!) These tendencies to engage in splitting may also explain why borderlines also seem to have a strong ability to divide those around them into separate camps of friends and enemies.

Borderlines usually have very low self-esteem, and suicidal gestures, genuine attempts, and successful suicides are not uncommon. Since many borderlines have a history of cutting themselves, or other forms of self-injurious behavior, it has been speculated that this represents an extreme attempt to combat the overwhelming numbness of an otherwise empty life.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.

People who have been diagnosed with an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may be popularly known as a “nit-picker” or “neat freak.” They may become so involved with orderliness, perfectionism, and control that efficiency suffers as a result. This culture tends to place a high value on preoccupation with detail in certain jobs. With proper training, people who have milder forms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may become excellent law clerks, college registrars, bank auditors, or personal physicians -- in which case, it may not be a personality disorder any more, unless it interferes with their functioning off the job!

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is closely related to another disorder with a similar name, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD for short, which is similar in nature but more limited in scope. Obsessive-compulsive disorder refers to a pattern of continually recurring thoughts (obsessions), or behaviors which one is compelled to continually repeat, such as checking a door several times in a row to be sure that it is locked.

Avoidant Personality Disorder.

People who carry a diagnosis of avoidant personality disorder have had such unpleasant social interactions in the past that with the possible exception of one or two close relatives or special friends, they have come to fear all human contact. Avoidants are frequently not merely shy about most social situations, they are genuinely phobic about them. Their avoidance is often centered around a core belief that if people really got to know them, it would immediately become obvious how incompetent and worthless they really are, and the immediate result would be scorn, rejection, and loss of employment. People with an avoidant personality disorder often tend to gravitate to solitary occupations -- researchers, librarians, or forest rangers, for example; and they may be attracted by certain monastic orders. (Of course, not everyone in these types of occupations could be diagnosed with an avoidant personality disorder!)

Dependent Personality Disorder.

A central theme in the life of people who have been diagnosed with a dependent personality disorder is a need to be looked after and taken care of, often accompanied by excessive fears of real or imagined abandonment. Some people with milder forms of this disorder attempt to satisfy their underlying dependency needs by becoming so efficient and thorough that they make themselves indispensable. Others, whose disorder is more severe, become highly dependent on instructions from above, and are reluctant to show any initiative in carrying out their responsibilities for fear that they will have made the wrong decision.

Paranoid Personality Disorder.

People who have been diagnoses with paranoid personality disorder tend to see the activities of other people as ill-intentioned -- even when the opposite is true. Compliments may be seen as attempts to gain undue influence through flattery, and offers of help may be seen as evidence that the person to whom the help is offered is viewed as incompetent. The resulting suspiciousness and hostility may tend to bring about the negative attitudes and behaviors which the person with a paranoid personality disorder believes were always there. (The saying goes, “Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!”)

Schizoid Personality Disorder.

The person who has been diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder is an extreme loner or a “cold fish” who just isn’t interested in being around people. Such people are often found in the most solitary jobs which others might tend to shy away from. Because of their extreme lack of social skills, they should not be expected to change simply by inviting them to parties or by introducing them to a wide circle of people.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

People who have been diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder typically have bizarre notions of cause and effect, and may practice unusual rituals of their own devising, either to make things happen or to prevent them from happening, similar to those who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Their everyday speech patterns and favorite topics of converstation are usually regarded by those around them as being somewhat bizarre, although not totally “crazy” in the popular sense of the term. They may also take a keen interest in cults and in the paranormal. Although certainly not everyone who is interested in such topics has a schizotypal personality disorder, the true schizotypal still tends to stand out because of bizarre thought patterns.

Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder.

Although the American Psychiatric Association no longer officially lists this as a separate personality disorder, people with passive aggressive tendencies try to disrupt things by sabotaging the success of their employers, their family, or their friends without appearing do so deliberately, because they feel that their own needs for recognition, status, or achievement are not being met, or that other people are more successful than they are. Passive aggressive people may risk an occasional confrontation if it helps them to get their frustrations out, but they can usually gauge their actions carefully enough to avoid losing their jobs or their families.

If they are not frankly and firmly confronted about their behavior, their passive-aggressive patterns may become worse over time as they continue to follow their own “hidden agendas” and they feel that their actions are being accepted or condoned. They may single out for special treatment vulnerable individuals or groups who will not or can not “fight back,” and their behavior may degenerate into outright bullying. Then, when the inevitable day of reckoning does arrive, the consequences may be much more serious -- both for the victims and for the organization -- than if the problem had been immediately and forcefully dealt with.

Limitations of a Personality Disorder Diagnosis.

In order to qualify for any of the foregoing diagnoses of personality disorder, the disorder must be seen to cause people significant distress in their social, intellectual, or occupational functioning, regardless of whether or not they are aware of this fact. Temperamental but highly successful movie stars, for example, whose demanding and self-centered behavior would interfere with their adjustment in another setting, would probably not qualify for a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder as long as they can "get away with it." Similarly, people who live alone in a remote location miles from the nearest neighbor would not qualify for a diagnosis of avoidant personality disorder as long as they are able to function well their current situation, regardless of how intensely they may dislike having social contact with their fellow human beings.

It's easy to see how more than one personality disorder, or the traits of several, can work together in the same individual. Most of us are familiar with, or have heard stories about, the narcissistic borderline who sleeps her way into an executive position and then proceeds to systematically eliminate all those who are familiar with how she got to where she is, while tyrannizing over the ones who have been hired as their replacements. We are also not surprised to learn about a convict who immediately commits another crime upon his release from prison, which entitles him to several more years of "three hots and a cot," plus free medical and dental care. Many of us have also witnessed instances of a passive-aggressive histrionic, who regularly disrupts public meetings with their oft-repeated tales of woe, to the extent that it becomes next to impossible to get any business done.

People with personality disorders are not likely to seek professional assistance, because they are frequently inclined to blame their troubles on everyone but themselves. When they do seek help, it is usually because they are forced to do so (often in conjunction with an assault or a suicide attempt, or because a family member insists on it). They tend to remain as long as they are "hurting," or as long as they are forced to stay. When they are no longer hurting and are in a position to stop, they discontinue therapy. A therapist is much more likely to see a family member, romantic partner, or employee who presents with anxiety or depression as a result of their interaction with someone who has a personality disorder. But if you are in one of these categories yourself, knowing how to recognize the major symptoms of a personality disorder will place you in a much better position to deal with personality-disordered people on a daily basis and to seek professional assistance if you need to do so.

How to Keep from Upsetting Yourself

False Beliefs Which Prevent You from Keeping Your Cool

For additional information, see the following print sources:

Cavaiola, A. C., & Lavender, N. J. (2000). Toxic co-workers: How to deal with dysfunctional people on the job. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, DSM-IV-TR, 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Hypnosis, Seduction, and Hypnophilia

2011-10-28T21:33:00.054-04:00

I haven't read any research on the topic of hypnosis and seduction because, as you can imagine, it is not possible to obtain permission for this kind of investigation. But I do have a "case study" which, for reasons which will become obvious, I have not been able to corroborate.

Several years ago, I offered the students in my graduate course in hypnosis the option of conducting an original research project for extra credit. One of the students, who was also a teaching assistant in an Introductory Psychology class, turned in the following report, which I have heavily edited in order to eliminate the more explicit portions while retaining its essence. Needless to say, I could not give him credit for his "research project." But, with no one who was willing to come forth and claim the role of victim, neither could I report him to the Dean -- and he knew it!

Here, in an edited and condensed form, is an autobiographical report from self-confessed serial seducer, announcing that he had chosen as his life work to use hypnosis as his instrument of choice.

My Life Work
“You can’t be made to do anything in hypnosis that is against your will,” the experts say. No matter how deeply you are hypnotized, there is always an un-hypnotized part of your personality which acts as a “hidden observer,” able to intervene if the need arises. But what if the “hidden observer” is dying to get laid?
Lois, one of the students in my discussion section, had developed the habit of stopping regularly by my desk at the end of the hour, just to chat. As the bond between us grew stronger, we adopted the habit of meeting regularly for a cup of coffee. Gradually, and with much hesitation, she began to tell me the story of her life. Her uncle had molested her on several occasions when she was a child. Like many others of his type, he was clever enough to try to make sure that she enjoyed the experience, in an attempt to get her to share their “secret.” When she had timidly attempted to tell her parents on one or two occasions, they simply did not believe her, which only caused her shame and guilt to become even greater.
Lois relished telling me every detail of her existence, including her social life, and the fact that she used to get seizures as a result of injuries in a car accident. Because of her early experiences with her uncle, she was extremely shy around boys until she entered college. Now, as a Sophomore, she would only allow herself to get involved with male students for occasional one-night stands. These involved some heavy drinking to make things easier, followed by heavy petting and occasional oral sex (which she did not enjoy very much), but nothing more.
We soon became strongly attracted to each other. However, dating a student in one’s class was strictly forbidden. Besides, with that kind of a personal history, she wasn’t going to let any man get as far as I wanted to go with her.
Neither one of us was ready for a committed relationship. But there was still one small chance that I might be able to succeed in getting what we both did want. I had always been interested in hypnosis -- but not for purely professional reasons. If hypnosis can be used as the sole anesthetic to deaden sensation in the female genitalia during birth, I wondered, what would be the result of you used suggestion to make the genitalia, and even whole body, hypersensitive?
A few weeks into the semester, I asked the students in the introductory psychology section where I was a teaching assistant if anyone wanted to be hypnotized in order to receive suggestions to improve their study habits (and, of course, to give me some practice in seeing whether or not I could use hypnosis to turn on some of my female students -- especially Lois!). Lois’s hand shot up instantly. I signed her up, along with three other volunteers, to meet with me individually in my teaching assistant’s office the following Saturday morning, when I knew that the psychology building would be deserted. Naturally, I made sure that Lois was my last appointment.
Lois was precisely on time. After a few moments of conversation, I gave her a pre-hypnotic talk, which included assurances that people who are hypnotized cannot be made to do anything against their will. Then I asked if she had any questions. When she did not, I went ahead with the hypnotic induction.
Judging by the responses of my first three volunteers, two of whom were female, I did not expect very much to happen. However, by her body language, and the degree to which she seemed to sink down in the chair, it seemed that she was going to be an excellent hypnotic subject. When the induction was completed, I told her, as I had told the others, “In psychology, we know that people never learn to do anything new, unless they find that new behavior rewarding. Would you like to feel the emotion of happiness, and use this as a reward to change your study habits? You can just nod your head yes or no.”
Lois seemed to be so deeply hypnotized that she was not sure that she could move unless I specifically suggested it. But perhaps she was shyly considering the possible consequences. “It’s all right, you can move if you want to,” I prompted. After a few seconds, she nodded slowly. “All right,” I continued. “We’re going to have to make it very strong, but that’s okay, because the stronger we make it, the greater the effect will be,” I casually remarked. Lois did not move, but I had the feeling that she was waiting expectantly for what I was about to say next.
“Now, as I continue to speak, you can feel wave after wave happiness, filling and flooding your entire being with joy and delight. And in just a few seconds, you’ll be feeling all the happiness you can possibly hold. Then you can signal me by raising your hand. . . . It’s growing, and growing, and getting stronger by the second. And soon, your hand will begin to rise.”
Lois still remained motionless for a moment or two. “Almost there, now. . . . Almost there,” I prompted. “Now, you are ready, and your hand is going to rise. Now, it’s rising . . .” She had gradually begun to raise her hand. “All right,” I continued,. “Now, when I touch your hand, it will sink down comfortably by your side. But the happiness will continue as long as you are hypnotized, and it will last a few minutes after your hypnotic trance is over. Then, whenever you have completed your study assignment, these feelings of happiness will return, and act as a reward for your studying.”
Lois certainly appeared to be in a deep trance, but I had to be sure. “There’s a beautiful view from the window,” I said. “Would you like to be able to open your eyes and see what it looks like?” She nodded, without having to be prompted this time. “All right,” I continued. “Just keep your eyes closed, and I’ll lead you.” Quickly adjusting my trousers to hide the bulge beneath them, I got up from my desk, took her gently by the hand, and slowly led her to where she could look outside. “Now,” I said, “you can open your eyes and tell me what you see.”
The only things that could be seen from the window were a couple of dilapidated buildings which were used by the grounds keeper. She was silent for a moment, and I repeated my question. “It’s beautiful,” she said, with tenderness and passion in her voice.
“All right,” I responded. “Just close your eyes again, and I will show you another view.”
Lois smiled slightly, as her hidden observer comprehended my meaning. As I led her back to the chair, she took small, halting steps, allowing herself to stumble against me as she ground her breast into my arm. We had both clearly passed the point of no return. . . .
Later, when I counted her out of hypnosis and opened her eyes, I greeted her cheerfully. “That was fun, wasn’t it ?”
She smiled and stretched slowly. “Oh, yes,” she responded with a broad smile.
“Do you remember looking out the window?” I asked. She frowned and shook her head. “I feel so tired that I can hardly move.”
“But you don’t remember anything, because you’ve been so deep,” I remarked as calmly as I could. Lois seemed to frown for a second. Then she shook her head to indicate that she did not.
“I’m going to go back to my room and take a nap,” she said cheerfully as she went out, leaving the office door slightly open.
In class the following Monday, Lois glanced at me several times with her usual flirtatiousness, but I pretended not to notice. For the rest of the semester, she was absent more often than she was there. She only did the minimum amount of work that was necessary in order to pass. I spent many sleepless nights worrying whether or not she had gone to the Dean or to the Campus Police. I had let myself be carried away by the passions of the moment. Since I was guiding the experience, I knew that both the legal and the moral responsibility for what had happened were entirely mine, regardless of how strongly Lois had inwardly desired to comply. If she ever recalled and disowned our experiences together and wanted to cry rape, the publicity would ruin my career before it even started, regardless of whether or not I was convicted.
I need not have worried. Several times during the next few weeks, as I was on the way to class, I would see Lois coming from the coffee shop with a different male student in tow, cutting across the parking lot and headed for her dormitory. If she happened to notice me, she would wave and call out a greeting.
Students would often use their rooms as a setting for private lovemaking during the day, while their roommates were out to class, or otherwise occupied. Regardless of whether or not she ever fully remembered what had happened, Lois was f****** her brains out -- and I had found my life work.

If actual rape, involving coercion and the use of force, occurs during the course of a hypnotic session, legal procedures are available to deal with it. However, it is frequently said that most rapes go unreported because of the shame and humiliation which it would cause the victims, the psychological stress of testifying in court, and the damage which the resulting publicity would cause to their relationships and professional position. This is even more the case if the victim of a hypnotic seduction should change his or her mind and suffer "buyer's remorse," regardless of whether or not hypnosis is involved, because the legal penalties for such behavior are sometimes nonexistent. The major incentive to come forth for those who have been the victims of a hypnotic seduction and have come to regret the fact is to save other potential victims from undergoing similar distress; and a few brave individuals are occasionally willing to do so.

If we are dealing with hypnosis used as an instrument of serial seduction, such behavior is clearly pathological, but how should it be diagnosed? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (2000) defines "Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified" as "Paraphilias that do not meet the criteria for any of the specific categories. Examples include but are not limited to: telephone scatalogia (obscene phone calls), necrophilia (corpses), partialism (exclusive focus on parts of body), zoophilia (animals), coprophilia (feces), klismaphilia (enimas), and urophilia (urine). Other definitions of deviant sexual arousal in the Manual have usually included a qualifier such as, "The sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty;" and I would assume that this qualifier implicitly carries over to the present description.

If some people are sexually aroused by utilizing hypnotic seduction as their sole or principal method of sexual gratification, as described in the foregoing autobiographical account, then such behavior would be certain to result in marked distress or interpersonal difficulty, and would therefore qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis of Paraphilia NOS (hypnophilia), DSM-IV-TR Code 302.9. (It should be noted that the term hypnophilia has also been used to refer to an abnormal fondness for sleep. But, as is the case with many other words which have more than a single definition, the meaning should be immediately clear from the context in which the term is used.)

Note that this diagnosis has several limitations. People who are simply fond of hypnotizing others or of experiencing hypnosis themselves, those who may find activites involving hypnosis or hypnotized to be sexually arousing, or those who choose to engage in consensual hypnotic sex, would not qualify for such a diagnosis.

It would be naive to assume that fantasies of seduction under hypnosis occur only to male hypnotists and never to their female subjects; and in the present instance, Lois apparently did not perceive herself as a victim. Nevertheless, if Lois had later changed her mind and had been willing to come forth to identify her seducer, existing penalties such as academic expulsion and other professional and civil sanctions could have been pursued. If she had been in need of counseling or psychotherapy as a result of their encounter her seducer might have been compelled to pay for it, plus additional damages for personal distress. If she were reluctant to risk the adverse publicity which might result, perhaps she could have been persuaded to take action in order to spare other victims from having to undergo similar kinds of distress in the future.

It should be noted that seduction by means of hypnosis are not limited only to male hypnotists. A Google Advanced Search for entries which contained both mistress and hypnosis yielded over 1,7000,000 results. If you enter mistress and hypnosis in the You Tube search engine, you will find several entries, including the following video of a hypnosis "goddess" who has logged over 900,000 views in the three years since it was first posted. She appears to be gaining in popularity, and is currently logging over 1,000 views per day. She has now put up another video with the same content and a slightly different title.

It is well known that hypnosis, when present, can act as a powerful catalyst for change when the necessary ingredients for change already exist, which makes hypnosis such a powerful therapeutic tool when it is used for the benefit of the client instead of the gratification of the hypnotist. The foregoing tape, which is is intended for a small group of male viewers with strong submissive and masochistic tendencies, may have influenced some of them in the manner for which it was apparently intended. However, since this video was originally posted on over three years ago, apparently no one has come forth to claim victimization, or YouTube would have deleted this posting for violation of their terms of service, as many other tapes have been. In the absence of supporting evidence, there is no way of knowing how many of those 900,000 viewers represent repeat visits by males who have been beguiled by the presenter's hypnotic ministrations, or how effective her hypnotic blandishments actually are.

Would "Mistress Lisa" also qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis of hypnophilia? Probably not, since there is no indication that her behavior has caused significant personal distress or interfered with other relationships, either in her own life or in the lives of others. But if you pause the tape at the instant she has completed her induction, you will see that her head is thrown back in a devilish grin of triumph before she rapidly resumes the role of tantalizing hypnotic seductress. There is trouble brewing in paradise; and I would advise that you not watch this tape too often if you should feel yourself drawn to do so.

Hyperempiric inductions do not pose the same danger of exploitation by unscrupulous persons as do hypnotic procedures. Hyperempiric inductions involve suggestions increased alertness and sensitivity instead of lethargy, drowsiness, and sleep, as is the case with traditional hypnosis. Hyperempiria may also be regarded as a form of alert hypnosis, just as water may be regarded as melted ice, or steam may be viewed as water which has been heated beyond the boiling point. But we use different names for these alternate forms of the same substance because we experience them differently, and we have different uses for them -- and so it is with hypnosis and hyperempria. With regard to the point under discussion, it is possible to use the term hyperempiria as a substitute for the term hypnosis in order to avoid the negative perceptions of hypnosis in the mind of the public, which, as we have seen, are not entirely unjustified. If the hypnotized partner is feeling alert instead of drowsy and lethargic, it is obvious to both the hypnotist and the client that he or she is much less susceptible to the blandishments of a would-be seducer.

Given the flexibility of contemporary induction procedures, we can construct inductions which contain a mixture of hypnotic and hyperempiric suggestions, while referring to the entire procedure as hyperempiria for the benefit of our more hypnophobic clients. Because we are working with suggestion, we can also refer to a hyperempiric induction as inherently more desirable, more enjoyable, and more beneficial than a hypnotic one, thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy (see Gibbons & Lynn, 2000, p. 276).

For additional information, see the following Blog posts:

Is Hypnosis Dangerous? Some Hypnotists Are!

How to Use Hypnosis to Commit a Murder (or Not)

What is Hyperempiria?

References

American Psychological Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, p. 576.

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J. (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. in S. J. Lynn, J. W. Rhue, & I. Kirsch (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 267-291.

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I thank the many readers of the hypnosis discussion group at www.hypnothoughts.com for contributing to the preparation of this article.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP): Where's the Evidence?

2011-10-27T10:05:00.045-04:00

I must respectfully disagree with some of the claims put forward by the supporters of neuro-linguistic programming as a means of influencing other people's attitudes. NLP, as I underrstand it, is based on the assumption that it is possible to control behavior by evading the critical faculty and sending commands directly to the unconscious mind.

Jonathan Altfeld, an NLP instructor, was kind enough to provide me with the following examples in a posting on a hypnosis forum:

Consider these statements. I do these sorts of things regularly at workshops when training: I like to LEARN by example.One day I got to spend time with an amazing golfer.And I watched this guy EASILY doing what he was good at. AND while I didn't start out NATURALLY doing what he did...Eventually I did GET it. I found that once I saw RESULTS, it's easier to ENJOY THE PROCESS. Examples of analog-marked embedded commands: "Learn Easily and Naturally." "Get Results."Example of embedded command (not marked out over time): "Enjoy the Process."

Examples of analog-marked embedded commands: "Learn Easily and Naturally." "Get Results."
Example of embedded command (not marked out over time): "Enjoy the Process."

However, a friend of mine who is an English professor assured me that he would be extremely critical any paper which he received which was written in such a style. "Can you imagine Shakespeare writing what way?" he asked.

Tim Shay commented on the same thread,

While I am not familiar with any academic work involving embedded commands, I have some uniquely practical experience in using them effectively. Most people over simplify the idea. We use inflection in speech as a part of communications. We also use pauses. We will use tempo changes in our speech patterns and all sorts of nuances in the way we speak. We emphasize the ideas that are more important. The idea is to compound the command in different ways so the unconscious picks up on the patterns of analog marking. The same way that you would compound any suggestion. The words are emphasized and repeated in a different manner to build compliance... just like using deepeners... and you can build response potential by using embedded commands. It's not as pretty as the postcard implies but if a person were to think about the possibilities... If anyone does know of any academic work out there... I am interested.

What Tim is referring to in the foregoing quotation does contain many features ("inflection, pauses, tempo changes, all sorts of nuances in the way we speak, emphasizing ideas that are more important, and compounded conviction") which constitute the essence of good literary style. And Shakespeare did write that way. I can think of no better example in literature than Mark Anthony's speech at the burial of Julius Caesar, in the play of the same name, where Mark Anthony beguiles the hostile crowd with the plea, "The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones." Then, with carefully blended irony and compounded conviction, he changes the crowd of Brutus' supporters into his raging enemies, crying at the end of the speech, "Let not a traitor live!" But, while Shakespeares character did employ many of the rhetorical techniques Tim mentioned in his posting, IMHO, Mark Anthony wasn't bypassing the critical abilities of his audience, he was enlisting and re-directing them.

I just conducted a data search of the American Psychological Association's collection of 45,000 articles, going back to 1895. I found only one experimental study, by Parr, Dixon, Yarbrough, and Ratheal, using 96 undergraduates. The study, entitled, "The effectiveness of neurolinguistic programming in a small group setting," was published in the July,1986 edition of the Journal of College Student Personnel. The authors state in their Abstract, "The treatment message used involved the advantages of joining a professional student organization. Results show that NLP made Ss more relaxed but no more positive in their attitudes," essentially concluding that in this sample, at least, that embedded commands were ineffective in accomplishing their purpose.

Many lay hypnotists have seized upon NLP as the basis for a separate, and financially profitable, "science" of hypnosis, since it ties in nicely with their conceptualization of hypnosis itself. But "faculty psychology," or the notion that the mind is made up of a number of separate mental faculties, has not been seriously taught in psychology departments since the 1800s. And the notion that we actually have two minds rather than one, a conscious and an unconscious, each with their own markedly different principles of operation which are frequently in conflict with one another, is considered today by psychological researchers to be at best a bizarre oversimplification.

While there is little doubt that the principles of NLP can appear quite plausible to non-scientists (and seem very convincing in scripted You-Tube demonstrations), I was not able to find any references to neuro-linguistic programming in the appendix or reference lists of any of the current books on hypnosis in my possession. If controlled experimentation is continuing in this area, it is apparently not of sufficient quality to meet the standards required for acceptance in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Here's an experiment which you can perform yourself. It is not generally realized that one of the duties of professors at large, publicly-funded universities is to answer questions from the public at large. Call up any major public university which has a graduate department of psychology and ask to a professor who teaches courses in perception. Ask this professor what is the current status of research on neuro-linguistic programming. Or, if you prefer, you can go to Google Advanced Scholar Search and conduct your own investigation.

When I suggested in a hypnosis discussion forum that, given our present state of knowledge, I wouldn't try writing any love letters yet using NLP, Kelley Woods replied,

"'Don, I often find that I love how you present your opinions in a way akin to that adage about catching more flies with honey!",

I responded, "Kelley, my mother used to say, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I personally tend to disagree, because I love an old-fashioned confrontation. You, on the other hand, are always kind and generous too, which seems to work even better.' (Maybe there is something to this stuff after all!)"

What, then, is the current status of NLP in the real world?

Mahatma Gandhi said, "First they ignore you. Then they disagree with you. Then they fight you. Then you win." I'm going to attempt to track the progress of NLP using the four stages of what I will refer to as call "the Gandhi Scale," as outlined above.

The users of NLP have obviously cleared Stage 1, because they are not being ignored any more.

They seem to be pretty well through Stage 2 as well, since the numerous postings on this topic in a hypnosis discussion forum appear to effectively summarize the main points of disagreement between NLP and the scientific establishment.

Stage 3, however, requires different weapons for NLP than the ones used by Gandhi and his followers. They will not be able to successfully counter aggression by peaceful demonstrations and hunger strikes, as he did. Neither will they be able to overcome the aggression which is directed against them by responding in kind. Their own weapon to bring Stage 3 to a successful conclusion has to be well-controlled, replicable experiments which sufficiently meet the test of scientific rigor to qualify for publication in peer-reviewed psychological journals, as I have indicated previously.

Confessions of an Incurable Romantic

2011-10-27T06:49:00.024-04:00

If a master hypnotist such as Brian David Phillips is able to create the following kind of responsiveness with responsive and willing volunteers in public, imagine what is possible under professional guidance between experientially gifted, consenting couples in private:

Erotic suggestion and hyperempiria (sexually enhanced experience) is more than simply "trancing the night away," with the intention of producing climaxes as intensely and as frequently as possible. It is essentially a form of artistic expression, in which we are working with the ultimate artistic medium, human experience itself.

When you're ninety, you probably won't remember your best day at the office. But most people, if they are fortunate enough, will recall a few special moments spent with a loved one w!Aahich warm the heart forever. Now, imagine what your lives will be like -- and what sorts of memories you will have to look back upon -- when you and a loved one are able to create experiences like this almost any time you wish.

Just as a painter works with brush upon canvas and a sculptor works with chisel upon stone, experientially gifted and consenting couples are able to utilize hyperempiria to create a total union of body, heart, mind and spirit: to enhance the setting for lovemaking, evoke the proper mood, maximize responsiveness and desire, and increase the length, depth, and frequency of climax, and blend together all the elements of physical intimacy to create whatever masterpiece of fulfillment a loving couple may desire.

When the lovers' ability to mutually satisfy each other has been interfered with by age or disability, or when their desires are not equally matches for other reasons, hyperempiric suggestion can provide a full measure of gratification for both partners by restoring the needed balance. And for those whose closeness would appear to be incapable of further improvement, the greatest surprises of all may be in store; for it is those who have the greatest abilities who also possess the greatest potential.

However, the larger context must always be taken into account if hyperempiric suggestions are to retain their effectiveness. If you and your loved one have learned to share experiences of rapture, ecstasy, wonder, and delight whenever you wish to do so, only to return to a life of quiet (or not-so-quiet) desperation, comprised almost entirely of bills to pay, appointments to keep, and an endless list of things which simply have to be done, the effectiveness of your suggestions will eventually begin to fade, regardless of how memorable the results might have been initially. If, on the other hand, you return to an environment in which you have learned to share deeply in each other’s thoughts and emotions, in the kind of committed, unselfish closeness which facilitates a lifelong commitment, and in which the first priority is the quality of the time which you spend with each other, then the joys which you have shared in hyperempiria can become a permanent way of life. When these ingredients are present, hyperempiric sexuality can take on near sacramental qualities as the lovers consecrate themselves to one another anew.

Hyperempiria for the Relief of Pain

2011-10-06T10:24:00.015-04:00

William James, in his book, Varieties of Religious Experience, related the account of a French Hugenot woman who was being beaten for her religious beliefs by six other women armed with sticks. After her ordeal, she wrote that she was so overwhelmed with the thought that she was being beaten for Christ that she felt nothing: "In vain the women cried, *We must double our blows; she does not feel them, for she neither speaks nor cries.' And how should I have cried, since I was swooning from happiness within?"

As Susan French has pointed out, ". . .everything that we do [as hypnotists] has to do with directing attention from thoughts and perceptions that have negative effects to more positive states and perceptions. What results is not only changing a habit of thinking but creates the release of brain/body chemicals that support the state where the attention rests." By heightening and enhancing our internal states, we can have experiences which we are not capable of in everyday life, but which are just as "real" to us -- if not more so -- than if they were, with predictable effects on our personal lives.

I recently had a client who suffered from chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder from a near-fatal automobile accident. He had been prescribed several pain medications, which were not always effective. I saw him weekly at his home. I used a traditional hypnotic induction, using suggestions of deep-muscle relaxation, followed by repeated deepening combined with suggestions of anesthesia and well-being, with post-hypnotic suggestions that the effects would continue. I also taught him self-hypnosis in order to prolong the effects of these suggestions between visits. He reported generally good results with these procedures, but he still needed his prescription medication. Even then, he stated that the inductions were sometimes not completely effective in removing all of his discomfort.

One day, his wife said to me, "We sure could have used you last week, Doc. Nothing seems to be working, and the pain is as bad as ever." I knew I had to devise an especially effective induction, so I told them about hyperempiria, indicating (as a "waking suggestion") that was a new and especially powerful technique which would enable him to experience higher states of awareness while his body remained asleep, thereby focusing his mind more effectively on the suggestions I provided. He was interested, and eager to try any new procedure which might bring about greater relief.

As the induction proceeded, I asked him him to picture himself relaxing deeply in the basket of a large balloon, which was about to lift off. As the balloon began straining at the ropes which held it, his body was sinking deeper and deeper into a deep, sound sleep. And as the balloon began to rise, his consciousness would rise along with it, until he entered hyperempiria. I elaborated upon this combined induction until he appeared to become highly involved with my suggestions, and then proceeded with my suggestions for healing and pain control.

The client later reported that his pain had considerably lessened. I showed him how to include autosuggestions for hyperempiria into his self-hypnosis routine, and his wife subsequently told me, "I often see him going upstairs in the middle of the day, and when I ask him where he is going, he tells me, 'I'm going for a balloon ride!'"

The client and his wife have remained in occasional contact. In our most recent telephone conversation, two years after hyperempiric suggestions were incorporated into his self-hypnosis routine, the client reported that although some pain sensations remained after taking his medication, the combination of prescribed medication plus hypnotic and hyperempiric suggestions together provided the greatest amount of relief.

See also:

Hyperempiric Therapy of Depression

Hyperempiria: From Convulsions, to "zombification," to experiential theater

Hyperempiria for Letting Your Inner Child Out to Play

2011-09-19T06:42:00.010-04:00

Very young children -- especially those with "cool" parents who encourage this form of imaginative play -- have no trouble in turning themselves into a monster or a fire engine whenever they want to, as Kelly Woods has pointed out.

I believe that we all have deep inner longing to experience the world with the freshness and enthusiasm of a little child once again, as a way of restoring a much-needed balance to our workaday adult perspectives on life. This longing is touchingly expressed in literature by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his book, Le Petit Prince, a wonderful story of a man who meets an extraordinary boy and relearns what it means to be a child.

The following induction is based on a fairy tale format, and was originally written for children (Gibbons, 2000). But it also may resonate with the childlike imagination in all of us, which is often the key to responding well to suggestions (Gibbons & Lynn, 2010, pp. 382-384). Because of its emphasis on childlike play, I think of the experience which results as hyperempiria ("enhanced experience") rather than traditional hypnosis, which is based on expressed or implied suggestions of lethargy, drowsiness, and sleep.

As with any other induction procedure, the following induction should be preceded by an appropriate and preceded by an appropriate talk in which the client's questions are answered, any misconceptions are allayed, and a general outline of the content of the suggestions to be provided is agreed upon by the client and the hypnotist ahead of time. The actual imagery which is used, as well as the length and content of the procedure, should be adjusted to fit the needs and preferences of the individual client. Suggestions should also be included that the client will remember everything he or she is told, and will accept only those suggestions which are beneficial, and which the client is willing to accept. The client should be instructed, "If you should should feel uncomfortable at any time, you will immediately open your eyes and return to the normal, everyday state of consciousness."

Just sit back, and close your eyes, and I am going to tell you a magic story. It is a story about a very special place, deep in an enchanted forest, where everything I tell you will come true.

Imagine now that we are walking together down a long, winding path which runs through the middle of a large woods. We are walking along, early on a bright spring morning. Birds are singing in the trees, and here and there a flower is poking its head out of the soft, green grass which grows beside the path. And because this is a magic story, the farther we go along the path, the more real everything around us becomes

Now and then a ray of sunlight makes its way down through the branches of the trees and falls upon the dewdrops in the grass, causing them to sparkle like a million tiny diamonds. The air is fresh and cool, with gentle breezes blowing now and then, causing the trees, and the grass, and the flowers to move ever so slightly, as if everything in the world were feeling so happy on this bright spring morning that nothing could keep still for very long

And because this is a magic story, the farther we go along the path, the more real everything becomes.

As we continue on our walk, we can begin to be aware of the sound of rushing water. With each passing second, the sound is becoming clearer and clearer still. And now we are standing beside the bank of a forest stream, which is the source of the sound we have been hearing.

The water is flowing past us swift and clear, for it has come tumbling down from a magic spring many miles away in the hills. And because the water from the magic spring is enchanted, anyone who drinks it will be enchanted too. And anyone who is enchanted in this way will be easily able to find that special place, deep in the magic forest, where everything I say will come true.

We dip our hands eagerly into the bubbling stream and cup them together, bringing the cool, fresh water up to our lips again and again, until we have drunk all that we want.

Now it is time to hurry on our way once more; for the water from the magic spring has made it certain that we will soon find that very special place in the enchanted forest, where everything I tell you will come true; and we know now that it cannot be far away.

As we continue on our journey, we notice a tiny path leading off to one side, and we decide to go up this path to see where it leads. Before very long, we notice that the woods are beginning to thin out, and that we are about to enter a clearing. And as we approach nearer and nearer to the edge of the clearing, we can see that the path we have been following leads right up to a small cottage.

This is that very special place I have been telling you about, where everything will come true. For as long as we stay here, in this enchanted cottage, in the enchanted forest, even my words will be enchanted, and everything I tell you will happen exactly as I say it will.

The door to the cottage is standing slightly open as we hurry up the path, and as soon as we reach the entrance we hurry on inside in order to lose no more time. We have arrived now, at that very special enchanted place in the enchanted forest which we have traveled so far to reach. And as long as we remain here, in this enchanted cottage, everything I say and everything I describe to you will come true as soon as I have said it. For as long as we remain here in this enchanted place, even my words will be enchanted .

At the conclusion of the induction, either therapeutic or purely imaginative-experiential ("fun-type") suggestions may be presented, after which the session may be concluded in the usual manner.

References

Gibbons, D. E. (2000). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. In S. J. Lynn, J. W. Rhue, & I. Kirsch (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis.(pp. 267-292). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Hyperempiric Induction Procedure

2011-09-17T13:20:00.026-04:00

The following hyperempiric induction is based on suggestions of alertness, mind expansion, and enhanced awareness and sensitivity, in contrast to a more traditional hypnotic induction based upon suggestions of lethargy, drowsiness, and sleep. The induction should be preceded by an appropriate talk in which the client's questions are answered, any misconceptions are allayed, and a general outline of the content of the suggestions to be provided is agreed upon by the client and the hypnotist ahead of time. The actual imagery which is used, as well as the length and content of the procedure, should be adjusted to fit the needs and preferences of the individual client.

The suggestions illustrated here have been presented in the original Best Me order for purposes of illustration, but in actual practice they may be presented in any order and repeated as often as necessary, varying the content as one might vary the verses and choruses of a song.

Belief systems. Now I am going to show you how to the power of your imagination much more effectively to achieve the goals you have chosen. You will accept only those suggestions which are beneficial to you, and which you are willing to accept. If you should feel uncomfortable at any time, you will immediately open your eyes and return to the normal, everyday state of consciousness.
Now, imagine that it’s a beautiful spring day, and that you are sitting or lying inside the basket of a large balloon, which is slowly filling up with gas. If you accept each detail of the scene as I describe it, without trying to think critically, your imagination will be free to allow you to experience the situation just as if you were really there.

Emotions. So just picture the scene, and imagine yourself resting there, inside the basket of that large balloon. Let your mind absorb the excitement of the situation, as the balloon above you slowly continues to fill.

Sensations and perceptions. Listen to the sound of the balloon filling up, and feel the basket beginning to shift beneath you as it pulls on the ropes which hold it.

Thoughts and images. The thought of being effortlessly able to rise above it all can appeal to you in many different ways, and on many different levels.

Motives. Already you can begin to feel more than a trace of impatience, as you eagerly wait for the balloon to lift off.

Expectations. And each time that you enter hyperempiria, you will be able to discover new knowledge, new insights, and new experiences which will be of great help to you in your everyday life.

Belief systems. It’s a wonderful feeling of release and liberation which you are experiencing now, as all of your vast, untapped potentials are being freed for their fullest possible functioning and the balloon begins its ascent.
Emotions. Let yourself savor the excitement and joy, as the balloon climbs steadily higher and you effortlessly rise above all of the cares and problems you have left below.
Sensations and perceptions. As the balloon continues to rise and you can see for miles in every direction, your awareness is increasing as well. Soon, you will feel as if you are able to hold within your own mind an awareness of the entire Universe, and all its beauty.
Thoughts and images. As the earth recedes beneath you, and everything seems to be moving more slowly, time itself seems to be passing more slowly too. Everything that happens seems to be going on for much longer than it actually is, and your ability to absorb the peacefulness and relaxation of the experience is much, much greater.
Motives. And the higher you go, the higher you want to go. And the higher you go, the higher you are able to go, and the more enjoyable the experience becomes.
Expectations. your ability to live out, and to actually experience everything I describe to you just as if it is actually happening, will be a never-ending source of wonder and delight.

With its emphasis on alertness and personal empowerment, hyperempiric induction does not possess the potential for abuse by unscrupulous persons which has sometimes been attributed to traditional hypnosis. It should be noted, however, that an expressly hyperempiric induction is not necessary in order to produce hyperempiric experiences, which involve the suggestion-based intensification of experience as an instrument of personal change, regardless of the method which is used to bring it about.

How to Use Hypnosis to Commit a Murder (or Not)

What is Hyperempiria?

Determinism, Free Will, Personal Growth, and Hyperempiria

2011-09-15T18:59:00.010-04:00

"The hare has started, the enterprise has begun. . . . The game's afoot!"

-- Shakespeare

Philosophers have been debating the question of determinism versus a free will for centuries. Briefly, the argument goes like this. If a friend comes up to you and announces that he has made a decision and you ask him why, he will answer, "Because," followed by a list of reasons. Would he ever have decided otherwise? you might ask. Yes, he would answer, if he had other reasons.

Our reasons determine our decisions, and our reasons are determined by our motives, the determinists claim. Can you think of anything that any human being ever does that is not determined by our motives and the alternatives which we perceive before us? The question is not, "Do I choose?" but "Do I choose to choose? and the answer is no. Just as a computer makes choices in accordance with its instructions, we make choices in accordance with our motives. They are our programs. We feel free if the choices before us are pleasant ones, but in reality free will does not exist, and freedom is an illusion.

On the other hand, one can argue that a person's self is one of the causes of his or her behavior. The source of our free will, then, lies in the fact that the self is more than the sum of the separate experiences which comprise it, and no two selves are alike. Therefore, no two people can be expected to act the same way in every situation. But we still don't choose our motives. And the conflict between self and motive -- between what we want to do and what we actually do -- considerably limits whatever freedom we happen to have.

If the capacity for freedom lies in one's sense of self, then some people's freedom can be a lot more limited than that of others. Milton Ericson wrote a classic case study entitled "The February Man," in which he describes a client who had such an inadequate personality that he had to do a series of age regressions with her to provide the corrective socializing experiences that she had missed, from childhood through her teen years and all the way into adulthood. This changed both her self and her motives, and greatly expanded her freedom to make her own choices, i.e., her free will.

Even extensive personal therapy, however, need not be a prerequisite to life-transforming experience. The saints and mystics of every age and every major faith have attested to the transformational power of experiences of mystical intensity -- which, with an experientially gifted and willing client, can be induced almost at will by means of suggestion-enhanced experience, with properties which we ourselves define.

See also the following print sources:

Gibbons, D. E. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the Best Me Technique. New York, NY: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E. (2000). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press (originally published 1979 by Plenum Press).

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J. (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. in S. J. Lynn, J. W. Rhue, & I. Kirsch (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 267-291.

Hyperempiric Therapy of Depression

2011-09-09T17:21:00.033-04:00

(An earlier viersion of this paper was printed in the Journal of Experiential Trance, 2009, vol. 1 no. 1, pp.1-10, under the title, "Mystical Therapy." Reproduced by permission.)

This paper describes the induction of a series of suggestion-induced mystical experiences to reverse an ongoing depression and anhedonia, or the loss of the capacity to experience pleasure, and to re-institute a drive for high achievement. For the purposes of this paper, a mystical experience may be defined as one which possesses a quality and an intensity which are not voluntarily attainable in every life.

As suggested by Phillips (2006, p. 48), the term hyperempiria, or “enhanced experience” (Gibbons, 2001, 2003) may be used not only for induction procedures based upon suggestions of increased responsiveness (Gibbons, 2001, 2003), but also for a wide variety of experientially-based procedures for the facilitation of personal growth and behavioral change. Hyperempiria can be attained either by the use of an explicitly hyperempiric induction, based on suggestions of increased alertness, mind expansion, and enhanced awareness and responsiveness, or by a more traditional induction if it results in a sufficiently high degree of involvement, as in the present illustration.

I like to express my suggestions using what I refer to as the Best Me Technique, to involve one's whole person in a suggested event. Every letter in "Best Me" corresponds with an element of suggestion, and these elements can be applied in a variety of ways: to place oneself or another person into hypnosis, to pre-experience the accomplishment of a goal, and to conclude the hypnosis or self-hypnosis session. It’s the versatility and the thoroughness of these elements that makes the Best Me Technique distinct from meditation and visualization exercises, and from other forms of hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Instead of merely picturing something in the mind’s eye, the Best Me Technique enables us to paint upon the canvas of experience almost any masterpiece we may desire (Gibbons, 1995, 2001, 2003; Gibbons & Lynn, 2010).

The Best Me Technique uses Belief systems (who and where you are and what is going on around you), Emotions, Sensations and physical perceptions, Thoughts and images, Motives, and Expectations. "Best Me" suggestions may be presented in any order and as often as necessary, with considerable repetition and elaboration as needed to accomplish the desired effect, much as one might repeat the verses and choruses of a song. The Best Me categories are not conceptually “pure,” and each Best Me suggestion may contain elements of the others.

Using the Best Me Technique, experiences of mystical intensity may easily be made available to clients who desire them and are sufficiently responsive to suggestion. Such experiences should be determined by the needs and expressed preferences of the client, with the goal of providing reassurance, strength, and encouragement. It should be of little consequence whether the religious and/or metaphysical beliefs of the client are shared by the therapist or are in conflict with those of the therapist, or whether the therapist has no theological or metaphysical beliefs at all (Gibbons & Schreiber, 2004).

The Case of Jennifer

“Jennifer” was a forty-five year old, married, Pentecostal of Italian-American descent with two grown children, who had converted from the Roman Catholic faith as a teenager. She was currently drawing workmens' compensation payments for a work-related injury. In response to the question on her application form asking why she was seeking therapy, Jennifer wrote, “I feel lost and useless.” She had lost interest in sexual relations with her second husband, to whom she was recently married, and she had ceased to look for work. She usually spent her days sitting at home watching soap operas.

She was raised in a Chicago tenement, and both of her parents, who taught in a local Catholic school, were alcoholics who fought regularly with each other, and who frequently would beat her with a chain cut from a children’s swing. In order not to alarm the neighbors, Jennifer had to force herself to remain silent during these beatings. If she did cry out any noise her parents would only beat her more intensely until she learned to endure her punishments in silence.

At the age of seven, Jennifer was raped by three men who knocked at the door of her apartment stating that they were there to deliver a television set. So great was her fear of her parents’ beatings that she did not tell them or anyone else about the rapes, because she believed that she would be accused of having provoked them since she had not taken off the skirt of her Catholic school uniform and put on slacks instead.

As she was growing up, her older sisters would occasionally set her up by placing a pack of her parents’ cigarettes in one of her clothing drawers, and then tell on her. Unless she “told the truth” and admitted that she had stolen the cigarettes, her parents would beat her even more severely for “lying.”

She married as soon as she could in order to get away from home, vowing that she would never be beaten again. Her first husband, with whom she had two children, was an extremely jealous and possessive man who watched her every move and insisted on being waited on hand and foot. Shortly after her two children had left home, her husband bit her lip as they were making up during one of their numerous quarrels. As she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, all of the trauma of her childhood rape came flooding back, and this put an end to her first marriage.

Jennifer’s two “signature strengths” which had kept her going were her closeness to her children and the pride which she took in her work. When she presented at my office, with a lifelong history of depression which had recently worsened with the loss of one of these signature strengths, she clearly needed to change the manner in which she thought and felt about herself, the world, and the future (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). But, like many real-life clients, she was probably too depressed to become sufficiently involved with the slow, painstaking “homework assignments” of cognitive therapy. Instead, she needed an epiphany – an experience of mystical intensity, which would fill her with enthusiasm for life, restore her desire to work, and re-awaken her passionate relationship with her new husband.

I chose to employ a traditional hypnotic induction rather than a hyperempiric one, because I suspected that Jennifer would have learned to be extremely good at learning to dissociate due to her early childhood conditioning. Since hyperempiria literally refers to a state of "enahnced experience," high responders are often able to perform quite well by first going "down" into hypnosis and then "up" into hyperempiria, much as one might first draw back a slingshot in order to increase its forward momentum, feeling alternately shut down and hypersensitive in turn.

Jennifer responded extremely well to the induction, and was totally amnesic for the experience. With her prior knowledge and consent, I used suggestions similar to the following, pulling out all the stops to induce the required levels of ecstasy to re-orient her approach to life and to re-awaken her emotional responsiveness.

Belief systems. Now we are reaching down farther than ever before into your vast, untapped potential for feeling happiness, ecstasy, and delight, in many different ways and on many different levels, as I continue to guide you ever farther into these blissful depths of hyperempiria.. You love being hypnotized. And each time that you return to these blissful depths, you discover greater and greater depths of happiness,, fulfillment, and joy beyond anything you have ever dreamed of, hoped for, longed for, or desired.

Motives. And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go, and the more beautiful the experience becomes. And the more you feel, the more you are able to feel. And the more you feel, the more you want to feel, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

Sinking down, and shutting down, and sinking down, and shutting down. Sinking down, and shutting down. Shutting down completely. And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

Emotions. Great waves of happiness, joy, and every wonderful, positive emotion are flowing out from the innermost depths of your being like water from a hundred secret springs.

Motives. And the more you feel, the more you are able to feel. And the more you feel, the more you want to feel, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

Sinking down, and shutting down, and sinking down, and shutting down. Sinking down, and shutting down. Shutting down completely.

And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

Sensations and physical perceptions. As your consciousness remains totally shut down, your entire being is becoming exquisitely more sensitive and more responsive than it could possibly be in any other state. As we continue reaching ever farther into your vast, untapped potential for feeling happiness and joy, for your exquisitely tuned body to savor and experience to the fullest – flowing into every muscle, and every fiber, and every cell of your body, driving out all of the worry, and all of the tension, and all of the care that you have ever felt, and bathing you from head to toe in wave after wave of infinite, boundless peace and happiness, and joy beyond your wildest dreams.

Motives. And the more you feel, the more you are able to feel. And the more you feel, the more you want to feel, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

Thoughts and images. Now, you are going to pre-experience in concentrated form the joy and satisfaction that will be yours in response to a job well done. As your consciousness remains completely shut down, you are being transported to greater heights of ecstasy than you have ever dreamed of, hoped for, longed for, or imagined. The happiness that your body is able to feel is continuing to grow, doubling and re-doubling in strength and intensity until you wouldn't be able to bear even a fraction of it if you weren't in deep hypnosis. But there is no limit to the joy, fulfillment, and ecstasy which you can reach in these blissful depths of trance.

And the more you feel, the more you are able to feel. And the more you feel, the more you want to feel, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go, and the more beautiful the experience becomes.

Thoughts and images. It's as if all of the joy, and all of the happiness, and all of the ecstasy, and all of the delight that have ever been felt by all of the people who ever walked the face of the Earth, put together, are yours to enjoy now, in these golden moments. And if you lived a thousand lifetimes, you would not be able to experience a fraction of the ecstasy, the joy, and the infinite, unbounded joy that is yours to experience now, in these golden moments of delight.

As the intensity continues to grow, your entire being is dissolving into a wave of ecstasy beyond the limitations of space and time. You have become a wave of sheer, unbounded ecstasy -- infinite, beyond infinity, and eternal beyond all measure of eternity.

Emotions. There is no limit to the happiness and joy that you are able to feel in hypnosis. And now it's going to continue growing by itself, becoming stronger and more intense, until your entire being is so blissfully happy that it is beyond the power of words to describe.

Expectations. And as a result of these hypnotic experiences, your entire outlook on life will be different, and each new day will be a thing of wondrous beauty.

As we were nearing the end point of the procedure, the arousal level which was created by the suggestions as they were currently worded would be expected not only to restore her zest for living, but to re-energize both her libido and her enthusiasm for work.

At the conclusion of each session, the intensity of her emotion was returned to normal, post-hypnotic suggestions for relaxation and clear-headedness were provided, and the session was concluded in the usual manner.

Results

At the end of the first session, which lasted approximately thirty minutes, Jennifer became momentarily tearful, explaining that it was such a relief to have someone to talk to about her problems with her neighbors and her extended family, since her husband was not interested in these details. For the remainder of the first session and the remaining sessions, we would devote half of each session to hypnosis, and half to a discussion of these topics.

Her manner immediately brightened; and as she arrived for the third session, she announced that she had resumed sexual relations with her husband.

At about the fifth session, Jennifer told me that she had begun looking for work. She also stated that her managed care insurance company had requested a review of her case, which is customarily for workers in her State who are drawing disability for on-the-job injuries.

The insurance company review took place at the conclusion of Jennifer’s eighth session. The reviewer noted in his report that she was wearing jewelry, and did not appear to be outwardly depressed. Jennifer was amnesic for the specific content of the suggestions she was given under hypnosis, and the reviewer – apparently not wishing to be criticized for being one of the reactionaries who still do not believe in hypnosis – made no reference to the treatment itself. Instead, he focused on our discussions of Jennifer’s daily problems during the second half of our sessions, pronounced them “specious,” concluded that she was not depressed, and allowed four more sessions for termination.

Soon afterwards, Jennifer told me that she had found a job teaching the very skill for which she was disabled. At the first interview, she was asked if she would mind taking over the program and administering it. The current supervisor, apparently, was in some political difficulty, and Jennifer was being groomed from the start to become his successor, which occurred within a matter of about a month.

Jennifer was seen for a total of twelve sessions, as provided by her workmen’s compensation insurance. I called her home one Sunday, three months after the conclusion of the twelfth session, in order to ask Jennifer how she was doing. Her husband answered, and said that she had gone in to work that day, to finish cleaning up the paperwork mess left by her predecessor. I then called her at the work number which he gave me, and she reported that she was indeed doing well.

I contacted her for a second follow-up one year after her treatment had been concluded. She reported that she was still experiencing pain from her work injury, and that political problems had developed on her job, and she was currently busy with wedding preparations for her second daughter. But when I specifically asked her about the comment that she had made in her intake application, she replied emphatically with a laugh that she no longer feels “lost and useless!”

Discussion

If other therapists encounter similar results with clients who are highly responsive to suggestion, it will no longer be possible to regard mystical experiences as beyond the range of voluntary human control. Instead of having to wait years or decades for experiences of this type to occur spontaneously, if indeed they happen at all, the versatility and power of the Best Me Technique should enable clients who respond well to suggestion to undergo mystical experiences as often as needed, anchoring the intensity of the emotion thus produced to suit the client's needs -- in the present instance, to an appreciation of the beauty of each new day, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Of course, it may be argued that if the mind is capable of producing mystical experiences in response to suggestion, then these responses are as natural as any other, and the use of the term "mystical" is unnecessary. But throughout the course of human history, a few individuals have been able to have experiences which are perceived as having the potential to permanently alter the lives of those who are fortunate enough to undergo them. The fact that these experiences are now voluntarily available to a wider number of people does not detract from their mystical, life-transforming potential.

I incorporated the words "as if" into my suggestions because I regard hyperempiria as a form of experiential theater. The subjective experiences which result from "as-if" suggestions are every bit as real as if they are really happening.

Future research may include use of instruments such as the Barber Suggestibility Scale (Barber & Wilson, 1978-79), and the Creative Imagination Scale (Barber & Wilson, 1979; Wilson & Barber, 1978) to quantify individual differences in responsiveness to these and similar suggestions with transcendental and mystical content, and perhaps the development of an entirely new scale to assess the experiential qualities of suggestion-induced mystical experience itself.

See also the following Blog listings:

Hyper-Motivation: Remembering the Future to Empower the Present

How to Construct Hyperempiric Suggestions Using the Best Me Technique

What is Hyperempiria?

Hyperempiria: From Convulsions, to "Zombification," to Experiential Theater

Hyperempric Induction Procedure

References

Barber, T. X., & Wilson, S. C. (1978-79), The Barber Suggestibility Scale and the Creative Imagination Scale: Experimental and clinical applications. American Journal of Clincial Hypnosis 21(2-3), pp. 84-108.

Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford

Gibbons, D. E. (2005, August). Kicking it up a notch: Multimodal hyperempiria. Paper presented at: the annual meeting of Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Charleston, SC.

Gibbons, D. E. (2003, July). The Best Me technique for constructing hypnotic suggestions. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the British Societies of Medical, Clinical, Dental, and Experimental Hypnosis: Royal Society of Medicine, London.

Gibbons, D. E. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the Best Me Technique. New York, NY: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E. (2000). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press (originally published 1979 by Plenum Press).

Gibbons, D. E. (1995). Suggestion as an art form: Alternative paradigm for hypnosis? Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Assn., San Francisco, CA.

Gibbons, D. E. (1973). Beyond hypnosis: Explorations in hyperempiria. So. Orange, NJ: Power Press.

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J. (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. In Ruhe, J. W., Lynn, S. J., & Kirsch, I. (Ed.) Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis, 2nd ed. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association, pp. 267-292.

Gibbons, D. E., & Schreiber, A. K. (2004). Multimodal suggestion for facilitating meditation and prayer. Hypnos, XXXI (2), pp. 89-93.

Phillips, B. D. (2007). Tranceplay: Experimental approaches to interactive drama involving experiential trance. Journal of Interactive Drama, 2.1, pp. 15-55.

Wilson, S. C., & Barber, T. X. (1978) The Creative Imagination Scale as a measure of hypnotic responsiveness: Applications to experimental and clinical hypnosis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 20(4), pp. 235-249.

Hyperempiria for Facilitating Meditation and Prayer

2011-09-08T07:36:00.017-04:00

(An earlier version of this article appeared in HYPNOS, 2003, 31(2), pp. 89-93, under the title, "Multimodal Suggestion for Facilitating Meditation and Prayer." Reprinted by permission.)

Abstract. Hyperempiria, or suggestion-enhanced experience, is a systematic, comprehensive procedure for inducing changes in belief systems, emotions, sensations and perceptions, thoughts and images, motives, and expectations, for greater involvement and effectiveness in therapy. Hyperempiric suggestions may be used to deepen and enhance the subjective qualities of meditation and prayer, while simultaneously rendering such a heightened sense of personal involvement more accessible. Simultaneous hyperempiric involvement of several forms of experience may enhance the effectiveness of other types of direct suggestions and serve as a template for generating new ones.

Lazarus (1989, 1997) has amassed a considerable amount of empirical evidence in support of his hypothesis that therapeutic change can be brought about more rapidly and more effectively by working with several different modes of experience at the same time. He uses the acronym, BASIC I.D., to refer to the components of his multimodal therapy, which include behavior, affective responses, sensations, cognitions, interpersonal relationships; and drugs, biological functions, nutrition, and exercise

Considering the variety of suggestions which may be accepted by sufficiently responsive individuals (Shor & Orne, 1962, use with sufficiently responsive clients, on the assumption that therapy in hypnosis will also proceed more rapidly and more effectively if suggestions are formulated in such a manner as to systematically and comprehensively involve several different modes of experience. Taken together, the elements of this technique form the acronym, BEST ME, and may be summarized as follows (Gibbons, 2001).

Belief systems which orient an individual to person, place, time, and events may be suggested as being different, allowing the participant to mentally transcend present realities.

Emotions may be enriched, intensified, weakened, or combined with others.

Sensations and physical perceptions may be suggested and experienced with an intensity approaching those of real events.

Thoughts and images may be created and guided in response to explicit or indirect suggestions.

Motives may either be suggested directly or implied as a consequence of other events.

Expectations may be structured concerning the manner in which the participant will look forward to and remember suggested events which will occur in the future, and the manner in which suggested experiences will subsequently be recalled and interpreted in memory.

Hyperempiric suggestions may be administered in any order, each of the aforementioned categories may be employed as often as necessary, and each step in the procedure may incorporate elements of the others. In the latter case, the label applied to each step refers to the dimension of experience which is being given the greatest emphasis. For ease of illustration, the suggestions contained in this article have been provided in the B-E-S-T-M-E order. In actual use, hyperempiric suggestions may be administered in any order and repeated as often as necessary, with modifications which contribute to the total effect, much as one might repeat the verses and choruses of a song.

Mystical and Transcendental Experience Mediated by Suggestion

People of many different religious traditions have attested to the life‑changing potential of mystical and transcendental experiences involving contact with a consciousness beyond one's own. In one study of the Fundamentalist Christian experience of salvation, for example, subjects readily attested to both the personal reality of the experience and its subsequent influence upon their lives, although such experiences did not seem to be universally attainable and did appear to be related to the ability to respond to suggestion (Gibbons & DeJarnette, 1972; Gibbons, 1988).

Many clients approach life from a primarily religious point of view. Such believers -- particularly those who are elderly, infirm, or who have experienced a number of personal tragedies -- may experience a "dark night of the soul" (Peers, 1990) as they struggle to deal with the stresses of life without access to sources of experiential spiritual support for their beliefs. However, Glasner (1955) refers to several purported uses of suggestion and hypnosis in Scripture to encourage and inspire the faithful, concluding, "Although it is impossible to state with any definiteness that hypnosis is referred to in the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and in the Talmud, there would seem to be considerable evidence that the authors of these works were indeed familiar with phenomena which we today should call hypnotic or which we should explain in terms of suggestion" (p. 39).

From the standpoint of the therapist who is well-versed in the techniques of hypnosis, experiences of this type may easily be made available to clients who desire them and are sufficiently responsive to suggestion. Such experiences should be determined by the needs and expressed preferences of the client, with the goal of providing reassurance, strength, and encouragement. It should be of little consequence whether the religious and metaphysical beliefs of the client are shared by the therapist or are in conflict with those of the therapist, or whether the therapist has no theological or metaphysical beliefs at all.

The following BMT suggestions for facilitating meditation and prayer describe a visit to a cathedral. They are not intended to be used as a script, but rather as an illustration of how the Best Me Technique may be used as a template for constructing multimodal suggestions for a variety of similar purposes. They may easily be modified to refer to a visit to a temple, a mosque, an ashram, a shrine, or any site or event which the client may find personally meaningful.

Because of the nature of the experiences to be undergone, an expressly hyperempiric induction, based upon specific suggestions of increased awareness and responsiveness (Gibbons, 1975), may be preferable to a more traditional hypnotic induction based upon expressed of implied suggestions of diminished awareness (Bányai & Hilgard, 1976; Gibbons, 1976), although either type of induction may be presented using a multimodal or Best Me format facilitate involvement with the experiences which follow.

After the therapist has become sufficiently aware of the client's needs and preferences through preliminary discussion, and the client understands and fully consents to the experiences in which he or she is about to participate, suggestions may be given in the following manner.

Belief systems. Now, as I continue to speak, you can gradually become aware of yourself standing in front of a pair of large wooden doors, which are the doors of a great cathedral. If you accept each detail of the scene as I describe it, without trying to think critically, your imagination can be free to allow you to experience the situation just as if you were really there. So just let yourself stand there a moment, gazing at the carved wooded doors, as you prepare to enter. [Brief pause.]

Now, as the doors swing open, you first traverse a small area paved with stone, stopping at the font if you desire, and pause before a second pair of doors which leads inside.

Emotions. You can feel a surge of happiness and anticipation as you pass through a second pair of doors and into the dimly lit interior. As your eyes gradually become accustomed to the dimmer light from the stained glass windows, take a moment to look around in wonder at the magnificence of all you see.

Sensations and perceptions. Let yourself breathe slowly and deeply, as you inhale the faint aroma of incense, and listen to the gentle tones of music floating upon the quiet air.

Some distance away from you stands the High Altar, bordered by banks of gently glowing candles. You select a pew and, after pausing to genuflect if you wish, you enter the pew and take your seat or kneel once more.

Thoughts and images. Let your mind flow with the experience, and allow it to fill you to the very core of your being, until you feel as if you are able to hold within your own consciousness an awareness of the entire Universe, and all its beauty. As it does, you can feel yourself gradually becoming aware of the presence of a Consciousness other than your own.

As this Consciousness begins to merge with yours, you can feel the power of an infinite healing energy filling and flooding every muscle, and every fiber, and every nerve of your entire body. And it's as if all of the worry, and all of the tension, and all of the care that you have ever felt is being driven out, and replaced by the power of this infinite, unbounded, healing love.

As your own consciousness merges ever more completely with this Infinite Awareness, you feel as if you are able to hold within your own mind an awareness of the entire Universe, and all its beauty ‑‑ infinite, beyond infinity, and eternal beyond all measure of eternity. And in this sense of total oneness, you are able to freely communicate all your deepest thoughts and needs.

Motives. The experience, as it continues, is providing you with all that you had hoped to obtain from it. The serenity and the peace which you fine here will remain with you, as a source of deep inner strength which will enable you to cope much more effectively with all of life's problems.

Expectations. You will treasure the memory of this experience as it meets your needs in the future; and each time you return, you will be able to derive new benefits which will meet your needs even more effectively.

At the conclusion of the experience, the client may be re‑oriented to the present and the induction terminated in the usual manner.

Discussion

Although most of us routinely provide a considerable amount of detail with the experiences we suggest in order to make them more realistic, the Best Me Technique of hyperempiric suggestion provides a systematic framework for incorporating sufficient detail into several major experiential dimensions, in order to make sure that the suggested experiences are sufficiently comprehensive for maximum involvement and effectiveness in therapy.

Lawrence (M. A. Lawrence, personal communication, June 27, 2003) reports the successful application of the Best Me Technique with nursing home residents who are dealing with end-of-life issues.

Hyperempiria would appear to possess numerous other therapeutic applications. Good results have been reported using multimodal suggestion to enable clients to experience ahead of time, and in intensified form, the rewards of future achievement as a means of facilitating goal-drected motivation (Gibbons, 2003). Given the ever-growing variety of hypnotic procedures (e.g., Hammond, 1990, Heap, 2001, Yapko, 2003), it is possible that many different types of applications may benefit from the incorporation of a multimodal or hyperempiric approach.

References

Bányai, E. I., & Hilgard, E. R. (1976). A comparison of active-alert hypnotic induction with traditional relaxation induction. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, 218-224.

Gibbons, D. (1975, August). Hypnotic vs. hyperempiric induction: An experimental comparison. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago.

Gibbons, D. (1976). Hypnotic vs. hyperempiric induction: An experimental comparison. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 42, 834.

Gibbons, D. (1988). Were you saved or were you hypnotized? The Humanist, 48, 17‑18.

Gibbons, D. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the best me technique. San Jose, CA: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E. (2003, July). The best me technique for constructing hypnotic suggestions Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the British Societies of Medical, Clinical, Dental, and Experimental Hypnosis, London.

Gibbons, D., & DeJarnette, J. (1972). Hypnotic susceptibility and religious experience. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 11, 152‑166.

Glasner, S. (1955). A note on allusions to hypnosis in the Bible and Talmud. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 3(1), 34-39.

Hammond, D. C. (1990). Hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. New York: Norton.

Heap, M. & Aravind, K. K. (2001). Hartland=s Medical & Dental Hypnosis, 4^th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone.

Lazarus, A. A. (1989). The practice of multimodal therapy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lazarus, A. A. (1997). Brief comprehensive psychotherapy: The multimodal way. New York: Springer.

Peers, E. A. (1990). Dark Night of the Soul. New York: Doubleday.

Shor, R. E. & Orne, E. C. (1962) Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Yapko, M. D. (2003). Trancework: An introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis (3^rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge.

Autosuggestion, Sleep Meditation, and Self-Hypnosis for Insomnia

2011-08-28T08:30:00.015-04:00

Insomnia occurs in many different forms, and has many different causes. Thus, no single "magic bullet" can alleviate all of them. Nevertheless, when sleep medication is either undesirable or ineffective by itself, other procedures have been found to be helpful. For example, most of us are familiar with the time-honored advice that you should avoid strenuous exercise shortly before going to bed, and establish a nightly routine in preparation for retiring which helps your body to "wind down." This may include drinking a warm, non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated beverage. If you are experiencing a cold, allergy, or other form of physical discomfort, an appropriate dosage of medication may also be indicated.

It is often recommended that when you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you should get up and so something boring. Read a book which you are not interested in, or watch a television program in a language you do not understand, for example, until drowsiness overtakes you. If you refuse to allow yourself to be diverted into some activity which is more appealing, you will almost certainly become bored and sleepy within a short time. Then, if you immediately go back to bed at that point, you should have no trouble drifting off. (This also helps to insure that lying in bed continues to be associated in your mind with going to sleep, and not with tossing and turning as you continue to lie there wide awake.)

It is also true that the thoughts and images you choose to dwell upon while awaiting sleep can often have a dramatic effect on the kind of sleep you are going to have, or indeed whether you go to sleep at all. Instead of counting sheep, you might think of a "happy place" you have visited in the past, such as a vacation resort or relaxing on the beach. Then, repeat to yourself the following autosuggestions over and over again, as though they were a mantra:

Sinking down, and shutting down.
Sinking down, and shuting down.
Sinking down, and shutting down.
Shutting down completely.

When your mind turns to other thoughts, just keep that suggestion going in the back of your mind, effortlessly returning to it as your body gradually becomes more relaxed. Eventually, dreamlike images will begin to intrude into your thoughts, as the first signs that you are beginning to fall asleep. You won't remember what happened next -- you will be asleep.

The late Ernest R. Hilgard, a former president of the American Psychological Association and the founder of the Division of Psychological Hypnosis, said, "A suggestion is an induction." It does not matter whether the procedure just described is thought of as autosuggestion, self-hypnosis, or as a form of sleep meditation. Other mantras such as the following may be used either in combination with or in addition to the preceding one (and, of course, you can always make up your own):

And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go.

And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go,
And the more enjoyable the experience becomes.

One way to tell whether or not you are using autosuggestions of this type in the right way is to experiment with words and images of your own choosing until you can enjoy them well enough to find it worthwhile to continue whenever you are in the mood to do so, just as if you were conducting an exercise in meditation. Then, once your body becomes accustomed to the procedure, you will notice that the very act of thinking these thoughts to yourself at the proper time begins to make you feel drowsy, as a form of conditioned response.

Hypnosis, Native American Culture, and Transmogrification

2011-08-15T07:13:00.011-04:00

Many experientially gifted people freely change the imagery and content to suit themselves as they go along, which often reflect unique features of their personal or cultural history. For example, a client of Native American ancestry once told me after I had hypnotized her using imagery of relaxing on the beach, “The beach imagery was working, but I decided to change it. Instead of lying on the beach, I saw myself as a little girl, lying between the roots of a large tree that I used to play under.”

I asked her if she would like to feel herself becoming part of the tree and absorbing strength from the earth beneath her, instead of from her own untapped potential, and she agreed. "Now I would like you to imagine yourself as a little girl again, playing beneath the roots of that large tree. If you accept each detail of the scene as you describe it to yourself, your imagination will be completely free to allow you to experience the situation just as if you were really there. So just allow all your awareness of the present to grow dim now, as you feel yourself transported backwards in time. You are drifting backwards now, all the way back to the time when you were a little girl, playing between the roots of that large tree.

"Now, you are becoming fully aware of yourself as a little girl again, resting between the roots of that large tree. Imagine yourself beginning to cuddle up beneath the roots of the tree, and feel how pleasant it would be just to become part of the tree, feeling as safe and as secure if it was your mother. Feel yourself merging with the tree now, and drifting off to sleep beneath it. As you do, you can feel yourself becoming part of the tree, reaching down through the roots to draw into yourself feelings of peace and calm. Great waves of perfect, infinite, boundless peace and calm are flowing into you from the innermost depths of the Earth."

“That was better,” she told me later. “But while I was beneath the tree, and before I joined it, I turned into a series of animals first. There was a wolf, and a mouse, and a moose, and a crow, and I think there were one or two others.”

At the start of our next session, I asked her if she would like to use the tree imagery again, and she agreed. “Don’t go through all the animals, though. I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” She completed the induction procedure, after first mentally turning into a crow (which was her personal power animal) on her own before merging with the tree.

If hypnosis is viewed as a form of experiential theater, turning into a tree or an animal (transmogrification) need only be suggested in order for clients to develop a sense of strength and empowerment as an eagle soaring over valleys and mountaintops, or to de-stress by cavorting among a school of dolphins as if they were one of them. Numerous other applications, using imagery derived from the animal kingdom or from other aspects of nature, are also possible. Indeed, if the suggestions which describe these adventures are presented in sufficiently enticing terms, perhaps their greatest appeal might be to people who wish to undertake them just for the fun of it.

Hypnosis as Experiential Theater

2011-08-14T07:22:00.027-04:00

Several years ago, when I was discussing the topic of hypnosis and reincarnation in an Introductory Psychology class, I mentioned that it was just as easy to suggest to people who respond well to suggestion that they are a chicken as it is to suggest that they are regressing to a past lifetime. On the spur of the moment, I asked a student who had volunteered in a previous demonstration if she would be willing to help me illustrate the point. She readily agreed, and at the conclusion of an induction, I told her that I would count backwards from ten to one, and that at the count of one she would be turned into a chicken.

"You will always be able to hear and to respond to my voice," I continued, "and I will return you to your normal state in a few minutes, before I bring you out of hypnosis. But until I do, you will experience the world exactly as if you had been turned into a chicken. You will remember everything I have said, and it will be a thoroughly enjoyable experience that you will enjoy telling to others. Okay?"

She nodded her agreement, and I counted slowly backwards from ten to one, providing suggestions along the way that she could feel herself changing into a chicken, and at the count of one I announced that she had become a chicken. "Would you like to open your eyes and walk around a bit?" I asked. She did so, walking slowly as I grabbed hold of her extended elbow. "Why are you walking like that?" I asked.

"I'm a chicken," she croaked in a high voice, much to the amusement of the class.

I told her to stop walking and close her eyes once more, counted from one to ten to restore her to her usual perceptions, and then concluded the hypnotic demonstration. "If I had told her that she was re-entering a previous life, and if she believed in reincarnation," I concluded, "it would have been just as easy."

Demonstrations such as this, while real to the participant, provide insight into what Martin Orne has termed "trance logic," a logic similar to that which is often found in dreams. Orne demonstrated that genuinely hypnotized high-responsive subjects could be distinguished from simulators if, after being given an induction, they were told to open their eyes and describe the back of a chair in which a man was sitting. The simulators, after opening their eyes, stated that they could not describe the back of the chair because there was a man sitting in it. The hypnotized subjects, on the other hand, proceeded to describe their perception of it. Hence, it is possible for a hypnotized volunteer to "talk" (or at least intelligibly cluck!) at the same time that she is subjectively experiencing life as a chicken.

Young children (especially those with "cool" parents who encourage this kind of active imagination) often have this kind of involvement as part of their natural play life. Kelley Woods described it as, "Rather like when my son was small and, living in his delightful trance state, had no limits on his imagination...he thrilled at becoming a dog, a car, a monster! . . .I love reminding clients of similar "resource states" and once the door is opened, they can go there at will."

Adults, however, usually need what Michael Ellner called the "transformational magic" of an induction in order to attain this degree of imaginative involvement. With sufficient experiential training in hyperempiria, we should be able to experience any number of transformative experiences, and determine their dimensions.

But once this door is opened, adults should be able to imagine even more transformational things than children can. With our adult ability to conceptualize, and with sufficient experiential training using hyperempiria and the Best Me technique, we can build an almost unlimited number of resource states, with an almost unlimited number of dimensions. Infinity? No problem. Beyond eternity? Check. Or, in the words of the mystical poet William Blake, "Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour?" Hang on, here we go. . . ..

Hypnosis: Reincarnation, Co-Incarnation, Intercarnation, or Experiential Theater?

For more information, see the following print sources:

Gibbons, D. E. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the Best Me Technique.New York, NY: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E. (2000). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press (originally published 1979 by Plenum Press).

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J. (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. in S. J. Lynn, J. W. Rhue, & I. Kirsch (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 267-291.

References

Gibbons, D. E. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the Best Me Technique.New York, NY: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E. (2000). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. Lincoln, NE: Authors Choice Press (originally published 1979 by Plenum Press).

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J. (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. in S. J. Lynn, J. W. Rhue, & I. Kirsch (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association (pp. 267-291).

How to Construct Hyperempiric Suggestions Using the Best Me Technique

2011-07-27T15:24:00.023-04:00

Excerpted from Gibbons, D. E. (2003, July). The Best Me Technique for Constructing Hypnotic Suggestions. Paper presented at the British Societies of Medical, Dental, Clinical, and Experimental Hypnosis, Royal Society of Medicine, London.

One of the difficulties which we face as human beings is that our motivational centers have not kept pace with the development of our intellect. As we set out in pursuit of the short-term or long-term goals which we have chosen, we often discover that without additional structures and incentives to keep us going, these goals are simply beyond our motivational ability to achieve them, no matter how desirable they may appear to be.

For the past five years, I have been modifying and adapting the multimodal approach to therapy of Arnold Lazarus (1989; Lazarus & Shaughnessy, 2002) into a procedure for constructing hypnotic suggestions. Lazarus’ approach is based on the assumption that therapeutic change can more effectively be attained by working simultaneously with several experiential dimensions: Behavior, Affective responses; Sensations; Cognitions; Interpersonal relationships; and Drugs, biological functions, nutrition, and exercise (Lazarus, 2000). He employs the acronym, BASIC I.D., to refer to the aforementioned experiential dimensions which comprise the focus of his therapeutic endeavors.

Since suggestion is inherently multimodal, I have modified Lazarus’ experiential categories into a set of multimodal suggestions which I refer to by the acronym, BEST ME, which may be summarized as follows (Gibbons, 2001).

Belief systems, which identify person, place, time, and events which may be suggested as being different, allowing the client to transcend present realities.

Emotions may be intensified, weakened, enriched, or combined with others by means of direct or indirect suggestion.

Sensations and physical perceptions may be suggested and experienced with an intensity approaching, or even exceeding, those of real events; or existing sensations and perceptions may be reduced or eliminated.

Thoughts and images may be created and guided in response to explicit or implied suggestions.

Motives may either be suggested directly or inferred as a consequence of other events.

Expectations may be structured concerning the manner in which the subject will look forward to suggested events which will occur in the future, and the manner in which these events will subsequently be interpreted when they occur.

While most of us routinely attempt to include as much variety as possible into our suggestions, the Best Me Technique provides a systematic, comprehensive format to involve the whole person in the hypnotic experience, for greater involvement and effectiveness in therapy.

There are so many ways to induce hypnosis that several books have been devoted to this topic alone (e. g., Edmonston, 1986; Furst, 1982; Gafner & Benson, 2000; Teitelbaum, 1980). However, the Best Me Technique provides an organizational framework to insure that major dimensions of experience are included; and Best Me suggestions may be incorporated into many types of inductions without altering their essential style or specialized function.

Following is an example of one way in which multimodal suggestions may be utilized to incorporate each experiential modality in an induction procedure. For ease of illustration, I have retained the original B-E-S-T-M-E order. In actual use, however, Best Me suggestions may be administered in any order and repeated as often as necessary, with appropriate variation and elaboration to match the client’s responsiveness; and each step in the procedure may incorporate elements of the others. In the latter case, the label applied to each step refers to the dimension of experience which is being given the greatest emphasis.

Belief systems. Just imagine, or picture in your mind, that you are sitting or lying on a sandy beach, by the side of the ocean. If you accept each detail of the scene as I describe it, your imagination will be free to allow you to experience the situation just as if you were really there.

Emotions. Let yourself absorb the peacefulness which is all around you, on that sandy beach, late on a warm summer afternoon.

Sensations and physical perceptions. Listen to the sound of the gulls in the distance, and the gentle waves breaking on the shore, and savor the freshness of the pure salt air. Feel the softness of the sand beneath your blanket, and the cool ocean breeze blowing softly across your skin. As your body absorbs the gentle warmth of the setting sun, you can feel a heavy, relaxed feeling coming over you. It’s so calm, and so quiet, and so peaceful there, that you can just let go and relax completely, as every word that I speak carries you deeper and deeper into a peaceful, relaxing experience of hypnosis.

Thoughts and images. Sinking down, and shutting down, and sinking down and shutting down. Sinking down, and shutting down – shutting down completely.

Motives. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go. And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go, and the more peaceful and relaxing the experience becomes.

Expectations. And as we continue, these peaceful, relaxing depths of hypnosis will give you the power to change your life forever, and turn each day into a thing of wondrous beauty.

Terminating a hypnotic experience involves the use of suggestions to facilitate a smooth transition from the trance mind-set to the normal levels of awareness and responsiveness with which we are familiar in everyday life. Specific suggestions for clear thinking and for responding effectively to whatever situation is at hand should be included. The experience itself should be described as one which will be recalled as pleasant and enjoyable, with a pleasant mood remaining for a time after the experience itself has been concluded, and the benefits of the experience should be reiterated, using suggestions similar to those which follow.

Belief systems. In just a few moments now, I’m going to count from one to five, and by the time I get to five, you are going to be back in the everyday state of consciousness in which we spend most of our waking lives.

Emotions. You are going to be feeling thrilled and delighted by the exciting experiences you have had.

Sensations and physical perceptions. Your entire body will feel happy, rested, and refreshed.

Thoughts and images. Your mind will be clear and alert, and you will easily be able to concentrate on anything that you have to do.

Motives. And each time that you return to these blissful depths of multimodal trance, you will find a deep, inner core of peace and happiness at the very center of your being, that nothing can weaken, nothing can dislodge, and nothing can overcome, which will give you the faith and the strength that you need to accomplish your goals, and turn each new day into a thing of wondrous beauty.

Expectations. And because you can unconsciously sense your own needs better than anyone else can, each time that you return to these blissful depths of multimodal trance, it will improve your life in many different ways and on many different levels, some of which you may already be aware of and some of which you may not yet realize.

The personality characteristics and the range of hypnotic phenomena which may be manifested by experientially gifted individuals has been well documented (Hilgard, 1974; Hull, 1933; Shor & Orne, 1962; Spiegel, 1974). It would appear that these people are especially capable of utilizing suggestions which are aimed at the simultaneous, systematic involvement of several different modes of experience. Thus, in addition to telling metaphors to our clients in hypnosis (Hammond, 1990; Migaly, 1990; Steckler, 1992); or providing corrective experiences which are largely of our own devising or are written by other therapists (Erickson & Rossi, 1989; Gafner & Benson, 2003), the ability of highly responsive clients to become comprehensively involved with suggested events should make it possible for us to draw broadly upon the fields of history, literature (Stevens-Guille & Boersma, 1992) and the mass media as sources of therapeutic material (Gibbons, 1998). If the suggestively gifted are able to actually live out, and experience to the fullest, the reality of whatever is suggested to them by means of the Best Me Technique or a similar procedure, then the entire creative genius of humankind may be viewed as a potential source of inspirational and therapeutic material.

Other potential avenues of investigation might include whether Best Me suggestions are more effective when used with traditional hypnotic inductions or with various forms of alert inductions (Banyai & Hilgard, 1976) such as hyperempiria (Gibbons, 1973, 1975, 1976), and to what extent Best Me suggestions may be employed as either a facilitator of, or a substitute for, more commonly employed techniques of self-hypnosis.

(See Also:)

What is Hyperempiria?

Hyperempiria: From Convulsions, to "Zombification," to Experiential Theater

Hyper-Motivation: Remembering the Future to Empower the Present

Hyperempiric Therapy of Depression

Sources and Citations

Banyai, E. I., & Hilgard, E. R. (1976). A comparison of active-alert hypnotic induction with traditional relaxation induction. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, pp. 218-224.

Edmonston, W. E., Jr. (1986). The induction of hypnosis. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Erickson, M. H., & Rossi, E. L. (1975). Varieties of double bind. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 17, pp. 143-147.

Erickson, M. H., & Rossi, E. L. (1989). The February man: Evolving consciousness & identity in psychotherapy. New York: Brunner-Mazel.

Furst, A. (!982). Rapid induction hypnosis and self-hypnosis. New York: Borden Publishing Co.

Gafner, G., & Benson, J. (2000). Handbook of hypnotic inductions. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Gafner, G., & Benson, J. (2003). Hypnotic techniques. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Gibbons, D. (1973). Beyond hypnosis: Explorations in hyperempiria. New York: Power Publishers, Inc.

Gibbons, D. (1975, August). Hypnotic vs. hyperempiric induction: An experimental comparison. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

Gibbons, D. (1976). Hypnotic vs. hyperempiric induction: An experimental comparison.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 42, p. 834.

Gibbons, D. (1998, August). Suggestion as an art form: Alternative paradigm for hypnosis? Paper presented at the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

Gibbons, D. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the best me technique. San Jose, CA: Authors Choice Press.

Hammond, D. C. (1990). A handbook of hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. New York: W. W. Norton & Company..

Hilgard, J. R. (1974). Imaginative involvement: Some characteristics of the highly hypnotizable and the non-hypnotizable. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 22(2),pp. 138-156.

Hull, C. L. (1933). Hypnosis and suggestibility: An experimental approach. New York: Appleton-Century.

Lazarus, A. A. (1989). The practice of multimodal therapy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lazarus, A. A., & Shaughnessy (1972). An interview with Arnold A. Lazarus. North American Journal of Psychology, 4(2), pp. 171-182.

Lazarus, A. A. (2000). Multimodal replenishment. Professional Psychology Research & Practice, 31(1), pp. 93-94.

Migaly, P. (1990). How to develop new metaphors and suggestions. Hypnos, 17(3), pp. 136-140

Shor, R. E., & Orne, E. C. (1962). Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Spiegel, H. (1974). The grade 5 syndrome: The highly hypnotizable person. International Journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis, 22(4), pp. 303-319.

Steckler, J. T. (1992). The utilization of hypnosis in psychotherapy: Metaphor and transformation. Psychiatric Medicine, 10, pp. 41-50.

Stevens-Guille, M. E., & Boersma, F. J. (1992). Fairy tales as a trance experience: Possible therapeutic uses. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 34(4), pp. 245-254.

Teitelbaum, M. (1980). Hypnosis induction technics. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Yapko, M. D. (2003). Trancework: An introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge.

Hyperempiria: From Convulsions, to "Zombification," to Experiential Theater

2011-07-22T19:58:00.032-04:00

There is an old saying that those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it -- and nowhere is this more evident than in the history of hypnosis.

Although healing by means of trance induction probably dates back to prehistoric times, the revival of modern interest in such procedures in Western culture may be traced directly to the work of the Viennese physician, Franz Anton Mesmer (1733-1815). Mesmer was considerably influenced by the teachings of Paracelsus that the stars and the planets exert considerable influence over human behavior by means of their magnetic fields. He decided to investigate the implications of this theory by slowly drawing some small magnets over the bodies of his patients. This was frequently found to be accompanied by convulsions, fainting, and the disappearance (at least temporarily) of a host of symptoms, which today we would attribute to the power of suggestion. But to Mesmer and his followers, the discovery of these new "powers" of magnetism appeared to be an exciting medical breakthrough.

Mesmer soon discovered, however, that he was able to produce the same results without the aid of special magnets. This caused him to conclude that the "magnetism" in question was coming from his own body. He abandoned the use of metal magnets altogether, and simply began to make passes in the air with his hands near the bodies of his patients. He coined the term "animal magnetism" to explain what was happening.

When the demand for his services had reached its height, Mesmer proceeded to "magnetize" a large elm tree on the estate of his patron, the Marquis de Puysegur, a few miles outside of the city of Paris; and great crowds would often gather to stand under the tree, either to derive the benefits if its healing power for themselves or simply to observe the dramatic results which were apparently produced in others.

Events were to take yet another turn when a retarded peasant lad of twenty-three named Victor Emmanuel was brought to stand under the now-famous elm tree, in the hope that the "magnetic rays" which were supposedly emanating from the tree might also be of some benefit to him. As many retardates are apt to do when they are placed in a situation in which they are not quite certain what is expected of them. Victor, though he remained standing, promptly utilized the occasion to avail himself of a quick nap. Other patients standing under the tree, seeing Victor asleep on his feet, apparently perceived this event as merely another result of the strange mesmeric rays emanating from the tree; for they promptly began to feel drowsy and to "fall asleep" themselves, thereby initiating a change in the form of suggestion-induced trance experience which heralded the death of mesmerism and the birth of traditional forms of hypnosis.

By now the role of suggestion in determining both the outward form and inward experience of trance behavior should be obvious. The mesmeric "crises" were brought about by implicit suggestions or expectations arising from the eccentric astrological notions of Paracelsus, whereas the "sleeping" or hypnotic trance was first manifested by people who were imitating the behavior of a retardate, who wastoo stupid to realize that he was supposed to go into convulsions and went to sleep instead! An induction procedure provides both the occasion and the opportunity for those who are able to respond well to suggestion to go ahead and do so. All the rest depends upon ongoing cultural narratives, explicit or implicit cues which are present in the situation, and the ability and wilingness of the participant to comply with the instructions and suggestions which he or she is given. (Gibbons, 1979).

Today, we no longer need to rely upon the model of trance behavior provided to us by a sleeping retardate over two hundred years ago, when much better models are available. A hyperempiric induction is based on suggestions of mind expansion, enhanced awareness, and increased responsiveness and sensitivity, in contrast to traditional hypnotic inductions based on expressed or implied suggestions of lethargy, drowsiness, and sleep. (Gibbons, 1973). Hyperempiric inductions, or "alert hypnosis," have been found to be as effective as traditional hypnotic inductions in facilitating subsequent responsiveness to suggestion (Bányai, & Hilgard, 1976; Gibbons, 1975, 1976). But this time, we didn't wait for another historical accident to come along. I simply made it up!

Several new forms of experientially-based induction techniques have recently been developed which may also be referred to as essentially hyperempiric in nature. Aaronson (1969) described a procedure which he referred to as “the hypnotic induction of the void,” which he described as a state resulting from a separation of self from one’s senses, from one’s concept of self, and a loss of opposites and polarities. Suggestions are also given for ego-expansion, an experience of the Plenum.” Sacerdote (1977) found that hypnotized clients are able to experience mystical states in response to suggestions which create favorable conditions for their emergence. He reports that these experiences themselves are instrumental in the relief of physical and emotional pain and discomfort. Havens (2007) provided several pathways for inducing mystical experiences of cosmic consciousness in order to produce an epiphany of personal transformation. I could continue delving into the numerous references to past lives, future lives, life between lives, ultra-height and ultra-depth states, but by now the point should be clear to all.

Why not simply conclude that suggested alterations in awareness are all forms of believed-in imaginings (Sarbin & De Rivera, 1998), or perhaps even experiential theater, and use them as such, instead of continuing the endless proliferation of suggestion-cults which began with Mesmerism itself?

For more information, see:

What is Hyperempiria?

How to Construct Hyperempiric Suggestions Using the "Best Me" Technique

Hyper-Motivation: Remembering the Future to Empower the Present

Hyperempiric Therapy of Depression

Sources and Citations

Aaronson, B. The hypnotic induction of the void. Paper presented at the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, San Francisco, October, 1969.

Bányai, E. I., & Hilgard, E. R. (1976). A comparison of active-alert hypnotic induction with traditional relaxation induction. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, 218-224.

Gibbons, D. E. (1979). Applied hypnosis and hyperempiria. New York: Plenum.

Gibbons, D. E. (1974). Hyperempiria, a new “altered state of consciousnes” induced by suggestion. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 39, 47-53.

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J.(2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. In Ruhe, J. W., Lynn, S. J., & Kirsch, I. (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis, 2nd ed. pp. 267-291. Washington, DC: American Psychological Assn.

Havens, R. A. (2007). Self hypnosis for cosmic consciousness: Achieving altered states, mystical experience, and spiritual enlightenment. Bethel, CT: Crown House Publishing Co., LLC.

Phillips, B. D. (2007). Tranceplay: Experimental approaches to interactive drama involving experiential trance. Journal of Interactive Drama, 2.1, pp. 15-55.

Sacerdote, P. (1977). Applications of hypnotically elicited mystical states to the treatment of physical and emotional pain. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 25(4), pp. 309-324.

Sarbin, T. R., & De Rivera, J. (Eds.) Believed-in imaginings: The narrative construction of reality. Washington, DC: American Psycholofical Association.

Hyper-Motivation: Remembering the Future to Empower the Present

2011-07-17T23:46:00.048-04:00

If we were being secretly observed by alien beings from afar, what would they notice about us first? Close to the top of the list is likely to be the fact that our evolutionary development has been lopsided. Our highly developed forebrains have enabled us to form complex and distant goals. But, with 99% of the same genetic makeup as our closest monkey cousins, the chimpanzees, our ability to regulate our emotions and behavior well enough to achieve those goals frequently falls short of our aspirations. As we work toward the goal we have chosen, without yet having the rewards of success to keep us going, we experience a considerable amount of craving, frustration, and annoyance -- especially if we have to work directly against other sources of pleasure in order to get to our goal. If we smoke, we know that smoking could take years away from our lives but we want a cigarette! If we are trying to lose weight, we know how much healthier and more attractive we would feel if we could stick to the diet we have chosen -- but we want that extra dessert!

So we try to use “will power” in an attempt to spur ourselves onward. We tell ourselves how important the goal really is, congratulating ourselves when we are able to stay on track, and mentally “beating ourselves up” when we don’t work as hard we think we ought to. We attempt to bridge this time gap between present efforts and future sources of satisfaction when we daydream about a goal which we desire very much. But for most of us, daydreams still do not capture the full richness of the rewards which will one day be ours -- if only we can persist long enough to get there! Autosuggestion, "Positive thinking," affirmations, visualization, and fantasy techniques often don't help very much either, because they also don't do enough to involve the whole person in the satisfactions of goal attainment. Eventually, even though our long-term goal remains as attractive as ever, if our efforts yield little short-term satisfaction and encouragement from other sources along the way, our motivation begins to falter, and sooner or later we give up, no matter how lofty and determined our resolution may have been at the outset.

The Best Me Technique (Gibbons, 2001) is a hyperempiric method for involving the whole person in the content of a suggested experience, which enables those who are properly trained in this procedure to experience now, in the present and in concentrated form, the rewards and satisfactions which would not normally be theirs until a goal has been achieved. This in turn can provide the motivational fuel to pursue whatever goal we may have chosen, no matter how distant or difficult that goal might otherwise appear.

Each element of the Best Me Technique corresponds with a dimension of experience (Beliefs, Emotions, Sensations and physical perceptions, Thoughts and images, Motives, and Expectations); and these elements can be combined in a variety of ways. In the hyperempiric episode which follows, the Best Me Technique is used to pre-experience the rewards of a graduation ceremony in order to enhance the motivation to purseue a course of study leading to an academic degree. However, the Best Me Technique can also be used to as part of a comprehensive program to enhance performance in other areas, such as athletics, music, dance, and theater or, as previously mentioned, as part of a program to lose weight or become a non-smoker, or to rid oneself of other forms of addiction.

The suggestions are presented in B-E-S-T-M-E order for the sake of illustration; but in actual use, Best Me suggestions may be repeated in any order and varied and repeated as often as necessary in order to maximize involvement with their content, much as one might repeat the verses and choruses of a song. Rather than memorizing a specific set of suggestions or reading them to the client as a script, I usually count out the steps of the Best Me Technique on my fingers as I am improvising an induction or a therapeutic suggestion, going back and forth to make sure that I have adequately covered them all. This gives me more freedom to individualize my suggestions to better meet the needs of each individual, and to use their body language to gauge the speed and content of my delivery.

The incentive value of the Best Me Technique can be further enhanced by pre-experiencing the rewarding results of the goal, such as celebrating at a graduation party with friends and family, or relaxing on the deck of a cruise ship on a much-deserved vacation after the degree is actually in hand. It is also helpful to pre-experience the rewards of sub-goals along the way, such as doing well on an upcoming major examination, or enjoying semester the break in the certain knowledge that one is on the way to a pre-determined and inevitable triumph.

At the conclusion of either a traditional hypnotic or an expressly hyperempiric induction (Gibbons & Lynn, 2010), hyperempiric suggestions such as the following may be given. Clients may be instructed, "Use the power of the imagination to allow yourself to experience each part of the journey as strongly as possible. You can tell how well you are doing by how enjoyable it is. If you can believe in it, you can believe it. And if you can believe it, you can make it happen!

Belief systems. Now you can feel your awareness of the present beginning to fade, as you become ever more clearly aware of yourself seated at your graduation ceremony, waiting to go up and receive your diploma. Just picture the scene, and imagine yourself excitedly waiting there, until it becomes just as real and just as clear to you as if it is happening right now.

Emotions. Let yourself feel an ever increasing sense of pride and achievement as you savor this moment to the fullest. As you look around at your fellow graduates and at the crowd of family, friends, and well wishers who have come to share in your success, you can truly rejoice in the thrill of all you have worked so hard to accomplish.

Sensations and physical perceptions. The graduates are getting up one row at a time to form a line beside the stage until their name is called. When it is your turn, you join the line and await your turn to go up and shake hands with the Dean and receive your diploma.

Thoughts and images. And all the time, you are realizing how much this means to you, and how much it has all been worthwhile.

Motives. Now, as you walk across the stage and shake hands with the Dean, he smiles and hands you your diploma, and you return to your seat, let yourself take a few moments now to bask in the satisfaction of a job well done, and savor your achievement to the fullest. [Pause.]

Expectations. And each time that you return to this treasured memory of the future, it will become easier for you to act, think, and feel as if it were impossible to fail. Believe it will happen, expect it to happen, feel it happening, and savor in advance the fruits of your success!

After allowing time to fully enjoy the experience for a few moments longer, the induction may be concluded in an appropriate manner (Gibbons & Lynn, 2001). Methods of auto-induction should also be taught, so that the client can continue to practice at home while learning. Once the technique has been mastered, it should be repeated daily as a form of experiential meditation until the goal is actually attained.

When there is no clearly-identified goal upon which to focus, or when existing goals are not desired strongly enough to fully motivate a person to achieve them, suggestions such as the following can be given to increase the enjoyment of goal attainment in general.

Belief systems. Now we are going to help you to experience in concentrated form, both your desire to achieve and your ability to feel the satisfactions you are going to feel in the future from the fulfillment of a job well done.

Emotions. We are reaching down into the depths of your vast, untapped potential for feeling happiness and joy. Great waves of happiness and joy are flooding out from the depths of your potential, growing stronger and more beautiful and more intense with every passing second.

Sensations and physical perceptions. The waves of joy are becoming stronger and more intense, filling and flooding every muscle, and fiber, and nerve of your entire body with a beauty and which is greater than anything you could possibly imagine.

Thoughts and images. Your mind is filled with such beauty and such joy that it is impossible to think of anything else, and all you can do is feel these waves of joy washing over you., growing in beauty and intensity with every passing second.

Motives. This is the kind of fulfillment you will be able to feel when you put your whole self into doing a job – any job – well. And you will have plenty of energy left over to enjoy every other aspect of life to the fullest.

Expectations. And I don’t know whether this experience will leave you with new goals, or with a re-dedication to the ones you already have. But in either case it will be a transforming moment, for it will have the power to change your life.

"Remembering the future to empower the present" in the manner just described will enable you to feel as if you were headed toward a predetermined and inevitable success. By matching this belief with the necessary life changes to accomplish the goals you have chosen, you will be able to provide yourself with the inspiration and incentive for a lifetime of accomplishment and personal growth.

A Word of Caution

Of course, we must still be able to give up on goals which are really not worth pursuing, no mater how attractive they may seem at first, in order to protect ourselves from our own mistakes in judgment. The world is full of people who want to become a success as writers, actors, sports heroes, and a host of other things, but are simply not cut out for that kind of work. On the other hand, many goals which may may seem impossible at first are attainable if we are willing to work long enough and hard enough. As we develop the ability to choose our motives as well as our goals, i.e., to have free will in the truest sense of the term, it is up to each of us to decide how practical or how idealistic we want to be.

(See also:)

What is Hyperempiria?

Experience as an Art Form: Alternative Paradigm for Hypnosis?

Hyperempiria: From Convulsions to "Zombification," to Experiential Theater

Hyperempiric Therapy of Depression

How to Construct Hyperempiric Suggestions Using the Best Me Technique

References

Gibbons, D. E. (2001). Experience as an art form: Hypnosis, hyperempiria, and the Best Me Technique. New York, NY: Authors Choice Press.

Gibbons, D. E., & Lynn, S. J (2010). Hypnotic inductions: A primer. In S. J. Lynn, J. W. Rhue, & I. Kirsch (Eds.) Handbook of clinical hypnosis (pp. 267-292). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Multimodal Visualizations for Weight Loss

2011-07-13T08:39:00.000-04:00

Hypnosis and hyperempiria do not cause anything in themselves. They are catalysts which, by their presence, allow a particular outcome to occur, or to take place more easily, provided the necessary ingredients for the desired change are already present. The following case illustrates this point.

A married woman in her mid-forties sought my help in order to lose weight. She had obtained clearance from her physician to proceed with a weight loss program, along with a recommend diet; and she was not currently taking any medication. She described her relationship with her husband and children as warm and affectionate, and told me that her life was fundamentally happy, with no major stressors which might serve to distract her from her weight loss goal.

Her anniversary was some eight months away. She was going to surprise her husband by arranging a getaway weekend for at a hotel. Her plans included dinner at a stylish restaurant where she would like to be able to once more wear a treasured dress which she had saved from her honeymoon.

I taught her how to to place herself into hyperempiria by means of multimodal autosuggestion, and how to use the Best Me Technique to pre-experience the attainment of her weight loss goal, using the anniversary restaurant dinner as a setting in which she could enjoy the multi-modal dimensions of its fulfillment. Belief systems involving suggestions of a change in place and time at the completion of the induction prepared her to pre-experience the anniversary dinner as if it were already taking place. Suggestions of Emotion included responses to both her husband’s admiring glances and the increasing physical attraction they felt towards each other as the evening wore on. Suggestions of many different Sensations and physical perceptions heightened the reality of the experience still further: the lighted candles on the dinner table, the soft music, the sight and smell of a bouquet of flowers, the taste of the dinner wine, etc. Thoughts and images included suggestions of the couple sharing their mutual declarations of love as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Motives became stronger as the evening wore on and their warmth became desire. Their Expectations for the rest of the night increased apace as the couple hurriedly paid their check and made their way out the door and took an elevator to the hotel room in the same building which she had rented for the remainder of the evening.

By this time, it has become clear that this client had a rich imagination and that she responded well to suggestion. Once she had mastered the technique of multimodal suggestion using preliminary scenarios such as the one just described, she was able to devise multimodal suggestions for much more intimate states of affairs during the remainder of their anniversary evening without additional coaching from me; and she reported back that these were also highly effective in maintaining her motivation at a high level. Follow-up sessions were scheduled at progressively greater intervals as her self-imposed deadline drew near, to ensure that her progress continued and that her goal was satisfactorily reached, which it was.