How the Mind Works Abreactions - How we React to Things What is Trance and How is it Used Self Hypnosis How to Induce Trance Affirmations and Their Use Techniques to Deepen Trance Third Level Communications About Might I Suggest Institute Books Worth Reading
In order to understand how Hypnosis and Trance work, we must first know how the mind works. The mind is divided into three parts. The conscious takes up about 12% of the total capacity. The subconsious takes 88%. That leaves a portion too small to calculate for the critical faculty or belief system as it is sometimes called. The three parts of the mind work together into a filing system that rivals all the computers in the world. Everything any of your five senses have ever encountered, has been filed away.
So why don't we remember all we have stored? Because most of it is not anything that we have ready need for. However, we react to things around us every day in relation to the things that we have stored in our brain.
Knowing this, how does it work? When a thought enters into your conscious mind, it goes to the critical faculity where it is evaluated against your beliefs and then sent on to your subconscious. When the thought arrives in the subconscious, it is again evaluated and checked against your imagination, emotions, and memory. If anything stimulates any of these areas, there is a physical response. These responses are called Abreactions.
The responses we have to different thoughts are called abreactions. Such responses would be like when you see a snake or spider and get goose flesh. Or when you see a mouse and you scream. Or even when you stutter. These are all physical responses to mental input. Can they be controlled? Through hypnotherapy you can find their source and eliminate that reaction.
To illustrate the problem, here is an actual case study. The subject 'Bob' was 38 years old. Everytime he tried to cross the street at a downtown traffic light, he would panic. The little beep beep on the control light was the anchor. He would abreact by pulling back and breaking into a cold sweat.
During age regression, it was found that when he was a small boy he was waiting to cross the street with his mother. The light turned green and he started to step from the curb without looking down the street. His mind was spaced out, which is just another word for trance. His mother grabbed his shoulder and shook him as she screamed "You're going to get hit by a car." As an adult, Bob had that feeling of terror everytime he tried to cross that street. And he would abreact.
You see abreactions all the time. The person who drums his fingers on the desk when he is impatient. Pacing the floor. Yes, even overeating and smoking are abreactions that are linked to either memory, imagination or emotion.
So you have never been in trance, huh? Well, I bet you have. Most everyone has been in trance many times but since they don't know what trance is, they don't recognize it. Have you ever just spaced out? Have you ever driven down the road and never realized if the signal you just passed was red or green? Those are the times you are in trance. Trance is not abnormal. When you go to bed at night, that feeling you have just before you fall asleep is what trance feels like. Learn to recognize it when it happens.
There are three major depths of trance. Light, or waking trance is where you are 'spaced out'. Somnanbulism is where you can do most of your work, and where you get anesthesia. The Esdaile state is catatonic, and where you would do deep surgery.
Self hypnosis is sometimes called meditation. Many people naturally go into a light trance and focus their minds away from the things around them. There are several techniques that are used to go into trance. Fractional relaxation, anchoring, and tapes are some methods of self hypnosis induction.
Fractional relaxation can be accomplished by getting into a comfortable position and relaxing each part of your body separately. This technique can done either sitting, laying down, or in one of the meditation positions.
Anchoring can be done through instruction of a hypnotist. There are many things that can be used as an anchor. Doing the same thing over and over again can form an anchor that can be a powerful tool.
There are many tapes on the market that help induce trance for self hypnosis. These can be either subliminal or plain voice. Even a tape that is just soothing sounds can lead to a good, positive trance experience.
There is one thing that sets a lay person apart from a hypnotist. That thing is the induction of trance. To induce trance, you must start from a position of trust and permission. Unless you have the trust of the client and their permission to go into trance, you will never induce trance.
Several techniques can be used. The two finger eye roll works well on many people. Levitation can be used, and works well with kids. There is an induction that is called Shock Conversion with Loss of Equilibrium, which is used for 'instant hypnosis'.
Trance can even be induced covertly. Third level communication is effective when subtlty is needed. A case study called Double Bind Dissociate will be given later.
While in trance, an affirmation can be made that can change lives. Some people tape record them and play them as they go into trance. Here is an affirmation that someone might make if they have a stress problem with High Blood Pressure. Where the ....... is you should pause.
Relax and begin to imagine what your normal blood pressure should be. [INSERT NUMBERS.] Imagine your blood pressure as normal, completely normal....... If you are on medication, imagine it working quickly and well. If your blood pressure is related to stress..... begin to imagine that the stress is flowing out of your body, and you release it from your mind........ Change your reaction to the stress stimulus, and imagine yourself becoming more calm and relaxed....... and as you relax your body, you relax your mind, and your blood pressure becomes more normal through the stressful situation. Just imagine once again, that you blood pressure is what it should be [INSERT NUMBERS.]........ Imagine your blood pressure normal, imagine yourself calm and relaxed.......... feeling healthy and strong, rejecting any harmful stress........ and enjoying life...... feeling calm, relaxed....... calm, relaxed.
Some people bypass a light trance and spontaneously go into a deep trance. They are called somnambulistic. But the rest of us have to use a deepening technique to get into somnambulism. Here is how it can be done.
While in light trance and relaxed, you would say to the client; Now let that feeling of relaxaton flow right down to your toes. Now we'll do that again, and the next time I have you open and close your eyes, the relaxation will be twice as great as it is right now. And as your body relaxes, your mind relaxes..... Want that to happen, and watch it happen...... And now open your eyes... relax...... close them again and feel that relaxation. And next time you will feel even more relaxed...... Open your eyes...... Relax...... Close them and feel that relaxation increase even more.
When you test for amnesia and get it, you have somnanbulism.
This term may be foreign to most people. When we speak to people it is usually through consciousness or bounced against the belief system. Third Level Communication is where you make a suggestion that seems to mean one thing but in fact, can mean many things.
Case Study: A young girl, Susan, was afraid of hypnosis. She knew a hypnotist from the time she was a small girl. He was a family friend and was trusted by the family. The hypnotist was asked to work with the girl to help increase her study habits. She told the hypnotist she didn't want to go into trance. She related a story where some psychology teacher at the high school tried to get all the students to do a relaxation technique. She told the hypnotist that she wouldn't do it because she didn't trust the teacher.
The hypnotist said to her, "Let me tell you about a little girl I know named Susan." Susan said, "You aren't going to do this, are you?" The hypnotist said, "I'll wait," and just looked at her. She closed her eyes and went into a deep trance.
This is called a Double Bind Dissociate. It works like this. She was put in a bind between trusting the psychology teacher and the hypnotist. She wouldn't go into tranc for the teacher because of lack of trust. If she did not go into trance she would have indicated that she didn't trust the hypnotist, which was not true.
I studied hypnosis for many years. I was involved in witness interviewing for the sheriff department where I was a deputy. I finally had a chance to go to a certified hypnosis school in 1987-1988. I completed the course and was certified as a hypnotherapist. I began to take on clients but soon found that teaching in community education schools, and instructing in self awareness classes was more my style. I opened Might I Suggest Institute when I began marketing hypnosis tapes. I also held classes in behavior modification.
There are many good books that relate to hypnosis and to self awareness. Those listed below just touch the surface. They will start someone in the right direction in a search for self esteem and self improvement.
Your input is appreciated. Send e-mail to:
Chuck Oliver.