Interested in personal hypnosis experiences and techniques

[rickyc]

I am very interested in hearing about personal hypnosis experiences and techniques. Not mass mind control, but pain blocking, super concentration, self induction techniques, etc.

If this thread picks up steam I will share my one experience.

Also interested in stage stuff, etc., and opinions on whether hypnosis is real or hooey. So much has been written about it but I'd like to hear from those who have been successful at inducing and/or receiving trance states.

[ghostrider]

I can give you a starting point that I used and it worked... set a candle on a small table , eye level basically , about three feet in front of you... in your mind say the word Sun , block out ALL other thoughts, sound , feelings etc and turn off cell phones, radio, whatever complete silence etc . Looking at where the flame and the edge of the candle meet, very specific, look only at that spot and in your mind say SUN . do this for five minutes for a week or so, then try ten. Just as your eyes lose focus when you look at those hidden patterns in art that become 3-D ... You will see the flame start to for a laser like trail toward you. when you focus more, the beam gets wider and longer, until it almost reaches you ... This is a focus exercise to train the mind to stay on one thing, and one point . It's amazing how many things come into our minds keeping us from focusing on one thing, one sight ...Eventually all light around you will morph, you'll wonder why you never saw it before ... you may already know this focus excercise but I think it's a good starting point for anyone, to explore the potential of their own mind ... The power of your mind is real and can manipulate your reality , depending on your focus, every wonder why the ptb spend so much time throwing TV and music and videos at the public ??? They control the focus of the public, making you only think of what they want you to think ...

[rickyc]

Thanks - I have tried a crystal ball pendulum but never a candle. I have tried tapes with no success. I will try the candle. Thanks!

[latina]

Hello rickyc, I am a licensed hypnotherapist on the Dolores Cannon technique and I've been practicing ir for years now. Very interesting, it could be better if you have straight questions.

[skyflower]

Rickyc,

It's been my experience that in order for tapes to work, you first need to get to that trance state, which is a relaxed state right before you fall asleep, and be able to hold it there while listening to the tapes.

[spiritguide]

Fixation is a form of self hypnosis. As an example one is being tricked and or tortured into divulging information of a classified nature and they fixate on water, when stimulus is induced to extract information the person (subject), fixated on water gets an unquenchable thirst and asks for water and in essence blocks other sensual input. Where there is a will, there is a way.

[Conchis]

It's real, not hooey by any stretch of the imagination. I think that you might enjoy reading Hypnotic Realities by Milton Erickson. It provides a number of successful induction techniques. We all live in various forms of hypnotic realities, nearly all of the time. Most of us has experienced difficulty walking if we really think about walking. We have a "take a walk" trance. We have a "tie the shoe" trance....all of those little routines that we run in the background as sub-routines are forms of trance.

I've studied and practiced what I've been trained to call Other the Conscious Communication for quite a while, which is hypnotic in its core.

[greybeard]

It's real, not hooey by any stretch of the imagination. I think that you might enjoy reading Hypnotic Realities by Milton Erickson. It provides a number of successful induction techniques. We all live in various forms of hypnotic realities, nearly all of the time. Most of us has experienced difficulty walking if we really think about walking. We have a "take a walk" trance. We have a "tie the shoe" trance....all of those little routines that we run in the background as sub-routines are forms of trance.

I've studied and practiced what I've been trained to call Other the Conscious Communication for quite a while, which is hypnotic in its core.

I qualified as Milton Ericksonian Hypnosis practitioner and practised professionally for years.
Hypnotising a willing client is fairly easy --its what is said to them when in trance that is important, that's where the training comes in.
The important thing is that the success rate is high.

Chris

[sigma6]

Cool thread, hypnosis is absolutely fascinating and I think it holds the secret to who we really are on some level. There is still a lot that is unknown about it, but as a phenomena, the observations are many. I just sourced and downloaded some Hypnosis audios a few days ago, so this is timely... and I remember using subliminal message tapes a long time ago, and I believe they were successful. Everyone around me kept thinking I was on cocaine or practicing some kind of 'magic' etc... so somehow, others did noticed something, (maybe some change in my behaviour or talk) but couldn't quite put their finger on it... lol

there is a ton of info ... I found this

What does it involve?
There are many different hypnotic techniques. One method involves leading patients into a state of hypnosis by talking in gentle, soothing tones and describing images meant to create a sense of relaxation, security, and well-being. People under hypnosis may appear to be asleep, but they are actually in an altered state of concentration and can focus intently when asked to do so by the hypnotherapist. While a patient is under hypnosis, the hypnotherapist may suggest specific outcomes, such as pain control, more peaceful emotions, and less stress, fear, or anxiety.

Contrary to what many believe, people under hypnosis are not under the control of the hypnotherapist. They cannot be made to do something they do not want to do. Quite the opposite is true. Hypnosis is used to help patients gain more control over their behavior, emotions, and even some physical processes that cause problems for them. People cannot be hypnotized unless they wish to be, and not everyone can be put into a hypnotic state. Success depends upon whether the patient is willing and receptive to the idea of hypnosis. Some people can enter into a deeper hypnotic state than others and are said to be more hypnotizable. With training, many people can learn to hypnotize themselves. This is called self-hypnosis or autohypnosis.

What is the history behind it?
Hypnosis and hypnotic suggestion have been a part of healing practices for thousands of years. The word comes from the Greek word hypnos, which means sleep. The use of trance-like states and positive suggestion was an important feature of the early Greek healing temples. Variations of those techniques were practiced throughout the ancient world.

Modern hypnosis can be traced back to the German physician, Franz Anton Mesmer, who believed that imbalances in magnetic forces in the human body were responsible for illness. Mesmer applied a therapy, which he called mesmerism, involving the use of tranquil gestures and soothing words to relax patients and restore the balance to their magnetic forces. The evolution of Mesmer's ideas and practices led the Scottish neurosurgeon James Braid to coin the term hypnosis in 1842. Called the "father of modern hypnotism," Braid rejected Mesmer's theory of magnetic forces and instead ascribed the "mesmeric trance" to a physical process that resulted from prolonged attention to an object of fixation. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychotherapy, found hypnosis useful for treating hysteria, but later abandoned the practice after observing that he stirred up powerful emotions within his patients.

Eventually, the notion of using a state of altered awareness gained greater acceptance in conventional Western medicine. Today, hypnosis is used widely in the United States and other Western countries. People who practice hypnosis are generally licensed and are often trained in several psychological techniques.

What is the evidence?
Many reports demonstrate that hypnosis can help patients reduce blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and pain. Hypnosis can create relaxing brain wave patterns, although reports on how much it helps to change behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and overeating are mixed. Most researchers who reviewed clinical trials on the use of hypnosis to help people stop smoking found that the evidence did not support its effectiveness.

Hypnosis can be used by therapists as a tool to help eliminate phobias or decrease their strength. Research has also shown that hypnosis can help reduce anticipatory nausea and vomiting. (Anticipatory or conditioned nausea or vomiting occurs when, after a few doses of chemotherapy have caused nausea or vomiting, some people have nausea or vomiting just before the next dose is to be given.) Hypnosis appears less likely to help nausea and vomiting that happen after the chemotherapy dose is given. According to a report from the NIH, there is evidence that hypnosis can help reduce some kinds of cancer pain. In 2006, researchers reviewed studies of children with cancer and found that hypnosis appeared to help reduce pain and distress from medical procedures. In one study published in 2008, giving breast cancer patients a brief hypnosis session before surgery reduced the pain, nausea, fatigue, discomfort, emotional upset, and cost of the procedure.

Another NIH report, which reviewed several scientific studies, showed that women under hypnosis before childbirth had shorter labors and more comfortable deliveries. According to the report, hypnosis may also enhance the immune system. The report looked at one study that found that hypnosis raised the levels of immunoglobulin (an important part of the immune system) in healthy children. Another study found that self-hypnosis led to an increase in white blood cell activity. The NIH report also looked at twelve different controlled studies: One showed that hypnosis reduced the intensity or frequency of migraine headaches in children and teenagers. Another study on chronically ill patients found a 113 percent increase in pain tolerance among highly hypnotizable subjects versus those who were not hypnotized. According to the NIH report, the reasons why hypnosis causes these changes are not well-understood.

[Lifebringer]

Candle over water, light reflection for me helps me as well as a chamomile tea for relaxing body also.
The reflection widens and comes towards your sight. By then it's quiet enough where all noise is gone and still.

[Jayke]

learning how to hypnotize yourself can be a challenge, and thats mainly down to one specific and problematic reason…that reason being…

…There is a huge misconception about what hypnosis really is!

Truth is, you’ve been sold a lie, a life-long scandal that’s been draining your potential. Known by every great hypnotist, every pioneer of new industries yet hidden from those who struggle to tap into their greatness…So what is this great scandal of hypnosis?

First, lets look at a typical stage hypnosis show as illustration. Stage hypnosis is all about showmanship, and much like seasoned magicians, the major tricks of the trade are distraction and obfuscation. Otherwise known as sleight of hand. The magician has you focus on his left hand while his right hand (hidden from view) manipulates the illusion, setting up trick after trick that induces the mind of the audience to awe and bewilderment, from the perspective of the audience it truly looks like magic.

But once you’ve been let in on the secret, once you see the illusion from a different perspective, the perspective that reveals how the illusion is performed. The magic quickly fades and you may even say to yourself “It’s so simple, why didn’t I notice that earlier”

Hypnosis is no different, it has its illusion of magic and its more logical, simple explanation.

Because once you strip away all the showmanship of stage hypnosis, strip away all the fancy patter and linguistic flair, hypnosis boils down to one very simple principle. You tell people what to do…and they do it.

The sleight of hand in hypnosis comes from letting the audience believe there has to be a special trance state before subjects act out your suggestions.

But the power of hypnosis doesn’t come from the trance…It comes from the IDEAS! Ideas themselves are what contain the potential for transformation, trance is just the byproduct of having someone focus intently on the ideas we present them (you think the media and politicians don’t know this secret? How many ideas are you being presented with in the media every single day?).

James Braid the physician who coined the phenomena ‘hypnosis’ back in the 1840s, realised later in his career he had given hypnosis the wrong name. Initially he believed it to be a form of sleep but later discovered he could elicit all the same hypnotic phenomena without inducing trance in any of his subjects, he found that merely having someone concentrate on an idea was enough to get the desired physical response. He attempted to rename hypnosis with its more accurate definition of ‘monoideism’ (meaning the prolonged absorption in a single idea) but by then, his earlier term of hypnosis had already become famous and news of its power had spread across the western world.

You see the secret of stage hypnosis is not about the mystical trance state, its about people suspending their personal thinking and allowing the hypnotist to think for them, they’re focusing on the hypnotists ideas to the extent they begin acting those ideas out. The showmanship of hypnosis is all about keeping a persons logical mind in a suspended state of confusion or anticipation, the longer its kept distracted from thinking for itself, the more you can direct that person to act out your ideas.

So if you want to learn how to hypnotise yourself, forget the ‘trance state’, learning meditation is much more effective for that. Focus instead on the quality of your thinking.

Science has discovered how people think anywhere between 40,000 to 70,000 thoughts every single day. That’s a lot of noise, lots of internal chatter dominating a persons mind. They’ve also discovered how out of all of those thoughts, a full 75% of them tend to be negative, critical, undermining, or self deprecating The majority of people spend 75% of their waking life telling themselves why they aren’t good enough, why they can’t achieve success, why they aren’t worthy of their dreams.

Now if it only takes a handful of suggestions from the stage hypnotist to directly influence a persons subconscious behaviours, imagine the impact 70,000 suggestions will have on your subconscious mind. Is it any wonder most people are stressed or depressed, their subconscious mind is in constant overload, being pulled in a thousand directions, never knowing which path to truly follow.

The result from this overload is…burnout, sloth and lethargy

The body can’t cope with so many conflictingly negative instructions. As indicated by the fact stress related diseases and depression continues to rise year on year to all time record highs. And the sad fact is most people are so distracted by the world around them, they’re completely unaware as to the quality of their thoughts, they have no awareness of the limitations they’re imposing on themselves by allowing self destructive thoughts to take seed in their mind, instead of blossoming positive thought patterns, they nurture the weeds that drain their vitality.

Even one simple suggestion contains the seed of hypnotic potential. The ideas and thoughts that get repeated most are what set your boundaries and limitations, remove the self critical thoughts from your awareness and all of a sudden you’ll be unshackled to move freely towards your dreams.

Learning how to hypnotize yourself then has nothing to do with the unconscious mind, its really the exact opposite, its about heightened consciousness, and bringing those 70,000 thoughts into full conscious awareness, shining the light of discernment on every idea and making decisions based on wisdom instead of ignorance. Its about monitoring your thoughts on a moment to moment basis, eliminating all the negative thought patterns while reprogramming your internal dialogue with more affirmative and self respecting statements of value.

Its no good writing a hypnosis script for yourself, recording it to mp3, and listening back when comfotable in a deep trance state. You may tell yourself a thousand positive ideas for change inside trance, but if (once you’ve roused from trance) the other 69,000 thoughts you might have that day undermine the good work you’ve just done, no amount of trance based self hypnosis will ever get you where you want to go, until you learn how to talk to yourself more positively.

Hypnosis is simple because everyone is already engaging in it, everyone is either absorbed in their ideas of success or absorbed in their ideas of failure. The hypnosis generating idea machine never gets switched off.

Hypnosis is challenging because becoming a good self hypnotist means directing consciousness to see the world from more empowering perspectives, hypnosis is the combination of consciousness infused with artistic thinking, we paint beautiful, empowering pictures inside our minds, and it takes consistent cultivation of those positive images to gather enough internal energy to inspire our actions. Hypnosis is the discipline of moment to moment self respect and only accepting the very best for yourself. We’re not just planting a few positive seeds to have one pretty garden in the recess of our minds, we’re creating an entire self sustaining ecosystem in Amazonian rainforest proportions.

Hypnosis is rewarding because once you’ve learnt how to hypnotize yourself, you’ll have complete mastery of every single idea you allow into your mind, no longer will you be swayed by negative influences, you’ll be strong willed and completely aware of everything in your internal and external environment. A true moment to moment mastery of life. Complete control of your emotions and energy levels. Creativity, inspiration and insight on tap.

So how do you start hypnotising yourself:

First, you’ll need a pen and paper, spend 24 hours just writing down every single thought or idea that pops into your head (without judging and without attempting to change them just yet). This will help you become more conscious of how you’re currently thinking.

second, once you’ve become aware of your thoughts, learn to stop yourself thinking the negative ones. Do this by affirming 3 positive thoughts for every negative thought that enters your mind. Over time this will sway the balance so you’re now 75% positive instead of 75% negative. This will have a huge affect on your energy levels and vitality.

Finally, just keep going, keep finding better affirmations, offer yourself more and more positive words of encouragement. Begin infusing the positive statements with energy and emotion, get yourself energised about who you want to become. Imagine it clearly as you do so…the most important phase, just being patient while developing better thought habits.

Through better thought habits you’ll develop better speaking habits, better communication means better quality friends, and its through the help of our friends and acquaintances that we really get what we want from life. People coming together under the banner of a charismatic leader or a just cause. Learn to inspire yourself and you’ll quickly start inspiring others.
Keep this up and before you know it your entire life will begin to change as you’re hypnotising yourself to believe in your own greatness, just as you’ve previously hypnotised yourself into believing your own limitations. People will sense the change in your energy, you’ll carry yourself better, you’ll have more confidence doors of opportunity begin to open and you’ll find yourself being motivated to walk through them.

http://www.forbiddenmind.com/experience/how-to-hypnotize-yourself-in-3-simple-steps/

[Conchis]

Hypnosis is not the same as meditation, but it can be a tool like meditation. The stage hypnosis that people see is not what I consider hypnosis. I think that the 40,000 - 70,000 "thoughts" that you are referring to are perhaps the 70,000 conscious thoughts that a person might have in a day. The other than conscious thoughts that they have would range in the billions perhaps. When one works with a hypnotist, the hypnotist uses devices to occupy the conscious mind so that communication with the other than conscious mind is directly engaged. I do tend to agree with you that "self-hypnosis" is difficult to accomplish simply because of the mechanics that I've just described.

For most people, and I know it's not everyone, but for most, if they were to truly analyze their decision making processes, they would find that a question is presented. An answer is given instantly from their other than conscious and then they justify that decision using some conscious explanation. That "decision" is actually generated in the other than conscious running all sorts of previous experiences, preferences, training, education, etc. etc. etc. So complicated that no one could process this stuff consciously. When you find a good hypnotherapist and you work on a problem that you are grappling with, they can help urge the other than conscious to present the desired outcome more often.

[Jayke]

That "decision" is actually generated in the other than conscious running all sorts of previous experiences, preferences, training, education, etc. etc. etc. So complicated that no one could process this stuff consciously. When you find a good hypnotherapist and you work on a problem that you are grappling with, they can help urge the other than conscious to present the desired outcome more often.

Isn't this the whole point of the various meditative spiritual disciplines, to become conscious of these culturally conditioned aspects of ourselves so we can make decisions based on the requirements of the here and now rather than acting through the filters of past experiences. And to do so without the help of a good hypnotherapist as a guide through the process.

I'd be much happier to learn how to influence my own 'other than conscious' decisions without having to be dependant on someone else doing the work for me...would certainly save a lot of money, good hypnotists charge a fortune lol

[Conchis]

I couldn't agree with you more Jayke, but the OP was asking about whether or not hypnotism was real or hooey. It is different from meditation which is one way to work on things. Hypnotism is another also very real and effective way.

[Jayke]

For me the two go hand in hand, like yin and yang, hypnosis helps us to refine our state of mind and a refined state of mind makes us more effective at hypnosis. Like two sides of the same coin, without one the other wouldn't work.

[Cidersomerset]

Also interested in stage stuff, etc., and opinions on whether hypnosis is real or hooey. So much has been written about it but I'd like to hear from those who have been successful at inducing and/or receiving trance states.

This is weird late last night I started watching Derren Browns Enigma show and the first part reminded me of a
trick I saw at a racenight our carnival club did in the 1980's.In those days to raise money all clubs did all sorts
of fund raisers and this one was in the function hall of the Newmarket Hotel in Bridgwater. One act was a stage
magician and he did his act in the middle of audience as there was no stage just a space in the middle between
the tables and chairs. There was probably 150 people or so in the hall.

It was the trick where he picked a local member of the audience and hypnptised him and told him to be as stiff
as a board and they laid him between two chairs head on one end feet on the other. No trick just mind/thought
control. I have also seed stage magicians at holiday camps get people on stage to dance around like chickens
etc.



33mins in Darren does the Stiff human trick between 2 chairs....

The whole show is good Derren is a great 'trickster /showman'

U_SMPGs874Q


You may not be able to get the U tube which is a shame , I'm logged
into 4OD so it works for me.......

[rickyc]

I really appreciate your explanations of self-improvement techiniques. I have tried some similar stuff years ago.

Right now I am trying to explore the deeper world of pain control and similar things. I recently saw a video of a man undergoing a complex dental procedure and feeling no pain. I am extremely interested in how this could be induced. In the video, all that was done was a woman talking to him through the procedure.

Someone further down said true hypnotists cost a fortune. I would pay quite a bit to have someone hypnotize me, implant a trigger where I could turn self-hypnosis on and of at will, and video me doing hypnotic suggestion activities so I would have personal proof that it actually occurred.

The later episode of having a person suspended horizontally between two chairs fascinates me.

I have wanted to know and believe in this stuff all of my life, but inside I have been a skeptic.

I have read many books on the subject but never been able to pull it off. I thought this was the right place to bring it up.

All help appreciated!!

Rick

[rickyc]

I couldn’t use the youtube cited - not allowed in the US. So I searched youtube under hypnosis and there are pages of them.

Some are people doing “ninja” or rapid induction on other people, and some are supposed to be self-induction aids.

I will have to explore and hope to separate the good from the bad.

I sell welcome any and all discussions on the subject.

Thanks - Rick

[rickyc]

I will share my 2 experiences with hypnosis

40 years ago I was scheduled to have a very extensive surgery for bleeding ulcers. Back then they didn’t know they were caused by bacteria and could be cured with antibiotics. They explained they would open me up, remove half of my stomach and part of bowel, resection it, and sever my vegal nerve.

After explaining all of this, I asked if they could find a hypnotist. The MD’s looked at me like I was crazy and wanted to know why. I explained that I had read a lot on the subject and understood that my body could be given healing suggestions that would make things go better.

They floundered around but then found out they had one of the countrys leading hypnotists right on their staff in the psychiatry dept.

She came and supposedly gave me some suggestions - I remember none of it and didn’t think anything had transpired.

Anyway, after the operation the MD’s were amazed at my rapid recovery and healing process. They said they had never seen anything like it.

Another time a counsellor tried to hypnotize me while lying on a couch. Again I remember nothing and didn’t think it worked, but my wife said my body sunk 4 inches into the couch while he gave me relaxation suggestions.

My point is this - I am still a skeptic. I want to experience it. If I don’t experience it it isn’t real to me. I want to hold my hand over a candle like G. Gordon Liddy. Something to prove to me that it actually happens.

I have experienced it in another way - focus. I shot trap for 20 years. One day I would raise the shotgun and the target would look as small as a golf ball. I would be all out of sorts and my scores would suffer, The very next day, or even that afternoon, the clay target would be as big as a basketball and I couldn’t miss. My swing and tracking would be smooth as glass. If I could have called that focus up on demand I would have been a world champion.

To be able to control my senses like that would be the ultimate in self-actualization.