Work Life Tips

Different Versions of Hypnosis – Hypnosis Associated Techniques Tips

There are many types of hypnosis and self-hypnosis. The one presented in this book is fairly common and proven to be successful. Although not every version uses the exact steps or procedure, this is a good one.

There are some techniques that are sometimes considered to be part of hypnosis, but don’t fit the template. Some of these are very useful. We include some well-known and effective techniques that you may want to include in your self-hypnosis practice. You may find it confusing to use some of them now, but come back to them when you’re ready to explore further. Or some may rise to be favorites right now. Even if you never use these techniques, you may find them interesting, especially if you are interested in the study of the mind.

Some hypnotists always use a pendulum.

Everyone who does hypnosis or self-hypnosis should have some sort of pain relieving technique.

Automatic writing is difficult and doesn’t work for everybody. Or, maybe most people just don’t want to stick with it long enough for it to work for them. For those who can use it, it’s a fascinating and powerful technique.

Finger tapping can be used in many ways. Experiment with it to get in touch with your subconscious.

The Pendulum – Hypnosis Associated Techniques Tips

Here is a technique you can use to help with goal setting. It is especially useful when you are deciding between potential goals. But you don’t have to confine it to just goal setting. It can be used any time you want a yes or no answer to a question about what you should do or what choice to make.

Here are some examples. Should you make a certain investment? Will you enjoy a certain class? Should you buy that dress? Which of two gyms should you join (ask separately about each)?

This technique helps you reach your subconscious to see what it is you really want. Are there other forces at work? That’s up to you to decide.

Here is the procedure. First, get your pendulum. You can buy one or make your own. To make a pendulum, use a string and a small, heavy object like a fishing sinker. Cut a piece of string about 8 inches long, and tie the weight on one end. If you want to use a light jewelry chain, for instance, and it’s longer than 8 inches, just hold it further down. Use any small weight as long as it is symmetrically balanced.

Now hold the free end of the string lightly with your thumb and first two fingers and put your elbow on a desk or table roughly waist high or a little higher. Hold your forearm almost vertical, and bend your wrist so the weight hangs straight down.

Next, concentrate on a question you want to ask yourself. This should be a yes or no question. Let’s say you want to know: Should I take the investment class at Central College this summer?

Stay motionless. Do not move your hand or arm, or your body. Just shift your eyes to the weight and concentrate on the question. Decide before-hand that yes will be back and forth, no will be sideways, and a circular motion will indicate undecided.

Give it a few seconds to work. You will be surprised at the results as you see the weight move a little, or a lot, without you consciously making it do so by moving your hand, blowing on it, or any other obvious physical movement.

You can ask both sides of a question, that is, should I do a, then should I do b. In the example, if the answer is no, you may want to ask if you should take the class at another time, or if you should look for another class. If you have used the I Ching, where you do not ask yes or no questions, you will find this easier, though not as comprehensive.

With a little practice with your pendulum, you will have an extremely useful tool for discerning your true desires and aptitudes. Besides, it’s fun.

Automatic Writing – Hypnosis Associated Techniques Tips

This is a technique that is more difficult and takes longer to learn than the others I describe in this book. Still, for those of you who pick it up quickly, or for those who are willing to work at it for some time, it will give fascinating results.

Take a pen or a soft lead pencil in your hand and put your hand on a large piece of blank paper on a desk or table. Put the point on the paper so the pen is straight up. Your hand must be relaxed. Put yourself into a state of hypnosis, and tell your subconscious you would like it to write something for you. Let it choose.

Start it out with a few circles or scribbles, then relax. You can just sit there and wait for your hand to start writing, or you can dwell on a subject or question, but ignore your hand. If your hand starts to write on its own, it will be writing from the subconscious.

If you are good at this, you can automatically write while you are concentrating on something else. Fewer people are able to write this way when fully aware or when doing something else than can do it under hypnosis.

Automatic writing is similar to a Ouija board, according to Leslie M. LeCron, in his book Self-Hypnotism. He also points out that people who doodle a lot pick up automatic writing more easily than others.

Give yourself 15 or 20 minutes for this to work. If it doesn’t, don’t be frustrated. This is not an easy skill to learn, and most people will probably never be good at it. Still, if you feel that it is there for you, go ahead and try again at another time. If not, you can go to an easier skill like the pendulum or the finger tapping I describe next. The best technique is the one that works best for you.

Finger Tapping – Hypnosis Associated Techniques Tips

Here’s an easy, fun technique for getting yes or no answers. It takes even less preparation than the pendulum, and no equipment at all.

Lie down on your back in a quiet, confortable spot. Lie on the floor on a carpet or mat, not on a soft bed or couch. Take off your shoes and loosen any tight clothing. Put a pillow under your head if you need it for comfort, and put your hands at your sides, palms on the floor.

Close your eyes and do a progressive relaxation, either toes to head, or head to toes. I find toe to head is best when doing self-hypnosis in a seated position, but head to toe works best for me when relaxing while lying down.

When you are fully relaxed, ask your hand which finger is yes. One of your fingers will probably tap or twitch. Then ask which is the no finger. You don’t need a don’t know finger, because if there is no answer available, no finger will move.

Ask yourself some obvious questions to see how it works, then go on to some problem solving. You can ask questions similar to those you ask with the pendulum. It’s easier to ask sequences of questions with finger tapping.

You can ask questions that require numerical answers, as well as yes or no questions. For instance, let’s say you have two job interviews. The second one makes you an offer, but you really prefer the first (who told you not to call to inquire). Ask how many days you should wait for the first interview to get back to you before you accept the second. If your finger taps three times, your subconscious wants you to wait three days.

The more you practice these techniques, the more comfortable you will be in accessing your subconscious mind.

The Pain Reliever – Hypnosis Associated Techniques Tips

Here’s a technique you can use to relieve chronic pain, as from arthritis or a troublesome back, or pain from an injury that is healing. It works for headaches, too. Remember, don’t use self-hypnosis for pain unless you have a medical diagnosis for the cause of the pain. Use the technique the way you would an aspirin or other pain reliver.

Imagine a gauge that looks like a clock face with one hand, which is the pointer. There are numbers from one to ten around the clock face. Decide where your pain is on the scale right now, with one being hardly any and ten being the most pain you can imagine, and set the pointer there. Then take a deep breath and relax.

Concentrate on the imaginary gauge and breathe deliberately. Breathe out the pain with each exhalation. As you do this, imagine moving the pointer on the gauge down a point, or even half a point, wait for your pain to subside, then move it down again. This may not completely relieve the pain (the aspirin may not either), but if you can reduce it from, say, seven to four, you will feel much better–and not have any side effects.

Instead of the clock gauge, you can imagine a thermometer, digital clock, or anything similar that works for you.

You can also get pain relief from distracting yourself and concentrating on something else. This technique is for those cases when it keeps nagging at you. Confront the pain, draw it up and breathe it out, and force it down by lowering the pointer on the pain gauge.

Inside/Outside Visualization – Hypnosis And Visualization Tips

When you are visualizing yourself doing something, you can either see yourself from the outside or from the inside.

To see yourself from the outside, think of watching yourself as if in a movie or video. You can certainly admire your performance, but you don’t actually feel as though you’re doing the performing.

If you’re visualizing yourself from the inside, you will feel, hear, and see what you’re feeling, hearing, and seeing in the visualization.

For example, imagine you are running a race. From the outside, you see yourself starting strong, finding the right pace, accelerating and passing you opponents, and crossing the finish line first.

If you’re visualizing yourself from the inside, you will hear the starting gun, feel a little jostling at the start, watch for openings where you can get through, feel your feet springing as they touch the track, hear your even breathing, see your opponents as you go by them, and see the finish line as you are the first to cross it.

Which is better, inside or outside? That depends on what works best for you. You might find one approach better in a given situation and the other in another situation. For instance, you may see yourself from the outside when you are playing or performing, and visualize from the inside when you are relaxing in a meadow.

Guided Imagery – Hypnosis And Visualization Tips

You may have experienced the type of visualization called guided imagery. There is usually a leader guiding you through, but you can do it yourself.

A common approach is to imagine you are in a beautiful meadow, high in the mountains. There is a light, refreshing breeze. The air is crystal clear. You may want to add a stream with little ripples, so clean you can see to the bottom. Give it some fish if you want to. Do you want to glimpse a deer in the bordering forest? Put it there. It’s your day dream. It’s your visualization, which here isn’t too different from a day dream.

How did you get to the meadow? Did you just find yourself on a path through the forest leading to it? Or did you open a door or step through a hedge in a city park and find yourself there?

Maybe you would rather go to the beach than to the mountains. Do you want big breakers or small ones? You probably do want to listen to the sound of the ocean and feel the warm sun. Feel the warm sand on your feet. Isn’t it amazing that such a beautiful beach is so clean and uncrowded?

Pick one favorite imaginary place to go to, or more than one. Fill in the details. Go there when you need to relax, or just when you feel like it.

Practice visualization.

Watch Yourself – Hypnosis And Visualization Tips

In self-hypnosis, follow your suggestion with visualization. Use visualization to reinforce your suggestion. Make that suggestion even stronger by visualizing it working for you.

See yourself relaxing and feeling confident at work.

See yourself making that perfect golf swing you just suggested to yourself.

See yourself refusing a cigarette.

See yourself choosing healthy food.

Whatever your suggestion is, visualize it working for you. You can visualize by seeing inside yourself and feeling how you would feel.

You can practice visualization separately by feeling how you want to feel in a given situation. Stay away from anything negative. Visualize positive things in positive situations. Don’t worry about what you would actually say in the situation. Project your feeling for it–your positive energy.

Practive visualizing yourself in a pleasant environment, as in guided imagery. Practice visualizing the success of your self-hypnosis goal.

You can pull out the visualization and use it right before the event or situation your suggestion is for.

If you have not given yourself a post-hypnotic suggestion to relax, you can use your visualization of relaxing and being confident when a difficult situation arises at work. See yourself making that perfect golf swing just before you address the ball. Visualize yourself refusing a cigarette if you’re in a sistuation where you may be offered one. See yourself choosing the healthy food options when you’re in a restaurant.

Once you’ve programmed yourself with self-hypnosis, you can reinforce your resolve with visualization as the situation arises.

Use Your Senses – Hypnosis And Visualization Tips

Visualization can be more effective if you employ all your senses. Hear what you would hear in the situation. See what you would see.

The sense of taste doesn’t come into all situations, but there are times when you can use it. It’s pretty easy to stimulate your sense of taste. Just think of a nice juicy lemon. Imagine what it would taste like. What a nice ripe, juicy lemon that is! Pretty soon your mouth will start to water.

Are there any odors attached to the experience you are visualizing? There may be cooking odors or there may be fresh flowers or pine trees. Stimulate your sense of smell.

Touch isn’t just what you feel with your fingers. It’s what you feel with your skin. Are you warm or cool? Are you soaking your feet in a pool? Can you feel that golf club in your hand?

When you visualize what you see, pick up the colors and the way the light plays off the surfaces.

Go back and listen. Can you hear more now?

Just Imagine – Hypnosis And Visualization Tips

The word “visualization” may turn you off. Many people believe they have failed at visualization because they can’t conjure up a full-scale moving picture.

Think instead of imagining the situation–the successful suggestion. Everybody imagines. We do it all the time. You don’t have to mentally see an image.

Some people do see pictures, even colorful, moving ones. Others just think about the picture and get an impression of it. Even when you fill out the situation with sounds and smells, you may just get an impression of the activity. You feel that you are there or can see it, though you don’t have an actual picture before you.

Not being adept at visualizing actual pictures won’t interfere with your success in self-hypnosis. Just imagine yourself in a situation where the suggestion is successful.

Remember, your brain shows the same sort of activity when you imagine something as when you actually do it. That’s true however you use your imagination.