Achieving hypnosis is a matter of directing the suggestibility that we all possess into the channels that may ultimately produce the hypnotic state. It can be much more difficult than this reason in many cases, but let us use this as a working grounds.
Everyone can be hypnotised. The time needed for achieving hypnosis will vary greatly from subject to subject. We’re going to discuss some of the explanations for this in a subsequent chapter but for our conversation at this time we want to understand this point. I have encountered many individuals who were extremely disappointed because they did not respond to hypnosis straight away or after several attempts. They needed to know “what was wrong.” A reason that nothing was wrong somehow did not satisfy these individuals. “After all,” they disagreed, “failed to I’m going to a hypnotist especially to be hypnotized?” Some insinuated that maybe the hypnotist was not particularly good.
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let me explain that most subjects must be conditioned for hypnosis, and this conditioning is helped when the [14] subject practices certain conditioning exercises that I shall talk about in detail in chapter 6, titled “How To accomplish Self-Hypnosis.” In my teaching, i have found that about one out of ten subjects reacts to the first attempt at hypnosis. One can’t make a definite statement as to the time period important to learn self-hypnosis, but it is my experience that this usually takes about one month. I have had subjects learn self-hypnosis in about thirty mins, but I must also relate that I have worked with subjects for one year before they achieved it.
For the most part, the laws of learning apply to self-hypnosis as with anything more that one would want to learn. It can be a relatively straightforward procedure, or it can be really perplexing. The answer lies not so much with the hypnotist as with the topic.
One question that emerges is : “if i’m under hypnosis, how can I give myself suggestions?” in the hypnotic state, it’s got to be remembered, the topic is always aware of what is happening. He hears what is declared, follows directions and cancels the state when instructed to do so. In the self-hypnotic state, the topic is in full control. he will think, reason, act, criticise, suggest or do whatever he wants. He can audibly give himself proposals, or he will psychologically give himself suggestions. In all cases, he does not wake from the hypnotic state until he gives himself specific ideas to do so. Many feel if they audibly give themselves ideas, they’ll “awaken.” In hypno-analysis, the topic answers questions during the hypnotic state. Having the topic talk does not terminate the state. You can keep the talkative subject under hypnosis so long as you want. Furthermore, the topic can be sitting erect with his eyes open and still be under hypnosis. Carrying this further, the topic may not be advised that he is [15] under hypnosis. He can be given a cue not to remember when the consultant makes a certain motion or announces a certain word that he’ll go back into the hypnotic state but still keep his eyes open. Only an experienced hypnotist could detect the change.
Another frequent question is : “How do I arouse myself from the self-hypnotic state?” You only say to yourself that upon counting to 5 you will open your eyes and wake up feeling OK. Many times the topic falls asleep while giving himself posthypnotic proposals. This is not undesirable since the suggestions will spill over into the subconscious as he is going from consciousness to unconsciousness.
A popular point of view about hypnosis is that the subject surrenders his will to the hypnotist in the process of being hypnotised. Additionally, many are convinced that once the topic is hypnotised, the hypnotist has absolute control of the topic and the topic is powerless to fight suggestion. Both convictions are erroneous. I suspect the first myth comes from seeing strategies where the hypnotist requests the topic to look into his eyes. The hypnotist advocates to the topic that as he continues to take a look at his eyes he’s going to fall into a deep hypnotic state. This, then, becomes a matter of who can outstare whom. The topic generally starts to blink his eyes and the hypnotist follows this up with quick suggestions that the subject’s eyes are becoming watery and heavy and so the subject will fall into a deep hypnotic sleep just as soon as he ( the topic ) closes his eyes. This process gives the impression to the observer that the subject is “willed” to go under hypnosis. It would appear that once the hypnotist concentrates or wills adequately, the topic succumbs. In actual fact the hypnotist in this method is not looking into the eyes of the topic. [16] He fixes his attention on the bridge of the nose of the topic.