A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis

Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis,
by Melvin Powers

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Title: A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis
Author: Melvin Powers
Release Date: September 30, 2007 [EBook #22814]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SELF-HYPNOSIS ***

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A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SELF-HYPNOSIS
by Melvin Powers

Published by
Melvin Powers WILSHIRE BOOK COMPANY 12015 Sherman Road
No. Hollywood, California 91605
Telephone: (213) 875-1711

Copyright 1961
Wilshire Book Company

Printed by
HAL LEIGHTON PRINTING COMPANY P.O. Box 3952 North
Hollywood, California 91605
Telephone: (213) 983-1105

All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 61-10664
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN-0-87980-122-0

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SELF-HYPNOSIS 11

2. WHAT ABOUT THE DANGERS OF HYPNOSIS? 21
3. IS HYPNOSIS THE ANSWER? 29
4. HOW DOES SELF-HYPNOSIS WORK? 37
5. HOW TO AROUSE YOURSELF FROM THE SELF-HYPNOTIC
STATE 45
6. HOW TO ATTAIN SELF-HYPNOSIS 49
7. DEEPENING THE SELF-HYPNOTIC STATE 57
8. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BECOMING AN
EXCELLENT SUBJECT 67
9. TECHNIQUES FOR REACHING THE SOMNAMBULISTIC
STATE 79
10. A NEW APPROACH TO SELF-HYPNOSIS WHEN ALL ELSE
FAILS 91
11. PSYCHOLOGICAL AIDS AND THEIR FUNCTION 103
12. THE NATURE OF HYPNOSIS 113
13. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF SELF-HYPNOSIS 119

FOREWORD
All of us like to think that our actions and reactions are a result of
logical thought processes, but the fact is that suggestion influences our
thinking a great deal more than logic. Consciously or unconsciously,
our feelings about almost everything are largely molded by ready-made
opinions and attitudes fostered by our mass methods of communication.
We cannot buy a bar of soap or a filtered cigarette without paying
tribute to the impact of suggestion. Right or wrong, most of us place

more confidence in what "they" say than we do in our own powers of
reason. This is the basic reason why psychiatrists are in short supply.
We distrust our own mental processes and want an expert to tell us
what to think and feel.
Despite this tendency to adopt our attitudes from others, man has
always been dimly aware that he can influence his own destiny by
directing his thoughts and actions into constructive channels. He has
always, to some extent, known that his mind exerts a powerful
influence on his body, and that thoughts can have harmful or helpful
effects on his emotional and physical health. The ancient Egyptian
sleep temples and the attempts by early physicians to drive evil spirits
out of the body were both attempts to influence the body through the
mind.
The unprecedented sale of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman
Vincent Peale and other inspirational literature proves that millions of
modern people recognize the efficacy of constructive thoughts. What
most of them do not recognize is that they are capable of implanting
these beneficial thoughts in their own minds without reference to any
outside agencies. This can be done through self-hypnosis.
In modern society we have many cults, religions and methodologies
which have mental discipline as their goal. The best example of a
methodology is psychosomatic medicine which deals with the
interrelationship of the mind and body in the production of mental or
physical illness. The rapid growth of hypnosis in the last few years is
another example, and it is gratifying to see that the emphasis in this
field is now shifting from hetero-hypnosis to self-hypnosis.
Self-hypnosis is a highly suggestible state wherein the individual can
direct suggestions to himself. It is a powerful tool in any therapeutic
process, and highly motivated subjects can parallel the success of
hetero-hypnosis through their own efforts. Self-hypnosis can be used as
a palliative agent and can even afford lasting results in many areas of
the organism. Self-hypnosis can alleviate distressing symptoms,
substitute strong responses for weak responses, help overcome bad
habits, create good habits and help one's power of concentration. The

total personality is eventually changed to the point where it can
function adequately in an increasingly difficult environment.
In learning self-hypnosis, the subject does not relinquish control of
himself as is commonly believed. Actually, more control is gained.
Self-sufficiency and self-confidence are inevitable results. It is well to
remember, however, that even good things may be overdone, and good
judgment is necessary for favorable results. Neither hypnosis nor
self-hypnosis should ever be used indiscriminately. The effectiveness
of self-hypnosis depends upon many factors. Strong motivation,