A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis | Page 3

same thought. Suppose I say to you, "I'm
going to stick you with this pin. It won't hurt." Would you let me stick
you with the pin? Obviously not. Let us suppose that you have been
hypnotized and I repeat the same suggestion. What happens then? You
readily accept the suggestion as being factual. Should I proceed to stick
you with the pin, you do not even flinch. In fact, you do not even feel
the pain. Does this sound incredible? Isn't this exactly the same
procedure that the dentist uses with his patient when he has hypnotized
him for the purpose of painless dentistry?
Achieving hypnosis, therefore, is a matter of directing this
suggestibility that we all possess into the channels that will finally
produce the hypnotic state. It can be much more complicated than this

explanation in many cases, but let us use this as a working premise.
Everyone can be hypnotized. The time required for achieving hypnosis
will vary from subject to subject. We will discuss some of the reasons
for this in a subsequent chapter, but for our discussion at this time we
need to understand this point. I have encountered numerous individuals
who were extremely disappointed because they did not respond to
hypnosis immediately or after several attempts. They wanted to know
"what was wrong." An explanation that nothing was wrong somehow
did not satisfy these individuals. "After all," they argued, "didn't I go to
a hypnotist especially to be hypnotized?" Some insinuated that perhaps
the hypnotist wasn't too good.
Let me explain that most subjects need to be conditioned for hypnosis,
and this conditioning is helped when the subject practices certain
conditioning exercises that I shall discuss in detail in chapter six, titled
"How To Attain Self-Hypnosis." In my teaching, I have found that
about one out of ten subjects responds to the first attempt at hypnosis.
One cannot make a definite statement as to the length of time necessary
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 30
minutes, 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 else that one would want to learn. It can be a relatively simple
procedure, or it can be very perplexing. The answer lies not so much
with the hypnotist as with the subject.
One question that arises is: "If I'm under hypnosis, how can I give
myself suggestions?" During the hypnotic state, it must be remembered,
the subject is always aware of what is going on. He hears what is said,
follows directions and terminates the state when told to do so. In the
self-hypnotic state, the subject is in full control. Therefore, he can think,
reason, act, criticize, suggest or do whatever he desires. He can audibly
give himself suggestions, or he can mentally give himself suggestions.
In either case, he does not rouse from the hypnotic state until he gives
himself specific suggestions to do so. Many feel if they audibly give

themselves suggestions, they will "awaken." In hypno-analysis, the
subject answers questions during the hypnotic state. Having the subject
talk does not terminate the state. You can keep the talkative subject
under hypnosis as long as you want. Furthermore, the subject can be
sitting erect with his eyes open and still be under hypnosis. Carrying
this further, the subject may not even be aware that he is under
hypnosis. He can be given a cue not to remember when the therapist
makes a certain motion or says a certain word that he will 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 merely say to yourself that upon counting to
five you will open your eyes and wake up feeling fine. Many times the
subject falls asleep while giving himself posthypnotic suggestions. This
is not undesirable since the suggestions will spill over into the
subconscious mind as he goes from consciousness to unconsciousness.
A popular opinion about hypnosis is that the subject surrenders his will
to the hypnotist in the process of being hypnotized. Furthermore, many
believe that once the subject is hypnotized, the hypnotist has complete
control of the subject and the subject is powerless to resist suggestion.
Both beliefs are erroneous. I believe the first misconception comes
from seeing techniques where the hypnotist requests the subject to look
into his eyes. The hypnotist suggests to the subject that as he continues
to look into his eyes he will fall into a deep hypnotic state. This, then,
becomes a matter