| Note:
This program was difficult to format -- each column needed to generally
align with the column to the left. I designed it on a 15 inch monitor
hoping it would work within all browsers and monitors. If you have any
problems with it, let me know. >click<
CW |
| This is a one-of-a-kind transcription of an actual hypnotism process conducted with a volunteer subject and transcribed by Lori Grady in 1982. The induction and test procedures were all developed or adapted by the author. The center column information was gathered through a post-induction interview with the patient. It went unpublished until the first edition of Structures of Hypnotism II, and then edited for this Second Edition. |
| Carl Weisbrod's dialogue is in red, direct transactions match the maroon color in the center column, with miscellaneous thoughts and notes [bracketed in black]. | The subject's dialogue is in maroon, thoughts in blue, (L) = Left-Brain, (R) = Right-Brain. | The analysis column is in Green. There is no dialogue. Important points in boldface. |
| [Walking
into room and greeting patient...] Hiya, Mr. Smith! Is this your first experience with hypnosis? (responses in center column.) Oh, sure. No problem. It's very easy to reach a light to medium state of hypnosis. We'll both know more about how you'll do in a couple of minutes. Thought: [This fellow might be a bit skeptical.] I'm going to do a few simple tests with you to gather a little information. [postural sway test] Could I get you to stand up in front of me with your back towards me? Put your feet together and your arms behind you. Focus your eyes on that point on the ceiling. Yes, that's right--see it up there? [pointing] I'm going to pull on your shoulders to make sure you're relaxed. Just let yourself sway back and forth like a tall tree in the breeze. You'll now feel yourself being drawn back toward the sound of my voice. Drawing back off balance, falling back, losing your balance, falling, falling. [Guide the subject to the chair he'll be sitting in for the remainder of the session and make sure he is comfortable] Now, I'm going to give you this pendulum [pendulum test] and we are going to do some things with it. Here, take it from me and hold the chain between your thumb and forefinger. Now, focus your eyes on the little glass ball.You had a normal response to what's called the postural sway test--it measures suggestibility. I'm going to show you two types of thought. One generated from your left-brain and a different one from your right-brain. You know you can move the ball consciously in any direction you choose, and that is a response initiated by your left-brain. Your right-brain also has the capability of moving the pendulum. Instead of consciously deciding the direction you want it to move and moving your hand to create that movement, you operate through a little different mental faculty. Many people refer to it as the subconscious or the imagination. |
Hi Doc! (L)Yes…I don't know anything about hypnosis. Can everyone be hypnotized? (L)I sure hope I can do this. (L)He's probably just trying to be positive. I bet I won't respond very well. (L)Okay, what's this guy up to. (L)What kind of tests is he talking about. (R)I hate tests. (L)You mean like this? Okay which spot do you mean? (R)When I was a child there were tall willow trees in the backyard. I always wondered what would happen if the wind would blow so hard they would be blown over. (L)I don't think I'm going to feel what he wants me to feel (L)Hey! I'm falling back! …is he pulling me with his hands? (R)Flashes on standing next to a cliff. (L)Hey! What caused that falling back feeling? How did you do that? (R)I wonder if I'm more suggestible than most people? (L)No, I don't think so--I hope not. (R)Oh, here comes the old watch and chain routine. (L)Why is he handing it to me? I guess he wants me to stare at it. (L)Yeah, big deal. (L)This guy is giving me too much information too fast. I'm not sure what he's talking about--what's this left-brain, right-brain stuff? | Note brief comments reduce patient anxiety without providing concrete information. My tendency is to move directly into the test phase with assertive instructions that provide minimal opportunity for analyzing. I'm not a fan of long (or even short) get-acquainted or post-hypnotic sessions where time is taken while control is lost. Patients are not in my office for a social opportunity. The first test takes advantage of the natural tendency to lean toward the closest stabilizing object--in this case, the person standing close behind. Also, there's some disorientation and ideomotor activity is accumulative. The patient's resistance manifests with unnecessary questions. This is an attempt to maintain control. To maintain my position as the therapist, I simply give simple but rapid explanations, always in a light friendly manner. Note the lack of analytical value in the word "suggestibility." |
| The popular term
today is the right-brain response because the imagination in most
people is in the right cerebral cortex. Let me show you what I mean. Focus your eyes on the
pendulum and hold your hand as still as you can. Yes, your right hand
is fine. Be sure to
not move
your hand consciously. Hold it really still. [Mr. Smith is getting a little
nervous...I'd better slow down a bit.] You're doing just fine, no problem. That's right. [smiling]. Hold it just like you have
it. As you focus on the little glass ball, I want you to think back to
the point where you can remember seeing a clock with a pendulum.
Remember, the pendulum goes side-to-side…side-to-side. [tracing direction w/finger] Again, in the same direction
as my finger… Good. See, it's [pendulum] going side-to-side. Just like a pendulum
of a
clock. Okay…so far, so good. Now, let's get that pendulum to move
backward and forward, like a kid's swing in a playground. Remember when
you were pushed in a swing…who usually pushed you in a swing? …your dad
or mom…or a friend? Remember sailing out there, hanging in space, and
coming back. In the same direction as my finger is tracing under the
pendulum. Just like a swing in a playground. There it goes …that's
fine. Hey! You do that really well. Great! Now I want you to think of a
circular motion like the sweep-second hand of a old-fashioned
clock--before everything got digital. [showing clockwise motion with
hand] It's a mental thing...your thoughts are doing it. I've
done this test thousands of times, so I can make a pretty good response
comparison. See, there it goes again… perfect. Okay, now
lets
do counter- clockwise. Great! It gets easier and easier, doesn't it?
Okay…good enough for that test…you performed perfectly--good
conditioning. Next Test: putting away the pendulum, and in one motion producing an ophthalmoscope, simultaneously dialing in the green light function. Placing left hand on the back of the chair, leaning over the subject to shine the light from above the forehead-down to the bridge of the nose-then rotating the light slightly to catch the subjects gaze, saying: I'm going to do a test with your eyes now--I need you to just follow this green light just with your eyes--without moving your head at all--just your eyes. Now, follow this green light with your eyes, Watch it as far up as you can…that's right, way up here… [tapping forehead]...right up toward your forehead. Bear with me--I know it's a bit uncomfortable. And now, with your eyes rolled up like that that, squeeze your eyelids down over those up-turned eyeballs. It's a little difficult… that's right; just squeeze those eyelids down while you keep your eyes rolled up at this green light. That's good, Now, squeeze your eyelids tightly shut, but keep those eyeballs rolled back as if you wanted to look right up through the top of your head. That's good-very good! Okay…just let your eyes roll down toward your cheekbones, and let them rest. I know it's a little fatiguing doing this test, Okay, now I'm going to take a look at the back of your eyeball. I'm just going to shine a clear beam of light though the pupil and it will allow me to see way back to the retina in your right eye. This will give me a chance to see what your stress level is like. [Leaning forward with the ophthalmoscope-looking directly through the subject's right eye, examines the fundus and says nothing. Leaning back in a couple of seconds and nods.] Looks okay to me--healthy looking eyes. Now, I'd like to have you link your fingers and press the palms of your hands together. Let's see, which thumb falls on top. Okay, your left. It means your right-brain is available and you should respond just fine to hypnosis. Yup.[So far, so good.] Now, fold your arms across you chest. That's right. I want to see which hand you decide to tuck under. Okay, that's fine. [At this point there are a couple of other tests that don't transcribe will to paper, so I'll skip over them.] Okay, You're doing great! Now, uncross your ankles and put your feet flat on the floor, and your arms on the arms of the chair. I want you to focus your eyes on that spiral thing...[Switch on the HypnoDisk that is suspended from the ceiling] ...as it starts going round and round. That's more fun to watch than the marble I had you look at a while ago. It's important that you don't take your eyes away from it until I instruct you to do so. We're going to use it for an important test--and since it causes some eye fatigue we must do this quickly. I've already given your poor eyes a pretty good work out. I always think this spiral thing, if you think about it, reminds me of a Zebra on the Serengeti plain.[smiling] |
(L)Should I ask questions?...or
ask him to clarify? (R)Maybe he thinks I'm dumb. (L)Hold it like this?
Should I hold it with my left hand or right hand? (L)I hope I can do this right. (R) Okay. (L)Like this? (L)I'm relieved I'm doing okay.
What does he mean by consciously? (L)I wonder why he's asking me to
do that? (R)I remember that my grandmother
used to have an old clock like that. It had a huge brass pendulum that
reminded me of the moon. (R)Well I'll be damned! (L)I'm glad I'm doing okay so far.
(R)I remember this old green
swing. The paint was chipped off and there was red primer underneath.
There were grooves in the dirt under the swing where we used to drag
our feet. (L)Oh…there it goes again! (L)How does that work? Am I doing
it, is my mind or hand doing it? (L)I'd better ask how this
works. (L)How does that work?
What's causing the movement? …my hand or my mind? Or are you making it
move somehow? (R)This is really neat. (L)Wow! That happened fast--look
at it go! (R)Gee, there it goes again. (L)Oh, good. (R)I must be responding okay. (L)Does that mean I'm a good
subject? (L)I hope he does more stuff with
this pendulum thing (R)That's interesting. (L)Oops, here comes something else.
(L)This looks like the gadget my
doctor uses when I'm getting a physical--I wonder if he is looking for
the same stuff. (L) What does that mean? (L) What does all this have to do
with hypnosis? I wish he would explain more about what he is doing. (R)I'd better leave him
alone--he's working really hard with me--I thought hypnotists got you
to relax just by talking. (L)He sure has a thing about my
eyes. I wonder what he
learns from all this? (R)This guy is learning a lot about me fast--maybe
too
fast. (R)I'm not even going to try
to figure any of this stuff out--maybe I'll ask him later. I'm getting
a little tired. (L)Nods. (R)I feel a little uncomfortable
and vulnerable. (L)Why can't I cross my ankles? I'm more comfortable that
way.
(L)How does
everything look in there, Doc? Is everything okay with my eyes…what do
you see?
(L)I wonder what this pin-wheel thing does--I've
seen
pictures of these things. (R)Oh, it spins, what a neat
gadget. (L)Okay, now what's this thing
going to do? This is nothing like I expected... I just thought he was
going to talk. to me and |
all
tests, I rely heavily on images, for which I hope the subject
can identify. I fortify all responses with positive feedback. My
patient is interested in the pendulum bauble, misinterpreting its
purpose. The more prediction errors the subject makes, the less
in-control he will feel.. The subject's curiosity level is
increasing, and therefore his response potential. I'm providing
information difficult to dispute. Mental imagery develops compliance in
a subliminal manner. I provide the subject with an overload of
information in a very short time, knowing he won't comprehend much of
what he is told. This overloads the (L)brain a bit, creating some
confusion, which will increase compliance. This also lessens the tendency
to analyze and will facilitate rapport (if not overdone). The subject
may realize he is being manipulated, but will tolerate it up to a
point. The successful tests will reassure the subject that he is
responding appropriately and has some ability. These simple
instructions for the left-brain are easy to comply with. I'm always
watching for mild performance anxiety, manifesting as slightly
obsessive and defensive tendencies. The pendulum test relies almost
totally on ideomotor action. Reassurance continues to be necessary
to avoid a defensive build-up as well as excess worries and feelings of
inadequacy. When ideomotor is the main facilitator of a test, an
imagery process is essential. Note that I never take direct credit
for any reaction. This is important especially with males to avoid
an ego contest. Credit for the reactions is left up to the subject. The
pendulum test should not take longer than a minute or two. Make sure
subject takes note of the conditioning effect in the increasing
rapidity of the response. The use of the Ophthalmoscope needs a
separate discussion. If you use one, be sure to have a rudimentary
understanding of the mechanics--otherwise use a penlight. When all
sclera (white) is seen at the lower orbit, you can expect good eye-lock potential. The pendulum test is stopped
with the subject wanting more, and this adds to some anticipation,
indicating the Id is getting hooked into the process. There is a reason
for the ophthalmoscopic exam of the eyes beyond the obvious information
gathering. It provides a reason for the hypnotist to enter the
subject's territorial imperative (space). The finger link test is a
primitive indication of which brain hemisphere tends to dominate. By
the left thumb covering the right thumb, it might indicate the subject
feels more comfortable revealing his right-brain function over his
left--good for hypnosis. It's a simple test which gradually manipulates
the subject into greater compliance. Because of the rapidity of my test
administration, the subject is getting slightly fatigued and therefore
more susceptible to suggestion--on top of that, conditioning is
developing. A little positive affirmation is important to inject at
intervals. At this point the subject should feel as if you know things
about them that they don't know about themselves. My job at this point
is to smoothly transition from testing to induction. The subject is
reluctant to let out too much information, and is off balance by the
objective nature of the tests.
|
| That's no coincidence, ya
know...zebras
have these markings to
cause focusing problems for the sensitive eyes of the big cats that
wouldn't mind eating a zebra for lunch. When these markings are
moving, it will mess up the sensitive eyes of a lion or tiger's focus
and mess up their timing. So, if they have a choice, they go after an
Impala, or something with plain markings. I want you to focus your eyes
on that spiral and see if it creates a tunneling effect for you too.
Please don't move your eyes away from it until I instruct you to do so.
As I mentioned, this spiral will have the effect of causing a certain
amount of eyelid heaviness--just like a tiger on the Serengeti Plain. Beyond
this point, you don't need to respond verbally to me anymore. [It's critical to make it clear
that speaking is no longer an option--this is a point of possible
resistance.] Just
listen to the sound of my voice and let me do all of the work. I've
worked you pretty hard with all these tests, so you deserve to rest a
bit. As you focus on the spiral going round and round, you will notice
a tendency for the eyes to become quite heavy. You will notice that
your eyes feel heavy, but you'll be able to keep them open okay. We're
not ready to have you close your eyes just yet. As you continue to
focus on the spiral, the heaviness in your eyes will increase slightly.
I want you to use your imagination in the same manner you used it in
order to move the pendulum around and swayed backwards during our first
test together. I'm going to count from one to five...I'm going to ask
you to look down directly at your hand and focus your attention on it.
But for now, continue to focus until I reach the count five. As you
focus on the spiral and continue to notice the eye heaviness, I'd like
you to imagine that all the weight is dribbling out through your
fingertips of you right hand. When you do see your hand, we're
going to cause a magnetic drawing effect that will kind of surround
your hand…and pretty soon I'm going to want you to re-focus your eyes
on your hand, in fact, that moment will happen in a couple of seconds.
So get ready to shift you gaze to your hand… Getting ready
now...one...remain focused on the sprial...two...three...four... FIVE! [This is another critical point
of the induction.] Now--Switch
your gaze to your hand and do not take your eyes away from the hand. You can see the magnetic pulling effect
surrounding
the hand. In a moment it will start to move in a rather peculiar
fashion. First, one of your fingers will jump or twitch. [a finger jumps] You'll notice these movements starting to
develop now
as the hand is tugged and pulled up toward the ceiling. [Without touching, put hand a few inches above
the
subject's as if attached by an invisible energy.] I'm going to tug on
your hand a little bit--feel a warm breeze between my hand and yours.
As your hand will gradually break free from the arm of the chair,
you'll notice how it moves in a jerky-jumpy fashion, and even as the
swelling effect fades away, these jerks and jumps will become a bit
stronger until the hand moves faster and faster, in fact, up and in
toward your face. You'll notice now, as it gets closer to your face,
your eyes will become heavier. Your hand is becoming light and buoyant. You
know
that it isn't really going to become light because that's
impossible, but just imagine that it is. Imagine that the hand is
becoming so light that it begins to float like a circus balloon.
Imagine that it's tugging right here at your wrist [touch wrist] pulling and drawing that
arm right off the arm of the chair. In fact, you will notice that the
hand is becoming so light and buoyant you will notice some kind of
sensation. Maybe tingling, maybe a dull wood-like sensation in the hand
and fingers. [tapping
hand lightly] |
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (R)I remember laying on an old inner tube in a pond we had on the farm when I was a kid--just floating. (L)I guess my eyes feel a little heavy, but it's easy enough to keep them open. (L)I guess we're still doing those tests. (R)Flashes back on the pendulum and postural sway test. (R) Oh...so now I can't speak anymore? (L)I wish he would let me ask questions, and I'd like to tell him about these thoughts. (R)Sigh I wonder when he is going to start the hypnosis part. I didn't know hypnotists needed to know so much about their clients--I wonder if all hypnotists work like this guy. (L)I've already noticed some heaviness. (R)I remember a wilderness trail that was particularly beautiful. I can hear the swoosh of the wind in the trees… (L)It's hard to keep that thing in focus--he's going to have me look at my hand…that seems kind of silly--what will that do? (L)I've got to focus more on his instructions--it sounds like it will be important to the process. (L)Okay, I'm watching the spiral thing, and concentrating best I can. (L)Okay.
(R)Oh! Wow! My skin is crawling!!! (L)How come that's happening?? (R)My hand looks different--doesn't seem like my hand--that's weird.(L)Oops, the finger jumped, just like he said. (R)I think it's actually going to start to float. (L)It doesn't really feel light--it feels kind of heavy. (L)My fingers feel stiff, but, at the same time, it's light and tingly…it's not floating yet, but (R) it sure feels strange. (L)But am I hypnotized? (R)When he put his hand over mine I could feel something like a warm breeze. (L)I wonder what that is? What does he mean "tug." He's not touching my hand. (R)I wonder if he has some type of magnetic power. (L)It seems like I can just relax and watch this unfold, whatever it is. (R)It doesn't feel like I'm really involved. (L)Hands can't get light and buoyant. (L)That's what I thought. Is he reading my mind? (R)Sure, I can imagine that--a yellow balloon...I had one of those as a kid.(R)Imagines a yellow circus balloon at a carnival...it got away and floated up into a blue sky. |
By this time, the subject's imagination should be animated, allowing more mental imagery connections. The term "we're" was used rather than "I" to eliminate some of the subjective challenge arms light=eyes heavy. This doubles the potential factor. Anytime you wish to soften a direct suggestion, you can switch from the pronoun "I" to the pronoun "we" to include the subject. The "Zebra Affect" deserves more attention than space allows. Note use of the non sequitur throughout the induction. As conditioning becomes stronger, the right-brain is becoming focused. The patient is totally caught up in the process now, and starting to develop a belief in his potential as a hypnotic subject. The ideomotor response has become a compulsive. At this point it is critical to hold the patient's attention. His focus is quite fragile and I must be very alert during this phase. Pacing is critical. my verbal rhythm needs to be rapid from this point until the eye-lock tests. Notice that each sentence contains the suggestion from the pervious sentence and that many sentences contain two specific suggestions. (often employing a non sequitur). I'm starting to draw more visual associations, such as "magnetic" and "circus balloons." The first one to five count is a stall to give suggestions time to gestate, and time for visual effects, while the second is link to the positive response from the first, and to focus attention. Once in a while I will offer a suggestion that coincides with a thought, a serendipitous moment--I always expect that to happen. Notice the frequent use of non sequiturs in this section--one of the most useful syntactic tools for a hypnotist. |
| As your hand gradually breaks free from the arm of the chair, you'll notice how it moves in a jerky-jumpy fashion, and as the swelling effect gradually fades away, these jerks and jumps will become a bit stronger until the hand moves faster and faster--up and in toward you face. You'll notice now, as it gets closer toward your face, your eyes will become heavier. It will seem as if the weight dribbling out of the fingertips is flowing into the eyelids. You will find, as the hand draws up and in toward your face, your eyelids will begin to droop as your hand gets lighter and lighter as your eyelids become heavier and heavier. You will notice your hand is drawing faster and faster up and in towards your face--in fact, as I count from one to five you hand will move even faster; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. [rapid count] Now, that hand is being pulled and drawn toward the face much stronger now. Your eyes are becoming very heavy. Your hand is pulling up and your eyes are pulling down. Hand pulling up, eyes pulling down. As the hand is pulled and drawn up toward the ceiling., it draws in to touch your face, eyes closing and hand kind of sticking to your face. Here it comes--hand touching your face, eyes closing, pulling down--hand almost touching. Here it comes, hand is pulling in--pulling in...touching your face, eyes closing, pulling down and locking--eyes closing, pulling down and locking--hand sticking. That's it, hand against you face, eyes tightly shut, letting yourself relax. Your eyes are heavy and starting to lock. It's nice to finally let your eyes close. Your breathing is even and regular. Now you will notice that your eyes are heavy, your breathing is deep, even, and regular, but you're not really asleep, but in a peaceful state. | Gee, maybe it's not going to work. (L)Oh, something's happening. Gosh...it is floating! When did that start? (L)It doesn't really feel light--it feels kind of heavy. (L)My fingers feel stiff. (L)But it's floating anyway. (L)I wonder what's causing… (L)Oops, there it is, just like he said. (R)I think it's going to start to move faster. It's light and tingly…it's floating. (L)Oops, there it is, just like he said. (R)I think it's going to do everything he said. It's light and tingly…it's floating. That's fascinating. (R)Wow, this is strange. (L)Am I doing it, or is he doing it? What's causing it? (L)Boy, he counted fast, and it caused it to float faster--like he said it would. (R)Gee, it's kind of relaxing in a way. (L)I feel kind of sleepy. (R)I see an image of a big black magnet pulling on my hand. (R)I remember back when I was hiking in the Sierras, a warm and beautiful day--the view was superb. I felt like I wanted to lay along side the trail and snooze all day… I feel heavy and relaxed like that now. (L)Boy, my mind is really wandering. I hope that won't mess up what he's doing--is he still out there… yes, I can hear his voice, but sounds far away. (R)These are some strange feelings. | I'm starting to draw more associations, e.g., arms light=eyes heavy. This adds to the potential of a suggestion synergistically. The patient is developing greater anticipation. The fast count takes the patient by surprise, reducing resistance. Suggestions are becoming more demanding, more direct. Detailed instructions are no longer required. Both brain hemispheres are starting to wander. Soon, however, the right-brain will focus on my allegorical story. "Kind of" is used as a fail-safe devise. Suggestions are very directive. Tone has become slightly harder and more demanding. The patient is at a plateau now between light and medium depth of hypnosis. At his point he my become antsy, uncomfortable, but about now the subject's imagination will free-float frequently. |
|
As you drift there completely relaxed, feeling peaceful, comfortable, and satisfied, you will notice how heavy your arms are. [subtle transition to waking] In fact, how heavy your entire body is. As you drift there, you will begin to notice some of the sounds in the room gradually filtering into your conscious thoughts. In fact, you will notice there have been sounds in the room that you hadn't noticed until I mentioned them right now, and they are starting to become quite noticeable. The air-conditioner, the ticking of the clock beside you, the noise of the traffic outside. As you start to notice all of these sounds around you, you will start becoming more and more aware of my presence. You are gradually starting to wake up now, drifting to the surface. You're going to wake up feeling a little foggy on some things we have talked about. Your mind will be a little bit hazy and that is completely normal. You're going to have a urge to pry your eyes open and look around to see if the room looks the same as it did. It will look a bit different, it might seem brighter than before. [voice change to a more conversational tone] It's fine to let you eyes come wide open. That's fine. Take a big deep breath and exhale. Let yourself relax a little while, as I take a few notes and then we can discuss a few things when I've completed my chores here. Right now don't think too much about what we've done...just let yourself have some pleasant, relaxing thoughts while I take care of my paperwork--then I'll answer some questions I know you must have. You did really great; you're a real pleasure to work with, and I'm very pleased with your response. You will eventually develop into a very deep subject. |
(R)I'm
seeing myself with very soft and gentle side that I never thought of as
a strength, but with sort of a quiet persuasiveness; a person who
doesn't exude instant confidence and power, but gradually develops
strong rapport as friends and associates get to know me better. (L)These are aspects of myself that I've never
thought much about. I can feel something happening to that right
forefinger…it's moving. (R)I can feel this image become bright and
clear--I've never thought of myself this way--(L)Others have described me this way.(R)I have a good feeling--I like this part of me..(R)Mind wandering back to the Sierras--blue skies
and wild flowers.
(R)Boy, I feel like I
weight 1000 pounds.
(L)I wonder why I feel so
heavy. (L)But what's this noise? There's suddenly a lot
of noise in this room--seems like a roar. I didn't notice the clock
ticking, but it seems loud now. (L)I feel
like I would like to move a little, (R)but
I'm not sure I can. (L)I'm sure I could move if I really wanted to. (R)Boy, all those sounds…like traffic sounds. (L)Must be rush-hour traffic. I wonder what time
it is. (R)Where's the shrink…yup, he's here…standing
right next to me…I forgot he had a body. I was mostly aware of his
voice. (R)Whew, it's so bright in here. I feel like I've
been away from this room a long time. (L)I wonder if I've been hypnotized. (R)I feel kind of weird. I would like to look at
this guy's face, but I'm nervous about it. I guess it's over...I feel a
little confused, but I feel okay...in fact, I feel pretty good! ...I
wonder why? I hope he explains to me what actually happened, and if I
was really hypnotized. |
...but about now the patient's imagination will increasingly free-float, and he is relaxed and lethargic. Hearing may become hyperactive--very sensitive to sounds beyond normal hearing--auditory filters are altered. I'm establishing and fortifying credibility. "Uniqueness" is established as a keyword. Suggestions here are designed to give special focus and meaning to the word "uniqueness. "I'm continuing to deepen along with suggestions as well as locking the subject in with suggestions of not being disturbed. I'm tying in the word "uniqueness" with the word "Power" and hooking that into a mental image--done in such a way that the subject will not be aware of the link. I have developed the idea of the patient's uniqueness and power and focused his mental imagery on the powerful aspect of his personality, which will bolster his confidence and allow him to consciously utilize his uniqueness. I'm using finger catalepsy which tends to lock in the mental image with an objective reality--and using some stalling techniques to allow the suggestions to solidify. |
|
This is an edited
version (6/1/00) of the
summation of a 1982 conclusion to the dialogue.
When the subject is brought out
of the hypnotized state, it's best to make that moment a definite
cut-off point. That is, all conversation should be terminated with
regard to the session. I usually steer the conversation to the weather
or other miscellaneous trivia with a light friendly tone.Frequently the subject will be eager to pull the conversation around to his of her hypnosis experiences, and if insistent, I talk about it a little bit, but hold it to statements such as "you did fine." I do what I can to be reassuring, but pull the conversation back to light conversation on a separate topic. The idea for this approach came to me by watching surgeons chat with post-surgical patients. Over the years, I've noticed that if I follow the above rule, the patient will return with less recall and, in the extreme, approaching a blackout. Debriefed sessions, on the other hand, generally have much greater recall, which reduces the advantage of the hypnosis procedure. The goal is to provide the subject with fresh new ideas that their defense mechanisms won't pick apart. I remember one patient coming in for a second session complaining bitterly that for his first appointment, he had walked in and five minutes walked out fifty-bucks poorer, with nothing happening in between. Needless to say, he was amazed when I showed him a page of notes with information that I couldn't have known without a work-up. He had amnesia for all but a few minutes of the session--one more reason for good note taking. Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan) research has moved ahead our understanding of information processing by the cerebral cortex. In general terms, it takes something like twenty-minutes for information it migrate from short-term to long-term neurological storage. A subject emerging from hypnosis is not unlike someone waking in the middle of a dream. Have you had the experience of dream recall fading quickly upon awaking? It's a theory of mine that no dream can be recalled without revivification. That means you must re-run all dreams through your neurological recall process. So all memories of a dream are actually a copy of the original rather than the dream itself. Without this function, I believe the mind would have a huge clutter of surrealistic dream memories. If I'm correct, the memory traces from a recent hypnosis process are as fragile as a seal imprinted in hot wax. So be careful to not undo the hard work just accomplished by your patient and you. Going back over the induction overall, I want to highlight some of the general flow. Notice the abbreviated pre-induction talk. Many textbooks advise a lengthy discussion of hypnosis before the actual procedure begins. I believe that long-winded, pre-induction talks over-stimulate analytical thoughts, and can serve as a stalling mechanism, not so much for the subject, but for the hypnotist. Many of us are anxious before a procedure in the same way a physician is anxious before (for example) a surgical procedure. The subject will experience a more rapid response if he/she is somewhat off-balance in the beginning. If the anxiety is excessive, it can be defused by telling the subject that you aren't starting the hypnotism procedure, but only doing some simple tests. The tests have several purposes. With experience, testing and evaluation techniques will develop your format and timing, and just as important, will prepare the subject to follow your instructions. There is also the issue of conditioning. Well-administered tests go a long way to develop belief in the procedure--important since the majority of clients will be skeptical. Ed Note: Even after years of experience, I always needed to concentrate on my transition phase from test to test. Smoothness of transition from one test to the next will make a definite difference in subject response. This of course also applies to the transition from testing to the induction phase. Carl Weisbrod November 6, 1982 What follows is a recent e-zine featuring an article discussing this technique. Rather than just copy the specific article, I decided to includ most of the e-zine. To find the article in question, look for the asterisk.* If you want to read other e-zines (aka, newsletters), here is the link for that. >click< |
| ........................................................................................................... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Allegorical Hypnotism ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - A WEISBROD DIGEST OF SEMINARS E-ZINE - ...........................Carl
Weisbrod, Ph.D.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ^^^ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~Vol. 2, No. 22 ~ ISSN 1537-2820 ~ June 2002 From Honolulu, I'm Carl Weisbrod and this is the hypnotism edition of the WDS E-Zine. This week I'll talk about some dangerous social problems that have become systemic. Of course, I want to talk you into reading my free eBook. There are chapters about hypnotism, charisma, and building allegories. This is good stuff for a hypnotist to think about, and holysmoke, you don't even need to download anything! What could be better than that? Have you heard anything about ghrelin? In the midst of disappointing weight loss drugs and fad diets, this may hold some answers--or not. Check it out in Section V. I've covered most of the topics this time ... take a look. As this issue went to press. A year ago. I said the big guys must develop fool-proof security for computer systems before such things as fraudulent spam and viruses really messed things up. It looks like Microsoft has been working on it and has commissioned a new chip called Palladium--due out in 2004. I'm checking out this (hopefully) critical break-through. I'll talk about it next time. section ~ ~ ~ TOPICS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I. Rantings & Ravings (editorial) II. A Listing of Free Hypnotism Articles III. AskCarl's FAQs & Two-Valued Tricks *IV. Rasputin's Zap Chamber V. Fresh Approaches to LifeStyle Problems VI. Jokes 'n FunStuff {:-D VII. Hypnosis & the Medical Diagnosis? VIII. Rip-Of of the Week IX. The Allegory Approach to Hypnotism X. The WDS Bedtime Story ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I. Rantings & Ravings (editorial) Gee! It's great to be back in the ol' e-zine saddle again! Time flies, and I didn't realize it had been so long...but it has been nearly three months since I've stuffed my weekly editions into your computer's electronic gizmos. I haven't been goofing off during that time--I've gotten a pretty substantial eBook put together.I say "put together" because much of the writing is edited versions of other books, e-zines, or transcribed from audio tapes. It's kind of a "best-of" thing. Chapter One was part of an introduction tape originally produced about 1995. This concept of "Life's Story" goes all the way back to my 1980 book, "Conceptual Problem Solving." I love this concept. Who hasn't felt gratitude toward their parents with the realization of some genetic gift? Even if you were adopted, you know that somewhere there are people that gave you some unique abilities. And they got them from their parents and on down through the millennia. How far back does it go? ...six thousand or six-million? If you read Chapter One/Life's Story, you'll know my best guess. If nothing else, it's a fun story. No matter the story you accept, it's good to realize that we were not created in a vacuum -- and if we think about what led to our individual existence, problems become easier to solve. I decided to do some tomfoolery with Chapter Three. I had a little cookbook I put together for my weight control program that drew some unfavorable reviews so I decided to extend the negative rather than the positive--you'll see what I'm talking about if you take a look. Chapter Nine started out as an allegory for my "Turn Abusers Into Victims" program, but it ended up an honest-to-goodness short story. A lot of folks said it was a fun read, so I decided to include it. There's also several shorter stories scattered about in various chapters. As I was putting this eBook together, these are some of the thoughts that were bouncing around in my head. ~ ~ ~ We live in a messy world. There are horrible things going on in the Middle East, Terrorism seems to be the accepted political strategy in some cultures. On the home front, political and corporate systems are falling apart at an ever increasing rate, and even social bulwarks for moral teachers are letting us down. Notice it's not a single individual causing the death and destruction as was often the case in past decades, but a breakdown of entire cultural and social systems. I think it's systemic. Do you know the difference between a disease (caused by a single bacterium) and a systemic disorder that is labeled "multi-factorial?" Tuberculous is a disease, but heart disease is not really a disease but a disorder. It's caused in part by lifestyle factors--poor diet and exercise habits, for example. With a disease, a single physician can cure thousands of patients, but with a disorder, it's up to the individual to make the lifestyle changes that will prevent or cure the malady. With systemic disorders, individual decisions are far more important than the procedures of a physician. Back on topic: I think we want to fall in love with our political candidates, and therefore seek out lovable people rather then those with extraordinary problem-solving ability. This is visible in the declining level of accomplishments reflected in the resumes of current leaders--it's hard to find someone in government today that would come even close to the pre- election accomplishments of our founding fathers. I believe it's time for the individual to take back some of the power that has been given over to these malfunctioning systems...and the way to do that is for us to become skillful deductive thinkers. Shrinks say it's becoming more autonomous. If you're not sure of the meaning of "autonomous," it's a good word to look up and then think about. A little quiz: Put an imaginary [x] by the one you feel most likely. When we find corruption within bureaucratic and corporate systems... [] did the leaders corrupted the system? [] did the system corrupt the leaders? [] a little bit of both. Which is more responsible for empires to fall... [] the leadership? [] the natural rise and fall of empires? [] can be either or both. If we divide political philosophies in two categories... [] is the Liberal philosophy more correct? [] is the Conservative philosophy more correct? [] another system altogether? (Socialistic, Libertarian, etc.) If you find yourself wanting to select the third choice in each, I'd guess that you haven't taken the time to study such things as history, anthropology, and human behavior. The answers to questions such as those above will not come from emotional thinking, or the emotional thinking from authority figures. Those who feel anger when their point of view is challenged will be correct by accident only. These three choices above should never be considered at a two-valued level (see my previous articles on the fallacy of two-valued thinking). Arriving at conclusions based on inductive (as opposed to deductive) thinking will bring a correct conclusion only by a lucky guess, i.e., in error much of the time. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ II. A Listing of Free Hypnotism Articles [s n i p p e d] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ III. AskCarl's FAQs & Two-Valued Tricks QUESTION: Carl! Are you still a skeptic over the success of the Bush Administration? You've got to admit he's doing better than Clinton, and don't you think Gore would have made a real mess out of things? How do you think it's going? C. B. AskCarl: [June 2002] I donno, CB. It seems almost prophetic that both presidential candidates are men with such parallel backgrounds and ability. It's a bit frightening that the vote was evenly split down the middle--indicating half of the country wanted one or the other of these young men. To me this indicates a society paralyzed by it's own dichotomous thinking--aka, Two-Valued thinking. Now we have a political agenda based on keeping both sides happy. In this case, I hope we're not getting the worst of both! When agendas and legacies become more important than solutions to huge social problems, there's trouble ahead. The pressure of this kind of trouble, I think, caused (to some degree) Bill Clinton to seek out his favorite diversion, while Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon went a little nuts under the pressure. President Reagan held up pretty well, and I think he said it best when asked by a reporter how he thought being an actor qualified him to be president.Reagan's reply was just great! He said, "I don't see how you could be president WITHOUT being an actor." As smart, appealing, worthy, etc., as our presidents have been, none of them had the brilliance necessary for the most difficult job on earth. Perhaps those with the necessary ability wouldn't want the job--or wouldn't have the personality or social skills to draw the necessary votes. So we must hope that the people in power will rise to the occasion. I hope they will seek new and better answers to old problems, and then figure out how to slip them past a agenda-driven congress. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ IIIa Two-Value Tricks The current two-valued trick is the search for emotional and distracting events to take the heat off life & death problems, and corporate corruption. A decade ago it was the issue of flag burning--now it's the "Pledge of Allegiance" thing. Politicians use these "Red Herring" issues as something to fight over to pull public attention away from present failures. continued at the top of the right column >click< |
continued from lower left-column They should be concentrating on terrorism and the unrest in the Middle East (before somebody starts flinging around nuclear bombs). The WorldCom thing represents an example of this inattention. Unfortunately, Americans are easily distracted by these two-valued tricks. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *IV. Rasputin's Zap Chamber I had an online discussion with a group that touted the Erickson hand levitation technique. I used something a bit similar throughout my career--never found anything better. Here's what I would do (in brief): For a first induction only, and after a series of one-time-only tests (with the secondary benefit of ideomotor conditioning), I would use the ubiquitous Power's spiral for the visual effect--a surprise factor understood by those that use this simple aid. I then went into a quick allegorical-type suggestion with the hand usually "floating" rapidly. I would keep them focused on their hand as it floated in to touch their face. This sets up=>instant eye closure=>eye-lock=>deepening.... I would then key them so subsequent inductions would take only a few seconds. It wasn't so much for the razzle-dazzle, I didn't want to give my patients time to become analytical. My testing phase took under ten minutes, and the induction phase ideally would take under a minute. I detailed this in my eBook "Structures of Hypnotism II." Even analytical folks weren't able to figure out what had happened, and I avoided explaining it detail. This technique really cuts through resistance. For the same reason, I've always avoided the pre-induction talk--I think this is a big mistake for a variety of reasons. I answered questions by doing tests. When I talked with patients, it was about the nuts & bolts of their problem, some of which I've documented in my eBook "Solving Problems by Formula." Most of my patients saw me to deal with a problem rather then learn stuff about hypnosis. As an analogy: a surgical patient is in a operating room to get rid of a painful gall bladder (etc.) rather than learn about surgery. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ V. Fresh Approaches to LifeStyle Problems While I've been doing my eBook-writing thing there's been several journal reviews regarding a stomach hormone that makes you hungry while lowering the metabolic rate. This is certainly not a good thing for those of us that tend to gain weight. This stuff is called ghrelin. The article I read was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (vol. 346:1623-1630, May 23, 2002, Number 21.) The title was: Plasma Ghrelin Levels after Diet-Induced Weight Loss or Gastric Bypass Surgery. One study looked at weight loss following a horrible procedure called a gastric bypass in which a large part of the stomach is surgically removed. It was thought that weight loss following this procedure was due to the decreased capacity for food, but part of the reason is very likely the decreased production of ghrelin. It appears that ghrelin level is related to weight gain, a function that was previously thought to be a province of insulin combined with signals from the hypothalamus. Research continues at the University of Washington and the Oregon Health and Science University. I'll be keeping an eye on this ghrelin research. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ VI. Jokes 'n FunStuff {:-D Things one should never do: - Embed razor blades in Preparation-H Suppositories... - Crazy glue your eyeballs to a concrete wall... - Feed Viagra to a junk-yard dog... - Pour a bucket of blood on a swimmer in shark-infested waters... - Screw with either of the following: => a rattlesnake... => a condom with a hole in it... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ VII. Hypnosis & the Medical Diagnosis? Here's another response from the online group I've mentioned. It doesn't quit fit the above topic heading, but what the hell... I found one common idea among these therapists: "All hypnosis is self-hypnosis." ...and one uncommon idea: "There's no such thing as a controlling client." This was my response: "I've always had trouble with the idea that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis--seems too simplistic to me. But I've never learned much from ideas that I agree with. I've become more rigid with age, but my views aren't quite chiseled in stone, so different ideas are appealing. Gosh though, I really have trouble with the idea of no such thing as a controlling patient." Seems to me, a big chunk of psychotherapy deals with defense mechanisms, manipulation, and so-called "fluid ego boundaries." It seems to me that interactions in which there's a struggle for dominance/control/power is more the rule than the exception--especially between female therapists and male patients. I was always glad to be a 6'1" 185lb male...I don't think I could have survived as a 100lb female. I also have a problem with the "pre-induction" talk. I'd rather let subjects hang onto their misconceptions, fears, and prejudices. I felt the more biased their view the more off balance they would be when reality takes an unexpected turn. I think a pre-induction talk only has them digging their heels even deeper--like a teenager during a parental lecture. It's my view, that no matter how bad folks want to solve a problem, if there was no resistance, the problem wouldn't exist in the first place. Here's a concept I used in smoking groups in which a pre-induction talk was necessary. There is a common misconception that failure to solve problems is caused by a "Lack of Want." When I did group smoking programs, I would ask how many really WANTED to quit smoking! I would see some shuffling and hear some nervous giggling, and about half the group would raise their hands...and some of those would be tentative. So what? ...the other half of the group maybe didn't want to quit? But then, I would ask them to visualize a Big Red Button right in front of their chair. And I would ask them to imagine that if they CHOOSE to push that button--instantly (poof!) all memories and thoughts of cigarettes would just disappear...no effort, no discomfort! ...whata deal! :) From this, it became instantly clear to everyone in the room that quitting smoking was not a matter of WANT but rather an issue of the DISBELIEF in their ability to be successful --THEY SIMPLY FEARED FAILURE -- because (don't you see?) failure had been their experience up to that point. Of course, there is no magic button. But then I asked them to consider if I could instruct them exactly how smoking formed neurological, so they would be able to understand the process of undoing such a conditioned pattern, and once they had this knowledge, and put it to work, they would only need to put up with about 3 days of discomfort in order to become a non-smoker. If I could do this, would they be interested in what I had to say? If I was in good form, at his point the room would become very quiet. I had created a condition called Cognitive Dissonance--a psychological term for incongruity. All smokers know of at least one person who quit with a minimum of difficulty. Intellectually, they knew what I said was logical, and since I had removed the pressure from them and taken it on myself...under such circumstances they almost had to listen. Those who study Marshal Arts know the best way to counter an attack is to redirect the attacker's energy to work in favor of the defense. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ VIII. Rip-Of of the Week [June 2002] I thought the Department of Justice is suppose to be on top of huge fraud such as the WorldCom thing? Where was the Federal Trade Commission or the Securities & Exchange Commission? How did a four billion dollar corporate scam slip by the "watchful eye" of the Attorney General? Gee, I saw John Ashcroft on TV today, and he didn't appear embarrassed!? Maybe I ought to give the rip-off award to us for not demanding more productivity from these so-called watchdog organizations. Are they sleeping or just not up to the task? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ IX. The Allegory Approach to Hypnotism [s n i p p e d] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ X. The WDS Bedtime Story [s n i p p e d] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -The End- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ And with that, the work of this #22 WDS Hypnotism Edition is now done. Carl Weisbrod ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You may use any of the articles from this e-zine. Here's the bio box for that purpose. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bio Box ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carl Weisbrod, Ph.D., has been a psychotherapist and author for over 30 years. Few therapists have his experience in the practice of hypnotism. Dr. Weisbrod has extensive experience with the lifestyle problems that lead to chronic degenerative disorders. He has developed a unique program; "The Allegory Approach to Hypnotism;" authored several books; currently is publishing eBooks and producing audio programs. He can be found at: .>http://www.wdsLibrary.com< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |