Hypnosis for Beginners

by William W Hewitt

  Alpha. The frequency range in alpha is about 7 to 14 cps. Alpha is usually regarded as the subconscious range. This is where dreaming (while asleep), daydreaming, and nearly all hypnosis take place. Meditation is mostly in this range (although sometimes it dips into theta). Psychic experience sometimes takes place in alpha, also. Alpha is an important region insofar as hypnosis is concerned.

  Beta. This is the conscious mind region with frequency ranges from about 14 cps upward. Beta is where we do our reasoning and conduct most of our affairs while awake. For the most part, we seem to operate around 20 cps during most awake activity. At about 60 cps, a person would be in acute hysteria. Above 60 cps, I don't know what would happen; I suspect it wouldn't be pleasant.

  When you go to sleep, your brain automatically cycles down from the beta range into alpha and then for brief cyclic periods into theta and delta. Most of your sleep is in alpha. Hypnosis takes advantage of this natural phenomenon-it causes the brain to cycle down into alpha without going to sleep. In alpha, the subconscious mind is open for suggestive input.

  The conscious mind does not take suggestion well. It is most useful for thinking, reasoning, and putting into action those things it already knows. The subconscious mind, however, is like an obedient slave. It doesn't think or reason. It responds to what it is told. Herein lies the value and power of hypnosis. With hypnosis, you can pump powerful suggestions directly into the subconscious. The subconscious accepts these suggestions and causes them to become reality. In part, the subconscious mind informs the conscious mind that there is new information to be acted upon. The conscious mind loves to act on what it already has, so it acts on this new information. Although no one really understands why hypnosis works and how the subconscious mind brings about results, we do know it works-and works quite well.

  Suggestions

  You'll find the suggestions used in hypnosis in other chapters. For now, know that it is extremely important that all suggestions given are positive, constructive, and beneficial. This is because the subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a good suggestion and a bad one. The subconscious mind merely accepts what you give it and then acts on it.

  Be careful of your wording at all times while giving suggestions. One man used a slang four-letter word for defecation hundreds of times a day in his speech. Eventually, he convinced his subconscious that he wanted to defecate, and he developed chronic diarrhea. Words are powerful, and your subconscious mind takes them literally.

  Myths

  There are many serious misunderstandings about hypnosis. Many of these misunderstandings have been promoted by B-grade movies that depict people being transformed into zombie-like creatures by some super-powerful mystic who says, "Look into my eyes!" While this may make for an exciting movie, it is 100 percent fiction and has no resemblance to the truth. Following are some of the more common myths and their explanations.

  A hypnotist has magical powers. This is completely false. A hypnotist is an ordinary human being who has mastered the skill of using the power of suggestion to bring about desired results.

  A person can be hypnotized and made to do things against his or her will. Absolutely false. First, no person can be hypnotized against his or her will. The subject must be 100 percent cooperative. Second, no one under hypnosis can be made to do anything they would not freely do if not under hypnosis. During hypnosis, the subject can choose to accept or reject any suggestion given. If a suggestion is given that upsets the subject, he or she would likely come out of hypnosis immediately of their own choice.

  Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized. The contrary is true. The more intelligent a person is, the easier it is to hypnotize him or her. In fact, in certain cases of mental debility, hypnosis is impossible. Nearly everyone who wants to be hypnotized, can be hypnotized. Only about 1 percent of the population cannot be hypnotized either because of mental deficiencies or reasons we don't understand.

  A hypnotized person is in a trance or is unconscious. Not true at all. Under hypnosis, the subject is awake and aware-extremely so. The hypnotized subject has merely focused his or her attention to where the hypnotist directs it, and is oblivious to anything else.

  A person can get stuck in hypnosis. This is completely false. Even if the operator dropped dead after putting the subject under deep hypnosis, the subject would come out of the hypnosis easily. The subject would either slip into a brief sleep and then awaken normally, or open his or her eyes when the operator's voice had not been heard for some time.

  Deep hypnosis is necessary for good results. Not true. Any level of hypnosis from light to very deep can bring good results.

  Hypnotic State

  Under hypnosis the person is very aware of where he or she is and what is happening. The subject hears everything and is in a daydream-like state of deep relaxation. Often the subject has either a numbness throughout the body or no acute awareness of having a body.

  Self-Hypnosis

  It is possible to hypnotize yourself. Many people do it every day to give themselves constructive suggestions. It is much easier to hypnotize yourself if you have first been hypnotized by someone else and given the suggestion and instructions to do so. This book will teach you how to hypnotize others, and you can use the same instructions to hypnotize yourself. If you work with a partner who can hypnotize you, you will speed up your progress in learning self-hypnosis.

  GOING INTO BUSINESS

  If you are interested in going into business either part time or full time, the following section highlights some things you should consider in addition to the material covered in the rest of this book.

  Things You Will Need

  •A quiet office with a minimum of three chairs. One chair for you; a lounge chair for your subject; and a chair (optional type) for a third party. Clients frequently bring someone with them. If you use a room in your home, you'll save rent money and give yourself a tax write-off. If you rent an office, find one that is quiet, has ample parking, and has easy driving access from all directions.

  •A desk or table for writing.

  •A cassette tape recorder and a supply of blank tapes.

  •Paper, folders, and file space for record keeping.

  •A supply of printed self-hypnosis instructions (see chapter 3).

  •A supply of printed diet sheets (see chapter 3).

  •Two pen lights with fresh batteries. You need these only if you read the induction procedures and the room is too dimly lit for reading.

  •A 6 x 6 inch (approximate size) card with a large, solid red dot drawn on it (see chapter 3).

  •All of your hypnosis routines typed up and handy for quick access in case you have a brief memory lapse. Even after I had memorized hypnosis routines, I still kept the printed routines (one routine per 4 x 6 inch card) readily available as a security blanket. If you don't want to type up the routines, buy two more copies of this book and cut out the routines and paste or tape them onto cards. Two books are necessary because many of the routines are printed back to back on the same page. The low cost of two more books certainly offsets the drudgery of all that typing.

  •Release forms. These are to be signed by your clients attesting that they understand the nature of hypnosis, enter it willingly, and release you from any guarantees or liabilities. Consult with your attorney about actual wording of a release form.

  •Business cards

  •Telephone

  •Either a receptionist with an outer office or a recorder to answer your phone when you are giving an induction.

  Expenses

  •Rent (unless you work out of your home)

  •Advertising. This is expensive, but necessary to some degree. One display ad (perhaps 3 x 4 inches) in the Sunday newspaper is about as much as you need to spend. If you sign a long-term contract, you may be able to get a lower rate. A must is a small display ad in the yellow pages of the phone directory. About 70 percent of my business came from the yellow pages; 20 percent from word-of-mouth; an
d 10 percent from the newspaper.

  Accept every invitation you can to speak about hypnosis, including gatherings of local clubs, high school or college classes, and house parties. These speaking engagements act as excellent advertisements.

  Charges

  When I retired in 1992, I was charging $50 per session (a session lasts from 30 minutes to an hour). I do not go beyond one hour because I find that too much time in one session becomes counter-productive for the client. The charge includes everything: pre - and post-hypnosis consultation, the hypnosis session, a tape recording of one of the sessions (usually session 5), and the self-hypnosis handouts. If I make an office or house call, I charge a modest fee for travel time and gasoline if it is over five miles one way.

  In some parts of the country (including large metropolitan areas), a charge of $50 to $100 per session might be reasonable. A charge of $20 to $40 per session might be more appropriate for small towns or rural areas. Evaluate your own situation and set fees accordingly.

  My philosophy is that you charge the very least you can and still pay your expenses and give yourself a reasonable return for your time and skill.

  Try to give a client the fewest possible sessions to achieve the desired goal. I never will allow a client to see me for more than six sessions. This is because I want to help a client to be independent and solve his or her own problems. I do not want the client to be dependent on me. I teach the client self-hypnosis starting on the second session so he or she will have the tools to solve problems just as effectively as I can solve them. I recommend you take a similar approach in your hypnosis practice. Don't get greedy. Think of your client's needs first. You will make out okay.

  I strongly recommend that you request payment in advance for each session. Once you give the session, you cannot take it back if the client doesn't pay or writes a bad check. You may want to give a price break incentive for pre-payment. For example, pay for five sessions on your first visit, and get the sixth one free.

  HOW TO PERFORM HYPNOSIS

  First, you must have the hypnosis routines either memorized or typed and handy so you can easily read them. Next come a myriad of things to consider, including tone of voice and pace of speech; position of yourself and your subject; environment (including lighting, noise, and background sounds); recording sessions; use of external equipment; observing your subject; and testing for results.

  Tone and Pace

  Use the voice you were born with. That may sound like a stupid statement, but it isn't. I have seen many beginning hypnotists deliberately alter their voices when performing to try to have a more resonant, deep, theatrical sound. This is nonsense. Use your normal speaking voice. A beautiful, melodic, resonant voice is certainly an asset, but it is not necessary. It is more important to know what you are doing and have a good rapport with and respect for your subject than to have a resonant speaking voice.

  You do, however, need to practice the pace of your speech. Your speech pattern should be slow enough to give the subject time to respond to your directions and yet fast enough to retain her attention and interest. If you go too slow, the subject's mind might wander to other thoughts; you want to maintain the subject's attention to your voice. Some people may need a faster pace while others need a slower pace. Experience will help you find just the right pace.

  A pause of two to five seconds is a good average. For example: relax your knees (two-second pause); relax your calves (two-second pause); and now relax your toes (one-second pause); relax your toes (twosecond pause).

  In some visualization routines you may need longer pauses. For example: I want you to imagine now that you are standing at the top of a spiral staircase (three-second pause); create the staircase (threesecond pause); it is carpeted. Create the carpet (three-second pause).

  Do not use your watch for timing these pauses; develop a feel for the timing. When I conduct hypnosis, I perform the instructions myself as I give them, thereby keeping a comfortable pace.

  Speak in a rather dull, monotonous voice. The idea is to bore the subject's conscious mind to the point that it stops being active, allowing the subconscious mind to be accessible and receptive to your suggestions. If there is too much inflection or drama in your voice, the subject's conscious mind tends to retain interest, thus remaining active and thwarting your goal of deep relaxation and susceptibility to suggestion.

  Physical Positioning

  You can perform hypnosis while sitting or standing. Your subjects may recline in a comfortable chair, sit in straight-backed chair, lie in bed or on the floor, sit cross-legged on the floor, or stand. All positions work fine, but not necessarily for all situations. For example, a quick two-minute procedure to relieve pain works fine on a person who is standing up, but a thirty-minute procedure for diet control is out of the question for a person who is standing up.

  A recliner chair or straight-backed, armless chair are the best choices for the subject. Both offer sufficient comfort and support, and the subject will rarely drift into sleep in either of these. I prefer my subjects to be in a recliner chair. However, for self-hypnosis I much prefer to be in a straight-backed, armless chair. As the operator, I also prefer a straight-backed, armless chair.

  Lying in bed also offers comfort and support for the subject. The drawback is that the subject might easily drift into sleep. The body and mind have been conditioned to go to sleep when the person lies down and the brain reaches alpha. A skilled operator can usually avoid this happening. When you are working with bedridden people, this is the physical position you must deal with.

  Lying on the floor has the same drawback as lying in bed: The subject is more likely to fall asleep. In addition, the floor tends to become uncomfortable rather quickly so I do not recommend it for lengthy procedures.

  Sitting cross-legged on the floor also tends to become uncomfortable so I do not recommend it for lengthy procedures either. I use this position for myself for meditation (a form of self-hypnosis) and have had excellent results. I once was in deep meditation for one-and-a-half hours in this position without having any physical discomfort. I doubt that an untrained, unskilled person could do that and still be able to get up, much less walk.

  Typically, my subject will be in a recliner chair. I will be sitting in a straight-backed chair facing her. The distance between is from 2 to 6 feet. There may or may not be a table or desk between us; this isn't important one way or the other. I position myself close enough to my subject so I can speak normally and be easily heard, yet far enough so as to not intimidate her. For some procedures I use for special occasions, I need to stand immediately in front of the subject or have physical contact with the subject. These are the exception, not the rule.

  Ideally, the subject's chair should be placed so that no bright light falls on her eyes. Have windows (unless heavily draped) and lights to her back. This makes it easier for her to relax and be comfortable.

  Where to Conduct Hypnosis

  You can conduct hypnosis just about anywhere, including dimly lit rooms, bright sunlight outdoors, in quiet, and in noise. The ideal place, however, is a quiet, comfortable room with subdued lighting.

  If unplanned distractions occur, use them to your advantage. Once I had just begun the hypnosis induction when a carpenter in the adjacent office began hammering nails in the wall right behind my subject's head. It was a staccato bang, bang, bang, bang. I abandoned my usual induction routine and improvised. I said, Outside noises will not distract you. In fact outside noises will help you to reach a deeper, healthier state of relaxation. Then as each "bang" occurred I said, Go deeper (bang); deeper (bang); deeper and deeper (bang). My subject went into deep relaxation as though she was on a fast down elevator. I didn't even need to continue with the remainder of my planned routines. I immediately began giving the suggestions and then brought her out. The results were excellent.

  Background Music

  Many hypnotists regularly have soothing music or a special tape of the ocean's surf playing in the backgroun
d while they perform the induction. I have tried both the music and the surf and found them to be satisfactory. However, I have had just as satisfactory results without the background noise. Try it both ways and see which you prefer.

  Auxiliary Equipment

  All you really need is an inexpensive portable cassette recorder. I use this only to record one of the induction procedures while I am giving it. I then give the tape to the subject to keep (see chapter 6). If you decide to use background sounds, you will need the equipment for that.

  Some hypnotists use an electric shock device to condition their subjects. For example, during the suggestion phase of the procedure the operator might say, Imagine now that you are smoking a cigarette. Take a deep drag. (Then he would press the button and give the subject an electrical shock). This way the subject equates smoking to a painful experience. I am adamantly opposed to such procedures and devices. They can be dangerous and harmful, and are totally unnecessary. A good hypnotist can achieve the same result without resorting to such measures. I once took over an office that had one of these machines. I refused to accept it as part of the inventory and wouldn't sign until it had been physically removed from the premises. My advice: AVOID ANY SUCH APPARATUS COMPLETELY. They are bad news.

  Observing the Subject

  The key items you look for are breathing patterns and muscle tone. As the subject slips into deep relaxation, breathing will be easy and rhythmic. There will be an occasional very deep breath with easy exhaling.

  Watch the hands of your subject. Are they gripping the arms of the chair? fidgeting? twitching? or are they resting without apparent tenseness?

  The head should droop as the neck muscles relax. The jaw should slacken. There should be no signs of muscle strain or tenseness.

  The eyelids may flutter. This is not tenseness but rather an indication that the subject is in a state called REM, or rapid eye movement. This state occurs at about 10 cycles per second of brain activity, which is well within the alpha range. If you observe REM, you know for sure that your subject is in hypnosis. The subject can be in hypnosis without REM, so don't be concerned if you do not observe it.