The Art of Auto Suggestion
by Stanley Walsh

"I don’t think I can be hypnotized" is a statement I often hear in my office as my client gently drifts off to sleep. As a Nationally Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist I have guided thousands of people over my twenty years of practice on a journey of self discovery and empowerment. My job, as a therapist, is to facilitate the individual to remove blocks and identify and reinforce goals while reminding them that everything they accomplish is their accomplishment and that, in fact, all is hypnosis is self hypnosis.

Hypnosis is simply distraction of the conscious level of the mind. It is a form of relaxed concentration. The more relaxed you are the more suggestible you become. Have you ever found yourself unconsciously whistling a tune you just heard on the radio? Some one in your presence is speaking negatively about something and soon you find yourself thinking negative thoughts? It is said “Enthusiasm is contagious” so is sadness, hope, despair and happiness.

Hypnosis is rooted in our basic biology. It is the natural counterpart to "fight/flight" instinct allowing us to be receptive rather than reactive to our environment, allowing us to receive input rather than being in a never ending output mode. Suggestibility allows us to “touch our environment” Our mind is like a narrow one lane bridge allowing traffic to travel in only one direction at a time. Suggestibility is the officer who halts the traffic out put and allows the flow of sounds, sights, smells, taste and touch to enter.

Hypnosis is the guardian “at the gate” of that bridge that allows only those thoughts, ideas, feelings, beliefs that are supportive and assistive to ones conscious goals to enter. As a result, hypnosis and its counter part self hypnosis become potent forces directing the sub conscious mind towards the achievement of consciously chosen goals. If hypnosis is the traffic cop, Self hypnosis, simply stated, is that YOU are that officer directing traffic across the bridge that connect your inner and outer worlds.

In my practice I have had numerous individuals wishing to learn how to practice self hypnosis. As a result I have developed this five step program to tap their inner potential through appropriate input. Simply stated the five steps are: Preparation, Relaxation, Deepening, Suggestion and Termination.

Preparation is creating a time, a place and perhaps a ritual for relaxation.

Choosing the same time to practice self hypnosis is very beneficial and subconsciously triggers the subconscious mind to reinforce the suggestions even if you are not taking that time to relax and go into a state of self hypnosis. Don’t be confused that the same time does not means 6 AM every morning or 11PM each night. That quickly leads to disappointment and a feeling of failure since life WILL get in the way and you won’t be able to meet your “appointment with yourself” Rather, choose a time in your routine, before you take your shower, during lunch break, before you pick up the kids from school, or after the late show. Make self hypnosis part of your routine not part of your schedule. We are not only suggestible we are creatures of habit.

In addition practicing self hypnosis in the same place also becomes a reinforcer of the desired suggestions. Simply sitting or lying in that place will trigger what you are desiring to accomplish. If possible it should be a unique place one that you usually don’t use and where little activity occurs–not at the kitchen table, the computer desk or even your bed. All these are filled with many experiences that quickly cloud your fragile seedling of “new thought.” Find a new place. Sit in that chair in the corner you never use. That unused hammock in the back yard. Mine is I sit in my clients chair rather than the chair I sit in during therapy sessions.

Ritual makes your time special, a candle, music, perhaps an aroma. We are not only people of routine we are people of ritual. Religious ceremony is an excellent example of ritual inducing a state of consciousness.

In essence the more we prepare our environment the more we ground our suggestions in our lives. Every conscious preparation become a sub conscious trigger reinforcing our desires.

Relaxation is the ability to move from fight/flight to rest/repose.

Simply stated fight/flight is output being prepared to respond to one’s environment. Rest and repose is input, the absence of the need to respond. Being able to practice self hypnosis without the phone ringing, the kids calling you or balancing on a straight back chair. Ritual is an ally to relaxing assisting one to be conscious of one’s environment and modifying it to match ones desire to retreat from outside stimulation.

The Deepening takes you to the bridge between your inner and outer worlds.

As relaxation addresses the physical environment for successful self hypnosis, deepening addresses the needs of the mind to participate. The first rule of thumb is don’t try not to think. Try counting from one to ten without thinking of three. Don’t think of pink elephants. What occurs? Rather use your thoughts as a vehicle to reach your destination. Control them as you would a car on the road. Let those unwanted and annoying thought simply “flow though” your mind avoiding the hook of emotion that locks them in your conscious. Without emotions your thoughts will become still and calm as the surface of a still pond.

How you achieve this state can be done in a few ways. A few deep slow intentional breaths, exhaling just as slowly is an physiological auto response for the mind to relax. Believe it or not try relaxing your tongue. Try relaxing your tongue and think at the same time. What did you notice? A sure fire trigger to relax you mind and enter the subconscious is to close your eyes and lookup towards your eyebrows avoiding the tendency to raise your head. Hold that eye position as long as possible without fatiguing the eyes and then relax then forward. Have you ever noticed when you try to recall something a tendency to look upward, that is an auto trigger for entry into the subconscious.

Now that we have “erased the blackboard of your mind” the deepening is accomplished by visualizing or imaging yourself going down an escalator, drifting down a river or floating down a lazy river. You say you can’t visualize. Describe your bedroom. Recall your last birthday. Got ya! You may not visualize in cinematic proportions but if you didn’t visualize you would not be able to find you way home from the grocery store. In fact, you would know where to find you car or that there was a grocery store to go to.

Now comes the fun part the suggestion. They are the power house of creativity. Suggestions are how you spell out your goals and instruct to your subconscious mind to achieve those goals. Therefore a suggestion (good or bad) repeated often enough and long enough will be accepted by the subconscious mind as true.

There are six elements of appropriate suggestions

Be Present - not "I will" but "I am" I am a non smoker. I am slim, trim healthy. Be Positive - “I am healthy” not “I am not going to die from cancer.” Notice what your mind focuses on in each statement. Be Personal - "I" not "you" (unless you are making a recording of your suggestions then use you.) Be Specific - The subconscious takes things literally, therefore the more specific the more easily they is accepted and initiated. Make it Measurable - I am reducing my weight 2 pounds a week. I am smoking less cigarettes each and everyday. Be Beneficent - Your positive, specific, measurable suggestions will be better absorbed by your sub conscious if you mention your pleasure in accomplishing your goal. “I am enjoying reducing my weight by 2 pounds a week. Then become still and let your sub conscious do the rest.

Give yourself a specific time to awaken. Termination eliminates the possibility of you session becoming a nap. It keeps the subconscious alert while allowing your conscious mind to relax.

Remember, Whatever you believe you can or can not do, YOU’RE RIGHT!!!