A MANUAL OF

INDIRECT SUGGESTION
Sxamples
Induction Scripts
Pre-Session Talks

BY CAROL SOMMER
Conversational
Hypnosis

A MANUAL OF INDIRECT SUGGESTION

Copyright @ 1992
All rights reserved.

ISBN 0-9710180-0-6

Carol Sommer
5242 Grand Avenue
Downers Grove, IL 605 U.S.A.
Cell: 630-660-9840
Telephone: 630-852-8009
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: Http://www.sommersolutions.com
 To my colleagues. clients and students
with whom I have been privileged to work
and from whom I have learned so much

2
 CONTENTS

Introduction 5
Varieties of Indirect Suggestion 8
The Language of Hypnosis 11
Script for Distraught Parent 12
Script for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 13
Indirect Suggestion as part of Everyday Language 15
Why We Use Indirect Language 17
A Comparison of Direct and Indirect Suggestion 19
Patterns of Indirect Suggestion 21
Planting Seeds
Truism 21
Open-ended Suggestion 22
All Possibilities of a Class of Responses 23
Creating Experience 25
Embedded Command 26
Presupposition 27
Prepositional Phrase 27
Order of Occurrence 28
Rate of Occurrence 28
Awareness 29
Continuation 29
Questions as Suggestions 30
Binds and Double Binds 32
Illusion of Choice 33
Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind 35
Double Dissociation Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind 36
Non Sequitur Double Bind 38
Apposition of Opposites 38

3
 Quotes 39
Not Knowing - Not Doing 40
Trance Phenomena - Indirect Suggestion Examples
Arm Levitation 43
Age Regression 46
Ideo-Motor Signaling 47
Time Distortion 50
Complete Induction Scripts and Pre-Session Talks
Understanding Self-Hypnosis 52
Self-Hypnosis Script
Understanding Stress Management 61
Stress Management Script 63
Understanding Weight Management 68
Weight Management Script 70
Becoming a Non-Smoker 77
Stop Smoking Script 79
Just a Suggestion 84

4
 INTRODUCTION

In the late 1970' s therapists flocked from the world around to gather in a tiny living room
in Phoenix, Arizona. The center of attraction was a crippled man 1n his 80's, sitting in a
wheelchair, one side of his body paralyzed, his speech slurred. The man was Milton H,
Erickson, maverick psychiatrist, physician and psychologist, who had pioneered the clinical
use of hypnosis in a way that no other person had done. Founder of the American Society
of Clinical Hypnosis and editor of its journal. Erickson had been well known throughout
the hypnosis community for some time. He published over 150 articles on hypnosis, co~

authored six books, and has had dozens of books written about him and his work.

Erickson departed from traditional views of hypnosis. Dating back to the days of Mesmer
and before, the Authoritarian model claimed the power of hypnosis to reside in the
hypnotist. Mesmer believed he could extract hypnotic power from the atmosphere and
"magnetize" the subject with it. A very limited model indeed, this soon led to the
development of another extreme. In an effort to measure a person's capacity to experience
hypnosis, experimentalists placed the emphasis on the subject. What the hypnotist did was
not all that important. Either the subject had the ability to go into hypnosis or he didn't.
Hypnosis researchers assumed a normal distribution of hypnotic ability, similar to that of
I.Q. reSUlts, and developed a variety of standardized hypnotic susceptibility tests to
determine a person's hypnotizability.

Erickson, however. believed that everyone who wanted to could be hypnotized. He

described hypnosis as an interpersonal relationship between therapist and client, a
cooperative effort between the two. Neither one has all the power; the power comes from
the relationship. He viewed trance as a natural phenomenon, and emphasized the tendency
we all have to go into trance as we communicate with one another. Hypnosis is
communication. It is conversation. It is happening all the time, and in all the old familiar
places.

We remember Milton Erickson for two major contributions to the field of Hypnosis and
Psychotherapy: Utilization and Indirect Suggestion. Although the latter is the subject of
this manual, it would be impossible to ignore Utilization. If Erickson had any theory at all,

5
it was that there was no theory. When asked how he might approach a particular kind of
problem, he almost always responded with a case example. Each client was a new theory.
Erickson found a way to utilize everything the client presented - Janguage, behavior.
beliefs, and attitudes - to guide him in fonnulating suggestions and facilitating therapeutic
goals.

Indirect techniques offer more tools, allowing you to be more effective with more people
more the time. They help create an atmosphere for the client to respond in the way that
is most useful for him. In Erickson's words, "You ought to rely upon the capacity of the
individual patient to furnish you the cues and the infonnation by which to organize your
psychotherapy ... The patient can find a way if you give him the opportunity ... It is the
patient who does the therapy. The therapist oruy furnishes the climate, the weather; that's
all. The patient has to do all the work." He told the follOWing story about how to do
therapy.

I was returning from high school ODe day as a runaway horse with a bridle on sped
past a group of us into a fanner's yard ... I hopped on the horse's back ... took
hold the rein ... headed for the highway. I didn't know what the right direction
was. And the horse trotted and galloped along. Now and then would forget he
was on the highway and start into a field. So I would pull on him a bit and call his
attention to the fact that the highway was where he was supposed to be. And
finally, about four miles from where I bad boarded him, he turned into a
fannyard, and the farmer said, " '" How did you know he should come here?" I
said, "I didn't know ... the horse knew. AIl I did was keep his attention on the
road."

Erickson could be quite direct about pointing a client in the right direction. rest was
up to the client. The natural tendency for many of us is to tell clients what to do. That
does nothing to help the client learn how to respond and make good choices for himself.
And, it lead to frustration and failure if the client isn't especially amenable to
directives and capable of executing them (not too many of us are). As Erickson put it,

6
 HToo many hypnotherapists take you out to dinner and then tell you what to order ... r take
a patient out to dinner and I say, •You give your order. ' "

Erickson wasn't always indirect, of course. In fact, could ruthlessly direct. He just
when he could get away with it and when he couldn't. I remember a colleague of
exclaiming after watching a video presentation of Erickson at work, "I think I'm more
Ericksonian than .. Erickson had such a reputation for being indirect that even
when he was direct, people looked for the hidden message. Jay Haley tells the story about
one of Gregory Bateson's phone conversations with Erickson in early 1950's. The two
-.u ............ awhile, then Bateson hung up the phone and said to Haley, "That man is to
manipulate me to come to San Francisco and have dinner with rum." When Haley asked
what Erickson had said, Bateson replied, "He said, 'Why don't you come to
and have dinner with me?'"

7
 VARIETIES OF INDIRECT SUGGESTION

Indirect suggestion come~ in. m.any forms, far more than I could include here (not to
mention those I'm not aware of yet). Let's look at a few varieties.

Non-verbal Suggestion

It has long been said that therapy begins with the very fust contact with the client, be that
face-to-face, via telephone or in writing. Psychology researcher Albert Mehrabian found
that w~ communic.~.te_ Qn)Y.1 %-.ilL!J!I·.~~~a~w~t.h~c~.?L yerJ,.aJsQntent. The other 93 % is
conveyed in the way the words are said, the context in which they are said, and the
behavior .a~4.bodyJ~n&!lage_ of the person saying them.

Ap atti~.Qe oCc9_nfidence. !~an esse.!l;iaJ~ginnipK. Erickson stated, II A good therapist

should be utterly confident ... I look confident, I act confident, I speak in a confident
way." To get a client to hallucinate..adog, f<g.. e~~ple..l.J~:!ic~Q!Lcou\d be heard asking,
"What color is that dog over there? "..in a way ~t ,0Ile..co~4. b¥d}y consideJ,". th~ possibility,
that the dog might not exist..

Vocal characterist~c§_ sugge~qnor~ .thaI! 4Q. wq!"~: _ Erickson said, "If you want a patient to
feel relaxed, express it in your voice." ,We. can use oU!'~oice as well_~Q_sQace ~Qr:c:ts. jm4

alter intonation sC? ~~_~l~ent',s_~1?-~.C?~cio~s_ separ~~.~~ut_.th~. y~ous phra_S~9..!l_Fant.hiI:n.

to apply directly to himself:. -':!l t!lls way' w~. ~~ .embed a,very _dire~!.__s~gge~~~n...withip_!

~ee~!lg!y- .. _indi!:~~t sta.temen~. "A tiny infant, Mary, really knows how to relax
completely." Even more indirect is the way I used to get my sleepyhead son up for school
in the morning. "You don't have to, Rob, get up now. II Or a similar version, "I bet the
last thlng you want to do is get up now Rob. II ~p.~ksoIJ. was il1s9 kno\YI! .~. mispr..onou,Dl;e .a_
critical word, so the client wo~ld hav~._ 1(LcQ!Tectj~ in. hi§__rnin~LamLtbp~J~peat_ . !t to_
himself.

In addition to a "trance voice, It Erickson used a special "trance chair. II Other contextual
cues such as lighting, music, or ritual suggest certain things as well. ,One way to indirectly '...--~

induce trance is to hypnotize another person in the presence of the intended subject. In the

8
demonstration with Nick and Monde (video produced by Lustig, 1975), Erickson guided
Nick into trance while appearing to work directly with Monde.

Under the label of Neurolinguistic Programming, pacing and leading, with body posture and
movement, breathing eye movements and vocal characteristic~.constitute so~~ of the mpst
powerful indirect techniques.

Paradox and binds

Paradox is a double message or a co$sion of logi.callevels of COrIlD!~.rucatiC!!l. In real life

we may recognize paradox as the old "damned if you de and damned if you don't"
dilenuna. AQQlie~ !h~ra~eu!icall>.'~ however, ~e ~iJ.eInfl.1a l>ecor.tl~.t..:~~ged i(~l!..do an~
chp:p.g~(L!LYQlLAon't. ': The consciQus rnind_jLQY~t\q!Hled with this .i119gi9,l!1 !ogic,
Q~odl!s.tng a,subjective mental §,~~ Qf co~lon. whi~h sets ftl,e cIi~~~ o!-l: a ment~J...§~~h to
finst.s.Qm~~ensible meaninK. It is this pause of confusion that provides the therapeutic
opening for change to occur.

The degree to whi~~ a therapi~t use.s parado~ j~ .!ii!~~r~J~t~4 to _Q1~__degreLQf. potential

r~sjs!a,n~.!he _cli~m cl~~enstrates!. For example, to help an over-achiever let go and
experience hypnosis, one might say. "On ene level trance involves doing nothing. yet I'm
wendering if you could de a good enough jeb of that. II Using carefully chosen plays on
words, Kay Thompson, DDS delivered this paradexical suggestien about inhibition:

Inhibitions are tied up in knots, and we make so many things naughty rather
because they are knotty, and not just plain knots. And we do not know about
the things we know, until it's too late to go back and pick up the pieces of the
ribbon that got tied into the knots we did not know how to unknot. But you
can pick at even the most painful knot, and re-tie it into a beautiful bow that
will bow to the need to know that it was once a knot, but know it is not a knot
now (Thempsen, San Francisco, CA, 1986).

9
Metaphor

Metaphor is the art fOf which !""z\'i~VU was probably most famous. Sometimes did no
more in a therapy session than tell story after story, often to the confusion and frustration
of his clients. "If nothing else," he was known to say, ''I'll bore them inw trance. II

A metaphor can be an analogy ,_~ec~~t~!~~~r:l!_ simile, o!.~_y.e~Jmb£1 or ceremony

creates an experience to drive a hom~. The metaphor might be as simple as, lIyou
know how a raindrop can to a leaf for some time before it ftnally lets go." Or, it
could be as complex as the embedded metaphor structure outlined by Lankton in The
Answer Within, 1983. Indirect language patterns, paradox and binds. confusion, embedded
commands, as well as all the non-verbal aspects of suggestion are the nuts and bolts of
effective metaphor. These are the ingredients that transfonn a mere story a
meaningful piece of therapeutic work. And, of course,
the most ingredients : You will frod numerous examples of such metaphors in the
hypnosis scripts <''''!''Tln .... of this manual.

to
 THE LANGUAGE OF HYPNOSIS

Language is such an integral part our everyday lives that we tend to take for granted the
expressions we use and how we lise them. Yet language is a product of our perceptual,
thinking, and emotional processes. Sometimes referred to as the "mirror of the mind, II

language reflects what is going on inside... It is this internal processing that shapes our
behavior and determines the language we choose to use. This is evident not only with
individuals but with groups as well. We can even see it at the cultural level. For example,
the German language has more words for things than many other languages. The Germans
also invent more things; i.e. they have more patents for inventing things than most other
cultures. The Italian language, however, contains more words for feelings. Look at the
number of artists and musicians who hold their ancestry in Italy.

Words and_ syg~~.I.19U?n1y rev~~i.. they also bav~_ the power to lnflu.ence. _~~age s~ap~~~

internal processing,_ which in tum shapes behavio~ and emotio~. Language presupposes
for the listener how to think. When you speak, you orient the internal processes and
attention of the listener . You influence the other person (yourself, as well) at the levels of
perception and judgment. This influence can be haphazard and accidental, as is too often
the case, or deliberate with the awareness that the words you use do influence. As the
master of power persuasion strategies, Milton Erickson warned, "In any work you are
going to use words to influence the psychological life of an individual today; you are going
to use words to influence his organic life today; you are going to also influence his
psychological and organic life twenty years from now. So you had better know what you
are saying. You had better be willing to reflect upon the words you use, to wonder what
their meanings are and to seek out and understand their many associations. II

When you do hypnosis you are selling. One well-known master of sales said that nothing
happens in this world until somebody sells something to someone else. Whether you are
peddling products and services, promoting an idea or a candidate for office, or trying to
persuade your children to do their homework, you are engaged in the process of selling.
Stated simply, selling is communicating. Successful selling deI!lan~_s a powe~~l kind of _
communication that absorbs a person's full attention, particularly at the emotional leveL
Script for Distraught Parent

Consider the following statements extracted from therapeutic "sales" work with a client
who was feeling like an abysmal failure as a parent and that the world was coming to an
end over her teenage son's early and unexpected marriage to a girl with a child of her own.

There are a variety of ways to respond to a situation .

. -- . ~

/ This is an open-ende~ _ ~uggestion ~_at_~erely pl~ts thej(J.e~)hat¢..ere are other.

~r~~£~ _rn~re healthy, ways to re~l!<?~~ ..

Many times things that at fIrst S~!!l €!isastl"9~ turn out just fine.
An undeniable truth that begins to elicit agreement, as well as plant the idea that
this might not be the end of the world after all.

Can you remember ~ ~e when~t hapJ!e"p'~d?

Building on the previous statement, this question helps focus the client's awareness
on the experience of things working out okay,
5 Gr<;.6J' r / j / V
(..1

Before you can b~~ to accept and aporeciate what's happened with your
.. - ..- 5~ 4 4t!-fr l .J~

son, it might be good to reassure yourself that you did the best you knew how
in providing a back~ound for him.
One of the most powerful forms of communication, the prf!~JlPI!ositil2!LJS a
statement or _~stio!!Jhat ~Iili~~ .Qne idea (yOtt w~l a¢.~t and appreciate w~f ~

happened with your son) ~_Nle QlacingJJ~.~_ focus of attention pD something else (it
might be good to ' . . ,.). Also embedded in this statement are two direct
suggestions (underlined). which can be marked out verbally with a shift in voice
tone.

Now I don't know if you'll be able to accept this all at once or if you'll notice
yourself feeling better about it a little at a time. It may happen rather
suddenly, perhaps it could take another two weeks, or it couId even take you
as long as a month to accept and enjoy your son and his family.

12
 Even though you might find this idea difficult to believe, some part of you
remembers all the ways you I ve tried to be the best parent you could be.
Actually I'm not sure if consciously you have those doubts t while deep down
inside you are sure of your efforts and positive intentions; or if that deeper
part is still searching for that conf'trmation while you consciously begin to
accept and appreciate yourself as a parent.
Playing with conscious-unconscious double binds, these suggestions are also win-
win. Some confusion (maybe you've noticed) is introduced - another powerful
form of indirect suggestion that helps open the pathway for new learning.

And it could just be that the harder this seems to accept now t the more youln
be able to enjoy your son and his family as time goes on~

( Pacing the client's difficu;~ accepting the situation provides a springboard for a
positive polar sll:~~e:~tion:

Script for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A client diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and accompanying facial tic was given
these suggestions.

Diagnostic labels are generalizations that have little to do with you as an

individual. People have been able to significantly alter the course of their dis-
ease. Many spontaneously recover fully.
This series of universal truths elicit a "yes-set" or state of agreement, while
orientinK.the client's ~~~d possibility for self-he~_ipg. Vocal emphasis
on "recover fully" delivers a very direct suggestion.

There are many ways to heal yourself and feel good. There are so many
possibilities for change.
These open-ended suggestions help the client access his repertoire of healing
resources .
 These open-ended suggestions help the client access his repertoire of healing
resources.

I don't know if you would notice the relaxation in your body before you feel
more vital, or if you'd feel more energetic and then experience the quietness
in your muscles; or if you would be able to enjoy both the energy and
relaxation at the same time, now. Would it be that your body learns how to
relax and contract muscles appropriately in a systematic way from your head
and face down to your feet, would it start at the tip of your toes and move up
all the way to the top of your head and then down into your arms and hands,
or would it occur randomly or all at once, wouldn't it now?
These suggestions offer choices, all of which are acceptable. There is no way to
lose here. On another level they imply that the client will learn to relax and feel
more energetic and that these things are happening now.

A little child is full of energy and still knows how to relax completely.
Another universal truth which allows the client to access both resources.
Emphasis on "relax completely" embeds this very useful thought.

It could be this week that you notice those changes in the direction of health
and well-being, or perhaps next week, or it could even take as long as four
weeks before you finally notice how wonderful yOll I re feeling.
The bottom line in this time bind is that changes are occurring and the client will
notice them within four weeks . ~ DoV1J3Lf 8 ilJ)) /J '-',') .. ____
I<J • • , tJ~{C':7(/~/LY -r,"/'-1?

Iyou have no idea how your body can heal itself. It's easy to be discouraged
by past failure, but the resources are still available to make you healthy.
Consciously you might be constrained by memories, yet your unconscious
mind is driven by irnaginationj
These double binds strengthen rapport by pacing the client's perceived limitations. VT7
In the same breath they deliver healthy suggestions at the unconscious leveL () D

14
 The confusion technique again! While appearing to offer choices, it is really
telling [he client to use all resources available.

You're either starting on a path of feeling healthier or getting more out of life.
Will your body learn an appropriate balance of relaxation and energy or just
feel wonderful?
These win-win non-sequiturs appear to offer choice also. This cboice is "do it" rl
(learn an appropriate baJance of relaxation and energy) ~"~i.~e result of ha~~!l..$ J
done it" (feel wonderful). Of course, you can embed a direct suggestion just U

about anywhere.

The older you are, the more youthful you feel. The longer you've struggled
with this problem, the sooner you can solve it. The more drained you feel
now, the more energized you'll be in the future. The more discouraging this
may have seemed to you, the more optimistic you can feel day by day. The
more you've been drained of confidence in the past, the more sure of yourself
you can be now and in the future.
Interspersed throughout conversation or hypnosis session, these statements utilize
the client's struggles to suggest therapeutic change.

Indirect Suggestion as part of Everyday Language

The language patterns Erickson so skillfully demonstrated in his work will not sound new
to you. They are part of everyday interactions. Research shows that as many as 50% of
sentences spoken in the average family interaction contain some type of implied command.
Milton Erickson didn't invent indirect suggestion. Yet he taught us how to use it
purposefully and precisely to achieve specific outcomes, instead of haphazardly, as is often
the case. He knew this type of conununication was an age-old way of managing behavior.
From his childhood days on the family fann in Wisconsin, Erickson remembered his father
asking, "Milton, do you want to feed the chickens ftrst or the hogs?" We call this pattern
the Illusion of Choice. On one level, it appeared that Milton had a choice about what to
do; however, it was clear that he would be feeding the animals. Translated into hypnotic

15
work it might look something like this: I don't know if it will be your right leg or your left
leg that will feel that relaxation first.

It", --is- the- Qrecision

,. - - - -with
-,
which .words
---- are used that makes,.them
.-----.- ... -
~- - -~ -
so powerfully persuasive.
They are at the same time. artfully yague! providing a way to make statements and ask
questions that sound specific as well as meaningful and Y~~3!.~ generalized enough to pace
the listeners experience, no matter what it is. You can make suggestions and plant ideas in
- .. ~----- ., - - '

~':l~~~ay that there is nothing to res~t, ,),.et the listener derives specific meaning best_
suited to his()w~ understanding and ne~~~. Thus you can offer effective guidance and be
persuasive while respecting the processes of the individual .
 WHY WE USE INDIRECT LANGUAGE

No fail

With indirect suggestion everyone succeeds. If you tell you~!ient directly that something
_will happen, and it doesn't~ where do you go from there? There you are with foot-in-
mouth disease. Your credibility is.~!,<JPEin~ rapidly. So too is the client ~§. __ c_onfidence ill
himself to s!l~ceed. I remember only too well listening to some hypnotist tell me, "Your
feet are relaxing, deeply relaxing; your legs are relaxing; your arms are relaxing ... " All
the while I am thinking, "Whoa! Wait for me! My feet haven't even begun to relax yet.
You're way ahead of me." And [mally. I lose heart and give up. With indirect suggestion,
~/
there j~ nothing to fail.. BeiQ.g persuasive ~oes not mean ~t you must get som~one to d~_

what you say. It only means you hold their attention 10DR_ enough for tJl~!TI-.1~f\!.lly /
!I
consider what you suggest. That is the most we can and should hope for. 6

Meet listener I S needs

Indirect suggestio~~~~rtfun~~e... s~ thatJ1:!~_.!ecipient can make hi~ __ .~w~.

LnterpretatioI!. We have to believe that our client's unconscious will make the best choice
of all the options he has. Indirect suggestion offers choice. The outcome is win-win. This
is the most ethical way to offer assistance.

Create experience

Experience is infInitely more powerful than mere words. Indirect suggestioI!J~ads the
~u.~-':l~ _on an internal search to access experi~nc~~~!!c!J·es@rces. When you say, "What is
different about those times when you are able to manage your eating behaviors?" the client
has to get in touch with the experience, no matter how rare, when he is in control of
eating. Virginia Satir taught, "!Vor9s d0!l'tl1.~ve any_e.nergy unless theL~park or trjgg~r I
_~n imagt?: l;Jle word in and of itself has I!.()_th!n~ !lothing. One of the things I keep i!l
tou£h wi!hj~_,_ '.w]1at are ~~_.Y'_~d_s th~! _~igger images for ~ple?' ~gQ~e_follow the
feelin!L9J ~qe__ inlag~.:."

17
Build/maintain rapport

Careful use of indirect suggestion allows you to pace what the client is already doing or
experiencing. Thus having demonstrated that you understand, you are in a much better
position to be understood.

Bypass resistance

With indirect suggestion.1-there is nothing to x~~~t: Nobody is told what to do or what is or

should be happening.

Everyone can respond

Standard susceptibility statistics don't apply here. Hypnotic suggestion is a process of

entraining the natural mind-body processes available to everyone. Carefully worded and
artfully delivered suggestions tailored to the individual and the situation provide that
entrainment.
 I,

A COMPARISON OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SUGGESTION

Take your time to read each pair of statements . It is no secret which is direct and which is
an indirect version . The question is not - do you inunediately respond to one statement
versus the other - but how much are you drawn into the experience of ODe or the other.
Which are you more comfortable with?

You will now go into a deep trance.

Before you let yourself go into a comfortable trance, you might want to think about just
what that means to you.

Your eyes are stuck closed . You cannot open them. In fact the harder you try to open
your eyes, the tighter they stick closed.
It is possible to relax your eyes so completely and so perfectly that the mere thought of
trying to open them would be more effort than you are willing to expend right now.

All tension is leaving your body. You are becoming more and more relaxed.
You can let yourself attend fully to any tension or discomfort you might have, while
another part of you learns how you can be more comfortable now.

You are very very sleepy .

What's it like to come home from a long dayls work and finally get to rest your head on
your pillow?

And you woo't be able to move your head.

Everyone knows that when you pose for your picture you hold your head very still.

19
Your arm will lift up into the air.
And as you sit there you can wonder if your arms will grow heavier or lighter, or will one
arm grow heavier while the other grows lighter?

When I count to 5, you will awaken feeHng wide-awake and alert.

Take as much time as you need in the next 2 minutes of clock time to reorient yourself
fully and open your eyes, now.
I

PATTERNS OF INDIRECT SUGGESTION

Erickson taught, "Suggestions are always given in a fonn that the patient can accept
easily, II Continuing that lesson, Rossi states, "Hypnosis is not a of verbal magic that
can be imposed on patients to them do anything. Hypnotic suggestions are effective
only to the that can activate, block 1 or alter the functioning of natural mental
mechanisms and associations already within the patient. II

PLANTING SEEDS

Erickson ~!l_tro~u_c_e~i~~~~_:LJ~:':'!:~~~'::'~: be would later cul:t:.:i:.:..v:.:.at~e__-==;;.;;;;;.....;=-=-.:.-=-=

first two suggestion are intentionally vague and provide
come.

Truism

simplest fonn of suggestion meets above criteria is the Truism. is a

staltemLent of fact It to either that is haEpening_
rigJ:l! .now that on.~ ca~(lt_ is a statement about~_!l¢v~rsal knowledge or
to ve~H;;f~L" Le. a state of
What ideas you be with each of the following
statements?

People can IJ!ake learnings •.

This can evoke ideas about ..."......,u,~ .... learnings I can make, and if I am working on a
particular problem those learnings are bound to relate to questions I am pondering. We
this kind search an the time to make sense of what tell us. It is
to the fullest in trance. therapist not even know the meaning the

some homework.

21
 lone can never afford to stop learning.

Experience is a great teacher.

You t ve known all along you can dream at night and wake up with a solution.

Actions speak louder than wordsJ

Taken beyond the therapeutic circle:

We all want the most value for our money.

First impressions last a long long time.

Everyone knows the importance of having a reliable car.

There's no denying the value of training.

Just for you: The more you use a skill, the more natural and automatic it becomes,
isn't it now?
Oops, we've added some Hypno-gramrnar. Changing the tense mid-stream might just
be more pointed. Go for it.

§~~l!e_~ __c,ommurucators use_ Ql~se _s~!~meJ1ts Baturally to ,Q@nt idea~ that they intend to
develop in-91Qr~.....Qk~f!~.<1.a.D~~~ific wa~~. 1h~Y..mQ~e~4 . They are preparing the soil
for work they intend to do later.

Open-Ended Suggestion

O~n-ended suggestions are vague and subject to the widest range of interpretation. They
...ll!erely suggest that there are a variety of ways to do or exm:rience something . This ty~ of
su~gestion stimulates individual creativity, It encourages the client to look .~ey-oJl4 his
learned limitations to other Qossibilities. ~ike the truis~_i!...i~ ~sed t~. s:.~~. !de~~ _ tha~you
will continue to nurture.

22
 There are lots of ways to get an education.

There are so many experiences ODe can have.

A person can be resourceful in so many ways.

There are a variety of ways to solve a problem.

Just for you: There are many ways to get your point across.

Your insurance salesman uses open-ended suggestion when he says, "There are many
ways to get protection." Or the pyramid sales promoter who expounds, "There are many
different ways to make money. II

ALL POSSmILITIES OF A CLASS OF RESPONSES

Whereas the open-ended suggestion leaves the field wide open - any response is a valid
relevant one - All Possibili!~s of a Class of Responses restri~ts the response to a nart~

range of desirable possibilitie~ . Within this frame then,_ whatever the cli_e_~t _ ~hooses is
acceptable.

I don I t know if we can cover all of the indirect suggestions in this manual, or
if we III highlight the most interesting ones or the most strategic or the most
confusing ones, or if you 'll find yourself inspired to read more books and
listen to tapes to enbance your learning.

You might be able to use a suggestion like this in your therapy, your business,
communication with friends, or just to convince a friend to enjoy a quiet
dinner at a lovely restaurant with you.

You might be intrigued at how you could go even more comfortably into a
deeper level of trance. Will it be that you will simply allow it to occur, or will
it be that you can let your unconscious mind present you with a

23
 comfortable and carefully chosen thought, or will it be that you float into an
enjoyable dream? J!_ may even ~ that you will go deeper without even
knowing ho~_._~ .~__ you__a~~_ doing it ':1.Q.,-!.

To get hand levitation, Erickson used this suggestion.

Shortly your right hand, or it may be your left band, will begin to lift up, or
it may press down, or it may not move at all; but we will wait to see just
what happens. Maybe the thumb will be first, or you may feel something
happening in your little fmger, but the really important thing is not whether
your hand lifts up or presses down or just remains still; rather, it is your
ability to sense fully whatever feelings may develop in your hand.
-I

To move a client toward experiencing anesthesia. Rossi suggests this.

Now you can notice just where that arm is feeling something and where it is
not. Just where it may tingle or be Dumb or not feel anything at all.

To start selling your training:

Do you need training for all of your employees, just upper management,
middle management, a few key people, or are you not yet sure exactly how
many will benefit?

To move toward a chosen goal, Erickson suggests:

A number of things may develop, some of which I have not mentioned. I

hope you will notice and appreciate them and then fit them into the goal that
you wish to achieve. And rd like to have you interested in the way these
unexpected things can fit into the goal you wish to achieve.

Just for you: 1 don't know if you will use all of these indirect language
patterns, just the most interesting, or the most strategic or simply concentrate on
applying the most useful ones in the moment.

24
CREATING EXPERIENCE

Advice from Erickson: "When do you kiss a pretty girl? When she is ready, not when you
are .,' You wait for that indefinable behavior that she manifests ." You don' t ask a girl for
a kiss, but in her presence you just gaze thoughtfully at the mistletoe, .. She gets the idea
and she starts thinking about the kiss." 1!:e most powerful suggestions are those that
,naturally focus the client's awareness on a target experience.
1
Whatls it like to be completely relaxed? \
To answer this question, the client must access the experience of complete
relaxation. For most of us, this is much easier to do than respond to the
suggestion, "Relax completely ...

Have you been in a trance before?

The client will access a previous trance experience automatically.

Do you know what it I s lik~ to come in from the cold to a warm fIreplace and
feel your fmgers begin to tingle?

How will it feel to own your own borne?

A much more powerful suggestion than, dBuy a house."

Aren It you hungry for a Burger King now?

Advertising spends millions trying to hypnotize the public.

Imagine sinking your teeth into a big, juicy, yellow lemon.

What does a Godiva chocolate taste like when it melts in your mouth?
Gotcha!

Just for you: Can you remember the excitement of learning something new that
you can use right away?

25
EMBEDDED COM:MAND

Since the listener doesn't consciously pick up the direct u ...",,,,,,,,,/;,,, is less likely to resist
You'll want to ,~':-.!~=-----,~:::::'-..!:.':'__";'j:.'J:'~:~'::'
A slight pause just before the intended ~_~5gC;::~TI~'!k-Q.!:J~~~!!!J2!!e!hJ~~,

You can - .........==""""'"'="" - at your own pace.

A person can, San!, relax deeply_

You can take all the time you need to open your eyes now.

Are you ready to ~~U~~1.D!tn!.

Just for you: Do you understand embedded sugrstion?

I bet the last thing you want to do now is study Tim.

In a suggestion that offers more than one option, you might like to mark out a specific
response. Going to the aU possibilities suggestion for selling training, I'd like to
train the whole bunch.

-,
 Do you need training for all your emoloyees. just upper management, middle
management, a few key people, or are you not yet sure just how many will
benefit?

PRESUPPOSITION OR IMPLICATION :1:',.

The common and most

To construct a presupposition. ask yourself. "'What do I want to suggest?

~
"

,i

What can I say or that implies that this is already happening or will happen?"

The Presupposition
has several fOnTIS.

Prepositional "''''..'o.£'o Presuppositions

~----~--~--~~--~~-----

In these examples, the suggestion is implied as a in the prepositional phrase; while

the is on the remainder of statement.

I would like to
'j
, ""

Before you start losing weight, we should consider the a'llC!'.""'" way to do it.

When you're you can do something nice for yourself.

want to know what

When you listen to my tapes, these presuppositions will become even more
dear to you.

27
 After you take out the garbage, let me know what you want for dinner.

Just for you~ While you're learning to use presuppositions effectively, it's
natural to experience some confusion.

The question is not, "Will it occur?" but "When?"

T!te f~~!__
~ing_ y'Qu:.d_o _ when you 20)nto a trance ~ e.lare..ro~~ fe~t _ ~at on the
floor and your hands in your lap. _
Going into trance is a given. Don't resist the temptation to mark the suggestion
out with an Embedded Command.

One thing people want to know when they hire me to do trainin2 is

Another thing they ask is .....

Just for you: The .first thing people do to become adept at using these language
patterns .is to practice using one at a time until it becomes natural.

Rate of Occurrence Presuppositions

Similarly. _the event i~ _ques~~~~ will occur. The fOE-US is o~~ow quickl~. easily,

Don't procf.e d too quickly.

You can lose the weight at a pace that's comfortable for you.

28
 Just for you: Take your time incorporating indirect communication effectively
into your conversations.

Again, the event is

~..::::::~:::::::::::~ which leads to desired change.
\
P.
how powerful these language patterns are?
~--"'-----

~~~:J!~~~~~ just how deeply you are relaxing.

This suggestion combines awareness with rate of occurrence.

I don't know whether you have noticed that your breathing has changed.

How will you be when you feel yourself relaxing deeper?

Just for you: this language pattern

slips out of your mouth at just the right moment.

Continuation Pn:~SU1[)J}(]islti

-'-'--~
relaxing.
This implies that you were relaxing.

And you might wonder what it would be like to groceed to the next level of

,'-"-'u .... " ...... commands can sneak anywhere.

29
 And your unconscious is still learning how you can make that change you~
asked for. ''.4
V
~ (j t? (,f', -'2- .
~,: ff c-ritf All· ~
You can relax even deeper now.,

Your Wlconscious can continue that process of learning all you need to know
to do ...

You can be ready to receive another insight.

Welcome back!
Implies you've been somewhere, in trance for example.

Just for you: And you just keep on learning more useful things, aren't you
now?

Questions as Suggestions

If you want the right answer ask the right question. The moment the therapist opens her
I

mouth she can be contributing to either the problem or to the solution. Consider how many [7
directives you can sliR. into the infonnation gathering stage of therapy. What do the 0

following questions imply?

What do you want to accomplish here~

A different therapist might just as easily ask, "What's the problem?"

How soon do expect it can haRPeD?

Where is it already happening, even a little bit now?

30
How will you know we are on tbe right track?

Who will be the first to notice when you """"'''''-'''-'~~....."..,='''­

Those embedded commands

Who will be the first to notice that Joulre getting slimmer?

~atdidY9u
;I

Instead of anything changer

How will you know things are improving?

How will your life be different when therapy is successful?

What is the most fun you've ever had in your life?

How easily do you go into

How surprised will you be when you ~1..YOO~IU~w!JJl!W~~ll2:!!

Just for you: Which language patterns are you already using naturally?

Just for you: Which language pattern win you add to your repertoire first?

31
 Hypnotherapy is not a linear process - interview, induction, suggestions. C;:arefu~L

j _~~signed interview questions can be extremel.Y.ll!era~~tic. ~t .!!tis sta..ge they're l~

meet .~i!h even .Iess J~.~ls.t~!lce. lJ~c~u~e . ~~_ ~!ie~~ _~.~~~ts_ !4'!!_ y~u ar~ _glerely gathering

I information. The same certainly holds true for other communication contexts .
For example:

\-Vhich chore do you want to get out of the way nrst?

One thing people want to know when they hire me to do trainin(: is how much
I involve the audience.

When you listen to my tapes, these language strategies will become even more
clear to you.

Which tape will you listen to fust?

Ask yourself: What do r want to suggest? What relevant statement can I make o~stion

can I ask that implies this is ~lIea4yJ~a,pp~~2!:.~ill ha~.!.!~

BINDS AND DOUBLE BINDS

.Binds and double binds appear to offer the client a choice o~:Qe. l~v~I L yet on another l~'yel
t!!e client is "bound" to acgpLone of those choices. The "bind" offers two or more
comparable alternatives presumed to be within the client's range of conscious control. The
"double bind II offers possibilities outside the client's usual range of conscious choice and
controL In either case, any choice the client makes will be desirable or therapeutic.
)y'~eth.e~ the.client accepts any of .!by possibilities present~ depends on the strength of the
Jh~~~uti~~~~~_~ionship and the "survival value H of the mess~g~. In other words , sufficient
~~.~t and ra~_r:! _must exist and all.Q!rts of the bind must have ~~}ut:Jor ~~ ~1i~I)J_ (he must
want to cbange). An encyclopedia salesman calls me at dinnertime and says, "I'm going to
be in your area Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Which everring would be more
convenient for me to stop by and show you these terrific books?" r would most likely" say ,
''I'm not interested in having you visit me either evening. Thank you very much. It I am
·1

32
not "bound" to either choice I no need for encyclopedias
furthennore, the salesman has not developed a working relationsrup with me. Erickson
was much more elegant. offered this double bind to a client:

flI know your and mother have been asking you, Jimmy, to quit biting
your nails. They don't seem to know you're a six-year-old boy. And
donlt seem to know that you will naturally quit biting your nails just
before you're seven old. And they really donlt know that! So when
they you to stop biting your nails, just ignore them!"

.'...."'.. '..HH~n'"'''' of and double binds foHow.

Illusion of Choice (Bind of Comparable Alternatives)

You may this bind as the traditional close . . "Will you paying with cash,
check or credit Either way going to buy. Maybe. like
1100 you want to give me a $50 bill or a $100 bill? II parts of bind need to
your interest. way you have to

Shan we do hypnosis in this chair or that one?

Would you like to into a light, medium, or deep trance?

A more convincing version might

I don't know if you could experience a state of hypnosis, or if a medium

would be more appropriate, or if you could really ~~~~~~~~-""--"-=-'-'==
trance right now.
The embedded conunand H U...' ...._ V the trance even more compelling to the
unconscious.

I don't know if you'U smoking one session, or if it will two or

three. Some peopJe actually need as many as four sessions to stop smoking.

33
This is the "time" bind, which indirectly asserts that you will stop in no more than
four sessions.

Erickson also used this version for stopping smoking:

You don't know what day you are going to quit smoking. You don't know
whether it will be the first part of January, the middle of January or the last
part of January; but you are pretty sure it will happen before the 15th of
February and you would give your soul to know the day.

A more generic suggestion for positive change:

I dOQ't know if you'll notice positive changes this week or sometime next
-- .- ._- " --- .- - - -- --
~

week. It could even take as long as three weeks before you realize y~1l:lre
doing someJ~~rtant things differently.

If your unconscious wants you to go into trance, your right hand

will lift up all by itself; otherwise the left one will lift.
Either spontaneous levitation indicates trance.

Just for you: Will you find yourself using more effective communication the
most with your clients, your family, or your friends?

34
Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind

~:::...:~::::::....:::~..:!:~~to the listener because the conscious mind can't account for
The suggestion provides an avenue for educating a
client about the independent nature and wisdom of unconscious mind, while at the same
time the unconscious to get to work. also enhances
Pace what the client already knows or is
'.. --
then lead with the intended for
Double Bind also facilitates the dissociation
necessary for trance development.

Your conscious mind is reading this material, while your unconscious if

figuring out how to use it.

Your conscious knows only a few ways to solve a problem, while the
unconscious can explore infinite possibilities.
~i

times
.,
il

This is a more conversational version. The statement is about conscious

awareness; the .,""'VB.... to that which is ant of awareness, i.e. unconscious.

y.OU.~Y!!Q~ even be aware of the changes you're going thro,!&h.

You probably couldn't say what you're learning right now, could you?

For the salesperson:

You're probably pretty curious yourself about which car/home/computer

you I n end up owning.

Erickson gave this suggestion to reinforce unconscious learning,

35
 ,jlfvour unconscious can learn without letting you know it is learning; at
I

the f}
.{ right time and in the right situation it will shove up into the conscious the I
9\ essential knowledge.
--.

How many times will you do this before you realize exactly how it is that you
did it?

Just for you: Though on one hand YOJi might feel oveTli-'-te!med by all of t~~~!
l!.p:! o(you liU11i.ng really excited about how you're going to use it.

Double Dissociation Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind

If you can say this one without stuttering, you can create one with no problem. ~_ m9re_~

~ornplex {onn of the Conscious-Unconscious D0.!1b1e Bin~, the Double Dissoci_~~.,?n pouble
Bind encourages more dissociation and introduces some confusion. ~s confusi?!1. ~nds to
deQotentiate the learned biases and limi~tions of the conscious mind, allowing the person
.i
more creative freedom and opens new possibi~~.~_.fC:>I._be~v:ior. !he ~~&g~~!~n is __
a_
cOIDI!ound sentence that begins with a ~o~~!,?~- Unco~cio~__pgllble Bind ~_. t!ten
reverses the assignments for the conscious and unco~c::ious ~~~. The formula looks like
this:

~HE CONSCIOUS MIND DOES A, WIDLE'" THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND DOES ;a;
1. ~HE CONSCIOUS MIND DOES :a. WHILE* THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND DOES A.
~Any transition word will suffice.

Your conscious mind is taking careful note of all these language patterns,
while your unconscious is considering all the possibilities to use them in your
work;. or your conscious mind is considering all those possibilities while your
unconscious is carefully making note of each and every one of them.

A more conversational approach may be more palatable to the conscious mind.

 While you're deliberately taking careful notes on all these patterns,
of is enjoying just speculating on all the different possibilities
"-"""U""', or maybe you're just sitting there enjoying the possibilities
on some other level they I re all being recorded neatly.

I use double bind frequently with clients who are "too busy" to rel~.

is doing nothing. I wonder if you could do a good job

you're undoubtedly sitting there thinking of all tbe
doing, yet there's a deeper part of you that can recognize
UUJI12S
17:
. I
. I J
value of a moments of quiet rejuvenation time. Or perhaps it's that part "
, that can systematically organize a way to accomplish all the truly important
Ithings you to do, while you begin to appreciate this quiet space youlre

-
i creating,

careful not to
you now?

'-'u· .....JJ, ..... Dissociation Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind on a

negative note. '-'''''..'''''"'+'''' ..... is a useful Conscious-Unconscious Double
however. the '-'u.....'....~5 Double Dissociative counterpart.

Your Conscious Mind tempted to think only of the failures, whereas

your Unconscious all of your successes.

~;your Conscious tempted to think only of the failures, whereas

your Unconscious Mind of successes; or, perhaps it is
your Conscious Mind that is beginning to recall more and more successes,
,!!hile your Unconscious Mind from your mistakes.

37
 Non-Sequitur Double Bind

One while other

~Undirec.tly. The two parts are related in content, but have no logical connection. The
-:=~"""'=';:""-=;:"';:"::...:;.L;~.....-...:..::~:=-.:.::::.:.=---=-::..-L;l'--'-UL"'" mind's habitual ~g pattern so th~!_

Formula: DIRECT REQUEST + IMPLIED~

I~,·~ (.,fJ-t
sit !J!!ck_~cLr.e.~~_ant:t no~ce..JVhat
-""----
you are experiencing?

You can either learn from this experience or teach it to your children.

You could learn these and many more varieties of indirect suggestion, or
perhaps just find yourself using them in the days and weeks to come.

Let's begin now or use the time constructively.

I"1,,-'r> - -r.L: T f:
;;;..:;.:;~~=-=-==...::;;..;::_::-_-:::: to_go into trance or alter. y~~ consciousness.

Will you exercise regularly or take good care of your body?

I don't know if you 'll actually get that insight or just rmd yourself guided by
it.
This is a useful statement for clients who are fixated on digging through the past.

Just for you: ¥~~can l~_arn al! of these ianglllJge patterns orJ!!!!:!lf1.ps Ju..st jind..
yourself incorporating them effectivel1.. into your work.

APPOSITION OF OPPOSITES

1)le_~QE9§JtioE of 0P22sites ~y_g$ests that two behaviors ar!..m?~.in.8j!1_o~?osite direct.ioD!:.

You that is hapE~~g now and lead ~~~~~ired response. The pace
statement solidifies rapport and provides a springboard to the next of the

38
f

The quieter your mind and body become now, the more energy you have to
learn at that level.

The more you have been in the dark, the more enlightening a learning be.

The heavier your problems seemed as you walked in, the lighter those
solutions can be.

The longer you wait to pick up those solutions, the shorter the can seem.

Just for you: The more complicated these language patterns seem at first, the
more naturally you can find yourself using them as you proceed.

QUOTES

~tl! of it
by attributing it to another pc:rson~

My mother was always after

My friend Larry always said, llDontt carry that excess baggage around with
you."

Just for yOU! I had a wonderful teacher who said, "You can lean this easily
now. "

int~"r~I'\Il>r'~Pli in _a relevant metaphor. This further

 NOT KNOWING - NOT DOING

Likewise the
harder he struggles consciously to solve rus particular dilemma, the longer it may take him.
Trance
_~~~:::"""~:~':,.~,12....Ji!.:::~="-==Q.;..... At this point. solving his problem requires letting go
control and allowing the creativity of the unconscious to find a solution.
_,--,,,,,--.~~~.Q.~_~~p.. relieve the

effort at aU.

You don't even have to Hsten to my voice, ~use your unconscious mind will
hear it clearly.

There is nothing you have to do right now, nothing you have to think about or
respond to. You donlt even have to expect anything in particular.

You don't know how your unconscious is responding to my words.

• I'
Just for you: And you don't even have to concern yourself at all about how .~
1l
you're going to integrate this material. t.
~

Script for 16 year-old Underachiever

Ii
, ,I
.1

Note the variety of indirect suggestions used in this message delivered to a 16 year-old
"under-achiever. II

We need a lot of skills to get along in this world.

Open-ended Suggestion.

Everybody knows the important of doing some practicing.

40
 'I' .
,,1 \; I,
1 I', ,
, ,
I " '\

Truism. especially to a football player.

I bet it I S been a long time since you remember being really interested in
something.
Creating Experience.

And you're probably wondering how you'll ever 2et turned on by this stuff.
Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind. Implication, Embedded Command.
i-·

I don't know if you I II ever want to actually study now or maybe just find
yourself using it later on.
Non-Sequitur Double Bind. Embedded Command.

How would your life be different as a good student?

Creating Experience.

People have different attitudes about learning.

Open-ended Suggestion.

Some, of course, are interested in learning everything. but others pick and
choose. It might be only ODe little thing that you will find of interest here, one
or two subjects in their entirety, just a little part of each, and some subjects
you might not like at all.
All Possibilities.

What subject is easiest for you - Algebra, Englisb, History or Biology?

Illusion of Choice - This could also be framed, "What's the least of the evils . .. II

if the client's attitude toward learning were exceptionaUy negative.

Which subject do you have the least chance of falling?

Presupposition.

41 , ,I
,, :1
~i
What do you want to do after you graduate?
Presupposition.

. ;

42
 1
I
tt
INDIRECT SUGGESTION EXAMPLES FOR .:i;
-
I

TRANCE PHENOMENA . ~ ....

~!
I
-\

ARM LEVITATION

'.

Truisms

Sooner or lat~r you will raise an arm up in the air.

Everyone remembers as a tiny child lifting an arm to put a rattle into the mouth.

Open-ended Suggestions

There are many ways to communicate with the unconscious mind.

A person c_an .~hqw a wiqe variety of movement ~d posture.

All Possibilities

I don't know if it would be your left ann that starts to feel lighter than your right
or your right arm feels heavier than your left or your left arm feels heavier than
your right or your right arm feels lighter than your left or would it just be that
they both feel that heaviness or that lightness at the same time. It really doesn't
matter. What really matters is that you do notice those cbanging sensations in
each of your hands.

Your left hand may feel lighter or perhaps it will be your right hand; one of your
hands may want to lift up toward your face or remain resting in your lap.

.,
43 -Ii:
..
~ "
Creating Experience

Can you feel your arm getting lighter?

What's it like to have helium balloon tied to your wrist and feel it tugging at your
arm?

Isn't it interesting when you're just standing in a swimming pool that your arms
will just naturally want to float up.

I'm sure you are aware of the feeling of having a fly land on your finger and cause
an automatic stimulus and need to move your hand ever so slightly up toward your
face.

Embedded Commands

Would you like to learn how to do ann levitation now?

Your unconscious mind knows how to lift your arm. ":

II
Implication
'i
Before you fInd out if your ann raises all the way up to your face, perhaps it I
would be useful just to focus on the sensations in each of your hands.

I
~
Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind
:'

.
But I doubt you really understand how your arm raises up to your face. I,

Double Dissociation Double Bind

Your conscious mind may not even notice when your unconscious begins to raise
your arm; or perhaps you might be really surprised at how spontaneously and
matter-of-factly your unconscious lets it happen.

44
 r
i "

Illusion of Choice I
Will your right hand or your left hand begin to feel light fust?

Non Sequitur Double Bind

Now will you learn to raise an ann up today or simply enjoy that feeling of
floating in your arm?

Apposition of Opposites

The lighter the left arm becomes, the heavier the right arm may feel.

And the higher you raise your ann the deeper you go into trance.

The more your arm enjoys that lightness, the more the rest of you can appreciate
that comfortable heaviness.

;:
,,'
.,

;,
j;
~ .
:," .

'I .

;'
AGE REGRESSION

Truisms

Everybody has been a child at some point in his/her life.

We were aU young once.

Everyone knows what the world was like at five.

In every culture we start out as children and grow older.

Open-ended Suggestions

People can remember a ..,'.\,., ....1'<, of things from the past.

One can have a variety of memories.

We can travel back in time in our mind in a variety of ways.

All Possibilities
,';

I don't know if you1Il find yourself regressing to a time when you were 5 years
old or perhaps 6 years old. maybe a time before or after 6 or possibly a time
right in between.

Creating Experience

What was it like being a toddler?

What would it be like to go back in time?

It's never too late to feel or think like you did when you were younger.

46
 !

(.

Embedded Commands

You might be curious how far you could go back in time now.

Presupposition

The first thing I'd like you to do before you think back on your past vividly is just
relax.

Illusion of Choice

I don't know if you will recall something during your fifth year or your sixth year.

Conscious-Unconscious Double Bind

;"

The conscious mind wonders why regressing to age 3 is so important, while the
unconscious is already there and working.

Apposition of Opposites

The more you realize you're growing older, the further back into your youth you
can recall.

The more difficult you fmd it to remember what it was like to be age 5. the easier
it will be to experience it.

IDEOMOTOR SIGNALING

Truisms

Everyone has used body movements to communicate feelings about a subject.

The slightest movement can be the most revealing.

Sometimes our bodies twitch or move involuntarily.

47
 before we even have to
think about our resoo:nse

Open-ended Suggestions

People communicate in a variety of ways .

._Some!!!!le!..~e signal our agreement or disagreement without even it.

Sometimes we flush in response to an idea.

We all know that non-verbal communication is more revealing than the words we
use.

All Possibilities

You could indicate II with an involuntary movement of one of your fIngers. a

nod of your head, a movement of your foot, or perhaps you won't even be aware
of how your unconscious responds.

Creating Experience

Have you ever been listening intently to someone talking and found yourself
nodding in agreement or shaking your head "no If?

I wonder if you can think of a time your fingers moved without any
conscious effort on your part.

Presupposition

Before you give your response, let your unconscious mind fully consider the
question.

After your answer, you can tell me your thoughts.

48
Illusion of Choice

It could be the index finger on the hand that will respond, or the same finger
on the Or perhaps you would respond by nodding your head.

Conscious-Unconscious Double Binds

You can consciously think one thing while your unconscious signals something

Your conscious mind may be surprised at what your unconscious has to say.

One part of you may be skeptical about fmgers talking. while another part is
fascinated with the idea.

Double Dissociation Double Bind

Your conscious mind can be curious about what the unconscious thinks about this
issue, or your unconscious can wonder why your conscious mind can't think of an
answer.

Apposition of Opposites

The more difficult it is to think of an answer, the easier it is for the unconscious to
signaL

The less likely it seems that your fingers can talk, the more they will be,

The more unsure you are about what you really think or feel about an the
more your unconscious can

49
TIME DISTORTION

Truisms

People experience passage of time in different ways.

People choices about how to best use time to accomplish things of

importance.

When we pay attention to time, it seems to stretch out. When we ignore it, it
seems to pass quickly.

A watched pot never seems to boil.

flies when we're having fun.

Open Ended Suggestions

We can experience time in a variety of ways.

One can spend time in a variety of ways.

You can fmd a variety of ways to use time to accomplish what needs to be done.

AIl Possibilities

Time can seem to pass by quickly. it can seem to go slowly, or you may not even
notice it at all.

Creating Experience

I wonder what it would be like if you could alter your perception of time at will.

I wonder what it would be like if you could stretch or shorten the passage of time
in order to meet your needs.

50
Illusion of

You could use mind to eX1)arlQ your .........,,;::.,.... or time, or contract your
whichever most meets

Conscious-Unconscious Double Binds

Your conscious might be more focused on how much is left, while your
unconscious is busy using that time

You can focus on making the best use while your unconscious simply
enjoys it.

Double Dissociation Double Binds

You might really be "'.,,,"".. ....,~.rI how much time there is available,
another part of you concentrates on U.'",Z\..LLJ'15 the most of it; or that other part
keep careful track of are busy getting things accomplished.

You can focus on '4""""""""""15 your time, while your playful self "'1"I1,nVC
it; or, your playful time in the most wholesome
smile at the whole T'\.. ..,>I'p.~

51
 UNDERSTANDING SELF-HYPNOSIS
Pre-Session Talk

Most people seem to know more about what hypnosis rather than what it So, let's
first dispel the myths. What is nYonOSlS

Hypnosis is not sleep or unconsciousness:.

It is actually the state right between waking and sleeping, like a bridge connecting the two.
We're all there at least !\Vice day. on our way up in the morning and an our way back
to sleep at night.

You are always in full control, and you are aware of what is going on. Hypnosis helps you
let go of some of that ordinary restrictive control you may normally impose upon yourself.
In that sense, you will never accept any suggestion in hypnosis that you wouldn't ordinarily
approve of. And ... case you're wondering ... NOBODY DOESN'T COME OUT OF
HYPNOSIS!!

Hypnosis is not dangerous.

Hypnosis doesn t do anything to yo.!!:
I

those produced by relaxation, all of which are very good-for you.

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engrossed in a good book or movie, or daydreaming or staring, you are experiencing

Hypnosis. f,
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52
 [mally.

Hypnosis is not magi<; or trickery.

All hypnotic accomplishments are strictly accordance with natural laws. You .~~-,----=--:;.:...::..;;;,....-

pounds by Saturday night.

morning 11le results often do seem miraculous and
magical because they can be so rapid in comparison with other methods.

So, what is Hypnosis~

E2:l~~~~~~~L£Q~~QQ..n. usually ~~~!L.QJ~~~~in. in

that you want it to be receptive to.

saying that "Anything your mind can conceive and believe. you can achieve." The trick is
==-.;:..~ it. That's where hypnosis comes - to help you believe it - to record it in your
subconscious or unconscious mind directly. ~~~L~~~~~~~~~~~~'

1.

Hypnosis works at freeing you up to use more of the

potential you already have. I,

I,

Napoleon said, "Imagination rules the world. tI Einstein said,

It is the preview of life's cOming attractions. II And the degree
to which you can vividly imagine something, the greater impact it will have on you.

that is when you have the greatest amount of

53
I During this session, I will ask you to imagine a goal you want to achieve. Vou may have
something very specific in mind, or you may want to use the session simply to reap the
comforts and benefits of deep physical and mental In that would be
your goaL You may use the session for different things you want to accomplish; however I
suggest that you wait until you to see some accomplishment toward one goal before
you introduce another. This is a learning We might compare it to learning to play
musical instruments. Vou can learn to playas many as you like; however, it makes sense
to get the feel of playing one before you start working on another.

Listen with an attitude of relaxed curiosity and expectation. There's nothing else you need
to do. You have surely tried very hard to achieve what you want at conscious, logical
leveL Now that deeper, more creative part of your mind take over. And all the while
you are learning to accomplish the goals you have you will also be learning the process
of Self-Hypnosis. You will that after a few sessions, you'll be able to fmd that state of
.........."""' ... concentration all by yourself anywhere, anytime you want it.

54
 SELF HYPNOSIS SCRIPT

Orient to Trance

You may already be familiar with the process and experience hypnosis, or perhaps
familiar only at unconscious level. Rather than talk about what you will experience or
what you should experience, I'd like to ask you just to notice what you experience
without having to do anything about that or without having to expect something
special now.

You want to fully hypnosis now, or perhaps to just sit back and
relax and be aware of what you are experiencing, and notice how your experience changes
from moment to moment.

We speak of hypnosis as involving certain alterations in consciousness, certain changes.

And yet there are certain things that do continue in much the same way as usual.
example, your breathing continues; it's something you can depend on. And yet, you might
notice, even as you sit now, listening to me talk. that perhaps your breathing is
slowing down just a bit~ becoming deeper. more maybe even more comfortable,
Your ability to hear voice continues, although it's really not important that you listen to
me consciously. Your unconscious, I know, will pay full attention. It's almost as though
there's an automatic communication. a rapport that's developing between your unconscious
and my unconscious. Sometimes when in a Iecrure or even just listening to radio or
television l'n that I haven't really been paying attention for awhile having my own
thoughts instead. And of course, and very important, your ability to have your own
thoughts does continue. You can use my words only to stimulate your own thoughts
ways that are useful and relevant to you.

And it's alright to have some doubt, and wonder what you can really in a context like
this. In fact, I encourage you to in some way. actively, systematically criticize the
correctness of how you are responding to hypnosis, whlle your unconscious goes about
responding ways that are relevant, uniquely relevant~ to you.

55
Setting the Goal

And just what is it you really do want to learn now? Who doesn't enjoy a fantasy? Isn't
there a part of each of us that really does believe in miracles? Suppose for instance a
miracle really could occur and you could wake up in the surprised delighted
to discover your most pressing concern at this time has suddenly been resolved! Imagine
that! While part you undoubtedly continues to remain skeptical and reality-based, a
more playful part just might enjoy entertaining these ideas for the moment.

What are you doing differently now? See yourself. The problem no longer exists. Your
goal is accomplished. You've got what you want. How does it look to you? What sounds
are you aware of now? How do you hold your body? How are breathing? Moving? And
what if it really were so? You could be inside that miracle ... experiencing it, living
looking out at the world through your own eyes. hearing through your own ears '" the
outside sounds, the inside sounds. your own voice, your own thoughts •.. , and breathing it
. .. moving freely through it ... so real you can taste it ... and memorize all of it now ... as
you become accustomed to it. Relax into

Natural Trance Experiences ),

But before you go into a trance or relax too deeply, I'd like to you to settle back as ,, ,

comfortably as you know how, again without baving to do anything special or having any
special expectations, and yet somehow ... remain expectant. You may have already begun
to experiment with closing your eyes. It doesn't really matter whether your eyes are open
,:
or you do close your eyes now.

And you don't even have to notice how fmnly that surface you're resting on supports your i

body. And the equilibrium created, the perfect balance of your own internal support and
the support being offered by the environment So you can really let yourself be. And
enjoy the back rest of that surface, the seat rest, feet rest. arms still resting at your sides or
on lap. And how nice it would be to have a head rest now.

56
 Those who know me may also know that I have a lot of and .............." and
concentration looking for and learning to experience hypnosis - to experience a trance.
Through all of that searching, I have found trance all the old familiar Not as
something new and different, mysterious, but as something I have always known and
always been able to experience and always deeply enjoyed.

I fInd trance in my early morning walks on the quiet streets of my own neighborhood,
when the sun is beginning to waken the east. and the birds welcome each new day with
song.

I trance in my favorite chair at home, nestled comfortably between the covers of good
book. Hours fly by like The outside world seems to fade off into the distance.
You know there, you can respond to it if need and yet somehow what's inflnitely
more interesting and compelling is what's inside pages of your story. Ws like being
two places at same time, or being here and not being here at the same time.

I fmd trance in the wonderment of Christmas Eve. The in the at midnight

... Silent night) Holy night. All is calm, all is bright. The celebration of the New Year,
the joy of fellowship, of laughter. or party lights colorful balloons.

Balloon Relaxation

.---.
And I remember being a small child, being totany fascinated by balloons, totally
mesmerized by the a banoon filled with heliwn at the end of a string. around
your wrist. The tugging, the buoyancy. Sometimes you could let it go and look and
watch it float up higher and higher until it disappears.

And often times in bed at night, just before you drift off into a restful sleep, it's fun to
pretend your body is a balloon. You could breathe slowly, filling your body with air.
All the way from the end of your toes, into your legs, abdomen, back. And let it an out.
I Almost as if your body could deflate and be so limp and loose, relaxed. And then breathe
in again as if to inflate your feet, legs, abdomen back ... into your stomach, filling up your
lungs, up into your shoulders, down into your anns. And let it aU out. so

51
wonderfully heavy and comfortable. And notice a different quality of the air as you
breathe in -- the air might feel somewhat cooler. And then breathing out -- it feels wann.
And it is as if that wannth could go all through your body. Not only a warmth of
temperature, but also an emotional warmth. contentment, a sort of rounding off of the
edges . And breathe in again, from your toes all the way up to the very top of your head,
inflating your body even more. And letting it all out, deflating, feeling heavy, warm,
relaxed. And as you can imagine, a few of those deep breaths and you could drift off into
a beautiful sleep very easily.

Skiing Metaphor

And I even found trance cross-country skiing with my family last winter through the
beautiful red pine forests of northern Michigan. This was a new experience for us, and a
new friend named Ivan acted as our guide. "There are basically three trails you can take
here," Ivan told us. John opted for the lighter trail to start with, being less sure of his ski
legs. I decided on the middle one, which would take me deeper into the beauty of the
woodlands and has more slopes to enjoy skiing down. Our children, of course, could be
more confident and trusting than that and go straightway for the ultimate experience, the
longer and deeper traiL

"It doesn't matter which one you choose," Ivan told us. "You will enjoy them all. You
might even like to begin on the lighter trail and switch over to a deeper one or begin on the
deeper one and go only as far as you like. And no matter which trail you choose you will
end up back here where you started. There's nowhere else to go. H And though I had
never skied before, you soon discover the process to be much like other things you've
learned to do in your life. Once you get the rhythm, you realize your body already knows
how to do this. And while part of you wonders if another part of you is concerned enough
I"
about whether youlre doing it right, you might fmd yourself moving effortlessly along at !,
.,
,,
whatever speed, in whatever style is most comfortable to you. And you can really just let i"
"I

yourself be now. , ',

And even skiing down the gentle slopes was easier than I thought. Sometimes I would
hesitate. holding on to my ski poles a little tighter than necessary, and then you just realize

58
you have all the skills to do this -- balance, equilibrium. So you can let go and enjoy. All
the while looking down at the deeper valleys below and wonder how far you can really go
down now. Occasionally having to ski up a slope or two, but mostly enjoying the journey
down. Marveling at the beauty, the quiet solitude, the fresh new snow uncontaminated by
street life and traffic and salt trucks, the richness of natural resources . And every now and
then Ivan would ski along beside one of us, as a guide, lending support. And you could
really feel safe and reassured hearing that soothing, comforting, encouraging voice saying,
"That's right, you're doing just fme. That's right, just keep on doing it, just like that."

And you can't help but fantasize as you glide through that wonderland, how delightful it
would be to go down inside yourself like that, and fmd that same peacefulness, beauty,
natural resource; and even perhaps fmd a treasure to bring back with you - a book of
wisdom, a piece of a puzzle you thought you bad lost.

Relaxation Resource

And what more natural resource than to relax this way and go into a deep trance all by
yourself. This relaxation you are experiencing right now is your resource. You have
created it. The ability to create this ' resource is your ability. And while you might wonder I·
i'
how you can accomplish this, your unconscious bas already begun to memorize the process, I
I

memorize the feeling. And you can go into a trance or just relax any time you need or want 1.1
, i
to, at whatever depth, whatever speed, whatever duration of time is relevant to your needs . i ·
r
r,'
All you need to do is remember this experience you've already memorized. j.

i:

And it just might be that the quieter your body and conscious mind, the more energy your
unconscious really has to fmd that treasure, to learn something of utmost importance to you
now. I don't know exactly what words your unconscious need to hear. r can only help
stimulate your unconscious to explore what's meaningful and relevant to you. The things
you learn and do as a result of our time together here is purely a function of your own
needs and abilities. So take these few moments here, as I discontinue talking, to let your
unconscious discover all by itself, something of value to you, while you rest and relax.

59
 Pause

Re-orient

Many times we learn something and put it to use before we even learn we have learned it.
I'm not sure how soon you'll learn what you've learned, whether it will be some time later
today. tomorrow morning. or it may not be until sometime next week that you will notice
yourself responding, behaving differently, and be really pleased about that. And not
forgetting to remember that miracle. And what difference would really make a difference
to you now.

You may be listening to this tape with intent of drifting off to sleep. If so, then you might
just like to do that now. Drift off into a sound, restful, replenishing sleep. knowing you
can awaken at whatever time you have planned, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Or,
you have things to do or places to be now. you may begin to reorient back to your normal \ '

state of awareness. doing so at you own speed, comfortably. Remembering that

experience of comfort, relaxation is yours to take with you, to use whenever you want
and need And like anything else you use on a regular basis, it becomes easier and more
for you. So for now. let that comfortable deepness lighten up, your mind touching
the outer world, enjoying the energy moving through your arms, legs. Your whole body
can light and alive. wide-awake. And take aU the time you need to open your eyes
now.

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 UNDERSTANDING STRESS MANAGElWENT
Pre-Session Talk

Everyday of our lives we are bombarded with ~!r~~'~!..::~~!!Q!~~!J!~~~~~@

You know how that works, Picture a football - spectators sitting on either side of the
field. One of the players scores a touchdown. The people on one side of field all stand
up and Those on the other side moan and groan. Same event, different labels.

You can control what you eat and drink or smoke; you can control your
activity leveL You can learn to manage your time. You can leam to say "No n to things
you donlt really want, and "Yes" to those you do. Yes, you can even control your
emotions and the way you react to situations. You can learn to relax, mentally as well as
physically, mast important, you can the way you feel about yourself.
Granted, some of these sound like monumental tasks; and they can be just that when you're
struggling with them at a conscious, logical leveL With the help of Hypnosis, though, the
job is much easier. Through the process of Hypnosis, you can bypass conscious limitations
and stimulate important learning at the deeper unconscious, creative level where it really
counts.

talk for a moment about the way our bodies and minds respond to stressors. Dr.
Hans Selye been considered the leading authority on Stress. many of study
and Dr. Selye concluded that ~~E-~~~~~~~~:...!!:!£~~U!1Y
By
~~~!YJ~~~~!b...!!Q.l!!:~~W~~~~Q.L. The body will react whether you've
just lost a loved or won the lottery. Even holidays and vacations are stressful. The
heart starts beating faster, blood ....... "'u • ..., rises, adrenAline releases into the blood stream,

61
 J>lood £i£~!ll~tion is reduced to the digestive organs and to the periphery of the body, You
may have cold feet, cold ~lamITlY_~' butterflies in your tummy, short and shallow
_breathing. You're all too familiar with these things, I'm sure. It's what psychologists have
called .the "Fight or Flight" Response. It was a pretty good system in the cave man days.
Back then, faced with a threat. you could fight it out or run away. Either way you got it
out of your system. and things settled back to nonnal. Today's stressors usually don't lend
,.-
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I
l
1he~~lyesJQ .flghting or fleeing. Many of us just stand and "take it"; we store it up. And
that's exactly what happens. This distress builds up and accumulates until eventually it just
has to manifest itself some way. Stress build-up attacks the immune system, so it affects us
wherever we are most vulnerable: some may have ulcers. others - heart problems,
headaches, asthma, cancer, emotional and mental disturbances, just to name a few. J!.!:,.
_ may see it in our behavior - like over-eating, under-eating, smoking, drinking, drugs, ,, 1..
• 1~
,,: I
aFessiveness, and so on. And, as you may know, these things themselves are stressors, '1 .
. I, ~ .

":! '
,which feed back into the system, and the vicious cycle goes on. I
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Fortunately. r~laxation can also accumulate in your system and have the effect of undoing
the effects of distres§. The exact opposite of the Fight or Flight Response is what Dr.
: i! I
.1: Ii
:; I:
Herbert Benson has termed the Relaxation Response. As you learn to relax with hypnosis,
...you will also have an opportunity to create for yourself a mental getaway, a""private place in
your mind where you can go any time you need to relax, to sort things out, to be creative,
to get insight, fInd answers - even to promote bealing for your mind and body. You will
also learn how to let go of old ideas and beliefs, memories and emotions that no longer
serve you well. Most important, you will learn to love and appreciate yourself. Your self-
perception is your strongest stress management tool.

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62
 STRESSMANAGEMENTSC~

Relaxation and Control

Hypnosis, or Trance, is a process of holding on and letting go. A raindrop may cling to a
leaf for some time before it's ready to let There may be some tension you need to hold
on to for awhile. I'd like to encourage you to let your conscious mind attend fully to any
of that tension or discomfort that you may be feeling while your unconscious learns how to
let yourself be more comfortable now. Trance, on one level, is doing nothing. And I
wonder you could do a good enough job of that. It's too that you stay
control. The interesting thing about Control is that the more you can let go of some of the
ordinary restrictive control that you might have imposed upon yourself. the more you gain
Control at a much deeper level, Control that gives you the freedom now to accept some
ideas that you really want to accept ... the freedom for example to accept the idea that you
can relax and feel balanced and centered .,. or accept the idea that you can learn something
important now.

Learning
i It
:!

We've known aB along it's easier to learn in a relaxed state. And what nicer way to relax
than to go into a trance. of us knows how to dream. We do that four or five times '!
every oight. it interesting how you can drift off into a deep wake up later
and realize that you've dreamed something of great importance to yourself? Sometimes you
remember the dream vividly. sometimes only partially, and other times your conscious r! ,
," ,
I
mind has no idea what the unconscious is doing and learning. And yet you know you've '

learned so many things. At a very young age you learned to add two numbers together: 5
and 5 make 10, 4 and 6 make 10, 3 and 7 make 10, 2 and 8 10, 1 and 9 make 10
. .. so many ways to get the same thing. And then you learned to add bigger numbers and
then to add more numbers together. All the while building a foundation of understanding
to continue learning more and more. And you learned how to subtract, to get of what
you don't need. Soon you could multiply numbers together - Multiplication being a
speedier way of putting things together. And then Division - an even faster way to get rid
of what you don't want.

63
Absorption - Relaxation

For everything there is a season. There is a time to hold on and a time to let go. I always
like to spend time in Michigan in late October just to enjoy the beauty of the trees as their
leaves change their colors and prepare to let go from their branches in order to make room
for fresh new growth in the Spring. The brilliant reds, oranges, yellows ... a few still
green ... the pale blue sky above ... like all the colors of the rainbow. How fascinating
that you can take Black, the absence of all color, and White, the presence of all color, and
put them together to get that whole Rainbow of colors. You could think you have nothing
at all and go looking for everything at once, or remember that there is that whole spectrum
in between.

Objectivity

And you can be totally absorbed just watching a caterpillar on a leaf. What's it like to be a
caterpillar, to rest comfortably upon a leaf, and take nourishment from that leaf, high up in
a tree? To look down upon the rest of the forest, to see all around. And everything would
I. :
I '

look so much smaller. All the animals scurrying around, seeming so busy, so much in a I: .
I i
hUrry. You want to just tell them. "Slow down, you move too fast. You gotta make the I, i
mornin' last ... " the voice of Simon and Garfunckle ... "Kickin' down those cobble l:i
i, ' . ~
I :
stones. Lookin ' for fun ... and feelint groovy. n And all the pathways through the woods,
like a maze. You could see them all - where they start, where they end, where they meet. ill
.! 'I
And how many different ways there really are to get from one place to another. All those ,:;( III
" I

i
natural resources that might be hidden from view when you're down on the ground :;
j

i!
yourself. :!

Letting go

Sooner or later it will be time for your leaf to let go from your tree. And you can float
gently down upon the soft breeze, riding it easily - a gentle see---saw---rock---ing--
kind of motion---as you float down---down--continuing to drift easily and comfortably
all the way down. And you don't even have to notice how nicely that leaf supports your

64

I
body. I don' ( know if you'd feel very light, almost weightless. as you continue to float, or
if it would a kind of comfortable heaviness as you drift further and further down, or a
soothing warmth, or if it might be that you're not aware of the feeling of your body at aU
as you relax: now.

Time

You have aU the time you need. is a paradox. You might think you never have
enough or you have too much time. but we each have all time there is. And
right now is your time. Nothing else you have to now, nothing you have to think
about or attend to, except your comfort.

Goal Setting

Before you all the way down and your leaf comes softly to rest upon you
might wonder where you're going next. Whkh of those many pathways will you want to
You might remember that Alice in Wonderland came to a point the woods where
there were so many different ways to go. uWhich way should I go, It she asked the
Cheshire Cat. "Where are you going?" the cat asked back. til don't know," said Alice.
matter which way you go then," was the Cat's reply.

Inner Space

Now when a caterpillar is ready to move on. it crawls onto a bush and begins to spin a
cocoon, You have to take that time to go inside yourself and prepare for that next step. I
wonder what it's like to nestle comfortably and easily in that cocoon - sort of like being
somewhere the middle of Nowhere. here and not at the same time. In the
Middle of Nowhere you can let go of doubt, of worry, of demands, or pressures.
Your unconscious knows exactly how to take you there. There's nothing you need to do.
You don't even have to notice that total balance, that equilibrium. that your unconscious
can create with your own internal support and the support being offered by your
environment. There is no one to question, criticize, evaluate or judge you here. No one to
intrude upon your comfort and your freedom. There is no need to go in any direction or

65
do anything in particular. Yet you are free to do anything at all. From private and
protected space you can see for miles and years in any direction. All the wisdom. the
answers and solutions, all the pieces of the puzzle come together like waking from a
Y L v ........ and things that were so muddled and tangled seem so clear now. Here in the Middle
of Nowhere you can be everywhere at once. You might like to look behind you and
remember a joyous time from your childhood, something special you had forgotten about.
And really appreciate and love that child, just as you are, Or be out in front of you and set
up your future, as a crew might set the stage for a play. Or you could simple BE ...
present in the present. And give yourself that present of savoring the present.

As you know now, when the caterpillar comes out, a transfonnation has taken place. It
leaves that cocoon behind, and emerges as a bright, beautiful Butterfly, sporting all the
colors of the Rainbow. You've got to know when its time to let go of what you no longer
need to gain that new freedom. A Butterfly can fly high above the trees, from one tree to
another '" with such ease of movement, such flexibility .. , can look at life from so many ';' ,
, r

different perspectives, And of course, you can spin a cocoon at any time, to do anything
you want or nothing at all. at any place, in the Middle of Nowhere. ,II,
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66
Trust in self

Learning is like planting a seed in a garden. You know you can put that seed into the
ground, cover it with soil, and provide it with water and sunlight. From that point on,
however, there really isn't much else you can do, except perhaps continually pull away the
weeds that might choke its growth. But you can't sit there and tell it how to grow. What
on earth would you tell it? You don't know. You can't dig it up and check on it every
day. That would certainly disrurb the process. All you can do is trust the wisdom of that
seed to take nourishment from the environment, at the right time, to germinate, to take
root. And one day you'll look out and see results. That seedling poking its head above
the ground. And you'll know that some very important work has been going on beneath
the surface all along. And that work will continue. Those roots will spread, take firmer
hold, as your plant grows stronger, each day more able to hold its own and withstand the
elements. Likewise, your unconscious will continue to work and learn for you long after
these seeds have been planted in this session.

Re-orient

If your intent is to drift off to sleep after listening to this tape, then you may allow that to
happen now, and awaken at whatever time you have planned ... knowing that you have
rested well, feeling refreshed and renewed and full of vibrant energy. And, if you have
other things to attend to now, then now is the time to rejoin the rest of your interactive
world, letting that comfortable deepness lighten up, any feelings of heaviness or drowsiness
draining from you, the relaxation and comfort remaining. Wondering if you'll be able to
see a bit more clearly when you open your eyes, hear with new understanding, and feel
more of the peace and tranquility that is rightfully yours . Take all the time you need now,
in the next 60 seconds of clock time, to re-orient fully.

67
 UNDERSTANDING WEIGHT MANAGEl\fENT
Pre-Session Talk

You are the "'v~.~_ at losing weight. You1ve read all the books. You could probably write
one yourself. You know all the diets; you know all about nutrition and exercise. Then,
why has it been such a struggle taking off weight or keeping it off once you I ve worked so
hard to take it off?

It may be that you are an expert at a logical rational level. Yet, habits and behaviors don' t
usually respond to logic and common sense. They operate at the unconscious level
of mind. Lets talk about this unconscious for a moment. At this level you have had a
perceived need to overeat or maintain excess weight, or you simply wouldn't have been
doing it. Perhaps overeating was a way of reducing boredom; it distracted you from things
that caused you anxiety; perhaps it momentarily lifted feelings of depression or
unhappiness; maybe it was a way to relax, to heal an emotional bruise, or reward yourself,
or celebrate. And don't forget - a sin to waste food when people in Ethiopia and China
are starving!

A few years ago a well-known psychologist did a study on day-to-day situations that caused
,I
people the most anxiety, The study resulted in a list of the top 10 day-to-day. on-going ,
• i
.
hassles people considered most stressfuL Would you believe that at the very top of this list .i
J

- the number 1 anxiety producing "thing" for middle classed Americans was concern aboy!

It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? You want to live up to the AU-American slender So
you go on a diet. On the diet you are obsessed with the thought of eating, the very thing
you want to relax and thlnk less about. From the frrst thing in the morning .- what can I
eat, what can't I eat. when can I eat, when canlt I eat, how much can I eat, how much
can't I eat ... until the end of the day when you finally drift off to sleep with your last
thought probably being. of course, food. And whatever you dwell on before you go to
sleep is most likely what you'll dream about all night. Who knows. maybe you even sleep
walk to the cookie jar. Then morning comes and it starts aU over again.

68
Dieting is a constant reminder of being overweight, that you have a "weight problem". that
you're different from "normal" people. You are constantly depriving yourself of
something you really want. So you create more stress to compound the stress that might
have caused you to overeat in the flrst place. You eventually break down - eat something
you wish you hadn't (it momentarily eases the tension) - but then comes the guilt, the
failure - more anxiety. more tension - and the cycle goes on and on.

This weight management program does not prescribe a diet; it does not tell you what to eat
or what to not eat. It doesn't even work on developing will power. It does help you think
and feel like a successful healthy and slender person. By relaxing and focusing your
mental energy on what you really want, you develop more confidence, greater self-
appreciation and a compelling desire to feel and look your very best. You will learn to be
more aware of your body's true needs for optimum health and well being, so that your
eating and activity habits begin to automatically align themselves to meet those needs.

Every suggestion has been carefully chosen, each word handpicked for your maximum
learning and benefit. The changes you experience may be very subtle, very dramatic or
somewhere in between.

69
 WEIGHT .MANAGEl\1ENT SCRIPT

Orient to Trance

The flrst thing people do when they go into a trance is find a comfortable place to sit or lie
down - someplace where you're not likely to be disturbed for awhile. There are many
things to notice as you settle in to rest here, and yet none of them have anything at all to do
with your purpose for being here. What could be infinitely more interesting and important
to you right now is what's going on inside - feelings, sensations, images, thoughts -- there
could even be some tension or apprehension. And perhaps you'll let your conscious mind
attend fully to any tension or discomfort you may have, while your unconscious learns how
to make you more comfortable.

Conscious-Unconscious Dissociation

Now your conscious mind has nothing of great importance to do for the next several
minutes. I know you've struggled and worked very hard with such a weighty problem
Now might just be a good time to turn that over to your unconscious mind. which
available to you all of your experience, all of your learning, all of your strengths
resources. Your conscious mind can do whatever it wants to do now daydream, drift off
to places more pleasant than this one, sleep, or it may be curious and want to listen, and
that's okay too. And while you're wondering how you could ever solve such a heavy
problem, your unconscious mind has already begun the process of learning all that you
need to know to allow yourself to achieve maintain your ideal body weight and size,
and to do that in a way that's appropriate and satisfying to you as total personality. , I

We've known an along it's easier to learn in a relaxed state. what better way to relax
than to go into a trance. Some people say trance is like diving into a swimming pool --
floating out onto surface, feeling the support of the water beneath your body. And if
you really take a deep breath, you can float. In fact, it might just be that the heavier you
are, the lighter you float. Of course, anyone can go beneath the surface. We learned that
as a child. Just let all the an: out and before you go down deeper. close your eyes. And
when you're ready, come up and take a deep breath and float again.

70
I nH\ .... rt'· .. noticed that llV ......""U, .... since I've been talking and you've
listening, how your breathing Its nice to know your body knows how to
for you - you don't even that Your body knows just how
much air to breathe in, how long to hold it, it go, and just when to start
all over again. In much the same way your body knows just
it needs to take in, how to process nSlunc:m, how to eliminate
and of course, when to start that all over again. Your body so
many processes for you with complete accuracy and precision - the process of
circulation, all the honnonal cycles$ even the process of relaxation.

What's it like to be completely Every body knows how to relax. Every infant
comes into the world with to relax completely. A tiny baby can relax in
unfamiliar surroundings. A can relax in bright light, in noisy. busy places, When the
is right and its aDt)fQOrIate so now. a little baby can close tune out the
outside world, and go to safety. security and comfort that is

Absorption

Each of us has our own way of being able to absorbed

something interesting and faSCinating. Sometimes it's just nice to the covers
of a good book. isn't it interesting how the words, paragraphs unfold into
characters, fantasies. And it's almost as if you step into a different
reality. And as doing that, hours might seem to by minutes, the outside
world distance ~ you know its there, you know you can respond to it
that were nec:essary moment there's more compelling inside -- your
story. Some being here and not or like being in two places
at the same

71
Learning

I just fInished learning to play a piece of music that had some very complicated fingering.
For awhile all I could think: about was getting the fingers on the right keys. It was too much
to think about the timing, the ritards, the crescendos. the expression of the music. It
wasn't flowing smoothly at all. Yet another part of me was putting it all together neatly
while I seemed to be ftxated on one thing at a time. because now its deJightful to just sit
back and enjoy watching and listening to your fmgers make that beautiful music all by
themselves -- one hand not knowing what the other hand is doing - one playing above the
other> one playing below the oilier - sometimes crossing over --and the music just flowing
beautifully.

Weight Management Metaphor

time I play the piano, I remember the piano that belongs to Joann, a dear clilldhood
friend of mine. res a Steinway upright that's been in her family for some time. As Joann
put it, it's been around as long as you have. I can remember when we were kids and that
piano was her mother's house. They were so proud of it. It was the center of attraction
their living room. And Joann especially was so happy to have that piano. She dusted it
every day. Her mother taught her how to polish its wood and it really shine.
And Joann or her mom would polish it every Saturday. They made sure the keys were
always clean and had it tuned regularly, That piano always stood so straight and talL
You I d think it was pretty pleased with itself too.

But I guess a family piano can take a lot of beating, as you may know. All the kids taking
lessons on it, things would get spilled, it was easy to dump things on it, and it got nicked
and scratched. Joann's mom had a lot to do and soon found it easier to just slap a coat of
paint on the piano every couple of years to cover the bruises; rather than ,. take the time
for the tender loving care that's really deserved. Can you imagine slopping paint on such a
instrument!

Well, not only did Joann inherit the family piano. but it seems she also inherited some of
Mom's habits as well. Joann was a busy person too. Her children allleamed on that piano

72
and it took more and more wear and tear. And so as time went on. more and more layers
of paint accwnulated on the poor piano. Eventually it was no longer standing so straight
and tall, but rather tired looking and drooped. It didn't get tuned near as often, and its
sound had lost its crispness. Its action had become sluggish. Oh, it was OK - didn't look
bad, didn't sound that bad either - but it just wasn't the same.

Just recently Joann said to "I know that underneath all those layers of awful paint, that
beautiful piano is still there. Its smooth lines, natural wood with such lovely grain. All the
beautiful music is still inside wanting desperately to come out. But getting down to it
seems like such a lot of work. A big job like that - makes you wonder if you can stick with
it to the end. It's a big commitment, a decision you have to make.

Compelling Future

We come to so many decision points our lives, like forks in the road where you have to
stop and be sure of your direction before you proceed. Its as though you could look in one
direction see one destination, then look the other direction and see a very different
end point. You could look down that road that branches left and see ahead in time, like
you might do in a daydream, for example. Imagine you could project yourself a whole
year into the future. See yourself and pretend you have continued your life in much the
same way as usual during that past year. Take a good look at yourself, the shape of your
body. the way you carry yourself, the expression on your face, the way you move about.
And pretend further that you could step inside yourself and look out at the world through
your own And you know what it feels like to be in this body. Things haven't ,j
changed much - just a little older. And what are you saying to yourself? From that
position, you can look back at the YOU relaxing the present. Perhaps there s
I

something you'd like to say.

But that's only one direction you can Standing back at that fork in the road, looking
ahead and toward the right, there's a different future for you. Once again, projecting
yourself one ahead, there you are, and you've really done some things differently.
body is finn and toned. You're standing straight and taU, your face radiant and
glowing with health. You've always wanted to that way too, haven't you? Step

73
inside this YOU and enjoy the difference. Move around in this slender, healthy body.
Notice how you feel. And what are you saying to yourself now? As you look back at the
YOU relaxing here in the present, is there something you want to express? it worth it?

will always be those decisions. There will always be the forks in the road. The
decision is easy, It just depends on where you want to go -left or right... that's right. You
can make the right decision, knowing wbatls left. Just remember to look ahead - right to
you want to go.

Resource of Forgetting

It's impossible to remember everything. Everyone forgets at some time or another. You
can forget another person) s name or perhaps you can forget an appointment, or you can
become so involved what you1re doing you forget how much time bas passed. Forgetting
can be a nuisance or a valuable resource. I'm not sure how you might use it. Whether you
might forget to remember to eat something you don't need, or if you would remember to
forget to what you really don't need, or if you might not forget to overeat just enough
to be healthy and slender - to reach and maintain your ideal body weight and size.

Set Point

And what is the ideal body weight. often caned the Set Point - the weight at which you
function best. For each of us and at different times there is an ideal room temperature at
which we are most comfortable, at which we function most effectively and efficiently. I
don't know what that temperature is for you, yet you can set your own thermostat at that
ideal temperature, and anow the wisdom of your internal heating and cooling system to
regulate your environment for you. Imagine setting your own Set Point to "IDEAL" and
allow your body to regulate your metabolism, your tastes and cravings for food or drink or
anything you put into your system, and to regulate your activity level to achieve and
maintain the weight that is most healthy for you.

74
Exercise - "Playout"

So many things we might forget, yet most of us remember the fun times of being a child.
The highlight of your day is going out to play. Running and laughing, always on the go,
always moving, stretching, pulling, bending, jumping ... skipping rope or riding a bicycle,
or hopscotch ... playing ball or maybe even swimming. Having too much fun to come in
to eat. What's it like to be a child? So much pleasure using your body. feeling your body
active and moving every single day ... healthy and vibrant _" loving that Play Out. Can't
wait for recess - to play out.

Link Resources

You're probably wondering what Joann ever did about her Steinway piano. She kept
thinking more and more about it, remembering how it once stood so straight, so proud, and
when she'd talk about it, I would say, "Just imagine how it could look in your home,
Joann, stripped down to its natural loveliness. those sleek lines." And Joann thought about
how much work that might be, getting that paint off, but the image just wouldn't go away.
"It's worth it!" It is worth it, she fmalty decided. "Actually if you spend just a little time
each day it'll be off before you know it." I said. "Go for it." And you know, she did.
I .
:'
That piano is just as beautiful as ever. It stands straight and tall, looking pretty pleased with
itself once again. And it plays exquisitely now - those beautiful crisp tones. There's a lot
of music left in that Steinway. And Joann is so proud of herself. It's worth it. It's really
worth it.

And it's funny, every time I hear someone play that piano, I could swear I hear a lovely
!.
voice singing along, "I'm worth it, I'm worth it." And I think to myself, "Yeah, you're "

right. You're absolutely right. You're worth it. You are worth it."

Amnesia

You know you can eat a nourishing meal and then move on to other things, not having to
be concerned at all about how the proteins, the fats, the carbohydrates will be digested, or
how the vitamins and minerals will be distributed. You can leave all that to your

75
unconscious. Likewise you can have this session and move onto other things, not having to
be concerned with whether you've been in a trance or how soon you'll know this is
working " trusting your unconscious to process these new learnings and continue learning
all that you need to know to let yourself feel and look your best.

Re-orient

Now, if you've decided that you want to drift off to sleep after listening to this tape, you
may do that now, and awaken whenever you have planned. you have things to do you
may want to begin to reorient yourself now. Come back to your normal everyday
awareness, with a sense of refreshment, feeling energy flowing through your body. Any
feelings of heaviness draining from your body, the relaxation and comfort remaining.
Taking all the time you need to be fully aware now.

I
,II

II
, I

76
 BECOMING A NON-SMOKER
Pre-Session Talk

Congratulations on decision to a non-smoker. Smoking is this nation's greatest

health hazard, it is the most preventable cause of premature death, illness and
disability. Nicotine is a psychoactive drug, which can act both as a central nervous system
stimulant and depressant. But, my purpose is not to convince you to smoking.
know the know the statistics; you know it is That's why you are
here.

My purpose is rather to help you believe you can be a nOD-smoker, to help you access your
own resources strengths, to assist you in finding a motivation to give up
smoking, to you learn how relax and deal with the stressors that have
",,,,U,,,",u you to think: you needed to smoke.

Contrary to what we may believe logically, .;)il.JV.t\.JLll.5 has made sense to you at some level
of thinking, or you wouldn't have been doing It served some perceived positive
function for you. You mayor may not know what this is at a conscious, rational level and
that really doesn't What matter is through a process of relaxation and
focused concentration, which we can call hypnosis, you can empower your creative mind to
fmd more appropriate, and even more effective, ways to meet need for

ftrst step is to be very about what you gain by being anon-smoker. What is
the real pay-off you? Before you the obvious things, think: seriously about what
bothered you most about smoking. Were you short of breath? Did smoking with
your ability to do certain things? Did it annoy you to money for cigarettes? Did you
the taste your mouth? Did you hate the thought of having the smell smoke on
your breath, your hands, or your clothing; or your car, home, or your office? Were you
concerned about your children, the example you set, the safety aspect? Or was it the lack
of freedom, wasted how long you'd Really think about this • be
specific - what you hate most about smoking ... and what would you like to have
instead as a non·smoker. What will you gain? Get a clear picture it in your mind. See
yourself as winner. a full internal experience for yourself. do you see

77
now? What do you hear? What are you saying to yourself? Now, pull that experience all
around you so you I re inside it, looking out through your own eyes. feeling it. fully
experiencing it. This is your compelling motivation. This is what you really want. This
is what you can only have by being a non-smoker. This is what makes you feel much more
like than smoking.

Now, as a constant reminder of what it is you really want and the commitment you are
making to yourself, 1'd like you to do something. Get a small index: card. You may even
want to cut it in half so it's very convenient to keep with you. On one side, write: I
became a healtby non-smoker on (write today's date), and sign your
name - your signature. On the reverse side of the card, write this: Being a non-smoker
gives or allows me to, (whichever is more appropriate), and then write in what you
are gaining. Any time the thought of smoking dares cross your mind, pull out this card and
read both sides. Take a couple of nice deep breaths and remember your commitment to
yourself and what it is you really want.

Hypnosis is a very comfortable state of relaxation and concentration. This is the optimum
state for learning at the creative, often called "unconscious II level. There is nothing you
have to do but back comfortably and listen enjoy. After a while, you don't even
have to listen. Your unconscious will do the work for you.

78
 STOP SMOKING SCRIPT

Orient to Trance

Perhaps you've been a trance before, and you know what that's like. That it's as easy
and natural as daydreaming, something we all do, many times in a day. a long
walk:, making love. Or. driving across a seemingly endless highway. More often than not,
1'11 in may car to go to a place that I work, which is about an hour away in the next
state, and not consciously remember anything that transpired between the time I pulled out
of my driveway and into the lot of my destination. And yet I know I stopped at all
of the stop lights, drove at the proper speed, made all correct turns, and responded
appropriately to everyone else on the higbway. Isn't it reassuring to know that there's a
part you that can get you safely one state to another and you don't have to pay
attention at all?

Now as you prepare to go into this trance, know that you are free to make any adjustments
at any time to facilitate your comfort and your well being. I don't know if it would be
for to experience a light state of trance, or maybe a medium state would be better. or if
you really could experience a very deep trance now. You and I could wonder about that
for a long time, yet your unconscious has undoubtedly already decided and begun the
journey for you.

Absorption

To me trance is like listening to music. One of the things I like most to do is go to

symphony at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. you enter the hall, it's ahnost like you could
step into a different reality. Hundreds of people taking seats. An enonnous amount
of activity, some confusion. Too many voices talking all at once. Dozens of different
instruments tuning themselves - sound so discordant you wonder how they all will blend
together bannoniously. Very soon then a hush comes over that magnificent concert hall.
As the lights begin to dim. all attention is focused toward the center stage. A of
anticipation, knowing something very special is about to happen. It's what you're here for.
After a certain amount of introduction. that solitary moment of silence before the music

79
begins to fill the room. And even with so many people around on the outside, and so many
choices about where you could attend. there's the sensation of being ail alone with
yourself. The music can fill your whole being, and carry you off to other places that have
special meaning. And it's to close your eyes, relax, and just enjoy that for awhile.

Learning

You've featly learned so much. Think about the fact that you learned to read. You know
how to take 26 symbols, a code that you had to break order to make sense out of it. You
know how to rearrange those symbols into hundreds. thousands, maybe even hundreds of
thousands of different meaningful and useful combinations. At one time a b and a d and a
p and a q were confusing. because they're exactly same thing with a different position
space. You learned how to figure out difference, and you were able to do it
creatively. You can look at a word you've never seen before if it a reasonable,
sensible combination of those 26 symbols, you can pronounce it. Not only that, if it's
surrounded by enough other words that you already know. you can figure out the meaning.
Have you ever thought about the power of the creative ability you have!

Resources

Sometimes it's easy to forget about that. Just like you might forget where you put
something important you're looking for. Or forget a friend's birthday. or an appointment.
Last week I had a lunch appointment with a salesperson I really didn't want to spend time
with. I had reluctantly agreed to meet this person, and wished that I could gracefully
cancel out. This was really going to interfere with what I want to accomplish for myself
that day. That morning I go so involved in doing some writing that before I knew it, it was
3 0 t clock and I had missed that appointment after aIL All you can really do in a situation
like that is thank that part of you that remembers how to forget creatively and just wonder
I

what else you could forget to remember that would be usefuL You could go into a room to
get something, fmd something interesting to do that room and completely forget what
you went there for originallY. Or it just might be that the thought of smoking enters your
mind and before you know it your mind is occupied with something else instead, something
more positive and constructive that you want to do.

80
And you know how to just as you are now. You know how to take 3 breath
aDt)re(::131te how good that feels. Relaxation is your resource. tiny infants we've aU
come into the world with ability to relax completely, even with confusion and chaos
going on about us. you have re-created this relaxation, which you might have
forgotten about, just now ... when you can a deep breath concentrate aU of your
energy on the feeling of well being. Any time you feel or tension of any
degree, any time the thought of smoking enters your mind. you might be pleased to
discover that your unconscious remembers to that deep breath that lets you feel
centered, balanced, relaxed and in controL

Reframe Old to Smoke

At a rational level it's bard understand why part of you has ever needed to smoke. You
have so many logical reasons to let go of it now. What was the positive intention behind
your At some time in your life. a younger you really did have a good reason to
smoke. I'm not quite sure just how young you were when you took that first one, the
one that eventually led you to make a habit of Younger than 30, than
20, younger 15, or even younger than that. Your unconscious remembers it vividly.
As you look back now at that younger you, perhaps you can understand what was so
important about smoking then. And really appreciate that younger you for doing the best
you could the experience, the knowledge you had then. But isn't it interesting to look
back on that through eyes that are more experienced now, through eyes that are more
mature, more educated, and realize you have so many more now, so many
more appropriate ways of getting what you that you didn't realize then.
things you can handle now, that you couldn't handle then with the experience you had.
You've done so much and there is so much that you've outgrown -- the clothing
you've given for outfits that are more fitting. games, the activities you I ve let go of
those that are more appropriate to you now, the ways of relating to world. You are
so much more creative now. Your unconscious mind has already begun learning aU that
you to know to allow you to comfortably be a non-smoker and do that in a way that is
satistying and fitting to you now.

81
Smoking not part of your experience

And of course there was a rime when you were even younger when smoking wasn't even
part of your experience. It was nice not to even know what that was like. You could get
up every single morning with the confidence of knowing that you never ever have to think
about smoking. For you, there is no such experience. .And what freedom that is! No
question in your mind - you're a non-smoker. You1re as confident of that as you are about
breathing, saying your name, ;:md putting on your clothing.

'Future Pace

What if you could take this confidence, this freedom into your future - perhaps six. months
from now. Fantasize a moment, as you see yourself functioning in the world with that
total freedom from Take a good look at you, how healthy you look, how you
breathe, how much control, hO\v yon move. Take a step inside that future you, feel your
breathi::1g, feel your own energy - doing what you want to do, with you in controL

You have a healthier mind as a non-smoker, able to think more clearly, with increased
powers of memory and concentration. You can enjoy clean, fresh taste your mouth,
and the keener sense of taste and smell. You feel confident and comfortable, being close to
people, knowing your breath is clean and And how good it is not to be concerned
about the smell smoking on your breath, your hands, your clothing. You can enjoy and
appreCiate that same cleanliness and freshness in your home, your automobile, wherever
you happen to be. Look out at the world through your own eyes. You can feel reassured
now as a non·smoker that your environment is safer for you and for others, no more lit
Cigarettes, matches, lighters to be concerned about. And feel better about yourself.
knowing you are setting a better healthier example for children who look up to you, your
children or of your or relatives. Most of all, proud of yourself for having
taken control you.

Listen ~ olltside .. aad - your thoughts. Perhaps a voice inside saying, "This is
it's worth it being a non-smoker. I'm worth it. I'm worth it" So, look back to the
present [0 the YOU that's resting here now, and say it "You're worth it." Life is the real

82
ball game. There are no practice runs. You only one chance. Your future is worth it.
good is really worth it.

Self Esteem Metaphor

Have you ever eaten an artichoke? An artichoke is something you really can appreciate
when you can leisurely sit down and take your time. You pun off one leaf at a time from
outside of the artichoke, enjoy the part that's good, discard the rest, then another leaf,
enjoying its goodness. And keep on working around the outside of that artichoke, one leaf
at a time, one layer at a time. enjoying the goodness of one. And you keep going
around it like that, moving through layer after layer, getting closer and closer to the center.
It's the center of that artichoke that everyone seems to wait fOf. The outside layers are
special in their own way, but in the center is the prize. the heart, the essence of the
artichoke. a delicacy to savored totally. every bit of it appreciated fully, Surely worth
working through all layers to get there.

Re-orient

Sometimes it's nice to go into a trance and then drift: off to sleep. You of course have that
option now. And you can awaken at whatever time you have planned and know that you
will be well rested, refreshed, and full of vibrant energy. It's certainly not nec:eSSary
have complete amnesia for this experience. Those things that are best known at an
unconscious level can be there, And perhaps there are some things that can be transferred
back and forth a useful way. It might just be you have other things to do now, and
need to re-orient back to rejoin the rest of your world. You have the time you need in
the next 60 seconds to do that, to feel that comfortable deepness lighten up, become aware
of the magnificence of your body, your breathing so freely now. the energy. aware of all
that's about you. And wonder just how much more clearly you can see when you open
your eyes now.

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 Just a Suggestion

I don't know how soon you will fully realize how much you have already
learned sitting there and reading these words and I wonder if you know that
you have a fine ability to learn quickly from your unconscious mind and that
your unconscious mind has reorganized abilities to embellish more fully those
learnings in new and delightfully unexpected ways, won't you now, because
you can, aren't you?

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 ISBN 0-9710180-0-6
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