“I had to do it myself first”
HYPNOSIS
• The hypnotic experience is characterized
by an ability to sustain a state of
attentive, receptive, intense focal
concentration with diminished peripheral
awareness in response to a signal.
(Spiegel)
• What does that feel like?
EXPERIENCE
• Bringing all your attention to the toes on
your right foot.
• Allow all your awareness to rest on your
toes wriggling up and down, up and down,
up and down, up and down.
• And noticing your breath rise and fall,
rise and fall, rise and fall.
• What do you notice?
THREE MAIN COMPONENTS
• ABSORPTION
deeply engrossed in experience
• DISSOCIATION
not here, instead there
• SUGGESTIBILITY
responsive
open, receptive and
PURPOSE OF PRACTICING SELFHYPNOSIS
• DEVELOPING SENSE
OF
MASTERY
• HOLY COW!! THIS STUFF
WORKS!!!
• And I can teach it others!
•
ANXIETY REDUCTION
• MINDBODY CALMING, QUIETING
• LIKE FLOATING
• AROUSAL REDUCED
•
PERFORMANCE
ENHANCEMENT
• Mind Body experiencing the felt sense of
knowing the skill of desired outcome, eg. public
speaking, sports, test taking
• Focused, relaxed absorption confidently
connected to inner, intuitive place of knowing
• Releasing the natural inner CREATIVITY
•
PAIN MANAGEMENT
• Mind chatter quieted
• Selective coping strategy without the
“extra” eg. distraction; displacement; mindfulness
• - REHEARSAL IN
FANTASY
• Vividly seeing, feeling, tasting, touching, hearing,
desired outcome in heightened state of alert
relaxation, again and again and again
• Wide application eg. performance, interpersonal
relating, intrapersonal relating, phobia elimination,
habit elimination
HOW DO YOU GET TO
CARNEGIE HALL?
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
• Taking responsibility for the treatment
outcome. “YES, I want to change.”
• Re: In the psychotherapy of trauma and
attachment disorders, the practice of selfhypnosis strengthens the connection
between patient and therapist, supporting
stabilization and opening to change
PERSONAL USES
• Utilizing soothing imagery during dental
and medical procedures
• Distraction eg. during an MRI
• Intensify focus in performance, by
eg.”bearing down on the gas pedal”,
challenging circumstances eg strenuous
hike
• Flow states;in psychotherapy, deeply
attuned and resonating
Typical clinical examples
• phobias eg. fear of flying
• habit changes eg. smoking cessation,
nailbiting, overeating
• affect regulation techniques eg. affect dial
to dial up or down the intensity of affect
Clinical examples
• containment strategies for traumatic,
intrusive material; closed fist technique
soothing imagery and objects, music
• parts work eg. ego-state therapy, IFS
RECORDING: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON
GIVING
• Encourage frequent listening to tape.
Daily practice with tape
• 20 seconds, quick induction, state
change, eg. floating, exit, for ratification
and master
• Chicago Paradigm Study (Fromm &
Kahn) found that recordings increase the
utilization of home practice
HERE, THERE &
EVERYWHERE
• Generalizing positive effects of hypnosis
as life skill to strengthen self-agency, selfefficacy