This morning, while reading a really terrific book (Sudden Influence) in which the author was talking about hypnosis, he spoke about how formal hypnosis is not much more than a voluntary state of mind in which the subject agrees to agree with (believe) the suggestions of the hypnotist/therapist. The subject, he insists, does nothing more in a hypnotic trance than agree to “act as if” the hypnotist’s suggestions are true.
Act as if?
That’s right. Pretend.
The therapist gives an instruction like, “your arm in encased in steel and you can’t move it.” The subject, in the voluntary hypnotic state, agrees to go along with the “pretending” of the therapist, and Voila’! The subject can’t move his arm!
Well, as I thought about that, I decided to try it out. I told myself I was going to imagine my arm was encased in steel and that I would “try” to bend it. Of course, implied in the command “try” is “not succeeding”, so that’s what I did.
It felt very strange. I “felt” I couldn’t bend my arm as long as I was willing to “imagine my arm was encased in steel.”
I thought, “I think I’m really hypnotized. Cool!”
I decided to take this experiment a step further. I continued to imagine I was in a hypnotic, that is, a highly suggestible, state.
O.K. Now what?
Now, I said, imagine that your life is exactly the way you want it, your internal state is exactly the way you want it. Imagine your every habit and tendency, whether framed as a strength or a weakness, is a powerful resource to be used in the achievement of your goals and dreams (a reference to another section of this book). I said a little bit more, imagined a little more detail, then. . .
I DID IT!
I reordered my conscious attitude toward my abilities AND toward my weaknesses. I experienced a “generative change” in my consciousness!
What do I mean?
In another section of the book, the author talks about how, in directing the attention of children, even their “bad” behavior can be reframed to make it appear a strength (you’ll have to read the book to find out how). And after you do, the child will then, if the other conditions of a SIE are present, use this new “strength” as a springboard toward more positive and life affirming behaviors!
And that’s what happened to me this morning. For the first time in my life (an exaggeration) I FELT like all that I am was moving in the same direction, taking me where I wanted to go, toward the achievement of my dreams! I “saw/felt” how all of my current behaviors could be utilized to help me reach my goals and fulfill my dreams.
It was, and continues to be throughout this morning, an incredible experience!
I will have to write more about, if I can.
Stay tuned, I hope!
God’s Best.
Filed under: inner critic, inner voices, inspiration, self-help | Tagged: self hypnosis, self-help, strengths, successful thinking, transformation, weaknesses
