My Hypnotic Meditation Guide

Introduction to Hypnosis and Hypnotic Meditation

A Scottish doctor, James Braid, coined the word hypnosis in the early 19th century. It replaced the word that was commonly used at that time, namely mesmerism.

Hypnotic meditation is widely used by many people for sport, stress management, and healing with more and more people learning and using hypnotic techniques as tools for self-improvement or change.

Learning hypnosis is something everyone can do, as it is a natural state that we all slip in and out of frequently throughout each day.

The trance state is already familiar to us all ~ can you think of a time when you were in your car and, on arrival at your destination, realised you had 'forgotten' parts of the journey? Have you ever been so completely absorbed in a book or a task that you became unaware of your surroundings?

Any of these experiences are examples of everyday trances, so the experience of different mind states is an everyday occurrence.

Hypnosis is usually accompanied by a state of physical relaxation, during which time the subconscious mind is accessible for positive suggestions and to make changes. Relaxation is not a prerequisite but it can be a rather lovely bonus.

When you meditate you 'are' and you open out
When you are in hypnosis you 'are' and you focus in
When you are in hypnotic meditation you just 'are'
In flow

How Do You Think?

Many people call relaxation exercises creative visualisation. However, not everybody visualises.

It is useful to be aware of how your thought processes work so that you can create successful hypnotic techniques that are relevant to you.

Think for a moment about your bathroom. Suppose I asked you to describe it to me. What would you say? I'll describe mine: the bath is an apricot colour. The carpet is blue and the walls are golden yellow. I can 'see' an image of my bathroom in my mind.

However, if I asked my daughter the same question, she would describe it in the same way but she doesn't 'see' a picture in her head. She thinks of it.

Other people describe places, objects, and people by how they feel. A few 'hear' their thoughts and/or talk to themselves.

Do you now know how you think? It is no good telling someone who is very auditory to picture something. They need to utilise their self-talk in order to achieve their goals. For our purposes I will use the word "imagine," and you can do whatever you would usually do when you think and use your imagination. And however you think and imagine, it is right.

Relaxing

Practise the following during the day, preferably sitting, not lying down. If you often fall asleep during relaxation, try practising when you're feeling alert. While using positive suggestions and affirmations just as you drift off to sleep is a lovely way to end the day, it's also valuable to experience hypnotic meditation without always falling asleep.

Complete muscle relaxation is a good place to start (but not always necessary). You don't need to be deeply relaxed to enter a trance, but for the purpose of this, and because it feels good, relaxing is helpful.

Begin by making yourself comfortable and gently slowing your breathing. Focus your attention on yourself, gradually softening any areas where you notice tension or tightness. Imagine a wave of ease moving through you, settling and soothing whatever feels stirred or activated.

If you're feeling stressed or unsure, simply pretend to relax and let your mind offer words like: soft, dreamy, melt, soothed. Let those words settle in and guide your experience.

Breathe gently and imagine any tension dissolving with each out-breath. If you begin to feel pleasantly detached or floaty, simply allow that feeling and enjoy whatever comes.

Deepening

The next stage is deepening. Some people are content to feel a little relaxed while others prefer to go a little deeper. It is better to try out a few ways to find which you prefer. Think about what you would associate with going down into a deeply relaxed state. Here are a few ideas:

✦ Counting down from 10 to 1

✦ Imagining watching something floating down, such as a leaf

✦ Repeating words like "deeper and deeper"

✦ Saying a particular word to yourself as you breathe out, such as "calm"

When you are at a level that you feel happy with, you might like to imagine you are in a special place. It can be somewhere you know, or you can invent a place.

Make it as real as you can and really create a feeling of calmness and inner peace. Regard this as a place you can visit in your mind at any time, and when you are there; all is well: you feel relaxed, calm and happy.

Using Suggestions

While you are in your hypnotic state, you may want to use some suggestions or affirmations, and once again, you have choices.

First, determine if you have a particular need, such as stopping smoking, playing a sport better, improving self-confidence, or something else. You can say your instructions or goals to yourself, or you can imagine yourself as you would like to be.

Examples:
"I am happy as a non-smoker."
"My tennis is superb."
"I can feel my confidence growing."

Or: imagine yourself in situations without cigarettes, hitting an ace, or being confident in a particular situation. You might try writing a list of sentences that express your goal and creating an image or symbol that represents them. Then, when you are in trance, just think of that image or symbol. Your subconscious will do the rest.

Be specific about what you want so that your subconscious mind can create a template to work towards.

If you have no particular needs, just enjoy yourself and feel happy and healthy in mind and body. When you are ready to be fully alert, you can 'wake up', or you can count from 5 to 1, telling yourself that you will be fully awake at the count of one.

Script

This script is a variation on the Your Special Place audio in this package. It can be used as it is or as a guide to create your own experience. You can memorise it, record it, or have someone read it to you. Pause at… the… ellipses…

✦ ✦ ✦

Make yourself comfortable. Ensure that you are warm enough and feel settled.

Begin to pay attention to your breathing. Try to make the out-breath last a little longer than the in-breath. Only do this in a way that feels comfortable for you.

Focus your attention on just you.

As you begin to breathe more steadily, imagine a wave of relaxation washing over you and through you with every breath.

All sounds that you hear, apart from an emergency, remind your mind that you are relaxing. If you need to awaken, you may do so immediately. You will feel alert and refreshed. But for now, just enjoy…

Spend a few moments thinking about how you would know, what you would experience, what you would feel if you were more relaxed than ever before. Only you can experience your own unique relaxation.

Let the feeling of ease continue to grow, becoming more expansive and gentle with every breath.

Allow the rhythm of your breathing to deepen, becoming slower, steadier and more natural.

You have no need to think of anything or nothing, but if you wish, you may think of everything.

Let the relaxation move freely through you, soothing every part of you.

Everything is slowing down. Every part of your awareness is softening.

This is your time, time just for you, to rest and relax.

If you notice any tensions or anxieties, simply acknowledge them and mentally soothe them away.

Resting now. Feeling peaceful.

Begin to think of a comforting word, one that brings a sense of calm.

Let this word gently repeat in your mind as you breathe out.

Each time you hear or think this word, allow your calm to deepen. Let it echo softly, bringing stillness and ease.

1 resting … relaxing … resting … relaxing…
2 breathing gently … relaxing more and more with every breath … with every gentle beat of your heart…
3 softening … caressed in peace…
4 breathe away any tensions or anxieties…
5 rest … relax … calm … rest … relax … calm
6 breathing easy … soothed…
7 resting more and more deeply…
8 inner peace washing over you and through you … calm … peaceful … relaxed…
9 each breath taking you deeper and deeper into calm and peace
10 continuing to relax … relax … relax…

And now… in your mind create a special place. You might prefer to call it your happy place. It can be somewhere that you know or somewhere that you make up. It can be inside or out. Use your imagination as best you can. Have your special place exactly as you like… colours… textures… Everything is perfect…

All that matters is that this special place is yours — it belongs to you. And you choose who or what you have there. Relaxing now in the special place within you that you are now in.

Spend some time just being… enjoying the feelings and inner contentment…

When you are in your special place ~ all is well. You can begin to release anything that isn't serving a purpose and you discover that you can make choices and experience freedom.

Be at peace in your special place and know that you can return whenever you want.

As you rest here, the following thoughts and ideas can begin to play in your mind:

All is well
I feel capable, clear and calm
I can create any change I desire
I release what no longer supports me
I am enough

You can now repeat your own positive intentions.

Let yourself imagine what it is like when your goals are already fulfilled. Feel what you would feel. Notice how you would experience life.

Let yourself fully rest in this version of you, knowing it is already happening.

Remain here as long as you wish.

When you are ready, gently begin to return your awareness to the present or drift off to sleep…

If awakening; in your mind, count quietly: five, four, three, two, one.

Come back feeling as if you have had a good rest. Do something grounding.