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Using external aidsExternal aids can be used in five areas of hypnosis:
The most important is with regard to utilizing scripts. Induction aidsIt is when induction is a problem that an external aid may be found useful. We have already discussed one external aid in a different context, namely Chevreul’s pendulum, discussed on the Ideomotor web page. It is possible to induce hypnosis by focussing on the object at the end of the swinging cord, but this is not sensible for the self-hypnotist. When considering aids to induction it is useful to reconsider what induction is trying to do. The object of induction is to narrow the focus and reduce sensory input as much as possible. It is possible just to focus on a spot on the wall. But it is much easier to focus on a spot if the eyes are drawn into the object of focus. A simple drawing placed on an A4 sheet of paper will do, as illustrated in figure 1. Not only are the eyes drawn to the centre of the drawing, but also the pattern of lines makes your vision go in and out of focus, tiring the eyes and creating a desire to close them. Simply stare at the centre of the picture and repeat that your eyelids are getting heavier and heavier; and that they will soon close and you will go into a deep, deep trance state. You may add that your vision will go in and out of focus, which it will do, and that this will bring on the trance state that much easier. Once you get used to going into trance you can abandon such a prop.
Figure 1 Any drawing or object can act as a means of focussing your attention. Some other typical shapes you may wish to try are illustrated in figure 2. What matters is that it is something you can stare at for any length of time without it upsetting you in any way. Some modern lamps with floating bubbles are ideal; or a favourite object you have around the house, such as a paperweight, will also do fine. In general flashing lights should be avoided. However, if you can sit comfortably in front of your computer screen, then induction can be aided with the use of Microsoft’s Media Player, which comes with Windows. Have a look through the musical colours and choose one that you find pleasing. Play some soothing music and stare at the screen, which now sends coloured patterns across in synchronization with the music. Since you will be giving yourself instructions (or playing a CD as outlined below), then the music should be non-vocal.
Figure 2 One object that has been popular is the metronome. Set the beat to about 60 or 70 beats to the minute. The first is the beat for baroque music while the latter is just under your normal heart rate. Stare at the swinging arm as you repeat to yourself the induction routine. Personally, I have never found the metronome satisfactory. Sometimes the winder runs out before you have induced hypnosis – especially when you first begin. Alternatively, your eyes are closed and you are in a slight trance state and the metronome is still going. This might not be a problem to you, but if it is this is a signal to find an alternative prop to aid in the induction of hypnosis. Utilizing scriptsA major use of external aids is in the utilization of scripts. We have in this book set out many scripts but all are simply texts. There are two ways you can enhance the impact of scripts. The first, and simplest, uses no technology just simple pictures and designs. The second utilizes a more technological approach and places the scripts on tape or even CD. We shall discuss both in this section. One can, of course, simply memorize a script – or at least the basic gist of the script. But this is a very left brain approach to scripts, basing its impact on the verbal construction of the script and on any intonation of voice used. But a script will have more impact if both sides of the brain are utilized in the process. Scripts with illustrationsSuppose you are not at all technologically minded and do not want to get involved in taping a script or placing a script on a CD using a computer. There is still an approach you can take beyond simply reading the script to yourself. The idea is very straightforward. Take any script and add to it pictures, drawings cut-outs from magazines etc. Even this act itself will implant in your mind the significance of the part of the script you are attempting to illustrate. You will have to think about the script in order to know what type of picture or drawing will enhance what it is referring to. You will need to look through magazines with a purpose and focus for illustrations. Not only are pictures and drawings a right brain function, but also the very act of seeking them out focuses the mind on the important features of the script. Nice colourful glossy pictures from magazines are most useful but it is not always possible to find the exact one that matches the script. Include a drawing – and do not worry about your artistic talents. What matters is that the drawing enhances in a meaningful way what is being conveyed in the script. Furthermore, no one need see these scripts. Of course, some scripts lend themselves more readily to illustration, but the idea is to be as ingenious as you can. The creative images also contained in this book are, for this reason, much easier to illustrate. Here we shall concentrate on the scripts, but everything applies to the creative images too. We shall just deal with one script as an illustration. Reconsider script/image #15 on going down to a crystal cave. This is a deepening script, the purpose of which is to increase the depth of the trance state. Let us break this script down into parts and list possible illustrations for each part.
The aim now is to find pictures from magazines that come close to these items. Use your camera and take photographs of things that can be utilized in your scripts. If this cannot be done, then draw (or even better still paint) illustrations. Design a border around the script if that is something you like doing. Do not just type the script, put it in calligraphy. In other words, put a lot of effort into the design of the script. The possibilities are endless. What matters most is that the illustrations are chosen by you and have meaning to you. For instance, you do not have to have the entrance to the mountain through two boulders. Suppose you were recently on holiday and entered a set of caves, of which you have photographs. Use these instead. Change the script to conform to your holiday photograph. The script, after all, is simply a guide. Creating tapes and CDsFor the
self-hypnotist the major difficulty is always shutting off parts of the left
brain while still keeping enough conscious control to give suggestions. We
pointed out (on the web page Dissociation) how dissociation can help in this regard. Another
method is the use of cassette tapes or, more usual these days, CDs. This is a
halfway house between heterohypnosis and self-hypnosis. Once you can readily
enter the hypnotic state, then it is possible to use tapes/CDs with instructions
for deepening, for post-hypnotic suggestions, or any other suggestions that you
may want to give – some of which we shall discuss in part IV. It is even
possible to put the whole induction, deepening and termination routine on the
one tape/CD. This has the advantage that you can sit back and just let things
happen. Recording post-hypnotic suggestions is extremely useful for the
self-hypnotist because a greater hypnotic depth can be achieved and so the
greater the possibility of success. The general
routine is exactly the same as we have outlined, so far, in this book. But some
comments on the use of recordings is worthwhile. We shall discuss four aspects.
If
you record an induction which begins with your eyes open, and it contains
suggestions that your eyelids will become heavier and heavier, then this has the
disadvantage that your eyes may close before the instruction to close them is
given. This can be annoying. The way out of this is either to begin with your
eyes closed and start the toe-to-head relaxation (see script #1); or,
alternatively, simply say to close your eyes when you count to three. Then
continue to one suggesting relaxation and going deeper. Pause, and then begin
the toe-to-head relaxation suggestions. The
same idea applies to deepening. Counting is useful because you simply respond to
the suggestions. Arm heaviness is useful because if you do not respond fully
then this will not hold back the next suggestion. This is why raising your arm
may not be so useful on a recording. If you do not respond by the time the
recording thinks you have, it will finish the suggestion without any response on
your part, which may act negatively on your unconscious mind. This also applies
to arm rigidity. Eye catalepsy is useful if you respond to it without opening
your eyes. If, however, you do open your eyes this suggestion should be removed
from the recording. However, first try the recording a few times. If
you do respond to the recording, it may be that you do not hear noises such as
the noise of passing cars or the refrigerator. The worry may then arise that you
will not hear the telephone ring, a knock at the door, or some emergency. This
is not true. It is well known that a mother can sleep soundly and not awaken,
even with fairly loud bangs, but will awaken immediately the slightest sound
occurs from her baby. This facility of specific attention is by no means
restricted to mothers or to the state of sleep. A well-documented situation is
that of hearing your own name in a party bustling with noise. You may even be
able to hear and respond to the person you are with, but be paying attention to
another conversation about which you are particularly interested. Although you
are withdrawing your senses from outside stimuli, you can always ‘hear’
them, but you do not generally register them in your consciousness. Taping a reassurance instruction You
know that, even when you sleep at night you have in you a safeguard to awaken
you in an emergency, so during your hypnosis the same guard will awaken you if
the door bell or telephone rings, or if an emergency occurs that requires your
immediate attention. Yes, you will immediately awaken if something requires your
immediate attention. And you will have no difficulty awakening. And so if the
tape should get entangled or stop for some reason, then for this too you will
immediately awaken. And
because you know that, for whatever reason, you will awaken if the need arises,
then this will ease your mind and so allow you to give yourself up, utterly and
totally to this hypnotic session, in the knowledge and confidence that you will
immediately awaken if the need arises. Now relax, let go and give yourself up to
the trance state. Let
us suppose the recording runs through its suggestions and comes to the last that
terminates your hypnosis, but you do not wake up. In one respect this should not
happen if you have responded to the suggestions prior to this one, but let us
suppose you have, but still do not awaken because you do not consider this an
‘emergency’ and you are feeling pleasantly relaxed. Either you can simply
repeat to yourself the termination suggestions, or if you are very deep you
will come out naturally because the hypnotic depth cannot be maintained in
periods of prolonged silence. You may even fall into a natural sleep from which
you will also awaken as from a light nap. This is most unlikely, but we have
discussed it here to allay any concern that you may have and to show you how to
deal with the unexpected if it should happen. Never worry, and simply continue
the suggestions. If you are truly hypnotized (for how else could you not
awaken!) then you respond to suggestion: hence, simply continue the suggestions
and you are bound to respond very soon. Two other
aids are worth considering. One is the use of the metronome, while the other is
the use of music. We shall take these in turn. The metronome we have already
encountered. Its value lies in the monotonous sound at a regular rhythm. It can
be used either during induction and/or as a means of deepening. In both cases it
is best set at seventy-two beats a minute – the heart beat. If it is used
during the induction then it can replace looking at some point. You can,
however, continue to look at a point while listening to the metronome.
Alternatively, you can fix your eye on the swing of the bar while listening to
the click. Some people respond to this very quickly. If used during deepening,
you can suggest to yourself that with every click you will go deeper and deeper
into trance. There is one difficulty in using the metronome in deepening when
you are on your own, and that is that it may have totally unwound, which limits
its use. One way to overcome this problem is to record the click of the
metronome. The recording can then be employed as background during the induction
and also used for deepening. The fact
that the sound will be so regular means that the left brain will soon ignore its
presence and pass it to the right brain. This will then influence your breathing
and heart beat, so establishing a synchronized pattern. Just as the
metronome can be used as background, so too can music – but not any kind of
music. The first point is that the music must not be vocal and must either be a
solo instrument or an orchestra. The music must be soft and slow. Films
occasionally show Indians meditating with classical Indian music in the
background. This is just what is needed. The Western music most suitable for
this purpose is classical baroque, such as the music of Handel. Alternatively,
there is now a ready supply of meditative music on the market that is ideal.
However, what matters is that it is slow and soothing. It does not have to be
all the one composition and can be made up by putting together appropriate
pieces from individual records – such as all largo music. It is important that
you find the music pleasing. If it jars, then delete it from the tape. There may
be an unconscious reason for this dislike. To illustrate the point, the music
may remind you of the seashore with the waves lapping on the rocks. For many
people this can conjure up a most pleasing and soothing sensation. If, however,
you lost a loved one in such a place, then such music will only bring to mind
hurtful memories. This is an extreme example, but when something jars, the
unconscious mind is sending out a signal that you should not ignore. The remarks
so far have concentrated on making a tape. The problem with a tape is that the
background music and your vocalization of the script must be recorded together.
More problematic is that if you make a mistake, especially in the middle of the
script, then the whole recording needs to begun again. The music and script need
to be recorded together because a tape has only one track. (Although there are
some recording instruments for doing four or more tracks, these are for
musicians. They are not readily available, require special tapes and are
expensive.) But there is a much better alternative if you have a computer with
the appropriate hardware and software. Using a computerAll computers come with a sound card installed. You can, however, add an additional internal Sound Blaster (which effectively replaces your installed sound card) or you can attach an external Sound Blaster through your USB port. Creative provides many of these. A typical internal Sound Blaster is the Audigy 2 by Creative and a typical external one is the Extigy, also provided by Creative. Both these hardware come with the software necessary for making your own hypnotic CDs. The advantage of the external Sound Blaster is that it means you do not have to change anything in your present computer. But what purpose does such an accessory perform? For the self-hypnotist the most important feature of the Sound Blaster is that it possesses an input-output connection and a connection for a microphone with superior quality to that which comes with your computer. The front panel of the Audigy 2 and the external Extigy is shown in figure 3. If you now have a portable stereo player that plays tapes and/or CDs that possesses an output socket (not all do these days), then you can link the output socket of the stereo to the input socket of the Sound Blaster. This then allows you to transfer music and/or CD material from your stereo player to the computer. Suppose, for example, you buy a tape of meditative music, you can then by this means transfer it to your computer. The same would apply to a CD. Care must be exercised over copyright. This can only be for your own personal use. You can separately, and on a different occasion, connect a microphone to the Sound Blaster and record your script, which is also transferred to the computer.
Figure 3 There are a variety of software packages now on the market for music and it is usual for a suite of these to be provided with the hardware. These are quite suitable for the self-hypnotist. The typical software required for undertaking the full process of making self- hypnosis CDs are:
The first three are usually supplied with the Sound Blaster whilst the programme for burning CDs usually comes with your CD drive. Of course, there are specialized packages of all types on the market. For instance, Steinberg provides a variety of packages of wave studios, music studios and MP3 handling. The music studio used by the present author is Cubasis 4 provided by Steinberg, which is the one we shall use for illustrative purposes. The wave studio, music studio and recording are all part of a suite that usually comes with the hardware. The record element is the first item required, since it is this that is used to input the music from the stereo or the script through your microphone and onto the computer. Whether recording music from your stereo or scripts through the microphone, the record programme converts these to wav files (wav files are the music equivalent to document files created by word processors). These files can be very large, 20-50MB for scripts and 300MB for 30 minutes of music. So you require a large amount of free disk space for audio recording. Once the wav files have been created the fun now begins. Your first task is to ‘clean up’ your script recordings. The wave studio comes with a variety of features useful for this purpose. You can cut out sections, add silence, remove crackle and heaving breathing, etc. You can even copy small sections of the wav file (mini-scripts as it were) and save these separately to use elsewhere. These wav files of scripts are all separate. They do not constitute a whole session. Such a session, to be discussed shortly, is made up of a whole series of such wav files. It is also useful to record some very short scripts, such as the following. I am going deeper and deeper Let go, relax more and more Just relax More and more confident I want to lose weight I have no desire for fattening foods/cigarettes/etc I am … I want to … Also many of the affirmations discussed on the web page Affirmations can also be used. The next task is to place all the scripts, music and short recordings together to make up a session. Cubasis allows 16 tracks to be used – more than enough for the most ardent self-hypnotist. Since recordings are usually in stereo, then a wav file (whether music or a script recording) will take up two tracks. A typical session will have three elements situated along 3 double tracks. Thus a typical session involves:
All the main scripts are placed along side each other on track 1 (and hence track 2). This extends way beyond the screen. The way to visualize a set of scripts is shown in figure 4. We illustrate with a typical relaxation and confidence CD.
Figure 4 Next we place on track 3 (and hence track 4) the background music. This will usually be a single wav file. If it extends beyond the set of scripts on track 1, then simply cut the file. (Right click on the mouse and a set of tools, including scissors, will appear for use.) Finally add a set of suitable short scripts on track 5 (and hence track 6) at various places. You may have to play tracks 1-4 to do this appropriately. These short scripts do not, and should not be, placed right next to each other. They should be spaced out and act to re-enforce what is being said on track 1. Furthermore, they can be copied and pasted so you can use them repeatedly along track 5. The next stage of the process is to employ the synthesizer. Why is this required? First, it is almost certain that the recordings, whether music or scripts, were at different sound levels. Also, the music should be low relative to the scripts. After all, you do not want to drown out the scripts with music at too high a volume. The synthesizer allows individual control over volume for each track (taken two tracks at a time for stereo). Using the synthesizer, the first sliding panel takes control of the volume of the scripts; the second sliding panel takes control over the volume of the background music; while the third panel takes control over the volume of the mini-scripts. Once you have the volume of the main scripts and the background music set to your satisfaction, the next step is to set the volume of the mini-scripts. This volume is set very low so it is just about audible (or possibly just below that so that you can barely make out what is being said). Next you need to establish what it all sounds like. When you start the play button, all 6 tracks are played in the way you have laid them out. Make any final adjustments, especially to the volume levels and positions of the mini-scripts. You are now in a position to do two things.
The saved file is for later use or change and this cannot be played on a CD player. The exported file, however, being a wav or MP3 file can be played on any machine that accepts audio files, once these are transferred onto a CD. So the final stage is to ‘burn’ the audio file you exported onto an empty CD. A typical recording is about 20-30 minutes, so you can burn two or three such recordings onto a single CD. If it is in MP3 format, you can burn anywhere in excess of 60 onto a single CD! Since all this may appear time consuming and the audio files are very large, it is very useful to make a backup (on a CD) of a whole session. Although it may appear time consuming the benefits are great, and it does become easier. Also, you can build up a library of recorded scripts and use them in any combination. Although here we have emphasized scripts, you can clearly record stories, metaphors and affirmations. Once these recordings have been done, and you have exported your sessions to CD, you can then play them as frequently as you like – and even take them on holiday!
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