THE
THERAPY CENTER Holistic Healing & Care
By Patricia Heredia
Putting Yourself into a Self-hypnotic Trance Most of us can remember one of the first times we rode a bicycle. It was an unsteady but exciting experience. We soon learned we had some control over a new dimension of our own abilities – increased balance and coordination. Of course, we already had balance and coordination, but this was something special: a delightful application of an enhanced skill. This is what you can expect from learning self-hypnosis. You already have many of the abilities you may be seeking to improve with the help from my articles – for example, con‑ centration and memory. And you already possess the basis for the changes you seek – immune enhancement, pain control, stress management, habit control, physical changes, parenting skills, or so many other goals. Self-hypnosis is a natural skill; like riding a bicycle, it will help get you where you want to go. The first thing to do is to get com‑ fortable. Ideally, begin by relax‑ ing in a place you have selected that is peaceful and quiet. You may find yourself with feelings of expectation and anticipation – this is quite natural – just as with the bicycle. Self-hypnosis is an individual, personal experience; therefore,
you need to take an active role in formulating the best technique for yourself. There are so many different and good techniques to choose from, but for this article, I will provide one example of a technique that I use mostly with children. You may want to choose another or create your own combination of techniques. One of the techniques that I will share with you now is called the eye fixation method. I would like to point out that many of the following explanations can become a script that you can adapt for your own purposes or even to make an audio record‑ ing from your smartphone. Once you are in a relaxed, secure position and have taken several deep, comfortable, sat‑ isfying breaths – look in front of you. Find some small object or spot out in front of you and
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above your line of sight. Some examples for this spot are a mark on the wall, the tip of a plant leaf, a part of a picture, or anything stationary. Focus all your conscious attention to the spot or object – gaze at it, examine it in detail. Continue slow, deep, satisfying breathing. Keep your attention on the spot and work all your thoughts toward it. The idea is to eliminate any extraneous thoughts and forget all problems, worries, and anxieties as much as possible. Do not worry if a stray thought or two slips into your mind now and then. That is difficult to prevent without prac‑ tice, but that is precisely what you are doing – practicing. You will get better at clearing your mind of distracting thoughts. As other thoughts come into your mind, allow them to pass through
