A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis

In self-hypnosis, the same thing usually takes place. The subject is anxious to achieve self-hypnosis, but somehow, the state eludes him. What’s wrong? He may be unconsciously resisting it, hasn’t conditioned himself sufficiently, or has achieved the hypnotic state and doesn’t know he is in it. This last statement may be surprising, but we will examine it in detail a little later on. Most experts agree that about 90 per cent of the population can be hypnotized. My feeling is that probably 99 per cent can be hypnotized.

Who among us is not influenced by suggestion? Aren’t we all, as we have seen, influenced by the suggestions of advertising? Don’t we all tend to believe what we read in the paper, hear on the radio, or see on television? Aren’t we all convinced that a name-brand article is better than one that is not so well-known? Suggestion plays a tremendously important role in our daily lives. It begins with naming the baby appropriately to secure a suitable place for interment. I want to call the reader’s attention to a fascinating book about the unconscious reasons why we do many things.

You will be intrigued by every page of the book. It is called The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard. I contend that we are all suggestible; therefore, being hypnotized or hypnotizing ourselves is just a matter of increasing the suggestibility we already possess. Doesn’t the hypnotist begin by suggesting relaxation? Doesn’t he usually start by requesting the subject to fix his attention on a particular object? Next, he proposes to the subject that his eyes are becoming heavy and tired. When the subject closes his eyes, he suggests he will be intensely hypnotic. I am sure that you are familiar with this procedure. With each step, the hypnotist guides the subject along directed lines to get him to accept further suggestions without question or doubt. When the subject achieves the ultimate state in this procedure, he has been hypnotized. He then accepts suggestions without equivocation.