16 Aids Self-Hypnosis (Mental Laboratory Technique) ...

And now begin mentally to stroll through this most beautiful place again. Begin to mentally walk, because somewhere hidden in this most beautiful place, is an elevator. There's an elevator. Find the elevator hidden away in this most beautiful place. A secret elevator all your own. Once you have found it, enter the elevator, then turn around and look out through the door, to the place from which you have just come. The doors will not close. Look out through the door to a place from which you have just come. You will notice on the right hand side of the door near your right hand there's a row of buttons. One of these buttons is marked "Laboratory". Push the button marked Laboratory - the doors will close. You will notice that just over the door there are ten numbers... from the number ten down to the number one. The number ten is illuminated. As you begin your descent, you will notice that each number in turn is illuminated from ten, down to nine, down to eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. When you finally reach the first floor, the doors will open and, you will enter a laboratory. Against the far wall is a large screen, like a large motion picture screen or a large television screen. Just to the right of the screen is a computer console... built into the computer console is a typewriter. Directly in front of-and facing the screen are three chairs. Two of these chairs are slightly below - and in front of - the third one. The third chair, which is behind the other two and slightly elevated above them, is larger than the others. To the right of the larger chair, you will find a row of buttons. These buttons allow you to tie directly into the computer console. There's a keyboard, like a typewriter at the right arm of the chair. Approach the computer console at the screen, now, and type in the words "My body" on the typewriter. (Pause.) Immediately, an image of your entire body will appear on the screen. Type in the words "My body" on the typewriter, and immediately, an image of your body will appear on the screen. Just to the left of the typewriter there are two dials. One of them will rotate the picture to any view that you choose. Simply by turning the

17 dial, you can manipulate and rotate the picture to any angle, any view that you would like to examine. Just above that dial is a second dial. That dial magnifies. By turning it, you can magnify the picture millions of times - to show the smallest particle - and then return it to normal size. If you would like a different view of your body, this computer console can supply it. Any view of the body that you may choose is easily accessible - simply by typing in the request on the computer console. For example, if you'd like an x-ray view of your body . . . an x-ray view . . . you have your body on the screen now . . . simply type in the words "x-ray picture" . . . "x-ray picture". If you would like a heat sensitive picture - that is, a picture that will show you points of heat and cold throughout your body - simply type in "heat picture" "heat picture". And if you would like a view of the energy systems in your body the electrical impulses and all the energy flow - simply type in energy picture" you will quickly and easily be able to visualize the energy flow and how it circulates throughout the body. Now if you will approach the chair . . . your chair . . . the one that is slightly behind the other two... and sit down in it... you will be able to continue working with the images on the screen from whatever viewpoint you have in mind. In a moment, two people will enter the laboratory, a male and a female - they are your laboratory assistants. When they enter, they will introduce themselves to you, so you'll know their names. They take their seats in front of you, slightly below you. They are there to advise you. You are in complete control - you make the decisions, they will simply assist. Perhaps supplying you with information to which you don't normally have access. In this laboratory every chemical, every tool, and every device that you could ever need or use to enhance your state of well being... is available. Everything you need is here to assist you in the healing of your body and mind. To help you achieve your goal high level wellness. If there's a specific part of your body that you would like to see on the screen, simply type in the name of that body part. For example, left toe or right eye, or perhaps left lung... whatever you

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think needs attention, you can type in the name of any area - as small or as large an area as you choose. Once you've done that, you may want to use the different processes - the different types of views on the screen - to locate a point that is not as you would like it to be. If you would like to lose weight or gain weight, if you would like to assist in the healing of an illness of some kind, simply type in the appropriate request, locate the problem on the screen, and dial a close up view of it. Then, with the tools, devices and chemicals in the laboratory, with the advice of your assistants, you can begin to remove the state of diseases For example, if you had a sarcoma on the left leg, you may want to reach into the picture, which is three dimensional and tangible-touchable-and remove it. Use whatever device or chemical you deem appropriate to remove it. You are sending mental images to your healing centers. You may wish to bum it out, or cut it away. And then you may wish to visualize the cleansed tissue being filled in with a curative patch. Simply remove the unwanted material mentally and replace it with positive healing material. There is no pain. No destruction of healthy tissue. Trust your intuition . . . trust your intuition . . . Use the images that come to you regarding how best to assist the healing process. Now try it, try it for yourself, try it with AIDS symptoms, explore your images of AIDS. Explore ways of healing AIDS and HIV. I will remain silent for a moment as you visualize your immune system. Create powerful images, perhaps there will be sounds, perhaps there will be fragrances. These will also be clues to help in your healing process. Remember each healing image, each thought of renewal, and revitalization sends messages of health to those inner centers that control your state of wellness. Heal now. I will remain silent for a time. Ask your advisors for assistance, all healing thoughts have power. Any healing thought has power. I will rejoin you in a little while. (Long Pause.) And now I'm rejoining you. (Pause.) The screen and images may be used to release addictions, overcome fear and anxiety and gain a more positive successful attitude as well. Simply see yourself on the screen involved in an activity that you consider an addiction. Then, like a motion picture director, re-shoot the scene and see yourself

19 overcoming the addiction, releasing it, and having no further need of it. See yourself powerful, see yourself having fun and being stronger and healthier - free of the addiction. Create several

different scenes like that one. Allow the imagery to feel real to you. Create a new reality that allows your body to really live it. To overcome anxiety, worry, or fear, create a scene in which you would normally experience a negative, limiting emotion - and instead, see yourself having fun, enjoying yourself and not feeling any sense of fear or anxiety. Then let your body feel the same thing you're experiencing on the screen. Create a feeling of high spirits, because in this highly receptive state your subconscious will accept suggestions, and will act more forcefully on them than when it is active... engaged in more conscious functions. You now have the best chance ever of overcoming negative attitudes and implanting positive ones. Again, I will be silent for a moment. When you feel rested and renewed, when you are satisfied that your inner-healing process is engaged, simply end the session by taking a deep breath and opening your eyes . . . feeling refreshed, renewed and relaxed.

20 Akashic Records/Temple of Light

Now I would like for you to pull your attention up to the third eye area. The area in the midst of your forehead or between the two eyes ... and focus your attention there. Imagine a source of illumination. Not one that's too bright of a light that might hurt your eyes, but one that is all warming, all comforting. A very welcomed sight. Allow it to fill your inner vision completely. This pulsing radiant light fills it completely. Utilizing your third eye's intuitive patterning, you can see, within the midst of that light is a beautiful temple. Move mentally toward that temple, right now. Sense your ethereal body going into that temple... Looking around at all of the elaborate decorations that are in that temple, and the beauty of it. This is a place where you can truly meditate, feel at peace and calm, and feel holy, completely at one with God. In the center of the temple there is an outstanding podium that holds a huge book. These are the Akashic Records. Wisdom of all the ages are contained in this book, and you may have access to it now. So, in the temple take the steps that you need to cleanse, to make holy, your mind and body, and receive this wonderful gift of knowledge access to the Akashic Records. And as you go forward you can see that it is going to be easy in these records to find anything that you need or want. As you open the book, you are astounded by the wisdom, as well as the knowledge, contained within it. Go ahead, enjoy the book. I will give you three minutes of clock time, quietly, while you read the passages that you need that will transform your thinking and enhance your life. [After three minutes continue.] Very good. You will be able to make known to me now if you would like more time with the Akashic Records or not. Simply by raising a finger slightly on your right hand. The index finger... If you raise it up now, then I'll know that you would like more time with these Akashic Records in the temple. [Depending upon the clients response, either give them more time or begin the awakening process]. Very good. You will be able to have free access to these Akashic Records anytime in the future for whatever purpose or need you

21 have in mind. Know this, the records are there available for you to consult with anytime in the future that you choose. So you feel a warm glow of light within you. A light of wisdom that is permeating your entire being now, since you have been so enriched by this encounter with the Akashic Records. Quietly, you leave the temple returning back through your third eye. You feel so

wonderful now, so much more in tune with the infinite, so much wiser... You've learned something today, and you are willing to share your knowledge with others. It is a blessing, indeed. When you are ready, come back into the room with me... and open your eyes.

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Arthritis

At first I don't want you to relax too much. I want you to just give yourself permission to be quiet, as quiet as is possible. I want you now to become a little more still, but I do not want you to relax completely. I want you to breathe easily and as comfortable as you can and begin to release, if you can, whatever it is that you would like to let go of in your life. Now, if it's

possible for you, with your permission, I would like you to begin to relax. I would like for you to begin to give yourself permission to let go of anything that might hold you from going very quickly, very, very deep, into a relaxed state. If, at first, it is difficult for you to do this, that's okay. I want you to go at whatever pace you would like to go. I would like for you to have whatever kind of experience you would like to have. But while you're having whatever experience you would like to have, I'm going to be taking you deeper, and deeper, and deeper into a very special state of mind where things change from the way they have been and become somehow quite different. You will notice as we go deeper how this becomes so for you. You will notice At first subtle and then a more profound relaxation. As you go deeper now, and release from yourself all that you have known that is somehow connected to pain - to any kind of frustration for the moment you just allow yourself to be free. Just for the moment be free.' As you become free, fully free for the moment... and you breathe out. Something occurs in the breathing out that may be a surprise to you. There have been frustrations, sometimes anger, sometimes hurt associated with this disease of arthritis. As you breathe out it is that pain of anger and hurt and frustration that is breathed out. Rather than the physical pain. Whatever upsets have occurred for you because of this disease are literally being breathed out. As this is occurring you can relax more, more fully, and this is one of the things that occurs in your body while you're beginning to breathe out the past experiences you've had with this disease. The circulation to all areas of your body is much improved. And you will notice that any area that has been sensitive, becomes less sensitive,

29 and the breathing seems to somehow help release and let go of any part of the pain that you have held
onto. And as you go deeper into this experience, and notice that your body can fully and comfortably relax.... now that your mind has allowed itself to give up any hurts or upsets or suffering that has been connected with this disease... and so your mind releases, and lets go of anger and fear and hurt and upset... your body just relaxes and lets itself go and there is no pain. And the circulation within your body is much improved and becomes more improved with each and every breath you take.

There is now within you a system of organization occurring that helps the whole body function more fully and more clearly toward its own best health. Any kind of difficulty or resistance within the body, any kind of inflammation that has been occurring in the body, now, in all the ways it has available to it, let go of all of that. And your body renews itself, and regenerates itself, in new health, new wholeness, new fullness. And there is a delightful joy that is occurring within you. Somehow, within the core of your being, you know that none of this experience you've had with arthritis is really permanent, or fixed, or has to be. You know that the body has within it the ability to transform itself in all conditions. - And so you are now comfortably relaxed. Know that what has been so true in the past can be changed in a moment. And you give yourself permission to allow the change from disease to full health occur. You give each part of the body, that is capable of bringing healing to the body, permission to do so. And it is this natural process of the body working toward its own natural health. No one else, and nothing else. You are fully capable now, within your body, of giving the directions needed for the arthritis you have had to become a thing of history. There are many people who have had exactly and precisely your experience, who today have absolutely no evidence of it. In so knowing this, you give yourself permission to release and let go of any investment of thought or idea that disease is something permanent, or has to be held onto. It will be for as long as it is needed by you, it will be as long and as powerful as is your experience with it, but that is changing even now, as you breathe.

30 And so, you let go, and release the body. Allowing yourself to be fully renewed. If there is anything that has been- prescribed for you that will assist, you will take this. But you will also know that the effectiveness of it will be ten times more effective than it has ever been in the past. And, in time, you may find you need less, because of the effectiveness. You may, in fact, have to be careful how much of anything you do to help yourself, for fear of tipping the scale too far in the other direction. It is your task to remain in balance, to bring balance to yourself in any way that you possibly can. And so with each decision you make, it is a decision to be in balance, to bring harmony to yourself, as comfortable and as easy as you can, with no excesses. And you know now that your body is capable of feeling better then it

has felt. And it is up to you to give yourself permission. First, to have the body be a healing, prospering, positive expression, rather than anything less than that. So I'm going to bring you to an awakened state, and every day the process of renewal of your body is going on. And every day youre going to become a better observer of the renewal of your body. The renewal of your life. The creation of a new life, literally moment to moment. On the count of 10 you will be awake, and you will be alive and fully capable of experiencing your newfound health.

Autoimmune

Diseases

As you go deeper I would like for you to pay particular attention to the natural process that is occurring. With each and every breath you take, you take in new life. At the same time, in a perfect and balanced way, you release the air that you have just taken in, letting it go because it has been used. The body has taken from it all that it needs and then releases it. Your whole body process is a wonderful balancing of letting go of what is unneeded and drawing to it exactly and specifically what is needed. And so as you breathe out, I want you to participate with me in breathing out more and more of the ideas, of the thoughts, of the feelings and experiences that you have had that are now complete, used up, finished... no longer necessary. Breathe in new ideas and new comfort and new peace and new well being. Giving yourself

permission to be fully embraced by the moment and no other time. The past, being over, is complete... the future is yet unknown. Right now, you are being embraced by this moment. Because of this you are capable of making specific suggestions to yourself right now, where the true power exists. The true power you have available to you now is to suggest to yourself. I want you to do this with me in your mind as I speak it to you. "I am fully capable right now of renewing my body. My body, being fully renewed, gives itself permission now to live more fully, more alive, and with more joy than it has ever lived before." Relaxing now and going very, very deep, I want you to know that you are right now in this very deep trance, programming profound changes in your life experience. You're speaking to the very cells of your body. You are giving permission for each and every cell to find new life, new balance and new harmony with each and every other cell of the body. No infection, no disease, no disharmony can any longer have a powerful place to be. For all the power is given to the balance, the love, the peace of mind and the sense of order that is occurring with the knowledge that you now have in you the power of this moment... to be fully in your life, and alive. As you begin to spend more time noticing that in this moment you are alive, nothing can

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control or change or alter this. Nothing can take away from you the very special capability that you have to manifest the more powerful immune system. Hardier cells help and your body is capable in every way of taking care of you. Now we are going to begin to awaken, and as you awaken you're going to experience the increased level of health, wholeness and wellness that you would like to have occur in your life every day. And every day more... and more of this is going to occur. On the count of one, you will be fully awakened.

46
Cardiovascular Disorders

Milton Erickson was probably one of the finest hypnotherapists who ever lived. Recently I heard a story about how, one day, a man came to him very concerned about whether his heart was strong enough. Milton told the man a story about when he was a boy on his grandfather's farm, and if I recall, the story went something like this: "When I was a boy, living on my Grandfather's farm, I remember awakening every morning to the sound of Granddad out in the front yard, operating an old hand pump. Just pumping away, pumping and pumping. Working that handle up and down again and again, in order to get the water we needed for the day. It was the first thing I heard each and every day. And it was the last thing I heard late at night as I drifted off to sleep because he always pumped plenty of water for the livestock before turning in for -the night. Now, a lot of folks would think that so much hard work would wear an old fellow like Granddad out. But he seemed to thrive on it. He was built like a bull ox and seemed to get stronger each day. I always thought it must be because of all the exercise he got. I was much younger than he and yet, I had only a fraction of his strength. Somehow, hearing him first thing in the morning working that pump, and last thing, late at night, still working it, pumping, pumping, and always happily doing it as if he had some secret that let him get stronger and stronger with use. . . It made me feel safe and secure and I slept well just knowing he was out there, watching over me." (Pause.) That's the story as I remember it, and I would like you now to take a deep breath... (Pause.)... and let it out slowly, feeling your heart beat. Strong, regular, calm, relaxed - some say it is the strongest muscle in your body. After all, it gets exercised every day. And yes, it does respond to thoughts. If you think about something exciting or frightening, it can go faster.

If you think of a peaceful, serene, tranquil, relaxed place... a quiet place... a place where you feel totally 47

calm, totally balanced and in harmony, your heart rate slows down a little. But, it always has a good, strong, base beat, not unlike the old hand-operated pump that Milton Erickson's grandfather operated. He might have pumped fast, or he might have pumped with slow, regular movements, but he always pumped the water that was needed to bring life to the farm, and he got stronger every day. Your heart pumps like a strong right arm. The blood flows, bringing life, nutrition and fresh oxygen to every fiber and cell. You breathe, your heart beats, the sun rises and sets, the ocean ebbs and flows... all life has a rhythm and all living things have an internal point of balance and harmony. You don't have to create it, all you have to do is to grow quiet, relaxed and peaceful, then wait for it. It will come with the deep powerful beat of your heart, with the relaxed, even breaths that you take, with the life's energy that courses effortlessly through your veins and arteries. If ever you wish to relax your thoughts and relax your body in order to find your healing balance, simply listen to your heart beat. It may grow a little more calm, a little more relaxed, a little more tranquil, but like the old farmer, it is steady, sure and powerful with every movement, every beat, every rhythm.

Dentistry Bruxism When people grind their teeth at night, it occurs for two reasons. First, you store your tension there in your jaw and, secondly, it's become a habit. Let's take the tension out of your jaw and release the pressure. Let's implant that you will do a dental exercise where we replace the habit with a new, better, healthier one that releases the tension. Together we can create this new pattern for health at the same time. All you have to do is place your attention or consciousness in your jaw. Focus your awareness in your jaw, notice how tense the muscles are there. The easiest way to release muscle tension is by tightening it, then releasing it. You must do this every night prior to your going to sleep. Clench your teeth firmly together and hold them still for a count of 3... then release and relax the muscles. Do this exercise with me, clench. your teeth firmly, then release. Notice how the muscle is responding. It feels warm, that is the blood flowing in it, taking all the tension - all the stress that has chemically built up in your jaw. At night you will do this for two sets of ten times... When you have released the stress in your jaw there is no need for you to grind or gnash your teeth at night. All that stress is gone. All the tension is taken away. You will have a much more relaxed slee p than you have encountered for a long, long time. In the morning you will feel better rested, knowing you freed yourself from tension prior to sleeping. This is your new habit for health. You feel so much better now that you handle your stress in a positive way. You no longer have any urge, need, or desire to continue the old destructive pattern. It is just simply a better, more comfortable way of living. Having just become aware of the pattern helps to transcend it. You now have the idea that you can recreate your life and learn new methods for handling stress. This leads you to smile. Imagine right now that you are in the dental office and your dentist is congratulating you on how you have improved. He can physically show you how much more healthy you are now. He is pleased for your success and delighted to see the improvement.

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Developing Higher Level of Creativity

As you go very deep and relax... as you give yourself permission, now, to allow that part of you that is the most creative part of you to move forward... you recognize that there is much more to you of substance that is creative than there is anything else. So, it is easy for you now to notice your senses and how focused and clear they are. Notice your experiences of memory and how colorful and vivid they are. In fact, there is nothing about your life that is not clear, detailed and creative in your mind. You've decided now to begin to access this wonderful experience that lives within you and to allow it to be expressed in many, many ways. You will notice through the day, through the evening, through each day that passes, that there is awareness how the world functions, how the world is, how you are in the world - that amazes you. Much like a child who is curious with each and everything that occurs... you too are becoming more curious. More curious of how the life you are living is unfolding. And you will feel inclined to want to be more expressive of all this in creative forms. And so however it is you are the most creative or would like to be the most creative, you notice now there is within you a desire to begin to risk. . . whatever there is. . . that is at risk. To be creative and to express yourself. You notice also that whatever there was in the past that might have hindered you, other people's opinions, other people's concerns, doubts, and worries and fears, no longer plagues you. There's a real strong desire now just to jump in and begin to express who it is you really are in a creative form. Looking forward to the day where you can be more creative and more expressive. You begin to prepare yourself, in your thoughts, for opportunities to share yourself creatively and expressively. You will notice, as the days unfold and you allow yourself to develop patterns that give you opportunity for expressive creativity... you will want to do more. . . and more will come easily. . . and you will notice that you will just see yourself as a very creative person. . . and you see yourself as you truly are and as all people 67

truly are. . . even if they have not normally noticed this. So, it is a normal state for you to be creative.... and it is a normal thing for you to be creatively expressing yourself.... and you will notice now that this normal experience that you have given permission for becomes easier, more comfortable, more frequent and more enjoyable. You're going to now begin to awaken, and as you move toward that awakening process you look forward to the day, to the way, in which it will unfold for you and how much creativity will occur within each day.

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Difficulties with Moods and Particular Depression

Going deeper, and deeper and deeper, allowing yourself now as you go deeper to release and to let go of all the interference that is in your life, all of the interference that stops you from being fully and completely in charge - and pleased with your own life. As you relax now and go deeper, you notice something that you may not have seen so easily before, but it will become clearer for you with each and every breath you take, with each and every moment that passes. And that is... in this very special state, your mood is neither depressed nor elated, too high or too low - but in fact, your mood will become very even and very comfortable for you. You notice also that you're feeling very safe and the sense of safety is increasing, the sense of well-being is improving. Along with that, as you breathe, you breathe out all the past events and experiences you have held on to - that have often stopped you from expressing the joy, and the pleasure and the comfort... or the frustrations and the upsets that life may have seemed to have brought you... And so now, knowing that it is okay to express more of yourself, more freely and more easily... there is more of you available to enjoy and to be enjoyed by yourself. As you breathe you notice that there is a sense of relief, you no longer have to hold everything in. Nor do you have to explode or let everything out. There is just calmness inside, a sense of well-being, a sense of being nurtured and nourished from within that allows your entire body to relax and to function smoothly and easily. And any aspect or dimension of your body that's been out of sync, out of harmony, out of balance... now, with your permission... can bring itself back into balance, back into harmony. And the moods that typically annoyed, bothered or upset you disappear easily and quickly. And whenever you find yourself near that experience of a mood that is disliked by you... ...You can gently and comfortably and pleasantly hum to yourself a song, a popular song of the past - or one that is current. It feels to you to be positive, and loving and caring. And you will notice, after awhile, that you will adopt a particular song. And this particular song, whenever hummed, has the effect of 69

bringing you from whatever state that you're moving towards - that you do not want to a calm, peaceful, joyous state that you can enjoy.

And so now with this knowledge you have some tools... and your body and your mind and your thoughts are yours to manage, to organize, and to orchestrate, much like a symphony the way you would like for it to be played... you now approach life more freely, with a sense of balance. And it will be come easier and easier for you to become the orchestra leader of your life. And to notice you can play each and every experience and each and every mood, much like an orchestra leader conducts the orchestra, to achieve exactly the sound that he would like to have. You, too, can do this... easily and smoothly. And as you do, it will become easier-for you. And there will be no mood that seems to overwhelm you... either good or bad. You will find yourself feeling the joy that is in your heart to feel. And feeling sadness when there is sadness, but not being overwhelmed by either. So now move forward, feeling good about what you have gathered today. Knowing that it will be increased with each and every experience of your life. And now we' re going to begin to move toward that awakened state.

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Freedom From Pain of Shame, Guilt, etc. (Metaphor Technique) Once, when I was in California, I went to meet a wise old man. Everyone told me of how, in only a few words, he was able to help people change their minds and change their lives. I don't know where he came from, I couldn't place his nationality, but he was, indeed, old, wise and a man. I asked him how I could help people to free themselves from all the pain of their past negative emotions and negative actions. Here is what he said: "These negative emotions, thoughts and memories - can you touch them?" And I said, "No." "Can you see them?" "No," I answered. "Can you here them, taste them, smell them?"

"No," I said again. "But I know we can be touched by them. We can feel hurt emotions, shame, fear, guilt." "Yes!" he said excitedly. "And to heal invisible things you must use invisible means." "Close your eyes," he went on. "Imagine that your soul is made of one piece of fabric, all woven like fine cloth. Grasp it near your heart and pull it completely free from you as you might pull a large handkerchief from your pocket. "Now look at how spotted and soiled and stained your poor soul has become... you have not cleansed your soul in a very long time... it is time now to cleanse it thoroughly. "Oh it isn't your fault that it has not been purified - no one ever taught you how before... See the golden basin before you. It is filled with the waters of truth... Gently place the cloth of your soul into the healing waters... Now add the memory of an act of kindness or generosity... if you have none of your own, I will loan you one of mine... just be sure to replace it as soon as you can. (Pause.) "See how the waters of truth and a simple act of kindness can heal a darkened soul? Your cloth is gently stirred, cleansed, and made whole Now, instead of

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putting it back into your heart, slip into it as you might put on a robe. The fit will be perfect." (Pause.) Then the wise old man paused before he added, "A delicate soul like yours needs a little cleansing everyday and so I will tell you a great truth that will bring the cleansing waters to you whenever you need them. "Always remember that all humans, even you, no matter what they have done or not done, no matter what evils they have committed or have allowed to occur all humans, every one, has always done the best they could with what they were and how they thought at the time. "When you were a baby, you did the things babies do. As a teenager you did things which you would not do today - as you have gained understanding - but you did what you thought was for your best good at the time." "And now you are wiser still... more enlightened... and you will seek acts of nobility because you can." That was all he said. I think about him often, and now I pass his words on to you.

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How To Get In Touch With Your Guru Within Imagine yourself being teleported to a high mountain area. Could be the Himalayas, could be the Alps, could be the White Shasta, a mountain in California, or the beautiful rookies or any mountain area. Imagine you are now on a journey to see your Guru. You wish to find out who your Guru is. You're taking things on the trip, you're packing very lightly, because you don't need to be bogged down when you're going to see your Guru. So only take essentials with you, perhaps a symbol of something you wish to ask your Guru about. Choose different items you need to take with you for this journey. So go now and begin your journey into the mountains. You find that it doesn't matter if you take the path on the left or the path on the right... or even the center road. You will eventually find the right path for you. And as you're traveling this path you do discover an area -- and inside this rocky area there are caves. Go now and explore the caves, because inside one of those caves is your Guru. As you're exploring the caves you might see other symbols of interest, note them mentally... And now at last you have found the cave where your Guru is. Go be with your Guru. Notice your Guru's mannerisms, gestures, energy fields. What's your Guru like? Sit down with your Guru and have a very pleasant chat. Feel free to discuss anything that you will like... Discuss with your Guru your path in life, where you were on your path and where you want to be. See if your Guru has any advice as far as you being able to achieve your goals. (Pause.) You need to go ahead and bring out your symbol or object you have brought with you. That item you so carefully packed that you want to discuss with your Guru. Bring it forth... give it to your Guru now. And discuss it. As your Guru inspects it and shares pearls of wisdom with you, you listen intently. You find you know what the message is. It makes absolute sense to you, and it clarifies that section of the quest... You are enlightened. So, thank your Guru now, knowing that you can find your Guru anytime that you need to. You can return right back to this spot, anytime in the future when you're doing a meditation, either self-directed or directed with me. You'll be able to consult with this inner wisdom, this Guru in you. Use this gift of the Guru frequently in your travels from this point on. Feel free to consult with him, because there is a wisdom to this Guru that will sometimes amaze you, and will always enlighten you.

Inner Healing - Forgiveness Imagine that the anger or hurt you carry is a hot coal in your hand. If you close your finger tightly around it, who is getting burned? You are! Carrying this anger and hurt is painful to you. Regardless of what the person who hurt you feels. You need to forgive. You need to stop the pain. Let's work together and let go of the pain. See yourself as whole and strong. Let your inner mind know that you are safe. I would like for you to imagine the individual who hurt you standing in front of you. They can no longer hurt you emotionally, physically or mentally. You are strong now and balanced in all areas of your life. Tell that person, who wronged you, that you were hurt by their actions. Those wounds are now healing and it is time for you to go on with your life. Let the person know you didn't appreciate what they did, and will not allow it to occur again. Allow your inner mind to convert this into a dialogue where you ask them to apologize to you. Accept their apology. You are wiser now. You are in control. Remember that you need to forgive, even if the other person does not. You are doing this for you. With that strongly stated, let go of the past, forgive them. Keep the lesson that was taught to you, but forgive them.

95 When you forgive others you also forgive yourself. Breathe a deep breath and feel a strength come into your body, then exhale your pain... Take another deep breath and as you exhale release your fears... Take yet another deep breath, and as you exhale release the past... Lastly, take a deep breath... and allow the joyous energy of love to fill your lungs and heart... Release the breath - feeling much lighter than before. The weight has lifted from your shoulders. You are no longer bound by the past. You are lighter because you have freed yourself from that person. You have made a choice to let go of the pain and the anger, but you have not let go of your own value.

Overcoming Hopelessness As you release the fear that all that's in your life will remain hopeless... as you give yourself permission to have life unfold for you in some other way... little happens for you, except right now you become more relaxed, more comfortable, more at peace with yourself. Little more happens right now than this - for a single moment, you have given yourself complete and total permission to be free of all worry, of all doubt, and of all hopelessness... just right now. But notice as you give up, let go, and release the sense of futility and hopelessness that you've often experienced and sometimes have been plagued with... in its place there is nothing in particular to worry about. There is just you... peaceful, comfortable and relaxed. And you notice that whatever there is that you worried about can be worried about at a later time. Whatever there is that has had you feel without hope will continue on its own without you. You now let it go and give yourself permission to not be hopeful, and not to be hopeless... but rather to just be... And you begin noticing that people who have enormous hopefulness and people who have enormous hopelessness are not so different. You know that you do not want to be hopeful when there is nothing to be hopeful about, and don't want to be hopeless, because being hopeless is so futile and so frustrating. Decide to give up both, just to be, right now... to experience life exactly as it unfolds... to deal with it directly and exactly. There seems to be, right now within you... from some source unknown to you... a level of peacefulness that is beginning to express itself and expand itself. It is hard for you to explain or understand, but nevertheless it is occurring. And this is what happens as we shift from hopeless or being hopeful into just being fully present in our lives... there is also an awareness within you that as you are more and more able to just be in the moment without hope or hopelessness... that you access an enormous source of power. All of the healing energy of your body is not available to the hopeless, and it is not available to the hopeful. It is available to those who would just be, right now, fully and completely alive... willing to reach into themselves and have their lives be

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complete. Each day you set aside some time for yourself where it is okay for you to absorb just being. And however much you find yourself tending toward hopelessness, you admit easily and comfortably that hopelessness is a condition of thinking... rather than the truth. Also, hopefulness is a condition of thinking as well. But being in the present right now is an experience of life that you are very eager for, and give permission to have more and more of, until you are so fully absorbed in the right now. The questions of hopefulness or hopelessness seem somehow absurd to you. Looking forward to this occurring daily, moment to moment, hour to hour... you now move towards an awakened state where you can fully enjoy this experience.

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Out of Body Experience

Today we are going to have an out of body experience, and I'll help to facilitate that with you. But before I do, let us put this safeguard into place. If at anytime I would like for you to come back into your body to rejoin me here; and you will return; yet you will be an highly hypnotized state when you rejoin me. I will simply tap you like this on your shoulder (tap the client on their shoulder), Good, that is our agreement... very fine. Now we're going to go ahead and have an out of body experience. So, just relax completely, and know that I am here to help you. At anytime that you want, you can always reo+ui7n to your body. I will also help and facilitate this through having a golden band of light that attaches between you - from your body to your spirit - and this will never be broken. This thread will always lead you very easily and quickly back into your body... excellent. Now, one thing I should share with you before we begin is that brain researchers for a long time have isolated a certain area of your brain, noting that when it is stimulated you will have an out of body experience. This is well documented in medical literature. But what we will be doing is different. Instead of electrically stimulating that crevice in the brain, we simply will be mentally accessing that doorway, that pathway, in the brain. So, what I would like for you to do is to begin by visualizing the left hemisphere of your brain - and then the right hemisphere of your brain. You can do that by simply keeping your eyes closed and looking left, and then looking right. Stimulate the left hemisphere of the brain, and then the right hemisphere of the brain. And while circling your eyes clockwise, you can stimulate your entire brain. Visualize right now that your eyes are circling, searching throughout the brain - left, right, upper, lower, stimulating all of the brain until the whole brain is engaged. Now deeply within the right lobe there are crevices. You will find that one particular crevice... focus on it completely. That is your accessing door. Go ahead and open it now, clearing your mind of any concerns, for I will always be here. Releasing completely... so that you are willing to accept this idea

112 youre able to have fun with it. You are an explorer. Trust that what you are doing is important. Explore. As the door opens in that section of your brain, you'll notice there may be a sound... like a swishing sound, or a ringing. That's just you popping out of your body - it's okay. You can use your imagination free-style if youd like. In your mind, go to any place you would like to go on this earth or throughout the cosmos. But before you go too far, look back and reassure yourself there is a golden thread that is out linking you, in between your body and your soul. You are perfectly safe in going. I will safeguard your body, there is no difficulty here, whatsoever, during this exercise. In fact, I'm going to give you about eight minutes to ten minutes of clock time. And at that time I will again tap you on your shoulder, and your soul will feel that tap through the thread, and reconnect with your body. Coming back will be easy and effortless. And we'll discuss where you went, and what you saw. Every time that you do this exercise in the future it will be five times easier than ever before. It will be five times more effortless. It will feel more natural to you, every time that you practice this exercise in the future.
[Note: Tap the client on the shoulder after 10 minutes... then say to the client "Welcome back into your body, you're still in a deep state of hypnosis: You will remember this exercise - every detail of this exercise - so that we can discuss it freely and effortlessly." Then you implant an affirmation that states these suggestions will go "five times easier, five times deeper, five times faster... and it won't matter if you skip a day or two when you're practicing, you'll feel completely rejuvenated every time that you do this exercise, and we'll have more things to share every time that you practice." Then, awaken your client.

Pain Control Ericksonian Technique

[Note: This is one of my all time favorites. It works especially well for people who need some sort of logical, linear evidence in order to participate. Part of it is Erickson's concepts, part was added in later from my own experiences.]

You know, it's truly amazing how well we have trained our bodies and minds to tune out a lot of noise and sound pollution. We can be in a room full of

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talking people and listen to only one. We can cross our legs or drape an arm over a significant other, during a motion picture, and only later discover the pain and numbness that come from having it "fall asleep." We can go on a camp-out and have so much fun that although pine needles scratch us, and insects bite us, and the sun burns us, we notice none of these things until later that night around the old campfire, when our bodies come alive to remind us of all the things that we've done to them. In effect, you were so busy enjoying yourself that you forgot to feel pain. In fact, it took hours from the time you received the wound until you actually felt the pain. It was a simple trick of the mind. In fact, it is a trick that you use every day. Right now, as I am talking to you, and you are listening to me, you have forgotten the shoes on your feet... you are wearing them, but until you turned your thoughts to them, you forgot to feel them. (Pause.) You have forgotten to feel the watch on your wrist... and now you do feel it. You have forgotten the belt that is pressing on your stomach... and now you feel it. You have forgotten the collar that rubs against your skin all day... and now you feel it. (Pause.) Now, all this did not occur because of some magical words I have said. No one said, "You will now forget to feel your shoes," or you will now cease to notice the clothing rubbing against your skin." No, indeed. There was no drug needed, nor any surgery or special type of meditation - you have learned, over a period of many years', how to use a powerful part of your mind, without any deliberate effort on your part. Like breathing or blinking your eyes, you have learned how to forget to feel things, and you have the ability to deliberately feel the same things. Just as your unconscious mind knows how to breathe, you can breathe consciously as well. Your unconscious mind has also learned how to forget pain or touch - and your conscious mind can enable you to feel when you want to. [Note: This can then be combined with techniques such as having the client describe the pain detail: "You say it is a 'buming pain'. Is it a buming such as flames might produce, or is it more like the low, constant heat from the embers of a fireplace?" Then, "The flames, are they like a candle flame in the area or the intense flame of a windblown fire)" and "Are the flames consistent or flickering? Is the area, all about the same, or are some areas less intense than others?" etc.
Thus, you cause the client to "whittle down" the pain to a more manageable size and shape, while actually creating the metaphor that describes the pain.]

114 Pain Release Technique (Heavy Pack) You have just spent six days and nights on a journey with a very old and very wise woman. Among her people she is considered to be holy. Along the path, she told you many wonderful secrets about life and living, and about pain and peace. Some of the things were strange to your ears, but no matter how strange, you instinctively trusted every word. Now, she is sending you on your own journey... and it is during this journey that she promises you will learn how to become pain free. Before you leave her, she instructs one of the men of the village to place a large and very heavy pack upon your back. As he does so, you slip your arms through the straps so that you can carry it like a camper or a hiker might. In this heavy pack, she explains, are gifts that may be given to anyone who seems to need one... and rocks, yes - large, heavy stones that make the pack seem so heavy. These may be taken out by people along the path of your journey as well. But, who, you wonder, would take a stone instead of a valuable gift? Each person you meet may take only one item from your pack, she explains, and each person will take the item that is perfect for him or her. There is a far mountain with snow on its peak - she points to it, and you know your journey will end only when you reach its peak. The straps are already digging into your shoulders. Your muscles already ache from the strain. It's a little better when you remember to breathe deeply, but the mountain top seems so far. (Pause.) Still, you begin. One foot, another step, and another, and another. (Pause.) Slowly, the village and the wise old woman are left behind.

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She has taught you the secrets of the forest. The rustlings and shufflings you hear in the brush are just the small, furry creatures you have met and played with and fed for the past few days. (Pause.) The river chuckles along to your right. The trees sigh in a gathering breeze. You wish you could simply stop and let the cool green earth absorb the heat from your bones and muscles, but there seems to be an importance to reaching the far mountain you almost remember why it is important... then the weight of the pack drags you back to the here and now, and you press on. (Pause.) The sun flickers through the trees, dappling your skin with spots of heat and light. (Pause.) Then, as you round a curve in the path, you come upon a small hut. There you see a young woman and two children. There is no man here. There has not been one for a long time, you sense. And you perceive a profound sadness in the woman. You cannot think of anything to say, so you merely explain that you have gifts for everyone. You kneel down so the children can reach in, and you feel them each take something, although you cannot see what it is because they scamper back up the trail behind you laughing and obviously delighted. (Pause.) The woman wouldn't have come near except she saw how happy the children were. And as she pushes back the flaps you hope she will take one of the heavy stones... but she doesn't. Instead she takes something as light as a memory. So intangible that you barely notice a shift in the weight of your pack. Turning, you see her, face turned toward the sun, eyes closed and smiling. She is at peace. You remember the words of the wise old woman and know that this young woman has chosen just the right gift for her. (Pause.) Without disturbing her you turn back to the path and continue your journey. Curiously, even though the pack really does not seem any lighter, you feel somehow stronger, better able to handle the load.

116 After a while you get into a walking rhythm and your thoughts turn light and gossamer, spreading thinly on the air.

You scarcely notice the lush countryside, the vivid colors of the wild flowers, the fragrances of the forest or even the soft grasses upon which you walk. And that is why it is unexpected when your pack becomes suddenly ten pounds lighter. You turn and are surprised to see an old friend. One whom you had helped a long time ago, when he was in pain. "Thank you," he says, and there are a million questions you want to ask. He has a stone in his hand. It must have come from your pack. Didn't he know he could have a gift instead? Didn't he know that the kindness you performed for him was really small and insignificant? Perhaps he could put the stone back and take something truly valuable. He turns and strides swiftly up the trail, much faster than you could follow. Still, you try to catch up and are so intent upon his rapidly diminishing figure that you almost stumble over an old woman, or is it an old man? It is so hard to tell. He or she wears layers of clothing and has been living in hard circumstances for a long time. Another joins her and another. You seem to recognize these people. Where had you met them before? Perhaps you fed one of them once; perhaps you met one in a hospital, or some old church function, or in a school. Your memory of them is vague and muted by time. One of them speaks. "Did you think you would have to walk this path alone?" she asks. They are doing something behind you and your pain begins to subside. Your pack grows lighter, your burden is lifting. It is still heavy, but quite bearable. They begin to shuffle away and melt back into the hills, mountains and forests. But that didn't make sense. She had indicated you wouldn't be alone. Could it be that there are others ahead, waiting for you? Those who need your gifts and those who have been waiting to take your burden from you?

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Your journey continues. What will you find? I do not know. Who is just around the next corner? What adventures lie ahead? That is for you to discover, but now you know that as your burden grows lighter your pain grows lighter as well, and even as you continue on, you

get stronger. With every step you take, with every encounter you make, with every breath, with every beat of your heart, your journey continues. (Pause.) And as the minutes turn into hours, and the hours stretch into days, you may grow weary from time to time. When you do, set your pack aside for a while, sleep on a bed of cool green grass... and when you awaken, you will have returned to my world for awhile. But when you wish to return to your healing journey all you must do is lie, back take a deep breath, close your eyes and imagine the weight of the pack as it settles easily onto your shoulders. The path will appear and your journey will continue. Pain Reduction Pick A Number
[Note: Pick A Number - Ask the client to choose a number between one and ten to describe the intensity of the pain. Start with whatever number he (she) chooses and create metaphors for each number. Remember, you are also teaching your client how to use metaphor to reduce pain - the logical , linear sequential part of the brain likes the numbers; the feeling, intuitive, creative part likes the metaphor. Let us say the client chooses "10" this time.]

Good, I'm glad that you are so easily able to choose a number to describe the intensity of your pain. That lets me know that you have established strong lines of communication between your thoughts and your body. Now, with your eyes closed, I would like for you to mentally see that number on a screen in your mind. Hold that image as intensely as you can (Pause.). You may notice that the more you focus on the number ten, the brighter it becomes, until it absolutely glows. And as you continue to focus on the number ten, the glow seems to make the edges of the number shimmer and flow outward, like a heat mirage on a summer highway. And as the number ten begins to melt and blur away, the number nine seems to be appearing within it. Perhaps, as the number nine begins to appear and the number ten shimmers anyway, you may notice something different about the number nine. Perhaps it is a different color or somehow not quite as intense as the number ten was. Perhaps the number nine is more, flexible, pliable; and it begins to sag or even flow like sand in an hourglass, slowly beginning to take on the shape of an eight. The shape of an hourglass is a figure eight, isn't it? And as the nine flows into an eight and the sand settles quietly, I wonder if you can imagine what would happen if a gentle breeze were to come along and softly blow away some of the sand revealing a number seven hidden beneath the sand? Of course, the number seven wouldn't be as large as the number eight was, because some of the sand was blown away and the seven was smaller - so it could be hidden behind the number eight. Now, the number seven seems to be most interesting. Some people believe that the number seven is most lucky. I always think of a candle when I think of the number seven

because I once saw a candle on my seventh birthday. It was shaped like the number seven and was very difficult for my mother to persuade it to stand upright because it was so top heavy. I don't know why, but instead of blowing it out, I wanted to let my number seven candle burn all the way down, so my mother placed it in a shallow bowl with a little water in the bottom and we let it burn down. It took hours, but when it finally did burn down, it sort of tilted over and flowed downward until it looked like a dripping number six. And in my naive mind I thought how lucky I was, because now instead of being a seven, I could be a six.. And I would always have an extra year if I ever needed it. Perhaps you noticed the number seven melt into a drippy number six. I wonder how the number six will change? Will it sit, cold and hard? Will it crumble away? Will it grow dark and fade until the number five is revealed? I'm going to wait with you. We'll wait together until something happens. Until the number five appears. And when the number five can be seen by you, I would like for you to raise the index finger on your right hand, just a little to let me know that you see it.
[Allow the client to respond. Repeat "raising finger" suggestion if you think it is necessary.]

Good, you may lower your finger and relax even deeper. (Pause.) Once, a friend of mine showed me how she could take modeling clay 119 in the shape of a "five" and with only two twists, she could make it a "four. I wonder, if mentally, you could figure our how she did it. Could you reach into the picture in your mind and bend the soft clay of the number five into a four... it might take a couple of extra twists, but the clay is soft and we have plenty of time (Pause.). There is a beautiful, home in Monterey, California that is built like a number four. The roof is angled slightly. The bottom level is flat and juts out to the right for the enclosed swimming pool and two banks of stairs proceed down the hill and down further to the beach. Through the large, picture windows, on any given day, you can look out over the ocean and be taken away by the beauty, peace and serenity. And on especially foggy days, the seagulls appear and disappear in and out of the fog like a magician's trick. My teachers in grade school used to show us how to draw the illusion of seagulls flying in a blue sky by rubbing the paper with a blue crayon sideways, then carefully drawing in sideways number threes. Can you imagine hat? I was so enchanted to discover that a sideways three could actually look like a flying bird, that I always ended up putting too many birds in my sky. The horizon

was filled with sideways threes. The teachers never liked it much, but they couldn't see into my imagination. I wish they could have, because what happened next was that a strong breeze blew in from the ocean and the sky full of birds rode the wind and 'were blown farther and farther away,, like leaves on an autumn day. Once, a wise woman was asked, "Why is it that we seem so much calmer, more relaxed and happy when we are in spots of nature, like a meadow, or a forest, or beach than we do in the cities?" She replied, "Because we were created to live in nature. We have to adapt in order to live in cities."' I was thinking about what she said as I relaxed on a beach, in Florida, not too long ago. There, on the beach, was a beautiful, golden palm tree with strong, green palm fronds. But the unusual thing about it was that there had been steady winds coming in from the ocean ever since the tree began to grow... so that the fronds, all its leaves, were pushed to one side of the top of the tree - and they hung down in a cascade of green and gold, only on one side. So that the tree curved like a large, living, number two with the sand stretching out in a straight line at its base. And only a few short paces away, there were surfboards all lined up and standing like individual fingers all pointing toward the sky. I couldn't imagine why anyone would go surfing here, because the waves were almost non-existent. The water was calm and blue and perfect

120 temperature. The sun was nice, so I decided to find out why people paddled out on the surfboards and simply lay on them as the gentle waves flowed under them, lifting and setting them down, almost without disturbing them. There was no charge for the surf boards, so I slid out on the water and let my arms and legs dangle. And it was several minutes later that waves of relaxation seemed to flow effortlessly beneath me, rocking, lifting, setting me down. And there I lay wondering what God would see looking down on us as we lay scattered about looking like a lot of little, individual number ones, yet all somehow connected by the ocean. All feeling like one thing. Relaxed, peaceful, serene, tranquil and all connected, all one ... great... thought. Without pain, without care, without tension ... we seemed to share one beautiful dream...
[Note: With this technique you are teaching your client how to think imagistically and metaphorically. And keep in mind, we have an implied agreement that-as the numbers go down, so too will the pain. Don't forget to remind the client to create his (her) own images to change the numbers in the session when he practices alone.]

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Past Life Therapy [Note: First I ease the client into a regression by taking him(her) into a prior time in this life. Then I move the regression further back in time. I find this builds confidence in the clients ability to recall details.]

Now I'll like you to imagine we're turning back the clocks of time back five years, back into your history to a beautiful, wonderful, happy day. Back in time - five years ago. You will be able to hear me, and also to answer me, and at any time when I want you to come back and be with me... I will simply tap you on your hand right now as I am now - in the manner that I am doing now, and you will come back into this room to be with me, here in the present time. So, five years ago... a beautiful, happy, wonderful day... you'll be able to hear me, and - also answer me. Hi, I'm (insert your first name.) What's your name? ... what's today, that makes it so special to you?... where are we?... I'm kind of lost and confused, I don't know where we are, could you tell me about this places...
[Note: Always wait for their response. Just continue asking questions about what they are seeing and thinking. -Have about three minutes of dialogue there.]

Again, I would like you to turn back the clocks of time, we'll go back further until you. are just 10 years old, but again it is a wonderful, loving time when you are 10 years old. Again you will be able to hear me, and also to answer me. "Hi, I'm (insert your first name.) How are you?"... And what's you name?... Who's your best friend?... What grade are you in at school?... What do you like to do for fun? [Note: Make all the questions as vibrant as you can and respond to the person appropriately. Use a positive manner.] Again now, we're turning back the pages of time... going back further and further until you're only 5 years old, 5 years old. To a wonderful time when you were just 5 years old.

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[Note: Again go a through about 3-4 minutes of dialogue work, asking them: Who they are? Where they're at? Who are their friends? What's important about today? What are they up to today? If they seem to be visual people, ask them about the imagery that's around them. If they seem to be sensor ally bound ask them what the textures are that are around them. Ask them how they're feeling, what they're doing, and get into their process. Use the appropriate sensory channel for every client.]

Again, I'm turning back the pages of time, going back, further and further, before you were you. Before you were you. But a beautiful happy, wonderful day. Tell me about where I am now. I'm a visitor - I seem to have got a little disoriented. Maybe you could help me by filling in the blanks. Tell me where we are, and what we're doing here, and what this day is going to be like...
[Note: Ask general, friendly questions of your clients: Are they married? What are their names? What year is this? Who's king or queen or president? Listen to all their answers and ask non-leading questions to them. Questions that are general knowledge, questions they can fill in ... And that is the process. It's all dialogue work. At the end of the session you may want to ask them questions like "What are the lessons in this particular life time that you have just reviewed? What lessons did you learned that might be carried over into future lives? What other kind of information can you now give me that might help another person? Look for tendencies within the client's self of their past - or projected past life - apparent in their identities. It's very simple, but it is dialogue work. Then bring them back to the present, simply, by counting

them back closer and closer in time. You can count them from 1 to 10 or I to 20, coming forward and forward in time - until they're back in the present time.]

Physical or Emotional Pain

(The Two Paths Technique)

[Note: This technique is especially good for groups.
A. You may use a formal induction or you may simply begin with the suggestion technique, depending on time available. B. This technique is largely non-directional. Much of the imagery may not be necessary. The river, the village, the mountain path, etc., may be necessary for those who need the extra guidance. For others, it may get in their way" and slow down the imaginative process.]

Good, now I would like for you to take a deep breath (Pause.) and relax. We're going to take an imaginary journey. A journey of healing, a journey of knowledge. Relax your thoughts. Relax your body, and imagine that you are walking down a path that crosses a series of low, rolling hills. (Pause.) The hills are not high, but you cannot see what lies beyond each one. (Pause.) Then, just ahead, you see that your path divides. Now, there is a path to the left and a path to the right. (Pause.) One path leads to pain, one to freedom from pain. Which is which? Look carefully for signs that will help you decide which one to take. Trust your intuition. I'll sit quietly to give you a chance to decide. (10 second pause) Good. Proceed down the path that interests you, and as you do, you notice other signs, other indications that you have, indeed, chosen the correct path.

Eventually we come to a wide, lazy river. Crossing it are two bridges. Each of the bridges are very different from one another. One seems strong and well-built. The other, which leads first to a small island, then the rest of the way across the river, seems a little rickety. Which one is the one you should choose? Which one will take you where you want to go? I will sit quietly until you make your choice and meet me on the far side of the river. (Pause 20 to 30 seconds) Now that you have crossed the bridge, once again there are two paths. One leads into a darker part of the forest and you can see that it is well trod and clearly marked.

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The other is patchy, not many people walk it, and it leads through open spaces between the patches of forest. Which path leads to knowledge about healing? Choose and begin your journey. (Pause one minute) Eventually, your path leads to a clearing- In that clearing is a small hut. No one has been here for a long time, and the door of the hut stands open. You enter, and on a table there are several objects. You may choose only one object, but the one you choose will aid in your healing. Which is the one for you? Choose, then leave the hut and continue down your path. (pause 10 seconds) As you continue down the path, you find a man and a woman seated at opposite sides of a clearing. You show one of them your object, the one you chose only moments ago, and he or she tells you how best to use it to bring about your healing. And somehow, just being in this person's presence, your pain seems to have melted. You feel much better . . .
[Note: The journeying continues through a village where people tell you things, on a boat or raft across a lake, halfway up a mountain where you notice one path that leads down into a valley to a sleepy little town, while another leads higher and higher up the. mountain side, etc. etc.) After the session, you discuss with the group what they saw, felt, experienced etc. This sort of group interaction gives ideas to the other members, it also helps the person who is telling of his (her) adventure to better clarify his thoughts as to what the choices actually signified.]

PMS This month you will be experiencing many changes in your hormone balances. This month is going to be different from many of the past months because your body is going to experience these changes quite naturally and comfortably. You will remain on an emotionally even keel. You will remain within a healthy emotional pattern. Things will come up in the daily course of your job and home that will delight you and some days you will have challenges, but none of your reactions will be extreme. You will remain balanced and poised. You will react in appropriate behavior patterns. 131

See yourself having good conversations and exchanges of communication with your family, friends, and co-workers. Your talks with them are positive and constructive. You feel wonderfully productive. You offer good suggestions to assist in problem solving, and in turn listen to their ideas. Many of their ideas are good and sound. You can think clearly. Your moods are under your control. Right now, you choose for your mood to be positive and optimistic. Your body interacts with your choice. It feels less tension. All throughout the month you nurture yourself. You take the time that you need to manage your stress, tension, and fatigue. By using self hypnosis right before you go to sleep, you can program yourself to rest well... to think creatively during the day... to relax. You find that self-hypnosis is a valuable tool. With proper rest, you no longer experience irritability, depression, or fatigue. By using this relaxation technique daily, you are amazed at the amount of energy that you have. You feel good during the day. Many people who know you well will comment on the difference in your attitudes and manner. See yourself smiling at receiving their compliments. You should. You are earning them by simply taking care of yourself. This change in your lifestyle is a great improvement. You get the proper amount of rest that you need. You are led to eat wholesome, healthy foods. Exercise is appealing to you. You are achieving balance in your life. Your entire month cycle is one of smooth, easy transition. It is quite natural. Progression

I would like you to take a deep breath and relax all over. Find a peaceful area in your life, where you can just be in a beautiful place of your imagination. Choose a safe comfortable place, where you can just sit down, lay back and relax. Now I would like you to see in your mind time changing. Pretend for a moment that your perceptions are like a three-foot ruler. This ruler is clearly marked. The first third of the ruler represents the past, the second third of the ruler represents the present, the third foot on the ruler represents the future. All are equal right now.

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You can imagine that you have the ability to change these markings. Right now you noticed that they are equally balanced, but if you shift the ruler's measurement slightly one way, and then the other, youll notice that your focus changes. So, enlarging the middle section where the "present" is... see that you can become more focused in the here and now than you are in the past, or in the future. Your mind has the ability to make those discerning qualifications to it. Or if you change the ruler again and make much of the ruler be from the past... the first section... you will be living more in the past than you are in the present or future. I'm sure we can all remember times in our lives when we were very much living in the past. Now we are, going to take and make another adjustment, we're going to make an adjustment to the future section in the ruler, and make the future part be the dominant section. Much more of the ruler area is designated for the future than it has been prior. There are times right now, when you think about living in the future... what you're planning to be doing for your next vacation... Where you're going to be six months from now... so let's place this sliding ruler in front of you now. Just project yourself into the near future, a week from now. You're at your job. What projects have you just finished completing, in a week from now? Look around you in your relationships, what have those folks just finished doing - and are closing in on doing, now. You are one week in the future. What have you just accomplished? Again, we'll take another moment and take a giant step forward into the future, six months from now. Project yourself six months from now into your situation and look at the individual that is in front of you, six months from now. What decisions have you made during that time? What plans do you now in carry within you? What changes have occurred on your job, in your relationships, in your environment? Make note of all these things as you step into that mind set. (Pause.)

After you have made note of those different things, let's take another step forward, one year from now. Project yourself one year from now. You can see yourself in the future a year from now. Go ahead, and have a seat with yourself. Settle in, and ask yourself how it's going. What things have you accomplished? What's new in the world? Whats new in your job? What kind of things does your

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future self have to share with you? Any messages or guidance that your future self can give you that will help your current situation? Have a nice chat. I will give you 2 minutes of clock time to have a very nice chat. (Give the client 2 minutes of clock time.) Very good. Now say good-bye to that future self, because we're going to go ahead again. Time is going forward again, and you are projecting yourself to a vision or image of yourself five years from now. How do you look? What are you currently doing? Have the relationships or job changed any? Now, sit down with your five-year-future-self, and have a chat. Counsel with each other, give guidance, listen to guidance. I will give you two more minutes of clock time in which you will have a delightful chat. (Long Pause.) Now I would like you to step into the body, the body of the future self that you have envisioned. And feel it, feel what it's like. Understand intellectually and emotionally what that is going to be like. And release yourself from it... and slowly we're readjusting the measuring stick, the ruler, bringing you back in time, back one year from now, back in time six months from now. You can wave at these folks as you go pass them, it's alright - back in time one week from now, and now back in the present with me. Remember to review very specifically in your mind all the details that you have experienced. And when you're finished, open your eyes.

Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of Your Higher Power

Close your eyes, relaxing your thoughts, relaxing your body. Focus on your breathing... as it goes in... as it comes out. Feel the difference as the air comes in and as the air goes out. Now take a deep, deep breath and let it out slowly... Good. Very good. Now continue to breathe normally. See the number 5 in your mind... As you see the number 4... As you continue to look at the number 4 it fades and you see the number 3... Now see the number 2... Now see the number 1. As you look at the number 1, imagine that it changes into a beautiful door that opens into a corridor. Cross the threshold and walk down the corridor. There are doors on either side and they all bear symbols of spiritual significance. As you come to the end of the corridor you see a golden light, warm and inviting. You enter the light and you are taken to a sacred place. A place of serenity, tranquility, peace. You feel whole, complete, safe in this sacred place. It may be a temple or church. It may be a synagogue or mosque. It may a beach or mountain top. This place is a place in which you feel profoundly spiritual. As you relax in this sacred place, you feel the presence of your Higher Power or Higher Consciousness. You feel no fear, only perfect love and acceptance. Image that you can see yourself sitting there through your Higher Power's eyes. You are looking at yourself through your Higher Power's eyes. Feel the perfect love, unconditional regard, and absolute acceptance. As you look through your Higher Power's eyes, see qualities and goodness in yourself that you never noticed before. Allow yourself to feel the affection your Higher Power has toward you, the belief your Higher Power has in you. Make a kinesthetic anchor with your thumb and a finger on your right hand. Touch the thumb and a finger on your right hand together. Anchor the affirmation of yourself by your Higher Power.

As you focus on how your Higher Power feels about you, especially those qualities of beauty of which you were unaware, allow yourself to come into your own body, seeing through your own eyes. Be completely you. Express your

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gratitude to your Higher Power for this spiritual moment. Now, allow the golden light to gently take you back. Look up into the sky and see the number 1, then the number 2 ... 3... become aware of your body; feel your hands, feet, arms, legs.... 4, gradually awakening... 5, open your eyes, feel refreshed, relaxed, affirmed... Skin Care Radiant Skin Visualize your skin. It is the outermost covering of your body tissue. It protects the internal organs from the environment. It is the way you contact the world. The skin is the largest organ in the body. Its cells are continually being replaced as they are lost by wear and tear. Visualize your skin, and know it to be an organ of the body that exchanges with the exterior world. Concentrate on a section of your skin. It could be your forehead, it can be a cheek, it could be any part of your skin. But concentrate on that section of the body surface area and imagine inhaling and exhaling through the skin there. Exhale and feel something going out. Inhale and feel something coming in. Exhale through the skin and permit it to release and relax. Inhale through the skin and feel it becoming refreshed, invigorated and cleansed. Exhale all of your stress, all of your tension, and inhale energy and refreshment. It is the skin, your body exchanging with the oxygen in the environment. Everyday thousands of skin cells get replaced by new layers. These layers come up through the body, through the dermis into the epidermis area. These layers come up clean, wholesome and healthy. They reflect proper dieting, they reflect the proper way of dealing with your stress, they are healthy and whole. Because you are nurturing yourself, now. You are taking care of yourself, now. And these layers are coming up, replacing all of the old layers of skin, daily. Your skin gets replaced and exchanged. More radiant, more vibrant, more "alive" cells come forth and replace all the old cells. And you can see this new, radiant skin when you look into the mirror. The

improvement! It is healthier, it is wholesome, and you do take care of it in a proper way. Imagine applying essential oils and nutrients deeply into your skin,

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drinking it into your skin, healing it. They bring forth even more of a luster than you had ever imagine! This treatment promotes healing, breathing through your skin and releasing those toxins, those stresses, promoting healing.and adding a luster and a radiance to your skin than you have never seen before. It is very pleasing, it is healthy and wholesome. From this point on starting right now, starting today, every time you apply a lotion or an oil to your skin, your skin absorbs it easily and creates a radiance, a healthful glow. And you remember this exercise, you release the stress and tension. Your skin looks beautiful, and your true, inner beauty radiates from within, flowing effortlessly through every fiber, every cell. Healing, releasing, growing, flowing. You touch the earth, the earth touches you. You touch the air, the air touches you through your flawless, radiant skin. You are a perfect manifestation of that deep, profound fragrance of beauty that shines with a luminescence from your inner-conscious mind. Your body, mind and spirit generate a beauty that transcends the physical and is made visible in every cell of your skin.

The 1000, Induction (For resistant clients and groups)

[Note: This is a special induction combined with a pain technique. The induction is for resistant clients.]

Begin with the number 1000. As you inhale, open your eyes. As you exhale, close your eyes and say the number out loud. For example: Inhale open eyes... exhale close eyes and say "One thousand". Inhale open eyes... exhale close eyes and say "Nine hundred ninety-nine", etc. Once you can no longer open your eyes, keep inhaling and exhaling in cadence with everyone else, still saying the numbers out loud on the exhalation. (Pause.)

Once you can no longer speak, simply inhale and exhale along with whomever is still talking. If the rhythms of breathing are too difficult to match; just breathe at your own pace until entire room is quiet.
[Note: When entire room is silent, the leader continues with guided imagery.]

Let us pretend that your pain has become visible to you. You can see it, touch it and heal it. Notice what it looks like. Is it a color? Is it hard or soft? Is it cold or hot? What else do you see about it? (Pause.) Suddenly, out of nowhere, comes an idea. An idea so powerful, so perfect, that you know it is the exact right one. The idea tells you how to remove the pain. It tells you what imagery you need to reach in and completely remove the pain from you. I will sit quietly while you quickly and easily release the imagery of pain and replace it with the powerful imagery of healing. (Pause, for 2 minutes) Good, now simply count from one to ten, feeling refreshed and relaxed as you return to full waking consciousness. Simply count from one to ten to return your thoughts to this room.

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[Note: We believe the "1000 Induction" is so effective because of the huge symbolic size of the number 1000 and the monumental task that lies before the clients. It works especially well in groups because as the least resistant client grow silent, the most resistant have the psychological pressure of being the only ones left who are still speaking. And it has the added advantage of allowing the client to decide when he(she) has reached various levels of relaxation. And even if the most resistant has infected the group with his doubts (self-doubts), they are willing to set aside their resistance as the monotonous repetition overrides any psychological resistance.]

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APPENDIX A

What follows is a fairly typical progressive relaxation, hypnosis induction, which includes a "beautiful place guided imagery that makes it quite suitable for use with most of the suggestion techniques in this text. The suggestions would be inserted at the spot in the induction where it reads,.

'Put suggestions here.'

Now, the first thing we should do is to relax the muscles in your eyes. All you need to do is to open your eyes and focus them on a point of light - any source of illumination. Simply look toward a light, toward a source of illumination; it can be nothing more than a glimmer on a piece of metal. It can be any form of light, even a bright object - but not so bright that it will hurt your eyes. Now, simply look toward the light, toward the source of illumination, allow your eyes to relax. Simply allow the muscles in your eyes to relax. As you look toward the light, toward the source of illumination, you need not force your eyes to close, and, by the same token, you need not force your eyes to remain open. Simply allow the muscles in your eyes to relax. Continue looking toward the light, toward the source of illumination, until your eyes begin to grow heavy; then allow them to close. Simply allow your eyes to close. (Repeat if necessary or say, "Good, very good, now close your eyes and imagine the light. Imagine the source of illumination. Visualize it in your mind and allow your thoughts to relax. Allow your body to relax. Relax, relax and go deeper.") Good. Now, I'd like you to take a deep breath (pause) and let it out, relaxing your thoughts, relaxing your body ... very good. 197

Next, I'm going to count to ten; and with every number that I count, I'd like you to take a deep breath; and each time I say the word "relax", simply relax and allow the breath to rush from your body. Again, with every number that I count, I'd like you to take a deep breath; and each time I say the word "relax", simply relax and allow the breath to rush from your body. One, take a deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Two, take a deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Three, take a deep, deep breath. (Pause). And relax. Four, take a deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Five, take a deep, deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Six, deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Seven, deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Eight, a very, very deep, deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Release and relax. Nine, a very, very deep, deep breath. (Pause) And relax. Ten, deep breath (pause) and relax.

Relax your thoughts, relax your body. Good. Very good. Now continue to breathe normally. Now, I'd like you to turn your attention to your toes. Direct your attention toward the tips of your toes. Focus your attention on the tips of your toes. We're going to perform some physical exercises. You need not participate in these exercises if you would prefer not to, but they will assist in relaxing your body. (The last sentence is used only for large groups.) I'd like you to tighten the muscles in your toes. Tighten the muscles in your feet and in your toes, very, very tight ... hold them ... and relax, release. Good, very good. Now, I'd like you to tighten the muscles in your legs, in the calves of your legs and your thighs ... hold them ... and relax ... relax. Very good. Now, tighten the muscles in your abdomen and back, tighten your stomach and back muscles ... tighter ... hold them ... and relax ... relax. Very good. Tighten the muscles in your hands and in your fingers. Tighten the muscles in your hands and in your fingers and hold them very, very tightly ... hold them ... and relax. Now the muscles in your arms. The muscles in your forearms, in your upper arms, make them very tight, very tight, in whatever manner you choose; tighten up the muscles, very tight ... and relax. Good, very good. Now very important - tense the muscles in your shoulders. 198

Tighten up those muscles in your shoulders and in your neck ... and then release release and relax. You may feel a light tingling sensation or feeling of warmth. That's a good sign. Now, I'd like you to focus your attention on the muscles in your face. Make a face. "Scrunch" up your face and tighten up the muscles, very tightly ... hold them ... and relax. Allow them to expand, to relax. Great. Now, one more time, we're doing to scan the entire body; and as we do we're going to tighten all the muscles together. Begin now with the toes ... the feet ... the legs ... the stomach the back ... hands ... arms ... face ... neck and shoulders ... tighten hold them ... and relax. Relax your body, relax your thoughts. Relax ... relax. Very good, very good. Now, as you're beginning to relax, I'd like you to imagine a very, very heavy weight, a heavy weight that gently rolls over your body, massaging out all the tensions, all the strains, causing you to relax. A very, very heavy weight rolling over your body, and rolling back down again, forcing out all the tensions, all the strains, causing you to relax. Allowing you to

relax. A heavy massaging weight rolling over your body and rolling back down again, forcing out all the tensions, all the strains, and allowing you to relax. Good, very good. Now I'd like you to imagine a wave, like an ocean wave. A wave of warming, soothing relaxation, rushing up over your body and rushing back down again, taking with it all the tensions, all the strains, bathing you in a sea of warming, soothing relaxation. A wave, like an ocean wave. A wave of warming, soothing relaxation, rushing up over your body and rushing back down again, taking with it all the tensions, all the strains, allowing you to relax. Allowing you to relax. Relax. Good, very good. Now I'd like you to imagine a chalkboard such as you have seen in any classroom. A chalkboard. I'd like you to imagine that you're taking a piece of chalk in the hand with which you normally write. And imagine that you're taking an eraser in the other hand. (Pause) Now, I'd like you to mentally draw a large circle on the chalkboard. Mentally, draw a large circle on the chalkboard (long pause). Once you've done that, I'd like for you to inscribe the letter "X" in the circle on the chalkboard. Draw the letter "X" in the circle on the chalkboard. Draw the letter "X" in the circle on the chalkboard, in such a manner as to 19 9 have each point of the "X" touch the circle. Draw a large letter "X" so that each point of the "X" touches the circle. (Pause) Good. Very Good. Now, I'd like for you to erase the letter "X." Erase the letter "X" without erasing any part of the circle. Erase the letter "X" without erasing any part of the circle. (Long pause) From this point onward, you no longer need to listen to my voice. You no longer need to listen to me. Simply begin writing and erasing each letter of the alphabet in turn, in the circle, on the chalkboard. Begin writing and erasing each letter of the alphabet in turn, in the circle, on the chalkboard. And with every beat of your heart, with every breath that you take, you will become more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. Continue writing and erasing, writing and erasing, and with every letter that you write and erase, you'll become more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. And when at last you come to the end of the alphabet, you will take a deep breath, relax all over, and be in a deep, deep relaxed state. Continue writing and erasing, writing and erasing, with every letter that you write and erase, you'll become more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. And when at last you come to the end of the alphabet, you will take a deep breath, and relax all over, and be in a deep, deep relaxed state.

Continue writing and erasing, writing and erasing, and with every letter that you write and erase, you'll become more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. And when at last you come to the end of the alphabet, you will take a deep breath, relax all over, and be in a deep, deep state of relaxation. Continue writing and erasing, writing and erasing, with every letter that you write and erase, you'll become more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. And when at last you come to the end of the alphabet, you will take a deep breath, relax all over, and be in a deep, deep state of relaxation. Continue writing and erasing, writing and erasing, and with every letter that you write and erase, you'll become more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. And when at last you come to the end of the alphabet, you will take a deep

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breath, relax all over, and be in a deep, deep state of relaxation. Writing and erasing, writing and erasing, more sleepy, more drowsy, more relaxed. Good, very good.

Now, I'd like you to imagine the number ten in the circle on the chalkboard. Imagine the number ten written in the circle on the chalkboard, and I'd like you to begin erasing, writing and erasing each number from ten down to the number one. And with every number that you write and erase, you will go deeper, deeper and deeper, deeper, deeper and deeper with every number that you write and erase. Deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper. And by the time you have erased the number one, you will take a deep breath, relax all over, and slip into a very, very deep, deep relaxed state. Continue writing and erasing, writing and erasing, and with every number that you write and erase, you will go deeper, deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper, with every number that you write and erase. And when at last you have erased the number one, you will take a deep breath, relax all over, and be in a very, very, deep, deep relaxed state. Deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper, with every number that you write and erase. Good. Now, I'd like for you to imagine a well-lit flight of stairs. Imagine a well-lit flight of stairs, ten steps in all, leading up to a large double door. I'm going to count to ten, and with every number that I count I'd like for you to take one step. A flight of stairs, ten steps in all. By the time I have reached the number ten, the doors will open and you will cross over the threshold into the most beautiful place you could ever imagine, the most beautiful place that could ever exist.

One, take the first step. Two, take the second. Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. The doors will open. Cross over the threshold into the most beautiful place in the universe, the most beautiful place you could ever imagine. As you begin to walk through this place, touch the earth. What does it feel like? (Pause) Smell the air. What fragrances do you perceive? (Pause) Is the sky cloudy or clear? What do you see? (Pause) What sounds do you hear? Are there any living things nearby? (Pause) As you continue to walk through this, the most beautiful place in the 201

universe, there is one spot among all the others in which you could easily lie down, curl up and go to sleep. Find that place. Lie down. Curl up. Relax. A place in which you feel totally secure, comfortable, relaxed, protected. You could easily fall asleep here, but don't fall asleep just yet...

{Put suggestion here}

If at any time during the entire remainder of your life, you would like to relax your body, relax your thoughts, and become even more relaxed than you are right now, all you need to do is this: In your mind, repeat the following suggestion: see yourself performing this simple exercise, tell your self to "Take a deep breath, as you exhale, see in your mind and say to yourself the number '3' three times. Then take a second breath; as you exhale, see in your mind and say to yourself the number '2' three times. And finally, take a third breath. And, as you exhale, see in your mind and say to yourself the number '1' three times." At any time during the entire remainder of your life that you use this technique, which I call the "three-twoone technique all you need to do is use that exercise, and you will find yourself in this most beautiful place. Your thoughts will relax ... even more relaxed than you are right now... Implant that suggestion strongly now in your subconscious mind. Tell yourself that this technique will work for you. Repeat it two or three times, strongly. That's all you need to do; use the three-two-one technique to totally relax your thoughts, relax your body, anytime, anywhere ... (LONG PAUSE)

Once you have implanted that suggestion strongly, simply awaken yourself slowly by counting from one to ten. Count slowly from one to ten, giving yourself the strong mental suggestion that when you awaken you'll be wide awake and feeling just fine, refreshed and relaxed, wide awake, and feeling just fine, simply by counting from one to ten.

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