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SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFICSELF-SUGGESTION


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BY the sarne authorTHE THEORY Ai{D PRACTICE OT HYPNOTISM SE,LF-HYPNOSIS ANDSCIENTIFICSELF.SUGGESTION

byw. J. ousBY

THORSONS PUBLTSHERS LIMITEDWellingborough, Northamptonshire


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First published 1966Second Impression 1968Third Impression 1971Fourth Impression 1974Fifth Impression 7977Sixth Impression 1979

o wJ. ousBY 1966

ISBN 0 7225 0285 0Printed and bound in Great Britain byWeatherby Woolnough, Wellingborough,NorthamPtonshire

CONTENTSForewordIntroductionr The lJnconscious Mind

z "Getting Through" to the Unconscious Mind3 General Relaxationq Differential Relaxation5 Routine of Self-Suggestion Session6 Devising the Right SuggestionsSelf Observation between Suggestion SessionsRegistering Suggestions in the lJnconsciousMindThe Self Hypnotic TranceInducing the Self Hypnotic TranceTrance Induction (continued)Trance DeepeningOvercoming ObstaclesConclusion

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8This book k sold subiect to the condition that it shall not, by way of.ioi" o, otherwise, be lent,re-sold, hired' out' or otherwise circulatedLltir".t in, puuixn"r's prior cotusent .i.f -o"? form of bind'ing .or"iiq otnff t'han that in which it is published and without a similat,ona*n" including thi,s condition being imposed on the subsequentpurchaser.

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FOREWORD bv SIR PAUL DUKES, K.B.E.Mr. Ousby's system will be of special interest to those who,while believing that hypnotism might well rid them ofnervous troubles and wrong habits of living, would nonethe less hesitate to visit a hypnotist. If such people willpersevere in carrying out the instructions given in thesepages they rvill certainly be able to help themselves in waysof which they have never dreamed. During recent years,both in Britain and America, soldiers have been trained byusing self hypnotic techniques to render themselves im-mune from pairr and even to undergo torture withoutbetraying military secrets. The self-hypnotic trance is un-doubtedly the secret w,hich enables firewalkers and fakirsto perform their feats.Mr. Ousby's presentation of the subject is eminentlypractical for use in everyday life. He is a scientific hypno-tist skilled in the Eastern and Western techniques and byprofession a psychoanalyst. His aim is to show the essen-tially simple yet powerful working of the mind under sug-gestion, and the methods whereby its technique can besystematically applied to oneself while retaining full voli-tional control.The key to success lies in the ability to implant sugges-tions in the unconscious mind. With this in view theauthor has set forth a method of progressive physicalrelaxation through which control is gradually extended tomental and emotional mastery. The reader is shown howhe is, in his present condition, actually hypnotising himself

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SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONby his doubts and fears, and he leams how to reverse thepro".r, so that his subconscious mind diverts the elemental.r..gy of his thoughts into constructive channels. Not theleasimerit of this Course is its profound sincerity. Thereis r^o doubt that the author is imbued with a deep desire tohelp all who are willing to make the initiat effort to helpthemselves. (signed) PAUL DUKES

INTRODUCTIONBroadly speaking there are four groups of people who areaware of the tremendous power suggestion possesses toalter people's lives.Firstly the politicians, advertising and public relatiorsspecialists who influence public opinion.Secondly the individuals who have learned the subtleart of using this powerful force upon themselves throughthe self suggestion or auto hypnotic techniques.Thirdly those whose work is to treat with, and teachothers how to use these techniques for gaining greatermental and emotional control and overcoming psychoso-matic ailments.Lastly those who have come to realise they need assist-ance in freeing them.selves from the influence of negativethought, worry or some psychosomatic ailment whichdefies all effort of will and logic to displace it.It is my conviction that an individual who has had anervous breakdown and dealt with it successfully is farbetter equipped to face life than someone who has neverbeen through this experience. This is because in thiscritical battle for self control, inner strengths and resourcesare revealed which otherwise would never have beendiscovered.There is a story of ancient India which in allegoricalform tells us something of the mysterious Unknown, orequally mysterious unconscious mind from which our

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IO SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONmental and emotional life springs ' ' ' and how in acquir-ing knowlerlge of the latent strengths and potentialities weall possess, we are also acquiring superior weapons ford.aiirrg wiin tfre problems we all have to face in life'The" story tells how Prince Arjuna, about to fight acritical batile, decides to go to the mountains to ask theGod, Siva for superior or secret weapons with which towin this battle. On the way in a forest clearing he sees adeer which he shoots for food, but at the mornent he shootsa stranger steps from the trees and also shoots the deer'Arjuia, who by nature was proud and headstrong'"ngriiy called out l'You have no right to shoot the deer' I.ui it'firrt and it is mine." The stranger replied "You arefoolish to think you can settle disputes by fighting, and ifyo;u are as boli as you are foolish I must teach you aiesson." Arjuna's ptid" would not let him take back hisarrogant wlrds, ut d h. could not avoid the challenge' Soraisiig his bow he loosed an arrow at his opponent' To-hisu^urr^rnt the stranger brushed his arrows aside' WhenArjuna had fired alt his arrows, he drew his sword but thestranger instantly disarmed him and held him in an irongrip liLe a helpless child. Disarmed and unable to moveArjrra closed his eyes and humility took the place of,.rog"... and with passionate sincerity he prayed to theGods to save him frorn his helpless plight'

As soon as Arjuna prayed for help he found himself freeand unharmed and saw'his adversary was Siva who hadmanifested himself in human form as the embodimentof the human sPirit.In the story, Siva says, "I wanted to help you but-youwould not listen. You'thought yotl could do everythingunaided. Did you think the fowers which created you hadabandoned you? I wanted to give you superior weapons

INTRODUCTION I Ibut you would not listen or ask me until I made youhelpless."Arjuna then realised that he was not a lonely figurebattling against the Unknown but that forces stronger thanhim.self could be called on to help him in his critical battle.We, like Arjuna, by resolving our inner conflicts canfree energ"y and unsuspected inner resources and soaccelerate recuperative and healing powers; in short turnthe unconscious mind into a powerful ally which will aidus in living a healthier and happier life.


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THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND r3

CHAPTER ONETHE UNCONSCIOUS MIND

The following pages describe a simple "do it yourself"method of making alterations in oneself which cannot beachieved by will power alone. It goes beyond the simplereiterative principles of Coueism or any short-termmethods of boosting will power.These methods are successfully used to cure, prevent oralleviate a wide variety of complaints, but their applica-tion is not restricted to the remedial. They are beingadopted as part of the personal techniques of many busi-ness and professional men and wornen, so that they mayachieve greater efficiency with less wear and tear on thehuman machine.A knowledge of natural laws is giving contemporaryman ever increasing ability to harness and control elec-tronic and atomic energy; in a similar way an extensionof his knowledge of laws governing mental and emotionalenergies, gives him increased control over his own mentaland emotional life. In the following pages it is shown hownervous energ"y can be diverted into corxtructive channels,irxtead of being fuzed ofi in damaging tensions or negativethoughts and emotions.Most of us have witnessed the efforts of young childrentrying to write, faces screwed up, heads craned fo'rward,shoulders hunched, tension in every limb and feature.During these ill co-ordinated efforts to make a few lines onpaper with a pencil, about one hundred times the neces-sary energy is being employed. People suffering from

nervous tension resemble tlese small children, bu unlikethem, many will not correct their mistakes, and later,through not knowing how to relax irurer tensions, ruintheir health through well meant but wrongfully direcredefforts.Those who have acquired their own personal techniquesof relaxing and using self suggestion or auto hypnosis,usually accomplish much more work than ordinary'people,and in times of crisis or difficult circumstances can actwith a cool, calm detachment. Sir Winston Churchill wasan excellent example of mental control and personaltechnique. His co,mpetent handling of rn.., urd eventsarose out of his ability to maintain his own mental clarity,energy and zest for work, which in turn arose out of hisability to relax at will.Sir Winston once asked if a certain man had the abilityto relax and, on hearing that he had not, remarked ,,Hewill not last." This comment could be made of manybusiness men. Nervous strain is inseparable from positionsof resporxibility today, and stress complaints u.. ,ro*occupational risks of those in executive positiors.Those people who had tremendous capacity for workand leadership-Caesar, Napoleoq Leonardo da VinciGandhi, Michael Angeto, Schweitzef i"CJal\;tr;;;Churchill and numerous others did not rely on ;,driving,,themselves, but had developed more informed methods ofachieving peak performances of any tasks they undertook.The list of their qualities is almost identical-ihey had un-failing confidence in themselves, unusual powers of mentalconcentration, retentive memories, the abiliq, to influence

9thep, unusual capacities for work and the ability to sleepfor short periods whenever they chose to do so.It might be thought that these men were fortunate andthat they had been endowed with outstanding qualities at


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I+ SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONbirth, but in most cases this was not so-these qualitieswere discovered during periods of adversity'They discovered

(a) That the average man uses only a fraction of hisreal Potential(b) That they could make greater use of their ownlatent abilities(r) That this could be achieved without plunderingtheir reserves of energY.Sometimes the handbook of a motor car contains a

simple explanation of how the engine works' The simplest"*piut ution of how "the human machine" operates is tourrrr-. that man has two minds, a corscious mind and anunconscious mind. These two minds are separated by someform of barrier or curtain. The conscious mind does theit irrt irg and "willing" and behind the curtain whichseparatls these two mi,,d, the unconscious mind' workingq"i.tfy in the background, regulates the major part of theactivities ,r"...ru.i fot iiuittg' It transforms food andoxygen into tissues and energy' It regulates- the routinefrrrJtio*, co-ordinating the uttiuititt of all the organs ofthe body, the heart, stJrnach, liver, lungs, etc' It- sup.ttil-tends the maintenance and repairs which the bodyt.q"it*-Uroken bones will knit, iorn flesh will heal' anti-to*i* will be manufactured to combat fevers and in addi-tion to this, the unconscious mind also controls almost allthe functiors of the physical and emotional life-it hasabsolute power o'r., ti.''o'tine functions' Nature' it hasbe.n ,uid', would not trust man to digest his food by.hitown efiorts, because through his carelessness or forgetful-ness he would soon starve tI death' The unconscious mind'with r.obot like efficiency, controls all the organic lun-9ti9rsof the body and .orx"iot"ly man is unaware of all this

THE TINCONSCIOUS MIND 15complex inner activity. This arrangement leaves the con-scious mind free to attend to activities in the outside world. . . and the arrangement worlis very satisfactorily if noth-ing happerx to upset the automatic activity of the uncon-scious mind.Nervous terxion is the most common cause of interfer-ence with what should be the smoothly co-ordinatedoperations of the unconscious mind.The first intimation a man has that something is wrongmay be a mild attack of indigestion, or he feels nervy andcannot relax, or maybe is not sleeping well. He maybecome aware that the robot unconscious mind is keepingtensions switched on and that he cannot get instructionsthrough to it to switch off. This is the condition looselydescribed as nervous tension, and is the basic cause of moststress complaints.Animals possess a much simpler nervous system and leada less complicated life than we humans. Because of thiswe can see, by observing them in the wild state, whathappens under stress. In Kenya I once saw a herd of zebragrazing quietly. Suddenly a lioness, which had crept nearthem under the cover of some undergrowth, made acharge, but immediately she appeared in the open thewhole herd galloped off. The lioness, failing to get withinstriking distance, soon gave up the chase. The zebragradually slackened their pace and, as the lioness stopped,although they had only moved a short distance, they alsostopped, and to my surprise began grazing again as thoughnothing had happened. It will illustrate how the physicaland nervous system operates if we examine what hap-pened to the zebra during this alarm.Immediately an alarm is given chemical and physicalchanges in the body take place at lightning speed. Sugarfrom the liver, together with secretioru from the adrenal


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I6 SELF.HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF.SUGGESTIONglands, is released into the blood stream, blood pressurerises, and the animal is poised, senses alerted, musclestersed, ready for instant action either to take refuge inflight or to stand and fight. . . all other body processes(such as digestion) which are not essential to deal with theemergency, are suspended. When the danger has passedatt tensions subside, digestive processes are resumed andall activities go back to normal.Man has a much more complicated neryous systemthan the zebra, and because of this and the demands oflife today his tensions do not switch ofi as easily as thoseof an animal. As a result few people are immune fromnervous tension, and the prevalence of these tensions canbe gathered from the frequent statements by medicalauthorities that the major part of all illness is caused byunsolved and emotional problers . . . that is by nervoustension.With many people today the unconscious mind is in asemi-permanent state of alert, creating a wide variety ofpsychosomatic and nervous complaints, but it can be in-huenced to switch off unnecessary tensions and so allowthe body's natural recuperative powers to restore therhythm of physical, mental and emotional functioning andalso, at thi same time, to allow constructive self sugges-tions to be implanted in the unconscious mind to deal withspecific ana individual problems. The potential scope andurl,.r. of the hypnotic, auto hypnotic and self suggestiontechniques in helping others and oneself, is only fullyrealised by those who have some experience of thesetechniques.Theiamous scientist J.B. S. Haldane gives some indica-tion of the promise these techniques have for mankind inthe following comment, "Anyone who has seen even asingle .*u-p1. of the power of hypnotism and suggestion

THE TJNCONSCTOUS MrND 17must realise that the face of the world and the possibilitiesof existence will be totally altered when we can controltheir effects and standardise their applications as has beenpossible, for example, with drugs which were onceregarded as equally magical."The hypnotic and modern suggestion techniques are inthe same position today as penicillin and other anti-biotics were a generation ago. At that time many peopledesperately needed the help that these precious drugscould have given them, but not sufficignt was known oftheir large scale manufacture to make them freely avail-able. The self hypnotic and self suggestion techniquestaught in the following pages have been a turning pointin the lives of many people, not only in curing ailmentsbut in overcoming the problems of everyday life.

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CHAPTER TWO..GETTING THROUGH" TO THE UNCONSCIOUSMINDThis Section contains further cornrnents about the uncon-scious mind and begins instructions on the first steps inmaking contact with it.ThJaverage individual has many demands made onhim. During it. whole of his waking hours his eyes andears are kept busy with a succession of sights and sounds'and, at the same time, a ceaseless stream of thoughts flowsthrough his mind, as often as not accornpanied by emo-tional activity.Much of tiris activity is carried out by the unconsciousmind, but frequently much more energy and efiort thanshould be necessary is taken up in performing theseactivities. By giving a little attention to the way in whichthe unconscious mind can be influenced vast improve-ments can be made in the way it performs any task'Although not aware of it everyone, by meansof theunconscious mind, already performs extraordinarily com-plex activities. For example, a man walking down a -bu;V,,r.", is thinking of somi problem. There will be all thesights and sounds which go to make up the noise and dis-tr"action of a street. The man, busy with his own thoughswill pay no attention to the noise or the shop windows orp.opi. passing, but should a friend come walking towards^fri-, oi sfroutd someone suddenly call his name, histhoughts will be instantly switched to his friend or to thep.t o. who has called out his name. Although he was not

"GETTING THRouGH" To rHE uNCoNSCIous MIND Igconsciously aware of all the sights and sounds going onaround him, his unconscious mind had been busy notingthem all . . . but like a good servant had not reported tohim matters which were of no importance, in this wayleaving his conscious mind free to attend to more impor-tant matters, while his unconscious mind attends toroutine matters. In short, the unconscious mind of anyreader, though he may never have thought about psycho-Iogy, is already highly trained, and if he wishes, he candelegate to it many tasks which it can carry out muchmore efficiently than can be done by use of the consciousmind.The success of all suggestion depends on gaining co-operation of the unconscious mind. . . and if it isapproached with sincerity and patience it will allow marrto tap energies he never dreamed he possessed, carry outfeats which seemed impossible and cure complaints whichhad been regarded as hopeless, but this is dependent onhis working with, and not against the laws which governour being.Whatever task faces one in life, whether it is to cure anillness, alter a habit or make a success of a job, or masterthe techniques of self suggestion there is no more impor-tant question than "F{ow can I get the co-operation of myunconscious mind?"Often when trying to influence his unconscious mind aman may encounter obstacles. Sometimes when he exertshis will to influence his unconscious, he may discover thereis in the structure of the mind, something which preventshis instruction "getting through." He may say to himself"I am not going to smoke another cigarette" but later findshe is still smoking, for some reason his instructioru havefailed to get thromgh to his unconscious mind.The man trying only with his will power and courage


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20 SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENT'IFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONto overcome his problem may think it is a defeat to admithe cannot force his unconscious mind to do what heWILLS-but he can, like Arjuna, acquire the superiorweapons which will enable him to succeed.We cannot force our unconscious to work for us, but wecan get its aid by using more informed methods' Thesemethods enable us to enlist the help of the positive ele-ments in the unconscious mind which are themselvesstriving to restore harmonious functioning.The task of getting suggestions through to the positivgelements in the unconscious mind is simplified, if we thinkof our mental make up as a business house with depart-ments on difierent floors. On the first floor are the jointmanagers, the Intellect and the Will, these represent thecorrsc[us -ind. On the lower floors are the workers whowill carry out any orders they are given, and whose workit is to maintain the routine functioning of the emotionaland physical life. These workers broadly speaking repre-sent ih; unconscious mind. They are protected by a guardwhose function is to prevent orders getting through tothese workers, for they witl do what they are told irrespec-tive of what it is or who tells them. The guard is there tostop them, otherwise people after watching a TV pro-g.r-*. would rush out and buy detergents, foods gt uly-ifrirrg else the scientifically designed suggestions of the TVadvertising had instructed them to purchase'

Continulng this simplified picture of getting suggestionsthrough to the workers in the unconscious mind, we firstadopi the strategy of lulling the guard into a quiescentstate and quietly passing messages to the helpful workers,who are themselvis striving to correct whatever deviationthere may be from a healthy huppy life' The first step inlulling the guard is achieved by carrying out physicalrelaxation.

"GETTING THRouGH" To rHE uNCoNSCIous MIND 2rThough relaxing sounds simple, it is something whichhas to be learned and there is no one who cannot learn torelax, however tense he may be if he is patient and per-sistent. Once the ability is acquired it is as though shutlershave been drawn on the outside world and attention isturned inwards. Recuperative processes begin and energyreplenishes tired muscles, energy levels rise, and the guardis lulled into a quiescent state, creating favourable con-ditions for administering self suggestions.The following instructions deal with General Relaxa-tion which is a helpful condition for the creation of self

hypnosis or the state of maximum suggestibility. Theobject in view is to attain a physical state in which tensionis absent. This state is brought about not by learning newthings to do, but by stopping various activities which arealready going on.Some people will find that if they spend a minute ortwo in deep breathing before the relaxation session it helpsthem to unwind and to "let go" more rapidly. This doesnot apply to everyone and by experiment you will see if itis helpful or otherwise to you personally.The following exercises deal with the cultivation ofrelaxation, or "letting go" by cultivating muscular li-p-ness. When the body is relaxed, mental and emotionalactivities, are influenced by this physical relaxation andare also quietened down. These are the first steps in"letting go."When a limb is relaxed it is limp. It will lie motionlessand inert. If it were lifted, bent or moved by someone else,no resistance or rigidity would be detected. It will moveeasily as though it were a piece of limp rope.This relaxation is employed naturally by many animals,of which the cat is a good example. The flaccid way inwhich it can let its muscles relax completely, is very


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22 SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONinstructive ancl helpful by way of illustration in carryingout the following exercises.In speaking Jf rela"ation, the term "letting go" hasbeen used. The question might be asked: "Letting go ofwhat?" The answer would be to let go the tensions whichcause restlessness and lack of ease' The difficulty withmany people is that they have become habitually tensed,p, urra this overactive state of their nerves has becometh.i, ,rot-al condition. They have fongotten how to "letgo."To achieve relaxation it is necessary to let the lsnsionsdie down-but, as we have said, the tense individual maynot be fully aware of all the tensions in himself' Some ofthe signs are to be seen in frowns, blinking, restless-move-ments] and a lack of repose' The first exercise is directedtowards educating the lndividual to recognise tension inhimself as the first step to removing it' When he can recog-,ri.. it presence he can also recognise its absence' Relaxa-tion is nothing mone than the absence of tension'If, during 1Lr. first attempts, when carrying out theexercises your attention is distracted by some imaginarystifiness, or awkwardness in posture, or involuntary swal-io*irrg, and the like, do not attempt to force these distrac-tions out of your mind. They cannot be banished by adirectefiortofthewilt.Asfaraspossibleturnthewholeof your attention to the detail of the particular exerciseupon which you are engaged' You-may fail a number oftirnes, but if you perseve",eiepeatedly, the disuactions willgradually cease as the nervou's activity, of which the irrita-uo* u"" *erelysymptoms, quietens down'The messages which may be flashed into conscrousnesssuch as: "My neck is stifi," "My mouth is dry"' anf so.on'are due to the overactive sensory nerves' The fidgeting'twitching and other movements are due to motor nerve

"GETTTNG rHRouGH" To rHE uNCoNSCIous MIND 2Zimpulses, which are consciously o,r unconsciously attempt-ing to relieve the real or imagined irritation. Terxion insome degree is always present, even when we think we arerelaxed. Our purpose is to reduce this tension to a mini-mum so that the symptoms of this overactivity cease.


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CHAPTER THREEGENERAL RELAXATION

This section gives you basic instructions on physicallyrelaxing, and using self suggestions to increase your powersof positive self suggestibility and the creating of a trancestaie in subsequent sessions. At this stage some beginnersmay feel doubiful about their powers of self suggestibility,these doubts are not unnatural considering they havefailed to use positive self suggestion but these doubtvanish, as the Cortt. proceeds. It is not that people lackthe power to suggest to themselves . . . as is all too evidentin the results of damaging self suggestion' What they lackis the knowledge of how io positiuely employ this power ofself suggestion.thitb.r.ral Relaxation Exercise may take some timeand have to be repeated for a number of sessions, but laterthe trance statg or a vastly increased state of suggestibilitycan be created fairly quickly without the routine of relax-ing. Every time you cirry out these preliminary exercisesyo"" *itt benefit if you will incorporate the prescribedsrrgg.rtiors which ui. to be used at the termination ofeach session.To begin your General Relaxation Sessions isolate your-self whe-re you will not be disturbed. If there is a possi-bility of this, lock your door.tiis Uest to choose a time when there is as little noise aspossible. If there are, or are likely to be, ouBide noises, use"ottor, wool or ear plugs to deaden these sounds' It is wiseto choose a time when youare not too tired or worried'

GENERAL RELAXATTON 25and there are no tasks requiring your attention immedi-ately after your exercise session. In short, arrange matters,as far as possible, so that you have a free mind. To this endit will be found helpful if you can arrange to be quiet foran hour or so preceding the first sessions. After you havecarried out the exercises several times, it will be found thatthese preliminary preparations are no longer required.Make yourself comfortable on a couch or a bed with, orwithout a pillow, as suits you best. Some people find thatthey can relax better on the floor with a carpet or a nrgto Iie on, but the reader after experimenting, will be thebest judge of what suits his own needs. A small flat cushionor pad may also be found helpful, either in the small ofthe back or behind the knees. Spend a little time experi-menting until the best conditions conducive to relaxationhave been arranged.When you are satisfied from your experiments that youhave found the best conditions in which to be as cornfort-able as possible, lie on your back with your hands openand arms by your sides, but do not let them touch yourbody. Just let them rest cornfortably at your sides, restquietly and easily, looking at the ceiling. Don't stare butconcentrate your gaze on one spot. Don't try to do any-thing else. Close your eyes if it is an effort to keep themopen, but do not try to "put yourself ofi." The object ofthis resting is to let your mind and body gradually slowdown. If your mind starts off on sorne task of its own, suchas making out a shopping list, or working on some prob-lem, bring it back and remind yourself of what you aredoing. After a brief interval, particularly if you have beenbusy previously, you will feel vario'us tirednesses of whichyou were not conscious before. You will be able to feelthese sensations of tiredness specifically located in variousmuscles in the afins, legs, hands, back, shoulders and feet.


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26 sBLF-HYPNosIS AND scIENTTFIC sELF-suGGEsrIoNThe next step is to mentally "feel" each of these in turn.Let yourself relax as far as you can' Then direct yourattention to your right hand and let it remain there forabout ten seconds, then transfer your attention to yourleft hand, and then to your right foot, and then to yourleft foot, again spending about ten seconds on each' Afterthis transfer your awareness to the sensations present inthe muscles of the face, lips, tongue and mouth' As far aspossible avoid moving any of these parts'You will find that when you direct your attention to onepart of your body you wiil forget all the other parts ofyort Uiy. Go over your hands, feet and muscles in youriu"., u, just directei three times' You will notice as the.*.r.ir. pro..edr, that any tensions which may have beenpresent when you commenced the exercise will begin toease and die down.A verbal description of the process of acquiring a 1:wsensory pe.ception must, of necessity, be inadequate' Thefi.st pari of the exercise which we are now describing isdirected towards recognising this feeling of tension' andbecoming aware of its varying degree of strength--or'what is the same thing, to recognising the absence of ten-sion which is, of course, the state of being relaxed' -Even if you think that your progress is excellent' devoteat least three sessions to the above exercise beforeattempting to pnoceed further, now experiment by direct-ing your uit.t iiot to different parts of your body' Progressi"i.i"g made when it is found that the attention can bedirected over the biceps, the muscles of the forearm'wrists, thighs, calves, unklo, feet, shoulders, back' neckand faciai muscles without the mind wandering awayfrom the task for a moment. It will be noticed after severalsessiorx t}at an increasingly pleasant feeling of ease and

GENERAL RELAXATIONcomfort is experienced after this routine of General Re-laxation. Also it will be found that restlessness has dis-appeared, and it is possible to stay resting immobile forlonger periods without any movement.To sorne, this exercise may constitute the greatesthurdle, and everything else that follows may, by corn-parison, seem easy. One test of having made progress is agrowing awareness of the very different and distinctcharacters of the two sensations of relaxation and tension.A second way in which progress can be gauged is themanner in which it is possible to direct attention to theawareness of any part of the body, for examp,le, an arn,and forget everything else.The practice sessions should last at least five minutesand preferably should be carried out at least once a day,the longer the sessions and the more frequently they arecarried out the better. The quality or standard of thegeneral relaxation achieved will continue to improve withpractice, as the effects of the work are cumulative. Thereis no one particular time which is best, many people finda session just before retiring produces very good results.When you have attained some degree of familiaritywith yo,ur relaxation exercises and they can be carried outmore or less automatically, you are ready to take the firstreal step in using the self suggestion techniques. This is bybeginning to carry out daily self suggestion sessions.

To revert to our example of the mind resembling abusiness house in which the managers, that is the WilI andIntellect (the conscious mind) are sometimes preventedfrom getting messages through to the workers in the un-conscious mind by a guard who acts as a kind of censor.This is the reason fon the relaxing exercises as a result ofwhich the guard can be lulled into a quiesceht state, andso enable the managers to quietly pass on their messages in

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28 SELF.HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONthc form of suggestions, to'the workers who are the posi-tive elements in the unconscious mind'Each one of us has his own pace in learning these tech-niques. There are very few people who can master thisGeneral Relaxation routine immediately. The averageindividual finds the first exercise needs a fair amount of,.f.titiot, but if he begins to make the suggestions recom-mended he will recei.Ie benefit' Do not try to go aheadi* lri.ffy as this could defeat its own purpose' for if.wetry to rush matters or use force we wake up the guardianwho may stop our suggestions getting through' In,,otherwords, the more ,.tu*JJ yotl utt the more easily will your,rgg;,ior. get through to the unconscious mind'K u g.nial princlple the simpler the suggestions -arethe better. Concentraie on making suggestions of graduali*pt"".-ent. When you are relaxed mentally repeat toyourself the suggestions recornmended at the end of thepurugtuph. Yol: can alter the actual wording of the sug-

gestions as long as the meaning is unaltered' but it is ad-isable to have th. putit'ce'to.timit yourself to thegeneral meaning of these suggestions' They serve as aioundation, once you have learned the techniques you carlmake all manne/ oi ."ggt'tions but first make sure ofestablishing some foundition on which to build'"I am going to have the patience to learn this techniqueand mobilise all the positive elements in my make-up andget rid of my problems and troubles'""I am going to master this technique of suggestion'" -"I am [oin[ to get my unconscious mind to work tor meand not against me."

CHAPTER FOURDIFFER.ENTIAL RE,LAXATION

When you are satisfied that a fair standard of GeneralRelaxation has been achieved, you are ready to deliber-ately create local muscular tensions, so that they may bemore closely examined.Exercise No. tThis exercise is carried out as follgws: -Whilst lyingrelaxed, without in any way altering the position of yourbody raise the right arm until, with fingers straight out,the arm is raised about six inches off the couch or floor onwhich you are lying. See that it is extended stiff andstraight, whilst the left arm remains limp by your side.Pay particular attention to seeing that no other move-ments of your body, limbs or features have been made,and that, apart from the muscles involved in raising yourarrn, you are completely relaxed. Whilst the arm is ex-tended, mentally note the different sensation of tension inthis arm from that in th.e rest of the body. Switch yourattention to the tense arm and then to the limp one andcontrast the sensation in each.When the character of the relaxed state of your body,as different from the tenseness of your arm, is quite plainlyfelt, start to increase this difference in sensation by intensi-fying the tension in the right arm by tensing the muscles.Keep them tense for about two to five seconds, but whenthis becomes slightly painful let the arm go limp and drop.

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:]() SIiLF-IIYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONLet it rest until the sensations of tension or tiredness dis-appear and the feeling is replaced gradually by. th.epi.rrurt feeling which comes when tersion or strain isabsent. Note the sensations not only in a general way, butalso as they are specifically located in the fingers, thehand, forearms, irl- the bicep and the shoulder muscles'Repeat the exercise with the left arm whilst resting therigirt a.-. When the diflerent character of the sensationoirelaxation and tension has consciously been identified inboth arms, repeat the exercise but this time do not lift thearm. The arm should now be left lying at your side, butthe muscles are to be tensed so that the feelings of tensionare experienced. Then "let go" the tension and wait untilthe pleasant feeling of relaxation is felt' This may take,om. mirrtes. Again tense the muscles, but this time donot tense them so strongly, or for so long' Rest again untilthe feeling is one of relaxation, and continue to rest andfeel this ielaxation becoming more complete' Reinforceyour efforts to relax now by using mental suggestion'Wfritt mentally making suggestions, watch that you donot unconsciously start to move your lips and tongue asthough you were speaking. The suggestions are to be madementally only.The sequence should be:

(r) Tense the muscles(z) "Let go"(3) Rest(4) Note the sensationsiil Wfrift, resting, use suggestions to "let go" a littlemore each time. The suggestions to be employed

are, "My arm is becoming more relaxed," "My armis feeling more and more relaxed each time I do thisexercise." Repeat these suggestions a number of

DIFFERENTIAL RELAXATION 3Itimes. Continue with suggestiorx which seem mosthelpful and most conducive to ,,letting go,, ordecreasing tension.

Remember, when we think we have relaxed to theutmost, we have not really done so. When we rest, usesuggestion and our tensions will subside of their ownaccord, providing we do not rush matters o,r try to getresults too rapidly.Exercise No. z

For this exercise, lie down, relax and when completelyat ease, stretch out the right leg and stifien it. The toeshould be pointed down, as though you were trying totouch something with your foot, just beyond your reich.Do not lift your leg, just stretch it, whilst letting its weightbe supported by whatever you are lying on. Hold this posi-tion, until you can locate tensions separately in your thigh,calf, ankle and foot muscles. As soon as you locate th;,relax and let your leg settle down under its own weight,and mentally note the difierence in sensations in exaltlythe same way as in the previous exercise with your arrns.This cornparison, is, of course, purely a mental com-parison. When you have rested for a short period, againtense the left leg, but this time the terxion must be a littleless and for a shorter period. Again rest, and notice thedifference in serxations.Exercise No. gFor this exercise lie down and relax, then tighten ortense the muscles in the small of the back so that it isslightly arched. Hold this tension for a few seconds, andthen draw in the abdominal muscles so that the stomachis pulled inwards and upwards. Hold this for a few


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:72 su,LF-IIYPNOSIS AND SCIENTTFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONs(:concls, ancl then relax' During the tension period thei;;;;;;t, of the back will be lifted clear of the support on*fri.t'Vo, are lying' Do not.use a great deal of effort' nomore than i, ,r...,'u'l t' tui" youi batk about one inch'Then relax.After this exercise has been carried out three times theexercise of the trunk is varied by shruggine the tn"*o:::'arrd afte. holding them hunched up for a few seconcls) ler-ting them flop ,"t*ti' ft *iff be iound that through theattention being first directed to one group of muscles andthen to another, ii is possible by this means to achieve a;;;,;; d.gr." of relaxation than was possible.before youidentified these groups of muscles separately' During thnexercise .orr"..,,'utt,L tnt idea thit all the muscles ofthe trunk are limp and that none are tense or taut'Exercise No. 4

Each successive exercise adds further groups of musclesto those already rela*ed' In this way relaxation alreadyachieved becomes more cornPlete'When relaxed, gtt'tty let the head roll from one side tothe other. Do this'i'ery slowly, letting it fall under its ownffih, from right to ieft' Wi'en the head has turned overas far as it will go itt o" direction' let it stay there for awhile. Feel the fit"i"ttt of the facial flesh as it tends tosag. Your ju* rn""fts should not be clamped' but relaxed'and as a result your mouth may open slightly' Relax yourtongue, which will lie flaccid in your mouth' *n:i.ryfru.i. to.uted the various sensatioru or sensory perceptlonsi;y;r, face, lips, tongue, etc' ro11 your head.slowly overto the other .iat, uti again note the sensations' In thep".i.at of rest during th[ exercise' which should be per-formed "..y ,r"*iv,"r" may feel a clegree of mentaldetachment gttuttt tiran you have encountered so far'

DIFFERENTIAL RELAXATIONConcentrate on relaxing the head, neck and facialmusclesand aid this process by continued suggestions of relaxation.The object of the preceding exercises is to acquire anew sensory perception. This is not easy in the beginningbecause the feelings or sensations are vague, indistinct andsome are not in clearly defined areas, until some practicehas been carried out. The sensations become clearer andmore definite with continued practice. The general atti-tude of mind in performing the exercises should be to takeit easy, with no attempt to hurry or rush. They are to beperformed physically in an easy going, languid manner,but mentally remaining fully attentive. In the tensingmovements use very little effort, the less the better. Theobject of the exercises is not physical exercise, but thereverse.It will be clear that the relaxation exercises are a meansof quietening and slowing down the mental and emotionalactivities so that messages can be passed quietly into theunconscious mind.When we relax and shut our eyes we tend to drift to-wards a sleep or trance state, that is if we do not keep themind switched on. Do not think you must go into a deeptrance to get suggestions through to your unconsciousmind. This is not so. Yo'ur suggestions will get througheven if you have attained only the lightest of trances. It istrue that you may have to patiently repeat the suggestionsdaily, but the main point is that you successfully deal withyour problerns, so even if your trance state is not as deepas you wish, this will not prevent you successfully usingself suggestion.

Some people achieve their objectives without ever ex-periencing the trance state, so do not hold up your progressby waiting until you have achieved some preconceivedJ-SHASSS

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3+ sEt,I-HYPNOSIS AND sCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGES'rIONidea of what the trance state should be' During each sug-sbstion session make the following suggestions to yourself'"";;il- g"ing to deal conclusively with my problems onceand for all.""I will have the Patienceon practising." and the Perseverance

to keePCHAPTER FIVE

ROUTINE OF SELF-SUGGESTION SESSIONIn the preceding sectiorx we have so far been concernedwith certain instructiors for relaxation routines and thesuggestiorx given at the end of sections Three and Four.Now you are ready for the next step. Having relaxed,lie down with your eyes closed and, under closed eyelidsdirect your eyes slightly upwards as though you were look-ing at a spot between your eyebrows. It may be foundhelpful to place a small object (a coin will do), in thecenfre of the forehead on which to concentrate. Whilstdoing this the eyes must remain closed. Do not strain, butkeep them directed in that position until it becomes aneffo,rt to do so. If you feel any strain or effort in maintain-ing this position of the eyes, just "let go,, and rest. Don,tdo anything at all. Do not open your eyes. Don,t botherto think about your eyes, they may move under your lidsor they may not. If they want to move, let them. If theywant to stay as they arg let them. Many people at thisstage feel very detached. With continued practice, thefeeling of detachment becomes deeper.Do not let your mind begin analysing or reflecting onhow you are progressing with your exercises while yo., a.eengaged in carrying them out.Just launch yourself into the routine and submit orsurrender yourself to the languid feeling which will resultfrom carrying out the exercises.You may begin to experience some degree of lighttrance at this stage, but the majority of people have to

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q6 SELF.}IYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONcontinue with further methods to heighten the state ofsuggestibility. Begin each session by relaxing and you will.roil. now, having carried out a daily practice session fora few weeks, you are able to achieve the relaxed state morerapidly. You will now be able to leave out the detailedattention to the arrns, legs, etc'As the next step in learning self suggestion and autohypnosis the following method, is in my opinion a soundbasic method to which you can add any variations youwill later find helPful.

One, two, three, Method. This method can be usedanywhlre, any time. No preparation is required and thereis no neei to isolate oneself. On the lines described laterin this section it may be practised in a restaurant, sittingin a bus, or during a few minutes at business' To describethis as a method seems over elaborate for once the ability"to sink into oneself" has been mastered, all that is neces-sary is the simple routine which follows' Take a few deepbreaths, fix the eyes on some object such as an electriclight switch or a door knob, and count "one, two, three"uid u, three let your eyes gently close. Continue countingr"f,fy to yourself up to "ten." When you get to "ten," dir-ect your attention to your right thumb and mentally countuguinto ten, then transfer your attention to the first fingeroF you right hand and again count to "ten," then to the,".L.ra firlg.t and so with all the fingers on both hands'Cornt storily and silently at a speed which does not leavetime for other thoughts to break in whilst counting'Take your time over the ritual of counting your fingersand when this is completed, direct your attention to yourmouth and sense the feeling of your lips and tongue' Itwill help to locate this feeling if you slightly move yourtongue.Followingthisdirectyourattentioninwardsas

ROrrfrNE oF SELF_SUGGESTToN SESSToN 37though to the spot between your eyes mentioned in theprevious method.Whilst you have been practising, subtle mental andphysical changes will have been taklng place q"it"."io_matically. If for example you were .orrtirrg at the rateof one each second, y the time you had Ulrorglrt yorrawareness to the spot between your eyes, about two min-utes would have passed since you began, and during thattime with your eyes shut and your attention focusei ,t usensory level of awareness by the monotony of counting,a slow but subtle drift towards the trance state will haveoccurred.Up till now you have had to isolate yourself to carryout your practice. Now you can take a big step forwardby relaxing and administering suggestio* t" yourse,lfwherever you may be.- In the previous exercises of relaxing your arms, Iegs,back, you have been practising difierentfai.elaxatio.r, th"utis the relaxing of all muscles other than those aciuallynec-essary for the performance of any particular task. Thisability is now applied to relaxing'wHrlsr sEATED rN AgHlrR. The object of being able to carry out the GeneralRelaxation exercise whilst seated is so that relaxation canbe practised at any time without the necesity "f fy*gdown. Once general relaxation has been mastered whilstseated, it is possible to carry out self suggestion, on a train

or bus, o,r wherever you may be, *iA""t anyone beingaware of what you are doing.If you intend carrying out self suggestion whilst seated,a.gain go through the exercises of tensing the arms, tensingthe legs and head lolling whilst you i, sitting.'Do thiluntil you experience the same sensation of heaviness andrelaxationwhich you have had whilst lying dor,vn.This differential functioning can be performed, not only

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?B SE,LF.HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONbv our muscles, but also by consciousness itself' A very;il;;;i. i, r,r..,itt"d bv our hearing which is highlvselective. It selects from the medley of sound in everydayiif. o"fy those which, in some way, require our attentron'Vf""V ""ltes, such as those of cars, clocks' voices' etc'' areallowed to pass unnoticed without being brought to-our.o*"ior. aitention for the simple reason they are of noconcern or interest to us'-- tf* a few sessions the sensory appreciation of tensionwill be more cleariy atn"ta, and'the uUitity to consciously;r., s";, physically and mentally' cornes more under con-scious control. n.i.ut each exercise until you are satisfiedthat you have made some progress, but do not expect any-thing dramatic ot-rtuttfi"g, J*t keep on producing themaximum feeling of detachment, ease and relaxation that;;;.;". Th. .fi.ct of tht" exercises are cumulative andthe degree of detachment which is attained is determinedmainly by the regularity with which the exercises are

carried out, and thl absence of any negatiae self suggestionduring or in between practice sessions'At each session *h"" you have carried out your relaxa-tion routine let the suggestions with which this Sectionends float through yo"-Li"d' In relaxing yoY have.be,el

ROUTTNE Or- SELF_SUGGESTTON SESSTON 39by asking for aid from the positive elements in your un_conscious mind by suggestions of the following nature:"One way or another I am going to get rid of mytrouble/complaint/ailment', (mentioning *hut.u.r yourobjective may be)."If it is necessary for me to gain further knowledge, Iwant my unconscious mind to work for me and help meto dilcover this knowledge.,,_ "f am willing if necessary to change my methods . . . allI want to do is to solve my problem),

- "With all my heart and soul I sincerely want to get ridof this problem once ancl for all ancl want all the help Ican get."Your work so far coulcl be likened to preparing theground and in the next Section we will begin io e*u--in.and choose the seeds (or suggestions) we wish to plant.

pr.p^ri"S yor.-body and .now with suggestiols.:-1rTi:ffi;;';XJ rr. *ruirrring inner resources which will aidvou.'-P.ofitirrg by Arjuna's experience' you can hasten youracquisition of the ,rrp.,io' waqon: (or techniques) whichwill enable you to conclusively deal with your problems bypr,i*,fy plodding away on your dai.lV suSsestion sessions'Yor, .un get through frorn day to day with the. *t-1ryTyou have, but to win conclusively you rnay want':ry:::*"upo*t. These weapons (like Arjuna) you can acqure


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DEVISING THE RIGHT SUGGESTIONS 4Tposition. Following the instructions in the course he beganby employing suggestions on the following lines-,.I amgoing to use my abilities to the full, I am not going to bea slave to ill health, I am going to rid myself of whaqeve,it is that holds me back. I am going to lose this nervous-ness. I want the courage to see if I am creating difficultiesfor myself. If I am I will find sorne way of dealing withthem. I am going to get on at my work.,, He carried onwith these suggestions for sorne days. Then one night hehad a strange dream. He dreamed that one of the Dir-ectors of his business was coming towards him with acheque in his hand, and he, the dreamer, turned and ranaway from this Director, feeling very much afraid. Thenhe began to notice that at business he was very tense when-ever this Director came into the office. He began to realisethat unconsciously he was very much afraid of this Dir-ector and that this was the underlying reason for hismediocre performance at business. LJnconsciously he wasavoiding resporxibility and promotion which would havebrought him under this Director's immediate supervision.He continued with his suggestions and ,ooo di..overedthat the Directon's appearance was reminiscent of a schoolteacher who had bullied him unmercifully at school. Oncethe hidden cause of his tensions and fears came to con-sciousness he began to see the nature of the conflict andhow he had previously been fighting to repress his fearsand tensions. Once he saw the real underlying cause of hisdifficulties he carried on with self diagnostiC suggesrions,arrd day by day the energies which had been absorbed bythe repressed fears were freed. He felt strangely relieved,and his suggestiorx "I know I can do a better job,, had aring of truth which would not have been the case had hebegun with parrotlike suggestions of, "I have roo per centconfidence." If he had used short sighted suggestion he

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CHAPTER SIX

DEVISING THE RIGHT SUGGESTIONSWe will now consider how we can plan and devise moreirrfor-.a suggestions to pass on to the positive elementsin our unconscious mind'--- Mo., people beginning to learn.self hypnosis are surethey know what suggestions they wish to make ' ' ' in mostcases they ur. *r-oi'g' They know rvhat they wish tou"fri."., but very few know the best suggestions to Yse.t:il.irrg atout what they desire' At the beginning of thisCori*e I told the story of how Arjuna received unexpectedfrJf, ura how by making suggestions similar to those Ifr.i"riU"d at the end of if" t'^t Session' unexpected aidwill come fro- tt. ,,,conscious mind' If we enlist its aidit will show us opportunities we have not previously seen;it will show us hidden obstacles and how they can b-eavoided; it will show us how to alter our attitude towardsunalterable circumstances; it will quicken hope, free en-thusiasms, and inspire us, but we must not' like Arjuna' letcourage make us so cocksure that we think we can orderthe unconscious mind about' This cannot be done-butwe can get its co-oPeration' hAn excellent example of a good strategetical approacin using suggestion teihniques**as the case of a man who'although hi ,.rr.. achieved any real depth of trance'cured himself of ,,.*o,,, tensions, fears, indifferent health,poor memory and gained pr:m3tio,n' He had been em-ployed for many ,** as a clerk' though his knowled'qeuri .*p.rience of'the business fitted him for a far better4o

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I$t 4342 slil-F-IIYPNOSIs AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGCESTIoN

woulcl have repressed his fears and would have been fight----:-- I :-^r^^l ^f -affinr ifo nn-nnera-ins hishis uncorscious mind instead of getting its co-opera-DEVISING THE RTGHT SUGGESTIONS

time, the mental images and thoughts of the things wewish to achieve. In this way we can alter our lives bybuilding new habits and attitudes, and thus re-direct theelemental energy of the instincts to the purposes of thewill.In life, until a man has achieved some knowledge ofself, he stands at a crossroad. Ahead of him lie twodivergent roads. One leads to all the things he fears anddreads, whilst the other is the road by which he can reachhis ideals, his hopes and his higher aspirations. This iswhat Freud meant when he said that each man couldreach heights he had never dreamt of, and could fall todepths he had never imagined. The framing of a man'ssuggestions are chosen from the things that he hopes,wishes and desires, and as soon as he begins consciouslyand consistently to practise self suggestions he begins tomove positively and with certainty towards the things hemost desires, and to leave his fears behind him.Suggestions in the beginning can be of a very generalnature. All that is necessary is that they are sincere, andthe more simple and uncornplicated the better. A numberof specimen suggestions are now given. They begin withsuggestions which are designed to sfrengthen the resolu-tion of the individual to continue the task he has begunin studying this Course, and to achieve his objectives.

"[ will remember to carry out my exercises.""I will make steady progress.""f want to become more and more enthusiastic aboutaltering my life.""Every time I read or practise I will do my very best tomake progress.""f am willing to make whatever changes may be neces-sary in my life to attain what I desire."

tion. As will be seen in this exarnple, the all importantpoint is to gain the co-operation of the unconscious mind'ty .hoo.in[ the right suggestions and, if necessary' alter-ing them.bo not try to rush matters. If results are going to comeqrri.f.ty nothing will stop them, but to build up hopes of..rrltt immedLtely leaves one open to disappointment'The strategy I recommend is that the individual says tohimself "I will do my best to keep up regular practice.' IfI can only improve one per cent a day I will not grumble'but I am going to get the co-operation of my unconsciousmind as roor, u, I can. One thing is certain, I am going todeal with this (stating own problem)' I am going to go onwith it until L,r.".J and ihe job is finished'" By adopt-ing this attitude emotional ups and downs rvill be avoided',.rd in consequence, more rapid progress made'Another important point in planning is to rememberthat we do not consciously invent or make up the sugges-tions. It is true we become aware of them in our conscrousminds. But the desires for peace of mind, health and hap-firr... utt spring from the uncontcio's mind' They are thedesires of the unconscious and if it is approached. withsincerity and patience it will allow man to tap energies henever dreamed he possessed, carry out feats which seemedimpossible u.rd .r* complaints which had been regardedas hopeless.By becoming conscious of the contradictory impulsesfrom within, and the influences from the outside world'ancl selecting and strengthening those which'will enableus to achieve what *. *'u"t the power to control ourselvesis acquired. We are enabled to achieve these desiredchanges in ourselves because we can create' for a short

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4+ SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTION"Each day I will work to be more self possessed and

surer of myself."'oI want to get a bird's eye view of my life and see what

is essential to my happiness and success'""I will observe and be pleased with my successes, andI will learn from anY setbacks.""I will alter what is within my power to alter, and willchange my attitude towards those things which I cannotchange.""My patience will increase every day, and things thatused to disturb me will leave me unmoved'""I shall not talk, think, or let my mind dwell on un-pleasant, morbid subjects.""I shall direct my thoughts towards pleasant things, andthe sort of individual I should like to be'""I shall be on my guard agairst what I know to be myweaknesses.""I will see my past mistakes and try to avoid repeatingthem in the future.""I will begin to see more clearly the obstacles which arepreventing me from obtaining happiness, health and peaceLf *irrd, and how they may be overcome'""If I sufier any disappointments or reverces this willnot shake my faith in myself, or in the power of sugges-tion."

"I am going to be able to concentrate and to think moreclearly."..Iamgoingtobeabletorememberthingsmoreeasily.My memory will be more retentive"';'My ..lf control and self possession and confidence isgoing to grow steadilY."" "I'ani going to develop mental poise, and peace ofmind."

DEVISING THE RIGHT SUGGESTIONS +5"My ability to control my mental and emotional life isgrowing.""I am going to enjoy better health and have nroreenergy.""Every day I will observe myself and every day I willtry to learn something.""I am going to be less tense and find it easier to relax.,'"f am going to be more tolerant with other people,and try to understand their difficulties.,)Take your own particular desires, disabilities or diffi_culties and express them in words. If, for example, youlack confidence say "I am going to get over these i".iirrg..I am going to feei more confidlrr Iu.ry day. These st[-gestions will help to make me stronger and have mo.eself control. I am not going to worry what other peoplethink about me," and continue on these lines.It will be noticed that many of the above suggestionsrefer to the future, such as: ,,f am going to feJl moreconfident." This method of self suggestion employs thephenomena of post-hypnotic suggestion which, as readerswho have witnessed a hypnotic demonstration, or whohave read on the subject will know, is a form oi delayeclaction suggestion. It operates by registering impressionsdirectly on the subconscious mind, and they are carriedout at a later date The most common example of selfadministered post-hypnotic suggestion is when someonesays to himself : "Tomorrow morning I am going to wakeup at seven o'clock" If he does wake up at seven o,clockhe has succeeded in giving himself , pori-hypnotic sugges-tion. The ability to do this is an inherent faiulty in e"ery-one and it can be employed to alter one,s future attitude,actions or thoughts and by this means many changes canbe effected rvhich cannot be efiected by will po*eialone.It cannot be over-emphasised that self suggestion and


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4ti sELF-HYPNosIs AND soIENTIFIC sELF-SUGGESTIoNself hypnotism are a means to an end, and the suggestiorsmust il sound and reasonable and planned on a long-termpolicy if real lasting benefit is to follow' The majority of*.*o* breakdowns occur because people have success-fully suggested to themselves that they were capable ofgreater .mott" than they were in reality able to carry out'tn.y had used suggestion to stifle the warnings of theirfatigue centres urrJ d.u*r, recklessly on their reserves ofnervous energ.y until they collapsed. This is obviously notan intelligerri*. of self suggestion. It is necessary that thesuggestiois made to oneself should not make unduede]riands on one,s body, but rather that they should aidthe body through suggestions of sound sleep, alterations indiet, Iowering -of tensions, and intelligent direction -ofeffoot which will enable the body to work more efficiently.Themistakeofusingthepowerofsuggestionwithoutcarefully considering the nature of the suggestions madecan be exemplified by the following story: -A hypnotistmet a *u. *ho was very worried and asked why he lookedso worried. The man replied: "I arn very worried aboutmy ov.rd, aft atthe bank, it kept me awake last night andI can't bear the idea of spending any money"' The hypno-tist said: "I'll soon fix that--sit down and relax"' He thenhypnotised the man and proceeded to give suggestions ontte rouowing lines: "You will forget all about your bankmanager anJ all about your overdraft' When you wake upall your money troubles will have vanished' If you see*yitti"g in a sirop which you want, you'll go right in andbuy it."bveryonewill see the fallacy of symptorn removalin such a case, but it should be kept in mind that the samelaws apply whether we are spending money or lerYousenergyfol in both cases, overdrafts cannot be indefinitelyincreased.It was previously commented on that the things that we

DEVISING THE RIGHT SUGGESTIONS 47wish to achieve are inherent strivings, or the expression ofthe deepest aspirations of one,s nature. The suggestiormprepared by one sincerely desiring to establish his life ona sound basis, to help others, and to achieve peace ofmind, is almost identical with prayers which are alsoaddressed to the source of alr life. This similarity is clearryseen in one of the prayers of St. Francis of Assisi whichfollows:

Lord make me arl instrument of thy peaceWhere there is hatred-let me sow ioveWhere there is doubt-let me sow faithWhere there is despair-let me sow hopeWhere there is darkness-lightWhere there is sadness-joyO Divine Master grant that I do not so much seekto be consoled as to corxole-to be understood as to understand_to be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive-in pardoning that we are pardoned-and in dying that we are born to everlastingIife.Self treatment suggestions aimed at achieving normal,healthy functioning of the mind, body and .rrrotio* ur.not alien demands imposed from outside. They are theconscious expression of inherent desires from wiihin. un-conscious activities superintend the electro-chemicaltransformation of food and energ'y and the functions ofrepairing and replacing broken or injured skiq bone andtissue. In short, all the uncorxcious processes strive tocorrect mal-functioning of all kinds, and to maintain orregain health. This process can be assisted by conscious


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+B SELF-HYPNoSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIoNsuggestions. One of the most important factors in success-ful suggestions is the clear interpretation of these inherentstrivings, the fusion of the conscious with the unconscious.This is the recognition of the healthy and constructiveaims of the unconscious and their reinforcement by theconscious mind; this and the removal or circumvention ofthe resistances to this process are the main factors insuccessful suggestion. Self doubt, and forgetting to carryout regular suggestion sessions are the main obstacles.In framing suggestions it is wisest, particularly in theinitial stages, not to expect too much. Set a modest pro-gramme. If a difficulty has existed for some time, in allprobability attempts to treat it will have already beenmade unsuccessfully. If this is so, the individual will,despite himself, have entertained negative suggestions.They can, however, be outweighed by regular positivesuggestions. No one knows better than the individualhimself his hopes and fears, the ways in which he desiresto alter his life, and some of the circumstances which helpand some of those which hinder him. Frame the sugges-tions of what you wish to accomplish. These desires shouldbe expressed in clear, short, easily understood sentenccs.Some of these suggestions will be of a personal nature,designed to fulfil your needs. They will probably deal withmany aspects of your life such as diet, sleep, sex or per-sonal habits, intimate associations with others, future plansand matters with which no one but you yourself areacquainted.In the next Section we will deal with self observationwhich enables you to see and follow up the clues andguidance offered to you by your uncorxcious mind.

CHAPTER SEVENSELF OBSERVATION BETWEE,N SUGGE,STIONSESSIONS

Self Observation means observing the way in which oursuggestions have affected our behaviour. This self observa-tion calls for frank self scrutiny, but is carried out solelyfor the purpose of discovering our mistakes so that we mayavoid or overcome them.Watch for the negative moods in yourself. When inthese moods the most profitable observations can be made.For example, if a thought such as, "I am not makingsufficient progress," occurs, do not repress it, do not con-ceal your doubts from yourself. Suggestion can rid you ofthem but you cannot put anything right until you knowwhat it is that is wrong. Self honesty is necessary in ob-serving oneself. It is no good attempting to concentrate onthe bright side, and to pretend that the dark side does notexist. Repression is permissible as a temporary expedientand, in many cases, is a necessary measure to free ourminds to carry on our everyday occupation, but, as a per-manent policy it is disastrous for it succeeds only when ourenergy level is sufficiently high to inhibit or repress theunwanted thoughts, emotions and compulsions. Selfobservation or the observing of other people gives ampleproof that until an individual has arrived at a certainstage in development, self control is lessened throughshocks, fatigue and illness. Courage, endurance and willpower are needed to repress difficulties, douhts and fears.but courage of a different order is required to be frank-sPrAsss 49


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50 SELF.HYPNOSISAND SCIENTIFIC SELF.SUGGESTIONwith ourselves, and to admit our limitations. It mightappear that to admit one's limitations, doubts and fears,would cause one to lose ground, but in actual fact throughfrank admission of our limitations comes strength of a neworder. We no longer make impossible demands upon our-selves. We can afford to take reverses. It is no longer aquestion to "do or die." A negative mood, a shock or somereverse is an episode and not a major defeat once oneacquires this wider and more flexible strategy. When wegain a more realistic appraisal of our strengths and weak-nesses, we can extend a new tolerance to ourselves and toothers (for we cannot be kind to others until we can bekind to ourselves). With this alteration in our attitude wecan view our shortcomings, with tolerance, for criticismmust be kind to be constructive.In observing oneself whilst carrying on the day's worknote the incidents which affect you adversely, whetherthey be people, your own thoughts, actions, foods, inci-dents or any other circumstances. A sound method, is towrite down the next two incidents which annoy or irritateyou, the next two which make you sad, the next two whichcreate tension, the next two which make you feel pleasedwith yourself. If something causes you to be tense, afraid,annoyed, pleased, reflect and ask yourself questions aboutthis reaction. "Why did I feel like that?" "At whom, or atwhat, was the feeling directed?" "What caused the emo-tion or physical disturbance?" These reactions reveal thehidden character structure which can only be learned bythese devious approaches. Self observation is strictly ptac-tical work which can be aided by asking oneself questionssuch as: "What is the biggest mistake I have made to-day?" "What have I learned today?" etc.In watchiag for results from the suggestions you havegrven yourself, it is important to remember that there is

SELF OBSERVATION BETWE,EN SUGGESTION SESSIONS 5Ifrequently a time lag between suggestions being given ancltheir fulfilment. sometimes it is neces.ury to-.ontinuesuggestions for some time before their efiects are noticed,for frequently inner resistances have to be overcome. If itwere not for this fact all suggestions, both good and bad,would become immediately efiective.^ , e on your guard for a short time after having success-fully achieved a change in habit. In an r-riguardedmoment, before the new habit has become firmly estab-lished, it is easy to slide back. Carry on with your sugges-tions for a few days in order to consolidate ihe poritiorr.For example, if someone, through suggestion, had giverrup smoking, it would be wise for a few days to continue tosuggest: "I have given up smoking and will not smokeagain. I will not be caught off my guard when someoneoffers me a cigarette. I will not be talked into smoking,,,etc.The purpose of observing oneself is to note the changeswhich you have effected in yourself as a result of your selfsuggestions. Note the improvements and benefits you haveachieved, as these evidences of successful self suggestionmake further advances easier and also consolidate the im-provements made and bed them down into permanenthabits. Where your self suggestions have not met with thesuccess you anticipated, do not let this discourage you.The technique of suggestion is something to be learned,and is one in which the beginner, as in any other subjectwill have failures. Where there are failures, change thetype of suggestion, approach your objective from anotherangle.The intelligent application of Self Suggestion calls forcareful thought and constant revision of suggestions. It isa means to an end. You are the only one who knows theparticular difficulties and problems with which you are


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52 SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONfaced, the disabilities, habits and attitudes of which youwish to rid yourself, and the life you desire to live in thefuture. To attain these ends it may be necessary for youto frequently reshape your suggestions guided by what islearned during self observation.As a result of self observation sorne people find tJrat theyhave not the time to carry out exercises. Others find thatthey forget to carry them out. If these obstacles arise-then some action should be taken. It is only by facing factsthat we can alter ourselves. It must not be forgotten thatthe majority of resolutions that people make are forgotten,for the line of least resistance is to do today what we didyesterday, and most likely we will do the same tomorrow.Habits are strong, and some persistence in efiort is neces-sary if we are to effect changes in ourselves. If you shouldsuddenly realise that you have forgotten to carry out anexercise or something you had planned, close your eyesand mentally repeat, very rapidly, to yourself : ,,I will notforget. . . I will not forget. . . I will not forget.', Spend aminute or two doing this. It is also a very sound idea tofall back on mechanical reminders, such as carrying rounclwritten irstructions to oneself, or to carry out waking sug-gestions at certain times,-before every meal, when youget up, before going to sleep, every time the sun goesdown, or, if you are indoors, when the lights are switchedon. Two minutes waking suggestion three or four times aday will effect a great deal of influence on one,s life if oneis sincere in desiring what one asks for. Obviously sugges-tions would, in cases of forgetfulness, be directed towarclscuring this shortcoming which could, if allowed to go un-checked, bring your efforts to effect alterations in yourselfthrough this course to a standstill. In cases such as this,suggestions would be on the following lines: "I am not

SELF OBSERVATToN BETWEEN SUGGESTToN sEssroNs 5qgg"g to fo,rget," "I will remember more,easily in future.,,"Frorn now on I shall do my practice more regularly.,,lf vr,1. self suggestion has ior a while U..rr]rogLrri.rgweII and you seem to come to a standstill, or tt ni".lr.tbacks, there will be reasons for this. Try to find themout. It may be caused by a chill, a slight indispositior, ii.result of unusual physical or mental"efforts, u air*prio,of one's afiairs, or some temporary disturbanc.r. "ih...changes may produce temporary setbacks, and shoulJ i.taken into account. pranned suggestions directed specific-ally towards them can do -".f, to ameliorate or ofisetthese disturbances. Sornetimes people encounter setbackspegause they attempt to progr.r. i* rapidly, and if theindividual tries to force himse"lf, or to progress too rapidly,unconscious resistances may come into- operation. Thechanges which are being produced by suggestio., u*- unatural process, and the time taken to efiect them variesaccording to the difficulties, inner resistances, ,*g,f, ofexisting habits and particular circumstances in the life ofeach individual. The golden rule in suggestion techniqueis No roncrNc. Gentle persistence is the k"eynote. r-. If something disturbs . on- upsets yo., jrring the day,having taken what practical action io, .uo to deal withthe incjdent, its possible consequ.r..r, and to prevent itsrepetition, put the matter from your mind, fo, *gg..ii;dealing with the matter can be fiamed later when";"" ";;eplanning your suggestions. To banish difficulties frornone's mind conscio,usly is not necessarily a harmful ;.pr;;_sion, for, in other words, there are ,,permissibf. ,.iro_sions."Whatever progress you make with trance induction, atevery-opportunity usewaking suggestions, as the objeci ofthe self suggestion techniques i. -"Iot to conduct one,s lifeby carrying out a series oi post hypnotic suggestions, bui


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5+ SE,LF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONby the integration of the unconscious activities with theconscious, intellectual activities.Remarkable though the powers of Self Suggestion andSelf Hypnotism may be, they are powerless to alter manyconditions of life. They cannot bring back our youth, orthose we have lost, nor can they make good irreparablephysical damage, but through these powers of self sugges-tion we can rise above the inevitable changes that arecau.sed by the passing of time Brr ALTERTNG ouR ATTTTuDETOWARDS THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH \ME ARE POWER.LESS TO CHANGE.

We have so far dealt with a method of relaxation andthe first steps in self suggestion. These two techniques arecombined in the self suggestion session which you are nowcarrying out. Later we will be dealing with more advancedmethods of trance induction, but first we must give someattention to the way in which we register suggestions inthe unconscious mind.

CHAPTER EIGHTREGISTERING SUGGESTIONS IN THR,UNCONSCIOUS MIND

There are certain basic desires in everyone which strivefor self expression. If they remain unexpres.sed the in_dividual becomes frustrated, for his rife foice is strangledback. It is here suggested that these desires, *h.the, iir.ybe a desire for better health, more confidence, morefriends, success in some undertaking, or the ability io helpothers, should be expressed and made articulate in theform of suggestions. Throughout the ages people havestriven in various ways to express their inner needs. Thevhave wished, hoped, prayed and used self suggestion, andthe more simply and sincerery they have been abre io doSo, the more successfully have their wishes come tofruition.Registering suggestions in the unconscious mind actu_ally requires very little effort. . . if the preparatory workon relaxation has been done and what you are going tosuggest has been previously decided.Having isolated yourself from the outside world anddirected the attention inwards, allow yourself to mentallydrift away from the world of sight andsound into an innerworld. In a dreamy, detached fashion carryout the ,r"...induction routine of counting, and noting ih. h.uuiness ofthe body and other sensations of detachment. This shouldgo on automatically. There is a complete submission to thesen.sation of drifting and to efiortlessly repeating silently

55


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56 SELF-HYi-NoSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONto oneself, "I am sinking down . . . further . . . further" (orwhatever formula you are using). Surrender to this experi-ence. Reason is stilled and becomes a silent spectator tothis feeling and experience of floating detachment.Gradually this sensation of sinking r,r'ill come to a pointwhere it seems to stop and one remains stationary . . .poised as it were, vaguely aware, but with nothing hap-pening. This is just as it should be . . . the will, present butnot being exercised. Rather like a shepherd, who, effort-lessly resting on the hillside, sees all the movements of hisflock and his awareness is in the role of a passive witness'This is approaching the borderland separating the con-scious from the unconscious mind, to go beyond this point,means that control would be lost. This is the point whensuggestions will be registered in the unconscious mind.This is achieved by letting your suggestions float throughyour mind.Exercises in the Course to create this state can belikened to the tilling of the ground . . . and the act ofregistering self suggestions, to the planting of seeds. If theground has been well tilled, i.e. if the relaxation exerciseshave been carried out, and the formulation or reflection onsuggestions also carried out, the registerine of the desiredinstructions upon the unconscious mind will not be diffi-cult. It is essential that no effort is exerted when makineself suggestions. If the judgment begins analysing what isoccurring, the process of registering ideas in the uncon-scious mind is immediately brought to a standstill. It is asthough, after planting seeds the gardener were to dig upthe tiny, fragile seedlings to see how they are growing.The result would probably be to destroy the plants beforethey had time to establish themselves. It is the absence ofany intellectual interference, which enables suggestions totake root in the unconsciou.s mind. The succes.s of sugges-

REGTSTERTNG SUccEsTroNS rN THE ITNCONSCTOUS MrND 57tion is dependent o,rl by-passing the conscious mind anclregistering the desired impression directly on the uncon-scious mind.If we are sufficiently absorbed in anything we forgeteverything else and becorne completely immersed in it.No effort is necessary to give attention to an interestingbook, a TV or radio prograrnme. It holds our wholeattention.Many people feel that they cannot give the same sus-tained attention to carrying out exercises on relaxation,trance induction and self suggestions as they would to aninteresting book or film. Concentration is largely a matterof interest, but what would the man who feels he cannotconcentrate reply if he were asked: "ARE rrou TNTERESTEDIN FEELING puysrcAr,t,y AND MENTALLy rrr? ann youINTERESTED IN LEAVING ALL YOUR TROUBLES AND DITFI-cuLTrES BEHTND rrou?" Not only will he be interested, butas soon as he can see a practical way of achieving fitnessand freedom from worry, he will do all he can to attainthem.Waking suggestions are carried out by repetition andcan be made to oneself at any time. It does not matterwhere you are, standing, walking, or sitting orieq the tech-nique is grasped it is no longer necessary to isolate oneself.In the beginning it is necessary to have the most favour-able conditions, but later all this is umecessary. Manypeople who have mastered self suggestion never go into atrance to register suggestions in their minds. All they do isclose their eyes and register the desired suggestion. Itwould have value if the reader pauses at the end of thisparagraph and says to himself (and means it) " I am goingto learn how to get more control over my mind .,.I amgoing to do this."It is a good practice to carry out waking suggestions


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58 SELF-HYPNOSIS AND SCIENTIFIC SELF-SUGGESTIONregularly by setting a fixed time for making them to one-r.ii. foi example, every lunch time set aside a fewminutes. Similarty use as a cue, or reminder, some hap-pening such as when the electric light goes on,.or whenyo,, gi"r.. at your watch, and at each of these times giveyo.r.t.U a few waking suggestions. All that is necessary isio close your eyes and count three and impress the sugges-tion on your mind, open your eyes and carry on with whlt-ever you were doing. The more often you do this themore effectively your suggestions will be registered'Some people iepeat waking suggestions to themselvesover and ot." ugult as they lie in bed before going tosleep. One method of self suggestion is to write down,rgge.tions on a piece of paper, and last thing at nightr.uJ it ten times, then place the paper under the pillowand sleep on it. Or another to write out suggestions for the.luy, a.ri carry them around in one's pocket' It is a goodidea to write out the week's suggestions in one's diary' It isalso a useful device to write out suggestions in the form ofa letter and post it to oneself and when receiving it toread and re-read several times.Implanting suggestions in the mind is like plantingseedrin , grtd.".lust as it is necessary to keep a gardenclear of *i""dr, it is in a similar fashion necessary to keepthe mind clear of negative thoughts.Do not always ..pt.t doubts, try to trace what hascaused them, to see if they arise from some matter whichrequires your attention.iefore'trrning to the next section, let us pause to reviewthe methoct employed in this co:urse' It is no't advocatedthat you shouli relax and repeat the same suggestioryevery day. Once the method is grasped you witl find ftbecomes interwoven into all your thinking, wishing' andplanning. This does not mean you will be day-dreaming or

REGISTERING SUGGESTIONS IN THE I,INCONSCIOUS MIND 5qsuggesting to yourself all day, but it does mean a newkind of informed awareness in thinking about yourself,your plans and in observing yourself and other people,and instead of chance or negative reactions, you will findyou have positive reactions which are the result of yourfollowing a programme.

The programme is as follows:PLANNINGsuecESTrBLE srATE (creation of)REGISTERING ST]GGESTIONS IN UNCONSCIOUS MINDSELF OBSERVATIONREPLANNING SUGGESTIONS

Some of these different phases though described separ-ately, are performed simultaneously. They are not as easyto separate in practice, as they are in theory, for examplethe deepening of the trance state, and the self administra-tion of suggestions are sometimes carried out at the sametime, also Self Observation and the Replanning of Sugges-tions will often be more or less part of the same act.The system of self suggestion is a programme. in whichpositive thoughts are guided and monitored towardsmaking definite changes in one's life, instead of drifting orlettins chance or the past determine what happens. Thewhole cycle is ceaselessly repeated . . . Planning, Sugges-tion Sessions, Self Observation, Amending of, or adding toSuegestions.


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CHAPTER NINE

THE, SELF HYPNOTIC TRANCEThe creation of the self hypnotic state has been a practicesince the earliest times. In most esoteric writings the im-portance of self induced trances has been stressed as amethod of curing ills and gaining knowledge.Much of the work in Yoga is concerned in ultimatelybeing able to enter a self induced rrance. This is precededby purification of the body, inside and out, by maintainingphysical postures (asanas), by breathing exercises (prana-yama) and by mental concentration. In the BhagavadGita, Chapter 5, verses z7 and zB is the following instruc-tion:"shutting out all external objects, fixing the visionbetween the eyebrows, making even, the inward and out-ward breaths, moving between the nostrils, the sage whohas controlled the senses, the mind and understand-irg. ..."Trance states are self induced by many people all overthe world. Some believe that they are making contact withGods, or with their ancestors' spirits,'or that it is a formof magic. In the West self hypnosis is being increasinglvregarded in a much more factualway,namely as a methodof contacting the unconscious mind.Although the basic principles underlying the techniquesof self hypnotism and successful trance induction are thesame in any part of the world, local conditions are notand these make a great deal of difference to trance induc-tion. The mental state is dependent on the chemistry of6o

THE SELF HYPNoTIC TRANCE 6Tthe body. Too much oxygen makes us lose control of our-selves and with too little we become insensible. Altitudeis also a real factor. In Johannesburg, at 6,ooo feet abovesea level, motor cars from lower altitudes need a car-burettor adjustment. When we find the gross mechanisrnof a car can be affected by the altitude it is not surprisingthat the chemistry of the body and the mental operationscan also be affected. Mountains and deserts are traditionalplaces of retreat for meditational purposes. From myexperience the greater the altitude the easier the tranceinduction and this I believe is something quite apart fromthe amount of oxygen in the air. Sorne people enter atrance more easily when they have less than average oxy-gen in their bloodstream, and others succeed more easilywhen they have more than the average amount of oxygen.This is a matter which the reader must find out for him-self. Before practice sessions I would recommend tryingvery shallow breathing for a minute before carrying outpractice in your relaxation or trance induction. Then atanother time try deep breathing. In subsequent sessionsuse deep breathing or shallow breathing, whichever suitsyou best.The variations between individua]s and their own localconditions make it impossible to lay down any hard andfast instructions to suit everyone.There are many states of corxciousness, but the averageindividual has probably not considered such a matter. It isnot as though man is either awake or asleep, or that he iseither conscious or unconscious. There is no such simpledivision. There are many intermediate states, and, in fact,when we are asleep we are not really unconscious. Forexample, if someone were to break a window in a room inwhich the reader was sleeping he would wake up with astart, and in his sleep he would have heard the tinkle of


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I6z sELr-HypNosIS AND scIEN'rIFIc sELF-SUGGESTIoNthe broken glass. . . and yet he was asleep when thewindow was broken. Actually he was not completely un-conscious. A part of the mind remairu on duty as a sentineleven when we are asleep. If there is anything unusual, asound, or a smell of burning, the sentinel will wake us'There are a number of these different trance states whichcan be cultivated. In some the

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