WarpMyMind

Hey everybody. I'm gradually getting into this whole hypnosis thing, but I have a question: sometimes, depending on the speaker of the file, I won't be fully entranced by the end of the countdown/beginning of the script. What I usually do so is restart the file at this point, but this requires pulling myself out of trace... is this bad?

The reason I ask is because I'm not sure whether my conscious mind is supposed to hear the script or not. Is it better that I just listen to a file on loop, even if I'm not in trance the first time? Or perhaps I could just edit the sound files so that an induction plays more than once before counting down?

Anyway, feedback would be appreciated.

If you can edit it to lengthen the induction/deepener, that's what I'd do. Otherwise I'd listen to the whole file on loop rather than waking up a little to rewind it. If there is any light level of trance to break out of in the first place, then listening to it like that will have some effect. You don't have to be 100% "out" to be in a trance and be affected by these files.

Most people cannot distinguish between relaxation and trance. It is a common misunderstanding that you are not hypnotized, if you are aware of what the hypnotist is saying. This is not true.

So by opening your eyes, moving around to stop the file, rewind it and then start over, you are actually pulling yourself out of whatever trance you are in at that moment.

Your best bet is to stay put and listen to the file. It will work to the extent of what is possible with you - even though you are aware of the words. Try instead to relax as much as you can and to listen to everything that is being said. Then if and when you reach a point in time, where your awareness begins to decrease, then that's fine. But trust that when the induction ends, you will be in a light trance, that with practise can become deeper - much deeper.

About a year ago I had never done any self hypnosis before. I had only hypnotized other people. And I really didn't know what it felt like to be hypnotized myself. Then I started making files for other people, and they reported about success with these files. So I thought that why not make one for yourself? So I did, and the first couple of times I heard the files, I was present for the entire while and heard everything. But still the files would work in the way that I had imagined that they would work! Then after a while I started going deeper, and now I barely make it past the induction, before I'm far away. zzzzzz

Cardigan

Well that certainly makes me feel better about my practice sessions. I've been trying for the last few days now (since I started last friday) and the closest I thought I had gotten to a trance was actually falling asleep while listening to one of the inductions last night. I woke up just in time to hear the suggestions that followed the induction, but I think I slept through half of the preamble. After hearing that you're supposed to be constantly aware of what the speaker is telling you, it makes me feel a whole lot better. Hopefully, I'll get the hang of this pretty quickly.

At the moment, when I listen to an induction, my arms go almost completely numb from the shoulder down. This would count as progress right?

You are absolutely right. Numbness or catalepsy is an almost tell-tale sign of hypnosis! :-)

The modern definition of hypnosis is - among other things, that it is a highly focused state of awareness - not zonking out, as many think it is. There are many myths like that surrounding hypnosis.

Sweet! *Peter Griffin laugh*

By the way, you do know you're named after a sweater right?

*ducks the flying tomatos and runs after telling the lame joke*

Yes, I know what a cardigan is. I came up with this name because one of my friends always nicknamed me cardigan, and it sortof stuck. Anyway sweaters are nice. They keep you warm and many of them are nice and fluffy.

Things that are fluffy and warm are good....like bunnies...*grabs a random bunny and snuggles it into submission*

Bunnies are nice, but I would rather have something bigger that has more room to put my head on; like bears, and I like putting them into submission. Besides bunnies are tastier and better for warming the belly.

*chuckles* Only if you don't have a nice, tall, sexy bunny...but ya gotta be careful, if you get the wrong kind of bunny, YOU might end up being the belly warmer *laughs*

I like it when a meal puts up a fight (in fact, I'm disapointed if it doesn't). :P

Eh, I'm more of a willing prey person myself...I'm just a big blue softy. ^_^

The reason that I stop the files and reset them is because of a few instances of what I believe were successes.

Here's what happens: I gradually gradually drift off during induction and wake up only remembering the countdown... it was like falling asleep, only I would always wake up (after/ towards the end of the file), which almost never happens when I'm actually sleeping. So I think that lengthening the induction or adding a deepener is the way to go.

I also found out that adding reverb to a given file also helps me defocus -- and by that I mean not overthink, which keeps me from falling asleep, and I would guess likewise in terms of hypnosis. My subconscious will always hear the words, and my conscious mind can focus on the weird sounds that are produced.

Cardigan, svaret dit er udmærket!

cardigan wrote:Yes, I know what a cardigan is. I came up with this name because one of my friends always nicknamed me cardigan, and it sortof stuck. Anyway sweaters are nice. They keep you warm and many of them are nice and fluffy.