This is an ongoing teaching area & therefore is always under construction.
Beginning Interactive Self-Hypnosis
Getting Started
We all begin our life walk with our very own, unique first step, but you have come to know that while this may be your first walking step, every experience in your entire life will have a first step as well. Tune into the world and you will hear lots of moaning and groaning about having to begin all over again. If you take a moment to dissect these complaints, you will find the errors in these thought patterns, for the truth of the matter is that every experiential moment begins in a different place on the life path.
Re-read the above idea & relax into it.. Image a good friend sitting across from you & delivering this special knowing. Most of us zoom through life in a waking sleep state. It's like sitting in class & daydreaming out the window...Our mind's are often on automatic pilot & miss the great lessons being presented. Right in this very moment take a look at your presenting "experiential moment" & notice where it is placed on your life path.
Even the experience of failure is simply a step in a different direction. Later on as we explore the subject of failure, you will come to find that it really isn’t a bad thing, but quite a good one. We are surrounded with teachers on these subjects. Take toddlers for example. We can learn quite a bit from them. Observe what happens when they fall down. They may cry or not, but then they get up, center themselves, look around at their immediate environment and then look towards where they want to go.
Locate a recent past or present toddler-moment. Relax into it. Relaxing into a memory or moment allows us to open it & obtain further information. If you are journaling, you can write about this & the further information will simply flow off the end of your pen. Notice the moments both before & after the fall. Observe your emotional states & how well you transitioned out of the negative states & into the positive "get up & fresh start" state. Place your index finger up on the memory of this event & take an emotional or energy reading. On the right hand side of the mind screen is a dial. As you turn it to the right, the emotion & corresponding energy become more intense. As you turn it to the left, just the opposite happens. Go ahead & adjust this dial so it is in a better balance.
You now have the opportunity to change the flavor of the above memory. What emotional state would enhance this memory? Would you benefit from more confidence or self-discipline or positive self-belief? Once you have located a positive-helper emotional flavor, place your finger back on the memory & deliver it. You can also use the dial again to further adjust it.
You have just edited a past mind program & have set a new benchmark for future programs that fall into the genre of toddler-moments. Remember if you are journaling, your mind will present additional gifts through the end of your pen. Practice journaling on other toddler-moments & if you experience one when it is not convenient to journal, simply journal in your mind. Tilt your eyes up about twenty degrees & notice yourself journaling on this specific event. Your subconscious mind will store this for you & when you sit to journal with pen & paper, the details will flow easily onto your paper.
Your own breath is your teacher in residence. As you learn to observe it, you will begin to find that each inhalation and exhalation is different from the one before. Therefore we do know how to live with ongoing change. This realization can help you to shift out of the fear surrounding change, into action. So following the lead of your breath and the toddler, let’s go forward.
MIND
EXERCISE – MAGNETS
A simple exercise for deepening is the utilization of magnets. Most of us are familiar with the feeling sensation of magnetic pull. For example, if you have flown in a plane you do know the feeling of being pulled down and back into the seat. Start this exercise with a deep yawn breath, holding it in your mouth for the count of four and letting it out slowly. Settle into the chair and tilt your eyes up slightly. When practicing you might like to close your eyes, but you can do this with them opened or closed. Allow your buttocks to be pulled gently down and back into the chair. You can work with an imaginary dial, noticing that as you turn it to the right the magnets increase and to the left you experience a decrease. This imagery gives you full control of your depth of trance or level of relaxation. This exercise is very easily adaptable to any situation in the real world. For example, if you find yourself becoming anxious in the moment, simply turn your dial to the right. You will be turning off your stress chemical production, slowing your brain waves, and going right to the door of your subconscious mind where you can request information or plant suggestions. As you tilt your eyes up just slightly, your programming screen will be available for subconscious mind communication.
Working within Imagery
Whether or not you are working with the
Interactive Journaling Groups it is
important to practice working within specific images or self-hypnotic
containments. One works with these in a deeply relaxed mind & body
state. I
placed some instructions on the homepage for the journaling groups. That
link is www.hypnosis-audio.com/journaling_homepage.htm
The brain waves are around 7-10 or below. This means alpha state or below.
One can consider the door of the subconscious mind to be at the alpha state.
In sports this is where the mindgame is played.... so there is no
need to
go deeper than this. When working self-hypnotically many people think they
have to be in a very deep trance state. This simply isn't so & in fact
it
can truly get in the way of placing the suggestions or working inside the
imagery.
Images or containments help us to isolate areas in which we will work.
Just
about anything can be a containment. A simple image is "a
moment." Think
about the ways you might isolate "a moment" so you can handle or
manage it.
You might consider making a moment "a room" that has a door where you
can
enter & then close it if you like. When you enter the moment &
close the
door, time stands still as you work within this moment. You can look
around &
see what you might like to add or change, etc. As you learn to work with
emotions you can change these as well.
Now in self-hypnosis we do much of our work quite
consciously, BUT the
subconscious mind is also busy working subconsciously, even though we are at
the alpha level & quite aware. We are not aware of what is going on
"under
the surface" but the subconscious mind is taking "the lead" from
the imagery
up on the alpha level.
Think of some ways your subconscious mind MIGHT BE working underneath this
image.... relax deeply & ask your subconscious mind this question.
If you
are working with automatic writing/journaling, allow your pen or fingers to
share these answers with you.
Some of you are working in very specific areas in my groups. I'd like you
to
work with some of your specific moments. In the pregnancy group, take
yourself inside some of your pregnancy-related moments.... both current &
future-paced. For pain managers, go inside a non-pain moment & a pain
moment
& make your adjustments. For accelerated learning, go inside a
non-focused
moment & then a well focused moment.... For sugar addiction and/or
weight
groups, enter a moment where you are feeling great & in charge, & then
into a
moment where things are not as easy... you get the idea.
All of this work will become more important as we progress. If you haven't
joined the journaling groups, you might consider doing so.
Suggested CD Work - Becoming Aware, Managing Emotions, Deflating Emotions, Managing Thoughts. These programs are designed to assist you in waking up from the chronic world mind state of automatic pilot. Once awake, you are able to release the awareness if it is negative in nature, or to enhance it, if it is useful to your life & goals. As these programs become etched, they will enhance your ability to be mindful & able to change course quickly.
© Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, 2003 May be downloaded for personal use only. May not be published or duplicated without permission of author. The information is not intended to replace medical or psychological advice, nor is it the intent of the author to diagnose or prescribe.
Knowledge Hooks
While most of us can recognize our surface problems, it is usually a big challenge to harness these and successfully manage them. Let’s use the image of an octopus representing the problem of sugar addiction. You can replace this problem with one of your own. Choose one that has been in your way for a long time. Perhaps one that you promise to get a handle on every New Year's when making your resolutions.
It’s not enough to see the octopus head poking out of the sea.
You must locate the tentacles of the problem that lie under the surface. The origins of some tentacles of sugar addiction are buried
deep in the ocean of the subconscious mind and although hidden from sight, send
up emotional messages that connect to current life experiences.
When parts of a problem are not identified, it is often difficult to make a good plan for recovery or to find ways to implement it. Even when the problems and it’s parts are identified, there is still the matter of staying motivated and persisting through obstacles for the seemingly never ending periods of time necessary to manage addictions or to solve other problems.
It
became obvious to me in my nursing work that everyday people needed tools to
free and empower themselves to self-investigate and to be self-sufficient in
their own personal growth work. These
tools would help them manage any chronic disease, addiction, or other
health-related matter as well. This
was particularly true in cancer patients who desperately needed to manage
physical, as well as emotional symptoms “in the moment.”
Here was the ideal opportunity to join my mental health training with
medical needs and so the specialized tools found their way into my mind.
While
there are many tools and specific ways to apply them, they will all be
identified with the names I gave them, that of Interactive Awareness &
Interactive Self-Hypnosis. The
tools include those of heightened awareness, as well as very specialized
interactive-imagery for managing thoughts, emotions, corresponding body
sensations, goals and self-exploration. They
also include those of High Level Nutrition because the mind and body are
connected in every way. .
Throughout
the Interactive Self-Hypnotic Journaling work you will find areas
sign-posted as knowledge hooks. There
are other sign-posts as well and as you arrive at these intersections, I’ll
explain them to you. Sometimes you
will be invited to join in a special exercise or perhaps to look under a rock.
This is a self-hypnotic adventure through your life, with certain areas
being attended to with a deeper focus.
You will soon become aware that this is your own adventure and that your
subconscious mind will be taking the lead as it loves to be engaged in this way.
For now let’s lightly touch some general knowledge hooks about your nutritional intake. As all of these paragraphs hold self-motivational images, either positive or negative, you might want to make some notes.
Knowledge hooks are about paying attention. It is absolutely important to learn to pay attention.....to everything. The more you pay attention, the more you will pay attention & the more successful you will be. Certainly you will be healthier. Paying attention & learning the art of mind focus are one & the same. Let's practice paying attention to this work here & then you will apply it to yourself in your journaling. Notice your emotions in this moment, as well as your thoughts. Are your hurrying? Are you setting up obstructions; reasons why you don't want to do this? Are your emotions telling you that this isn't important for you & that something else is somewhere else & that is important to you & will solve all of your problems? Or.... are you relaxed & inviting the information to enter your mind, so you can know more about yourself from examining this facet? Pay attention to your functioning, both mind & body as you go about this work. These are Knowledge Hooks.... personal ones that belong only to you.
Most
people have no idea what they eat over a 24 hour period.
It's interesting to note that while people often report having good
eating habits, a review of their dietary intake can show days filled
with cereal, bagels, sandwiches, fries, soda, junk food, white flour and even
breath mints. All of these fill the addictive need & are responsible
for a variety of food stress conditions including cognitive & creative
ones. There are also the issues of when one eats and how often, as
well as exercise levels in relation to food intake.
We
literally have bags over our heads, laughing at our bad eating habits as if they
had no dire outcomes. Connections to other addiction, uncontrollable
moods, low productivity, accidents and the like are missed completely as if
there was no connection at all to what entered the mouth and how often it
entered. We appear blinded to the fact that we are speeding down life's
highway, giant slurpie in hand, straight into the arms of killer disease.
Suggested CD Work - Becoming Aware, Managing Thoughts, Managing Emotions, High Level Nutrition, Stress Management, Focus & Flow. These programs are designed to help you to "see" clearly. It is imperative to have healthy nutrition & to manage compulsive & emotional addictive habits. If you have any of these, choose audio/CD to work on correcting this immediately. There is no time to lose. Every addictive moment is layering in cells throughout your body, taking you where I'm sure you don't want to go. It's also important to wake up to your emotional states & thoughts that are responsible for the production of stress hormones. These are not a laughing matter, for they are like a drain on your life bank account. You will pay, as well as those who love you, when you over-draw on this account.
© Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, 2003 May be downloaded for personal use only. May not be published or duplicated without permission of author. The information is not intended to replace medical or psychological advice, nor is it the intent of the author to diagnose or prescribe.
Beginning Interactive Self-Hypnotic Journaling
Getting Started
There are reasons why we do things & it is no different for this idea of journaling with Interactive Self-Hypnosis. When someone suggests something, we often feel an intuitive push or pull towards it. Ask any advertiser ! Whenever we experience the intuition in this way, it's a good idea to gently stop & inwardly ask the intuition more about it's communication with you. And so, this is a wonderful place to begin your journaling exercises.
Relax deeply into the moment. Go back to the area on beginning Interactive Self-Hypnosis on the Journaling Homepage & etch these instructions further into your mind. After awhile it will become second nature & at any given moment you can be working inside the subconscious mind library with all of your assistant's available to you. Bring in any favorite images you might already be utilizing to be in touch with the deeper part of yourself. In the work we do here, I'll be giving you many images in the workshop of the mind. Some you will like better than others..... & again, this will be intuitive.
For this experience, we will work inside a board meeting room that lives in your Inner Workshop. Your seat is at the head of the table for you are the Chairperson of the Board. The subconscious mind sees this position & recognizes that you are in charge. This is most important for all self-hypnotic work. Ultimately, you hold the power of final decision. This is a good safety & leaves no room for misinterpretation. Plug into this feeling for a moment. Feel how good it feels to be in charge of yourself... enhance the feeling with the dial that is sitting on the arm of your chair. Turn the dial to the right & allow the feeling of being in charge to enhance. I like to add the affirmation, "Yes, I am." This further underlines the feeling. Each time we plug into a feeling, that particular chemical cocktail is etched into the subconscious mind memory bank. Feeling centered & in charge of yourself & your decisions is a very important one. This is connected to the all important mind state of being self-responsible.
Across the table from you sits your Intuition. You can build any image you like to represent your Intuition.... or you can utilize a "felt sense." Relax deeply into your chair. You are going to communicate through inner communication & your journal. At the top of the page is the subject of communication. Here we are working with wanting to know more about the reasons why you felt the desire to join this group. In preparation for the interview with your Intuition, notice that you have structured some questions, knowing that other questions will flow from these, as well as from the answers provided by your Intuition.
Ask your first question & write down the answer provided. Continue along until you have finished. You might ask your Intuition if it has any questions for you. Relax deeply into this moment & stay in centered quietness... Sometimes we receive answers or messages in the moment & other times they come later, usually during a quiet moment or in a dream state. When the interview has completed, thank your Intuition & close your journal.
You have accomplished many things in this exercise. You have made direct communication with a very important part of yourself & your creativity. You welcomed it & encouraged it to have ongoing communication with you. This is a very positive mind program. You have touched your inner power & have located your dial. You can keep this with you. This is a self-hypnotic trigger for working with the mind & body connection. You can utilize this to move out of stress or any related stress-producing state & into one that will benefit you in the moment, as well as down the path. You have also set the stage for working with interactive self-hypnosis & each time you practice in this way, it will become easier & easier for you to reach new levels of performance & also health.
Suggested CD Work - Automatic Writing, Visualization & Creative Imagery, Metaphor Building, Age Regression, Hypnosis Workshop. These programs are designed to assist you in working with Interactive Self-Hypnosis. You will build your own inner workshops in your own subconscious mind. You will learn to build images & metaphors for change & goal editing. You will experience your past resilience & transfer it to your future goal areas. This is work of accelerated learning & high level achievement.
© Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, 2003 May be downloaded for personal use only. May not be published or duplicated without permission of author. The information is not intended to replace medical or psychological advice, nor is it the intent of the author to diagnose or prescribe.
Knowledge Hook Journaling
( Wednesday )
Working with Thoughts, Emotions & Body Communications
Building Containments for Personal Development & Intuition Group
Building Containments for Eating Disorder Group
Building Containments for Health & Disease Management Group
Building Containments for Workplace Health & Performance Group