Increase your suggestibility with self-hypnosis

A simple definition of hypnotism is "increased suggestibility." You cannot "will" yourself to relax. You've already tried that and know you can't simply will yourself to break the cigarette habit. You must use the method of suggestion and accept the suggestions uncritically, so that they become a powerful influence upon the subconscious.

The method of suggestion is to tell yourself "I am," rather than "I will." By suggesting to yourself "I am," each time you gain additional relaxation, you are re-enforcing the power of suggestion. Each time you tell Special Instructions for the One Reader in Ten Who Cannot Achieve Easy Relaxation yourself "I can't" or "I doubt it," you throw difficulties in your path, and make your efforts ineffective.

Now I am going to outline two tests you may make, if you insist upon proof that relaxing the body is all that is needed to make self-suggestion effective. They need be taken only once. There is no danger in them, but don't become so involved in the test reactions that you lose the power of suggestion for relaxation.

The first test is known as "eye closure." What is sought is a conditioned response to a specific count. A count, let us say, from ten to zero. You want that counting process to be a stimulus for an automatic behavior pattern. In other words, it is proof of the subconscious response to a conscious suggestion.

After you have attained a feeling of complete relaxation throughout your entire body, select a spot in the room where the wall joins the ceiling, a bit of light reflection from a picture frame, or anything upon which you can concentrate your vision, slightly above eye level. You are seeking to have a slight strain upon the eyes and eyelids in your effort to hold in focus the spot you have selected.

With your eyes fastened upon the focal point you have selected, begin to suggest to yourself that your eyes will become tired and watery. Keep your eyes focused upon the spot, repeating this suggestion until there is a feeling that they are becoming tired and watery-then suggest to yourself that your eyes will close at the specific count of zero.

Count backwards, saying to yourself: "As I complete the count from ten to zero, my eyes will become tired and heavy. My eyelids will close. The moment they do, I shall fall into a light state of self-hypnosis. I will be fully conscious and able to hear everything around me, but concerned only with the direct suggestions I will give to my subconscious mind.

"Ten . . . my eyelids are becoming heavy . . . tired ... hard to hold open. Nine ... my eyes are becoming watery . . . the spot at which I am looking is becoming blurred. Eight. . . my eyelids are becoming very tired . . . very heavy . . . tired . . . heavy. Seven ... I can hardly keep my eyes open ... I am relaxed all over . . . breathing deeply . . . normally . . . easily ... relaxed . . . tired. Six ... I am beginning to close my eyes ... I can feel my eyelids closing. Five . . . my eyelids are closing more and more . . . heavier . . . more watery . . . tired . . . closing. Four ... I am completely relaxed ... at ease ... a feeling of well-being . . . my eyes are closing . . . closing . . . closing.

Three ... it is becoming impossible to hold my eyelids open .. . the spot is blurred . . . my eyelids are nearly shut . . . dropping . . . heavy . . . relaxed. Two ... I can no longer hold my eyes open . . . my eyelids are closing ... I am at peace . . . resting . . . feeling wonderfully rested and relaxed. One... my eyelids are closed. Zero ... I am now entering the self-hypnotic state, in which I can give myself whatever post-hypnotic suggestions I desire."

Do not rush the count. Take time to create the heavy, watery feeling, which you have purposely intensified by self-suggestion. If at any time during the count you feel that you wish to close your eyes, let them close. Do not hold them open with a deliberate conscious effort, and do not consciously try to close them. What you are looking for is a subconscious response, an automatic behavior pattern, activated by a conscious stimulus to the subconscious.

Let us suppose that you try to get an eye closure, but fail. Your eyes remain open and staring, even after you suggest that they will close. Three things are possible. Either you are not taking enough time to get complete body relaxation. Or you are not in the right psychological frame of mind. Or the conditioning process hasn't yet been established sufficiently.

Check to see that you are physically relaxed. Has tension crept back into any of your body muscles? Are you completely comfortable, except for the slight strain upon your eyes? Are you perfectly sure that what you are doing is a completely normal phenomenon, as natural and easy to attain as normal sleep? Are you being disturbed by any outside influences? Are you consciously resisting your own suggestions, rather than accepting them uncritically?

In the event that you do not get an involuntary (subconscious) eye closure, voluntarily (consciously) close your eyes and follow through with the post-hypnotic suggestions as though you were in the hypnotic state. Following this instruction is extremely important, because as you do this you are conditioning yourself to a response pattern, exactly as you do in habit formation. It will result in attaining self-hypnosis much more readily the next time you try.

The second test is known as the "swallowing test." Like the "eye closure test," it proves subconscious response to a conscious suggestion. In hetero-hypnosis, these tests are called "ideo-motor activity," and they enable the hypnotist to see how well the subject is responding with physical actions to suggestions.

This is important. Whenever you give yourself a test for bodily reaction under hypnosis, you must be certain to tell yourself that the reaction will stop as soon as the test is over. Otherwise, it might persist, following the conclusion of self-hypnosis, as a post-hypnotic suggestion.

For the swallowing test, give yourself the following suggestions after you have completed the body relaxation. Say to yourself: "As I count from ten to zero, and before I reach the count of zero, I shall get an irresistible urge to swallow one time.

As soon as I swallow one time, this feeling will leave me and I'll feel normal again in every respect. Ten . . . My lips are dry . . . Nine . . . My throat is becoming dry . . . Eight ... I am beginning to get the urge to swallow . . . Seven . . . The urge is becoming stronger . . . My throat feels parched . . . my lips dry. ... Six ... I have a strong . . . irresistible urge to swallow . . . Five. . . urge is becoming so strong I cannot resist it. ...
Four ... My lips are dry.... My throat is parched.

I must swallow. . . . Three . . . The urge to swallow is even stronger now. . . . Two ... I must swallow ... I cannot resist the urge.... One ... I must swallow ... I must swallow ... I must swallow. . . . Zero . . . I have swallowed one time. I am now in a self-hypnotic state in which I am very receptive to positive self-suggestions."

If at any time before the count is completed, you have the urge to swallow involuntarily, do not resist it. What you are seeking is involuntary (subconscious) reaction to voluntary (conscious) direction. At the conclusion of either the "eye closure" or "swallowing" tests, and before you have opened your eyes, be certain to give yourself this suggestion:
"At any time I take three deep breaths, I will be able to give myself strong, helpful suggestions. I will be able to stop smoking. I will be able to relax when and as I wish. I will be in a state of light self-hypnosis, if I so desire, after I take three deep breaths."

Reader, let me tell you this: I have never known a man or woman who was unable to learn this technique. For some it has required effort. For others it has come remarkably swiftly and easily. But in all the time I have spent lecturing and demonstrating and teaching these ideas, I've not yet found a person-no matter how tense, how tight inside-who could not learn to relax.

And when you learn the system, there are additional benefits aplenty. Since stress and strain are a normal part of human nature, you will certainly have one of those days, sooner or later, when nothing goes right. Use your three-breath technique, at such times, as first aid for the sagging soul.

NOW, WE'LL RELAX THAT GRIM JAW LINE

One of the first places where tension shows up is in the muscles of the jaw. Because smoking involves a muscle pattern that forces you to open your mouth and move your lips and tongue, it tends to release some of the muscles of the jaw and mouth. This would be a good thing for you if (a) smoking didn't then raise the temperature inside your mouth, (b) irritate the sensitive linings of your mouth, and (c) increase the likelihood of cancer of the lips, mouth or throat.

So let's attain this relaxation of the mouth and jaw without smoking. Yawning is an ideal way. Start by dropping the lower jaw. Put the tip of your tongue behind your lower teeth and let it rest there momentarily without pressure.

If you are really tense from a long period of concentration or from some particular worry, you can assist the relaxation of the jaw muscles by massaging them. The muscles are in the area around the hinge of the jaw, just in front of the ears. Gently touch your jaws with your fingertips; massage them, and yawn.

The next spot to relax, after your mouth and jaw, is your nostrils. You didn't think your nose could become tense? Well, just relax it once and see the big difference.

Feel the muscles over your cheekbones ... massage them slightly with your fingertips ... pushing outward while you inhale deeply through your nose. This gentle massage and the accompanying deep breathing clears the antrums and aids your sinuses. It will help prevent the common cold and aid your vision.

You can relax your eyes at the same time. Blink them several times; and if you have been looking at a printed page, rest them by looking at some distant object. If you are in a position where it will cause you no embarrassment, close your eyes when you take your three deep breaths. Fill your lungs deeply and keep your eyes closed, and you will feel the rejuvenating power of relaxation flowing through your body.

THE NECK AND BACK ARE HARDEST TO MAKE "LET GO"

The back and sides of the neck are where tension really sets in after a long siege of concentration. This area is possibly the most difficult to relax, yet one of the most important. To relax the neck muscles, lift the chin and inhale deeply. Keep inhaling, but now stretch your chin out to the right. Now, exhale and swivel the chin to the left.

Now relax. Repeat this exercise by inhaling deeply, pointing the chin to the left . . . exhale, swivel it to the right and relax. Use your fingertips to massage the muscles along the side of the neck. This not only relaxes the muscles but also helps stimulate the flow of blood to the brain.

IN THREE WEEKS YOU WONT REMEMBER THE SMOKING HABIT

You will discover that after about three weeks of employing the techniques of self-hypnosis and "instant relaxation" to change your subconscious attitudes and habits, you will no longer even think about smoking. This could mean that you may also forget about relaxing. Don't let that happen.

No matter what your occupation, whether it be student or housewife or corporation executive, you need to relax periodically to reduce fatigue, release tension and rejuvenate your body.

Dr. Walter Woodward, industrial psychologist with the American Cyanamid Company, has said: "Business men tire themselves by pushing themselves to their extreme limit. An executive can concentrate on what he is doing for about two hours before his attention wanders. It takes a while for his mental energy to recover, and during that time he becomes frustrated and tense because he cannot get on effectively with his work."

Take a concentration break about once every ten or fifteen minutes. All it requires is three deep breaths. Take a longer concentration break at hour intervals. You will not only forget all about smoking, but you will also be healthier and more vital than you ever imagined was possible.