Host – Javier
SpeechMaster – Lee Lovett
Topic – Self-Hypnosis, The Easy Way
I recently finished a book, Instant Self-Hypnosis, that explains a method of hypnotizing oneself with one’s eyes-open. There are many advantages to adding this tool to our arsenal.
Even more important, the author (a Certified Hypnotist) discovered this method by READING ALOUD! This makes it doubly applicable to our methods and further validates the value of reading aloud to stop stuttering.
INSTANT SELF-HYPNOSIS
A Book by
Forbes Robbins Blair
Above all else, this book confirms and validates, if needed, our program/methods, and our two core goals: Hear fluency and do not hear dysfluency from your lips AND of our 1-2-3 punch: That is: Hear fluency by reading aloud and other ways // AND do daily mind-training, // AND use Crutches/Speech Plans as needed.
The author, Robbins Forbes Blair (likely the son or grandson of Forbes Blair, a friend of mine who also practiced communications law), is a Certified Hypnotist with an active hypnosis-related practice. In this book, he explains that, quite by accident, while reading aloud extensively, he came to realize that he was in various states of self-hypnosis. This led him to conclude that a hypnotic state can be achieved with one’s eyes open. He calls this eyes-open self-hypnosis “Instant Self-Hypnosis” – the title of his book. We can call it either “eyes-open SH” or “instant SH”. By either name, this revelation can help us derive even more benefits from our daily reading aloud by expanding our reading into a form of daily mind-training.
As reading aloud is a major part of our Methods to stop stuttering, I consider Blair’s findings of great value to us. A summary of his book follows.
The Five Basics of Hypnosis
(1) It is simply a process of enabling the mind to enter a state of heightened suggestibility (“HS”).
(2) There are numerous ways to achieve HS. Most people can achieve it rather easily, but they are often not aware that they achieved it.
(3) In a HS state, the mind will accept suggestions and changes will occur.
(4) Nearly all can be hypnotized. All remain in complete control of themselves and can end the HS-state easily.
(5) Nearly all can learn to hypnotize themselves sufficiently to revolutionize their lives.
Seven Ingredients for Successful Self-Hypnosis
(1) Strong motivation
(2) Belief and expectation
(3) Privacy
(4) Consistent repetition daily over time
(5) Increasing the depth of SH
(6) When we do it: Before bed and on arising
(7) Listening to recordings will help but is not a substitute for giving yourself daily treatments.
The Basics of Eyes-Open or Instant Self-Hypnosis
All of us constantly hypnotize ourselves without knowing it and without taking advantage of it. / / We do this by simply FOCUSING intently on something and, thus, stop thinking about anything else. Examples include: When watching a film or listening to a song or when reading out loud. Many hypnotists inadvertently become somewhat hypnotized when they hypnotize others – proving how susceptible all of us are to SH.
Reading aloud may well be the easiest of all forms of SH. We simply need to read aloud slowly, softly, in a rhythmic manner, and keep doing it. We will achieve a level of SH, and better results will follow.
Advantages of Reading Aloud — Eyes-Open/Instant SH
1) You won’t fall asleep – the most common complaint about SH.
2) No need to prepare yourself, i.e., work on relaxing first.
3) No need to study hypnosis (H) or self-hypnosis (SH).
4) Results are achievable simply through recitation (and, we add, through visualization).
5) It’s easier to do Eyes-Open SH and can be incredibly effective, especially when applied 2 or 3 times daily. Improvement should be steady and constant.
6) You don’t feel hypnotized! The sound of your voice is a great tranquilizer. This allows your reading material to do its work.
Instructions
to Give Yourself an Eyes-Open SH Treatment
1) Choose a quiet place.
2) Lower the lighting.
3) Sit in a comfortable chair.
4) Begin reading (a) in a soft, soothing, steady voice, / / (b) read slowly and insert lots of full stops (of varied lengths, 1, 2 and 3 seconds), / / (c) Emphasize the words, if any, in italics, bold or caps. / / (d) Do not read instructions (in brackets [ ] ). / / (e) THINK hard about what you are reading. / / (f) If you’re reading Affirmations, try to VISUALIZE yourself doing or being what you are reading. / / (g) Read the entire narrative of your script INCLUDING the “Wake-Up” text.
A Suggested Induction
You may simply begin your reading aloud. If you wish to maximize your session, you can say some words to begin to put yourself under (your “induction”), might be as follows [soft, slow, steady voice]:
“I feel so relaxed, comfortable, calm and safe. I now allow my own voice to soothe my mind and body, thus becoming increasingly relaxed as I continue to read aloud. The more that I read, the more relaxed I become. With every word I read and every sound I utter, the more relaxed and at peace I feel. My mind is increasingly clear and as calm as a mountain lake.
“As my mind calms and clears, I relax more and more deeply as I read. I imagine that I am seated in a comfortable chair, alone, on an isolated beach. With my peripheral vision, I see the gentle waves as they wash onto the beach. I hear the soothing sounds of the soft waves as they caress the sand.
“ I feel the sea breeze all over my body and the warm sun, as it soothes my skin, eliminating all tension. My thoughts are focused on the sun’s warmth on my face, cheeks and down my torso through my legs and feet.
“All of this caresses me and allows my words to flow easily from my mouth. Waves of warmth and relaxation cascade down…down through all of my body.
“I mentally release all tension in my torso, hips, legs and feet. The warm sunlight floods all of me. I feel warm, relaxed, peaceful.
“I now inhale deeply and exhale deeply – ten times.
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Alternate Induction Give During Q & A
“I now imagine that I have entered into my own building. I feel very safe as I enter my elevator. I press the number Lower 10. I watch the numbers light, as the elevator descends. I feel myself descending to a wonderful place within myself. I relax deeper and deeper with every number. . . 2. . .3. . .4. . .By the time that I reach 10, I will be deeply hypnotized. ..5. . .I grow more relaxed…6. . .Going deeper into myself…7. . .8. . .I am safe and calm here…9. . .I allow myself to easily enter into hypnosis with my eyes open. . .10. . .the elevator comes to a slow stop; I have arrived; I am now peacefully in a state of Heightened Suggestibility. I am self-hypnotized.
“As the elevator door opens, I enter easily into a furnished reading room. I sit in a comfortable chair next to the fireplace, which is crackling and blazing softly.
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What to Read During Instant SH
“I have my ten Affirmations, and I now shall read each one TWENTY times. I shall visualize myself doing and being whatever they suggest, and they will become my reality consciously and subconsciously.”
AND/OR
“I have my book, How to Stop Stuttering & Love Speaking” and I shall continue reading it from my last reading spot. All of its words address me directly and seem to leap off the pages into my mind. I am now hypnotized, and every time that I read my Induction and from this book, I will automatically re-enter the hypnotized state with my eyes open.”
Then, read from the book for such additional time as you have planned. When finished, I wake myself as follows:
THE WAKE-UP
“I will awaken from hypnosis by counting to five. When I reach the number five, I will be fully alert and wide awake . . .One. . .beginning to awaken. . .Two. . .becoming aware of my surroundings. . .Three. . .Feeling fully satisfied and confident of positive results. . .Four. . .Feeling refreshed . . Five. . .I am now fully awake, alert, refreshed, confident and happy.
Post-Mortem
When finished, if you followed this script, you will have successfully hypnotized yourself. You may or may not have felt hypnotized. The “feeling” or awareness of being hypnotized will increase as you do more and more sessions. Practice improves results in all things. Remember, even a very LIGHT state of SH will achieve most goals.
Bonus Sections
Blair’s book also has sections on other helpful topics, such as: (1) Airborn Allergies, (2) Teeth Grinding, (3) Concentration, (4) Dreams, (5) Ending Specific Bad Habits, (6) Becoming More Decisive & Efficient, (7) Energy, (8) Flying without Fear, (9) Fingernail Biting, (10) Insomnia, (11) Lose Weight, (23) Eat Healthy, (13) Alcohol, (14) End Procrastination, (15) Smoking, (16) Clear Skin, (17) Acing Exams, (18) Memory, (19) Strong Immune System, (20) Creative Problem Solving
So, where does all this leave us? Right back where we started, UNLESS we resolve to do it, to adopt daily mind-training as the key to our fluency and, above all, to our much elevated lives.
So, this ends my comments today on eyes-open or instant SH. I shall leave you with the words of Russell Conwell from his masterpiece, Acres of Diamond.
“Whatever you do, think of NOTHING else until it is done.”
“WHATEVER you DO, think of nothing else, until it is done.”
“Whatever you do, THINK OF NOTHING ELSE UNIL IT IS DONE!”
