The Transparent Hypnotist

Smokers. It is always the smokers who are my problem children. It is just so funny (okay, I am trying to drain my sarcasm); they suffer so. Tonight as I post this, I have two thoughts about smokers and cigarettes,as I work to get it all out of my system.

First - its not your granddaddy’s cigarette anymore. That’s right, for all of you out there who say, “Well, my granddaddy lived to the ripe old age of 99 and he smoked a pack and a half of cigarettes everyday and he never got no cancer,” have I got new for you. One - just think how much longer he might have lived if he never smoked. Actually, I am sort of kidding on that part…BUT…that leads me to two. Your granddaddy probably smoked a much different substance than today’s monsters. No, I do not mean he smoked anything other than good ol’ tobbaccee (and if he did, I don’t want to know). But chances are for a long while, granddaddy may have rolled his own cigarettes, and if you live anywhere near tobacco county he probably knew exactly where the plant came from. Look at everything that is in a cigarette (need I run through the list? Let me know and I will)…most of it has little to do with tobacco. It is all the other nasties that make them so repulsive to our health, I suspect.

The other thing about cigarettes is that I think we have so much more to learn about the mixture of nicotine and the other substances and how this react mixture reacts in the human body. With the hatefullness and vileness that I hear from smokers, they seem so much more defensive of the idea that they are addicted than do the crack addicts I have worked with. So, I am truly thinking there is more to the substances in the cigetters than we already know. Of course there is sugar and that has its own problems…but I think it could be worse than what we think we know.

And I am sorry for the surmon, but the vileness (for that is what it was and has earned the redundancy) of that which I hear from smokers can be truly awful. And today was one of those days.

We have discussed inductions and deepeners and I suspect we will continue to discuss these as we go along. And as you may know, I have taken to posting concepts from my recent trip that relate to hypnosis, meditation and consciousness. Just getting out of the office provided me with a sense of being able to think even more outside the box.

And most of you know I am somewhat of a sucker for tech toys, and the digital camera has not escaped my notice. I have two. One is a Canon DC210 DVD Camcorder, which I use exclusively in the office. It serves as a record of the session experience (I tend not to give these to clients unless they really want it), a way to see what I am doing and to make self-improvements, and also for security (I hate to think in those terms, but it is good to be safe). The important thing about recording sessions from a security standpoint is to make sure your date and time are accurate and are imprinted on the footage (so it accounts for time).

My other is a Samsung S630 Digital Camera. This is my fun, throw-it-in-my-bag-and-just- go camera, which of course went with me on my travels. I find myself often taking close up pictures of, well, just about everything. And though it may sound cheesy, I have a whole memory card full of close up of flowers. Keep reading, this does pertain to hypnosis.

What I have tried out on a couple of clients this week was using those flower pictures in my inductions and have been pretty happy with the results.

Using digital picture frames, one specifically, I pop in an edited memory card (of the similar flower pictures), and I turn it on. It is above eye level to where the clients sit. This is the eye fixation idea. The frame slowly shows each picture in a revolving cycle (set on the slowest speed possible). I have the flower pictures go from light colors to darker colors in a progression. And while the client is watching this, I give suggestions for deepening the sense of relaxation and to go deeper and deeper down with each image change until the eyes are too heavy and tired to keep open.

This adds a bit of creativity to the session and can constantly change.

There are at least a few others who seem to want to try lucid dreaming as well (as if). So, lets continue these coffee conversations (though every now and then they feel like monologues) in regard to dream control.

Something that Bill Perry wrote in one of his posting keeps itching at my mind. He mentioned lucid dreaming is more about knowing that you have the ability to control your dreams than perhaps actually changing them so much. It is the idea of choice. You have a choice when you become aware that you are lucid dreaming of whether to interfere with the theme of the dream or to just be aware of the dream environment. So, I guess in this instance, it is an empowerment tool, knowing you have control but not asserting it totally.

Here’s my question (aren’t I just full of them?): If you become aware that you are in control of your the dream, does the dream still flow along like a dream or does the dream reality remain in pause until you do something in the dream? If you do nothing, is it like playing a video game where nothing happens or can you just explore the scenery? Does stuff still happen spontaneously like in dreams where one is not lucid?

The people I traveled with recently are a creative lot. So, when it came to group guided meditations, my themes often involved unlocking creativity and such. But what I really noticed was the imagery that was enhanced by place or space. The stories, poetry and sketches that came forth from a simple guided meditation say at the Cadillac Ranch in Texas were astounding. While others were doing artistic endeavors afterwards, I continued meditating and seeing where the subject of the location would take me inwards. Still, I am processing all of it and what I learned about myself.

As I am contemplating a trip back to the UK, I noticed that the British Museum has an exhibit called The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army. These are literally an army of terracotta statues that were buried along side the First Emperor from Xi’an, China. Tickets are going like mad, so I have heard. But how fabulous they would be for a meditative exercise. I suspect, though, that it might prove difficult to do so at the museum with hundreds of people being shuffled through. And I have no pull there to get special dispensation. LOL.

In discussing this idea with my companions, another idea surfaced. Why not actually go to the actual site? Why not see the 8000 (plus) statues where they were discovered in Xian, China. There would definitely be something spiritual about this, probably interesting energy, and being surrounded by this archaeological find would resonate a deep cord in many of us.

Here’s the fabulous thing, dialaflight.com is currently offering a few side trips from the UK to China for just this sort of thing (not sure about the meditation part, but just to see them in their natural environment). They have an affordable package that includes a three night stay in China (they have longer options available) that would be perfect. I have always wanted to visit China, but perhaps now I can satisfy my craving for England, and seeing the Terracotta Warriors in their natural glory in the Orient. Life is exciting.

Putting down the tea cup, what I want to know is how many of you have worked with lucid dreams using hypnotic suggestion, either as a hypnotist giving the suggestions or as the person being hypnotized? Or…have you used self-hypnosis to lucid dream?

I have to begun to think (and I may be slow on the uptake here) that maybe to become proficient with lucid dreams, the techniques are all self-hypnosis with maybe the exception being the use of the dream machines…but that seems hypnotic, too, just not so vocal based.

All this comes into my mind from perusing Bill Perry’s Lucid Blog. Bill was kind enough to respond to the Sunday Question about lucid dreaming, and I am so glad he did. His experiences are pretty interesting, as is his approach. He uses an anchoring technique and it is as follows:

• As you are lying in bed, simply visualize the dream you would like to have. Experience it as you would like to experience it. Get as far into the visualization as you can. Hear the sounds, see the sights, smell how it smells. As you are getting into this visualization, clench your hands into fists. Not tightly, but relaxed fists. Use it as an anchor.
• Allow your brain to tie the feeling of clenching the hands into fists with he feeling of what your prospective dream feels like.
• Next time you are lucid, clench your dream fists and remember the dream you want to have. Much like running a computer program, your dream will now “load up” for you.
• And, since you are now altering the content of the dream, you don’t have to stick exactly to the “script” you’ve made in your visualization. You can now make things happen by the power of sheer thought.
• Dream on!

This was taken from his blog posting How to Control Your Dreams. Using both self-hypnosis techniques and NLP, is this just another fabulous tool of hypnosis? When I was debating using the home-made sunglasses dream machine to use the lights as an anchor to remind you that you were in a dream and now could take control of it, Bill’s technique does this without all the gadgetry. Definitely worth exploring.

It is good to be back with you on this Monday morning. During my adventure away, I was pretty much caffeine-free and vegetarian, but I have to say that I missed the taste of my British Breakfast tea, or any black tea for that matter. Sometimes I think it is a great exercise to go without the things you enjoy but perhaps take for granted. How much you miss something may speak volumes.

Well, we are still on the topic of lucid dreams, at least for our weekly poll. Hope you will participate. It seems like this could be a very in-depth topic that could involve hypnosis, not just in conjunction with, but as a trigger and more. But I must leave that for a moment.

Today’s agenda involves working with a client on removing malevolent feelings about the upcoming holidays. Apparently seeing stores becoming stocked with Christmas commercialism has once again cause her a pain that apparently will deepen as the time grows nearer to December. (I am in some agreement with her, I think September is too early to have decorations available, but I suspect this can become a positive concept).

Phobia work in hypnosis is very satisfying all the way around. Phobias are interesting, and a totally creative component within humanity. I meet lots of people with fairly common ones, spiders, snakes and creepy crawly things, oh my. But I met a lot of others as well.

So, as I type this, I am also compiling a list of notes and resources for this particular client. I suspect the session will boil down to regression and release, but we will see (interesting how many people do not want to under go regression and that speaks much as well). The one thing she has told me is that she feels a great pressure when it comes to buying gifts. She is not wealthy and does not believe in going into debt for the holidays (Amen!), but believes that her gifts should still be things that are wanted by others. She has gotten lost in lists and materialism. She works two jobs, so trying to make all her gifts is also stressful.

I have found a resource that could help with some of this. It involves embracing Black Friday. I know it seems far off, but I imagine Thanksgiving will coming roaring along here any minute. Now I am not suggesting getting up at the crack of dawn (not like some of us, it is not for everyone), slogging out into the world of craziness here in the States. Rather, my suggestion for Black Friday involves making a good pot of coffee, pouring a cup and logging onto Black-Friday.net. Starting now, one can go onto this site and see what various stores are offering as Black Friday Internet sales. If one can obtain others’ wish lists, than one can be fully prepared to get a few bargains, order gifts and sit back and enjoy the coffee.

And this is not one of those sites that only represents small, expensive companies, but includes many of the biggies such as Best Buy, Target, Amazon.com and so on. An example is the Best Buy deals page. They have lots of tech equipment and entertainment items for a variety of ages.

My Black Friday ideas are that much of one’s holiday shopping needs could be planned in advance (the site offers an email service to let you know when more merchants and ads are included) and shopped for in one day, thus getting this task accomplished so that there will be more time to enjoy life without the rush or pressure remaining.

A few hypno sessions on eliminating procrastination might be useful as well. LOL.

Wrapped in white
and here before you
wizened with words
or costumed as such
standing in the light
the persona grew
striking a mystic cord
and masking much
it is only as a sage
that I present this page.

In the realm of dreams and other fun things, I have decided not to embrace the nightmare. That is, I am embracing the world of sage wisdom and mysticism (with a little Roman Goddess mixed in) for All Saints Eve. Yes, that is what I am doing presently, working on the idea of an office gathering. And I say All Saints Eve because it is a time to remember those who have dearly departed from our lives, but as the legend has it, this is a time they come forth. I know, Ellie is venturing into the nebulous again, but I do have several clients who believe in the presence of those no longer on this plane. Many have seen psychics, mediums and invested in other avenues. I present none of these. But I was thinking about having a gathering for them based on a guided meditation of having a moment to say one last word (or a few) to their loved one.

Despite the deepness of the subject, I think the rest of the evening would be more toward merriment (what merriment you can have with healthy snacks and apple cider). I have thought about making it a costume event as well, hence the poem above.

That means I have to come up with an appropriate masquerade. So, with an artist friend’s help, we created a mock up for a Sage costume, using the Romanesque concept. I think this is my favorite costume yet (did you like my little poem about the costume?).

And because I have gone to all this trouble to create the concept, I entered it in brickfish.com’s Star Costumes contest. So…if you would not mind…please vote for me. And I open this idea up to you as well. You can enter this Halloween costume contest by clicking on this link. Let me know if you do, I will surely vote for you as well.

So, I know this is a little out of the norm, but it is what is going on with the transparent hypnotist. I hoped you enjoyed this little aside as much as I did working on it all.

Dreaming seems like a great topic to continue upon so today’s question is all about lucid dreaming.

If you are a lucid dreamer, what techniques do you use to assist yourself in doing such?

In other words, how do you do it? What works and does not work? What is the value in lucid dreaming?

If you read yesterday’s entry then you know this is not something I have experienced…so I am hoping those of you who have had any experience with it, will relate some knowledge here.

Well hello again friends. I have returned from a mythological journey that took me not so far from home, but to the farther reaches of the mind. It was more back roads, memories, silliness, and exploration.

As many of you know that when one is involved with hypnosis, there are many tangents conversations can take. From guided morning meditations for almost two weeks (and experiencing a few sunrises…still highly overrated), dreams became a popular subject, especially toward the lucid dream angle.

First, I probably should say that I am relatively sure I have never lucid dreamed. I have never felt the need to control my dreams because I feel it is the time elicited for the subconscious mind to process and dump what it is not needed from the conscious mind. But I am open to other interpretations. I suspect we have discussed this a bit before…or perhaps it was on a forum.

However, I have had many request to help guide people into lucid dreaming through hypnosis and have spent a little time learning about the process and theories. I suspect I will not truly “get it” until I experience it personally.

So, are you wondering what is esoteric about all this? Much.

Today’s esoteric moment is brought to you by the famed “Dream Machine.” According to David Kerekes, Author of Headpress 25: William Burroughs & the Flicker Machine:

A dream machine is “viewed” with the eyes closed: the pulsating light stimulates the optical nerve and alters the brain’s electrical oscillations. The “viewer” experiences increasingly bright, complex patterns of color behind their closed eyelids. The patterns become shapes and symbols, swirling around, until the “viewer” feels surrounded by colors. It is claimed that viewing a dream machine allows one to enter a hypnagogic state.

So, I found instructions on how to make an inexpensive version of this dream machine. Click here to view them.

Well, this seems to be more of a hypnotic machine than a dream machine. One of my travel companions had a suggestion to modify this machine to make lucid dreaming more certain. If the timer on the LCD flashing mechanism was set for a longer period - say for 45 minutes or so, and would only start flashing at that time, you could use hypnotic suggestion for lucid dreaming.

If you had a client put on the sunglasses and did a hypnotic induction for sleep and that when the lights began flashing it would be a signal that they could now control their dream, it could be powerful.

Just a cool new toy to play with…

And so today has arrived and I am waiting for the water to boil for a quick cup of tea before shoving off.

There are so many things I would love to discuss and they come flooding through, but yet I am not sure this is the time to bring them up, what with not necessarily being able to engage in the conversation directly. But I will bring up one and hope some of you will respond.

Breathing. For something that is totally subconscious, it really is an odd thing. I remember taking a theatre class in high school and having the instructor teach us proper breathing. He started by having us lie down on the stage. He said when people are lying down, they breath naturally. Then he had us stand up and breath normally. If we heaved our shoulders up, we were not breathing properly. The he went through the diaphragmatic breathing process.

Well after years of singing in the choir, yoga, meditation and hypnosis, the diaphragmatic way has proven to be a running theme. So this gets to the crux of the matter. When I start a session, I usually have the client take a deep slow breathe and exhale slowly. Then at certain points I may have them try to keep their breathes equal for inhaling and exhaling . Slow and steady. This is also practiced in some forms of Yoga. And as I guide a client to do this, I watch them to calibrate my wording with their actions.

Now during group sessions (even if it is only two), I change the wording to “breath at your own rate, time and speed.”

Recently, I had a respiratory therapist say that these deep breathing and relaxing breathing exercises cause people to hyperventilate. She said that inhales are done fast and rapidly and that the ratio of time is for the length of time of an inhale, it should take twice as long or more for the exhale. Fascinating.

So, I was curious if anyone else had any experience with breathing techniques or had words of wisdom along this line?