Practical self-hypnosis (translated)

By Anna Ruggieri

- This edition is unique;
- The translation is completely original and was carried out for the Ale. Mar. SAS;
- All rights reserved.

From the earliest times of human evolution, Man has distinguished himself from all other forms of life by his insistent determination to adapt environmental conditions to his own ends.
From then until now, Man has evolved, and his main concern has always been to accumulate and control material power superior to his own. The importance of the mind and its functioning has seldom been addressed, and only its pathological aspects. Even the mentally and physically healthy individual is much more concerned with his physical state than with his mental state and all his emotions, periodically performs healthy gymnastic exercises, buys vitamins and invigorating foods and is much more concerned with the wrinkles on his face than with his mental state. The capacity of the human body in its muscular forces is well known and has long been applied to efficient and disciplined functions; but not so with the mental capacity. This book describes the general theory and techniques for learning or teaching the art of relaxing, concentrating and disciplining the mental faculties. In its simplicity, this is what self-hypnosis aims to achieve. The method described in the text involves the use of symbols necessary to achieve the hypnotic state, and symbols further used to reinforce suggestions made for therapeutic purposes. The symbols chosen are congenial to the patient so that each time the symbol is perceived, the related suggestion will be reinforced and the effect will be further enhanced until the intended goal is achieved. It is well known that we respond to symbols of all kinds in the course of every daily activity. In the present technique for self-hypnosis the use of symbols is made more effective by the use of the well-known psychological principles of conditioning and reinforcement. However, in the hypnotic state, with complete relaxation and full concentration on the part of the subject, conditioning and reinforcement are so effective that they sometimes seem almost miraculous. This book is therefore a useful and practical guide for anyone who believes in the possibilities of improving many of the functions of the mind with a well-organised use of the technique itself. Often, more sophisticated hypnotic techniques are employed, but the patient who has a good knowledge of self-hypnosis and can use it is happier, calmer and more reassured because he has learned that aberration in emotions and attitudes can aggravate his illness and that anxiety is always harmful; and he has also learned that he can exercise control over these phenomena by using self-hypnotic techniques intelligently and under competent guidance. However, intelligent use of self-hypnosis offers many advantages to the individual for whom an increase in the efficiency of concentration, relaxation, self-control and learning ability is essential.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Ruggieri
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9788892864610

Book preview

Introduction

From the earliest times of human evolution, Man has distinguished himself from all other forms of life by his insistent determination to adapt environmental conditions to his own ends. From then until now, Man has evolved, and his main concern has always been to accumulate and control material power superior to his own. The digging spade gave way to the stone axe and this to the bronze-tipped spear and the wheel. The Phoenicians captured the wind for their blue-hulled vessels and rowed the seas from the Arctic to the Equator.

Man's historical progress has been narrated primarily in terms of his increasing control over the physical aspects of life and the environment. The sciences grew out of his constant efforts to achieve these ends. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians organised control over material force through mathematics, physics and astronomy.

Working in a natural world it was inevitable that medicine would take on its own structure, an important and separate subject of study. Throughout the classroom of medicine we can only see the accurate examination of physical conditions. Cruel operations were skilfully performed, and the oldest writings of man contain many sound indications and advice regarding the best procedures for performing amputations, incisions and even stone removal.

The importance of the mind and its functioning was seldom addressed, and only the pathological aspects of the mind.

In ancient times, the mentally ill were hung in chains, thrown into the snake pit or subjected to horrific torture. We have certainly learned more about the structure and functioning of the human mind in the last 50 years than in all previous times. There are still vast gaps in this area of our knowledge. Our overcrowded hospitals for mental illness offer a tragic testimony to our limited knowledge of the subject.

Even the mentally and physically healthy individual is much more concerned with his physical state than with his mental state and all his emotions. He periodically performs healthy gymnastic exercises, worries about his golf score, buys vitamins and invigorating foods, inspects his tongue daily and is much more concerned about the wrinkles on his face than about his mental state. The capacity of the human body in its muscular forces is well known and has long been applied to efficient and disciplined functions; not so for mental capacity.

Mr Sparks has described in this volume the general theory and techniques for learning or teaching the art of relaxing, concentrating and disciplining the mental faculties. In its simplicity this is what self-hypnosis aims to achieve. The method described in the text involves the use of symbols necessary to achieve the hypnotic state, and symbols further used to reinforce suggestions made for therapeutic purposes. The symbols chosen are congenial to the patient so that each time the symbol is perceived, the related suggestion will be strengthened and the effect will be further enhanced until the goal is achieved.

It is well known that we respond to symbols of all kinds in the course of every daily activity. In this technique for self-hypnosis, the use of symbols is made more effective by the application of the well-known psychological principles of conditioning and reinforcement. However, in the hypnotic state, with complete relaxation and full concentration on the part of the subject, conditioning and reinforcement are so effective that they sometimes seem almost miraculous. This book is therefore a useful and practical guide for anyone who believes in the possibilities of improving many functions of the mind with a well-organised and disciplined use of the technique itself. We all know that there are individuals who are able to wake up at the desired time and who are able to study with the radio blaring and the children cackling. These are all unrecognised examples of what self-hypnotic techniques can achieve in a completely disorganised and confused situation. Self-hypnosis therefore essentially involves a series of mind-setting exercises. I wish there was another word for it instead of 'hypnosis'; the term has a semantic charge that gives it another meaning and, to many of us, brings to mind a lot of the theatrical nonsense that characterised its inception. Over the past four years, I have applied the techniques described here to carefully selected patients for my allergy and dermatology treatments. I have carried out my experiments under the guidance of Dr Sparks and the results have forced me to discard my initial scepticism about hypnosis as an ethical medical technique. One of our first patients was a 48-year-old man suffering from acute dermatitis affecting eighty percent of his epidermis.

He had been referred to me for a consultation by a specialist in Southern California who had treated him for eight years without benefit. I treated him for two years with traditional methods, but the patient continued to deteriorate to the point where he had to quit his job. I had given him steroids, antihistamines, tranquilisers and all the latest drugs. Under hypnosis a lot of material emerged which we used to reduce his anxiety states and with self-hypnosis I managed to control and master the itching and strengthen his acceptance of new values and a new role for himself. After six weeks the skin was completely healed and he has been working for two and a half years now without taking any medication. Using self-hypnosis, a pretty school teacher eliminated a disfiguring facial grimace. This tic-like habit had appeared when she was twelve years old and had affected the development of her personality to such an extent that she became shy and grumpy. In the self-induced hypnotic state she had to look at herself several times and she wasted time talking and laughing without the unpleasant grimace.

He steretised himself using words that, in a waking state, triggered the manifestation of the tic, and after four months all traces of the grimace had disappeared. More than two and a half years have passed without any relapse.

Illustrative cases such as these are not uncommon, but they are a typical demonstration of what a patient can achieve under the guidance of a doctor who is willing to cooperate with him. Often, more sophisticated hypnotic techniques are employed, but the patient who has a good knowledge of self-hypnosis and can use it is happier, calmer and more reassured because he has learned that aberration in emotions and attitudes can aggravate his illness and that anxiety is always harmful; and he has also learned that he can exercise control over these phenomena by using self-hypnotic techniques intelligently and under competent guidance.

All those who know hypnosis and self-hypnosis in depth recognise these phenomena as natural and productive, but only valid within certain limits in the vast field of medicine and psychology. Hypnosis is not a cure-all. Although it is effective for anaesthesia and obstetrics in about 20% of cases, in another 20% it gives practically no benefit. In about 60% of cases, the results may vary from a slight increase in the ability to relax to a partial development of anaesthesia. Patients with unstable balance, burdened by anxiety, should certainly be kept under medical supervision. No one should authorise experiments in this field without due knowledge, seriousness of purpose and an overall view of the problem.

However, intelligent use of self-hypnosis offers many advantages to the individual, for whom an increase in efficiency of concentration, relaxation, self-control and learning ability is essential.

The overworked doctor, worried about his ulcer or atheromatous coronary arteries, would do well to learn this technique for his own use; ten minutes a day is the equivalent of at least four hours of restful sleep and ten more years of productive life.

Preface

There are many advantages to studying self-hypnosis.

Below is a list in two groups of typical conditions for which the method can be applied with a favourable result.

The reader who intends to use self-hypnosis for therapeutic purposes is strongly advised to consult a physician or psychiatrist to determine whether or not the constitutional patterns, symptoms and conditions he or she wishes to modify require a precise diagnosis and further treatment. In such a case, self-hypnosis may still prove to be a valuable adjunct if applied according to the doctor's instructions.

The first group includes relatively minor problems that often find rapid relief with self-hypnosis. The second group includes manifestations of more serious conditions whose general treatment will require medical guidance.

The techniques we describe may in this case facilitate other prescribed treatments.

First group

Improvement of intellectual skills, including: (1) Concentration, (2) mnemonic fixation, (3) reenactment, (4) creative imagination, (5) constructive thinking and (6) graphic and artistic expression.

Affirmation of positive personality characteristics, (1) self-confidence, (2) assertiveness, (3) motivation, (4) determination and achievement of one's goals.

Correction of harmful behaviour patterns, including: (1) sucessful smoking, drinking and eating, (2) procrastination, (3) restlessness and inability to relax, (4) insomnia and (5) mild forms of compulsions and obsessions.

Alleviation of mild states of anxiety due to: (1) inferiority complexes, (2) stage shyness and panic, and (3) environmental tensions arising from difficult professional, marital or other situations.

Second group

Pain relief or elimination for: (1) dental treatment, (2) surgical, obstetric and orthopaedic interventions, and (3) relief of intractable symptoms.

Control of various conditions such as: (1) anxiety, tension and fatigue, (2) obesity, (3) alcoholism, (4) obsessive and compulsive reactions, (5) enuresis, (6) onychophagia, (7) phobic reactions, (8) psychosomatic symptoms, and (9) abnormal behaviour patterns.

This list is considerably shortened. It is intended to give the reader some insight into the different types of conditions that can reasonably be influenced. As mentioned above, the desirability of professional assistance before the use of these techniques cannot be stressed enough, for reasons even remotely related to the conditions listed in the second group.

There is a possibility of alleviating or completely eliminating symptoms even if the underlying causes remain. This can lead to serious consequences as it may conceal a treatable disorder that could develop into a more serious disease caused by delaying appropriate medical treatment.

Contrary to the opinions expressed by some practitioners, the author firmly believes that it would be difficult to find a more harmless method than hypnotism. The published material on the so-called dangers of hypnotism and the warnings about its use are certainly not borne out by the facts.

Since the beginning of the 17th century, men such as Braid, Esdaile, Mesmer, Elliotson, Bernheim, Bramwell and, more recently, LeCron, Erikson, Wolberg, Weitzenhoffer and many, many others, have reported on literally thousands of cases in which hypnosis and self-hypnosis were used without a single accident or harmful result.

It would seem, therefore, that unfavourable results were rare and were due not to hypnosis, but to the physician's lack of understanding of how to constructively apply his techniques for therapeutic purposes. The person who enters the hypnotic state tends to behave according to the idea that he has of the behaviour of a hypnotised subject. Appropriate guidance and mental set-up before and during trance will arrest the spontaneous and bizarre behaviour noted by those hypnotists who do not take the trouble to instruct and inform their patients intelligently.

The facts clearly indicate that no harm can befall the hypnotised person even if the suggestion that it might happen is formulated. This is because the individual has innate safety mechanisms that serve to protect him or her against poorly formulated direct or indirect suggestions and against the wrong use of hypnotic methods.

Some of the previous remarks concerning the advice to proceed with caution while minimising any possible danger may seem contradictory. The explanation is simple; when dealing with matters so intimately connected with human emotions and conditions, it is better to consider every eventuality and take all necessary precautions.

Although it is possible for an individual to practice self-hypnosis without assistance, it is much easier to do so with the help of another person. Ideally, this person should be specialised in hypnotic techniques and qualified in the field in which the techniques are to be applied.

It is essential to devote some time daily to practice until certain responses are adequately stabilised as described in the text. This time may vary from 15 minutes to half an hour a day for 8-16 weeks or more depending on factors such as individual problems, motivation and ability.

Virtually any person who can read, understand and follow the text can expect some positive results such as an improved ability to relax at will. About 20 or 30 per cent can reasonably expect to achieve exceptionally good results. The others can expect benefits of varying degrees. Some react very quickly and easily. Others require considerable time and effort.

Unfortunately, there are no known ways to predict the results on a particular individual. Only by trying can the results be evaluated. For many, however, achieving the ability to relax is worth the effort in itself. Any further progress should be considered as more. If and when you decide to start, you should make appointments with a specialist for at least one hour, once or twice a week, in addition to the 15-30 minute exercises every day or evening. If you are able to go it alone, daily exercises will be sufficient.

During the time you are being assisted, a copy of this book will be of great help to the other person.

For years these techniques have been used with a high success rate in the induction of hypnosis and the development of self-hypnosis, by doctors themselves. The latter, including psychiatrists and those in other professions, are notoriously poor hypnotists. This concept of developing hypnotic abilities through a series of conditioned responses evidently overcomes much of their resistance and attracts them not only as an effective and practical method that can be used in the treatment of their patients, but also as a means of increasing their own abilities.

The author sincerely hopes that this book will contribute to a better understanding of hypnosis and the possible benefits of its judicious use by doctors and laymen alike.

Although it is certainly not the panacea that many try to make it out to be, neither should hypnosis be understood as a mystical, supernatural or occult phenomenon and it should not be absurdly feared, especially when practised by people who have an ethical experience of its application. It can be valuable for many purposes. Let us try not to exaggerate these salutations and exaggerate, beyond fair proportion, the meagre conclusions about more or less beneficial results.

CHAPTER I - Some principles on conditioning

At the beginning of the century, the Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov, became known for his experiments on the digestive functions of dogs. One of his incidental discoveries, destined to assume even greater importance later on, was based on the observation that dogs can be trained, or conditioned, to salivate at the sound of a bell. The value of this discovery, in relation to behaviour, lies in the fact that it was subsequently demonstrated that humans can be conditioned to respond to a stimulus in a way that differs from that commonly produced by the application of that particular type of stimulus. To be clearer, we will say that it is not unusual to predict the reaction in a dog subjected to the sight or smell of food, especially if the animal is hungry and the food is not far away from him.

However, the occurrence of this phenomenon, without the presence of food, but at the mere ringing of a bell is a rather unexpected fact unless, of course, the observer is dedicated to the study of the processes of conditioned responses. This, and many other types of behaviour, can be produced by repeatedly subjecting an animal (including man) to a stimulus that elicits the desired response, while, almost simultaneously, exposing it to the new stimulus by which the same response is to be elicited. This new stimulus will be analogous to the sound of the bell mentioned above and not such as to habitually provoke the response that one is trying to condition.

Anyone wishing to implement self-hypnosis through these techniques must have an absolute mastery of these principles, a mastery that is essential not only for the development of the technique itself, but also for the intelligent use of the instructions contained in the following chapters.

Therefore, we will describe several other examples of conditioned responses in animals, and illustrate the importance of applying these principles in relation to human behaviour.

Let us first consider the effects that different types of conditioning will have on an ordinary domestic cat - a cat that is sociable, healthy, and overall quite satisfied with its life.

Let us now suppose that our cat is placed in a large cage with plenty of room to move around and is fed daily from a box in a particular corner of the cage. If it is fed every day at about the same time, you will soon notice that the cat becomes more interested in that particular corner, every day at that time. He will tend to move towards that corner and stand there with an air of expectation. It will also approach the box unhurriedly if the amount of food is adequate, or hastily if it is scarce.

Now, if the amount of food is intentionally kept below a satisfactory level, and if a bell is rung a few moments before mealtime each day, the cat will invariably rush to the corner. The conditioning process begins to work. Soon the cat will respond to the ringing of the bell at any time of the day or night, whether the food is there or not.

The response that leads the cat to the corner at the sound of the bell can be better conditioned by the application of a painful stimulus. Imagine that there is a metal grid at the bottom of the cage with a light electric current running through it. If every day, immediately after the bell rings, an electric shock is administered for as long as it takes the cat to reach the corner, the animal's response will soon take on a character of great urgency. After a limited number of experiments with this conditioning technique, the cat will have serious reasons to literally fly to the corner every time it hears the bell ring... even when the sound is not followed by an electric shock. At this point the cat will react to the sound of the bell alone with reactions that would be much more appropriate to the application of the shock. (These may seem a little excessive measures to use against a poor, defenceless animal that was once so sociable, but these are the kind of experiments that have greatly increased our understanding of human behaviour, and are therefore perhaps excusable).

Such conditioning can be taken to far more extreme consequences for the poor cat, causing it to become neurotic or even, to all appearances, psychotic.

Let us suppose that the cat, after having been perfectly conditioned to answer the bell by rushing to the corner, is equally well conditioned to answer the sound of a different bell by rushing just as hastily to the opposite corner. What will happen if the first and second bells ring simultaneously? The cat will have to make a difficult choice: it will be torn between two urgent responses. If the conditioning is continued by applying electric shocks to all areas of the cage at the same time as both bells are rung, thus depriving the cat of any chance of avoiding the unpleasant stimulus, it will soon become nervous and later neurotic.

Increasing the intensity and frequency of the conditioning stimuli can cause the cat to behave like a rabid animal. It will lose all interest in food and will meow and shake at the simultaneous ringing of the bell, ceasing to act in the manner expected of a normal cat.

This adverse condition can be made permanent intentionally and for a specific purpose. What was previously an evil, docile, sociable anis will now be a psychotic bundle of nerves and flesh. Its weight will drop because it will refuse food; it will tremble and arch its back at the slightest provocation and will not respond at all rationally to attempts to approach it or feed it.

Unless steps are taken to desensitise or decondition the animal, there is little chance of recovery. It will continue to react in the abnormal manner described to any stimulus even remotely associated with the environment in which the conditioning occurred. If, however, it is placed in another environment, as different as possible from the one in which the conditioning took place, there is a good chance of recovery. If we can get the cat to eat again and if stimuli such as electric shocks and bells are carefully avoided, the cat may show an increased interest in food and, in time, calm down.

When the cat has resumed normal feeding habits, it can be gradually deprived of food so that the desire for it becomes so strong that it dominates all other responses. At this point the faint ringing of a bell at mealtimes will only cause a slight anxiety that tends to diminish rapidly, and even by gradually increasing the volume of the sound at each meal the anxiety responses can be eliminated altogether. Adopting the same procedure for the ringing of the second bell will remove the anxiety connected with it.

Now that we have seen how the process of conditioning is applied, causing both negative and positive responses in animals, we can proceed to examine what reaction similar processes can have with human behaviour.

Let us suppose that, for experimental reasons, we wish to condition a person to blink the eyelid of his left eye whenever he hears the word 'red'. It has been found that in human beings, unlike animals, an idea or mental symbol has, at least within certain limits, the same effectiveness as a sensory stimulus. In other words, an idea tends to generate the reality of what it represents. What we are trying to determine is whether or not this idea or symbol can provoke a predictable response.

We should first find a way to make our subject blink by applying a controlled stimulus that does not harm him in any way. This could be a puff of air emitted in the direction of the open eye through a tube, such as a common straw. The air stream will be considered the unconditioned stimulus (S I) as it is expected to produce the desired response. After determining the amount or intensity of air needed to force the subject to blink each time, we can say the word red (the conditioning stimulus or S C) and have it followed immediately by the breath of air. It has been found that conditioning is most effective when the conditioning stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus by a short interval. After several trials, it is observed that the word red, even if not followed by the puff of air, will cause the person to blink. Eight or ten trials are usually sufficient; if not, another ten or so will certainly obtain the desired result.

Conditioning performed in this way will not be permanent. It will be necessary to reinforce it periodically or to devise a way of generalising it with something to which the subject is frequently exposed. So far we have conditioned the response to a sensory stimulus, the sound of the word red. We can complete the experiment by asking the subject to think of the word red on each trial immediately before the breath of air into the eye. He will soon respond correctly to the idea itself. Instead of the word red we can use the idea of a food, or an action such as picking up a spoon. The more intense and the more frequent the application of the unconditioned stimulus, the more firmly the response to the conditioned stimulus will be established.

Conditioning to further stimuli in addition to the original ones is called generalisation. This can sometimes occur unexpectedly. If one of these stimuli is something the person does, thinks or is frequently exposed to, the response will automatically be reinforced and made relatively stable.

On the other hand, if the conditioning stimulus is applied frequently without the unconditioned stimulus, the response may decrease and, in time, disappear.

In this way an individual may be conditioned (or self-conditioned) to respond to a mental image or symbol with the desired thoughts, feelings, or actions. Furthermore, desirable responses thus conditioned may dominate or replace undesirable responses previously provoked by the same or similar stimuli.

In everyday life, individuals are exposed to conditioning stimuli. From birth, and from then on, those stimuli, closely linked to the inevitable unconditioning stimuli, constantly condition, generalise and extinguish their responses, both negative and positive. In some individuals many responses are only slightly conditioned and are readily extinguished. In many others, of course, they are intensely conditioned and, unless there is an equally intense exposure to negative stimuli, conditioning will always exist as part of the personality.

Between these two extremes there is an infinite number of responses and patterns of responses subject to infinite degrees of modification and reinforcement. Fortunately, most of them are positive or desirable, that is, they are important factors in survival, learning and enjoyment.

The negative ones are important indicators of emotional trauma, such as adjustment anxiety, tension and fatigue.

Many scholars believe that every human sensation or expression involves conditioning. This is probably true.

Let us now take a hypothetical human being and see how, over a period of time, the principles of conditioned responses can be applied to a variety of situations and patterns of behaviour.

Our subject could be a three or four year old girl living with her parents in a typical American town.

Let us now consider what often happens when she learns to read and speak. Perhaps the child has a book with pictures of animals and their names written in large letters, and she is, for example, repeatedly shown the picture of a cow while simultaneously pronouncing the word cow. Whenever a suitable opportunity arises she is shown a real cow and again the word is repeated many times. After a sufficient number of such explanations, the child will respond to the sound of the word with a mental image of the printed word, the figure of the cow or the real animal. She will achieve generalised conditioning, so that she will respond to any one of these stimuli with mental images of each or all of the others. It will be a continuous process of reinforcement and the child will eventually learn through conditioning responses the relationship of words (symbols), whether printed or spoken, to figures and objects.

Learning is therefore a process of conditioned responses.

Many psychologists believe that there are three methods by which we learn: mechanical repetition or memory; learning by trial and error; and conditioned response.

It is beyond the scope of this work to discuss each of these methods in detail. It is worth pointing out, however, that each involves stimuli and responses, and that mechanical repetition and trial-and-error learning can probably also be explained by response-conditioned learning. It may be, as the author and many other scholars believe, that all learning results from response conditioning. In all likelihood it can be said that learning has occurred when a stimulus-response sequence becomes interchangeable.

When the child learned the word cow, every symbol connected with the concept of cow became interchangeable as a stimulus and/or response. The sight of a real cow acts as a stimulus to provoke in response the visualisation of the printed word. In this case, a sensory image is the stimulus and mental visualisation, the response. It is evident that a sensory image of the printed word (or even a mental image) will now evoke the visualisation of the cow.

We thus have a characteristic of interchangeability between stimulus and response.

In learning the full concept of cow this must be extended to include the sound of the word and the figure of a cow which the child can describe by word, writing, drawing or pointing to the animal. Before this degree of learning has been reached, the stimulus value of the written word is practically nil: it belongs to the same category as a meaningless syllable and only takes on meaning for the child when it is conditioned, first as a stimulus, then as a response and finally as an interchangeable stimulus-response.

Generalisation begins when symbols not contained in the original concept are associated with it. For example, when the word milk is associated with any of the symbols in the cow concept, it will not only serve to reinforce each of these symbols, but will also become firmly embedded in another constellation of symbols such as those associated with bottle, white, food, etc.

We have here a reasonable basis for considering conditioning as the process that forms the substrate of learning and mnemonic fixation. The reader will become more aware of the function of stimulus-response interchangeability by performing the following exercises himself: analyse what happens in your mind, lip muscles and vocal cords while reading the following description: An... animal... white... hairy... with... pink... eyes... and... long... ears.

Has an image of a specific animal formed in your mind? And have you mentally said its name? Observe now what happens when you read the name of this animal.... RABBIT. Perhaps you have said the name within yourself and observed that in doing so your lips move imperceptibly, you have also noticed a difference in the tonicity of your vocal cords.

Do the same with various words such as 'tree', 'car', 'house' etc.