Monday, June 18, 2007

Deepening

Part of today's work will involve working on the creation of a deepener that does not involve numbers what so ever. I guess I have fallen into the rut of using countdowns (stairways, elevators, steps forward) when deepening. So this is a challenge for me. I have a particular client who sees me monthly for relaxation. He is visual in the sense that he has a photographic memory. However, visualizing descriptions I give him is not his strong point (he's more toward the end of analytic). He was doing well with countdowns and eye fixation, but now he tells me he has tired of all that. He works with numbers all day in his job and says that now when I utilize numbers at all, it just makes him think about his work.

Any thoughts out there on other deepeners?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marcia Proctor taught me a splendid deepener that uses colors rather than numbers. The basic rhythm goes like this:

"Imagine yourself now in a department store, checking out living room furniture. On this floor is a very comfortable light tan sofa. Let yourself sink into that sofa now; feel how soft it is, perhaps even hear that quiet sighing sound from the cushions as you settle into it. It's so comfortable you can easily imagine yourself sinking in, relaxing more."

Then you have the client imagine getting up and moving to another sofa of a darker, more relaxing color -- perhaps, if you like, including an escalator ride down to another floor to find it. Work your way from light colors to a nice, deep, rich brown or gold (or the client's favorite color) in as many or as few steps as your client seems to need.

The overlapping meanings of "deep" for colors and for the hypnotic state plays into this, as does the natural relaxation response of lying back on a nice, comfy sofa. Using a progression of color rather than a random selection of rainbow colors seems to also imply the idea of going deeper. Just don't let your client fall asleep on you. ;^)

-Michael Raugh, C.H.

The Transparent Hypnotist said...

Very nice! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

A spectrum/rainbow is a good way to move someone down into deeper levels of trance as well... starting at red and slowly fading into a warm, soothing orange, the warmth helpoing you to relax further as it warms to yellow, deepening your relaxation...

into green... the green calmness of the forest that fades into darker blue as night starts to descend, taking you into deeper and more profound relaxation... into violet, comforting, relaxing, deepening into indigo's comfort, so relaxed...

Lee Darrow, C.H.

The Transparent Hypnotist said...

I see! I was thinking of a rainbow like Michael was, random colors. But this way makes a lot of sense with the color progression. I like this as well. Thank you!