A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis
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About this ebook
Melvin Powers
Melvin Powers (1922-2013) was an American author and book publisher, best known for his line of self-help and inspirational books. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his own mail-order business at age 16, selling books on the subject of chess and gradually added new titles and new subjects. He purchased books from publishers at wholesale and sold them for retail, adding to each order a flyer advertising the other titles he had currently available. With the success of his first venture into publishing in 1949—his own book, Hypnotism Revealed—Powers started Wilshire Book Company in Los Angeles, California. His first big publishing success came in the early 1960s when he purchased the paperback rights to Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and published it in a trade paperback format—a larger size than the mass market paperbacks that fit into racks in supermarkets and drugstores. An even bigger success was his publication of the paperback edition of Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, which became a multi-million bestseller. His book How to Get Rich in Mail Order, published in 1980, was an all-time bestseller on the subject and is considered the bible of the mail-order industry. He has taught seminars on mail-order techniques at community colleges throughout the Los Angeles area. When songwriter Tommy Boyce, best known for writing songs for The Monkees, entered his office with a manuscript called “How to Write a Hit Song and Sell It,” Powers decided to try his hand at songwriting. With personal coaching from Boyce, and classes in composition and lyrics at UCLA, Powers co-wrote some songs with Boyce that made it onto the country and western charts. He passed away in 2013.
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A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis - Melvin Powers
Melvin Powers
A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis
Sharp Ink Publishing
2022
Contact: info@sharpinkbooks.com
ISBN 978-80-282-0427-3
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
Chapter 1
What You Should Know About Self-Hypnosis
Chapter 2
What About the Dangers of Hypnosis?
Chapter 3
Is Hypnosis the Answer?
Chapter 4
How Does Self-Hypnosis Work?
Chapter 5
How to Arouse Yourself from the Self-Hypnotic State
Chapter 6
How to Attain Self-Hypnosis
Chapter 7
Deepening the Self-Hypnotic State
Chapter 8
What You Should Know About Becoming An Excellent Subject
Chapter 9
Techniques for Reaching the Somnambulistic State
Chapter 10
A New Approach to Self-Hypnosis When All Else Fails
Chapter 11
Psychological Aids and Their Function
Chapter 12
The Nature of Hypnosis
Chapter 13
Practical Applications of Self-Hypnosis
THE POWERS HYPNOTIC EYES
HYPNOTIC CRYSTAL BALL & CHAIN
THE HAND HYPNODISC
POWERS HYPNOTIC CRYSTAL BALL
THE POWERS HYPNODISC
CASSETTE TAPES
ONE HOUR HYPNOTIC RAIN TAPE (3-3/ 4 IPS)
HALF-HOUR HYPNOTIC RAIN RECORD (33-1/ 3 RPM)
A PERSONAL WORD FROM MELVIN POWERS PUBLISHER, WILSHIRE BOOK COMPANY
MELVIN POWERS SELF-IMPROVEMENT LIBRARY
ASTROLOGY
BRIDGE
BUSINESS, STUDY & REFERENCE
CALLIGRAPHY
CHESS & CHECKERS
COOKERY & HERBS
GAMBLING & POKER
HEALTH
HOBBIES
HORSE PLAYERS' WINNING GUIDES
HUMOR
HYPNOTISM
JUDAICA
JUST FOR WOMEN
MARRIAGE, SEX & PARENTHOOD
METAPHYSICS & OCCULT
SELF-HELP & INSPIRATIONAL
SPORTS
TENNIS LOVERS' LIBRARY
WILSHIRE PET LIBRARY
WILSHIRE HORSE LOVERS' LIBRARY
FOREWORD
Table of Contents
All of us like to think that our actions and reactions are a result of logical thought processes, but the fact is that suggestion influences our thinking a great deal more than logic. Consciously or unconsciously, our feelings about almost everything are largely molded by ready-made opinions and attitudes fostered by our mass methods of communication. We cannot buy a bar of soap or a filtered cigarette without paying tribute to the impact of suggestion. Right or wrong, most of us place more confidence in what they
say than we do in our own powers of reason. This is the basic reason why psychiatrists are in short supply. We distrust our own mental processes and want an expert to tell us what to think and feel.
Despite this tendency to adopt our attitudes from others, man has always been dimly aware that he can influence his own destiny by directing his thoughts and actions into constructive channels. He has always, to some extent, known that his mind exerts a powerful influence on his body, and that thoughts can have harmful or helpful effects on his emotional and physical health. The ancient Egyptian sleep temples and the attempts by early physicians to drive evil spirits out of the body were both attempts to influence the body through the mind.
The unprecedented sale of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and other inspirational literature proves that millions of modern people recognize the efficacy of constructive thoughts. What most of them do not recognize is that they are capable of implanting these beneficial thoughts in their own minds without reference to any outside agencies. This can be done through self-hypnosis.
In modern society we have many cults, religions and methodologies which have mental discipline as their goal. The best example of a methodology is psychosomatic medicine which deals with the interrelationship of the mind and body in the production of mental or physical illness. The rapid growth of hypnosis in the last few years is another example, and it is gratifying to see that the emphasis in this field is now shifting from hetero-hypnosis to self-hypnosis.
Self-hypnosis is a highly suggestible state wherein the individual can direct suggestions to himself. It is a powerful tool in any therapeutic process, and highly motivated subjects can parallel the success of hetero-hypnosis through their own efforts. Self-hypnosis can be used as a palliative agent and can even afford lasting results in many areas of the organism. Self-hypnosis can alleviate distressing symptoms, substitute strong responses for weak responses, help overcome bad habits, create good habits and help one's power of concentration. The total personality is eventually changed to the point where it can function adequately in an increasingly difficult environment.
In learning self-hypnosis, the subject does not relinquish control of himself as is commonly believed. Actually, more control is gained. Self-sufficiency and self-confidence are inevitable results. It is well to remember, however, that even good things may be overdone, and good judgment is necessary for favorable results. Neither hypnosis nor self-hypnosis should ever be used indiscriminately. The effectiveness of self-hypnosis depends upon many factors. Strong motivation, intelligent application of suggestions and diligence are prerequisites.
We are not suggesting that self-hypnosis can take the place of all forms of psychotherapy. We do recommend it as an adjunct to therapy when indicated. Used judiciously, it can contribute a great deal to the individual's physical and emotional well-being and happiness.
As a professional hypnotist for many years, I have seen astounding and apparently miraculous results by individuals using self-hypnosis. Many of these cases seem unbelievable to those not familiar with hypnotic phenomena. It should be remembered, though, that many individuals seek hypnosis only when all other forms of therapy have failed. This is so common that hypnosis has come to be known as a port of last call. Yet, despite the seeming hopelessness of such cases, medical literature lists thousands of remarkable recoveries.
There is nothing hit or miss about hypnosis. Used intelligently, the results are the same for all those who are properly motivated. Nor are the results singular to modern hypnotists alone. In reviewing the literature going back more than 100 years, the same gratifying results were obtained. The reader would do well to scan some out-of-print books on hypnosis at the library to understand the point further.
This book is written in terms that are comprehensible to the layman. The step-by-step instructions should afford the reader a means of acquiring self-hypnosis. The necessary material is here. The reader need only follow the instructions as they are given.
The author wishes to thank Robert S. Starrett, member of the American Medical Writers' Association, for his valuable help in the editorial preparation of this book.
It is the author's hope that you will, through the selective use of self-hypnosis, arrive at a more rewarding, well-adjusted and fuller life.
Melvin Powers
12015 Sherman Road
No. Hollywood, California 91605
Chapter 1
Table of Contents
What You Should Know About Self-Hypnosis
Table of Contents
Hypnosis has been defined as a state of heightened suggestibility in which the subject is able to uncritically accept ideas for self-improvement and act on them appropriately. When a hypnotist hypnotizes his subject, it is known as hetero-hypnosis. When an individual puts himself into a state of hypnosis, it is known as self-hypnosis. In both cases, the subject has achieved a heightened state of suggestibility. Even in hetero-hypnosis, the subject really controls the response to suggestions. Actually, all hypnosis is really a matter of self-hypnosis. The subject enters into the hypnotic state when he is completely ready to do so. This may require from one to many attempts before it is achieved. Even if the subject insists that he wants to be hypnotized immediately, he may be resisting hypnosis unconsciously.
In self-hypnosis the same thing usually takes place. The subject is anxious to achieve self-hypnosis, but somehow the state eludes him. What's wrong? It may be that he is unconsciously resisting it, hasn't conditioned himself sufficiently, or has achieved the hypnotic state and doesn't know he is in the state. This last statement may be surprising, but we will examine it in detail a little later on.
Most experts agree that about 90 percent of the population can be hypnotized. My own feeling is that probably 99 percent can be hypnotized. Who among us is not influenced by suggestion? Aren't we all, as we have seen, influenced by the suggestions of advertising? Don't we all have a tendency to believe what we read in the paper, hear on the radio or see on television? Aren't we all convinced that a name-brand article is better than one that is not so well-known?
Suggestion plays a tremendously important role in our daily lives. It begins from naming the baby with an appropriate name to securing a suitable place for interment. I would like to call the reader's attention to a fascinating book dealing with the unconscious reasons why we do many of the things that we do. You will be intrigued with every page of the book. It is called The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard.
My contention is that we are all suggestible and, therefore, being hypnotized or hypnotizing ourselves is just a matter of increasing the suggestibility that we already possess. Doesn't the hypnotist begin by suggesting relaxation? Doesn't he usually begin by requesting the subject to fix his attention on a particular object? Next, he suggests to the subject that his eyes are becoming heavy and tired. As soon as the subject closes his eyes, he suggests that he will be in a deep hypnotic state. I am sure that you are familiar with this procedure. With each step, the hypnotist is guiding the subject along directed lines to get him to accept further suggestions without question or doubt. When the subject achieves the ultimate state in this procedure, he has been hypnotized. He then accepts suggestions without equivocation.
Let us continue with this same thought. Suppose I say to you, I'm going to stick you with this pin. It won't hurt.
Would you let me stick you with the pin? Obviously not. Let us suppose that you have been hypnotized and I repeat the same suggestion. What happens then? You readily accept the suggestion as being factual. Should I proceed to stick you with the pin, you do not even flinch. In fact, you do not even feel the pain. Does this sound incredible? Isn't this exactly the same procedure that the dentist uses with his patient when he has hypnotized him for the purpose of painless dentistry?
Achieving hypnosis, therefore, is a matter of directing this suggestibility that we all possess into the channels that will finally produce the hypnotic state. It can be much more complicated than this explanation in many cases, but let us use this as a working premise.
Everyone can be hypnotized. The time required for achieving hypnosis will vary from subject to subject. We will discuss some of the reasons for this in a subsequent chapter, but for our discussion at this time we need to understand this point. I have encountered numerous individuals who were extremely disappointed because they did not respond to hypnosis immediately or after several attempts. They wanted to know what was wrong.
An explanation that nothing was wrong somehow did not satisfy these individuals. After all,
they argued, didn't I go to a hypnotist especially to be hypnotized?
Some insinuated that perhaps the hypnotist wasn't too good.
Let me explain that most subjects need to be conditioned for hypnosis, and this conditioning is helped when the subject practices certain conditioning exercises that I shall discuss in detail in chapter six, titled How To Attain Self-Hypnosis.
In my teaching, I have found that about one out of ten subjects responds to the first attempt at hypnosis. One cannot make a definite statement as to the length of time necessary to learn self-hypnosis, but