Health and Wellbeing

A few pages of artciles written from personal experiences

Self Hypnosis

A way to find help in times of need

Traditional exercise programmes often fail because people don’t stick with them - 50% of people will have left a gym within 6 months of joining. Your local swimming pool may be full when you want to swim but their will invariably be room to move for exercise in the park.’ Ralph Riley, Chief Executive, Institute of Sport and Recreation Management

A very personal experience of Self Hypnosis

I learnt self hypnosis in 1998.
The previous Spring I had three traumatic and tragic experiences; My second marriage broke down, I had a heart problem and I lost my beautiful daughter Louise, with her partner Tony, in a Motorbike accident. All these things happened within a space of 8 weeks, but needless to say, with no disrespect to anyone, losing Louise was the hardest and the most awlful experience which I would wish on no-one.

Throughout the early bereavement process I was surrounded by love, friendship and help from others, but I lacked something which I couldn't pin point. It was as if there was unfinished business, I wanted space but wanted to be with certain people and needless to say, two of them were no longer here.

After about a year, I seeked help from a Counsellor. We met a couple of times and then, to my astonishment, he asked me if I had considered self-hypnosis. To be honest, I had no idea what he was talking about but said I was if only just to tick off another form of consolement.

On the next visit, he sat me down in a chair, told me to shut my eyes and went through a process of which I only half remember. I recall having to find a perfect place and be with those I wanted. But after I 'came round' I knew exactly what I had to do, the sequence, everything.

Basically, for me, self hypnosis is as follows.

1. I enter a large gate in a country lane on a beautiful sunny day.
2. I walk a long driveway avenued with wild type flower beds and approach a large early Victorian type Mansion House.
3. As I approach, the door opens and I walk through.
4. Then I see the way out to the rear of the house is down some wide stairs against a wall with numerous pictures.
5. At the bottom I walk accross the boarded floors to the tall windowed doors between those tall Victorian windows.
6. I notice the cold in this part of the house, but continue through the doors to the outside.
7. Before me I see a patio which extends from one end of the house to the other, this leads down to various areas of low walled gardens.
8. At this point I look to the left hand side of the house and see many people I know, family and friends.They're all at the corner of the house talking amongst themselves.
9. At this point I call out and ask who I want to come and join me in a small square lawned area with a path going round it. (Sometimes they are asking to come, I don't necessarily ask them though))
10. The only people who are not at the end of the house are Louise and her partner Tony.
11. But, I notice this and call them
12. After a short while they both come out of a wood adjacent to this part of the garden and join us. They are holding hands look wonderfully healthy, happy, yet strangely quieter than I knew them to be.
13. Once we are all together, we talk. We talk about anything, but this is usually about something which is on my mind, or something I want to share. Almost every time, I ask the same people and this never exceeds six or seven.
14. After it's over, everyone goes their separate ways and Louise with Tony go back into the woods.

The result is hard to determine. It's quite rare that I actually remember the outcome of the 'chat'. I think the most important thing is that we have been together, just us.

From the above, you would take as No.1 to 12 as the hypnosis time. No.12 onwards is the result of the hypnosis.

There are a few things I can say about this. Up to about the time I'm walking down the staircase, I can come out of it and return to 'norm'. After the stairs, I have to continue, there is no turning back and the process must go on.

When did this method formulate?
Quite simple, I don't really know. I believe it was finding a place where I wanted to be and worked backwards to how I get there. Bit confusing maybe, but that's how it appears.

When do I use it?
There is no routine type situation. I can get stressed one day and feel I need it, but get more stressed another day and not have to. It seems to be there when I want it. If there were any pattern it's often when I'm on my own and relaxed. This can be indoors or out.

Do I know I'm hypnotised?
I can't answer that. I have always done it when I know I'm not going to be disturbed. When it finishes, it feels although I've been asleep but haven't. It's a very calm feeling - even if I don't remember anything about it!

A Warning
The one thing that I do avoid is going into it when it's not right. The chap who hypnotised me said it would never be in a place of danger and thus far it never has been.

So, that's my experience. For some great, for others not. Some may call it meditation, trance or whatever. I don't self-hypnotise as much as I used to which I would like to feel as part of acceptance, not only by me, but by those all involved.

I can only believe that the reason why this was suggested to me was for two reasons; 1. I tried to dream they were with me, but I never did and I only once have done so since and 2. I used to sit outside my back door and wish they would walk round the corner of the Lane, but, obviously, they didn't.

So it has been a way for me to call Louise and Tony when I want them. I know they are not physically there, but I do know that we have 'contact' not in ghosty, mystical or spiritual terms, but in thought and love.

It has helped me personally, immensely.

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