p. i Hypnotherapy - Volume I COURSE 100 BASIC HYPNOSIS Monica Geers Dahl, Ed.D.,C.Ht., Educator and life member with the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA ) Life member with International Association of Counselors and Therapists ( IACT ) IMDHA is the sole authorized provider for this material online through their website : hypnosisalliance.com effective November 20, 2020 original © 1994, updates and revisions through 2020 Monica Geers Dahl, Ed.D., C.Ht., FL LMHC 13153 p. ii IMDHA and IACT are sister organizations at www.hypnosisalliance.com IMDHA is the sole authorized provider for this material online through their website : hypnosisalliance.com effective November 20, 2020 original © 1994, updates and revisions through 2020 Monica Geers Dahl, Ed.D., C.Ht., FL LMHC 13153 p. iii Copyright © 1994 Monica Geers 1st printing May/June 1994 Revised 1995 (added index) 2nd printing December 1995 3rd printing January and July of 1997 Revised 1997 Revised 2001 (started developing more thorough citations) 4th printing August 2001 Revised 2002 5th printing May 2002 6th printing September 2004 Converted from Wordperfect to Word Revised 2010 7th printing February 2010 Edited September 2010 Revised August 2011 Revised October 2011 February 2016 e-format for IMDHA/IACT through www.hypnosisalliance.com Edited December 2019 8th printing January 2020 9th printing January 26 2020 June 2020 Audio recording created with powerpoint for Wellness Room Miami 10 th printing, revised August 1, 2020 All rights reserved. Created in the United States of America. This manual is a compilation of methods forming the syllabus for a Basic Hypnosis course. The focus is on direct suggestion and an authoritarian style of hypnosis. This syllabus, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for commercial sale without the written permission of the author, authorized agent or publisher. Cover art by Warren Heltsley IMDHA is the sole authorized provider for this material online through their website : hypnosisalliance.com effective November 20, 2020 original © 1994, updates and revisions through 2020 Monica Geers Dahl, Ed.D., C.Ht., FL LMHC 13153 p. iv Acknowledgements This is the first of a three volume manual culminating more than half a century of self hypnosis practice, and thirty-five years practicing hypnotherapy. Siobhan (1957-2014), without you this manual would not exist. Thank you for (1989-1994) persistently calling and asking for the latest draft. You pushed meto transform the holographic practices of my hypnosis into a quasi-linear form.Theresa, thank you for editorial advice, thoughtful questions about content, structure, process, and voice during the time of my graduate studies (1999-2003). Fernando, Thank You for Being and Doing. The learning, growth and development of my skill set in this area begins with exposure to the Silva Method, which was then called Silva Mind Control, in my pre-teens as Jose da Silva toured the nation’s campuses with mind control training targeting study habits and test taking. Those simple study and test taking skills generalized to other areas of my life as they are tools found within normative human behavior. I thought all adults thought like this. We will more fully explore the naturalness of hypnosis and hypnotic experiences over this course of study. How do we learn? How do we find the most delightful experience of living possible? Psychology education places hypnosis into the realm of cognitive behavioral science. My practice of hypnosis is a more humanistic-transpersonal application of human capacity in that it contains multi-cultural spiritual and transpersonal components that transcend the limitations of Western behaviorism and material monism. I thank all the people who have educated me about the many things by different names that are all built upon the same innate human capacity for wisdom, prudent choices, mature goal setting and practical applications of time. I am a spiritual monist in that I believe all things come from a intelligence that is always creative and never competitive in spirit. I am an animist in the view that nature is minded and I am a part of a creative thinking substance from which all things emerge. The thinking substance is always creative and never competitive in spirit, so it is important to dwell upon those things which we desire. That which is held clearly in our hearts, minds and body tend to manifest in our lives through our applied efforts in thought and behavior. The natural powers of your own mind can serve you and the world around you to your best capacities through the basic skills of hypnosis. You will find that these methods are familiar to you as you already use them every day, even if you are not consciously paying attention to it. Welcome to a study of how to relax fully, engage the indwelling spark of creativity that resides inside you, and formulate effective suggestions that guide the process as you become more and more effective in setting and achieving your goals. IMDHA is the sole authorized provider for this material online through their website : hypnosisalliance.com effective November 20, 2020 original © 1994, updates and revisions through 2020 Monica Geers Dahl, Ed.D., C.Ht., FL LMHC 13153 p. v Dedication Blessed are those who dream dreams, and are willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true – unknown This basic hypnosis manual is dedicated to all the clients, authors, trainers, educators, friends and family who inspired my interest and awareness of human potential, growth and development. I particularly want to thank E. Margaret Metzinger (1936-2012) and Marian Gyr (1921 – 2019), Thank You! You encouraged me to be myself, and to look beyond the expectations of homogenized images of American culture. You showed me the value of exploring diverse cultural perspectives, and appreciation for the natural beauty of the world. From you I learned to perceive of life as an adventure. Thank You IMDHA is the sole authorized provider for this material online through their website : hypnosisalliance.com effective November 20, 2020 original © 1994, updates and revisions through 2020 Monica Geers Dahl, Ed.D., C.Ht., FL LMHC 13153 p. v Table of Contents 101 - What is Hypnosis? ..........................................................................................................1 What is a Hypnotist? .....................................................................................................2 The Most Common Misconceptions About Hypnosis ................................................2 Facts About Hypnosis ...................................................................................................3 102 - The Background of Hypnosis ........................................................................................9 103 - Signs of Hypnosis ......................................................................................................... 21 Santanelli ..................................................................................................................... 21 Elman, Dave. ............................................................................................................... 21 Erickson, Milton. .......................................................................................................... 21 Hickman, Irene. ........................................................................................................... 21 Sichort, Walter. ............................................................................................................ 21 Subjective Feelings of Hypnosis : ............................................................................. 23 104 - Conscious, Subconscious and Superconscious ........................................................ 25 Conscious Mind ........................................................................................................... 26 Subconscious Mind ..................................................................................................... 26 Superconscious Mind ................................................................................................. 27 The Battle Between Will Power and Imagination ..................................................... 27 The Power of Thought ................................................................................................ 27 The Universe is Made of Thought ............................................................................. 28 Matter and Energy ...................................................................................................... 28 Memory ........................................................................................................................ 28 105 - The Nature of Suggestion ............................................................................................ 31 Ideas 31 A Three Step Learning Pattern .................................................................................. 31 Suggestible vs. Gullible .............................................................................................. 31 Responding to Suggestion ......................................................................................... 32 Instantly Accepting Suggestions ............................................................................... 32 Gradually Accepting Suggestions ............................................................................. 32 Taking Responsibility .................................................................................................