This is an archive of Tranced Out, published from 2007–2014. For my current practice, visit Sage Oak Wellness.

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Hypnosis and NLP

How To Do Self Hypnosis

Published 2007–2014.

This is the light switch technique: a self hypnosis how to.

You may already have a way that you do self hypnosis, but this is a great self hypnosis induction that you can use that I’ve found to be very effective. The other day I was at a hypnosis training, and one of the things we did was a very effective technique called the light switch. It’s great for instant self hypnosis.

Here are the steps:

  1. Imagine that you have two big bundles of wires coming down from your brain, and that the wires then split off and go into every nerve and fiber of your body.
  2. One bundle of wires goes and controls all of the core functions of your body, like your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. We’ll leave that bundle alone. And the other bundle connects to every single voluntary muscle and nerve in your body, so that if you were to shut off power to that second bundle, all of your nerves would relax instantly!
  3. Now lift up the index finger of your left hand, and imagine under that index finger is a light switch that will either turn off or on that entire bundle of voluntary muscles and nerves. Right now that light switch is in the ON position.
  4. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and go into a light state of hypnosis.
  5. To deepen your trance, turn off that light switch, and allow all of those muscles and nerves to relax completely, as if all of the electrical power had just been cut off.

You may even want to imagine what it is like when the power suddenly goes off in your building. Feel that feeling of complete and total darkness, and have that happen every time that you switch that light switch off. This is one of the best self hypnosis techniques out there.

Now, one of the best ways to do this technique is to get someone into hypnosis using for example the Dave Elman Induction, or using your instant induction techniques (such as the ones in the “TRANCED OUT” home study course) and then to give the suggestion of the light switch being there, and right as they turn off the switch you lower your voice and guide them even deeper into it.

Ideally you’ll test and go back and forth a few times, so the person can do self hypnosis very effortlessly, without having to have additional self hypnosis training. Go test this out and let me know what you think, in the comments.