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Lesson 3

The first suggestion exercise

You can carry out this exercise in the presence of several people, each of whom, from now on, will be called a “test person” (abbreviation: TP, plural: TPs). Tell your TPs that you would like to carry out some interesting psychological experiments that show how easy it is to turn vivid visualizations into reality. First of all, give a demonstration yourself showing how easily the pendulum starts to swing for you as a result of simple visualization. Then let the first TP sit at the table, whilst you position yourself at the other side of the table (ill. 3).

Now say to the TP: “Hold the pendulum exactly as I did just now. Look at the pendulum and make it stand still over the centre of the circle.” If the TP does not manage to do this straight away, hold the pendulum firmly until it comes to a standstill. “From now on, do not pay any attention to your arm or to the hand that is holding the pendulum. Instead, pay very close attention to the words that I say to you. --- Picture the pendulum very, very vividly in your mind and watch it swing back and forth from left to right. --- It swings back and forth more and more along the L-R line.” At the same time move your finger on the table to indicate this back and forth swinging motion as shown in ill. 3. When doing so, adapt the rhythm of your finger to match the back and forth movements that start to appear, appearing weakly at first. When the pendulum starts to swing more distinctly, continue saying: “Now the swinging is becoming stronger --- stronger and stronger. --- The pendulum swings further and further, back … and forth … back … and forth … back …. and forth.” Adjust the speed of your last words to the speed of the pendulum’s swinging. When the pendulum’s swinging is completely distinct, end the exercise and say to the TP: “You have now seen how easy it is for you, too, to turn vivid visualizations into reality. The exercise is now over. Put the pendulum down!”

If this exercise is carried out with several people, one after the other, it will show you how differently the TPs react. The difference will be noticeable both in reaction time, as well as in the intensity of the pendulum’s swing. This will allow you an opportunity to use the pendulum as a measuring instrument to determine how susceptible a person is to influence. A short reaction time and a large pendulum swing = easily influenced. A long reaction time and a smaller pendulum swing = less easily influenced. No reaction or only a very weak pendulum swing = difficult to influence.

Systematically finding test people

To be systematic about carrying out the exercises, keep a record of the results of your exercises in a notebook.

When you do this, put your test people into categories. Each TP is allocated to a category depending on the results of an experiment.

CATEGORY 1 = people with whom the exercises have been an above average success (better than expected),

CATEGORY II = people with whom one exercise worked well (as expected),

CATEGORY III = people with whom the exercise did not work very well (worse than expected).

CATEGORY IV = people with whom the exercise did not work at all or with whom difficulties arose. Do not carry out any further exercises with this category of people. Work on the basic principle that exercises with good or suitable TPs will give you more experience. Every exercise with a poor or unsuitable TP is only a waste of time and can even cause harm to you, for your self-confidence and interest in learning will suffer with every failure.

So that you know exactly which TPs you should use for exercises, repeat the respective exercises with those people in category III. Should the exercise still not work properly, then allocate the TP concerned to category IV. If the exercise works better the second time, then allocate the TP to category II.

For further exercises, only use TPs from categories I and II.

Suggestion exercises when awake

A range of exercises can be carried out with TPs who are awake without them having to be hypnotized first. In the literature on this you will find the terms “awake suggestion” or “awake hypnosis”. As, in my experience, TPs are neither totally awake nor totally hypnotized during such exercises, I prefer to use the term “suggestion experiments” or, in this self-study method, “suggestion exercises”. As a state nearly always occurs that lies somewhere between being awake and actual hypnosis in such exercises, a sort of half hypnotic state or a half trance, we could also speak of half trance exercises. However, we do not want to confuse things by introducing too many new terms unnecessarily. Exercises of this kind are used over and over again to learn how to hypnotize, especially in the United States where hypnosis is much more well-known and more widespread. In fact these exercises are very suitable for this as it is easy to extend a half trance to full hypnosis, as you will see in Part II.

What suggestion exercises are all about

Suggestion exercises are concerned with making sure that you manage to form your words, gestures and actions, so that these express clear and intense videes. Only when you can actually impress and influence a TP, will you manage to force his/her SELF from the center of consciousness and then your videes can penetrate the TP’s ideomotor system, where they will trigger the desired effect.

As suggestion exercises can reach quite deeply into the mental fabric of a person, I must now give you a list of fundamental rules that you should adhere to fully if your exercises and experiments are to remain without risk.

Basic rules for suggestion exercises

1.ONLY accept healthy people of normal intelligence as your test people.

2.Ensure that each exercise or experiment can be carried out without interruption and can be brought to a complete close.

3.Each word and each sentence that is spoken to the TP must be clear, precise and explicit.

4.Each suggestion must be removed again by a counter-suggestion. This is very important as suggestions can continue to have an effect on the TP after the exercise or experiment.

5.Remain completely calm and self-controlled throughout all the exercises, even if not successful. You must NEVER lose control during the exercises!

6.Each exercise and experiment should be planned and written down in advance. If possible, record every exercise and experiment on an audio recor-der.

7.Even if a TP does not respond to a suggestion, always give a counter-suggestion. For example, even if you say: “Now you can no longer move your arm!” and the TP does move his/her arm, in every case you MUST still give the counter-suggestion afterwards: “You can now move your arm again!”

8.Never attempt to carry out an exercise or experiment that you have not previously mastered. Imagination exercises with imaginary TPs will help you to master an exercise.

9.Do not simply carry out the exercises mechanically, instead you should always try to understand the theory, this will give you confidence both in yourself and in the exercise or experiment.

Ill. 3

Ill. 4

The second suggestion exercise

Start as described for the first suggestion exercise in Lesson 3. Use a good TP for this exercise. When the pendulum starts to swing back and forth very strongly, say:

“Now the pendulum is swinging completely on its own! You can no longer stop it! The more you try to stop the pendulum, the more it swings, stronger and stronger!” At the same time, make movements with your hands back and forth in front of the TP to the rhythm of the pendulum’s swings, as shown in ill. 4. Continue saying: “The pendulum’s swinging is becoming stronger – and stronger – and stronger and stronger. The more you want to stop the pendulum, the more strongly it swings --- more and more strongly!”

The pendulum will probably now swing more strongly than you ever expected. The TP will try to stop it, but by doing so will make exactly those movements that allow the pendulum to swing even more strongly. When you want to end the exercise, say: “Now the pendulum is becoming slower --- Now you can stop it again. Stop it!” When you notice that the TP has control of the pendulum once again, say: “That’s good! You feel fine. You are wide-awake! Put the pendulum down, the exercise is over!”

The dynamics of gestures

During this exercise you can practice making your gestures, in this case your hand movements, as lively and dynamic as possible. Try this exercise as an imaginary exercise first of all. Choose a time when you are alone and unlikely to be disturbed, and practice the hand movements – which must be adapted to the rhythm of the pendulum movements - and try to make them as lively and dynamic as possible.