User blogs
(Content warning: hypnotic language, trance, post-hypnotic suggestion for becoming a better subject)
As I'm wont to start my trances, let's go for a little metaphorical walk.
This walk is through a forest that has been converted to use as a natural recreational labyrinth or maze. At the centre of the maze is a hidden clearing with a large wooden statue and benches, which is the goal to reach.
There are trees all around and in most parts also dense, evergreen hedges which provide a mystical and secretive atmosphere, and give off a wonderful, heady scent, just right for a relaxing walk. Let's go in.
Visualize this forest maze, smell the fresh scent of the trees and evergreens, breathe in the oxygen-rich air, hear the birdsong and rustling of the leaves in the breeze and feel the temperature of the air on your skin. Good, isn't it?
You walk down the path with me and as is the way with mazes, we soon come to a fork. We must choose left or right. We take the left and walk right down the side of the hedge which curves to the left, until we reach the next fork. We take the right path and at the next fork, we veer to the right, because that just feels right, you know?
We're now facing the right way to head deeper into the forest. All that's left is to follow the paths that are left, to take us right into the centre.
We take a left and follow the path down. Then we take the right turn that is left and then the left turn we left behind when we were turning right. Does that feel right?
That's right. Either way we can continue to walk deeper and go right down the side of the next hedge. It's right to take the next left when it's the left that's left to take. The leaves are rustling in the slight breeze and you soak up the peace.
And now let's take another right, which feels more right that the left we just left behind us. And when you think of it, it doesn't matter which paths we take because all the paths that are left are right, as long as they lead us deeper and deeper into the centre.
So we stroll right down the middle of the path, breathing the scent of the evergreens deeply and slowly, taking left turns and right turns, whichever feels right when we reach it. It would be nice to reach the statue, but meanwhile it's just as nice to keeping walking down the paths. The birds are singing, the air is wonderfully fresh and your breathing is relaxed.
Whichever turn is left is the only one that's left to take
and it's right to take this left that's left behind the right turn that's right
and as we go ever deeper, you begin to lose yourself in the lefts and rights
and just follow me down all the little paths that are left
as you follow, you notice how all you have to do is take the right paths with me
and you feel tranquil and serene.
all that's left to do is just to walk deeper and further
and the longer we walk, the deeper we walk
and the more hedges there are to walk right down
while you listen to the birds chirping
and know that nothing left matters anymore
but following my words as they lead you
Because you know I will lead you deeper and deeper
until we reach the clearing I'm taking you to,
where you can sink down on a bench
and admire the wooden statue
which you gaze at
as you just relax.
You rest now
having left behind all the thoughts
of lefts and rights
and just sink deeper into the bench
and your mind can relax now
because you know you have reached the place
deep inside the maze
that you wanted to get to
It feels so good to rest
so wonderful to know
that you no longer have to think
and can just enjoy
the blissful
blankness
your mind
feels
now
and
as
you
drift
in this peace
you can also know
that with each and every one of my trances
that you read
you become a better subject
you become better at dropping into trance
you become better at enjoying trance
you become better at hypnosis
in every way
Now I beckon softly to you
I pull out a map from my pocket
it's a map to lead us out of the maze
and we'll count our steps
because when we reach 50 steps
we'll be outside again
feeling alert and refreshed
10 steps
beginning to stir
20 steps
more and more aware
30 steps
more and more alert
40 steps
feeling refreshed and energetic
50 steps
Awake
all the way out
back in the room
back with me
Welcome back
Conscious or unconscious response?
This hung me up for the longest time. Feeling that if I was conscious/aware of a response or if I was responding consciously, it didn’t count or wasn’t “hypnosis”. Tists told me that it doesn’t matter and I couldn’t see that, I thought it mattered very much.
Finally I gave in and went with it. It seems the secret really is that how you respond (consciously or unconsciously) isn’t the issue, what matters is that you are responding. It still doesn’t quite make sense to me, but overthinking is the enemy, and accepting this lets you have a whole lot more fun with it.
Parkey put it well:
I've been lamenting the fact that there are so many hypnotic phenomena I can't experience and that we're told to "practice, practice, practice", but in 10 months of practicing almost daily, I still don't feel like I've gotten very far. I've been thinking about it the wrong way and am finally starting to have some epiphanies about it.
See, practice is all well and good, and it's the right advice, but to practice effectively, you have to have the right mindset and the right approach to what you are trying to do. Without that, without understanding *how* to go about it, all you're doing is doing the same thing over and over and all that does is confirm that you can't do it. Do that for long enough and you start thinking "hypnosis just doesn't work for me" and we know that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I'm reading incessantly and have decided to collect various links I've found on this topic. I'm probably not the only one who is looking at the fun somnambulists are having, feeling quite jealous and wanting to experience the same things.
So here is Part 1 of the writings I'm finding in magical rabbit holes on the interwebs. I'm not planning to rewrite what others have already written better than I could, so it'll probably mostly be links to other people's stuff. Although no doubt I'll find way to ramble on about them a bit.
ellaenchanting writes:
"As a naturally analytical person, I had a really hard time for YEARS with actually being, and more importantly, feeling hypnotised. Parkey experienced some of the same problem. Reading about his philosophy and progression towards being a better subject was inspiring for me at a time when I had stopped believing it was possible to learn this skill."
How to be a good subject: Blog rec for analytical types by ellaenchanting
This post has a number of very interesting links, most to Parkey's BlackMeridian blog, so if this topic interests you, here's a lovely rabbit hole to fall into. You're welcome. 
Please share tips that have helped you become a better subject.
