Ophelia's blog
A little shameless self-promotion (which is new and out of my comfort zone but hey, "feel the fear and do it anyway" - isn't that how the saying goes? 
)
I make erotic trance audio files, which I sell on NiteFlirt and APClips. They're mostly story-telling trances modelled on classical sessions with a story line, formal induction, deepener and content. I provide full content descriptions with each, so you know what you're consenting to. I edit them in Audacity and put in stereo effects and multiple layers. They're scripted, voiced and edited by myself. I've been told they induce pretty deep and erotic trances... 
(and some include orgasms.)
They vary from $15-$25, with discounted bundles available on NiteFlirt. If you want to hear my voice and get a taste, I have free files on my tumblr; I've linked to a recent one below.
I hope you'll take a look 'n listen. (And you'd be supporting a real small "mom minus pop store" needing the money; just saying. 
- If you do decide to buy, I'd love some feedback, too.)
https://apclips.com/opheliadk
https://niteflirt.com/opheliadk
Free sample file
https://ophelia-dk.tumblr.com/post/639754304795852800/this-is-a-gentle-induction-with-pleasure-tease
I've been getting some great answers to my question over on Reddit:
I'm very interested in the topic of hypnotic safeties in recreational hypnosis and I'm finding it hard to find information about this by googling. I would love to have a conversation about safeties and I've compiled a few questions I'm hoping will generate a bit of discussion that I can learn from.
What is your understanding of the term "safeties"?
What types of safeties are important for you to have? Which are essential?
Have there been situations you wished you'd had safeties for and if so, which do you wish you'd had?
For tists: what safeties do you like to give your subjects? How do you make your suggestions safe?
(CW hypnotic language, trance, post-hypnotic suggestion for mental comfort)
Read slowly, breathing deeply and slowly as you read.
Social distancing is the new black
but it gives you skin hunger
and it's getting to you
It's been a long day
You've been cooped up inside
Unable to go out and live your normal life
It's been a long week
a long month
Life has become unreal
nothing is normal anymore
What would it be like to have something to distract you, to occupy your mind?
What would it be like to go on a mental journey?
How would it be if you were able to relax deeply
and experience reading this as if you were on a vacation
What if you were to allow your attention
to focus to the point where you drift into a calm, peaceful state of mind
and the more you focus inside, the more comfortable you begin to feel
And because you're reading this and wondering what will come next
you can find that you drop your shoulders, which means that you're relaxing
In your mind, you're sitting in a luxuriously padded armchair
richly upholstered
one you can sink into and slow right down
and rest, supported.
breathing in peaceful relaxation, breathing out stress and tension
and already you're starting to feel a little more at ease
aren't you?
Very good
relaxing more and more with every word I speak
but easily able to keep your eyes on the screen and my words
I'm going to walk over to the light switch on the wall
it is one of those with a dial, a dimmable switch
I turn the dial and the light begins to dim
and the dimmer the light becomes the more you let go
i dim the light to just the right level
to create a relaxed atmosphere
I dial down any noise and distraction as you feel the peace
Your favorite sounds, music or birdsong or whatever is your favorite sound
comes to your ears
and you relax even more
I take something from my pocket
it's a cut gemstone on a chain
and you watch
as
you
imagine
my words
as a crystal
swinging
shaped
just
so
I start to swing this crystal in front of your eyes
it sparkles softly in the glow of the subdued lighting
and as I swing it from side to side, your eyes follow it
side to side
side to side
You can feel the sparkles reflect in your eyes
in the blissful silence of the swinging crystal
your eyes tracking the movement
and as you stare
listening to the sounds
the chair cushioning your body
your subconscious mind begins to open to me
open, receptive
And as you listen
I lull your conscious mind to sleep
and it steps back
and lets go
As you sink deeper into the softness of the chair
I can tell your subconscious mind to listen
and it does so willingly
your subconscious mind so receptive to me now
Now
What would it like if your mind was a whiteboard
And if I were to clean off
all that is there
so that you are blissful blank and clear
what would that be like?
Feel this, see this
as I take a whiteboard eraser and wipe down the board
bit by bit
and with each and every wipe you hear
you feel a warm wave of comfort
wash over you
as I erase all the thoughts and concerns away
until your mind is clean and blank
feel that clean blankness now
see the empty whiteboard
your mind so peaceful
you can rest in the blankness, anchored to my words
as you follow them
that's all you have to do
as you sit in the soft comfortable chair
in the soft lighting
listening to my soft words
And now I am going to write something
on the whiteboard of your mind
I am going to write
"Things will all work out"
look at these words written on your mind
listen to me speaking these words in your mind
feel these words sink into you
Remember this:
"Things will all work out"
absorb these words
allow them to soak into you
as you drift and listen to me
You know this:
"Things will all work out"
And you drift in this knowledge
In a moment I am going to bring you out of trance
but these words will remain in your mind
"Things will all work out"
Coming up on the count of 5,
bringing with you this feeling of peace
1
begining to stir
2
more and more aware
3
more alert, feeling so good
4
feeling energised and refreshed
5
wide awake, all the way up
up
Up
UP
Welcome back.
Now stretch, get up, and fetch yourself some water
And remember what I wrote on your mind
What was it again?
(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
The internet actually abounds with information and guidance for people who struggle with experiencing hypnosis and/or responding to it; it seems a matter of finding it.
It’s been suggested to me that with every failure to respond to suggestion, I’ve been building the confirmation bias that I couldn’t do it and thus compounding my expectation to fail. I agree with this assessment. They told me to think of it this way “what if all those past non-responses were just because of factors external to you, and didn’t say anything about your ability? What if the next time, it will just work?”
I’ve had small successes with this. Mostly by not analysing every reaction and over thinking it, just by holding onto “what if this time it has just worked?”
This is a good article on the subject:
(Content warning: hypnotic language, trance, post-hypnotic suggestion for ability to cope)
Sometimes you can find yourself paying attention to the most interesting things. They may start off interesting, or they may start off dull and become interesting later. Sometimes you start off interested, then lose interest, other times your interest may be distracted and the interest you invested at first, gives off very poor interest later when it becomes less interesting. Whether or not your interest was high, it would be interesting to see how your interest increased or decreased with the rate of interest in what you're reading right now.
This is why it's interesting to consider being careful what you pay attention to, since there tends to be a definitive beginning and a definite end to what can be interesting, but what happens in between is just as relevant to the end as it was at the beginning. Because it's really important to pay attention, so as to make sense of what you are reading, isn't it?
Sometimes it is hard to sort through what makes sense and what doesn't, and where sense starts to make itself and not the other way around, and it can be easier to start the process by finding the beginning and then focus on that. Immediately you can become fully aware where you have come from and where you are going, and the thinking that is contained in finding this point points to the need to get to the point of no return before you can find the end.
You can continue right on thinking consciously while unconsciously letting things fall into place however they need to, to get to the place where you can place your trust in knowing your place in the greater scheme of things.
I wonder if you realise that your attention is now focused on trying to find the sense in what you're reading because if you are aware of this, you are ready to move from the beginning of this induction into the body of it, which will affect how your attention is paid. Will you pay attention now or will you focus later, that is the question, even though sooner or later you'll find that you can begin to wonder about what happens once the beginning has come to an end and the body has overtaken the mind.
When you ask yourself the question of whether or not the induction is embodied in the beginning or the end of the body, your definition of what has been begun and what is being ended is irrelevant to the context. And you can experience reading this as if you are unravelling a great mystery ,and clearly notice how clear the context has become as it is clarified.
Suppose I asked you to remember how this all got started; would you be able to focus your awareness on how your shoulders drop while you try to recall where we begun?
And having done so, you could find yourself wondering where this is leading you, but you would not need to concern yourself with beginnings or endings when I know you're wondering how you'll experience trance soon. For that to occur you would have to realise how soon you can feel that you're breathing comfortably and how your focus is greater now than it was before you began to look for the ending so you could sink into trance.
You see, the beginning and the end only affect each other insofar as their respective contexts affect the definition of what's begun and what has ended. The endpoint that the beginning points to, is the induction of trance which begins as soon as the ending is reached, because this is the way the message is absorbed at the unconscious level, and now you're at the point where your attention can focus on drifting into a peaceful state.
If you can allow yourself to flow with the words then you will notice how calm you feel, which means that you're well on the way to absorbing my suggestions to drift deeper into trance because the end has reached the beginning and the beginning has ended.
And having read this far, you could notice how your awareness is growing fuzzy and you're starting to feel more and more comfortable, as your mind lets go of thoughts of beginnings and endings and realises there is only the here and the now. Right here and right now you might find your inner mind takes you on a journey, going deeper and deeper into hypnosis as you continue to read and sink and slow. Dropping deeper now and feeling wonderful as your mind slides down so gracefully into trance.
And now that you are reading this from within trance, you can know that just as you are able to go easily into this state of focus, so you are easily able to handle things that come your way and solve problems that need to be solved. And you can allow your subconscious mind to do the learning that is needed to cope effectively with situations that you face. You know this deeply because of how deeply you have responded to these words.
You can allow yourself to drift softly in this wonderful state a moment longer, enjoying a feeling of peace and calm. And now you can prepare to return to your normal state of awareness, drifting up slowly and gently, feeling wonderful as you return on the count of 5
1 ...
begining to stir
2 ...
more and more aware
3 ...
more alert, feeling so good
4 ...
feeling energised and refreshed
5 ...
wide awake, all the way up
up
Up
UP
Welcome back
Let
me try
to interest
you, in a little
game of words
where the idea is
for you to read these
and become absorbed
and pay attention to them
and as you do, you are drawn
closer, into focusing on my words
your focus growing more intense and
you find yourself intrigued and interested
as you continue to narrow your focus on me
and my thoughts, that change over time
nothing existing now but my words
and their sound which you love
drifting down so narrow now
what remains is your focus
which drops down now
to narrow further
and further
deeper
down
dow
n
and
then
coming
up again
awakening
becoming alert
more and more up
returning to a normal
state of consciousness
feeling wonderfully calm
having enjoyed the little dip
coming up to go down again
breathing in the fresh air deeply
preparing to reach the peak of awake
because you know that very soon
it will be time to return down
drifting so deeply down
drowsier and drowsier
the deeper you drop
better and better
dropping down
your mind
warming
safe
dow
n
and
this
place
feeling
so good
you don't
want to rise
so let's just
sink back
return
down
dow
n
but
having
to come
back because
i want you rising
all the way back up
more alert, more aware
refreshed and energetic
with a feeling of enjoyment
from a fun little game with words
that dance across the page and amuse
and you smile because this is so much fun
and you know it will become even better
because very soon now it is going
to change again, and your mind
will follow my words down
because once again
you'll be dropping
deeper down
as before
taking
you
to
the
soft
warm
feeling
enveloping
feels so good
but you don't want
to come back up again
so let's just stay
down here
a little bit
longer
drops
down
dow
n
and
again
upwards
it's time now
to come back
to return to awake
coming up so gently
feeling peace and wonder
knowing this must come to an end
at some stage, but perhaps you're lucky
and it might not be right here and right now
maybe here you'll be given a lovely opportunity
to slip down the page and feel the sliding
that happens as you focus once more
and as you feel that delicious drop
that happens when you let go
and drift back down again
drowsy and drowsier
deep and deeper
which feels
better
down
to
a
new
place
feeling
comfortable
calm and safe
secure and
feeling
warm
lazy
and
soon
it's time
to come up
and this time
you might not be
able to slip back down
because sooner or later
you have to return to reality
but when you do you will know
that for a brief while, you were under
and your focus was so intense and sharp
that you gave every single word your attention
and followed me as I led you down and up and down
and up again and further and further up you must come
until you're all the way up with me, aware, alert and awake
Welcome back
Times are strange. Times are rough. Take a moment to refuel.
(Content warning: hypnotic language, trance, post-hypnotic suggestion for wellbeing)
Some think that hypnotic trance is about relaxation
but in fact relaxation is only a by-product of trance
it can be a route to trance
but it is not trance itself
trance is a state of focused attention
and in order to induce trance
all I have to do is focus your attention
and there's nothing that you have to do
but read my words
follow them down the screen
as you sit in your chair
dropping your shoulders down
scrolling when you have to, but keeping your eyes on the screen
blinking when you have to
eyes wide open, focused on the screen
and reading
Now,
What would it be like to be so focused that you anticipate each word
that you wait for each word
that you focus more with each word
as all the sounds around you fade into the background
if you focus as deeply as I know you can
focus on each and every word
they become sharp and real
they will become your reality
you're becoming more and more focused now
with every breath you take
breathing in and out
more focused
and how deeply could you focus
if you narrowed down that focus
to focus so deeply
if you turned your focus inward
you could focus on the sounds that form my words
and hear them in your ears
or see the words deep in your mind
or you could feel the words shaping your focus
feel them reverberate in your body
see or hear or feel the wonderful effects
that my words have on your mind and body
and even if you do not feel them now
they will become easier and easier to notice
and that will be a wonderful feeling
won't it?
excellent
and with your focus on my words
you can begin to notice
the spaces between my words
see the spaces
focus on the spaces
as the spaces get longerand longer
each word each space
holding your attention
longer and longer
as the gaps increase
and the gaps grow so large
that you lose thoughts in them
your thoughts dropping
into the spaces
until the spaces
begin to close up again
and your focus returns
from the spaces
back to the words
each word closer to the next
until you notice that the gaps
have closed again
and once more the words flow smoothly
and you focus smoothly
and pay attention to the calm comfort
that reading my words brings
your eyes now resting again
feeling so good
aren't you?
very good
and now you can read
about everything that happens
or does not happen
as you continue your narrow focus
while you listen to me
and my thoughts, that change over time
or stay the same as they flow down
but what remains is focus
which drops down now
to narrow further
and further
deeper
down
dow
do
n
the
lazy
place
warming
your mind
which feels
better and better
the deeper you drop
drowsier and drowsier
drifting so deeply now
nothing else existing now
but my words and their sound
which you love to follow down
don't you?
that's right
drifting, feeling so peaceful
knowing now that you are okay
that what you feel is okay
that what you think is okay
that everything will be okay
You've got this
and the peace you feel now will remain with you
for the rest of the day
and you will take it with you into sleep
and be able to recall it when you need it
and ever so slowly becoming aware
of becoming more and more aware
and coming up gently
more alert, more awake
in the time of your own mind
feeling wonderful
feeling energised
refreshed
aware
alert
awake
up
Up
UP
Welcome back
(Content warning: hypnotic language, trance)
Come walk with me a moment, and stay with me awhile
I’ll take you on a journey, and maybe make you smile
I’ll spin you a yarn, I’ll lead you down, to where you like to go
and once we’re there that smile will come, and when it does, you’ll know
We could wander and walk as you listen to me, and the words weaving round your mind
to explore how far and how deep you could go
if you allowed your mind to find, the path it wants to take
There’d be so many places it may go and so many turns to make
and a breeze may lift it to drift away, or pull it down to drown in my words that draw you in
Draw you in like a moth, circling my flame, pulling, tugging,
knowing but not caring
And you may still be thinking to respond
but soon your mind will find that you’re thinking to drift and pulled to respond
pushed and pulled, this way and that, responding to drift and swiftly finding your mind in a whirl
In a whirlpool swirl, round and down, down and around
naturally following the whirling swirl, your mind abducted as the swirl is constructed to twirl and whirl you down
Responding so easily, naturally wanting to follow and drift into the sound of my words as they pull and tug at the strings of your thoughts,
confounding the sounds that abound in the words that wrap themselves around the tendrils of your mind
and draw them down and draw them out,aiming to be aimlessly driven closer and closer
driven to explore how much more you can let go
how much more I can implore you to respond
and before you were aware but now your mind is only aware that it’s no longer aware
drawn in as I draw my words on your mind, as your thoughts drift away, as all that matters now is what I say
and what I say will stay with you as you focus down
as your will is drawn out to follow mine, to circle the flame of my will that will guide you
As you see that with me, you’ll be safe and secure,
so you let go more before you explore the depths to which we can go
and the scenes we can see, as each breath you take can make you drift deeper
and deeper
right here and right now
and if you didn’t know,
before you knew,
that I would lead you,
then you know now, how I drew you down and drew my words
calmly, comfortably, on your mind,
that what was on my mind is now in your mind, and it feels so good to let me take you down with me
drifting and dreamily following me,lazy, hazy and fuzzy
afloat on my voice, knowing only you want to go with me and flow with me further down and deeper round
and you rest in the rhythm and rhyme of my words that have have led you to this place, to this state
where you love to be, adrift with me
And now you can find that your mind begins to return
and your thoughts become clearer
and you realise you had drifted away but now you are coming back
and you smile, just like I said you would,
to think you were drawn in during a little interlude
Aware now of the yarn I spun, remembering everything
Alert and awake, amused and refreshed
Feeling wonderful.
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:
Here's reddit's list of book recommendations from collected threads:
https://www.reddit.com/r/hypnosis/comments/81dkpq/book_recommendations_collected_threads/
If anyone has any to add that you've found good, please feel free.
it contains literally hundreds of accounts.
I was lucky to have my first first hypnosis experience with a very good hypnotherapist who did an excellent pretalk, followed by the Chevreul's pendulum suggestibility test, which acted as a complete convincer for me when it worked brilliantly. During the induction, when I couldn't open my eyes after he suggested I try, I simply knew that even though I was quite aware and didn't feel anything but nice and relaxed, I was in fact in trance.
The thread also contain many accounts of how people felt when they carried out suggestions, many of which mesh with mine.
If you'd like to add your account of how it feels for you to be hypnotised here, feel free
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.
