have gone.

It might be discouraging if you learned it was only a very

light stage or none at ali. Each time you practice, you should slip in a
little deeper. After about eight or ten sessions you probably will be
reaching about as great a depth as you can achieve, though this is not
always so. After the fifth session some tests may be made. Of co1irse if
you are sure you are reaching quite a deep state after one or two at·
tempts you can proceed sooner ,;;ith tests. When you have succeeded

56 The '/cey to II happier life

with some of the tests, then you can begin producing some of the
interesting and often valuable phenomena.
The first test should be what is called "hand levitation." Let your
arms, resting beside you or on the arms of your chair, relax completely.
(This is after you have hypnotized yourself.) Concentrate on your
right arm, if you are right-handed; on the left if left-handed. You may
be feeling a hcaviness in your arms. Suggest to yourself that the
heaviness will quickly disappear, imagine the weight of the arm drain·
ing out.
Then think, "My arm is getting lighter and lighter, lighter and
lightcr. Ali the weight is dwindling away. Soon it will be as light as
a feather. My hand will begin to lift up into the air. The arm will
bend at the elbow and the hand will Hoat up, lifting up higher and
highcr. Soon my hand will touch my face."
As you make these suggestions, a fecling of lightness will gradu-
ally develop in the arm. Before the hand lifts, you may be aware of
movements of the fingers, followed by the whole hand beginning to
lloat upward. Keep repeating these suggestions. Be sure there is no
voluntary elfort made to lift the arm, but do not hold it back. It will
move of its own accord, controlled by your subconscious rnind.
The time needed for the hand to reach the face will vary consid-
erably with dilferent individuais. It may take severa! minutes, though
rarely that long. When the arm first begins to lift, you will notice that
it moves in little jerks, the movement being very slow. As the arm rises
higher, the movement may become faster (you can suggest this) and
with less jerkiness. When your hand has touched your face, let the
arm fali into any comfortable position. If this test is successful, you
can be sure you have reached a light state of hypnosis.
T ry again in your next session if there is faUure.
The eyelids test and the hand-clasp test. Another test may be
made. While closing your eyelids tightly, suggest that you are going
to count to three and will then be unable to open the lids. Repeat this
with the thought, "The harder I try to open thern, the tighter the lids
will stick together." Then make your suggestions something like this:
"One-my eyelids are glueing tightly together, glued fast together.
Two-it's as though they were welded into one piece, welded together
and I cannot open them. Three-now they are locked, locked tight!y
together."

J
The '/cey 10 a happier life 57
Keep repe.ating the word locked again and again while you now
try to open your eyes. If the test is successful, the lids will stay closed
no matter how hard you try to open them. ln accepting these sugges·
tions, your subconsciOI'$ hlxh rbe iwrnbes [rom reaching the
........ ,..,..1,.. .. ,.; lhn ,..~,.-.1.A,. ,.,.. ;u,.,º ;.t,... ..... ,...; ....,,....,,,, t. .... ,... ,..,........;.,.......... J.hX.. IA hP
 T ry again in your next session if there is failure.
The eyelids test and the hand-clasp test. Another test may be
made. While closing your eyelids tightly, suggest that you are going
to count to three and will then be unable to open the lids. Repeat this
with the thought, "The harder I try to open them, the tighter the lids
will stick together." Then make your suggestions something like this:
"One-my eyelids are glueing tightly together, glued fast together.
Two-it's as though they were welded into one piece, welded together
and I cannot open them. Three-now they are locked, locked tightly
together."

The lcey to a happier life 57

Keep repe.ating the word locked again and again while you now
try to opcn your eyes. If the test is successful, the lids will stay closed
no matter how hard you try to open them. ln accepting these sugges-
tions, your subconscious blocks the nerve impulses from reaching the
muscles of the eyelids so they do not move. The suggestions should be
given slowly, allowing time for them to become elfective. Don't rush
it.
Another good test similar to this is called the hand-clasp test. It is
done by clasping the hands together in front of you, or above your
head with the palms tumed out away from you. While you squeeze
the fingers and knuckles tightly together you give the sarne suggestions
as with the eyes but substitute hands for eyelids in the wording. If you
are holding your hands in front of you, be sure to squeeze the palms
tightly together.
Suggestions for self-hypnosis. When there is difficulty reaching
hypnosis with the simple method given previously, a longer induction
may be needed. More suggestions can be made, an actual induction
talk can be employed. After you have repeated your key phrase three
times, and before using the imaginary escalator, give yourself sugges-
tions somewhat as follow:
"As I lie here comfortably, I will 6nd myself relaxing more and
more with each breath I take. My eyes are closed now and I will bcgin
to feel a pleasant listlessness creep over me. 1'11 give way to this feeling.
lt is so pleasant to relax. My arms and legs will begin to feel heavy. I
am drifting into hypnosis and relaxing more and more. It is as if all
problems have been set aside and nothing seems to matter. I will feel
a sense of comfort and well-being. Drifting deeper and deeper, deeper
with every breath I take. As I count backwards and imagine the
escalator (or elevator or staircase) I will go deeper with each count."
This induction talk may be memorized or changed into your own
phrasing, keeping the ideas expressed in it. When you have said it to
yourself, then use the escalator technique for further deepening.
When your early practice sessions have been completed and you
begin making tests or suggesting phenomena, you will 6nd that any
successful test or production of phenomena tends to take you still
deeper.
Some uaes of autohypn08is. Self-hypnosis can be of grcat value
in many ways. lt is the best means available for overcoming insom-

58 The ltey lo a happier li(,