The World Of Hypnosis

From Generative Trance, The Experience of Flow Stephen Gilligan

A fascinating book written by the hypnotic artist Gilligan. That's probably why I like hypnosis so much -- it melds my favorite categories: psychology, curiosity and creativity.

My greatest learnings so far:

What Trance is and is not:

• Trance does not translate to losing control. It's not the voodoo that we might imagine, the eery swinging pendulum that a person follows until they fully lose control to the hypnotist.

• Rather, we ask the conscious mind to take a backseat for a moment, so we can tap into our subconscious. Our subconscious stores limitless resources, can imagine infinite possibilities and is an excellent creative problem-solver. It's like an out-of-the-box thinker on steroids.

• Trance isn't something unusual, in fact, I'm sure there were several moments in life when you felt it too. As children, we naturally dive into trance whenever we lead with curiosity, play and our imagination. Do you remember that feeling of getting lost in the fantastical world of a book or making up stories as you played with toys? Do you remember how time seemed to fly by while you went on these magical adventures? You may not remember, but don't worry. It's something that you can learn to tap into again as an adult. This magic is still stored inside of you. "Adults usually live in the conscious world" PG 32

• (technically numbing via snacks or TV is a temporary, but negative trance)

• We are experts at hypnotizing ourselves: panic, but need to learn to unwind it.

• Trance can help you come into the world, not just leave it. Trance work is a creative art of soul expression.

• A true hypnotist/patient relationship is a mutual one, the two are in partnership.

• Trance is not about someone manipulating you. Rather, it is a "natural state where it is possible to take a step back from having to perform some fixed role and open a creative space where new reality may be created". This type of trance can help you connect and develop with your states of consciousness that can help you live beyond fears, limits, and negative beliefs.

• We are not trying to eliminate the conscious mind, we NEED it! Not only to bring our unconscious plans into reality, but also because the only way lasting change occurs is if they are intertwined, always working together. It's not a battle.

• Generative trance means to create something new, which is grounded in the notion of life as a journey of consciousness [Joseph Campbell, the hero's journey].

  • Every culture features myths about a hero living life as a great path of transformation *Star Wars.

  • Such a life is not primarily about fame or fortune, but about bringing a greater healing and wholeness into the world. Pg 1

  • Three available paths: the village life, the wasteland, the hero's journey of consciousness

  • the village life: what most people conventionally think of a "normal life", where you abide my society's expectations and life moves through a clear sequence

  • However, you may not feel seen by the village's expectations, perhaps you feel different and want a more unique path

  • Perhaps something shattered your world view (like a death in the family, bout of depression, tragedy or other distress) and you although your life is still rooted in the village, you don't feel like others understand how you feel. You also struggle to live according to the structure, this may feel like your life was different 'before' and 'after'.

  • the wasteland: when a person feels so misunderstood by the 'happy face' of the village, they may believe that something is wrong with them. This feeling of rejection and a shattering of previous identity creates a breeding ground for negative experiences. People feel so disconnected from themselves and others that they may feel depressed. Others may fall into drugs, alcohol, and other addictions to numb the feelings. Unfortunately, shame usually goes together with these distressing experiences, which deepen the feeling that something is wrong with you. However, you must realize they aren't your fault. These behaviors are simply responses to the despair that comes from the loss to who you used to be. Regardless of how long you've been in the wasteland, it doesn't have to last. Oftentimes, people who feel stuck in the wasteland keep looking backward. They want to get back to the village and just 'be normal'. It is important to recognize that there was a reason that they felt a rift with the village "that a person can no longer continue in the restrictive role assigned to them". Thankfully, a third alternative exists. [Spain]

  • the hero's journey of consciousness: it's hard to believe that there exists an alternative space filled with numerous possibilities, freeing one from the village life and the wasteland, but there is. As Campbell expressed in his journey, there comes a point when you realize that there is actually another way, to listen to the "call" within your soul. This call begs us to reconnect our outer self, goals and behaviors, with our inner self. As William James said, "seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the real me," and when you have found that attitude, follow it." Pg 4

  • Consciousness and subconsciousness must be connected. pg 14 [the poem on this page reminds us that we may not yet really know what we seek, just like I came in for nailbiting/social anxiety and patients come in for one thing, but what there sould really wants is something else] If not, then we feel disconnected from ourselves, our true purpose and trapped in a hamster wheel of our reality. It's really scary at first. In this state, "we are often most afraid of letting go of our identity and beliefs, fearing a drop into an abyss of no return." "If you are confident that you can let go of your mental thinking and allow something underneath to safely catch and support you, a greater freedom is achieved." "they are in creative conversation"

  • "The creative unconscious can see beyond the limitations of a given situation". "It holds all possible states of a given individual, in terms of identities, futures, pasts, relationship fields, and so on. Pg 16

  • IFS/PG 17/ no bad parts "the challenges becomes how to make room for conscious identity while also inviting and welcoming other ones". "The isolation of one part of a system creates problems while the skillful activation of many complementary parts into a creative field allows solutions."

  • Pg 19: we need to let go of our "restrictive "performance selves". "we then open to the creative unconscious to generate new reality maps for navigatingthe world" but the conscious and unconscious must work together to translate the creative possibilities into real life. "the creative unconscious generates new possibilityes and the conscious mind translates and implements them into classical reality". "translate a possibility into an actuality" "while the creative unconscious holds infinite possibilities, the conscious mind makes them real.."

  • "visionary vs managerial" - pg 21

  • "what we experience as reality is not out there, but rather is created by our filters" pg 23 "we don't know the world directly, only directly through our maps (filter) - pg 27

  • "when a person is in a happy state, they are more likely to be in flow and gravitate towards opportunities. If the filters get stuck, the we keep seeing the same reality play out over and over again everywhere we look. PG 24 Through generative trance, we try to make this flexible.

  • "when creative flow between levels is locked, suffering and problems result" - neuromuscular lock. You end up being locked in the contents of your fixed state, believing your map is the whole territory, while feeling isolated in a static world of disconnection - Video Game* - WOW map and this is the trauma trance (spell)

  • mirror box method - wow Pg27

  • The 4 Fs of neuromuscular lock: Fight/Flight/Freeze/Fold

  • Why Milton Erickson?

    • His story

    • PG 33 the creative trances are more suitable to personal development and transformation - where you want to utilize personal strengths and unique capacities

  • Two ways to go into trance: other places "go into a single point" or the more conventional trance I am learning, to have your attention rhythmic on a repetitive pattern like breathing

  • Trance is integral to identity creation pg 37

    • We need rest and renewal: a vacation, walk, nap, helps us reset and let go of our neuromuscular lock and return to our performative challenges in a renewed state

    • ceremonial recreation of identity: milestones like birthdays or holidays, identity must be periodically recreated

    • healing and transformation (pg 39): "whether a negative trance produces a breakdown or breakthrough depends on the human connection to it. If the experience is met with neuromuscular lock, the negative trances of symptoms will result (depression, addiction, etc.) However, negative trances can be changed to positive ones via skillful human engagement.

    • creating new identity: when starting a new business or ending a long term relationship, our past history does not carry the maps so new ones must be generated

    • when we are in the process of identity deconstruction, we have the opportunity to revisit our filters including our believes, experiences, memories, family patterns, etc. For example, you shouldn't have the same map of trust at mid-life as when you were 4 years old.