Autoquestioning
is a means of "talking" to your subconscious and discovering what it
believes about a given subject. Through autoquestioning, you
determine what's at the root of any given problem.
Suggestion
formulation is designing a suggestion that addresses the root of
the problem. If the reason your subconscious wants cake is because it
feels cake is what people should get when they accomplish their
goals, it would do you no good to suggest that cake does not taste
good and you should not eat it.
Suggestion
application is what most people think of when they think of
hypnosis. In suggestion application, you induce a hypnotic state
through muscle relaxation, visualization or breathing exercises, then
repeat to yourself the suggestions you formulated.
Autoquestioning
Autoquestioning is vital
to effective hypnosis. By analyzing unconscious movements of your
hand, you can carry on something like a dialogue with your
subconscious, and obtain answers to simple yes-or-no questions.
Anyone can do it, though it takes some practice.
Start with a blank piece
of paper and a pendulum. You can make one by tying string around any
small, balanced object with a little weight. Draw a horizontal line
across the center of the paper. Hold the pendulum over the line and
imagine it moving back and forth. Focus your eyes on the pendulum.
After a few minutes, you should notice slight movement along the
line. If not, wave the pendulum so the weight swings smoothly from
left to right over the line. Tell yourself, “This is what I
want to happen.” Stop the pendulum and try again.
When you notice movement
over the horizontal line, repeat the process with a vertical line,
two diagonals, and two circles, each marked to show if it is
clockwise or counter-clockwise. Over the course of a few hours, you
should see motion over all the lines and both circles. Take your
pendulum and ask your subconscious to assign a direction for yes.
You will notice movement over one of the lines or circles. Mark this
line or circle "yes." Do the same for no, maybe, do
not care to answer, and rephrase the question. These are
the potential answers the subconscious will give you by moving the
pendulum.
Now, begin to ask
questions. Rest assured that
your subconscious cannot lie. Going back to the weight
example, one might start with the question, does the subconscious
have a desire to remain overweight?
After a few seconds, movement would begin over the line for no. The
questioner might then ask questions about their weight and eating
habits.
Be creative: ask the
subconscious if objects associated with your problem have any special
emotional significance. If so, try to find out what event in your
past caused the subconscious to feel as it does. Knowing these
details, you can formulate effective suggestions.