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I first used hypnosis in 1934 as a four year old
child. I do not remember how or where I learned the technique of hypnosis, but
the experience was not uncommon among several hypnotherapists who I have met.
I taught my neighborhood playmates (all under 8
years old) how to hypnotize themselves using a post-hypnotic trigger. Using the
hypnotic trance state they could heal cuts and scrapes, other minor bloody
injuries, and also controlling pain and blood loss.
I first gave them a demonstration of the
effectiveness of hypnotic suggestion using the eye fatigue technique, having one
of them focus on the edge of a candle flame. I would then say “Oh, I am sorry, a
piece of the kitchen match flew off and landed on your arm and burned you here,”
touching their arm with my finger and covering the spot with my hand. When I
removed my hand a blister would have formed. All of us saw and touched the
blister to reaffirm it was real. Then I would cover the blister with my hand and
say, “I am sorry, but I fooled you, there was no match and you were not burned.
And when I took my hand away the blister was gone. This experience was to show
the power you have over your body. Everyone would agree to be hypnotized with a
post-hypnotic trigger so they could be pain-free and heal themselves. With that
hypnotic suggestion we didn't need to interrupt our play by running home when we
were injured.
When a new kid moved in to our neighborhood, at
the first meeting of our group, one of the member would say, “Do the blister
thing.” I am 86 now and I have implemented that suggestion of healing for dental
work and several operations (some that were several hours long), and of course
healed the scrapes, cuts and bruises of everyday adventures, still using that
hypnotic causing trigger to implement that suggestion.
Roger Armstrong, MA, MS, MFA, CHT
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