ure of the material things you wish to
acquire, if it is a case of material wealth. For personal improvement,
they tell you to paint a vivid picture of the individual you want to
be. In most cases, you are told to do this in a relaxed or meditative
state with as few distractions as possible. The next two requirements
are constant repetition (conditioning) and a "burning desire"
(motivation) to achieve what you set out to do.

Aren't these books really talking about self-hypnosis? Aren't they
describing precisely the techniques of self-hypnosis? The terminology is
different, but the approach is the same. With these techniques there is
an aim to direct thinking, picturization, positive thinking, suggestions
and constructive thoughts or images to the "inner self" or "real self."
Aren't they once again really talking about the subconscious mind? I
have no argument with any workable approach to emotional maturity, but
in many cases we are actually becoming involved with the meaning of
words (semantics). The quickest way to the subconscious is through
self-hypnosis. In this self-hypnotic state, you are able to consciously
direct suggestions to your subconscious mind.

Chapter 5

How to Arouse Yourself from the Self-Hypnotic State

You will note that this chapter precedes instruction on how to attain
self-hypnosis. The reason for this is to alleviate whatever anxiety you
may have in regard to the question, "If I'm hypnotized, how do I awaken
myself?" It is important to understand that even though you are
hypnotized, you are in control, are aware of your surroundings, what is
going on about you, can think clearly and can arouse yourself very
easily. It is only necessary to say or think, "I shall now open my eyes
and wake up feeling fine." You could also give yourself a specific count
and say, "As I count to five, I'll open my eyes and wake up feeling
wonderfully well and refreshed. One ... two ... three ... four ...
five."

It should be remembered that while we sometimes use the word "sleep" to
describe the hypnotic state, we are not actually referring to true
sleep. This accounts for much of the confusion. The individual thinks,
"If I'm asleep, how can I awaken myself?" If the subject were asleep in
the true sense of the word, this would be impossible. Actually, the
subject is in a special or heightened state of awareness. In
self-hypnosis, he is extremely conscious although his general physical
appearance is one