relax for five minutes and afterwards count to three. This
conditioning process will be augmented by the use of the sleep period.
The suggestions will tend to work unconsciously during this period and
hasten your attainment of the constructive goals as well as the
self-hypnotic goal itself.

Once you have achieved eye closure, deepen the hypnotic state by the
following suggestions: "As I count to three, I shall go deeper and
deeper into a profound, hypnotic state. As I count to three, I shall
find myself becoming more and more relaxed. As I count to three, I shall
fall into a deep, hypnotic sleep." You repeat these suggestions many
times, actually trying on a conscious level to feel sleepier, more
relaxed, more at ease. In doing this, you take on the characteristics of
a deeply hypnotized subject.

Part of the difficulty in learning self-hypnosis is that the subject is
aiming at a state of mind in which he has no experience. If I say, "Act
happy" or "Act sad," there is an immediate reaction from your
experiential background, and you can react accordingly. If you have
never seen anyone hypnotized and I say, "Act as though you were
hypnotized," you must, of necessity, act in a manner that you would
assume approximated that of hypnosis. If you had actually seen someone
hypnotized, you would naturally take on the characteristics you had
observed. This would either be done consciously or unconsciously.

Some individuals describe the hypnotic state as a state of "complete
relaxation." Many get a feeling of "detachment;" others a feeling of
"disassociation," as though their entire being was only thought. Some
get a "floating" or "drifting" feeling, likening the experience to
lying on deep clouds. Others experience a heavy, pleasant, "sinking"
feeling. Still others get a feeling of "peace and serenity." Many
describe the hypnotic state as being akin to the state just prior to
falling asleep or like daydreaming, and they experience the same
reactions. Yet, there are some who do not feel a definite change. They
describe it by saying, "I just felt that I had my eyes closed. I heard
everything and was completely aware at all times." Since it is possible
to direct your feelings (reactions), I would suggest that you aim for a
completely relaxed, comfortable state.

You have now reached the point where your eyes are closed, and you have
given yourself further suggestions to deepen the state of hypnosis. This
has taken from about s