“Yes. You will. Have you been hypnotized before?”
“No.”
He smiled. “I’ll bet you have. Ever been driving down a highway and suddenly your exit comes up, even though you thought it was several miles away?”
“Yeah. But that’s because I tend to daydream.”
“A lot of your daydreaming is probably hypnosis. You don’t need a hypnotist to be hypnotized. Actually, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. If you allow your mind to drift from its conscious beta state to a subconscious alpha state, you’re experiencing hypnosis.”
“Oh.” After thinking about it for a second, she added, “That sounds like it could be dangerous.”
“As long as you don’t fall asleep at the wheel, it’s perfectly safe. You can bring yourself back from alpha at any time.”
“Alpha? Beta? Do I need to know this?”
He laughed. “There won’t be a test, if that’s what you mean, but it’s always good to know what’s going on. Every part of your body vibrates to its own rhythm. Your brain has a unique set of brain waves. In neuroscience, there are five distinct brain wave frequencies, namely beta, alpha, theta, delta, and gamma. We’ll only go from beta to alpha and back.”
“What are all the other states for?”
“Well, theta is that twilight state between sleep and barely awake. Deep sleep is a very low frequency called delta. We won’t even approach gamma.
“Just remember that you can bring yourself back from alpha to beta at any time. I’ll put you into a very relaxed alpha state called a trance. From there, we can access your subconscious mind. Do you have any other questions?”
“No. Do you?”
He smiled. “Not right now. When we begin, I want you to remember you’re completely safe. If anything makes you uncomfortable, all you have to do is raise your hand, and we’ll stop the session immediately. But let me bring you back gently. Don’t jolt yourself back to full consciousness, even though you can.”
“Okay. I think I’ll be okay.” She surprised herself when she realized she meant it.
“Good. I want you to find a comfortable position. You can recline in the chair or sit up or lie on the floor. Whatever is most comfortable for you.”
She glanced at the carpet, not because she was actually thinking of lying down, but because she wondered if anyone did. It looked clean, but yuck. It could be full of ground-in dirt from people’s shoes, dropped cookie crumbs, or who knew what else. “Nope. I’m good.”
“Okay. Let’s begin. Take three deep, cleansing breaths, and let them out slowly. Breathe in, hold it for a few seconds, and relax as you exhale.” He spoke softly. “Simply breathe deeply and relax a little more each time you exhale. Inhale…and exhale. You can close your eyes or allow them to drift closed on their own as you relax.” His voice had already taken on a dreamlike quality.
He asked her to breathe normally while he counted her down to an even deeper relaxed state. Other than feeling boneless after a good orgasm, she didn’t know how much more relaxed she could get.
“Seven, six… Even more relaxed.Five, four… Deeper and deeper.Three, two…and one. You’re completely relaxed.”
Soon he was describing a beautiful, safe, calm place. He led her along the grassy banks of a slow-flowing river. He told her to feel the sun on her shoulders, smell the freshness of the pine-scented air, and listen to the birds as they chirped in the distance. He let her spend a few moments just enjoying the peacefulness of the place as his voice trailed off.
Suddenly, she wasn’t alone. A beautiful woman who looked like her grandmother but many years younger than she remembered her walked out of the woods.
“Grams?”
“Hello, darling.”
“Is it really you?”
“Yes. My soul is here with you.”
“Just your soul? Because I see you. You look different, but I know it’s you.”
“I’m in my prime and completely healthy.”
“Is that what I’ve been seeing? People’s souls? Why aren’t they all as young and healthy as you are?”
“Sometimes, spirits resist moving on. It’s usually due to a reluctance to leave loved ones or because of some unfinished business.”
