Trance Exercise – “That’s Right”

from Training Trances, by John Overdurf and Julie Silverthorn, Metamorphous Press 1994

The name of this exercise is “That’s right!” Here’s what we’ll do. There will be three people -
an A, a B, and a C. This is one of these exercises which will challenge you significantly! Particularly if you’re B. We’ll start with B. B, your job is to do the following, just sit there and B (be), ok?

Now A is going to look at B, and notice that B is just sitting there. Before A does anything else, A is going to make a representation in his or her mind which will be the foundation of this training. A is going to hold three beliefs about B in his/her mind to direct and align their intention.

The first belief about B is: “You are a great hypnotic subject.” So you’re going to make a picture in your mind of B being a great hypnotic subject. You’re then going to include the belief (as you’re saying this to B in your mind), “You are totally resourceful” and the third belief that you’ll be holding is: “You can change easily and timely.”

Take a few moments to create a picture in your mind of that person with all of the qualities which would be present in someone who personifies these beliefs:

“YOU’RE A GREAT HYPNOTIC SUBJECT”

“YOU ARE TOTALLY RESOURCEFUL”

“YOU CAN CHANGE EASILY AND TIMELY”

Make arrangements for your unconscious mind to hold these beliefs in the back of your mind during the entire time you do this exercise. Then whenever A observes B doing anything at all which they would consider to be trance, you know what A is going to say, don’t you? “That’s right… that’s right… that’s right.” That’s all A is going to do. A will look at B meaningfully,

and say “That’s right” whenever they see B do any behavior which looks like trance. A continues to observe what occurs.

C has the most interesting job of all. C’s job is to go into an “uptime,” or outside trance, which we’re going to teach you. (See below) A fast way to access this state is to go into peripheral vision. C’s job is, appropriately enough, to “see.” So when you’re C, you see… the relationship between A and B. When C sees A and B form a hypnotic relationship, then C will begin to nod hypnotically. Now, do you know how to nod hypnotically? This is nodding hypnotically (nods very slowly and cataleptically). You continue to do that as long as you observe that the relationship between A and B is hypnotic.

This is a 30 min. exercise @ 10 min/round, so everyone will have the opportunity to be in each role.

This exercise is designed to create trance in each position. However, the trance state for each position is different. The function of the respective roles (A, B, or C) determines the difference in the trance.