Hypnotic Relaxation Script
Copyright © Donald Robertson, 2011. All rights reserved.
This is a traditional-style hypnotherapy script designed for either groups or individuals, purely as a means of relaxation training. It can be read verbatim. With individuals it’s very helpful to obtain ratings of relaxation (0-100%) before, during, and after. It can also be recorded and used for self-hypnosis.
Hypnotic Relaxation Script
[Preparation]
Please close your eyes and make your body comfortable… You are about to begin a very simple process of self-hypnosis carefully designed to help you relax very deeply indeed… Hypnosis is not relaxation; it’s got more to do with focused attention, imagination, and expectation… However, relaxation is one of the simplest and most useful things you can do with hypnosis…
People get out of self-hypnosis more or less what they put into it… So think of this as a personal experiment, an opportunity to show yourself how deeply you can relax when you really put your heart and soul into doing so… Each time you use this exercise you will probably find yourself relaxing more quickly, deeply, and easily than before… You will learn more about relaxation and how to get the most out of it… Remember there are many factors that can influence how well you relax on a particular occasion… This exercise may work better on some days than others… That’s okay… That’s normal… Just keep practising as often as possible and notice how you improve over time…
Use these techniques as often as you possibly can… At least once a day for at least two weeks is normal… The more you practice, the more quickly you will condition your body and mind to relaxation… Right now, nothing else matters, it’s time to let things drop from your mind for a while and do nothing but rest…
[Posture]
Settle down and relax… It doesn’t matter whether you’re seated or lying down… Take a moment to make yourself comfortable, have your feet side-by-side and your hands resting on your lap… It helps to adopt a fairly neutral and balanced position… Become aware of the sensations in your body… Adjust your position to make sure you are completely at ease…
Right now, rest and do nothing. In a few moments, I will ask you to open your eyes and look up toward your forehead or at a point overhead on the ceiling… Fixing your eyes in the right position will make them strain and feel very tired… Your role is simply to make your eyes feel more tired and close more quickly… You can do this by imagining that the eyelids feel heavy, and telling yourself they want to close… It will be very easy for you to make your eyelids close just by imagining that they feel heavier and heavier with each exhalation of breath… When your eyelids close, let yourself relax completely and continue relaxing deeper and deeper and deeper again…
Deep relaxation is accompanied by a pleasant feeling of contentment and peace of mind, as if you’re smiling to yourself inside… With a little practice these responses will become more and more powerful and automatic… For over a hundred years, hypnotists have associated relaxation with eye-closure and the use of the trigger word “SLEEP” but that’s just a signal to relax… Hypnosis is not sleep… You may feel fully aware or partially asleep in hypnosis, either way that’s fine… For the time being, imagine that any sounds you hear or sensations you feel simply help you to go deeper into hypnotic relaxation…
[Induction]
Now, turn your gaze gently upwards and very slowly open your eyes and look up at the ceiling or toward your own forehead… Imagine you are looking at a bright light… Keep staring deep into that light… and imagine you can feel it shining deeper and deeper into your eyes, making them want to close and relax…
Now, in a moment, I’m going to begin counting back from five all the way down to zero… As I count, count along with me, quietly under your breath… Imagine with each number we count that your eyelids feel more heavy, tired, and sleepy. Let them close as soon as they want to close…
Beginning now… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Zero… Let your eyelids close all the way down and relax completely… SLEEP NOW… Relax your eyes completely… Relax your face completely… Relax your body completely… Relax your mind completely… SLEEP NOW…
Forget about everything else for a while. Just let go and relax as deeply as you can possibly imagine relaxing right now… Send wave upon wave of relaxation deep into the very centre of your being… again… and again… and again… SLEEP DEEPER…
[Autogenic Suggestions]
Now listen to the following suggestions in turn, allowing yourself to accept them completely and utterly… Imagine the feelings as powerfully as you can… Beginning now…
My whole body is becoming relaxed and comfortable. My whole body is becoming relaxed and comfortable. My whole body now feels relaxed and comfortable…
My legs are becoming relaxed and comfortable. My legs are becoming relaxed and comfortable. My legs now feel relaxed and comfortable…
My arms are becoming relaxed and comfortable. My arms are becoming relaxed and comfortable. My arms now feel relaxed and comfortable…
My arms and legs are becoming relaxed and comfortable. My arms and legs are becoming relaxed and comfortable. My arms and legs now feel relaxed and comfortable…
My neck and shoulders are becoming limp and relaxed. My neck and shoulders are becoming limp and relaxed. My neck and shoulders now feel limp and relaxed…
My facial expression is becoming peaceful and relaxed. My facial expression is becoming peaceful and relaxed. My facial expression is now peaceful and relaxed…
My whole body is becoming relaxed and comfortable. My whole body is becoming relaxed and comfortable. My whole body now feels relaxed and comfortable…
My breathing is becoming gentle and soothing. My breathing is becoming gentle and soothing. My breathing now feels gentle and soothing…
My heart is becoming peaceful and contented. My heart is becoming peaceful and contented. My heart now feels peaceful and contented…
My mind is becoming peaceful and contented. My mind is becoming peaceful and contented. My mind now feels peaceful and contented…
Everything is becoming peaceful and relaxed. Everything is becoming peaceful and relaxed. Everything is now peaceful and relaxed…
Good. Now just rest and imagine going much deeper into hypnotic relaxation… [Pause]
[Counting Deepener]
Now, in a moment, I’m going to begin counting from ten down to zero… Think only of pleasant sleep and relaxation… With each number I count, just imagine that you are relaxing the whole of your body and mind deeper and deeper and deeper again… far beyond your previous level of relaxation…
Beginning now… On ten, SLEEP DEEPER… On nine, SLEEP DEEPER… On eight, SLEEP DEEPER… On seven, SLEEP DEEPER… On six, SLEEP DEEPER… On five, SLEEP DEEPER… On four, SLEEP DEEPER… On three, SLEEP DEEPER… On two, SLEEP DEEPER… On one, SLEEP DEEPER… And on zero, SLEEP DEEPER… [Pause]
[Breathing]
Good. Now do nothing… Just relax your body… Relax your mind… Focus on your breathing… particularly the out-breath… With each exhalation of breath, just imagine that you are relaxing over and over again, deeper and deeper and deeper… If it helps, repeat the word “PEACE” or another calming word to yourself, with each release of breath… Now I’m just going to allow you to continue relaxing in silence, contemplating each exhalation of breath, and repeating the word “PEACE”, or whichever word you choose to meditate upon as a kind of autosuggestion or instruction to yourself to keep letting go deeper into relaxation of the body and mind… Focusing on the breathing and the use of that word… Beginning now… [Pause 5-10 min.]
Good. Now just allow your mind to gradually become silent…
[Emerging]
In a moment, I am going to begin counting from one up to five. With each number I count, you are emerging from a wonderful experience of deep, therapeutic relaxation. [Pause]
Beginning now… on the count of one, from the tips of your toes, all the way up to the top of your head, you feel calm, relaxed, and confident. You feel good. On the count of two, as you begin to breathe more deeply, with every breath you now take, imagine you are breathing more calm, relaxation, and confidence into your body. On the count of three, your mind is calm, relaxed, and confident; your thinking is powerful, positive, solution-focused, and self-aware. On the count of four, your eyes beam with the calm, relaxation, and confidence that you now project to other people. Your eyes want to move, they want to flutter and open, and look around the room. Now on the count of five, opening your eyes, as you take a deep breath and stretch, begin moving your arms and your legs. Now taking those positive feelings forward with you… into action, into the future, into life.
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