Hypnosis is not magic. Hypnosis is a form of continuous concentration so that you are not aware of your surroundings while focusing on something else. In contrast to falling asleep, hypnosis puts you in a very high state of consciousness. Self-hypnosis using the “Best Me” technique is done by focusing your mind on creating a virtual experience so that you can increase your self-confidence, motivate yourself to achieve goals, and overcome anxiety or trauma.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Prepare
Step 1. Make sure your condition is not too sleepy if you want to do hypnosis
You need to be alone so that you can focus on imagining that you are successful in achieving your goals. If you are too tired, you may fall asleep right away.
Step 2. Have a snack 1-2 hours in advance
You'll have a hard time focusing if you're hungry or too full. Eat enough to give you enough energy to meditate, but don't get too full.
Step 3. Find a quiet place to practice the “Best Me” technique
You should be in a place free of distractions because a sudden sound will bring your level of consciousness back to its original state. Cozy and tidy small room is the best place.
Step 4. Make sure no one will interrupt you
Turn off the ringing of cell phones, landlines, and electronic devices first. Make sure you can be alone for a certain amount of time and that no one is bothering you during the session.
Step 5. Find the most comfortable position
When hypnotizing yourself, you have to sit down so you don't fall asleep. To reach a hypnotic state, perform the following steps:
- Choose a comfortable foot position. Classical meditation is usually done while sitting cross-legged, but you can kneel, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out, or sit in a chair. Make sure you can sit comfortably during the hypnosis process.
- Try to straighten your back so you can breathe deeply. Sit in a chair if you have trouble straightening your back without leaning back.
- Place your palms in certain positions to make it easier for you to concentrate, such as on your thighs or holding your palms together as if you were praying. Determine the most comfortable hand position.
Step 6. Breathe deeply and calmly
In preparation for applying the "Best Me" technique, close your eyes and begin to inhale and exhale slowly. Focus only on the breath, nothing else. This method helps you calm your mind and prepares you to concentrate so that you can enter higher consciousness.
Method 2 of 4: Self Hypnosis with the “Best Me” Technique
Step 1. Perform the steps according to the "Best Me" technique
Each letter that makes up the word "Best Me" stands for each step in the hypnosis process. You are free to choose the order (the order below is BESTME) or you want to use a different word. However, you should take all steps to ensure that you experience all aspects of yourself when imagining the things you want to experience.
- B - Belief system (belief system)
- E - Emotions
- S - Sensations and physical experiences
- T - Thoughts and images
- M - Motives (patterns)
- E - Expectations (expectations)
Step 2. Choose a place where you feel safe (“belief system”)
Think or imagine a certain place that gives you a sense of security, calm, and happiness. Choose a place you like and there is no “wrong” place. However, you can only choose one place and you can't change it to make it easier for you to enter a relaxed state. Places that provide a sense of security, for example:
- Beach
- Shady garden
- Vacation places you have visited
- The room in the house that you like the most (a house you have lived in or are currently living in)
- Places you see in photos or TV shows
Step 3. Imagine that you are in a safe place (physical sensations and experiences are part of the hypnosis process)
Use all of your senses to feel sensations, not just your sense of sight. When imagining a safe place in detail, let the calm you experience relax you. For example, if your imagined safe place is the beach at sunset, focus your thoughts on the following:
- Color: golden red at sunset, blue sea water
- Sound: waves crashing and the sound of seagulls
- The sensation: the wind against your skin and the warmth of the sand on the soles of your feet
- Aroma and taste: clean sea air with a hint of salt
Step 4. Let the peace you feel in a safe place dispel negative emotions
Immerse in the peace that surrounds you so that you become calm and relaxed. Say to yourself: “I feel calm and at peace.”
Step 5. Let the calm you feel control your mind
At first, your thoughts will keep popping up. Don't try to fight it, instead focus your thoughts on safety again. Imagine that you go further into an atmosphere of calm and peace, go further, go further into calm and peace while keeping your mind focused.
- If you're having trouble getting rid of negative thoughts, imagine seeing those thoughts as images on your TV screen and then using the remote control to mute the sound, change the color to black and white, and turn off the TV.
- Alternatively, put the picture in a drawer and then close the drawer.
Step 6. Enjoy the peace
You have no other motive, you don't want to be anywhere else, you don't want to do anything else. What you want is just to experience the freedom in this place, to want to dream, to want to float with the flow until you are fully in the happiness of your own creation.
Step 7. Imagine that you go further into a safe place
Don't worry about whether or not you managed to hypnotize yourself, but just go with what you want. Hypnosis can only be done by focusing the mind. Focus on imagining a safe place and imagining yourself there too. You are already hypnotized when you feel yourself fully there. The creator of this technique says, “The farther you go, the more capable you are of reaching your goal. The further you reach your goal, the more you want to go and the more enjoyable your experience becomes."
Step 8. Repeat the steps as often as possible
Experience the sensations you once had by returning to safety. Feel at peace by letting your thoughts disappear. Enjoy the freedom as you walk further until you are completely in a safe place.
Step 9. Associate a safe place with a word
Once you have created and felt peace in a safe place, think of a name for the condition you are experiencing. Even if you're not under hypnosis, you can use the name to experience a sense of calm and relaxation again.
Step 10. End the hypnosis session or you can continue to experience what has not happened or experience what has happened again
If you are learning how to hypnotize yourself or just want to relax and calm yourself, you can end the hypnosis session. However, if needed, you can continue your hypnosis session by experiencing what hasn't happened, for example by imagining you've reached a certain goal to increase your confidence and motivation. In addition, you can continue the hypnosis session by re-experiencing the emotions you've experienced to build self-confidence and relieve anxiety.
Method 3 of 4: Experiencing Unprecedented Success
Step 1. Determine the goals you want to achieve
Focus on one goal in each session. Determine goals that you consider important that cause anxiety about whether you can achieve them. Imagine that you succeeded in achieving those goals and enjoying the results to build your confidence and motivate you to achieve your desired goals. The “Best Me” technique helps you achieve a variety of goals, for example in terms of:
- Education
- Sing
- Dance
- Sports/fitness
- Creative writing
- Health
- Start a business/get the job you want
- Lose weight or quit smoking
Step 2. Imagine that you successfully achieved your goal using the “Best Me” steps
Once you're in a safe place, imagine you've made it to your goal in detail. The more detailed the scenario you envision and the more steps you take, the better the outcome.
- To motivate yourself, imagine the reward you will get if you achieve your goal, for example: going on vacation.
- Imagine you get a reward for successfully achieving an intermediate goal. For example, if you want to quit smoking, imagine having dinner as a gift to yourself for not smoking for a week or telling your friends proudly that you haven't smoked for a month.
Step 3. Imagine that your goal has been achieved
Visualize you're getting a promotion or receiving a diploma or whatever because you made it to your goal. Create the best possible moments of success just as you would when creating a safe haven by seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling it. Think carefully about what you will do and say, what other people will do and say.
Step 4. Imagine that you are satisfied and proud that you achieved your goal
Visualize the admiring faces of your friends and family. Also think about what they will tell you. Imagine how proud and happy you are. Give yourself a chance to feel the emotion fully.
Step 5. Don't think about anything else
If distracting thoughts arise, redirect your attention to the state you are imagining. Feel your success deeply as if you had actually experienced it.
Step 6. Expect success
Even if it's only in your mind, feeling the success and emotions of the people around you will create a strong memory that will make you believe that you will succeed. This enables you to take action with confidence and always expect success.
Step 7. End the hypnosis by counting to five
Tell yourself that your consciousness will slowly return to its original state on the count of five.
- One – start to regain consciousness.
- Two – you feel happy and confident.
- Three - more aware. Focus on yourself by noticing your breath and feeling the floor or chair beneath you.
- Four – approaching the state of consciousness before being hypnotized. Be aware of sounds and sensations in the room you are in.
- Five – open your eyes. You are fully aware and feel happy.
Method 4 of 4: Relive the Emotions You've Experienced to Boost Confidence
Step 1. Recall a moment that made you feel confident and motivated
Just as you imagine a safe place, try to remember the specific moment. Where are you? What are you doing? Who is with you?
Step 2. Recreate the moment using the “Best Me” technique
Start by imagining yourself in the past. What did you see then? What do you hear, feel, smell? What are you doing? What do you say? Visualize the moment so clearly that it feels like it's actually happening.
Step 3. Feel the emotions you've been through
When you re-experience the state you imagined, you will feel the emotions you once experienced. Give yourself a chance to experience the moment again.
Step 4. Get rid of negative thoughts
When distracting thoughts arise, ignore them and then focus your thoughts on the original scenario. If the thought persists, imagine seeing it as an image on a TV screen and turning it off or putting it in a drawer and closing it.
Step 5. Believe that you will succeed
Memories that have to do with strong feelings will have a huge impact. Relive memories including the emotions of those around you who feel confident and happy leading you to inevitable success. Enjoy this feeling while hoping for success. Get used to acting, thinking, and feeling like a person who will not fail.
Step 6. Associate positive feelings with certain words
Once you've had the experience, think of one word to describe it. Focus on the word as you recall the experiences and feelings that came up. Later on, you can use the word to bring out the same feeling again if needed.
Step 7. End the hypnosis session by counting to five
Your consciousness will slowly return to its original state on the count of five.
- One – start to regain consciousness.
- Two – focus on your emotions: feeling happy and confident.
- Three – focus on the breath, sensations throughout the body, feeling the floor and the chair beneath you.
- Four – be aware of the room around you. Recognize sounds and smells.
- Five – open your eyes. You are fully aware and feel confident that you will achieve success.
Tips
- Use a few words when doing the "Best Me" technique. Your imagination, sensations, and feelings are the most important things.
- When you first hypnotize yourself, you may not have reached deep awareness, didn't immediately feel your goal accomplished, or relived the emotions you were experiencing. Keep trying. Just like any other skill, the “Best Me” technique needs to be practiced.
- In addition to using the "Best Me" technique, you can consult a psychologist, counselor, or psychiatrist who will help you set goals, deal with anxiety, and boost your self-confidence.
