Being

Here is a way for a hypnotherapist - or you yourself - to gently guide you into a wonderful trance state.

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Sit or lie, get comfortable, and close your eyes.

Now open up your hearing and bring in everything you can hear - extend your sense of hearing so you become aware of the sounds inside and outside you,  sounds near and far, even the silence beyond, all at the same time. Imagine you are floating in a sea of sound.

Gently open your eyes, but keep them out of focus, staring blankly into space without actually looking at anything, as you might do in a daydream, as you begin to consciously connect with yourself as a body-mind-spirit sitting there. Become aware of the colors and shapes in front of your eyes and at the same time, everything you hear.

Now, add to this everything you feel. Become aware the sensations of air on your face and your hands, the clothes on your body, the pressure of the surface you're resting upon. Become aware of your heartbeat, of your breath coming in and out. - and at the same time, the shapes and colors in front of your eyes and everything you hear.

And if there are any smells or tastes you are aware of, bring them in too.

And be here, aware of everything coming in through your five senses, all at the same time. Float in a sea of sensation.

And if thoughts come, that's fine - let them come and let them go, like a butterfly flying in one window and out another.

Aware of the space around you, in front of you, on both sides, above and below, behind you. And this awareness extends out and out - there is no boundary or edge to it - it is all around and through you.

And if you can, get a sense of the you, the I, that is perceiving all of this, and where it is, its location. [long pause]

Now (if you like), maintaining the same state, stand up. Walk across the room (or outside), aware of the shifting of your balance, the contact points of your feet as you walk.

Then sit or lie back as before, maintaining the same state, aware of everything coming in through your five senses.

You can do this for two minutes or for twenty. You can do it sitting, lying, standing, walking. You might want to do it lying in bed, as you are about to sleep

And when you are ready to come back, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and release, bringing yourself all the way back to everyday time, space, and awareness - and when you are ready, you can open your eyes.