s be interested in further hypnotic phenomena, I refer them
to _Modern Hypnosis_ by Leslie Kuhn and Salvadore Russo, Ph.D.,
_Experimental Hypnosis_ by Leslie LeCron, _Time Distortion in Hypnosis_
by Milton Erickson, M.D. and Lynn F. Cooper, M.D., and _Hypnotism--An
Objective Study in Suggestibility_ by Andre M. Weitzenhoffer, Ph.D.

As discussed previously, some individuals experience difficulty in
attaining the deeper hypnotic states. My advice is to be patient and to
continue working with yourself. It is not imperative or vital to reach
the somnambulistic stage for therapeutic results. It is a misconception
on the part of many students that they must go into the deepest state
possible to obtain results. Dramatic changes can come about at all
levels of hypnosis. The somnambulistic state is necessary in
hypnotherapy when there is a need for the patient to relive some
traumatic episode. It is also useful when the patient is reluctant to
consciously discuss certain aspects of his problem. Many
hypnotherapeutic techniques such as amnesia, hypermnesia, progression,
paramnesia, automatic writing, dream induction, regression, production
of experimental conflicts and crystal or mirror gazing require a
somnambulistic state. For those of you interested in hypnotherapy, I can
recommend no finer book than _Hypnotherapy of War Neuroses_ by John G.
Watkins, Ph.D. In this book, the theory of hypnotherapy has been
diagramatically presented for easy comprehension and shown to be an
amalgamation of concepts and practices from various schools of thought.

Most students of hypnosis equate the phenomenon of amnesia with the
somnambulistic state. The mistake they make is in trying to achieve
amnesia. It's similar to the dog trying to catch his tail. It is
impossible for the subject to effectively suggest amnesia to himself. If
he remembers what he was supposed to forget, he has failed. If he truly
doesn't remember what he was supposed to forget, he doesn't even
remember the amnesia suggestion and can take no satisfaction from his
success because he is not aware that he has accomplished the
posthypnotic suggestion. Unless an elaborate set of posthypnotic
suggestions are worked out, it is an impossible test for self-hypnosis.

I know the reader is anxious to begin his conditioning for the
somnambulistic state, but there are still a few pertinent remarks which
should be remembered before proceeding further. The reader should not
memorize ver