batim any of the tests involved in proving the
somnambulistic state. All that is necessary to remember is the general
form and the goal you seek. The goal is to increase your suggestibility
which, in turn, means deepening of the hypnotic state. After each step,
you are to give yourself suggestions that you will go still deeper the
next time. You should also designate a specific length of time to work
with self-hypnosis. The suggestions are as follows: "I shall work with
self-hypnosis for 15 minutes. At the end of that time, I shall open my
eyes and wake up feeling wonderfully well. I'll be wide awake and
refreshed. In case of any danger, I'll be able to awaken immediately and
act accordingly."

Some hypnotists tell their subjects to "make your mind a blank." I
suppose what they really mean is that you must try to think of only what
the hypnotist is saying. Have you ever tried to make your mind a blank?
Try it for a moment. It's an impossibility. Should the hypnotist
persist along these lines, he'll never be successful. It is the wrong
approach. The subject, because of his inability to comply with this
suggestion, is fighting a losing battle. It is also almost impossible
for the subject to concentrate only on what the hypnotist is saying. Any
word the hypnotist says can start a conscious as well as unconscious
train of thought. Therefore, in reality, this, too, is impossible.
However, it really isn't necessary that the subject keep his thoughts
concentrated solely on what is being said so long as they are kept in
the general area. At times, the more you try to concentrate, the more
your thoughts become scattered. Suppose I say to you, "Forget the
address 8721 Sunset Boulevard." What happens? The more you try to forget
it, the more you remember it. Therefore, don't be concerned if you
experience stray thoughts during the induction and deepening of
hypnosis. You are now ready to continue with further tests. The first
five tests should be mastered before continuing.

Test No. 6 is referred to as the "fly" test. In this test, once under
hypnosis, you picture that a fly is crawling on the back of your right
or left hand. Once you feel the fly, you know you are deeply hypnotized.
You might even get an urge to move your hand and flick the fly off your
hand. When this happens, you know, of course, that you are deeply
hypnotized. Here is a sample of the type of suggestions to give:

"As I count to ten and even before I reach th