through the selective use of
self-hypnosis, arrive at a more rewarding, well-adjusted and fuller
life.

MELVIN POWERS

12015 Sherman Road
No. Hollywood, California 91605

Chapter 1

What You Should Know About Self-Hypnosis

Hypnosis has been defined as a state of heightened suggestibility in
which the subject is able to uncritically accept ideas for
self-improvement and act on them appropriately. When a hypnotist
hypnotizes his subject, it is known as hetero-hypnosis. When an
individual puts himself into a state of hypnosis, it is known as
self-hypnosis. In both cases, the subject has achieved a heightened
state of suggestibility. Even in hetero-hypnosis, the subject really
controls the response to suggestions. Actually, all hypnosis is really a
matter of self-hypnosis. The subject enters into the hypnotic state when
he is completely ready to do so. This may require from one to many
attempts before it is achieved. Even if the subject insists that he
wants to be hypnotized immediately, he may be resisting hypnosis
unconsciously.

In self-hypnosis the same thing usually takes place. The subject is
anxious to achieve self-hypnosis, but somehow the state eludes him.
What's wrong? It may be that he is unconsciously resisting it, hasn't
conditioned himself sufficiently, or has achieved the hypnotic state and
doesn't know he is in the state. This last statement may be surprising,
but we will examine it in detail a little later on.

Most experts agree that about 90 percent of the population can be
hypnotized. My own feeling is that probably 99 percent can be
hypnotized. Who among us is not influenced by suggestion? Aren't we all,
as we have seen, influenced by the suggestions of advertising? Don't we
all have a tendency to believe what we read in the paper, hear on the
radio or see on television? Aren't we all convinced that a name-brand
article is better than one that is not so well-known?

Suggestion plays a tremendously important role in our daily lives. It
begins from naming the baby with an appropriate name to securing a
suitable place for interment. I would like to call the reader's
attention to a fascinating book dealing with the unconscious reasons why
we do many of the things that we do. You will be intrigued with every
page of the book. It is called _The Hidden Persuaders_ by Vance Packard.

My contention is that we are all suggestibl