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HYPNOTIC ANALGESIA IN PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
209
such as numbness or warmth, or tingling or pressure, for any unpleasant
sensations. As you consider this, you may already be feeling different
sensations—sensations that slowly and easily take the place of any
uncomfortable feelings. Indeed, you may have noticed different feelings,
such as numbness, warmth, or a tingling sensation where there used to
be uncomfortable feelings even before I suggested it.
As you continue, you can notice the different, but not unpleasant or
uncomfortable, feelings grow; notice how you are more aware of these
feelings. In fact, your nerves are sending all kinds of feelings to your
brain all the time, and your brain can choose to filter out the uncomfort-
able feelings and become more aware of, and even to amplify, these
other more comfortable feelings. You can notice, more and more, how
you are more aware of other feelings in the areas that are sometimes
uncomfortable. And now you can relax further and allow these other
feelings to grow, to expand, to take up more and more of your attention,
so that your mind is less and less able to notice or even be aware of any
uncomfortable feelings. You might find yourself noticing different
aspects of these other feelings. For example I wonder if you might be
curious about how absorbed you can become in noticing feelings like
numbness, tingling, or whatever other sensation you may have. What a
relief to replace any sense of discomfort by being more and more aware
of these other sensations and feelings.
Self-hypnosis and posthypnotic suggestions.
Following the last hyp-
notic induction of each session, participants were given suggestions
for: (a) an ability to practice and experience hypnotic analgesia again,
on their own, with the recommendation that they do so; (b) increased
ability to experience hypnosis and hypnotic analgesia over time and
with practice; and (c) the extension of the benefits of hypnotic-analgesia
practice beyond the treatment and practice sessions. A slightly short-
ened version of the script that contains these suggestions follows.
All right, it is now time to extend any comfort and skills you have gained
in this session into your daily life. Begin by taking a deep, comfortable,
relaxing breath and hold it . . . hold it for a moment . . . and then let it
slowly out. That’s right. [ATTEND TO THE PARTICIPANT’S BREATH-
ING AND COORDINATE YOUR SPEAKING EMPHASIS WITH THE
PARTICIPANT’S BREATH.] Really feel the sensations of each breath.
Notice that breathing in feels different than breathing out. Now, I’d like
you to imagine something with me. Imagine that you are breathing
comfort in each time you breathe in . . . actual comfort, each time you
breathe in . . . and imagine you are breathing tension or discomfort out
each time you breath out. [CONTINUE, REPEATING WITH THE PAR-
TICIPANT’S BREATHING, TWO TIMES.] Comfort in . . . tension out . . .
comfort in . . . tension out. As you do so, maybe you already notice that
you can feel relaxation and comfort washing over you, like warm water
in a bath. As you allow yourself to relax more and more. . . . And you can
be aware that any time you would like to feel more comfortable, any
time later today, tomorrow, or any other time you want to feel more