Exploring Time Distortion in Hypnosis: A Journey Through Subjective Experience
Time flies when you’re having fun. Conversely, we’ve all experienced moments that drag on interminably, where glancing at the clock reveals that only a few minutes have passed, despite the feeling that hours have gone by. This intriguing phenomenon—where time seems to warp based on our focus and state of mind—illustrates the subjective nature of time perception.
In this blog, we delve into the fascinating realm of time distortion training, a concept explored by Dr. Linn F. Cooper and Dr. Milton H. Erickson. This section will discuss techniques designed to help individuals, already versed in the basics of trance states, to experience and manipulate time perception effectively. While some subjects may readily exhibit these phenomena on their first attempt, most will require extensive training, ranging from three to twenty hours, often spread over multiple sessions. This training demands not only technical skill and patience but also a deep understanding of the intricate interpersonal dynamics inherent in hypnosis.
Through consistent practice and the right approach, the ability to experience time distortion can be honed, though it may diminish without regular use, necessitating further retraining. Join us as we explore the methods, challenges, and potential of mastering time distortion in hypnosis, highlighting the delicate balance of technique and human interaction required for success.
In general, time distortion, and related phenomena, depend upon a high degree of withdrawal by the subject into their hallucinated world, accompanied by a lack of awareness of their surroundings.
This state of detachment, where the subject becomes completely engrossed in their hallucinatory experience, is the first goal in training.
When this state is achieved, subjects often report that during their task performance, they were unaware of their surroundings. Some have even described experiencing a slight "jolt" or "shock" at the termination signal. For instance, one subject, still in a trance state, described the termination of a task by saying, "When you called me out, I was combing my hair."
Sudden noises can also jolt a subject who is hallucinating during time distortion and sometimes they will destroy the production. A helpful suggestion to encourage withdrawal from the physical world is, "During these experiences, you will be completely unaware of your surroundings in the waking world."
Training and Techniques
Initial Detachment
Before the starting signal, while the experimenter is assigning the task, subjects typically think about what they will do. At the starting signal, well-trained subjects find themselves in the hallucinated world, living the assigned experience. This experience generally follows the instructions but is subject to the subject's volitional direction. For example, a subject who became uncomfortable while hallucinating the writing of a large amount of material interrupted the writing to hallucinate going to the bathroom and applying alcohol to the sore wrist.
Spontaneous and Effortless Fantasy Production
A well-trained subject does not consciously construct the details of their hallucinated world but finds themselves among them spontaneously and effortlessly. This is in contrast to the waking subject who might deliberately construct an image from memory, often lacking the "reality tone" characteristic of hallucinatory experience. One subject described self-induced trance by saying, "I first imagine myself in a certain situation, like lying on a rubber raft off a beach. After a while, everything comes into focus, and I'm 'actually there.'"
Avoiding Concurrent Reporting
The word "Now" is used as a starting and termination signal, and concurrent reporting is avoided. Concurrent reporting prevents the subject from detaching from their surroundings in the physical world, which is crucial for learning time distortion. Since experiences in distorted time proceed too rapidly relative to world time, they cannot be reported concurrently.
Encouraging a Free Flow of Material
Reality tone seems dependent on a free flow of material from the unconscious. Dreams, which are a form of hallucinatory experience with reality tone and time distortion, can be used as examples. Subjects are instructed to allow free association to guide their imagery during early training, with suggestions such as:
"When I give you the starting signal by saying, 'Now,' you will let some sort of visual image, or scene, come to you. It makes no difference what it is. As you watch, other images will come, of their own accord, one after another. These images will become more and more clear and more and more real, so that eventually you will find yourself 'actually there' in another world. You will be a part of that world, which will be just as real as the waking world, and you will truly live such experiences as you have there."
Progressive Training
Simple Activities: Initially, subjects experience simple continuous activities without suggestions for personal time. For example, "You are listening to a record."
Introduced Time Distortion: Next, subjects experience continuous activities with suggestions for personal time, such as, "You're going to listen to a record for 15 minutes."
Completed Activities: Subjects are then asked to perform completed activities, first without suggestions for personal time and then with. An example is, "You will spend 15 minutes cooking a meal."
Allotted Time: Subjects perform activities within an allotted period, both with and without suggestions for personal time. For instance, "You're listening to a record for two minutes."
Advanced Techniques
Metronome Use: A metronome set to tick at one beat per second can deepen trance, and its speed can be varied to influence the subject's perception of time.
Repeated Tasks: Repeating a given task with a constant allotted time helps subjects learn to finish the task within the interval allowed without hurrying.
Affirmatory Suggestions: Reinforcing suggestions like, "You will finish, won't you?" can increase the likelihood of the subject carrying out the suggestion.
Clinical Applications
Psychotherapists can find it instructive to review case reports, such as those by Erickson, on the clinical and therapeutic applications of time distortion. For example, a dental hygienist with a phobia of blood was taught to experience rapid time distortion in trance, which helped her overcome her phobia without being aware of the specific therapeutic intervention until it was completed.
Summary of Suggested Steps in Time Distortion Training
Experiencing continuous activities without suggestions for personal time.
Experiencing continuous activities with suggestions for personal time.
Experiencing completed activities without suggestions for personal time.
Experiencing completed activities with suggestions for personal time.
Performing continuous and completed activities within allotted periods, with and without suggestions for personal time.
Introducing and practicing shorter allotted times progressively.
Utilizing affirmatory reinforcement and other supportive techniques to enhance the subject's experience and skill in time distortion.
By following these steps and techniques, subjects can learn to experience significant time distortion, which has various practical applications in both experimental and clinical settings.
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