220.09 - Overload and Attention Bouncing

Here’s a nuance I missed until I carefully re-read Binaural Histolog’s notes on Dissociation Inductions - the difference between attention bouncing and overload. To put it clearly…

• Attention Bouncing shifts focus from one thing to another
• Overload stacks simultaneous focus

(Frankly - this page is pretty similar to Binaural Histolog’s talk on Dissociation Inductions. I just say fuck a lot more and have an attitude problem.)

Attention Bouncing Inductions

Here’s the idea - manually force them to shift their mental focus to the point where they’re mentally exhausted - finding ‘trance’ a comfortable exit plan from putting up with that bullshit. There’s evidence to suggest this theory is incorrect, but this seems to work sometimes in a recreational context. (This could also just be the byproduct of them playing a mental game of Simon Says with you long enough that they begin to follow along automatically.)

Seven Plus or Minus Two is probably popular because Mind Play says it’s solid. It’s not… bad. It’s just not special. Here’s a general structure to the induction below. It’s not exact, but it’ll work.

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1. Relax, just listen, be as lazy as you want to be.
2. Notice…
   1. My voice (the sound of my voice)
   2. And at the same time, your breathing… becoming aware of the pace… just resting and relaxing…
   3. As you imagine seeing yourself relaxing or pretending to sleep… (Dissociative)
   4. the breath in and breath out about the same length… and the out-breath eventually becoming just a bit longer than the in breath…
   5. Listening to the sound of my voice…
   6. How you appear in third person…
   7. Your breathing…
   8. Or how [body part 1] feels against the furniture
   9. And noticing my voice…
   10. Perhaps becoming aware that you may have forgotten about your breathing…
   11. But that’s okay…
3. Recap those four things.
4. Blahblah about what Seven Plus or Minus Two actually is, mostly to suggest ‘curiosity’ as to if someone really can hit that nine upper limit.
5. Let’s add another… the music in the background.
6. Recap list.
7. Add two more things.
8. Recap list.
9. Add two more things.
10. Recap list.
11. Highlight that they’re just scanning through those things
12. Recap list.
13. Invite them to think of just one thing - thinking of just how relaxed you might like to be in your body and mind. (No expectations, nothing to do, nothing but relaxation)

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I strongly prefer Graham Old’s sensory overlap induction over this - which I’ll talk about in the next section. Graham’s even been generous enough to share it on his web page. I recommend it.

Overload Inductions

So - you have a few options for this route - this is not an exhaustive list.

• Stack sensations through multiple channels. Hopefully they’re too worn out at the end and they just give in to your suggestions.
• Confuse someone to the point of no longer analyzing what you’re saying. Again, hopefully they’re tired of trying to figure out what you’re saying and just start to accept what you’re saying.
• Or do what Graham does - stack sensations, build tension, and go through loops of releasing it in to relaxation. You could use this technique to lead your subject anywhere you like - going back to a focal point, a feeling, an image, whatever.

And a few notes on confusion and overload:

• To some subjects, unless they’re really in to it, mental confusion can be really annoying - or just… go figure. Confusing.
• Kinesthetic confusion, on the other hand, is usually much more palatable. This doesn’t just have to be like overload we have here - this could be something such as a weird Ericksonian style handshake where he just ambiguously creeps on your hand like a spider to end a handshake. You’re just so weirded out you’re VERY focused on everything he’s doing.
• If you overload with an existing sensation or thought - you can utilize it. Help them build a pattern of either coming back to trance or knowing that it’s okay to notice those sensations.