15 - Induction - Dissociation
This is where we shift our delivery and slow down, where we prepare to encourage our subjects to “let go.”
You may even begin to notice your breathing has changed… becoming aware of how each breath out allows you to relax comfortably and effortlessly… relaxing further and further… letting yourself go just a bit more deeply into that chair that you’re sitting on… your shoulders resting back as you settle in… your muscles letting go… that feeling coming naturally to your arms and legs as those relax in kind… and the sounds surrounding us continue… the sound of the computer fan… the sound as you breathe out… and the sound of my voice and even the different sounds the different letters would make… all while you relax deeper and deeper…
That was our final build of tension. There’s no gimmicks here - your partner can notice whatever they want, but we solidify our reframe of sounds that would be distracting as something that can help them relax.
And maybe those gentle breaths out would bring to mind those times where you can just ignore everything… maybe zoning out before bed… or where you’re silently and comfortably enjoying time in the presence of friends… or just taking a quiet moment for yourself… when you can just let everything drift…
(Slowing down even more here… pausing…)
Maybe it feels like daydreaming… sinking… or floating… like a dream-like cloud is passing by, taking you with it… as you enjoy that feeling of release and calm…
The original section here is so well worded it’s difficult to improve or rephrase. Here we invite them to let go, relax, and just enjoy the experience as deeply as they like. In addition, we introduce a new technique, imagery as indirect suggestion.
Most of the previous content has all been done directly but permissively - bouncing their attention to things that exist, encouraging them to notice their interoception as they relax their body, and asking them to listen to the sound of our voice and guidance. Now we’re shifting to indirect suggestion to guide them into something special.
When we give the imagery of clouds and dreaming, we don’t always know exactly how someone will respond. At this point, unless we’re mind readers, this is ideal. This suggestion could do any number of things:
- Maybe they noticed their back is a bit tense. They let out a deep sigh and relax that final spot on their body that we didn’t know about.
- Perhaps they were thinking of the bills they have to pay or how rent’s a bit tight. They let go of that as the cloud “takes over.”
- They’ve been latching on and analyzing the process. Now they can finally just let go and watch it happen.
- They might begin to daydream about floating in the sky, or something completely unrelated.
With this implication, we give them an opportunity to think about whatever they like for the moment that would help them relax more, as well as to start watching the process instead of making it happen. While dissociation often has a negative connotation, it can be done and experienced quite pleasantly, as demonstrated here.
There’s no rush… The dust of those thoughts will settle to the ground in its own time… the sounds surrounding us soothing you… relaxing you… and as you continue to notice the sound of my voice… your body continues to relax… Letting go further and further… Just sinking… just relaxing… just drifting in to that dream like cloud…
There’s a quote that’s so damn useful from the original that I’d like to explicitly highlight it.
Everything can settle down in its own time…
If there’s anything to take away from this induction - it’s this. Give your subject the reassurance that their thoughts are perfectly normal, that things can slow down on their own, and there’s nothing they have to do to make it happen. Many people feel their thoughts need to stop entirely, or they’ll experience complete quiet or serenity. Whatever they’re experiencing right now is fine, and they don’t need to fight for it. That single sentence from Graham Old elegantly encapsulates this concept simply and succinctly. Use it.
Those times where there’s nothing left to do… just drifting, just relaxing, just enjoying… where it’s so easy to relax… and so easy to let go… when you want to relax… when you want to let go…
I’ve deviated gently from the source material and tossed in a few more suggestions. I’ve implied that it’s easy to relax and let go, and that they want to do so. If you want to add a bit of non-therapeutic paprika to the induction, try this - it’s called analog marking. Emphasize the bolded words to shift the meaning.
it’s so easy to relax… and so easy to let go… when (tiny pause) you want to relax… and when you want to (tiny pause) let go…
After inviting them to let go that last time, I’d pause for an additional five to ten seconds. Partially to give them time to make it happen, and also as practice for you. Pausing after giving a suggestion, while feeling awkward, exudes confidence and builds expectation. If you ask someone if their eyelids are becoming heavy, you need to give them time to notice just how they feel. MMHA said that Erickson believed going slow is going fast, and while I can’t find the source, it’s good advice.
Just letting that feeling of relaxation build… noticing how your body feels… how much calmer your breathing is than before… as you sink deeper and deeper…
We give them a little encouragement to top that feeling off.