HPC - Transcript-Manual - DVDs - Part 1

Hypnotic Pain Control DVD Transcript Manual – Part 1

By Igor Ledochowski

Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Table of Contents DVD #1 - Hypnotic Realities & Hypnotic Pain Control Demonstration ........................... 4 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4 Hypnotic Realities ........................................................................................................ 6 Hypnotic Pain Control ................................................................................................ 12 Demo 1: Russ ............................................................................................................. 15 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 26 Pain Perspectives ....................................................................................................... 30 Natural Pain Control .................................................................................................. 35 DVD #2 – The 7 Step Hypnotic Pain Control Method – Part 1 ....................................... 48 Meet The Clients ........................................................................................................ 48 Step 1: Medical Referral............................................................................................. 56 DVD #3 – The 7 Step Hypnotic Pain Control Method – Part 2 ....................................... 70 This Is Covert Hypnosis .............................................................................................. 70 The Art Of Healing ..................................................................................................... 79 Step 3: The Pain Scale ................................................................................................ 81 Step 4: Reframe Permanence .................................................................................... 84 Step 5: Reframe Sensation ......................................................................................... 92 Step 6: Reframe Message .......................................................................................... 96 DVD #4 – The Four Principles Of Pain Control, More Demonstrations & 3 Different Techniques You Can Use ............................................................................................. 107 Demo 2: Liz .............................................................................................................. 107 The Four Principles .................................................................................................. 120 Demo 3: Ralph ......................................................................................................... 123 Q&A Session ............................................................................................................ 131 The Fourth Principle ................................................................................................ 139 Technique 1: Classic Dissociation ............................................................................. 140 Technique 2: Cognitive Dissociation ......................................................................... 143 Technique 3: Mindful Body-Scan ............................................................................. 146 DVD #5 – Covert Communication, 13 More Pain Control Techniques You Can Use & Final Demo .................................................................................................................. 147 Technique 4: Mindful Description ............................................................................ 147 ©Street Hypnosis All Rights Reserved 2 Hypnotic Pain Control

Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Technique 5: Fractioning.......................................................................................... 149 Technique 6: Distraction .......................................................................................... 152 Covert Communication ............................................................................................ 153 Technique 7: Visualization ....................................................................................... 156 Demo 4: Gary ........................................................................................................... 156 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 170 Techniques 8-13 ...................................................................................................... 171 Techniques 14 – 16 .................................................................................................. 173 Closing Induction ..................................................................................................... 174

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

DVD #1 - Hypnotic Realities & Hypnotic Pain Control Demonstration

Introduction Igor:

We may as well start this formally, which is to welcome everyone. This is the pain control session, pain management, pain alleviation, discomfort management or whatever you want to call it. It’s going to be a very relaxed day. I know you have worked hard, so it’s going to be a very relaxed day. Of course how many hypnotists do we have in the room right now? It makes, right? It would be very strange to turn up to a hypnotic pain control seminar if you don’t even know hypnosis because you need some fundamental skills to work with that, right? What I will endeavor to show you today is that given the skills that you have, whether you learned them from me or someone else, you have the core skills necessary to help someone who’s suffering from pain reduce that suffering. I use that word reduce on purpose because pain control is an interesting field where the results differ according to the individual or their needs. I think most people you can mute their pain to a certain degree. In other words, when they’ve gone to the place where they really can’t cope anymore, you can diminish it all the way down to the place where they can get back on the horse and live life without any incapacity. Does that make sense? With some people you can reduce this all the way down to zero or like a token experience. And really, it depends on the individual, the time and

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual the place and what the nature of their condition is because believe it or not pain is useful at times. It has a purpose and we’ll be exploring that. So today I want to explore what pain is, how it works, how to break it down and how to use your hypnotic skill to help alleviate the unpleasant part of pain, the part of pain that limits people and makes their life harder. Does that make sense to you? At the same time, I recognize that you have had a busy week. So I’d like to take it at a much gentler pace. I will be introducing to you a lot of ideas. Once again all the notes that we will be putting up here, you will get a copy of. We’ll email that to you, so you can feel good about that part of it. You will have some experiences of it, but given the nature of today it’s really a one-day seminar, I can’t give you an experience of all the different things around pain, in fact, I could probably never give you an experience of all the pain control methods. What I can give you is an insight into how every single pain control method works and demonstrate to you with some key ideas, experiences and so on. Is that cool? Before we begin, we have a bunch of you who came up and gave me medical referral forms. The ones that I can actually use and I’ll explain later on once we get into the seminar what I’m looking for in a medical referral form to be able to work with someone. We’ve reserved some seats up here and I’m going to ask you to come forward. First, we’ve got Roland Berg. Do you want to come up and sit in the front please? Liz Zed, where are you Liz? Just come and sit in the front. Russ Hendrick, do you want to come up? And Gary Collier, do you want to come up and sit in the front here? One of the most fundamental principles, something we’ll come into more is you can’t work with someone as a hypnotist who’s in pain unless you have a medical referral. The main reason for that is you don’t know what’s wrong with them. You can’t diagnose a condition and if you were to mask

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual the pain and the condition becomes worse, you can see how that wouldn’t be a good thing. You have to take care of your clients and the best way to take care of them or the first thing you do to take care of them is make sure that they’ve been through adequate medical treatment first, so whatever is left is something that medicine is incapable of dealing with. Does that make sense to you? Something you should know is apart from Gary, who I had a brief chat with, I really don’t know what experiences you’re having, so I can’t make an promise in terms of who I’ll use or how I’ll use you. I will talk to every one of you to get a sense of where you are and then my priorities in terms of what we’re doing here, I’ve got to let people see how the whole thing works, so I’ll probably choose the best person. If there’s time to do another person, then maybe we’ll work on another person as well, but please accept my apologies if you’re not the one for today. It’s nothing personal. It’s more to do with making it easy for people to understand how pain control works. Is that cool with you? In the meantime, just chill out there and be a regular hypnotist like everyone else, so that you can see it from both sides of the coin.

Hypnotic Realities Igor:

The best place to start is with a realization. It will sound somewhat metaphysical when I begin but it’s not. Everything you think is real does not exist, at least not in the way you think it does. Right now you’re sitting here, you’re looking at me, you’re hearing my words, you know you’re in this room on this ship, you feel the chair and all these different things. You have a million associations to your own lifetime to know what chairs are for, what shoes are for and all these different things. But right now

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual you’re sitting in a theatre built for one person – you. It’s your own private theatre that pipes in sounds, feelings, tastes, smells, things you can see and it’s so good at doing this that you believe right now that it’s real. Has anyone here ever had a dream which felt so real that you didn’t realize you were dreaming until you woke up afterwards and thought my God, I was dreaming? Anyone had that sort of thing? Most people do. Some are fortunate enough to do it on a regular basis because when you do it and you realize you’re dreaming, hell you can do whatever you want. There are no consequences. It’s called lucid dreaming. For those of you who have had a lucid dream like this, would it not be fair to say that when you have one of these dreams, it actually seems more real than your everyday life? It’s like you look at the floor and the floor is filled with significance, even though you can’t quite make sense of it would that be fair to say? Well, if you have those kinds of dreams where you can touch things, smell them, taste them see them and hear them more clearly, more sharply with less interference than when you’re normally awake, then it’s really easy to see that everything’s that happening right now is the same kind of hallucination as we would call it. Or, as more traditional people Shamanism would say, you’re just having a different dream right now. This is a dream just as the other is. Those dreams are all fed by things. For example, you’re falling asleep at night and the phone rings. What happens inside your dream? Does someone call you? Is there a big telephone there? You lie in bed at night and you’re thirsty. What happens inside your dreams? Don’t you go searching for water? So there is interplay between your physical mechanism and your psychological experience, but that goes both ways. You’ve all had days where the worlds batted you around a bit, haven’t you? Would that be fair to say, you come home licking your wounds? Typically, what’s the one

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual thing you want to do above all else? Shut the world out, curl up in a ball and go to sleep. Isn’t that really the ultimate defense? It’s a healing practice it really is. But what happens whilst you’re asleep? Have you ever noticed that there comes a point where you let go of everything, all the things that happened to you in that day and you’re a cocooned safely in whatever sleep does for you, whatever it brings to you. The warm glow surrounds you, you forget about the troubles of the day, you forget about the aches and the pains. Your body could be sore from physical activity or something else, but you lose track of that. Would that not be fair to say? So it’s a two-way feedback loop. The things that happen in the outside environment – there’s no way you have any concept of what’s going on right now, except for how it impacts upon your body – your eyes, your ears, your skin, your muscle, your nostrils, your tongue. It impacts upon these things and sends a little electrical signal. It turns into a little chemical that jumps across the synaptic gap and another electrical signal comes. It’s a relay race up your spine into your brain. It’s such a complex thing it’s a surprise you get to feel anything at all, it works. But the system can get confused sometimes. It can work too efficiently or go the other way. You wake up in the middle of the night, you’ve heard something, you get startled, the noise does not belong, your heart starts racing, doesn’t it? You get a physical reaction. You’re lying in bed and you’re straining your ears as though it were another person you could send downstairs to check things out for you. You’d rather have your hearing do that than take the risk physically, don’t you? You’re straining and now every little creak in the house is amplified. You’ve increased your normal senses because something caught your attention this way. Eventually you have to get up. You walk downstairs cautiously. No one’s there to see you, so you may as well just creep

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual around the corner rather than walking comfortably as you’d normally do inside your own home. Your whole behavior has changed because of something you think is going on, whether or not it is, and here’s the best part. You walk into that room and you see someone standing in the corner and you are terrified, until the light comes on and you realize that’s just the coat you left there. The whole scenario, the fear, the stress, the creeping around all happened in your mind first, and you perceived exactly what you expected to perceive. We’ve all done this, haven’t we? To understand how to help someone diminish pain, reduce it, eradicate it, you must fundamentally understand that to even be aware that pain exists is such a complex procedure that there are many things that can happen in between. The body will tell the mind that something’s wrong. That’s what the pain does. It’s a signal. The mind then tells the body what to do with it. A friend of mine loves wolves. He’s a conservationist. Maybe 10, 15 or 20 years back as a young man, he’s out on the mountains of Slovinia or Slovakia, I forget which. There are still wild wolves living there out in the mountains. He’s out with a friend of his. They have their backpacks and their gear. They’re wading through knee-high snow. His back goes out. He can barely stand. They have a simple choice – lie there and die or walk out. It wasn’t easy but at some point the experience he had switched and he was so busy walking through the snow that he forgot to experience any pain. Was his pain still there? Maybe; probably, who knows? The point is every experience is malleable and all it requires is an extreme enough situation for experience to shift, to open the doors to things that are not normally allowed. Our brains need to keep reality stable so that we can make sense of things, so we can predict things, so we can move through the world in

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual harmony rather than chaos. It’s a good function to have that stability inside the mind. We also have a mechanism that destabilizes our mind because we need it. A soldier is in combat. He loses an arm. Is that the time to go ouch, sit down and cry about it, give up? You’ve the stories, haven’t you? Many of them don’t even realize that they’ve lost their limb until long after it’s over. Some actually have to ask the question do I still have a foot, an arm because they’re sensory capacity does not know. Something kicks in that changes the way they perceive even their own body. It’s a survival mechanism and it’s a wonderful thing to have that. The reverse is also true. The mind can create sensations. You’ve heard of phantom limbs. A man loses his arm in an accident. For years afterwards not only does he feel his arm is still there, but there’s pain in the arm that is nonexistent. His mind rationally knows there is nothing there, and yet his body feels it. How can you relieve a pain that’s in a limb that isn’t there? You have to remind the mind what is really going on and what it needs to be doing. Of course in hypnosis we can do this, but we don’t even need hypnosis to achieve that outcome. There’s a great example of this. There’s something called a mirror box. A man puts the stump of his arm or his hand is missing, his hand is in pain. He puts it in the box with a mirror inside. He feels the arm that isn’t there but he can’t see it directly. He puts his other hand right next to the mirror, he moves his left hand and it looks like his right hand moves too. That’s how light works, isn’t it? He does this and after a few minutes, he feels the hand that doesn’t exist begin to move. Here’s the interesting part. After some time doing these things, the brain catches up. The pain in the hand that does not exist disappears and very often most usually at the same point that the brain

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual caught up and the pain has left, so does the hand. It disappears from their experience. People think and they’re so convinced that their experience is real, it has to be this way because that’s my day-to-day reality, isn’t it? What they forget is that experience was stabilized by the mind in order to keep them sane, to help them function in the world. If the mind happens to stabilize the wrong thing, the experience becomes less pleasant. When it catches up to a better way of functioning, it all transforms. This is kind of making sense to you, isn’t it? It’s really important to understand this as a hypnotist if you’re going to help people who are in pain because when you understand this, you’ll realize that fundamentally there’s an illusion going on here, an illusion that they are holding onto. They don’t know they’re doing it because our brains are designed to hold onto illusions to help us navigate through the world. It’s designed to make this feel real to help us navigate through the world. Have you ever met someone who’s had, shall we say, slight psychotic break or maybe they’ve taken drugs and they really don’t function in the world the way a normal person does? Have you met someone like that or seen someone like this? I’m not going to ask you if you were that person at any point. What do these things do? What they’re doing is they are dissolving the barriers inside the mind that stabilize your reality, so that things that could not be real become real. Walls can talk to you because the mind is so fluid it can make these things happen. There’s nothing wrong with it. Actually it can be very therapeutic. There’s a recent study now in one of the medical schools with LSD, doing nothing but putting nice music, goggles and giving them a nice mushroom.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual A percentage of these students fundamentally changed their personality profile, something that was considered impossible. Mainstream psychology thought that personality profiles are genetically programmed, and yet they shifted completely from one end to the other on the level of openness. That was with no instructions, with no frame of reference on what to make of the experience. It happened automatically. Why? Because the machine inside the mind that keeps things stable switched off for a while. Things were allowed to run loose, and when they came back they realized that this is not the only way to be. In hypnosis we create realities and a reality is this only over here. It can seem just as real or it can seem partially real. It does not matter because when the mind has a choice, a genuine choice and makes a transition from one to the other, then all of the experience shifts no matter what the body is saying, and then the body responds.

Hypnotic Pain Control Igor:

You all know that it’s possible to relieve pain and maybe even eradicate pain with hypnosis, do you not, right? The literature pretty much supports it. My experience supports it. How many people here work with pain control? Your experience supports it, doesn’t it? So where does it happen? If reality is such a complex process with so many things feeding into it, pain is only one aspect of that reality, so it’s just as complex. Pain control happens at several levels at once. On the one level, your biochemistry changes when you pain control. In Italy they did a little study. They induced hypnosis, gave someone a painful stimulus under the pain alleviation suggestions – no sensation as you’d expect, right? In a control group they had people getting the same

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual pain stimulus with just the words saying you won’t feel it but they weren’t in the right hypnotic context, so nothing occurred. They felt the pain. So far so good, pretty standard, right? Then they did something interesting because they wanted to where is the pain stopped? They gave everyone a dose of Naloxone. Naloxone is a drug that inhibits the function of morphine. If you get a shot of Naloxone and a shot of morphine, morphine can no longer do its job because it resets the blocked for it. Does that kind of make sense? If you get a shot of Naloxone, some get saline solution instead of Naloxone so no one really knows what they’re getting. Hypnosis induced again in some and not in others just to keep a control. The pain stimulus comes again. This time they feel pain despite the hypnosis. It appears that your body is creating morphine because you expect it to. In another study they watched what happens in the brain during pain alleviation suggestions. They noticed an increasing amount of theta waves in the lower brain centers. You know how we have the reptilian brain – the most basic fight or flight; the limbic system – the more mammalian sort of brain, the emotions and the neo cortex – our thinking and planning skills? The lower centers have increased theta wave functions. They’re inhibiting, blocking signals. So not only is your body manufacturing chemicals to block the pain, but your mind is closing the door on the experience as well. So, whether it is your body that’s shutting the signal down or your mind it’s a moot point, because there are many different steps at which your mind and body system as a system can totally transform the experience for people. This is where we come in. This gives us a tremendous amount of choice, and we need choice because there is no cookie cutter approach to this stuff. You can’t say use this magic technique, it works every time. It can work on a lot of people, it can even work on most people, but what I’m going to

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual encourage you to do is to think about the principles involved so that you have range. Does that make sense to everyone? We do have a room full hypnotists do we not? It’s very difficult to teach a hypnotic pain control program to people who can’t do hypnosis. What I’d like you to do is spend about five minutes standing up in a moment’s time. I want you to just do a real quick induction with everyone in this room and place their mind into a reality in which learning becomes easy, in which they’re in a reality in which the skills they already have will fluidly adapt to achieve something they did not realize they could. Being a hypnotist, you get to invent the right process for that. Being in this room, you only get five minutes to achieve that with at least 10 people. That means you better work quickly. Is this familiar in any ways? Everyone please stand up and spend the next five minutes or so meeting everyone in the room in a hypnotic way. Off you go. Did you enjoy that? It’s not to be in a room full of hypnotists, isn’t it? This is why we should have more annual conventions and stuff, if for nothing else it’s a personal holiday. [Applause] The next thing I want to do is we’ll talk about the procedures and processes for pain management, pain alleviation and pain control a little later on today. The first you want to get used to though is – well, there’s no point in doing pain control unless you have a person to assist through the process, is that correct? The first thing I want you to get used to is the idea that you have to talk to your clients and find out a little bit about what’s going on. So would it be okay with you if we had a little chat about whatever’s going on with you right now? Is that fine?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Demo 1: Russ Igor:

Let’s start over here with Russ. Do you want to grab this and just stand up if possible; otherwise, if you’re going to sit we can catch you that way too. It’s already on. How are you doing, Russ?

Russ:

I’m doing great.

Igor:

Great. Can you all hear him okay? You may want to stand sideways a little bit so then they can see you a little bit too and I can see you a little bit. It just makes it more personal, plus you may spot things in terms of how Russ’s stance is, but you can direct your attention here in terms of what we’re doing. Okay? It just means that it’s a little bit more engaging. There you go. Tell me, Russ, what’s going on? I mean I have no idea apart from carrying out a brief two-minute conversation with you before we began. I have no idea what’s going on with any of these people, so I need to have normal conversation like I’d have with any other client to find out what’s happening. What’s happening?

Russ:

Okay, thanks Igor. For six months or so I have had trouble getting my leg out of the car and back into the car, and I have a doctor who’s actually my friend and he finally said it’s got to be a slow healing or an injury just like the Cowboy’s defensive back has and it will not heal. I have a lower back injury that comes and it’s chronic. It’s not bothering me right today but I was almost crushed in an accident when I was a laborer actually. Also in my upper back, back to 1958 I remember when that started. It comes and it goes. Then as we started, I hadn’t thought about this but I approached you with a question. When I’m in the courtroom where I am quite a bit, and even

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual here I worry about my bladder because it’s possibly just age but that would be something that I would want to see whether that could be improved. Igor:

Sure.

Russ:

That’s my aches and pains.

Igor:

Let’s take the idea of the bladder to one side because that’s really not germane to what we’re doing here. We can absolutely work with it but that’s not the main purpose we’re here. In terms of your experience right now, it’s the three main areas. You have sort of the leg/groin injury. You have something going on in the lower back and something up on your shoulder. Is that correct?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

Very good. How do you experience this now? Are any of them uncomfortable right now? Are they okay? How are they going?

Russ:

The groin thing manifests itself on the inside of my thighs, and last night even when I sleep, when I try to roll over I can even get a hip pain to where I think someone else would say gee, I might even think about a hip replacement. It’s not a whole lot of fun.

Igor:

Can you experience it right now?

Russ:

I can feel it here, but if I get up on the stage I’ll feel it.

Igor:

What about in the lower back?

Russ:

No, no problem there at the moment?

Igor:

And your shoulders?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Russ:

No problem at the moment.

Igor:

Excellent! Very good. What is it you’d like to see, as a result, of all the work we’re doing today?

Russ:

If I can get rid of the pain in my groin area and the hips that would be wonderful.

Igor:

Excellent. Have a seat again for now. This is a kind of an introduction. One thing just as a general comment, just as aside I would definitely make to the client here is you realize that – actually you may as well keep this because I’m going to have a little quick chat with you as well. You realize that the sensation you’re having in your leg, your groin area, it has a function, right? You’ve possibly injured yourself in some way and your body’s telling you that there are certain ways of moving that you don’t want to be doing, and we’re gauging it because it’s going to prevent your body from healing properly, right?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

So it has a purpose. Therefore, removing it entirely or removing it without leaving something in its place to remind you of keeping yourself healthy, that’s not necessarily a good thing either, right?

Russ:

So they say but I don’t really care about what the true medical problem is. I’ll live with that.

Igor:

Perfect. Now do you see – a lot of clients will have that because when they’re in pain, they just want it gone, right? That’s exactly why the pain is still there. That’s exactly why the pain is still there, and I understand why you’re saying that. I really do. I really understand why you’re saying that because it’s really not a nice thing to be walking around with that kind of sensation, right?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Russ:

That’s correct.

Igor:

It makes the smallest thing difficult, coming up stairs, sitting down for breakfast, going to be at night, getting up in the morning, going to the toilet in between, right? Every single action you have to be more cautious, more careful and slower. I can understand that it’s really an unpleasant way to be living your day-to-day life, right?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

Which is why you’d rather have it just disappear.

Russ:

That’s true.

Igor:

So, aside from all the reasons you have for it to disappear, what are all the reasons for it not to?

Russ:

The reasons for it not to? Oh, I’ve considered well, maybe I’ve got bone cancer or some such thing. I don’t think so, but if I do okay, so be it.

Igor:

Your doctor’s already checked those things out, right? You’ve got a medical referral right here.

Russ:

have a medical referral, right.

Igor:

So would it be fair to say your doctor’s checked all the possibilities out?

Russ:

He doesn’t think there’s any chance in the world that that’s it.

Igor:

Right, so if I understood you correctly, the diagnosis from the doctor – not from me – was that the most likely thing is you strained a muscle and it requires time to heal. It’s just taking extra time to heal.

Russ:

It’s his opinion that it’s a groin injury of some sort.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

So to the extent that you keep pushing that particular muscle, its ability to heal will be slowed down or retarded or even prevent. Would that be fair?

Russ:

That’s fair.

Igor:

Here’s something for you to think about. Just consider this now. You can have anything you want in life provided you pay attention, and if you don’t pay attention you’ll pay with pain. It is a simple signal to remind you – to remind you to pay attention and to the extent that you haven’t, I am not surprised that you have. Now I have a feeling that something’s already beginning to shift inside as you make that realization because to the extent that you pay attention and make a genuine commitment to yourself to pay attention, to take it a little easier for a while, will there be any reason left for that pain?

Russ:

Less.

Igor:

Much less, right?

Russ:

Much less.

Igor:

You can teach your body to move in slightly different ways that will accommodate the healing of that particular part of the body, right?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

In doing so, aren’t you paying attention?

Russ:

I’m paying attention in that way.

Igor:

How is the groin doing now?

Russ:

It’s not bothering me at the moment.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

It’s not bothering you at the moment, is it? Was it a moment ago?

Russ:

It was sensitive.

Igor:

It was sensitive. So you’re telling me it’s already changing?

Russ:

I would say it might be changing. I think it’s changed.

Igor:

So it’s already changing, but you don’t quite know how it’s changed, do you?

Russ:

No.

Igor:

There it is, right?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

The only thing you do know is that you did one thing differently in the last five minutes that you weren’t doing before, right?

Russ:

That’s right.

Igor:

And what’s that?

Russ:

Paying attention.

Igor:

That’s right.

Russ:

Focusing upon it so I can alleviate it.

Igor:

That’s right. You’re learning to focus on yourself in a new way, in a very important way. In the past you were focusing on the sensation because you wanted to get rid of it, and your body increased the sensation because there’s no way it wanted you to ignore it, but now that you’re paying

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual attention, now that the message is being heard, there’s really no need for it anymore, is there? Russ:

No need.

Igor:

Now I realize from time to time the sensation may return. It may return as just a sensation or as a mild experience of pain, and you know why that would happen, don’t you?

Russ:

Yes.

Igor:

To get your attention, to remind you that what you’ve just engaged in is something you should probably not be doing for a little while, right?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

So you’re maybe lying in bed at night, you feel like turning one way and suddenly you have a sensation. Nothing unpleasant but something that reminds you that you best keep lying the way you are, or maybe turning a different way and you know what I mean by that, don’t you?

Russ:

I do.

Igor:

As you’re thinking of all these things, check back in with your groin and notice how it feels different. How is that?

Russ:

Feeling comfortable.

Igor:

It’s feeling comfortable already. How do you do that?

Russ:

By telling it I’m paying attention.

Igor:

That’s right. That’s right and it feels good to pay attention, doesn’t it?

Russ:

It feels good to have a different approach.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

That’s right. It feels a lot better than trying to ignore it, right?

Russ:

I can see the insight.

Igor:

And it’s not just the insight that’s important. It’s the experience that counts, isn’t it?

Russ:

The experience.

Igor:

I would like you to try a little experiment for me. Is that okay with you?

Russ:

Sure.

Igor:

What I’m going to ask you to do is I would like you to experiment with organizing your body in a way that you don’t normally do. Here’s what I mean by that. I’m going to ask you to get up in a moment’s time. However, I want you to experiment with getting up in a different way, paying attention to the sensations in your groin area so that you get up in as comfortable a way as possible. If you begin to feel a sensation, change your approach. Does that make sense?

Russ:

It makes sense.

Igor:

It may take you a few minutes initially to work the approach out and I’ll happily coach you along with some ideas if you would want that. But, if it’s okay with you, right now I would like for you to start being curious about how your unconscious mind can show you other ways of moving your body so that you are paying attention in the right way again. Is that okay with you?

Russ:

That is fine.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

So go ahead and give that a go now. Notice for example, do you notice the speed with which you were getting up there?

Russ:

Yes.

Igor:

So before being in a hurry, right now it’s an exploration stage. What I’d like you to do is just first of all get in touch with all the different parts of your body that you need to be aware of in order to move. For example, you have feet, don’t you?

Russ:

Yes.

Igor:

Now you can have your feet out in front of you and experiment with that. Getting up that way might seem a bit trickier right now, right?

Russ:

Right.

Igor:

You can have your feet right underneath your chair. Something interesting happened there, didn’t it? That you can have your feet somewhere in between, so just shuffle your feet around until your groin feels the most comfortable, and let me know when you’re there, with the anticipation that you’ll be getting up at some point, of course.

Russ:

Okay.

Igor:

There you go. You have knees, do you not?

Russ:

I do.

Igor:

They could turn to the left – both of them – or they could turn to the right. As you pay attention to slowly moving from the left and right repeatedly, ask yourself the question where would they be most comfortable if I was to put enough weight on them to be able to lift myself up? Where might you end up?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Russ:

Probably to the right.

Igor:

I would agree. I can see it. Now of course your knees can’t lift your whole body. You need to shift your balance to allow the whole process to occur. That involves moving your torso, doesn’t it?

Russ:

Yes.

Igor:

Now you can move your torso forwards and backwards. You can move it side to side. I’d like you to very gently go side to side and forwards and backwards whilst getting those knees into the position you had a moment ago until you find a place. Feel free to use your hand by the way as well as support – until you find a way where getting up is just a natural step forwards from where you’re already at. Just do that now. Go ahead, just slowly. How was getting up like that?

Russ:

That was better. Much better.

Igor:

Much better than usual?

Russ:

I concentrated on not putting pressure on that main area and I got up without the pain.

Igor:

Exactly, so your body’s teaching you how to move to allow it to heal, isn’t it?

Russ:

Yes.

Igor:

And all you have to do is…

Russ:

Pay attention.

Igor:

Are you?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Russ:

I’m paying good attention.

Igor:

That’s right. Now I realize initially it will require a little more effort because you’re moving things more slowly. You’re learning about yourself in a slightly different way, but then you have lots of signals that will remind you of that, right?

Russ:

That’s right.

Igor:

Is it okay? Will you spend maybe just a day exploring those different things?

Russ:

I’d be glad to, sure.

Igor:

In exchange for which you no longer need to have the painful sensations you used to. Would that be a fair trade?

Russ:

A fair trade.

Igor:

Feel good?

Russ:

I feel good.

Igor:

Congratulations.

Russ:

Thank you.

Igor:

Thank you, Russ.

Russ:

Thanks, Igor.

Igor:

Remember, slowly sit down in the same way. What are the principles involved here? Someone’s like oh my God, I have seen the second coming.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual No, that’s not me. That’s the other guy. I’m just the warm-up act, I don’t know. I’d like to spend a few minutes. Go ahead, do you want to stand up and get a mic over here please? Assistance with mics. Just be ready on the sides please. Actually before you ask a question, I want to address one more thing with Russ first, if that’s okay. It’s something I would generally do in a session. The experience you just had in terms of learning about your body mechanics and so on, you can increase that experience. I have a feeling that if you look into something called the Feldenkrais Method – I’ll write you a note on that later. It’s all over the U.S. You will get a lot of benefit from that because what you just learned in paying attention to your movement, learning that moving differently helps your mind and your body adjust and be comfortable. You will do a lot more with that and I have a feeling that spending maybe a weekend or maybe a week doing that as a practice will be beneficial for all three levels. All the places where you had an injury will be helped a lot by that. Does that make sense? I’m not saying you have to do it. It would be a recommendation at this point because I think it would be useful to you, specifically given the nature of what we talked about. Does that help? Sure, come back to me during the break. I’ll write down the name there are some books you can read. There’s lot of courses all over the States that you can attend, and it’s a great way of learning to pay attention to your body so that signals are no longer necessary.

Discussion Igor:

Just stand up for me.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

Yes, I was just going to make the comment that it surprised me a bit, the approach you took because it always seemed to me that analgesia was the straight ahead approach, but that’s pretty effective.

Igor:

Right and here’s the thing. We will be looking at how to get just straight anesthesia and analgesia just masking the pain shall we say, but why on Earth would I do that here? Remember our conversation at the beginning? If I’m putting him more at risk, I would be doing him a disservice, right? The irony is Russ would happily run along with me up until the point where his legs stopped working. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Here’s the irony. Two possibilities here, the analgesia and anesthesia might have worked perfectly fantastic yeah I’m a hero, right? But then the knock-on consequence is he carries on ignoring the injury, it gets worse and worse until he pays a heavier price, a greater pain over time, and that’s no good is it? It’s very normal for people. People do this constantly. That’s why they’re suffering. On the flipside, if I had tried to use anesthesia, analgesia and his unconscious mind was catching up to hang on a second, I know what he’s trying to do right now, do you want to risk his unconscious mind that’s protecting him, that’s sending the signal in the first place saying no, I’m not playing ball on this one? I could mask it and I may have to work hard for it. I might be able to persuade the unconscious mind to do it, but I’m making my life a lot harder, aren’t I? And I’m taking risks for him, which I do not need to take, that I do not want to take. That’s one reason why we want a medical referral because if it had been bone cancer, my approach would be quite different to this to it being an injury. I cannot diagnose the issue, and the client is probably incapable of diagnosing the issue because all they’re experiencing is they don’t like the sensation and their outcome is I don’t want it anymore.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

But if the medical community can diagnose it adequately – this is what’s going on, everything else isn’t – it will help you choose a healthier approach all around for the person. Does that kind of make sense? Those of you who thought oh, we’ll just do like trance and deeper and flashy things and hands stuck to the table and now the pain goes away, you can do that. I can give you a protocol for that if you like. It is not preference to work that way because here’s my fundamental attitude. Pain is a signal from the body. It’s doing something. Remember intention versus behavior? When the intention is satisfied, there’s no reason for the behavior to remain. As soon as Russ began to pay attention, didn’t it diminish significantly? And when he began to understand that kind of attention maintained shall we say was the way forward, not only did the pain diminish but it totally disappeared, didn’t it? It’s comfortable, isn’t it? Think about it. In five minutes from pain to comfort and it was a pretty significant pain, wasn’t it, in terms of like debilitating the way you move and so on? You can’t get in and out of a car and so on. By the way, when you get to the car, whatever experiment you just did in your chair there, you’ll have to double the time. The reason I say this is because the position puts more strain on the body for the entering and exiting. So you have to spend more time figuring out a way to move your body to enter it safely. Does that make sense? Please take the time. I’ll give you a little anecdote. A friend of mine who’s a medical doctor had a toothache. I think it was an infected tooth or something. I can’t remember what it was. He’s going to see the dentist on a Monday. This was on a Saturday that I came to see him, but he was just in pain.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Being a doctor, he’d raided the hospital medical cupboard for pretty much everything he could get to put in there. He can prescribe, right? But it wasn’t working. The pain was still there despite pretty intense medication that he’d been using. So he asked, can I do something about that? So we had this same kind of chat. Pay attention. What’s the message? I used a slightly different method for the actual relieving process, but the method is almost irrelevant. It just builds itself given the nature of the issue. I will actually take you through the method later on today if you’re interested. The pain disappeared–Nothing; gone– we’re at the restaurant and what does he order? He orders a hot spicy soup. Smart idea? He takes one sip. I wasn’t paying attention during the ordering. He takes one sip – pow! It comes right back. It didn’t work. Are you surprised? Of course, what did I do? I laughed at him. It’s the only thing you can do, you silly man. I explained to him once again that he can have that soup with the pain or he can start paying attention. Which does he want? He looked at the soup, he felt his mouth, he looked at the soup and pushed it away. When that happened, instantly the pain diminished. It didn’t go away entirely but it diminished. We had another little conversation like a nonawareness set sort of stuff, which we’ll come onto later. The pain disappeared. It muted down to a sensation. He knew something was going on, but it wasn’t painful anymore. Do you understand the difference? Then you see, to get to that point the agreement I made with his unconscious mind was the following. You can disappear. You can give him the relief on two conditions. 1. Number one, he’s committed to go to the dentist on the Monday morning. There’s nothing you can do in between, right?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual 2. Number two, should he ever pull another stupid stunt like that soup, come back twice as strong. Do you think he paid attention from then on? You better believe it. Does that make sense to you? Is this useful? Please stand up and we’ll get a mic to you. Student:

You initially asked what other principles are going on, and what came to me as you worked with him was I was actually really moved. You put him back in relationship with his body. When he was talking before, it was almost like my body is this thing that I just hate and want to get rid of.

Igor:

Of course it is because it’s torturing him right now. The signal is painful. It’s torture. So what he’s trying to do is he’s trying to pull away from it, but remember what you resist will persist. As soon as he accepted – wouldn’t that be fair to say, Russ – the moment you’re willing to engage with your signal shall we say, didn’t it instantly start to diminish already? It wasn’t gone entirely but it instantly diminished, didn’t it? He just said the magic words. Would you say that again?

Russ:

I feel in control of it.

Pain Perspectives Igor:

30

Did you all hear that? That’s one of the main things with pain. Did you know that 80% of pain – I’ll throw 80% as a number out, just a very large proportion, right? You realize this. I’m not giving you a scientific study here, but 80% of pain has nothing to do with the signal from the location that it’s coming from. About a third of a pain is people remembering how much it hurt earlier on and not liking it. About a third of a pain is people thinking about 10 Hypnotic Pain Control ©Street Hypnosis All Rights Reserved

Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual minutes’ time, a week’s time from now and being afraid there will be more pain. What all those things do is they increase the stress level. Stress is one of the biggest augmenters of pain in existence. When you’re under stress, small amounts of pain are intolerable. Have you ever noticed this? When you’re calm, when you’re relaxed, when you are in control, you can have masses doses of sensations and it means nothing. No big deal. How many people here are parents? I’m going to put you on the spot now. How many of you are parents who actually love your children? Good, the same hands are going up. How many of you would reach in through a burning window to pull your children out of a fire? Would pain even be a consideration at that point? No, so clearly we’re capable of doing so much more than we realize. Doesn’t that make sense? Here’s something interesting you should know. This is actually a study. You can look it up. Poor animals. They’re the ones who get all the burden of our curiosity. Dogs are social animals like human beings. Did you realize that when a dog yelps in pain, it’s more for the rest of the pack than for him? If you take a dog, you rear it in isolation away from its mother, away from the pack on its own, it hasn’t got that social structure around it. As it grows up, you put it in a room with a red hot radiator. It’s hot, burning hot. That dog will happily sit there and lick the radiator even though it’s burning him. The yelp is a warning to others. It’s a reminder to others that I may be in trouble here, help me or stay away from this because it could hurt you, it could damage you. Here’s the irony, if you take the same breed of dog, maybe a brother or sister, rear it in the pack, it licks the radiator, yelps and runs away. It will not go back because not only is pain an experience that’s hallucinated shall we say in some respects, but the most important part of pain is your relationship to it.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual When you are stressed or out of control, it is much more intense. When you feel in control, when there is a purpose like reaching in through a burning fire to get your children out, then it’s just a sensation. It’s just something you get on with. There are many people across the world that are renowned for their tolerance of pain, and for them what would be agony to you is just like what are you talking about? It’s kids stuff because they socialize to that. Their frame of reference is totally different. Of course every one of you is capable of the same thing, but to start with you must switch your frame of reference. Does that kind of make sense to you? Anyone here who dislikes the experience of a needle entering their arm to get a shot of some sort? Would it be fair to say it’s painful? Yes? Do you know why it’s painful? It’s because you expect it to be and, more importantly, remember what pain is. Pain is just a signal. It’s because you’re looking at that needle and at some level you’re thinking you’re going to be attacked by it. It’s going to stab you. It’s going to harm you. It’s going to hurt you. Aren’t these the kinds of thoughts you have inside your mind a little bit? Does anyone here not care about injections and actually maybe even enjoy them? I’m not asking anyone to sell names, but you know where I’m coming from with this, right? For you who don’t mind injections, injections are not harmful. As far as you’re concerned its helping you heal further. Without a natural defense against having the skin penetrated, that’s what skin is for. It’s a barrier to the outside world to protect you. Whenever something tries to penetrate it, we have an automatic response from the body saying no. That no is a stress. That no is the attitude that something’s going wrong, and that’s where the pain comes from. Those of you, who don’t like needles, if you’ve got a phobia of it, please don’t do the following exercise. If you just don’t like it; it feels painful but

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual you can grin and bear it if you need to that’s the kind of people I’m talking to right now. What I’d like you to do right now is just stop for a moment and think about being in a doctor’s office and getting whatever that shot is. Now as you look at the needle, I want you to remind yourself of a fact that you already know. The contents of that needle are there to save your life or to make your life better, to improve you, to make you stronger, stronger. That needle is not going to be attacking your skin. It’s going to be invited in long enough to deliver what it has. When you really understand what I’m talking about there, I would like for you to just in your mind allow that doctor or that nurse to give you that shot, knowing that the only thing it’s doing is making you stronger, healthier, better. Notice how much easier that is. When you’ve done that, bring yourselves back. Let’s have some mics here again. For those of you who did that, how was that? Just stand up if you have an experience you want to share. Just stand up and we’ll get the mic to you. Student:

It was kind of interesting. My whole arm relaxed and I experienced the difference between resisting it and allowing it to come in. That was a nice reframe.

Igor:

Right, because what you’re changing is your frame of reference. If you’re going to the doctor and getting all tense and oh, it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, I’m going to have to do it, what are you doing to your body? You’re causing stress, tension. Anyone ever hear that the best way to have an accident is when you’re relaxed? Because your body naturally absorbs shock, it’s naturally in a state where a pain is actually very tolerable, it becomes purely a sensation. Anyone here involved in wrestling, martial arts, boxing or something like that? Have you ever been hit and kind of rolled with it, and it’s like no big

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual deal? Have you ever been hit and it’s like aarrgh, I’ll come back on Tuesday, thank you very much? It is the attitude. Any doctors in the room? One, two, three, a couple more. If you ever give shots or engage in that sort of activity, the primary idea your client must have between entering your room and getting the shot is to be absolutely focused on the idea that what’s inside of that syringe is something they want inside of their body, or vice versa if you’re taking blood. The idea they have to get away from is the idea that they’re being damaged by the needle, and at some primitive level that’s exactly at the inside of their mind. That’s why they’re resisting. That’s actually a healing process. Those of you who are afraid – I’m going to ask the women in the room. Those ladies in the room who are afraid of having the injection, did you ever get your ears pierced? Why? That’s actually worse, isn’t it? You’re penetrating more flesh but as soon as it’s cosmetic, it’s like oh, it will make me look better. Not such a big deal, right? Some of you of course had your ears pierced and maybe when you were young you had a friend do it, and you were terrified. Didn’t that hurt? Others of you thought it’s just time. You may have gone to a professional, got it done, no big deal, right? It’s the same exact experience. Possibly your earlobes are a little bit more sensitive. Do you want to stand up so we can get a mic over here? Student:

Hi. They always tell me I have rolling veins though.

Igor:

You have what?

Student:

Rolling veins. So they start and I’m okay the first time. Then they do it again because it doesn’t work.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Then they start to worry you.

Student:

Oh, by the time that they’re on their – we’ve got to change arms, we’re going to try your hand.

Igor:

Let me just you pause there. Did you just notice the change in attitude? Oh, this is terrible. This is so bad. This is so difficult. What are they doing? They’re telling you this is dangerous, this is difficult, this is bad. No wonder you get terrified by it. They’re doing it to you, right?

Student:

Right.

Igor:

Do you see how these things get built up? Thank you, I appreciate that. Yes? Do you see how easy it is to switch things around? I’m not saying that all pain control is easy. It isn’t there are some situations that require a lot more effort and work to diminish it than others. The principle is what really counts here. Is this making sense to you? Everyone cool on this?

Natural Pain Control Igor:

What I’d like all of you to do for a few minutes is turn to the person next to you. When you turn to the person next to you, I would like you to tell them a story, something that happened in your life where you had a stimulus that should have been painful, but really because of the context you found yourself in, it was not. Does that make sense to you? Something that would otherwise have been painful but because of the situation you were in, either you surprised yourself or even now looking back you realize that it should have been painful, but the situation just made sure that it was not. All of you have had that experience, 100% guaranteed. Just go ahead and have a little chat now.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

What kind of themes emerged from the stories you heard or you told? Did you notice a pattern starting to emerge here, folks? Stand up and we’ll get a mic to you. What kinds of themes are beginning to emerge out of this? Go ahead. Student:

In my case, the story was that I was already in terrible pain and it was a shot to help with the pain. I was actually really anticipating the shot was really going to hurt. After the nurse gave it to me, I said so when are you going to give me the shot? It was like well, I gave it to you already. I think it was because I saw it as something, like you talked about, beneficial and that I really wanted it because I really needed relief from the other pain.

Igor:

Exactly. The expectation of pain was still there; however, because shall we say the experience was so welcome, it transformed it. Go ahead.

Student:

With both of us, it was a matter of engagement. We were so engaged in something that we just never noticed.

Igor:

Excellent. This is a principle we’ll come onto a little bit later on today. Stand up and we’ll get a mic to you, and we’ll come over here in a second. There you go. Go ahead.

Student:

I noticed that in a couple of cases, it was that they told themselves the reaction would be different.

Igor:

So give me an example of what you mean by that. You don’t have to tell the actual story. You can actually make it up.

Student:

Well, something that would normally be excruciating, they told themselves the sensation was going to be completely different.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Excellent, so they’re doing kind of what’s going on over here. They are changing the meaning of the situation. Doesn’t that make sense? Isn’t this a theme that’s beginning to come out here? There’s a little bit about the attention is somewhere else or, you engage somewhere else, but would it be fair to say that a lot of the stories you told or heard were about you realizing that what’s about to happen or what is happening means something other than what it would normally mean. Would that be fair to say? Yes? I know there are a couple more. We have one question over here. Can we get a mic right over here and then we’ll come to you in a moment. Go ahead.

Student:

Shock and survival. There was a protective mechanism where you felt like you were unconscious and something was bleeding and you just kept on going.

Igor:

Right, so once again the primary thing going on there – and admittedly it’s much more of a primitive reaction that’s going on here – but once again the meaning is changing, right? If it’s your children in the burning room, you’ll reach in. If it’s the TV in the burning room, you probably won’t unless you really like your TV. Who knows? If it’s the cat, then it’s 50/50, right? Go ahead.

Student:

In my case, I was very young, like eight years old. I had no references of pain or the shot prior to that. I went to the dentist and I had eight cavities pulled out at once, and in those days I was still living in Japan and I mean these were like hammer and pliers. I felt fine. I mean afterwards I was bleeding and stuffed with cotton, looking like a chipmunk – my mom looked like she was going to pass out, but I had no reference of what it was going to be.

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Igor:

We learn how to respond to pain, folks. It is a learned response. This is exactly the same experience as the dog we talked about, isn’t it? You probably were of all the people in the room least surprised by that story because you had a similar experience. You have to learn from others how to react to pain, how to experience pain and how to respond physically and emotionally. That is a learned response. If it’s learned, it can be unlearned. So even if there is a sensation left over – which it doesn’t have to be all the time – even if there’s a sensation left over, it need not be debilitating, it need not be crippling, it need not make their life hell. They can get on with a fantastic life, despite all these things. Are you beginning to realize this? Is this kind of starting to sink in? Yes? I’ll come to you in a second. I realize when someone’s sitting there and they’re in pain, and they’re howling, I have a little disclaimer. I have not worked with burn patients at all but I know people who have. One of the greatest at that was Dave Dobson – the late great Dave Dobson. He had tremendous success with this. I realize when you look at someone who’s all scarred up and so on, we’re going to project into them and think man, you are messed up. It’s a reaction. We feel for them. How can we help someone if we think that the pain they’re experiencing is real and has every reason to be there, right? But you’re hypnotherapists now. You’ve learned at least on the small scale – hopefully a larger scale – to realize when a client comes with a problem to you, it’s an illusion. It’s a hallucination that they’ve created for themselves that keeps them in the problem. Would that be fair to say? What your job is, is to see through the illusion at the real person behind it all because then the illusion can pop. It can dissolve in minutes sometimes, right? Pain is the same way but your own attitudes to pain will make it easier or harder for you to deal with it.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual If you believe in pain, well it’s going to be a little difficult to do that work. Don’t do it. If you realize that what Shekiko was experiencing, what you just experienced, it is a fundamentally human trait. Sensations may come and go. That’s true. But pain, that is a totally different range of experience. When you really begin to appreciate that, doing this kind of work will be tremendously easier. Please stand up and we’ll come forward then. Student:

Very similar to what she was saying. When I was about eight or nine, I ran through a glass door and sliced myself up in a whole lot of places clear to the bone. We lived about 10 miles from town. My mom kind of bundled me up, and I was more interested in looking to see how fast the car was going than I was with what was going on with me, and it wasn’t until I got into the emergency room and people started freaking out that I went oh, there’s something really wrong with me.

Igor:

Can I just pause you there a second? Can you start tracing your own life and you experience what’s going on? He’s not the one with the problem. Everyone else is, right? It’s like have you ever heard of phobias passing through generation to generation down the family? There’s nothing genetic about a phobia. It’s the attitude. It’s learned. Mother’s afraid of spiders, eek spiders. The little daughter going I want to be like mommy – eek spiders. You can suddenly see them rehearsing it. You can. You’ve got to be real careful with kids. So he learned about pain and how to respond to pain from the hospital staff, the professionals, the adults who should have known better. Are you beginning to appreciate why when we talk about abreactions in terms of hypnotherapy as a rule, the first rule is stay calm? Otherwise, you are teaching them how to get worse and pain is the same way. Thank you. Was that the end of your story, or was there anything else there?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

Well, also just the whole thing with white coats coming at you with metal things.

Igor:

It’s a little bit freaky, isn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

It’s like those alien invasion dreams or whatever only with real people. Once again, it is the way you interpret the events that counts above all else. Sure, there may well still be a sensation left over, and there are ways you can handle that also to one degree or another, but by far the largest component of anything that has to do with pain is the mindset. Luckily, as hypnotists, that’s the easiest thing for us to affect, isn’t it? We’ll come to you in a moment, just putting an idea out there. Would it be fair to say that given these experiences we’ve had, what you’ve seen, what we’ve talked about – would it be fair to say that the most important thing you do in a pain control session is everything you do before you start the hypnosis? You can begin to see how that might be a reason for it, yes? Please go ahead.

Student:

Is this why people have different thresholds, higher and lower thresholds of pain?

Igor:

That gets a little more complex. If you look at the literature, there are chemical things going on. There are brain switching things going on, so there’s a neurological thing going on, and there will absolutely be a psychological component as well. We currently – at least I haven’t read enough into the literature to know or to be able to say with any confidence – what the distribution is, if anyone even knows, but you’re 100% correct that will be an absolute factor in the whole thing. I just couldn’t tell you what the actual

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual relationship would be. I’m not sure if it’s even known at this point or if it’s even been investigated. Typically when they do pain research, there’s a simple idea, they test it, another simple idea and they test it. There’s not that much testing of the whole thing. It’s like saying if I take a red car out of a traffic jam, would it flow more easily? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a small unit of a larger thing. Just stand on up in the back here. Student:

Just quickly I wanted to ask if it has any relevance. First of all I’ve been to a Tony Robbins session with walking through the hot coals.

Igor:

Oh, the fire walk. Yes, they’re fun.

Student:

Do you have any comment on that?

Igor:

I don’t want to get too distracted. I’ll happily talk about fire walks very briefly, but I don’t want to get too distracted because actually fire walking has virtually nothing to do with pain control. Virtually nothing. Let me explain why. The secret to fire walking is physics. When you have the right kind of wood, the right kind of temperate, certain kinds of coal, certain kinds of woods don’t transfer heat very efficiently. Provided you keep walking over a certain period of time, the feet will not absorb enough heat, or at least it can exchange the heat with blood and so on long enough for it to not burn. There comes a point of course of no return when people will burn. It’s usually when they stand still going like oh my God, I’m freaking out, I’m freaking out, oh it hurts, yes I’m freaking out even more now. But that’s more of a physical phenomenon. All of the mind training stuff is there to prepare people to safely run across it, despite their inhibitions, their fears of it. Does that help?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Student:

Yes, I didn’t know that. The second one was a bit similar. I’ve been to a friend of mine, he’s as dentist. He was doing some work for free because he was a friend of mine, and he was yanking two teeth at the same time. So at one moment in time he couldn’t make any more injections, so he had to pull up some nerves inside, and I was projecting my pain to a tree that I saw through the window. I’m not sure if that tree is still alive today.

Igor:

But it worked, right?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

When we come onto it later on today, we’re going to be looking at more of these methods. Did you notice how everyone naturally is already beginning to lean towards a particular method for pain control, but there is an overarching theme in the background, which is the attitude? If you don’t get the attitude right, any method you use is useless, pointless. I mean you have to have a really talented hypnotic subject to reduce the pain without that actually being a precondition. Just stand up and then we’ll have a couple more, and then we’ll be done.

Student:

Yes, since 1969, I’ve done most all my dental work without Novocain. I’ve done the second half of a root canal where they just strip it out afterwards without Novocain, and crowns, but when I have something happen to my back or my back will go out, I just can’t seem to take care of that pain. Temporary pain I can use dissociation.

Igor:

He just said a magic word there. Temporary pain. What is the attitude there? It’s exactly the same thing we had here, isn’t it? When it’s back, I don’t know how long it’s going to be. Remember, the biggest portion of pain is people anticipating more pain to come or remembering past pain.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual When your back goes out now, for example, what will probably happen is you’ll be reviewing all the times your back went out in the past, which makes it hurt more because you get stressed. Then you’ll be afraid and you don’t know how long it’s going to last, which is even more tension and more fear and even more pain. You can clearly do pain control because you’ve done it, and you’ve done some pretty intensive versions of that, right? Student:

Right.

Igor:

But you’ll notice once again it’s the attitude that counts, and hopefully some of the stuff you’ll learn here over the next couple of hours will help you to shift your mindset so that you have similar experiences. Obviously, I won’t be able to work with all of you. You realize that, right? There’s not enough time but the principles are the ones that count. Does that help?

Student:

Yes, thank you.

Igor:

We had a gentleman over here and all these hands are popping up, so we’ll try our best to do it before we break. Go ahead.

Student:

I had a situation where I was in my convertible car, went into Denny’s to eat, and a guy happened to follow me. He jumps up with a baseball bat and tries to clock me in the head.

Igor:

What a nice fellow.

Student:

Anyway, I used my arm and knee and pushed my door open. I got out and then he took off and left and then me and my friend parked the guy and went to eat. Then an hour later, I was walking back to the car and I’m like, oh geez this is really hurting. Then I go to the hospital and my kneecap was

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual broken in five pieces, but it wasn’t hurting. Like I was moving it so it wouldn’t stiffen up. The first thing the nurse says is don’t move your leg, whatever you do. The fact that it happened at the car, then when I was walking back to the car is when the pain really started to flare up. Igor:

There are a couple of things going on there. Number one, you’ll have an adrenaline dump in a fight or flight survival, and that does wonderful stuff with pain on a temporary basis. Number two, you have a bigger reason to engage in whatever experience is going on there than to pay attention to the pain. Anyone here been in a, shall we say, near death experience, and I mean like an accident, a fight or whatever it is? You have so much more important stuff on your mind than to bother with the pain, and that importance lasts for a while afterwards. Wouldn’t it be fair to say when you when to lunch, you didn’t just forget about it and have a nice lunch? You kind of ran through whatever that experience was again, and it’s at the point where you sort of decided to try and put it out of your mind a little bit, to calm down a little bit, that’s when you started experiencing the ache, and then the ache becomes a pain. Would that be fair to say? Just hold onto the mic for a second. Would that be fair?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

One more question. I don’t know if this is true or if it was actually happening in your case, but this is a very typical thing. When you went to the hospital and they told you your kneecap’s broken, did that hurt more?

Student:

No, not really because they kept it straight, so then I wasn’t moving it. They put a cast on and I was walking the next day.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

In general, just think about your own lives. What is very typical and it doesn’t always happen admittedly. You have something which is unpleasant and an ache or a strain or whatever. You go see someone about it, they diagnose it as something a little more serious than you thought it would be, do you notice how it suddenly starts hurting more from that point onwards? Anyone? This is a very common thing. Once again, it’s the attitude that matters. Over here and then we’ll have you in the back here, and then we’ll come forward again.

Student:

I just wanted to pass off that because what happened to me last night was I was trying to go to sleep and the little ceramic thing fell off and banged my head. I thought to myself hey, ouch, this is sore but actually at that point I got up, put it away somewhere. The first thing I’ve got to deal with is blah, blah, blah but actually now it’s my time to go to sleep, and I really don’t want this to interfere with my sleep. This morning I thought well, I can go tell the desk about this situation, but it takes two minutes to walk that way or two minutes to walk that way. It’s more important for me to go that way, so I was able to kind of – because of being in the seminar – able to evaluate.

Igor:

Switch it off.

Student:

To what’s important to me.

Igor:

Exactly. Now what we’re talking about is getting psychological leverage over whatever pain is going on. Can you stand up so we can get a mic back to you. Just pass it on back, and we’ll come to you in a moment.

Student:

In the mid-80’s I was in an automobile accident. They actually had to pry open the door and like pry me out of the car. I do not remember any

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual details besides the moment before driving my car and then waking up in the emergency room. To this day I don’t remember. It’s over 25 years later and I have chronic pain in my left shoulder. Is there anything about the amnesia element of that that keeps the pain present? Igor:

I would strongly suspect the answer is no. In fact if anything amnesia is more likely to make it non-painful because in a car crash, your whole brain chemistry gets changed. You’ll probably not have any physical record of what happened because you’ve interfered with the memory process. It’s just what happens in car crashes. It’s a very typical thing. The most likely thing that’s going on there is once again the attitude because recovering from a severe car crash is quite intense, and the word here is chronic. We’ll come onto the difference between an acute pain, which is the dental work, and chronic pain, which is ongoing pain. Something happens in chronic pain that makes it worse, which is what, anticipation again. You recall it hurting yesterday, you are afraid of it hurting tomorrow, and so today there’s more emphasis on it and more pain as a result. We’ll talk more about some things you can do to help that, although I can’t work directly with it because I need one of these lovely letters before we can look at that. Does that make sense? However, the principles are the important ones. When your attitude towards whatever sensations you have fundamentally shifts, you will get at the very least a significant diminishing in the experience, and quite probably relief. Does that make sense? Okay there and then we’ll come all the way to the front with a mic after that. Go ahead.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

I just wanted to comment on when you said that sometimes when they tell you what it is, the pain becomes worse. I’ve also experienced the other way around because sometimes you have a pain and you don’t know what it is, and then when they tell you it’s this and that, which is not a serious thing, it’s a relief again.

Igor:

It sounds like it’s a paradox but really it isn’t, is it, because it’s all about the mindset. If the mindset gets worse, the pain gets worse. If the mindset improves, the pain improves. Are you beginning to see how preparing someone for pain control is actually more important than what you do afterwards? We have one more comment here and then we’ll go for a break.

Student:

Last year I was in a car accident – 60 miles an hour into the back of a semi. I was a passenger. My foot got broken. I knew there was something wrong with it. The guy carried me to another car because it was on fire, and as long as I didn’t put pressure on it, it never hurt.

Igor:

Right, so once again the magic words are as long as you didn’t put any pressure on it because, remember, pain is a signal. Whilst you were paying attention to the signal, you’re going to the hospital, you’re looking after yourself and you’re not putting the wrong kind of pressure on it to damage it further, is there any need for the signal? No. Sometimes a signal misfires. We’ll talk about that afterwards. Thank you very much for that.

Student:

It never hurt the whole time.

Igor:

Exactly, right? Nor does your groin area anymore, right? It’s exactly the same thing. I had a lady – the very first time I ever did pain control was a little nerve-racking for me. I was helping some people out in one of these team training event things. The lady slips, breaks her ankle. She’s screaming in pain because she’s in pain I guess. Yes, that would be why.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Anyway, I kind of sort of muddling my way through it a little bit, and there comes a point where she gets like a quizzical look and she goes like this, and then she prods it and starts screaming again because she’s done something that the body doesn’t want you to do. As we go into the break now, would it be fair to say that we have a pretty solid grasp on a single idea, which is what kind of attention you use to interact with the sensation – whether it’s painful or not – will determine its level of pain and discomfort? I’ll say the kind of attention you use because you can have the right kind of attention and you can have the wrong kind of attention. So just think about that a little bit. Let’s have a 15-minute break and remember your promise, and we’ll come back then. Thank you very much.

DVD #2 – The 7 Step Hypnotic Pain Control Method – Part 1

Meet The Clients Igor:

How is everyone doing, good?

Students:

Great.

Igor:

Did the first session that we started with today, did that give you some food for thought? As you think about the concept of pain, maybe in your own life and very importantly if you are going to be specializing in working with people in pain, is your attitude beginning to shift? Are you having a different relationship to the whole thing, yes?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Students:

Yes.

Igor:

Given your current skill set and your shift in attitude that we’ve talked about this morning, I know we haven’t looked at specific pain control methods yet, how many of you are already feeling more comfortable and confident about the idea of helping someone who’s in pain out? That was one of my main themes for today. In a moment we’re going to run through a protocol to prepare someone for pain control hypnosis. The protocol is more important than the method you use afterwards, so we’ll spend some time practicing it to really engrain it, is that okay? We’ll do some exercises and build it up, just like we’ve done in other things but I want you to get the feel for the protocol and realize that it’s like any other protocol we have, it’s flexible. It’s to give you stepping stones you want to hit somewhere along the way. We hit most of those with Russ. One of them I skipped, I would have done it otherwise but we ran into it and it will make more sense when we get there. Before we do that however, I’d like to have another quick chat with the rest of our happy panel of volunteers to check two things. 1. My strong suspicion is that just having this discussion this morning that their experience of whatever pain they had has already shifted, would that be fair to say? 2. Next, I also want to have a sense of where you are right now in terms of what you’re experiencing. So, if one of your experiences matches some of the themes we’re bringing out later today then we can use it as a demo subject and if it doesn’t I may not be able to come back to you, but don’t take any offense. It’s nothing personal I just want you to have the best learning experience and understanding of hypnosis as possible.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual I could do pain control demos over and over, but if it confuses you more than you learn from it than it’s just entertainment and isn’t really training. Would you like to come up and give me more of a sense of what’s going on? Everyone say hello Gary. Students:

Hello Gary.

Gary:

Hi everybody.

Igor:

It feels like an AA meeting doesn’t it? Gary, tell us a little about what’s happening in terms of the pain that you’ve come here to talk about.

Gary:

I suffer from chronic pain. The first time, I call it an attack I was about 12 years old. I’ve spent most of my life trying to cope with it through meditation and medication. It took 25 years before I remembered what caused this pain. My older brother and I would play on the banks of Cottonwood Creek as children. I was out pounding on the rocks with a hammer while he was fishing and I was pounding so hard I hit my head with the hammer. I thought wow, that’s amazing it almost knocked me out. I’ll ask my brother if I left a mark and as I was walking behind him he cast his line out into the creek and the fish hook caught me in the back of the neck. He tried to pull it out but wasn’t able. He cut the line and I ran home. Something that’s unclear is that somehow there was a woman there that happened to be a nurse, not sure who she was, but she came into the bathroom where I was standing over the sink and she pushed it through so she could cut the barb off and pull it out. When she did that she damaged one of the nerves in my neck, the lesser occipital nerve. I know this because when I was about 25 I had some exploratory surgery to figure out what was wrong and they found a lot of

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual scar tissue along that nerve. They cleaned it up and it was good for about six months where I didn’t feel any pain, but afterward the pain returned. That’s my story. Igor:

Excellent. Are you experiencing it right now or is it something that comes and goes?

Gary:

I do have some discomfort now.

Igor:

So on a scale of 1 to 10 where is it right now?

Gary:

It’s about a 4. It’s at the stage where if it gets any worse than this I want to consider taking medication.

Igor:

I understand. If I understand you correctly it comes and goes. In other words, sometimes it’s at a 1 or 2 and sometimes it’s at a 9 or 10.

Gary:

Sometimes I’m even totally pain free.

Igor:

But sometimes it’s higher than this as well right?

Gary:

Sometimes I’ve felt a 10 and I want to die.

Igor:

There’s a lot we can do with this, hopefully, we’ll get to it. I would love to dive in right now but I would rather give you a method then to dive in.

Roland:

I’ve had chronic back problems for many years.

Igor:

Upper or lower back?

Roland:

It originally started thoracic.

Igor:

So like middle spot or shoulder blade area.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Roland:

Right and now the world I was in is I’ve been in almost constant pain for six to eight months and decided to go see a doctor and the MRI’s show arthritis L1 through S1.

Igor:

Those are the labels they give to different bits of the spin.

Roland:

Basically, the entire lumbar spine is arthritic. The good news is there’s nothing structurally wrong. The bad news is the arthritic pain won’t go away, so they say.

Igor:

Right. Can you see where people practicing defensive medicine, it’s something they have to tell people because of the litigation and so on, but it’s not serving their clients entirely is it? I can’t say yes, we’ll make it go away and cure it because for starters I’d be arrested and spend a good long time in jail for trying to help, which is something I’d rather not do. For the same token, I can’t allow the client to latch onto that belief as complete, because otherwise what the heck is he doing here? So the condition will continue, but what are you hoping to get from hypnotherapy at this point?

Roland:

In reality it varies from mild discomfort to where I can barely walk with it.

Igor:

So in your own experience you realize there are times when it’s worse and times when its better is that correct? So, whether the doctor is right about the underlying condition remaining, it’s reasonable to pre-suppose that you can spend the rest of your life with less rather than more, if nothing at all because that’s a lot of less.

Roland:

The objective for me is that on the bad days to be able to push through it.

Igor:

On a scale of 1 to 10 where is it now?

Roland:

About 2-3, it’s floating.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

On a bad day where would it be?

Roland:

Sometimes I can barely put weight on it, like a 9-10.

Igor:

Excellent. Have I already started doing work? Yes, because we saw the biggest stumbling block and you saw how much emotion we put into the idea that it will always be there and will never go away. That is the biggest idea that I need to be able to challenge without necessarily saying you will have a cure or you will have this. I can’t do that. I can’t say that. I have no idea where it’ll go, but I know one thing 100% for sure, regardless of whatever happened to his back his body and mind has the capacity in combination with many different systems that are present to make the rest of his life comfortable enough to enjoy it throughout his life.

Liz:

It’s always been a pain in my legs that started in one that traveled up and around, settling in the other, which varies in intensity. Sometimes it’s very painful and sometimes there’s no pain.

Igor:

Let’s pause for a couple questions. Where is the pain now?

Liz:

It’s interesting this morning because it’s here and here, which isn’t that common.

Igor:

On a scale of 1 to 10, saying 10 is excruciating agony and you can’t bear it and 1 is like I’m not bothered by it it’s no big deal. Where are you right now?

Liz:

Two.

Igor:

You’ve seen a doctor about this, I have your form right here, what did they say?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Liz:

They’ve tried everything. They said degenerating hip, arthritis, etc.

Igor:

They don’t know what to do about it, but you have the experience of it.

Liz:

They check it out and nothing shows up.

Igor:

When you came in this morning was it at the level it is now or has it changed over the course of what we’ve been talking about?

Liz:

It’s shifted.

Igor:

So, where were you this morning and where are you now?

Liz:

This morning it was more in the lower leg which is where it is most often and stiffer. As I was sitting in the chair and you were talking I could feel where it seemed like a nerve sensation running through my leg and then it stopped completely. Then, when I went to check out I was noticing it in here.

Igor:

So at what level would it have been this morning?

Liz:

Four.

Igor:

And now it’s about a two.

Liz:

Right.

Igor:

Once again, there is a great temptation which I will resist for a moment, because you can see how easy it would be to jump on with what her conscious mind is already doing right. It’s already started pain alleviation, you realize that right? We’re halfway through the process but I have to pause it and hopefully, I’ll be able to come back to be able to show you some things, but you can already clearly see it’s already happened.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual You realize it as well don’t you? You were at one point this morning and somehow something shifted and the only thing you did was start to think differently. Liz:

Right.

Igor:

I’m not going to suggest that you continue that because otherwise I’d have no demo subject, however, if you want to be selfish you can do it to spite me.

Liz:

I appreciate that.

Igor:

Have a seat. Give them a round of applause folks. [Applause] Are your confidence levels starting to grow, that actually doing a lot with pain can be easier than you originally thought? The only thing that was missing is the experience of real people doing it. I realize some people are in a much more dire straits than the 9s and 10s and then it may require more work to deal with the emotional aspects of it before getting to the physical aspects of it. It’s not work that is outside of your capacity, you may have to spend a little more time and play with it more. Some people’s minds are more shut around the idea that it has to and will hurt and will continue to hurt and that’s the key idea that’s preventing any kind of change from coming in. Sometimes the whole idea is so strong that even the strongest drugs cannot help them manage. There’s a great story Erickson, for those of you who like him as I do may have come across this one. It’s where we talk about embedded suggestions, the tomato plant induction. Very briefly…he gets called in to

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual help a florist who has cancer and is in agony. They are pumping him full of drugs, but there are so many that they’re not working anymore. Now they’re reducing the amounts because the drugs aren’t doing their job. I’ll skip the stage of what he was doing to help, but he has gotten him to the point where the florist left with no pain at all and that continued for six months. He called up and had a nice little chat on the phone and the florist, who unfortunately did die, spent his last days in comfort sorting his affairs out. Consider this, the drugs stopped working. He got them. He got a lot of them. He was given a short time span to live, so why not give him as much as possible because the side effects are irrelevant now. If it explodes his liver it’s not really important to the doctors because before the liver gets a chance to fail, the rest of his body will have already done so, that’s the mindset they were in. So he’s getting heavy duty drugs and it’s not working until a man comes along, a human being and talks to him about himself, his life and his experiences in a metaphoric way admittedly, and that’s when everything changes. So pain starts and finishes inside you, I wouldn’t say in the mind because if I do that then you’ll think it’s the brain, but it’s not just the brain in action. Your body is still you and your body is just as engaged in the action of creating and releasing pain as the rest of you is.

Step 1: Medical Referral Igor:

In this particular session I would like to explore how you have that conversation that leads you to the point of pain control. Would that be of interest to everyone?

Students:

Yes

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

I’d like for you to practice a little. Let’s have an assistant come up as a volunteer, so we can have the conversation. I want to have the conversation as we role play. The only reason I’m using these folks for this is because I want you to role play the conversation. If any of you in the audience have a genuine pain, please do not use that as part of the conversation at this point because you don’t have a doctor’s referral, so you don’t know whether, or not it’s permissible or appropriate to work with that yet. Role play the conversation to get used to the maneuvers and if you then get good rapport with someone and they like the idea of you helping with that pain then make sure they go home, get a referral and then you can chat to them again over the phone or otherwise is that an agreement we can make here? Step one– anything that you do with pain, realize whatever you do it’s your responsibility. I’m giving you the potential consequences, but whether you choose to listen or not you are adults and I can’t force you to do anything. The first stage I would strongly encourage everyone to make is to get a medical referral, letter, clearance form, whatever you call it. If it’s something specific then I’m looking at that medical referral, which these fine folks have already. Is it okay if I read some of the content aloud or maybe get Megan to email it to everyone so they can see what real medical referral forms look like? It’s a short letter, like one or two lines. Here is an example of something that’s useful…Roland has been under my care for lumbar spondylosis, an associated lower back pain since the mid 80’s. I’m referring him to hypnotic pain management for that condition. So I have a very clear scope to work with that. I know what I’m allowed to work with and not. If he tells me his ankle is hurting, can I work with that? No. Do you see how the letter gives you your scope?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual We have something else. This is to certify that Ms. Zed is under my professional care and is able to participate in demonstrations for pain control hypnotherapy. That gives me a much wider scope. Now, because I haven’t got the full details in here, I still need to talk to Liz and ask her which portions of her experience have actually been checked out, because those are the only ones I will work with. Therefore, the first part of the conversation you’ll have is a general hey, how are you going Joe? Joe:

Good, how are you?

Igor:

Good, thank you. The overall thing you want to start with is to get in touch with them and say let me know what’s going on with you.

Joe: Igor:

I have some pain. Tell me more.

Joe:

I have a pain in my shoulder.

Igor:

How did you get it? What happened? Talk me through it a bit more.

Joe:

It’s a long standing injury. I was in a car accident.

Igor:

Have you seen a doctor about this?

Joe:

I have seen a doctor.

Igor:

What did they say?

Joe:

The doctor said that I don’t really have any damage there it’s healed as much as it can be but the pain persists.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Beautiful, thank you so much for letting me know this. This is a conversation I’ll probably have on the phone with him before he comes in and the reason for it is the next step. When you come in for your appointment I will need you to bring a letter from your doctor saying that we can work on that particular issue, is that okay with you?

Joe:

Sure.

Igor:

If you bring that letter in we can work together. If I don’t have the letter then we cannot. Would it be useful for me to send you a little paragraph or so of the kind of thing I’m expecting or are you happy to have a conversation with your doctor?

Joe:

Yes, that’d be great if you could tell me something.

Igor:

Excellent. So I’ll take something like this, put a couple lines together and email it to him so he can prepare for it. The alternative version would be, if I get a sense that Joe’s not reliable is to say would it be okay for me to contact your physician, especially if he’s already come in physically you need to get his signature. If you’re going to contact someone’s doctor, they will not speak to you about a patient unless you have a signed medical consent form. So great, when you come in please make sure you have that letter and then we’ll make an appointment.

Joe:

Great.

Igor:

So here’s his letter, time passes. Hey Joe how are you doing?

Joe:

Good.

Igor: What’s happening with that shoulder now?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Joe:

It’s still a little in pain.

Igor:

Excellent, so remember we talked about the whole medical referral and so on, did you get it prepared?

Joe:

I got it right here.

Igor:

Let’s have a look. Yes, it appears to be in order, we can proceed now. I’m simply trying to emphasize a point, that though I could talk about this as a conversation and you would get the idea, I want you to do it, because it’s the easiest thing to skip. I’m so tempted to dive in when Gary, Liz and Roland talk about things to just do it but that’s skipping a step and it’s really important that you don’t. It’s not a long conversation is it? If I gave you like two minutes apiece, four minutes total it’s more than adequate…off you go… How was that? We’re getting a little sense now of what’s going on just to prepare ourselves a little bit. We’re getting our medical referral form and what do you think is going to happen in a client’s mind when you start talking about this medical release form?

Students:

Professional…

Igor:

Exactly. Their faith in you goes up because they’re thinking wow, this person knows what he’s doing he’s getting involved with doctors and stuff. The other thing that will happen is they are mentally preparing themselves for a result. Have you ever had a toothache or something like that, you go to the dentist’s office and sit and wait, and just as the dentist calls you the ache is gone. Then the dentist says, what’s the problem and you go I had this toothache but it’s kind of not there right now? Has anyone had this?

Students:

All the time.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

It’s because your unconscious mind is preparing you and now that you’re here why have the pain anymore you’re in the office you don’t need it anymore he’s going to fix it. So you have faith in the process because your mind understands that you’ve paid attention, because you’re under a little pressure to describe symptoms as well. So you’re engaging in the same mechanisms. You’re actually borrowing the doctor’s authority by getting his letter. It’s a symbolic act saying, you are now the doctor even if you’re not. The unconscious mind loves symbolism as those of you who have done the hypnotherapy practice know. And that’s most of you.

Student:

My potential client didn’t have a medical release form or a doctor and wasn’t under care.

Igor:

If he doesn’t have a doctor, then ask him to find a doctor. There are doctors who will look at things for free, but the risk you start running when you don’t have that is… 1. One, there is an underlying problem that you’re going to mask. 2. Two, you’re responsible for it. If you want to engage in that risk that’s a choice you have to make as a human being. I would not and cannot advise you to take that risk. Those of you who live in North America, there is access to Medicare programs and so on to get a diagnosis. Just realize that if you try and diagnose, on the one side you’re risking the problem escalating despite the pain element of it into something bigger and on the other side you’re risking jail.

Student:

That brings me to another question, what if you run into a patient who is adamant that they will not see a doctor, is there a release form they can sign?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

You have a choice to make. At this point you need to seek legal advice in your state, country and so on. If it seems in your particular area it’s legal to get a consent form that expressly says I don’t want medical treatment. I’ve been advised I should get medical treatment but I have refused it. I just want the pain control. If it’s legal in your area to do that and it safeguards you as well, then you can consider accepting it if you choose this is the right thing to do. You can also consider too refuse it if you decide you don’t want to get involved in all that. I can’t tell you which to do, but you must seek legal advice because that’s something I cannot do for you. It’s an important issue, in this industry, that we must address. Does that help?

Student:

My father had a problem and doctors were saying it was psycho somatic, they couldn’t do it and he was in tremendous pain. Finally, we went to a doctor. As a kid he had jumped into the canals and hit his head, fracturing it and it started growing a spur. So he had all this tremendous pain, but the doctors couldn’t see it. Finally, one of them found it but during that period another doctor might have said go ahead and get pain control.

Igor:

That is something that unfortunately in the course of the work we do there are always variables that you cannot control. You can make it as safe as possible, but you cannot control everything it’s impossible to do. However, what you can do, if it’s like one of those pains like we did with Russ, is to negotiate a symbolism for your unconscious mind that if the underlying condition does require attention, it will continue to do it in a less painful way so the person continues on that search for a better answer. If you have a suspicion that’s going on then you can suggest that sort of thing, it’s very appropriate. The only thing we can’t do is to diagnose because that’s the doctor’s job and we can’t cover all possibilities, it’s just part of life. There are risks involved in everything.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Student:

Yes, it was quite hidden.

Igor:

Sure and that’s always a danger. Were the other doctors bad for not catching it? No, they were good doctors it’s just that it was outside their field. Everyone misses something, so as a hypnotherapist your standard of care is a lot lower than a medical doctor’s standard of care, because you don’t have the same kind of training. All you can do is rely on their expertise as best you can and there is always a risk involved.

Student:

They took care of the spur and got rid of the pain.

Igor:

Good for him, once again, showing the functionality of it.

Student:

Even with the example of a toothache, would you need to get a doctor or the dentist and what is considered a medical referral if someone is like, I don’t go to Western medicine I go to a holistic doctor?

Igor:

Once again, there are legal implications to all those things so I cannot advise you on those legal implications because each country, state and/or city will have different bylaws. That’s what I mean you need to educate yourself about. It’s good that you’re asking the questions, but it’s something you need to find out beforehand or if the client comes in and you’re not sure, you get yourself educated about. I cannot make that choice for you, I can only give you the broad picture, the consequences and invite you to find out what you need to do legally speaking, and on the other side what are some of the ethical considerations you want to bear in mind and then you make your choice. I am not going to rule the lives I’m giving you the experiences I’ve had, the processes and I’m going to warn you at what point you need to do more to do it ethically and safely.

Student:

Excellent, thank you.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

Quick question…could you have the client go to a lawyer and have a lawyer send you a letter?

Igor:

Sure, why should you pay for the client’s stuff? It’s up to you. Every one of you can do it in whatever way you feel right, I’m just alerting you that there is an issue here. I can help you to maneuver your way through the ethical implications, but then you still have to decide at what point you choose your own boundary which may be different to where I would choose mine. I can alert you that there are legal implications and you must seek separate advice, you cannot get that from me because I don’t want to spend the next six years in jail for giving you advice I’m not allowed to give, legally. I would probably be wrong because I don’t know all the state laws and so on, that you’re involved with. So there are issues as well as sources of information to resolve those issues. Now, do we understand this step? So we have the conversation, hey Joe how’s it going?

Joe:

My shoulder hurts today.

Igor:

Your shoulder does hurt today doesn’t it? When we talked on the phone beforehand about the whole medical referral form, have you done that?

Joe:

I remember, yes done.

Igor:

Could I see it?

Joe:

Sure, here it is.

Igor:

Thank you very much. Oh yes, there it is, fantastic. You changed your name, fine. [Laughter]

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

The next step is basically, you want to get the client to understand that you’re in this for them, the whole rapport stage and so on. There are many ways you can do this and depending on the client you have to go different directions. Some clients require this, so tell me this, when you’re not in pain and it’s not there or maybe before this whole injury happened what kinds of things did you like to do? Joe:

I liked to go water skiing and on vacations.

Igor:

What is it about water skiing you enjoy?

Joe:

I really like the sense of freedom of floating above the water.

Igor:

That sense of freedom, that’s awesome! Notice what I’m doing here I’m getting a little hypnotic context going, little revivification, not too much just to get a sense of personality and I might even share some stories, oh yeah I tried water skiing but then I kept falling over, you’re much better than I am. I have to use those little knee boards with little kids circling around and stuff, so maybe one day I’ll graduate to the adult version right?

Joe:

Maybe.

Igor:

This chit-chat is getting that connection going. Another person might require something like this…I’m engaging in chit-chat and he gets all weirded out wondering what I’m doing, because he’s come with pain so why am I wasting his time? If I get that sense, a reaction might be like, what do you like to do when you’re not in pain?

Joe:

I don’t know why you’re asking me that I really just need to get rid of this pain.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

I understand sir, at the moment, what’s actually happening in terms of that pain?

Joe:

It hurts.

Igor:

On a scale of 1 to 10 where would it be?

Joe:

Maybe 6 or 7.

Igor:

Is it constant or have there been times in your life where that’s been less?

Joe:

There might have been times it’s less.

Igor:

So there might have been times its less, so there are probably times in which it’s less and you’ve like to have more of those times at the very least, right, if not more?

Joe:

Of course.

Igor:

Do you see what we’re doing now? I’m building rapport on the level of where his attention is which is, the issue he’s having. You’re taking the comfort down and getting the comfort level up by taking the pressure off that down. I’m naming the elephant in the room, so to speak. I may even have a chat along the lines of you’ve probably tried quite a few things to resolve this right?

Joe:

Yes, I’ve tried everything. The doctor’s have given me medicine. I’ve gone to people to get massaged and things like that.

Igor:

What’s been the result?

Joe:

The pain always stays.

Igor:

So it’s been pretty useless is that what you’re saying?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Joe:

Yes, those treatments haven’t helped.

Igor:

What are you hoping to get out of this?

Joe:

I’m hoping to completely get rid of my pain.

Igor:

Right. Do I care in terms of what he’s saying at this point? I don’t care about the content, what I care about is the fact that he feels I’m here for him and I’m paying attention to that. It could be because I’m getting more involved in his life and getting his mind into pleasant things. In this case it’s more because I’m paying attention to the pain and being respectful of it. I’m listening a little bit for certain strong reactions like the last one; I want the pain to completely get rid of my pain. You probably channeled a client when you were telling me that because I could tell in the mannerisms you presented. You can see there’s tension involved when he’s talking about that and his desire. Who do you think is more likely to succeed or is more focused on a clear path to a goal with no impediments? Let’s take it out of the pain context, if someone says I’m going to win the Olympics. Maybe someone says I just want to win the Olympics. Who do you think is going to have the easier time achieving the goal?

Students:

The aggressive one.

Igor:

Why?

Students:

There’s less tension.

Igor:

Right. What there is less of the second person clearly has some kind of internal conflict going on. That conflict might be motivating, but it’s also going to be putting on the brakes at the same time. So what I just saw

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual there is the brakes from pain control existing and I need to be able to address that. Do you see how much the information is coming out, just in that rapport building stage where you build your H Plus and have a chat with people? Do you see how much information is going on there? It doesn’t matter if you’re just chatting with a person, telling them stories and putting them at ease, some people like that. Some people like just talking about what they came for because they’re more task-oriented and they feel like something is getting done. People like different things the point is you have to start engaging in that. One of the easiest ways to start that or to get to the right place, any ideas… one person said it…H Plus. You switch on hypnotic things and some people may even need this kind of conversation. Say hey how are you doing, letter thank you very much, oh great! Joe, I want you to know something. Hypnosis has had some terrific results in terms of pain control and I’ve had some great results with clients, but you realize that we don’t know where this is going to go? I’m very confident that at the very least, we can diminish whatever sensation you have to a place where you can get on with your life. We may even be able to eradicate it entirely, but the main thing you should know is that at every stage of the process I’m 100% here for you. I will do everything I know and I know a lot. To make sure you leave here in a place where you can get on with your life in a better way. Does that make sense? Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

That’s the third conversation going on, once again establishing that connection, because without that connection I can do very little. It’s almost impossible to do anything, does that make sense?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual What I’d like you to do again is start from scratch, kind of skip through the first one like hey Joe, how’s it going? Joe:

Good.

Igor:

Great, letter, thank you very much. You just have a token version of that. Then spend your time exploring different ways of putting the client at ease with you, not just at theirs but at their ease with you. I’ve given you three different approaches to play with; you may want to mix them together to see how they go. Would you like me to write those three down so you have an idea of what they might be? Step two we’ll call H Plus/rapport There are essentially, three ways to do that. 1. The first way is just chatting about pleasant experiences, people like that type of connection. Let’s go with positive experiences. 2. The second one, you talk about the pain, some people need to focus on where their attention is already at. 3. The third one, how shall we call it? Commitment, or I’m here for you, that idea of you’re with them. You’re showing that you care enough to be committed to the whole process. You may have other conversations, but in my experiences these have been the main ones’ and can’t off hand think of others I would have had. Some use just one, some a combination, it depends on the person. Take three minutes apiece and have the whole conversation start to finish and play with these three ideas. …off you go…

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Would it be fair to say that there’s a lot of potential meat in this one stage here? The late but great Dave Dobson was a phenomenal hypnotist. In many ways, he was Milton Erickson’s equal in what he was doing, specializing in burn victims. He would go to hospitals and help them. That’s the only time the hospital would allow a hypnotist to come in and talk to their burn victims was when he was working there. When he left they tried someone else and after a few months they closed the door on, the whole idea. Why? Because he was getting great results. One thing he used to say that really impressed me was, I just talk to the client. I don’t know what I’m doing they just need someone to talk with them and he would literally just sit and talk to them as a human being, a caring person. Of course, you and I both know that given his experiences there were a lot of patterns, hypnotic elements and so on in the back of his mind which were filtering through as he was just talking to them. You can see how much you get out of the conversation even just in the role play of it and how many directions it can go in.

DVD #3 – The 7 Step Hypnotic Pain Control Method – Part 2

This Is Covert Hypnosis Igor:

Joe and I have just been talking about this. Joe does a lot of pain control. When I had a practice, I wouldn’t specialize in it but I saw my fair share of it. The steps that we’re doing right now in this particular segment are simple steps, but there are times when you need to spend the entire

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual session – an hour, sometimes two hours – just doing these steps, this and a couple other things that we’re going to be doing in a moment. If you try to rush through these, I can tell you right now that your experience as a hypnotist is going to be most dissatisfying. It is very, very hard to work with a client when you haven’t ticked these steps off the box, and these aren’t just steps. They’re just parts of the conversation. The only clients I have ever failed with, in pain control – and I’m not trying to say this is like I can work with everyone because I haven’t worked with enough people, to say this is something I’ve done for 10 years and of the thousands of people I’ve worked with. This is the case, but my suspicion is that this is actually the case. I’m just giving you a disclaimer on this one. The only people I’ve ever failed with are the ones where I failed to do the first five or so steps that we’re going to be covering here in this session. When I covered them to my satisfaction, I have never failed with pain control. Never. I haven’t necessarily gotten all the pain out of the way. I’ve had the sensation or maybe there’s something there, but it is no longer troubling that person. Does that make sense? My strong conviction is that if I did see 10,000 clients with pain, that would still be the case but I cannot tell you that because that is not something I’ve done. I haven’t seen that amount of pain control clients. Does that make sense to you? I’m trying to give you a real sense of what goes on. Joe, would that match your experience also? Joe:

Completely.

Igor:

Is anyone else here a hypnotist working with pain? Would this match your experiences also now that you think back on that sort of thing? We haven’t covered some of these steps yet but this is crucial, folks, and it is

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual actually quite fine for you to spend an entire session doing nothing but this before you even get into hypnosis because this is really in my opinion where the bulk of the healing gets done. Does that make sense to you? Just stand for questions. Student:

Igor, how long is the session going to be if you’re spending two hours on the first step? The client’s going to get pretty fed up.

Igor:

What makes you think that? If you’re doing this correctly, how can they get fed up because you’re getting engaged in their world? They’re learning something and they’re doing something. The reason that you might think they might get fed up is because if you’re just chit-chatting, you’re correct. They will get fed up with chit-chatting but this is not chit-chat. This is not chit-chat. You folks in the front row, some of you are still hoping that I’ll work with you in terms of pain control. Is that correct? Did you get fed up this morning when I just came in saying well, there’s this idea and then there’s this idea, and here’s something you should know about it and here’s something else, and realize I’m here with you and so on? Or was that actually making you feel more confident in the process? You’re actually doing conversational hypnosis right here. What I’m asking about is what he likes to do. If he’s the right kind of person for that kind of conversation, the healing has already begun. If he isn’t, he will get fed up, which was our second example. He got fed up and said I’m here for the pain. You will have absolutely clients like that. You can have them. I’ve had them. You’ve had them no doubt.

Student:

I have.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

So what do we do then? We talk about the pain. Already I’m working as far as they’re concerned. Now am I doing any relief at that point yet? Have they experienced any relief? Maybe, maybe not, but will happen 100% and you will see this happening time after time – is somewhere during this conversation, whatever pain levels they were at – and we’ll show you how to check that literally in the next step – will spontaneously change, alter in one direction or the other. As soon as you have that, you have a wide open door for change.

Student:

Thank you.

Igor:

Does that help?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Please do not think that anything we’ve done up to this point is just chitchat. If your mindset is oh, this is chit-chat before we do anything serious, then you’ve just wasted the entire opportunity. There is nothing I do with a client that is chit-chat. It may sound like chit-chat but it is not. Those of you, who were present in the hypnotherapy course, the demonstration with the phobia, we’re in a different course now, right? Do you recall how we just had some chit-chat with the client before we actually did the whole regression stuff? It was more obvious there because the client was terrified that the chitchat was doing more than just being a chit-chat. Joe is not in agony right now, which is why it’s less obvious, but it is still not chit-chat. It is a conversation with a purpose. The first step of that purpose is to develop this strong sense of rapport, his sense of faith that someone finally is hearing me, listening to me.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual How many of you have had a pain, you’ve seen doctors and you’ve been abused in hospitals by doctor’s, basically, treating you like a piece of meat and you really didn’t like it anyone? What was your sense when you met that one person – it could have been a doctor or a nurse that treated you like a genuine human being? How did that feel to you? A huge relief. As we know, a large percentage of the pain that someone is experiencing is stress and the stress that those doctors caused by ignoring your humanity, actually increased the pain. The relief you experienced when a human being was talking to you is already diminishing it. As soon as a process like pain diminishes, can you see certain hypnotic potential there, like the non-awareness set and so on? Please do not think this is chit-chat. This is actually the work itself. In the next session we’ll look at techniques for pain control. Personally I think this thing we’re doing in this session here is by far the most important thing you will ever do with a client that is in pain, and that’s why I am willing to spend the entire session – be that three hours – I do not care. If that is what they need, that is what they’ll get because the technique is useless without this step. Does that help? I don’t mean to belabor the point but I feel very strongly about this. You can experiment with it and you’ll notice a significant difference between doing these things – and we haven’t even gotten to the whole point of it yet – and not doing them. My experience is that, Joe’s experience is that, and those of you working with pain control would that be fair that’s your experience also? Does that help? Thank you very much for bringing the question up because if you were thinking it, at least another 10 people in the room were thinking it too. Just stand up and we’ll come to you in a second.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

You mostly answered the question. During these steps though, you would calibrate the speed you go through?

Igor:

One hundred percent, yes. I’m not doing this just to chat to him. I am doing this to see – remember, what’s the first step you do before you do any induction? The context, right? In terms of regular hypnosis, you create a little compliance and so on. I am compliance testing him just in the conversation. If I say what do you like to do for fun to relax and so on, and he says look, I’m just here for the pain, can we just deal with the pain, then do I have compliance? Do I have his mind in the right place yet? No, so this conversation is getting his mind into the right place. Some people need their mind to get off the problem to be there. Some people need their mind to get into the problem to be there. Some people need something completely different. By the way, can you see how that’s already teaching me as the therapist which approach to take towards the pain control? Taking the mind off it or taking the mind into it, right? Does that help? You’re correct, it looks like a conversation but it is not. It feels like a conversation but when you have that H+ that drives it all, it becomes something very different. If I were not to do this, I would be terrified of doing pain control with someone because I might actually not only just not leave it there, I might actually cement it in further, so they are going to suffer for longer because of my failure. Does that make sense to you? Please stand up.

Student:

What’s the situation, Igor, like if Joe comes in for pain control but he doesn’t have a letter? Well, I can’t do the hypnosis on you now, but you know what I can do? I could ask you a few questions and run through all this and run through the first five steps, reducing his pain right there?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

You could do that. The only risk that you’re running is that he won’t bother going to a doctor now because he’s already had relief, and you could be accused shall we say of interfering at that level. Again, it depends on the country you’re from, the state that you’re in and what the rules are there. Check it out with a lawyer if you want to do that. Also, in terms of ethics, for example, if Russ and I had that conversation without anything like that, the possibility that Russ would just say you know what I do feel a lot better, I’m going to start walking. I’ll go to bridge. I’m going to walk my dog again. I need a little bit of stretching in the park, then there’s a risk and I want to mitigate that risk. By making sure that he goes to a doctor first, not only do I diminish my own personal risk in terms of liability, but I’m also putting him on notice that this is important, something to really pay attention to. You can do this, absolutely. You can do this and there are risks involved, which if you’re willing to accept them, then that is on you.

Student:

As one human being to another, I’d rather be of value to them. Maybe just do a couple steps, but it’s not hypnosis.

Igor:

I agree.

Student:

To get hypnosis, you have to get the letter from the doctor.

Igor:

I agree and I think that’s a very good frame of mind to come from. I just warn you about how far you go and what the steps are within that. Joe, do you want to add something to this?

Joe:

Just to comment on your question and yours as well, I would ask you to think about whom the expert is in that interaction. You’re still providing them value. Even if it takes two hours to go through this conversation and

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual they have to come in for three or four sessions, you still are providing them value. You are the expert. Don’t take shortcuts to fit in a timeframe. Some people will take longer, some people will take shorter. I’ve gone through pain control stuff that takes 10 minutes. Great, but I’ve gone through other clients that take three, four or five sessions. It’s just the nature of the particular client. So don’t limit yourself to thinking that you have to have one session and it’s done or that it has to be done in an hour. Your schedules notwithstanding, of course, but if you’re not done within that hour, they’re going to reschedule. They’re going to still get the value because you’ve already set this up in their mind. It’s already presupposing change. It will start to spontaneously happen oftentimes without you. Sometimes the best therapy is done between sessions. Igor:

Or 100%. This is so true. Sending a client home between sessions – I used to love doing a two-session stop smoking program. Would you like to know why? It’s not because I needed two sessions. I could do it quite happily in one. It’s just because I was lazy. I would basically do some stuff with them and then present some suggestions that something is going to happen over this week, and I’d like to talk to you about it when you come back. I’d say about 80% of them would stop smoking before they came back, and then we’d just cement stuff in and so on. This is even more important when you’re starting something. Let me give you an example. Could you just pass this to Liz for a second? How are your legs doing right now?

Liz:

Better than they were when I was standing up there.

Igor:

This is what happens between sessions. So you’re not just having a chat, folks. It’s already starting to take place. I don’t even need to do the work

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual at this point. The chances are that I will want to add some comments and do some little bit of hypnotic thing to make sure this stays are pretty high still, but now how much do I have to convince them that I’m good enough, that it’s working? Her own experience is doing that, isn’t it? Now, if I come in and say look I want you to realize that this is happening right now and then for the rest of your life you may have sensations coming and going. There are things we can do to make sure that those sensations don’t come anywhere near as bad as what has happened in the past. Are you willing to explore those things? Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Fantastic! Do you see how much easier my pain control became? I managed to do it without even speaking to them? This is a very natural tendency. If you do have to send them back, just know that everything you’re doing is already setting the train in motion in the right direction, either because they have the relief that someone’s listening to them, or they have a sense that someone knows what they’re doing at last. That’s why they have to go see the doctor to be able to be in your program. These are all steps that sets the mind as smoothly as possible onto the right track. Once they’re there, it happens almost automatically. I like to think of it as the voodoo Shaman effect. If I had a nice rattle or feather here – I don’t know if anyone could lend me one – I can do this same work with that. If I get a chance, I’ll actually show you later on if it works out that way. I can do this same work with that provided I have this first. Are you beginning to get a sense how important this is, yes?

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The Art Of Healing Arthur:

This is very much the part of medicine. In modern times what’s happened is medicine has become more and more scientific so that they require double-blind placebo control studies, and this art of medicine is not as prevalent as it was 50 or 60 or 100 years ago.

Igor:

Right. You should know Arthur here is a medical doctor, so he’s pretty much seen the whole transformation of the community through the years. Why do you think the scientific community spent so much time doing double-blind trials to rule out the placebo effect? Because it works so well! In order to know that something is working; that this little thing is doing it you’ve got to rule out everything the mind can do. Would you like to know something? Who here takes tablets for headaches or something like that? Do you know that in many trials – not all, but in many trials – the placebo effect has out-performed the medication? Just consider that when you take a pill for your headache, the pill’s doing less for you than you are, so someday you’ll probably get more out of it when you take less. It’s just a thought to consider. Go ahead.

Student:

To really drive home how important this is and how much impact this can have, I work in emergency medicine and I’m a paramedic so I deal with the patient obviously from the time they’re at the emergency to the hospital. When I’m in that time up until I’ve done this course, and known what was going on, I’m functioning as a trained – kind of almost a machine because you kind of have to dissociate yourself sometimes. You get them to the hospital, they get into a system and because the hospitals in this area particularly are so overwhelmed with patients, they do end up many times being treated kind of like a number.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual I can tell you that going back. Like I’ll take a patient to a hospital and it might be several hours that go by, in some cases, going back to them, seeing them in a bed, they’re still in the ER waiting to either be admitted or to go home whatever. You see them there and they will have that same look like nothing’s changed, I’m still in pain. If you just go in – many times I’ve gone in and just asked them or started a friendly conversation of how are you doing, what’s going on? You can see the change in them. They forget about what’s going on. They talk to you and they engage you as a human. Oh, someone’s actually spending the time to sit and talk to me. Igor:

That’s when the healing starts.

Student:

Exactly. I can’t tell you how many cards have come to the fire station and they don’t say anything about the incident or about the hospital stay. All they remember is that you cared for them.

Igor:

Is this starting to be impressed upon you how this is actually an important step? It seems like a nothing. Please do not discount it. It’s a huge thing. We’ll have one last question here and then we’ll continue. Do you want to stand up here?

Student:

Igor, is there any difference in the way you would treat phantom pain, lost limb with this?

Igor:

No, the only difference would be to let the brain – to point out that it’s actually easier in some respects because they clearly know the hand’s not there anymore, so they’re in the middle of a non-awareness set. I wonder what’s going on here. You’re feeling something that’s not there and it’s clearly there, isn’t it? Yet you know it’s not. Do you see how it’s just asking you to go down that particular road? That made it easy for you. A disclaimer – generally speaking, I have never

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual worked with phantom limb pain. I’m just telling you what I would do. I have really no qualms about doing something like that because my mind’s already going there. I can already see the whole situation very easily. So do you get the idea of this being an important conversation, yes?

Step 3: The Pain Scale Igor:

The next step is – hey Joe, how’s it going, great, lesser, thank you very much. So what do you like to do? Oh really, that’s pretty cool. The pain? Oh, I sympathize and I’m here for you, right?

Joe:

Thank you.

Igor:

Have we just covered all the bases?

Students:

Yes.

Igor:

Now not all as I say will need that. Some people will not need to go over pain, but you get where I’m coming from. So here’s my question for you, Joe. Where is the pain at right now at this moment on a scale of 1-10? If 10 is excruciating and you cannot tolerate it anymore, and one is like yeah it’s there but you don’t really care, where would it be?

Joe:

Six or seven.

Igor:

Beautiful. Six or seven, easy. It gives you a place to be in. The next thing I’m going to ask just to race around that is it always like that or is it sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker?

Joe:

Yes, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker.

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Igor:

Thank you. This is very typical by the way, what has he just told me if it’s sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker? That it can be diminished. There are conditions in which it doesn’t have to be there. Does that make sense to you? Now he doesn’t know he’s just acknowledged it but I already have that thing there. I might say oh, so sometimes it is weaker, isn’t it?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

And I might even emphasize it by saying something along the lines of – and please this is not something to memorize – so if you could have more of those experiences where it’s diminished and it stays diminished like that, if that was like the peak, that would make your life a lot easier, wouldn’t it?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Of course, the ideal would be for it to totally disappear. Now you haven’t heard me have this conversation before, have you – with Russ? The ideal is for it to be removed entirely but as a Plan B, that’s a really good Plan B. Would that be fair to say?

Joe:

Yes, that would be great.

Igor:

Great. What have I just done here? I understand where the scale is, which means he now has a process of tracking it improving. Number two, he’s just accepted that he doesn’t have to remove it, he doesn’t have to fight it anymore, which means a lot of the tension about I just want it gone, has gone. If he said no I want it gone, then I have my work cut out still because he’s not being willing to interact with his own body in a new way. He’s too adamant about what must happen and that’s why it cannot. Does that make sense to everyone?

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As soon as I get that commitment – please don’t do this in the role play. I’ll show you the next little step that is really kind of fun, but this is not for the role play at this point. We’ll cover that in the afternoon session with the actual techniques. I just want you to see how naturally it fits in, although I’m putting it in out of sequence at this point. Is that okay with you? So it’s six at the moment and you said that sometimes it’s less and if you’re going to be like that, then you would be okay with it. It’s a good Plan B, is that correct? Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

I’m curious, what just happened to that pain or that sensation as you thought of it like that?

Joe:

It changed.

Igor:

This will happen in maybe 60 or 70% of the cases. I wonder what’s going on there.

Joe:

I don’t know.

Igor:

Something’s happening, isn’t it? Is anyone beginning to recognize something going on here? A non-awareness set? Do you think it will continue?

Joe:

I don’t know.

Igor:

Well, let’s find out. Again, do you see where we’re going with this? Please don’t do this as a technique. I’ll talk you through how that works. I just want you to see how smoothly it fits into what you’re doing in your conversation.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Here’s the beauty. If it changes up and it gets worse, it’s still no big deal; if it changes down, great; if it doesn’t change at all, you’re just asking, right? Have you done the pain control yet? No, so it doesn’t matter what the response is it’s a very natural place you can go towards if the situation presents itself. I’d say in my experience, 60 to 70% of the people – maybe a little bit more – will have exactly that reaction. It’s very rare that they don’t. It happens, and you know who usually doesn’t have the reaction? It’s the one that says it has to be gone, I don’t like it. They’re so adamant about it that nothing’s changed in them, so how can that have changed? As soon as you can ease that attitude off, very often the stress has gone and what do we know about stress? It amplifies pain. So if they dissolve the stress that they’re causing themselves, of course the pain is going to diminish. It’s a natural reaction. You can get on the coattails of that and ride it into a technique for full healing or a massively diminished sensation. Do you see how naturally that fits in? It’s the mindset that counts. Step three here is to get your scale for pain, and the typical one here – the standard one is 1-10. There’s no magic in the number, folks. You realize that, right? It’s just there as a simple standard scale that people can wrap their heads around. Is it easy to ask about that scale?

Step 4: Reframe Permanence Igor:

The second part of that is you’re going to start doing a series of reframes. Is it okay if I just use REF for reframe? Otherwise I have to spell it often and my arm gets tired. These reframes will happen at different points of the conversation.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual For some people it will happen earlier, for some it will happen later. We’ll do it mechanically here just to get used to them, but they’ll happen at different stages of the conversation depending on where the person’s mind goes. Do you understand what I mean by that? So we’ll put it in a linear process but it’s a nonlinear activity. The reframe that fits here most perfectly is reframing the idea of permanence. This very typically happens on the 1-10 scale. This is chronic pain. Do you know what the difference is between acute and chronic pain? Acute pain is a pain right now. Your tooth gets pulled and there’s a sensation as a result. Someone cuts my hand and there’s a sensation as a result. If that sensation continues over six months’ time, that’s a chronic pain. It’s continuing long after the injury that sustained the original pain. Does that make sense? Another way of looking at it is just a medical way of saying is the pain recent, or has it been going on for a while? That’s another way of looking at acute versus chronic pain. Does that make sense to you? It’s a real simple way of looking at it. Don’t get misled by medical labels. They confuse us and actually cement things in that don’t need to be. See through the illusion a little bit. What this idea of permanence does is it actually starts attacking the primary driver of chronic pain. It is the fear that it will carry on going. It is the primary element that actually augments chronic pain. It is the fear that it will never stop. Do you see how with a very simple maneuver, we can already begin to start taking care of that? Joe is a good guy. He’s smart. He gets the consequences and he’s adapting very quickly. So I can do this in a minute or two, and you’ve done it in a minute or two, haven’t you? There are other people, who can’t wrap their heads around it so easily. You’ll have to spend maybe 20 minutes or a half an hour just on that one idea.

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When the mind state breaks around that idea, then you see what we had over here with the paramedic. You will see them flooding with relief, and the pain control story is just so easy for you to do at that point. Whether you diminish it or you eradicate it at that point, you are on a home run at this point. Does that make sense to you? Do you see how these things start stacking up? Yes? I’d like you to do the exercise. Student:

This is actually about the scale of pain. If someone has chronic but intermittent pain like migraines and things like that, does it matter that they’re not experiencing it when they come in and, if so, how do you work with step three?

Igor:

In step three, if they don’t have the pain present when you’re there, it’s harder to work with. For example, some people want the proof that pain control works, so they want you to anesthetize their hands, so you can stick it in a bucket of ice or put a needle through it as proof. That’s a traditional way of teaching anesthesia and it can work. The problem with that is there’s no leverage. There’s no message. There’s no purpose. How can you leverage with something that’s not there? When they’re in pain is the easiest time to work with them because they want to get out of it. When they’re not in pain, it’s easier for their normal mindset to exist because the mind tends to stabilize things. Does that make sense? Can you work with it? Yes, it’s just going to be a little trickier. I would recommend that you first get used to this process, work with people who are in pain and then when they have that intermittent thing and they come in when it’s intermittent, you’ll get more insight into how to work with that at that point. This is an experience thing at this point, but the principles are identical. Does that help?

Student:

I wanted to say – because that’s my experience. I think the thing that I realized and the reason I think that this could work even if you weren’t actually in pain is because I realize it’s fear and sadness about continuing

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual to experience these in the future and what it does to their life. That is the key there. Igor:

Recall the worst part of any chronic pain no matter how intense it is – the worst part of it all, the thing that augments it beyond the tolerance threshold is looking back and remembering the pain, and then looking forwards and fearing it will happen again. I’ll give you a quick story before the exercise at this point, if that’s okay with you. Were you there in the mentoring program with the back pain? We had a student when we did a mentoring program and he asked for pain relief. I wouldn’t do it during the program because he had no letter. He came onto a mentoring program with a smaller group and luckily just at about the point when we started doing the pain control, the doctor faxed through the medical consent. He brought it in, I saw it, and it was all fine, so we did something just at the right time so it actually worked out very nicely. The first time I asked him how’s your back feeling now, he had back pain. He’d been crushed in an industrial accident. How does your back feel right now on a scale of 1-10? Do you know what his answer was? Eight or nine. Then I asked him no, I mean right now how is it feeling? Oh, now it’s a four. That’s pretty much what we did right? This shows you in no uncertain terms exactly how chronic pain works. He was so busy remembering the pain that he actually thought it was at a level eight. When he actually checked his back, when he actually sent his mind down to find out what’s going on here for real, he was surprised that it was less. Now can you imagine how easy it was for me to help relieve that at that point? He had this dramatic shift and he had no idea how it happened. I do, because his mind was in the wrong place. We’ll talk about this in the

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual afternoon but it was just a question of jumping on the non-awareness set, and it diminished to nothing, zero. The only thing he felt was the sensation of someone touching his back with his thumb, so there was a light pressure reminding him that he needs to take care of it, and that was it and it stayed that way. Can you see how all this stuff starts feeding in together? Does that help? Student:

How did you know to ask?

Igor:

Because I always ask. My experience has shown me that when I ask someone what the pain is, they will tell me what they expect to be there. You’ve seen me actually do this a few times with a couple of people here. I asked them, what is the pain level? They say it is this, and then I checked in – is that what it is right now? Just check. It’s a standard thing I will ask. Hence, it’s so easy to work with. It’s kind of what happened to you, isn’t it? Liz expected the pain to be greater but when she checked in, it’s like my God, it’s a lot less than I thought it would be. That’s the nature of chronic pain. This is why meditation can work so well – one of the reasons. If all you do is suck them into the one moment in time, you’ve just gotten rid of 60% of the cause of that pain. How can they not feel relief? Does that help?

Student:

Yes, thanks.

Igor:

Very quickly – I want to do the exercises.

Student:

For the permanence?

Igor:

The permanence of the problem?

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Student:

Yes, asking the person how he’s feeling right now, is that what you mean?

Igor:

That’s one way to do it. There are many ways to do it. That’s a simple example of it, yes. Another example was when I asked is it always like this, or is it sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker? If he says oh no, it’s sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker, he’s also agreeing that it can change so that it’s not permanent. Do you see what I mean? Those are not the only two ways of doing it. I don’t want to limit you to my way of doing it or my favorite questions. I’ll give them to you and there are other ways too.

Student:

The one thing I don’t understand is you just checked the scale and then always there was some conversation and they say oh, now it’s okay.

Igor:

I’m not saying that now it’s okay. Can we role play this conversation? Would that help you if I have a short role play with him just so you see? So on a scale of 1-10, where is it right now?

Joe:

It hurts. It’s a seven.

Igor:

Great, so just double check on your shoulder and really get a sense of it. Where is it right now?

Joe:

Actually it’s more like a four.

Igor:

This is a very typical conversation we’d have – typical. Sometimes he just says no, it’s still a seven, which is fine. No big deal. So you just say it’s a seven?

Joe:

It’s a seven.

Igor:

So it’s still a seven, right?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

So it’s still the same. Fine, now I just want to double check if that’s all right. It’s a no brainer. I’m just minimizing that. So is it always a seven or is it sometimes stronger or sometimes weaker?

Joe:

It’s sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker.

Igor:

All right, so what’s the lowest it’s been?

Joe:

Maybe a two.

Igor:

Great, so if you could keep it at a two for the rest of your life, I know it’s not the ideal solution, but if you could just keep it at a two for the rest of your life, would that be a significant improvement over how your life is right now?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

I have just reframed the whole idea of permanence. He’s accepted number one that it’s possible, and number two that it’s already happened at least temporarily. If it can happen for a short period of time, we can just extend that time. I can make him a chronic reliever rather than a chronic pain person. Does this make sense? Does that help now? Do you understand this conversation here, folks? Please just skip through sets one and two as quickly as possible – literally, just a couple of seconds just to get a token effort. Spend some time on steps three and four working on that level of pain a little bit just to get a sense of where they’re at. Off you go. Did you all have a chance to go through steps one to four? Yes? Now I realize the way we’re doing it right now, that it’s quick little sound bites. They’re hitting the essence of the idea.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual As I mentioned earlier on, I could happily have this conversation with Joe for an hour before I can get anywhere near pain control, and there are some people who are so onboard from the get-go that we’re done in five minutes. The example in the mentoring program, the guy we were working with there – Jimmy, who’s a great guy – he was bugging me when we had the stage hypnosis beforehand. In fact if you watch the stage hypnosis DVDs, you’ll see him on it. He was bugging me constantly during that program – oh, I’ve got this pain thing and please help me, and I was telling him to get the letter, get the letter, get the letter and I’ll be able to help you. Give me that letter. He was going yeah but I’ve got this problem. He got the letter. They faxed it in. Once he showed me that letter, you saw him handing that letter over, how long did it take to complete the whole thing? Joe:

Five or ten minutes.

Igor:

Right, it was so quick, I even had no concept of how long it took because once you get past these stages – one more step we’ve got in here – in my opinion you’re almost done. The rest is just the flipping the switch. You’ve built the machine. You just have to push the on button. Everyone focuses in hypnosis – and this is a little crazy in my opinion. They focus on the technique. Well, do you use glove anesthesia? Or, do you use the secret Jedi technique? If you want to know that one, I’ll record it for you, okay – after I figure out what’s going to be in it. When you watch the clinicians at work, the ones that are constantly getting success is they think it’s the technique but it’s not. It’s what they’re doing before that. Unconsciously they’re getting it all together. Are you getting a real appreciation for how important this step is? Yes?

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Step 5: Reframe Sensation Igor:

Shall we do the final two steps in this process? The final two steps are also reframes. The next reframe – and again the order may be different depending on when and where you do it. You need to reframe their relationship to whatever sensation they’re having – in this case a shoulder. Whilst they are talking about a pain, they have a lifetime of associations of what pain is. If I say to someone I’m going to take a child and I’m going to cause it a great deal of pain, do you not get that reaction inside? Even though you know I’m kidding and I’m creating a dramatic scenario here, doesn’t some part of you just tense up and want to hit me for it? You know I’m not saying that I’m actually going to do it, right? You know I’m illustrating a point here and yet you still get that visceral reaction. Why? Because you have a lifetime of associations that get activated and it’s introduced into that context. So whilst they are thinking about whatever experience they’re having as pain, they cannot do anything about it because there’s a lifetime of disabling ideas, disabling experiences at play. What do we normally do when we’re in pain? We try to get away from it, and that’s exactly why it has maintained in those circumstances where it does. Do you see where I’m going with this? My next reframe – and I say next because sometimes it comes right up front. It’s something you’ve heard me do throughout this whole session from the very first thing this morning. Does anyone care to guess what that was? Close, that’s the next one.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual So tell me what’s the sensation in your shoulder right now? Did I ask him what the pain is in his shoulder? No, I’ve reframed the idea of pain to just being a sensation. There’s no magic in that particular word, by the way, the word I like to use. To give you a counter-example, Dave Dobson – again a tremendously gifted hypnotist and tremendously gifted with pain control – he did way more things with it than I’ve ever done. His big deal was to talk to them about, you know, you’re clearly in pain, getting a connection with it, and he says you know what? Tell me about that yuck and that yucky thing over there. That’s pretty yucky, isn’t it? What does that word yuck do? What are the associations to that? Who uses the word yuck? Children. What do they say yuck to? Something unpleasant but not unbearably so, right? By using that word, what he’s acknowledging is that this is unpleasant. He’s also reframing their entire thinking in terms of this is not pain because pain’s permanent, pain’s painful, pain’s bad – yuck. It’s unpleasant but I can live with it. As soon as they can live with it, they’ll find out how to live without it. You can use yuck if that helps you. I like sensation and I can do a sliding scale. So let’s have the conversation again. We’ve done the whole letter, thank you very much, how are you doing, very good, talk me through it, pain in the shoulder, accident. When you think about that unpleasant sensation in your shoulder, what scale is it at? If 10 is unbearable and one is like oh whatever, where would it be? Joe:

Like a four.

Igor:

I’m already there. So you have a four. It’s a sensation that’s not pleasant. You’d rather not have it but it’s not overwhelming, is that correct?

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Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Pain, an unpleasant sensation, one that happens to be unpleasant right now can you hear the progression? As soon as that sensation is more comfortable, well then you’d be happy in terms of what we’ve done here as long as it maintains. Is that correct?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

All right, so let’s do some things around changing that sensation to the point where you’ll feel comfortable. Would that be useful to you?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Once again notice it’s a very simple step. I’ve overemphasized it so you can hear it. You can hear it happening very clearly, right? I am triggering a completely different set of associations. If you wanted to make up a word for it, make up a word for it too. It will be neutral at that point. I happen to like working this way because I don’t like talking like a fiveyear-old, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing because, once again, Dave Dobson had an immense success rate with his particular approach, but it suited his personality. It doesn’t suit mine, so I use the word sensation. Some of you will have something different. This by the way is where medical vocabulary can be fantastic, assuming there are not the wrong associations to it because one of the reasons for doctors having a different vocabulary is so they can dissociate themselves from the humanity of what they’re doing so that they don’t get upset by it. A surgeon doesn’t just carve someone open and pull stuff out. Physically that’s what they do, isn’t it? Yes but no. What they’re doing is they’re making an incision. They’re not cutting up a human body. They make an

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual incision. They don’t rip open the rib cage – although if you’ve ever seen the videos of surgeries, they have machines that do. It’s not pleasant to think of it that way but what does a surgeon actually do? He opens or spreads the thoracic plate. How much less scary is that? How much less traumatic is it for the surgeon to think in those ways? How much more pleasant for him if instead of having an agonizing pain, he has an unpleasant sensation that he can have a different relationship to? If I jump in too soon, then I’m disavowing his experience. So he comes in and I say what’s the problem? Joe:

I have some pain in my shoulder.

Igor: Joe:

Make it a stronger thing. I have a really bad pain in my shoulder.

Igor:

Excellent. If that mild sensation is kind of reducing and so on, it will be fine, right? How does it feel right now?

Joe:

What are you talking about?

Igor:

Right, I have just gone way off the reservation on this one because he can’t follow that, can he? So it’s a pretty intense pain, is that what you’re saying?

Joe:

Yes, it’s really bad I can barely hold the microphone up.

Igor:

Of course, that’s why I made you do it. It’s a sensation in your shoulder that’s really intense, right?

Joe:

Really intense.

Igor:

See, I’m beginning to move away from it now. By acknowledging the intensity, I can introduce the new idea and he’ll latch onto it. As soon as he

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual starts talking in the same vocabulary as me, once again I know that I am really close to my goal. Is this making sense to everyone? Yes?

Step 6: Reframe Message Igor:

Do you want to have the final reframe, which is in this section? Once again you’ve heard this one in action already. It’s a real simple idea but has profound possibilities. It’s called the message reframe. Anyone here ever suffer from an intense pain, or even worse, a chronic pain at some point in their life? Yes? Would it be fair to say when that is ongoing it feels like something or someone is torturing you? Would that be fair to say? It’s not something you choose in that sense. That’s what causes all the knock-on effects like the tension and the desire to get rid of it, and all those things we’ve already talked about that are actually not serving the person in transforming it because what you resist will persist. Would you accept that you’re already beginning to see it here with our subject? You’ve seen it here in terms of our role play, correct? So one of the reframes – and again it’s very key – is the idea that the sensation is not trying to torture you. It is a signal. It has a message for you and when you pay attention to the message, you no longer need the signal. I have 1,000 different metaphors for this one because each different person needs to hear it differently. In Russ’s case we did it a little bit mind bending. This is something I got from – I think John Overdurf gave me this one. You can have anything you want in life provided you pay… attention. Do you see the pause and how it sucks them in? And if you don’t pay attention, you’ll just pay with pain. Isn’t that the discussion we had at the

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual start? That gets his attention. That gets him to understand as we talk about it that there is a signal in the body that’s telling him stuff. As soon as he starts paying attention to that stuff, he doesn’t need the signal anymore. Another version of this is to imagine that your neighbor’s house is burning. Would you call them up or knock on their door to tell them to get out of bed? Yes? Now if they ignored you and said oh, shut up, I’m lying in bed, what would you do? You’d pound harder, wouldn’t you? You’d hang up the phone and you’d walk across the road and you’d hit the door. If they’re still not listening, you’d start kicking the door and making a hell of a racket to wake them up. Wouldn’t you? Meanwhile, they’re lying in bed going I wish they would just shut up. What happens as soon as they open the window and say what? What do you want already? Then you’d go fire. You’re going to die. Then they’d go oh, thanks. How do you react? You shut up, don’t you? Your job is done, isn’t it? That’s what pain does. As soon as they understand that it is a message and they start listening to the message and paying attention to it, there is no reason for the pain anymore. That’s exactly what your experience was, wasn’t it? Russ:

Back to zero.

Igor:

Back to zero is exactly what he’s saying. Is there any pain there at all at this point?

Russ:

No, I’m sitting here comfortably.

Igor:

He’s saying he’s sitting here comfortably. Do you want to just give him the mic so we can illustrate the point here? Do you have any sensation in your groin area right now?

Russ:

No, I’ve been sitting in comfort.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

He’s sitting there comfortably. Why? Because the message has been heard and as long as he doesn’t go back into the burning house, there is no need for any more. Now if Russ were to be a little silly and decide to walk back into the burning house by maybe kicking a football, you can see the action might not be the easiest thing to have on a groin strain. What would you do as a neighbor? Are you crazy? Why are you going back inside? Isn’t that what your reaction would be? That’s why the pain comes back. As soon as they understand this, these are the core principles. Once this is in their mind and they can accept it completely, your job is virtually done. Can you eradicate the pain entirely or whatever sensation is left over? Maybe, maybe not, but whatever is left is something they can live with without it being too debilitating. It’s infinitely better than the alternative that they were experiencing up to that point. Does that make sense to you? Go ahead.

Russ:

When we did the exercise, I was going to say two or three or something, and then I realized I’ve got to be truthful. I told this man to my left zero because that’s the truth. That’s what it was.

Igor:

Once again do you notice how his mind hasn’t caught up yet? His intellect is still hanging on to that two or three because that’s more reasonable than saying it’s gone. It’s only when he pays attention to what’s actually happening, that all those chronic symptoms disappear because we’ve taken care of that. Can you see how important this conversation is? So I want you to spend two minutes apiece having that whole conversation. Skip through steps

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual one to four in relative speed so that you can spend more time on the last two steps. I just want you to have a feel for that conversation. There’s a question here, but I want you to have a feel for that conversation because whether you do it in five minutes or you do it in 50 minutes or you do it over five days, this is your foundation on which all pain control becomes easier. If you don’t have this foundation, well it’s potluck. Honestly, I could not even begin to guess at how good your work would be. In my experience, I’ve pretty much failed miserably when I’ve skipped this. Student:

Let me clarify. The number six reference message, is that the hypnotist ask clients can you find what’s the message or if the sensations are like that?

Igor:

You can do that too. I’m just simplifying it very simply. I want them to change their mind about what the pain means. Currently when they come in, for them the idea of pain means they’re being tortured. That’s how they’re experiencing it. Pain means torture. It means bad. It means get rid of it. I’m changing their mindset from pain means torture to pain is a message trying to get your attention. As soon as you pay attention to it, the message is no longer needed. That gets past the resistance. Would it be fair to say you had that resistance initially, Russ? The resistance of saying well, I don’t want to hear what they have to say because it’s hurting me. I don’t care what it has to say. That’s why it’s still there. That’s the only part of the message, which is the body is signaling something to you and to the extent you haven’t listened to it, it will continue to do its job. I’ll use the metaphor of the burning house or the telephone or the little kid out in the cold trying to go home. I’ve got lots of these different variations. The point to get them to understand is that some part of them at an unconscious level is trying to get some other part of them to pay attention, to hear something, to feel

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual something, to understand something and as soon as that’s taken care of, the message will go away. Does that make sense? Student:

So the answer is to get the attention?

Igor:

So is it an intense pain?

Joe:

Yes, very intense.

Igor:

Excellent, so there’s an intense sensation there. I’m doing a little reframe here. Now I realize this has been going on for a while, is that correct?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

And it’s been pretty much hell for you, like it’s just kind of torturing you.

Joe:

For years yes.

Igor:

It’s almost like some part of you that you’d love to get your hands onto. It’s something that’s just tormenting you on purpose, right?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

And that’s why you’ve had it. I know it doesn’t make sense yet but consider this. You realize that pain is a signal from the body. It’s trying to get your attention to say look, something needs to be fixed here, right?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Now you also know because you’ve been to a doctor and he’s checked it out, that either there’s nothing wrong with your shoulder or whatever is wrong with it. There’s nothing you can do about it anymore it’s just the way it is, correct?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Joe:

Yes, that’s what they told me.

Igor:

Exactly, so here’s the problem. To the extent that you’ve not listened to the message, the message is still trying to get your attention, but notice what happens. When you pay attention to that sensation again right now with a curiosity and a sense of what’s this about, see what just happened? Very typically it will have diminished. I have changed his mind from this pain is tormenting me to this pain needs me to pay attention. It’s trying to tell me something. Now I might ask him – in some instances – I did this in Amsterdam. Was anyone here in Amsterdam at my hypnotherapy program? You were in Amsterdam? There was a lady there, who had this splitting headache. It was intense to the point where she was thinking of – I think she was a medical doctor. She was going to medicate and go home. I asked her in terms of symbolism – we’ll come onto that this afternoon – what’s it trying to tell you? What? Just pay attention. There’s the headache, right? The headache’s right there, isn’t it? Yes. So there’s a sensation in your head and it’s pretty strong, right? Yes. I wonder what it’s trying to tell you. What? I wonder what it’s trying to tell you. It’s there and it’s strong. It clearly wants your attention, doesn’t it? Yes. She went away for 10 minutes, came back and she went oh my God, I get it. I said good. Do you have any idea what she got? No. Does that help? All right, just two minutes apiece, real quickly. Off you go. Would it be fair to say that these six steps are a relatively simple conversation to have and has a scope to be very involved, depending on the person and their need? Would that be fair to say? That’s what gives you flexibility as a therapist, a lot of flexibility, but it also lets you know where you are in the process.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual If you’re working really hard on a particular step, then you know you should be smiling because you’ve just found the key that’s going to help that person transform. Student:

My question is from the previous exercises that we’ve done, whenever you put direct attention on something that increases the power of it.

Igor:

Thank you. Remember the old thing where attention goes, energy flows? Is that correct? Notice what we didn’t say is where attention goes, things become stronger, what is there gets stronger. Energy flows there. Let’s say the pain in the shoulder. It’s the different attention. Let’s put it this way. Two people – person A has a problem in the shoulder and person B has the exact same pain in their shoulder. Person A puts his attention on the shoulder. How can he not because it’s painful? He’s thinking oh, come on when is this going to be over already? Stop it. This is hurting. Oh, I wish I could just get rid of it. Person B is going I wonder what’s going on here. Is there something we need to learn here? Do you notice a big difference? What is the quality of attention going towards the sensation in one versus the other? The thing that keeps chronic pain chronic is the quality of attention being paid to it. The thing that relieves chronic pain is once again the quality of attention being brought onto it. So what all this is doing is, is it’s changing, it’s reframing the mindset so that the quality of attention that goes towards the sensation becomes different. It becomes healing rather than more damaging. Does that answer your question?

Student:

It does except for when you ask the person what is the pain now and then does it vary, you’re putting their attention on it.

Igor:

Sure, temporarily. That’s part of the whole maneuver. You’re not leaving it there, but what you’re testing for is how much attention is there. When he puts his attention to his shoulder, is he abusing himself with his attention

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual or is he healing himself? Here’s what abuse looks like. Do you want to role play? So on a scale of 1-10, where is your pain now? Joe:

Ten!

Igor:

Do you hear the abuse? Can you hear the quality of attention in his voice? Here’s another version. It will still be 10. It will still be very high. Given what we’ve just talked about, just pay attention to the scale of 1-10 and notice what level is it at now?

Joe:

Ten.

Igor:

Do you hear the difference? And you know it hasn’t always been 10, is that right?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

So some part of you is capable – can you hear the relief in his voice again? Again he can’t help it because – are you thinking of a real client?

Joe:

Yes, I am.

Igor:

I can hear it in his voice because I’ve had exactly the same reactions. What I’m hearing in his voice in case you’re wondering is the relief starting to come through because his mindset has changed. The experience may still be intense but the mindset has shifted. It’s a lot easier for me to suggest something like just as in the past it’s been less and right now it may be intense but notice how as you just wait a moment, do you see where that was? There’s no hurry in doing this. Did you like that?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Joe:

I did.

Igor:

Do you see where we’re going, what path we’re going down now? This is more for after lunch, but because the quality of his attention has shifted and it’s a different kind of attention, I have an open door. Go back to the first one, 1-10?

Joe:

Ten!

Igor:

The door is closed. Can you hear it? I can feel it inside myself how closed that door is. I could try and kick it down but maybe one in 10 people will let me do that. Why work so hard? Why violate the client’s integrity by working so hard? Does that help more? Was this useful? Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re done. We’re going to have a lunch break now. It’s now a quarter to. Let’s be back here at a quarter to 2:00. It’s now 12:45. Be ready to start at 2:00 on the dot and we’ll put it all together into the actual method. Off you go, folks. All right, is everyone doing good? Nice lunch? I just want to talk very briefly about this again, just a little bit of extra stuff you might be interested in and then a couple of quick announcements and then we’ll go from there. These are all online courses. They’re new courses, except for the last one, which are available online so that you can actually log into our digital library and it’s always going to be there for you. Just use your password and it’s going to be stored there for you. It’s an easy way for you to manage content. Conversational Hypnosis Video Crash Course Has anyone seen this one? Hands up if you’ve seen this one. What did you think of it?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Did you like it? Would it be fair to say there’s a lot of stuff in Conversational Hypnosis? Yes. The whole purpose of this course is to distill the essence, what can we reduce conversational hypnosis down to, what are the simplest steps that you need so that everything else is icing on the cake? That’s what this course teaches you. It just helps you reduce the complexity by bringing it down to its absolute barest essentials. It makes it really easy to understand, really easy to do, and anything actually you do on top of that becomes things you just take onboard as you get better and it becomes easier for you. Do you see the purpose of this one here? Yes? Did you like it? Was it useful? Yes? Good. Money In Your Mind You may recall we talked about this before. This is strictly speaking not a how to do hypnosis program. This is actually using hypnosis and conversational hypnosis to help people change their attitudes towards money. When you have the wrong attitude towards money, you don’t get any. It’s very simple. Your unconscious mind makes sure you get whatever is inside your blueprint. I’ll give you an example. A friend of mine was a sales person. He was selling cars. He was great at selling cars. He gets hired away. He gets poached by a new luxury car dealer who was opening up in London. He starts working there just selling like half million dollar cars. You know, like expensive, expensive cars. He can’t do it. He can’t sell it. He can’t even ask for the money. He just locks all up and gets all embarrassed. Of course if he gets embarrassed,

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual the people buying it just don’t want to deal with him. They leave and he’s in trouble. What’s going on there? His blueprint doesn’t allow him, it’s out of his complete conceptuality that you could even pay half a million dollars for a car, when he’s driving around in a $2,000 car. Do you see where I’m going with this? As soon as that’s switched around, all his natural skills as a salesman came back to the front. Now believe it or not – this is what he tells me – it’s actually easier to sell a half a million dollar car than it is to sell a $5,000 car. Did you realize that? But it wasn’t until he changed. Do you see how that goes? In hypnotherapy, most people I’ve come across who are hypnotherapists aren’t doing so well. One reason is because they don’t understand the business skills. Another reason is because they have completely the wrong mindset about money, and it comes down to really strange things. Up until you were here this week, how many of you thought marketing was a bad thing?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

DVD #4 – The Four Principles Of Pain Control, More Demonstrations & 3 Different Techniques You Can Use

Demo 2: Liz Igor:

Can we have my lovely assistant back here again? Liz, I noticed you’re sitting way back there. Is that because you feel like you’re done? You have to leave early? Do you want to come up very quickly just so we can finish something off, and then you can leave at any time you want? Is that okay with you? Can you just give Liz your chair just because she’s leaving early? I did make a half promise to her unconscious mind to finish something off. We’re coming into the technique phase. We’ve kind of done all this. Would it be fair to say you’ve seen all this happen at least twice with real clients, yes? The first time was with Russ where it was direct. In other words, we were talking in a direct conversation and it happened. The second time was with Liz, only we didn’t have the direct conversation. In teaching you about these ideas, the same experiences were occurring. Does that make sense? And your experience would have been very similar. You experienced the sense of pain and so on beginning to leave. Is that correct?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Because once you’ve taken care of the things, the primal causes of it all, it all naturally starts calming down. Can I just ask you where are you now in terms of the sensations you have?

Liz:

Probably two.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Still a two like from before and so on?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

So the question I have for you is, is two good enough for you or is this something that you want to explore and see where it takes you?

Liz:

I can explore and see where it takes me.

Igor:

Sure. What are you experiencing right now in terms of the sensations?

Liz:

It’s buzzy.

Igor:

Buzzy.

Liz:

And tight.

Igor:

All right so it’s buzzy and a little tight. Is it unpleasant or is it just a sensation at this point?

Liz:

It’s an unpleasant sensation.

Igor:

It’s a sensation that happens to currently be unpleasant, is that correct?

Liz:

Yes, currently it’s unpleasant.

Igor:

Can you all hear okay by the way? Is the sound coming through okay? Let’s just pay a few moments’ attention in knowing what you’ve already experienced, realizing how quickly your body’s shifted and realize there are times when it has been more intense in the past than others, and times when it’s diminished almost to nothing, right?

Liz:

Yes.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

So it’s important for you to realize that your unconscious mind has done all this for you. One of the biggest ways is by changing your attitude, your stress levels and all these other things. As you think about it like that, just notice the sensation in your legs and notice that your unconscious mind can already start doing something now. What is that exactly? What is that?

Liz:

Releasing?

Igor:

It’s a releasing, isn’t it? Did you expect it to be there?

Liz:

No.

Igor:

You have to thank your unconscious mind because I asked for it to pause earlier on if you’ll recall, and it did that and I’m very grateful that it did that because it’s easier for them to see stuff if I don’t do it sort of magically. Do you know what I mean?

Liz:

Right.

Igor:

It’s releasing, isn’t it?

Liz:

It is.

Igor:

You’re kind of enjoying that, aren’t you?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

It’s a very pleasant sensation, isn’t it?

Liz:

It is.

Igor:

Isn’t that interesting?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

How quickly something unpleasant can flip, turn around and be more pleasant than you realize, right?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Is it continuing?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

My feeling is it’s going to be on zero now into the next numbers, right?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

So you’re starting to feel as good as you used to be bad before, right?

Liz:

Yes. I don’t know about that.

Igor:

I understand. The simple idea is it’s starting to feel good now, isn’t it?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Interesting, isn’t it?

Liz:

It is interesting.

Igor:

How did you do that?

Liz:

I don’t know.

Igor:

That’s right. That is the correct answer. You have no idea, do you?

Liz:

No.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Yet there it is. It’s happening, right?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

And you’re pretty happy about it, aren’t you?

Liz:

I’m very happy about it, yes.

Igor:

See, the thing is, the thing you’ve done for yourself and the thing I want to thank your unconscious mind for is you’ve taken a whole new attitude to everything. You’ve started listening and paying attention. There are things going on and you realize from time to time, you’ll have aches and pains like every other human being does. But the beauty here is as this is transforming right now, something inside you can start to just rewire, to have a completely different attitude shift because all your legs were trying to do is take your attention. They have that now, don’t they?

Liz:

Yes, they do.

Igor:

They do. Would it be fair to say you now have happy legs?

Liz:

Right now, yes.

Igor:

That’s because they have your attention and it’s the right kind of attention, isn’t it? Now my sense is that from time to time you may have something you need to learn. I don’t know if there is something else going on inside there that you need to learn from or if it’s all been resolved. I don’t know if you have an instinct about that right now or if you really don’t know. Where would you say you are at this point?

Liz:

I’d say I’m moving towards the resolve.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

You’re at the point of almost resolving it. You can feel it happening almost in the background, right?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Let that continue for a while because in the same way as you can feel it resolving, you’ll also know when you’re done and I want you to be convinced about this. I want you to really know that when you leave here, it’s not just like oh it happened for a few minutes. When you leave here, it’s solid. It’s something that you can take forward in your life, and the only way to do that is to really learn something, even if you don’t know what it is that you’re learning. Right now you’re learning many things. You’re breathing of course. That’s right. It’s good, isn’t it? And you can feel that happening, can’t you?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

And it’s all happening outside of your awareness and that’s where it should be. Do you know why? It’s because that’s where the problem was in the first place. The very part of you that was responsible for running the problem is now responsible for giving you those happy legs. Isn’t that a comforting thought? How are you doing right now?

Liz:

Good. Really good.

Igor:

Has that resolving thing completed yet or is there still a little bit more? She actually is testing the experience right now.

Liz:

Yes. It’s resolving.

Igor:

It is resolving, isn’t it?

Liz:

It’s resolving.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

It is resolving and there’s no hurry for that to happen. The key thing is I don’t know exactly why your legs and your nervous system were getting your attention, and you don’t know exactly why either. It’s clearly working what’s happening right now. From time to time it may need your attention again, so can we make an agreement with yourself that if it needs your attention, it need not do it in such a painful manner as it did in the past. It can get your attention in different ways and, provided you pay attention, you’ll never need to pay another way. Does that make sense to you? Have you got that part? I have a sense that it’s now completing more fully, right?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Exactly. How are you doing right now?

Liz:

Good.

Igor:

Are you sure?

Liz:

Yes, I’m sure.

Igor:

As you think about your future, were there some things that would set you off more than others – like maybe the weather changes or something like that, or did it feel more random to you? I don’t know.

Liz:

No, more random but weather sometimes, more random.

Igor:

Okay.

Liz:

I never could quite…

Igor:

Figure out a pattern for it?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Liz:

No.

Igor:

That’s fine. It’s often the case. It’s not a big deal. What’s more important really is the relationship you have now specifically to your legs, but also the whole cycle that you had before. Doesn’t it feel different now?

Liz:

It does feel different.

Igor:

Check it out. There you go.

Liz:

I checked it out.

Igor:

There’s something I do want to emphasize here, just like with Russ, his body was trying to heal something and it needed time to move in a certain way to allow that to happen, correct?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Doctors have checked you out and there’s nothing that they can find that’s wrong but as we have heard, there may or may not be other things your unconscious mind is trying to get attention for. So just because they haven’t found it doesn’t mean necessarily there’s nothing there, and just because it was there doesn’t necessarily mean that something is there to find. Do you see where I’m going with this? I don’t really know if anything physical needs your attention, but you now have a signal. In fact I’d like your unconscious mind to give you a very clear signal if it needs your attention there again, how it can do it so you know to pay attention. Whether that means to go to the doctor or something else or just to be more careful, just pay attention. Do you feel that signal coming up now? Something different, something unambiguous, something you can clearly sense, and it may be there’s nothing there left. It could just be that the experience you had before was just like a phantom limb type thing. I don’t know but it’s good for you to

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual be convinced that whatever happens going forward, you have everything that you need. Do you know what I mean? Liz:

Yes, I do.

Igor:

Why don’t you just close your eyes for a few moments? You can put the mic down if you need. Really pay full attention to everything going on inside, both the real pleasantness of having gone through this whole issue and the rest of your body too. So you get a real sense of what’s going on inside there, so that any time in the future should you need to pay attention and perhaps be more careful with your body. It will tell you and you will pay attention, and if for no apparent reason at all your legs start to get real happy to demonstrate to you that you do have an unconscious mind – that’s right – then you can have that too. You can feel those signals beginning to find their own rhythm, can you not, to manage them sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, sometimes going in one direction, sometimes the other, correct?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Really pay attention to those things so that you learn to recognize them in the future. If you recognize them and pay attention in the way you’ve learned to do now, then there really is no more reason for any pain to ever return in that particular way again. Just do that for as long as you need to and then come back whenever you’re ready. This is a different way of doing the test cycle and to also make sure there are resources in place because there is no direct relationship between the sensation that she was having beforehand and there being some kind of physical problem. It may be that was just like a phantom limb pain. The problem’s already gone but the neurology has forgotten to shut off, or it could be that something else is going on. I don’t know.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

What this gives her is a mechanism for paying attention without having to go down the path of agony. Does that kind of make sense to you? It just makes it a lot easier, plus in doing it this way it also takes care of the potential for a concern – what if I leave here and it stops working? Do you have any doubts about it stopping working after you leave here now? Liz:

No, I don’t have any concern about it stopping?

Igor:

Really? How come?

Liz:

Because there is no more.

Igor:

Do you see what she’s describing here? That’s the unconscious process at work. It’s difficult to put words onto it because she has no idea what she’s doing, but she doing it and she knows she is, but she has no clue what it is, right?

Liz:

Right, that’s right. I have no clue what I’m doing.

Igor:

But you know you can do it, right?

Liz:

Right.

Igor:

Here’s the thing. Just pause whatever that process is for a second – just for experimenting – and then start it again. You have no idea how you did that, do you? But you can. Isn’t that crazy? You can do something at will and have no idea what it is or how you’re doing it. What a bizarre world we live in, but it’s good to know that, isn’t it?

Liz:

It is.

Igor:

And it’s good to have that confidence, isn’t it?

Liz:

It is. Thank you.

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Igor:

Do you feel like you’re done?

Liz:

I do.

Igor:

Really?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

You’re not kidding me?

Liz:

No, I’m not kidding you.

Igor:

Are you absolutely sure? You’re not being nice to me here because we’ve got a camera and everything?

Liz:

No.

Igor:

Really?

Liz:

Yes.

Igor:

Don’t lie to me.

Liz:

I’m not.

Igor:

I don’t like to be lied to.

Liz:

I don’t lie.

Igor:

Okay, in that case I guess you’re done. Give her a round of applause. Thank you so much for that. Thank you very much. I was kind of saving that for a little bit later on, but the reason for doing that is because two reasons. One, if you recall I actually asked her

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual unconscious mind to pause a process, a healing process, for demonstration purposes. That puts me at an obligation to fulfill my side of the bargain, doesn’t it, which is part of what we did here. The second reason for that is because the end process is just as important. If I hadn’t done that, my strong suspicion is that over lunch time all the pain would have disappeared. It would just become just the normal sensation and she’d have been fine, but then we wouldn’t have had that opportunity to put in the mechanism that she’s just tested several times to pay attention to her body without having to have pain. Would she have had that opportunity? So that’s a safety valve in here. There’s a safety valve so that she can pay attention, she can seek medical attention if it’s appropriate without having to go down the path of ignoring it and getting into more and more pain and so on. Does it kind of make sense where we’re going with this? We’ll look more at techniques and stuff later on, but when you’re working with the unconscious mind it’s very important that you fulfill your promises. I made a promise and that’s why I had to make sure I took the time to fulfill it. Whether or not you’re leaving early is irrelevant. Does that make sense? Once again, when a client is sitting here, your commitment is to them so you have to follow up. If they choose halfway through – I’ve had enough, I don’t need any more, if she said I’m fine, honestly I don’t need to come up again, then that’s fine. I have offered to fulfill a promise, so the sincerity is still there and it’s okay. They made a choice and they always can make a choice. Do you see where I’m going with this? Was this helpful to you? Now what I’d like to do is spend a few moments looking at what it is that we’re actually doing. Really you can see how this is really 90% of the work being done.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Do you want to stand up and we’ll get a mic over to you? This is like 90% of the work right here. The rest is just the icing on the cake that completes it. I’d like you to have a look at that icing, but first I guess there’s a question here. Student:

Just before we jump into the process, how would you address a client who comes in when doing the permanence reframe when they tell you it’s a 10, no it’s always been a 10? No, it’s never not been a 10 type of thing?

Igor:

That’s fine. Were you born this way?

Student:

No.

Igor:

So clearly there’s a time when it wasn’t there, right?

Student:

Right.

Igor:

And yet it’s been there for quite some time now.

Student:

I was thinking more along the lines of someone after an accident. They have that event, which would they blame right before, not right after.

Igor:

Okay, let’s put it this way. There are ways to deal with this. There are ways to have that conversation but it goes into way more technical stuff than we need to have right here. It’s a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage of anyone who will have pain will say that. Here’s the thing. It won’t be true. Pain is never constant at a level. It always fluctuates. Always! So if they’re telling you it’s always constant, they’re once again telling you their mindset. Their mindset is they’re looking for it to be like that as part of the reason it is. Does that make sense?

Student:

It does. I guess I was wondering how we as therapists would go about letting them into that without diminishing their view.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Sure, and that’s part of the conversation you end up having. Here’s what I would simply do. I’ll give it to you in rough terms because I don’t want to get into it. Otherwise we’ll miss all the other stuff we’re doing. The rough version of it is very simple – to politely make fun of them. Are you sure? It’s exactly the same way. You’ve never even fallen asleep so deeply that you had no idea and that you forgot about it whilst you were asleep and then woke up? Well of course I’ve done that. Oh, so there are times when you don’t experience it? That’s the crude version of it and there’s much more eloquent – sometimes you may spend two or three sessions only on that conversation. If you’re not ready to have that conversation yet because you don’t have enough experience with more regular situations, then don’t go there. There are much more chronic, much more cemented versions of pain, and just like with normal hypnotherapy, why take on Tyson the first time around? Start with his little sister. She needs to be knocked around a bit. A metaphor, just in case anyone’s wondering. Does that help?

The Four Principles Igor:

So here we are. We’ve done all this lovely stuff. We’re 80% of the way there. How do we get the client over the hump? What do we do to get that last two on a scale, to either remove it entirely as we did here and here? Even if it’s at eight bring it down to a six, to a five, to a four and give them the hope that at some point it can disappear or be down at such a trivial level that they’re quite okay to go home and live their life like that? This is really the domain of the techniques themselves. I could give you 1,000 techniques. I don’t know how many you know but I have come cross

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual hundreds of these things. There are a lot out there. You’ve seen a lot out there I presume. Rather than list all the techniques, what I’d rather do is teach you the principles and then illustrate those principles by showing you how many different techniques have built up. Does that make sense to you? Then you can make up your own techniques on the fly. What I did right here with Liz, was that a technique? Maybe, maybe not, it could turn into a technique but it’s irrelevant. I just worked with what I had there. Here are the major categories, only four in terms of the principles that you want to pay attention to when doing pain control. 1. The first principle is dissociation. It’s basically, taking their mind to wherever the pain is not. They are separating themselves from it. We had a great example here with the example of a car crash, where you feel like you’re floating up above your body and you see a body that you recognize as your own, and stuff’s happening to it but you’re not connected to it. That’s an extreme version of dissociation. A milder form of it might be where someone says can I give you some feedback, and you know exactly what’s going to come next, don’t you? It’s a rant and a rave with the excuse of it being it’s for your own good. You know that’s going to happen. Some people get really emotional about it and some people just go you know what? It’s not a big deal. It’s not really about me. They kind of half mentally take a step back and let the conversation continue without really being involved in it. Do you know what I mean? That’s dissociation. You’re taking a step back from yourself. You are outside of yourself. I’d like you to pay attention to your right arm for a moment. Just stop writing if you’re writing. Just pay attention to your right arm and really pay

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual attention to that arm. Now this arm is resting wherever it is. Really pay attention to this arm I’ve called your attention to and then let that arm go. That arm over there. It might even be way over there – that arm – and bring yourselves back whenever you’ve done that. What do you notice when I used that language? Did you notice how this brings it close, and that pushes it away? I’m going to start talking to Joe. You have this sensation in the shoulder. This is pain, right? When you start thinking about that sensation over there, do you notice anything happening to that? Do you see how I’m slowly stretching his mind away to dissociate him away from the pain stimulus? Do you see where I’m going with this? We’ll look at many techniques in a moment. I just want you to get the idea of what dissociation is. Do you all have a clear understanding of what I mean by dissociation? Yes? Is that three of you or is that all of you? Yes? Everyone:

Yes.

Igor:

Thank you. The second one is one you will be very familiar with already. This is one of the most commonly used. Dissociation is very common in pain control, and the next one is probably the most common use in pain control or in physical healing work in general. It’s largely because most hypnotists don’t really know how to do it any other way. 2. Symbolism. You’ve done symbolism work before, haven’t you? One of the classic ones is to imagine. Let’s say you have a burn victim and they imagine putting a cool soothing ointment over it. It’s a symbol, isn’t it? It automatically should trigger your ideas of maybe I can do a dynamic induction. Maybe I can skip all the places of sanctuary and safety and go straight to a healing symbol for that. Do you see where we’re working with this idea of symbolism?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Again we’ll look at specific techniques that illustrate each symbol as we go on. I just want to get the ideas out as a general thing. The next one is an interesting one. This is something that every great hypnotist does but very few of them know they’re doing it. You’ve heard me do this several times already. 3. It’s to presuppose that the pain is distancing itself, it’s leaving.

Demo 3: Ralph Igor:

I’m going to do this a little bit out of context, but shall we do a little experiment with this quickly? Is that okay with you guys? Would you like to play with this? Is that okay with you? Do you want to pass him the mic? You can stay where you are. That’s fine. You can have the camera there so they can see you. When we started earlier today, you said the sensation in your shoulder was at what level?

Student:

No, it was the lower back.

Igor:

Lower back, sorry. What level was it at?

Student:

About a three to four.

Igor:

Where is it now?

Student:

Actually a little bit higher.

Igor:

What is it now? Give me a number.

Student:

Five.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

A five. Just lean back in your chair for a moment, would you? Just so you’re more comfortable. Tell me when you notice a shift beginning to happen, just the first step of that shift. Now notice first of all I haven’t done the full conversation with him. I haven’t checked in with him yet whether all my start-up frames are fully absorbed. Does that make sense? But I’m still using the presupposition and notice what happens? What’s happening now?

Student:

I feel a shift in the pain.

Igor:

There’s a shift in the back, isn’t there? Now you had no idea it was going to come, did you?

Student:

No.

Igor:

You have no idea how you did that, do you?

Student:

No.

Igor:

Yet there it is, isn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Do you see the non-awareness set starting to come up here? That’s where the non-awareness set really lives and breathes its best. I wonder what will happen if you continue that. Do you think it will drop a whole number? There you go. What did you do?

Student:

I don’t know.

Igor:

And what number is it at now?

Student:

Probably three.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

You dropped two whole numbers? How do you do that? That was like less than a minute. Do you think it will continue?

Student:

Probably.

Igor:

I would tend to agree. What’s happening now?

Student:

It’s even lower.

Igor:

Even lower. What’s the number now?

Student:

A little bit less than two.

Igor:

A little bit less than two. You’re good at this. Did you know you were this good?

Student:

No.

Igor:

You had no idea, did you?

Student:

No idea.

Igor:

No idea at all. Yet there you are doing it with expert ease. It’s still going on, isn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

I wonder if it will reach a zero all the way or if your unconscious mind will take a leaf out of Liz’s book and go the other way. What just happened there?

Student:

I don’t feel it.

Igor:

You don’t feel it.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

I can just barely feel it.

Igor:

Right, so like it’s a sensation. Remember the friend I had with the sensation of a thumb there? Would you call that pain in any way, shape or form?

Student:

Not really.

Igor:

No, it’s just a reminder that you need to take care of your back, right?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Is that a good reminder to have?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Did you expect it to happen so quickly?

Student:

Not at all.

Igor:

How do you do that?

Student:

Don’t know.

Igor:

How did that work? It’s clearly working, right?

Student:

Oh yeah.

Igor:

You’re sure about this?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

You’re not messing with me about this?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

No, I wouldn’t do that.

Igor:

I’m glad to hear that. There it is. Just check in again. What level is it at now?

Student:

I don’t feel it.

Igor:

You don’t feel it, do you?

Student:

No.

Igor:

Now are you willing to make this commitment to yourself, to your unconscious mind, to your physical wellbeing to pay attention to that? In other words, to take it easy on your back, to not strain your back because clearly it’s getting your attention of that stuff, right?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

And it’s important to give that a chance to heal to the extent that it can physically heal, and to the extent that it cannot, to be comfortable that you’re going to take care of it despite whatever may be going on in there, right?

Student:

Right.

Igor:

Is that a commitment you can make?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

How are you going to engage in fulfilling that commitment? What are you going to do different now? How are you going to live your life differently to make sure that you’re looking after that back like that?

Student:

Pay attention to it.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Pay attention to it. I have a sense that if your back needs your attention it can do something. What do you think it will be if it needs your attention because you’ve forgotten for whatever reason?

Student:

I’m not sure.

Igor:

Just pay attention right now. What’s happening there? What’s that? It’s definitely not pain, is it?

Student:

No.

Igor:

But it’s curious, isn’t it?

Student:

Kind of almost like a low grade electrical sort of signal.

Igor:

Exactly, like a low grade electrical sort of signal, basically, saying hey hello I’m here. Just pay attention. As soon as your attention goes to it, do you need a signal anymore?

Student:

No.

Igor:

Now watch what happens then. There you go. Pretty quick, isn’t it? You’re good. That’s fast, isn’t it?

Student:

It’s amazing.

Igor:

Better than medication, isn’t it?

Student:

Definitely.

Igor:

I’m not saying you don’t ever take medication. Please do not even consider that I would even imply that because there are appropriate times for that sort of thing, right?

Student:

Right.

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Igor:

I’m not the person to make any comment either way. That’s your medical advice and your own personal opinion and so on, right?

Student:

Right.

Igor:

What I am referring to, though, is that your body can do a better job than most external influences. That’s just proved it to you, hasn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

How do you feel about that?

Student:

Good.

Igor:

Pretty cool, isn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Did you think it would happen so quick?

Student:

No, not at all.

Igor:

That’s why it didn’t but isn’t it good to know that you can be wrong sometimes?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

As you look into your future, I have a sense that in the past when you looked forward you kind of brought all this backache along with you, right?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

I tried not to but might have.

Igor:

You can’t help it some respects. What does your future look like now?

Student:

Comfortable.

Igor:

Comfortable. That’s a good word, isn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Just close your eyes and I’ll leave you in there for a while. I’ll just take your microphone back as you do that. Just close your eyes and really feel that comfort. Please do not open your eyes again until you are firmly convinced that whatever it is you just learned to do will be there for you as the days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into months, months into years and your whole life goes before you with that kind of comfort. Realizing that from time to time discomfort can still come in because that’s what part of life is about, but it will not be anywhere near what it was before in relation to that area of your back. This makes sense, doesn’t it? So just carry on with that all in your own time. Do you see the presuppositions in action? Did I do anything? I did a huge amount but it wasn’t here. It was in my preparation of it and I just presupposed it. I wonder when it’s going to change. As soon as a little bit of change, it just goes back to the question we had here. How do you reframe the idea that it’s permanent? You can presuppose it. When some little bit shifts, let me know when it happens. Just stand up and we’ll get a mic to you. Is this useful to you?

Student:

What I thought was really cool about that whole thing…

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

You did a great job. Feel good? Kind of profound isn’t it after a while? Let me just pass it back so that everyone can hear you.

Student:

It’s very strange. It’s just a feeling of complete at ease and peace and comfort and everything that goes along with the pain not there.

Igor:

It’s good to know you can, isn’t it?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

You did a great job. Honestly, you did a really good job. (applause) Yes, I think he deserves it. Please?

Q&A Session Student:

My apologies for that.

Igor:

You couldn’t see it.

Student:

What I felt was really cool about that is actually your first sort of presupposition when you started to work with him. I’m sorry I can’t remember your name off-hand.

Igor:

It’s Roland.

Student:

When you first started to do the actual work about five or 10 minutes ago, what I thought was really cool was the first thing you said to start the work was sit back and feel more comfortable. That, of course, was the word that ended up coming out first that he was feeling.

Igor:

Also, you’ve got to bear in mind we’re also setting the right conditions. Part of that is the suggestion and it was well spotted that it was just woven in there, but part of it is also just being aware of physical reality.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

When you are sitting like this versus like this, which one puts less strain on your back? So why work against it? Why put yourself in the most awkward position? I can be a dancing Kung Fu Master. Now make my pain go away. Why make it difficult to begin with when all the body wants is for you to listen enough to put it at ease again. That’s the whole purpose of a signal. If the signal’s doing anything other than that, then it’s trying to get your attention on something else. It has nothing physical to do anymore, in which case you can get the message some other way. Does that make sense to you? Please don’t think that absolutely every single client you’ll see for pain control will instantly vanish all the pain in like five minutes, although it happens to have been the experience here, because first of all that conversation can take longer with some and shorter with some. I have worked very long with some people. I’m sure you have too. Second, sometimes the sensation just goes down to a two or a one or whatever they can live with and they’re good with that. That’s where they are. Rather than pushing them because you want to have a perfect record, let them be where they need to be. Is this making sense to everyone? In some respects doing too good a demo is problematic because then the expectation is I must always get it down to a zero and make them feel great, and that’s not always true. There are people who are actually better off carrying a small amount of pain with them because it helps them pay attention. Some people just need that but the thing is it will no longer debilitate them in their life. It will no longer have the same sort of impact it did before. Do you see where I’m going with this? I’m just putting it in perspective a little bit. Do you want to stand up?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Student:

I want to ask if you considered – because an analogy popped in mind that it could maybe be used in the case of a social pain in a way. For example, if I imagine a fear of public speaking being in a way a fear of being….

Igor:

This is all just hypnosis so every principle can be used in lots of different ways. A lot of you came up to me during the breaks and asked me can you do this with child birth? Can we do this with sportspeople? Can we do this for this and that? The answer is of course you can. The method I’m giving you here is just a simple way of understanding how straightforward pain control can be, and to realize that the conversation you have before you begin is the method. The thing at the end – I have like probably three or four different methods with each person, haven’t I? Did I know I was going to make that method up at the time? No, because I’m just doing the principles. I was thinking about presuppositions and to be honest with you I have no idea why I asked Roland to engage in it other than my instinct was he’d be a good person to do this with. I originally intended to work with Gary first, but hey what do I know? Luckily the person I’m not knows more, so that’s the one I trust. Does that help? Yes, these principles will work on pretty much anything but we’re focusing specifically on pain control now. They come in with pain, so you’re going to help them to manage that to the point where they can leave in some form of comfort, at least a diminished amount of the limitations that brings. Just pass it right behind you.

Student:

So you come in with someone with say arthritis. Their doctor can only control so far but cannot stop the thing that causes it.

Igor:

Let’s just take this question up. The idea is what if their condition is real, like arthritis? The doctors can’t do anything with it. Wasn’t your condition arthritis? You’ve just seen it. There’s your answer right there. That has

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual been diagnosed by a medical doctor as arthritis of the links in the spinal column, whatever you want to call them. My English has just gone. Vertebrae, thank you. Student:

Right, but he can alter what he does. Say this person can’t alter what’s causing this problem. He can’t take care of it. He can’t listen to that signal. Can we just make the signal less so that it is…

Igor:

Sure, that’s exactly what we just talked about. Some people need a little bit of that. There’s going to be an infinite amount of what ifs. Now you know the principles. Work with what you’ve got. However, one thing I will say is, do not presuppose your own limitations onto your client. I have no idea if that particular individual – he could have the most messed up bone structure in the world and still be totally comfortable because his neurology allows for that as an experience. How would I know ahead of time? If it happens to be that then great, as long as he can get on with a better life after we’ve worked with him, I’ve done a good job and I know I won’t necessarily be able to work with everyone. I’m incapable of that. I don’t think any human being is capable of that. Stand up and we’ll get a mic to you. Does that kind of make sense to you? There will be millions of what ifs. You just deal with what’s right in front of you and then you’ll know what to do. Go ahead.

Student:

Igor, to answer his question, I’ve been here from the beginning and I’ve been suffering through pain in my shoulders all the way down to the back. The thing is, I wish you’d started this program, this pain control from the beginning. I’ve been really suffering and a lot of people know it here. The thing is that you did this induction to the other individuals here and I went

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual into trance and I followed you step by step. I was at a seven. Right now I’m down to a one. Igor:

Beautiful and you did that. It had nothing to do with me. You had to get a medical referral form.

Student:

I followed the whole thing right through.

Igor:

It wasn’t me.

Student:

I said the F word. This was before the break, and I said my God, what is this. I’m saying honestly wow.

Igor:

And you’re saying wow to yourself because you did every single part of that, just so you’re aware of this. Who here is starting to get really impressed by the power of the mind that every single human being carries around with them? You really should be because this is a pretty amazing tool. Go ahead please.

Student:

Hi. What do you do with like a brachial plexus, a nerve injury where it’s not pain but it’s complete numbness and years of numbness? It’s always a feeling of that phantom limb but you have it.

Igor:

Sure, it’s exactly the same thing. Let’s face it, if there are no nerves there, then they can’t actually sense anything there where there’s nothing to sense. That’s just part of their neurology. Once again the problem isn’t whether, or not they can feel something there because clearly physically it’s not there. The problem is how they relate to it. They relate to numbness as a bad thing. I’ve never dealt with that, so I can’t say I’d specifically do this but an idea that popped in my mind, which is a little cheeky, is if you can have

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual phantom limb pain, you can have phantom limb sensations in an area that has no nerves. They could develop that spontaneously and if all that happens is they’re okay with not feeling something in a particular area – and let’s face it. Until I just mentioned it right now, who was thinking about the bottom of the left sole of their feet? No one. It was for all intents and purposes numb. So we clearly can function without awareness of a part of our body if that’s the limitation there. It’s the fear, it’s the reservations, it’s the I’m broken, I’m hurt, I’m injured – those are the ideas that are constantly reminded of when they constantly put their attention in the wrong way. They are unwittingly abusing themselves. They just don’t realize that’s what’s going on. Does that make sense? That’s exactly the same conversation. The outcome – who knows what the outcome will be? Does that help you? One last thing and we’ll carry on. Student:

Just to kind of play devil’s advocate with this because I know that there’s a lot of psychology with people, healings and that type of thing of like the adrenaline of even being on stage or being part of a demo, and those types of things happen. Are we necessarily teaching our clients to be able to do this later, or is it more of an in the moment kind of thing?

Igor:

You may have noticed I spoke to both Liz and Roland here about the future. One of the key things was, please don’t finish this process until you’re convinced that you have mechanisms for doing this yourself specifically for that purpose. You may also have noticed that there was no yahoo woo-hoo going on here whilst we were doing the pain control, specifically to avoid the adrenal reaction being the one that masks the pain as opposed to something else.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Were you calm throughout the whole interaction we had? He was calm. You can see. Those of you who’ve got a tape at home, you’re lucky. You had the camera. The same is true for Liz. The same is actually true for Russ as well. They were all being calm. There may have been a small amount of, I’m up here being watched type of thing going on, but would it be fair for all three of you that, that passed pretty quickly or even never even occurred in the first place? Clearly the adrenal response was not the one masking anything, which is why I don’t necessarily work with that. Some people of course will get so excited, that’s their way of doing it. I’m not going to judge ahead of time. So how long is it going to last? In my experience, it can last as long as they have lived shall we say. Can it fall apart? Of course it can fall apart. Anything can. Hopefully, they can either recreate this themselves – that was the whole purpose of that little last piece we did with them – or they’ll come back and then the second time I have to fix it again. Then we’ll put more things in place. I’ll ask them more about what went wrong so that the second time they have tools for those specific situations. You can’t cover everything at once. We’re human beings. We live in a world full of limitations, so we have to work with them as best we can. Does that help? Student:

Yes, excellent. Thank you.

Igor:

All right, very quickly one mic over there and then we’ll proceed. Is this stuff useful to you? Is it also making sense? Is it easy to understand, yes? Okay, go ahead.

Student:

My brain is a little bit slow when it comes to number one. Number two and number three I seem to understand pretty well.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Then do those.

Student:

But I want to learn the dissociation.

Igor:

I understand. Here’s the thing. Stand where you are for a moment. Imagine you’re taking a step back behind yourself and seeing yourself from the back of the room. So your body is standing there but you’re way in the back of the room watching that body standing up talking to me. Can you imagine that?

Student:

I can do that.

Igor:

Excellent. Now imagine yourself stepping back into that body, so it’s you looking at me right now. Is your experience a little different?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

That’s dissociation.

Student:

So I ask the client to do that?

Igor:

That’s the one thing you can ask the client to do. We haven’t looked at the techniques of this yet. I’m looking at the principle first and then we’ll start looking at what techniques can you actually utilize this principle inside of so that you can start making use of it. We haven’t even discussed it yet. No wonder you have difficulty putting your mind there.

Student:

I stopped thinking.

Igor:

Good man. Yes, give him a round of applause. That’s a learning right there.

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The Fourth Principle Igor:

Let me make sure I’ve got all my notes handy there. Come to me. Come to me. Come. Come to me. I think it’s the on button that was missing there we go. Oh yes, there you go. This is the final principle. 4.Revivification. Has anyone here ever been cold? Have you ever played in the snow like throw snowballs when you were a kid maybe? Did you ever get so carried away playing in the snow that when you came in, your fingers got all numb? How do you do that? It’s an automatic reaction of the body, isn’t it? Have any of you ever fallen asleep in an awkward position like on the sofa? You kind of fall asleep at an awkward angle and you get up and someone’s knocking on the door and you try to walk and then suddenly your leg just doesn’t want to play ball. Have you ever had that experience? So it’s not just me, right? The technical term for it is that your leg’s fallen asleep wasn’t that the one? Isn’t it once again numb? Clearly people have in their reference experience two numb sensations. If you’re anything like me when I was a kid and that happened, you start poking and prodding and you’re kicking it and saying nothing’s there. Look, kick it, its okay. It’s a natural reaction. Now you all know what a revivification is, don’t you? You’re making an experience come back to life again. If you bring back the experience of being able to numb some part of the body and then allow that to move to some other part of the body, doesn’t that take care of pain as well? It’s just another way of looking at it.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual These are the four classic principles that as far as I can tell pretty much every single pain control technique on the planet works on. I’m talking about hypnotic versions rather than drug control or anything like that. Every single technique on the planet that I am aware of will use some version of those things on the board, either all of them or some of them or one of them. Does that make sense? What I’d like to do now for a little while is just start exploring what those techniques might look like, what the activities you would engage in would be like. Does that make sense? Is that something worth doing?

Technique 1: Classic Dissociation Igor:

The first one is a little conversation you’re going to have just to play with language. This is a real simple way of doing it. It’s something that you more slip into your language than use as a technique on its own, but you may as well play with it. You started with it already. Can I just borrow you for the moment? Let’s use your left arm. No, whichever one you hold it with we’ll use the other arm. Good. So that’s the left arm, right?

Joe:

Sure.

Igor:

Joe, I want you to pay attention to this arm over here. As you really pay attention to it notice that arm over there can almost start to recede somewhere. So it’s that arm and it’s almost a little more distant, so it becomes that arm over there. Can you get a sense of that – the arm over there? You’re right here with me and that arm is over there. It’s almost like maybe sitting off somewhere else.

Joe:

It feels like it’s sort of down.

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Igor:

Yes, exactly. Way down there, right? Now let that continue so it’s way, way down there. That arm is there doing its own thing and you’re right here with me, correct?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Easy?

Joe

Yes.

Igor:

Spend just a minute doing that with each other. Just get the experience of it mildly. Note this is not pain control as such yet. I’m just giving your mind maneuvers to do to play with things, which will spontaneously trigger the absence of pain. Off you go. That’s easy to do, yes? It’s a real simple little language trick. You saw how quickly it started doing things. How did you experience it? Was it pretty easy to do? Yes? Did you notice like a mental distancing from the limb at that point? For some it will be freakier than others. That’s a more intense dissociation. What do you think is going to happen if someone actually has pain and they dissociate from the limb and it disappears further and further? Do you think the number on that scale of pain will stay stable or start reducing?

Students:

Reducing.

Igor:

It’s there proof there already at that point? The problem of course is a lot of people learn this and go oh yeah, it’s a great method. They’ll do it and go look, it’s all dissociated. Okay, hammer. Ouch, I felt that. Oh, hypnosis for pain control can’t be working.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Or they’ll dissociate the limb, they stick it in a bucket of ice and some people can keep it there for five minutes, some people for 10 minutes. It’s a totally different ballpark at that point, isn’t it? Because you haven’t dealt with anything that has really to do with pain, which are things like expectations, fears, beliefs, projecting into it, the emotional reaction to it, the rejection of the pain, and all those things haven’t even been touched upon yet. Plus the pain has been externally caused. They can remove themselves from that easy enough, which makes the body think why the hell would I stay here? When someone’s already in it, it’s a totally different question. Do you see we’re dealing with totally different creatures here? Of course I know at least one of you came up and asked how can I do this with sportspeople? It’s exactly the same thing. It’s like preparing someone for surgery. What they need to understand is when the surgeon starts cutting up their skin, they’re not cutting up their skin. They’re opening them up for healing to occur. Anyone here ever had a painful blister? Yes? It just builds pressure and it builds pressure and it’s not nice, is it? It hurts. What happens when either you purposely or accidentally burst the blister? There’s like a release that happens. It depends on the kind of blister because a burn blister is a different thing to a friction blister. That’s kind of the analogy that happens. The surgeon will just prick the skin long enough to bring the relief. Isn’t that a good thing? If you’re working with sportspeople, it’s the same idea. You’re doing this to get a bigger reward. It’s like reaching through the fiery window to get the baby back. The principles are the same, and this just gives the mind a coping mechanism to latch onto to activate or actualize the idea they’ve already accepted in principle. In my experience they will spontaneously start doing that – spontaneously.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

We could have had maybe Roland telling us well, it seems like the pain is just way over there at the end of the ship. It’s still kind of there but I don’t really notice it. It’s happened to me. Has it happened to you? It happens spontaneously, so then you use it. You’ll recognize what’s happening and you’ll run with it. Does that make sense to you guys?

Technique 2: Cognitive Dissociation Igor:

In the same kind of vein, what other things can we do? You can talk to me as a mind whilst your body rests in the corner over there. At first it’s just a strange imaginary exercise, but what if I had this kind of conversation. Joe’s in pain. He doesn’t like it. How are you doing? Joe’s in pain. Not so good. We’ve had the pre-conversations accepted in principle, but then he comes back to the idea of but my body is still hurting, right?

Joe:

Yes, it’s really hurting.

Igor:

I understand, and there’s all that sensation in your body. Meanwhile when we’re talking about all these other experiences, how’s your mind been doing? Isn’t that an interesting question? Because the pain’s not in your mind, is it?

Joe:

No.

Igor:

It’s in your body and you know that, right?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

So you can talk to me as a mind whilst your body does something else for a while, right?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

It’s almost like you can let that sensation in your body drift somewhere else whilst we continue speaking about these things. Have you found this interesting at least what we’ve been talking about in terms of what pain is and so on? Yes?

Joe:

Very.

Igor:

So as we continue talking about that, notice how as a mind you can have one experience and in the body it will be very different. You can notice your body kind of drifting off somewhere, maybe off into the corner or something like that. You can wonder about it being over there but it’s doing its own thing because the main experience you’re going to have is as a mind, understanding that you can be free of whatever your body is doing long enough to be able to enjoy life, do things and so on, right?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

I’m wondering right now how are you doing as a mind?

Joe:

Fine.

Igor:

You are fine, aren’t you?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

And your body is just way over there somewhere in the distance and you notice that there are still sensations going on there, but they’re not as directly applicable to you, are they?

Joe:

No.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Here’s the crazy part. Are you ready to play with this?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Let’s make a little presupposition here. Let’s say that you start off with the body being like a nine of pain. If you just think about that body over there having its own experience separate from you as a mind, what’s happened to the level of pain? Has it dropped yet?

Joe:

Yes.

Igor:

Now of course we’re doing a role play. You realize that. This is not the real thing. I understand that but did you see similar conversations going on here already? Do you see how you can use dissociation as the opening gambit for the scale to come down? Now the impermanence has come through. Do you see how all these things start flowing into each other? Yes? That’s another way of doing the dissociation, which is the mind does this whilst the body does that. There’s that body over there whilst this mind is over here. Do you see that classic thing? You can build it up into a massive induction but the principle is of importance here. It’s not different from what you just did with your arm, is it? But now rather than just working with you and just that arm, you’re dealing with your mind and your body, which is kind of like a conscious/unconscious dissociation, isn’t it? Whilst your mind is busy talking to me, I wonder how much healing can continue with that body over there. Do you see the kind of options that are available to you? It fits right into the non-awareness set and stuff like that. Do you like this?

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Technique 3: Mindful Body-Scan Igor:

Here’s a nice one. This is something that’s been around for way longer than hypnosis has existed as a word. Have any of you ever come across the idea that meditation can help pain control? Yes? Why do you think that is? It’s because the quality of attention going to the pain will be different. You’re separating yourself from the pain. There’s a classic meditation called ‘the passioner’ and it’s said to be the big thing that got the Buddha over the whole hump of enlightenment. One of the key things they do is just being very mindful. They’ll scan their body up and down. Try this for a moment. Scan your body up and down and just be curious of whatever experience you have. Whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant is irrelevant. Just notice it and let your awareness flow smoothly past whatever experiences you have. Keep scanning all the way on your back, your legs, upper front, face, down or the other way around, whichever you prefer, and breathe comfortably. If you find an area of tension, don’t try to resist it. Don’t try to do anything with it. Just be aware of it. Let it find its own balance, whatever it is. Just let yourself be okay with whatever is there. Whatever that is, is not you, is it? So if that is not you, you can be comfortable whilst that is whatever it is. Can you not? Now bring yourselves back again. Did you experience that? Did you notice what’s going on there? Did you feel yourself separating yourself a little bit from whatever sensations you had inside your body, because now you’re having thoughts about it? You’re noticing it rather than being it and there’s a difference. That kind of meditation can be very powerful because your attention or the quality of your attention shifts in relationship to the pain. That’s a classic mindfulness meditation for pain.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual In extreme versions of this, you can completely absent the experience of pain because it’s so far removed from the person, they don’t have a choice. It’s like you know what? The experience is there. It’s there. I don’t need it anymore. Off it goes. This is another approach but you see how dissociation is the key principle active here. Yes, useful? Please do not think that I’m giving you a shopping list of techniques to work with pain with just to dump stuff on you. We could practice each and every one of these but time does not permit that. What I would encourage you to have is more the experience, understanding that there are only four principles that you need to know, and that these are just different ways of activating those principles to get you thinking about it. Then when you have a real client in real pain you can have that conversation and whatever they bring up will activate the right principle for you, and you’ll slip out and go oh, I just want to say this and see where it goes. Yes?

DVD #5 – Covert Communication, 13 More Pain Control Techniques You Can Use & Final Demo

Technique 4: Mindful Description Igor:

Here’s another one, which is great for creating dissociation from the problem. Remember, what we’re doing is changing the nature of how they’re attentive of the sensation of pain. That’s the key to dissociation. Shall we role play this one again? You have no idea it is but you’ll get it pretty quick once we start.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Describe the pain you have to me. Student:

It’s a pain in my upper back.

Igor:

What’s the shape of that sensation on your back?

Student:

It looks like a shield.

Igor:

So it’s shaped like a shield and if you are outside that shield you’re relatively comfortable is that what you’re saying?

Student:

Sure.

Igor:

And inside of that it’s not quite what you want?

Student:

Not great.

Igor: If it had a color what color would it be? Student:

Gold.

Igor:

So you have a shield and it’s kind of a gold color. What temperature would it be?

Student:

My body temperature.

Igor:

Kind of a warm temperature, okay. Notice what happens if you were to lift the shield off your body slightly. What have I just done? Symbolically, I have disassociated him haven’t I? I’ve allowed him to make it real enough by describing a sensation and by the way, very often just in the process of describing it diminishes it already. They think it’s the whole back and then they go actually no, it’s just this little knot right here and it has just a little radiation on the outside, it’s already diminishing.

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Once I make it real enough as a symbol, like a gold warm shield, I can start pulling it out and dissociating it. Did I just invent a technique? Who knows, what matters is what is his experience? As soon as he goes yes that’s odd, once again the door is wide open isn’t it? So you see another facet to this idea of dissociation.

Technique 5: Fractioning Igor:

Would you like one more, it’s one of my favorites?

Students:

Yes.

Igor:

Again, it’s not for the technique but to understand how dissociation can work with the person and how it changes the nature of attention. Do you want to play again? Let’s say this idea of the shield this area on your back and so on, this time I’m going to dissociate it by pulling it away, doing something with it. We’re going to do something slightly different. What I’d like you to do is called fractioning pain. So you have the sensation in the back, what I want you to do is mentally divide those into two halves. It’s still the same pain it’s just in two different portions and size. Focus on just one of those for a moment and let the other one drift off wherever. Now notice the casual suggestion. Did you miss it? Let’s start again, so you have the shield sensation. Divide it in half, it’s still the same pain it’s just in two different halves. Comforting is minor at that point. I want you to focus on half of that for a moment and let the other one drift wherever it wants to go it doesn’t matter right now. Do you have it?

Student:

Got it.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Do you notice it now? Now, divide that in half again. It’s still that same half just in two little bits. Place your attention on one of them and forget about the other one for now. Divide that in half again. Focus on one of those pieces and let the other one go. Divide it again and let it go. Divide it again and let it go, until you’re left with one tiny little piece. It may be a little tricky to keep the attention but I realize you can do it. I want you to move it from your back all the way to your right shoulder can you do that for me? What has he just done? He’s accepted the fact that we can change the pain, hasn’t he? Now move your shoulder to your elbow and for the next bit just for demonstration purposes, say you can’t do it just so they can see a variation with this. From your elbow I’d like you to move it to your hand.

Student:

It’s not moving.

Igor:

No, it’s still in your elbow right? Try this, it’s fun and you’ll enjoy it. Focus on your elbow, you feel that little sensation of discomfort there, focus on your hand and it’s not there yet right? Do you see the method to my madness? Focus on your elbow, focus on your hand; elbow, hand, elbow, hand and there you go. How do you do that?

Student:

I don’t know.

Igor:

You really don’t know, you know the roles and so on. This will invariably happen because of the presuppositions involved and so on. Here’s the strangest part. You will love this. I would like for you to now, take that piece of sensation whatever you have and move it about six feet out in front of you, wherever you think would be a good place for it to rest. Leave it there for now. How’s your shoulder feeling?

Student:

It’s gone.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Igor:

So there’s another form of dissociation. By fractioning the pain smaller and smaller, their attention is getting more curious about this whole strained experience. We’re shifting it which is really him accepting the fact that the can shift the pain and move it around his body to prove it to himself that he can move it outside of his body because it’s only a small amount anyway. If he can move that small amount then he can move the whole amount out because it’s not part of him anymore. You see I’ve dissociated the pain by leaving it on the floor over here. It’s your choice, do you want it back?

Student:

I’ll leave it there.

Igor:

I think so and that’s exactly what clients will say. It’s a crazy thing to say isn’t it? But that’s exactly how clients respond. Have you ever used this sort of approach?

Student:

Yes.

Igor:

Would it be fair to say that that’s exactly how clients respond, they pretend that it’s just as real as you pretended it to be?

Student:

Yes. I actually have a box that I put the pain into and then I close the box.

Igor:

There you go.

Student:

That’s how I test is I give them back the box and ask if they want it.

Igor:

What do you think they’re communicating at the unconscious level when you say do you want it back and they pull away saying no? They’re telling you that it’s worked. Do you see where we’re going with this? It’s pure dissociation, just another way of getting to that point.

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Technique 6: Distraction Igor:

So we’ve covered, let’s look at this…we haven’t come to distraction but that’s very simple, you have a pain in the back over here, what’s happened to your foot whilst you had that? You didn’t realize that did you? Focus on that foot. Notice the sensation and when you come back to your back how different is it now?

Student:

Diminished.

Igor:

It just breaks their concentration enough that they don’t maintain whatever was going on there. So you now have five different methods that principally rest on the idea of dissociation. The idea of distraction is classically thinking about something nice, putting yourself on a nice beach or something like that, but you get the idea of where we’re coming from with this, yes?

Students:

Yes.

Igor:

What I’d like you to do now is to spend a couple minutes in groups of two or three, just with whoever is nearby and I want you to discuss what you’ve learned about the principle of dissociation and if you want to have the techniques again, we’ve got that classical dissociation based on language, this and that. We have a mind body dissociation, as a mind you can have this experience, as a body you can have that. We have the idea of mind fullness, which is going the other direction. You’re dissociating by becoming more aware of it. We have the idea of distraction, moving their attention somewhere where it wasn’t so the pain can recede. The classic Erickson story is, you know, if you’re all in pain can you experience the pain. If a tiger walks into the room licking its chops, how would you feel? I’d feel completely different, my goodness the pain is gone. That’s another form of dissociation, by distracting the person. We

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual have the fractioning of the pain process, the point being you’re dissociating it by taking their attention to different portions of the experience. So, spend a few moments talking to each other about what you’ve learned and how you might implement dissociation yourself. [Audience conversing]

Covert Communication Igor:

All right, some interesting stuff yes. I’d like to impress something upon you in terms of what you’re doing here. Do you notice how most of the mannerisms we do are very casual, like focus on the pain, half of it and discard one of them and do whatever, just focus on this one here. It’s a very casual instruction. Whilst attention goes to half of their key pain, the unconscious mind is free to act on the suggestion we are the half, because they’re no longer putting attention on it in a way that hold sit. Have any of you wondered why I haven’t invited my pain control subjects to come up here to do the demo on? You notice how it’s always done in the chair? The only one who came up here was one who had already been halfway through the process before she came up. Any idea as to why? Because I do not want their conscious mind to have any idea of when I’m starting, because as soon as I start their defenses go up and go it’s my pain I’m going to hold onto it, work like this because I have had this for years and you’re going to have to work to get rid of this one. I want to catch them unaware. As soon as they sit up here they know it’s going to happen, but can I work like that? Of course I can, but it makes life much harder. If a client comes in for a pain control session, I will need to disarm them first. Look, before we go into any of the actual change work, I

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual know you want to stop the pain but I need to understand a little more about what’s going on with you. Is that okay with you? Student:

Sure.

Igor:

Before we hadn’t started yet, so on a scale of 1 to 10 where is it?

Student:

Six.

Igor:

As you pay attention to it, I assume you’ve done all the pre-frame and stuff for that, has it changed yet?

Student:

Maybe it’s like a 5 ½ now.

Igor:

Okay, fair enough. How do you do that?

Student:

I don’t know.

Igor:

And we’re straight in. I just double checked it’s already shifted and by definition, it’s already working isn’t it? Oh, you seem to be pretty good at this. Do you think if you wait a little longer it will drop a little more?

Student:

Yes, it just did.

Igor:

What is it now?

Student:

Now it’s a four.

Igor:

This is not unrealistic role play is it, because this is the same conversation we had over here? But part of it is, especially when they are chronic sufferers of pain, they’ve had it for so long it’s almost like a defense mechanism. They’ll catch onto it to prove to you it’s a real thing, but I don’t need proof I’d rather have the results.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Do you see how that works? The more casual you can be the more relaxed about the whole thing, the easier and more naturally it flows. I just wanted to throw that out to you, because I want you to understand that a lot of this stuff is possible, but really it’s not like take one half and throw it out the window and focus on the other half…that’s clunky and mechanical. It doesn’t work that way. It’s very casual and the more casual the reference the better. I saw this once on the TV show Big Brother. There’s a great example of exactly this sort of suggestion and action. You had the round table and they were all discussing some big things and you have the natural leader in the group with everyone saying, how should we do this? He goes well, I think we should all take turns, walk around and just say what’s on our minds. Who wants to go first? Guess who it was? The person sitting right there, do you know why? Let me give it to you again...what should we do? I don’t know. You know what I think we should take turns to speak what’s on our mind. Did you spot it this time? Students:

Yes.

Igor:

Do you think it would have worked if I’d said, we should all take it in turns to say what’s on our mind, would that have worked anywhere near the same?

Students:

No.

Igor:

Because they had become alerted to it consciously, it’s all those things you do subtly in the background without anyone really paying attention to it that can have one of the biggest impacts. Does that make sense?

Students:

Yes.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Technique 7: Visualization Igor:

Let’s move on to the next topic, the idea of Symbolism. This is real easy you’ve done much of it already. The classic symbolisms are visualizations you can go meet the inner healer. Some people are more technically oriented and want to go to the control room in the mind and turn the control knob on the pain sensation down until it’s to a one, zero or whatever. You can have a healing metaphor, for example, I can take you to a sanctuary, a safe place and bring out a healing ointment that will cool and soothe the sensation. Is it making sense to you guys?

Demo 4: Gary Igor:

Gary, you talked to us about what you had going on in the back of your head and so because of the accident you had as a kid. Where is it right now in terms of the pain level?

Gary:

It’s about four.

Igor:

Can you describe the sensation for a moment?

Gary:

It’s kind of a burning dull pain.

Igor:

A burning dull pain. Could you just close your eyes for a moment please and pay attention to that sensation there. Tell me if it starts diminishing already, but pay attention to whatever is there and of course, he’s already wise to what’s going on here so either he’ll work one way with it or, if he’s smart his unconscious mind will start diminishing. Has it happened yet?

Gary:

No, not really.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

That’s right it hasn’t very good. What you do, where is it you like to go just to relax is there some place you really enjoy?

Gary:

Yes, to the beach.

Igor:

What kind of beach?

Gary:

Sandy beach.

Igor:

So you’re there on that sandy beach and there’s the water over there, the temperature in the air and you can enjoy that kind of place right?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Now, if a really important person in your life were to come meet you on this beach to specifically and only to help you with the sensation you had on your head for some time now, who would that person be?

Gary:

My wife.

Igor:

Your wife, that’s a good choice. So your wife would be on that beach specifically to help you and that would be a good thing to have wouldn’t it?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Is she there yet?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Of course she is, right there. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but she has something for you, a cooling substance like a gel or ointment. Have you spotted what it is yet?

Gary:

Yes.

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Igor:

What is it?

Gary:

It’s a tube of ointment.

Igor:

A tube of ointment. Did she make it herself, just for you?

Gary:

I don’t know.

Igor:

You don’t know do you? You really don’t know. I wonder what will happen if you take what’s in that tube and begin to apply it to the back of your head. Can you feel the soothing coolness there, like a minty sensation or possibly stronger than that, can you feel that happening now?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

What’s happening now, in terms of the sensation in the back of your head?

Gary:

It’s cooling the back of my head.

Igor:

It is cooling isn’t it?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

It is cooling and is that cooling process intensifying as you apply it?

Gary:

No, it’s just on the surface.

Igor:

It’s just on the surface right, so what level would the sensation in your head be right now? It’s dropped right has it not?

Gary:

It’s still at a four.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

So despite the reduction in burning you would still call it a four is that what you’re saying?

Gary:

Yes, the cooling is on the surface it’s not deep.

Igor:

That’s right, so something is missing isn’t it, to allow that cooling sensation to enter, something to allow that cooling sensation to enter. You applied it on the top but it hasn’t quite reached the right spot yet has it?

Gary:

Right.

Igor:

That’s right. That’s why your wife is here. There you go, what’s she doing now?

Gary:

She’s rubbing it in.

Igor:

She’s rubbing it in. Can you feel that beginning to penetrate the skin?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Yes. Is that a relief?

Gary:

It feels good.

Igor:

It does feel good doesn’t it? Allow that to continue. Let her really rub in that ointment and feel the coolness that it brings. Is it bringing the numbers down yet?

Gary:

No.

Igor:

So what is happening?

Gary:

It feels good and it’s relaxing everything around the area, but the nerve still hurts.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

The nerve still hurts, so this is preparing you for the healing, it’s opening things up making the healing possible, but it hasn’t quite addressed the actual cause yet is that what you’re saying?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

But it feels good to be open and ready like this doesn’t it, like you’re ready for something? What’s that, what just happened? That was it. What is that? Let it go, drift it back, just let it drift. Let your mind drift way up and that experience be all the way over there. Let it drift Gary let it drift. That’s it much better, let it drift. Are you letting it drift, talk to me? You’re doing great. You’re doing a good job. I know this is intense Gary, let it drift all the way, all the way, all the way good. Let those emotions out slowly, one bit at a time. That’s it. Is it a relief having those emotions come out? Yes, just a bit at a time. One bit at a time let it come out bit by bit not too much at once. Talk to me Gary, what’s happening now? You’re doing a great job. You’re really doing a good job. This is really good, just talk to me. What’s happening now?

Gary:

I don’t know what that was all about.

Igor:

You don’t need to know, just tell me what you experienced. It was intense wasn’t it? You still feel the aftermath a little bit right?

Gary:

I got really hot.

Igor:

I understand. You’re doing really good.

Gary:

I just, I broke my own foot with the motion.

Igor:

I understand. You’re doing a great job Gary, do you know why? Let that emotion drift off into the distance so only bits come in at a time, one little bit at a time. Are you doing that? Notice how with each wave it’s a little weaker, so it’s easier for you to manage. You’re getting more and more

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual control of that process. You’re doing a good job Gary. Let it continue but at your own rate and pace, there’s no speed required here. There’s no time required here, because you know that I’m going to stay right here until you’re done. That’s it. You’re doing a really good job. Slowly, one step at a time let it drift again. Let it drift. Take a pause when you need to. Take a pause. Let it drift off into the distance. Pause, breathe, breathe, you’re doing great. That’s quite something isn’t it? Let me know if you want to continue or if you want to pause it for longer, it’s up to you. Which would you rather do, Gary? Gary:

Continue. I’m ready.

Igor:

Again, let it come in just a bit at a time. Let it flow through you, clearing out because this has been damming up. It’s like the pressure of water in a dam over time isn’t it and you’re releasing it now, at last. You don’t have to carry that around anymore do you? It’s literally been in the back of your mind and back of your head for all these years and it’s time to let it go, one careful piece at a time. You’re doing a good job Gary. You’re doing a really good job. Let it continue. Let it continue. There you go. Whoo! There’s a little more to come, but notice how it’s a little easier each time. Maybe a little music on the beach…How much of that emotion is left at this point, give me an indication?

Gary:

A little bit.

Igor:

Maybe like less than a fifth or an eighth. Just let it come. It’s easier this time because the first one was a bit shocking, I realize. It will drain all the way through and when it’s totally clear just let me know. Just breathe, do just what you’re doing. It’s quite something isn’t it? I expect it and understand. You’re doing a good job, a real good job.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual A little bit more, just the last few pieces. You may as well do a thorough job because you came all this way and prepared yourself. The wife is there to help you, so you may as well do a thorough job. It’s fine not to know what everything is about, it’s just enough to know that it’s releasing isn’t it? Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Very good. How far through are you now anything left or are we just recovering now?

Gary:

Just a little bit.

Igor:

Take your time. I’m not pushing I just need to know where you are that’s all. Take all the time you need. You may get to enjoy the last little bit as well because it’s kind of a weird thrill ride isn’t it?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Definitely an easing isn’t it? That’s it. It’s good to get it off your mind isn’t it? How are you doing right now Gary?

Gary:

I’m okay.

Igor:

You are okay aren’t you? You are okay? It was a surprising experience but aren’t you glad you’ve come through the other side of it now?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

How does your body feel? Is there a real sense of relief there?

Gary:

There is. I got so hot it burned the pain almost all out.

Igor:

That’s right. You got so hot the pain was almost burned out. What happens now? What’s going on in the back of your head right now?

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Gary:

It feels much better.

Igor:

Doesn’t it? The number has just come down for the first time since we started talking hasn’t it? It’s going to continue doing that because everything that was trapped inside has come out now hasn’t it?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

I’d like you to do something with your wife now, something pleasant on the beach. You don’t have to tell us what it is and if it’s that please definitely don’t tell me. [Laughter] Just spend some time as you continue to allow that healing to keep going. There’s no hurry, because she came all the way here to this point in your life to help do something really important. So spend time with it and let the healing continue. What number is it right now?

Gary:

One.

Igor:

A one, did you expect that would happen?

Gary:

No.

Igor:

Yet there it is. Let it continue all the way and do something with your wife, something to show how much you care. It could be as simple as holding hands as you walk down the beach or whatever seems appropriate right now. As the sensation in the back of your head continues to heal until you no longer need it. When you feel that process is completed, call my attention again and just talk to me at that point. I’ll talk elsewhere in the meantime, but please you have no need to pay any attention to that, no need to pay attention to any

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual of the sounds around you until you feel complete. Even though I’ll talk elsewhere you finish that until you are satisfied, but whatever just began has gone all the way through to completion. You understand what I mean by that don’t you? Just enjoy the company of your wife. Does visualization not work? Saved the best till last didn’t we? Notice, I didn’t really bring the symbols on. I gave an option, an offer like a healing ointment or balm, he took it right? Did it work? No. He accepted the suggestion but in itself that particular symbol was my fish in his dream so what did he do? Only on the surface, she’s massaging it in and it’s cooling down but it’s still the same pain. So what did I have to do? I accepted his visualization, his symbolism. What was he telling me? It feels ready for something, so I jumped on that. That’s right it feels ready for something, now that needs to be healed and wasn’t that the point when all the emotion came out? Did I know that was going to happen? Not a clue. What’s happening now Gary, talk to me? Let the emotions fade again off in the distance, way in the distance, way in the distance that’s right, just like the other waves. Are there more in the distance now Gary, more under control? Breathe, breathe, breathe…off in the distance, just one step at a time. What was that what just happened? Talk to me. Gary:

There’s a lot bottled up there.

Igor:

There’s a lot bottled up there. Here’s a question I have for you Gary. You tell me what you want to do at this point. Whoa Gary, way in the distance, out there let it fade way out there. Gary talk to me…way out in the distance, way out…is it receding again? Breathe, fade it into the distance. It will maintain a holding pattern in the distance away from you, can you do that now Gary. You’re doing a good job… way in the distance and as I talk to you that will stay there Gary, in the distance. How old are you right now Gary, in this

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual room with me this year? Talk. Put it in the distance. I want the adult Gary in the room right now and those emotions in the distance where they belong for the moment, we can come back to them later. Send them off in the distance. You’re on this beach safely with your wife and with me. Deep breaths…off in the distance…you’re here with me on the beach and your wife. We’ll put a little seal around them for now is that okay with you? Put a seal around them to leave them there for the moment because you have an important choice to make before we go anywhere near this. Is that okay with you Gary? Good. You can sense them off in the distance in a safe place is that correct? Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

That’s where your unconscious mind needs to leave them for now. Clearly there is a lot of stuff going on there isn’t that right Gary? How old are you?

Gary:

Fifty-five.

Igor:

Okay and when is your birthday?

Gary:

March 29th.

Igor:

I’m sorry we missed it. That was very selfish of you not telling me. So we have all those things happening somewhere off in the distance in a safe place and we have some relation to the stuff that we’ve released, in order for the pain to go away isn’t that right. How is the back of your head feeling right now?

Gary:

It’s much better.

Igor:

It is isn’t it? You have a choice to make at this point. Of course, there’s a lot of stuff there that needs to come out and because of the time and

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual place you’re involved in and so on, can we make an agreement with your unconscious mind is that okay with you? Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Here’s the agreement…over the period of the next few weeks you’re going to have some dreams. They will be very safe dreams Gary, very safe dreams and in each dream something will happen that feels a little intense. That’s going to release a little bit of that emotion and then the next night there will be another and another, but it will always only be a small enough amount that you can continue the rest of the night comfortably in restful sleep. You know what I mean by that don’t you?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Notice what’s happened already to that far off sense of emotions. Do you see how it’s getting to an even safer place now, preparing to work through your dreams with you, because you realize that sometimes when an elephant has been consumed over a period of time and this is one of them isn’t it?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

You didn’t realize there was that much stuff did you? What an experience. Are you willing to work with your dreams in this way?

Gary:

I am.

Igor:

And to do it just one step at a time so that its only enough to release and feel that good feeling, but then it gets shot off again back in the safe place, so that the rest is for another night. You only see one bit at a time until it’s all gone. It doesn’t have to happen in one day or one night, you have an entire lifetime ahead of you. In the meantime, you know it’s happening because feel the sensation in the back of your head isn’t it almost miniscule now that pain?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

Gary:

It’s much smaller.

Igor:

It’s actually very easy to live with that for the time being isn’t it?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Now, I don’t know if that sensation will disappear entirely at the end of your healing process. I have a suspicion and I think you know what my suspicion is don’t you?

Gary:

I do.

Igor:

How could I possibly know or you possibly know? Here’s one thing I do know Gary, I’m going to put something in your hand in a moment just so you can wipe your face if you want to it’s up to you. Would you like to know what it is I absolutely know and you’ll recognize it when I tell you?

Gary:

Okay.

Igor:

Whether or not whatever is left of the sensation whatever pain you used to have in the past, whether that disappears entirely or not, is 100% irrelevant at this point, because as soon as those emotions have gone either, you have the sensation and it won’t bother you or the sensation is gone, which won’t bother you. Either way you win don’t you?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

So the only thing left right now is the healing isn’t it? Are those emotions back in a safe place now?

Gary:

They are.

Igor:

You’re free from that for the time being right? And you’ve made the commitment to your unconscious mind to sleep have you not? Here’s

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual something you’ll do to prove your commitment Gary, I’d like you to make sure that for at least the next week or two that you get to bed early. I don’t know what your normally a late owl or not, but whatever your normal time is, do make sure you get to bed a little earlier than usual, because you have some work to do. If your wife says hey can you do the dishes, say not tonight honey I have some work to do. Go to bed in good spirits. You’ll start with some good dreams just to set the scene and then the intensity will come and just like you breathed through it now, you’ll know exactly how to deal with it and it will pass but only just enough for you. How are you doing right now? Gary:

I’m okay.

Igor:

You are okay aren’t you? Are you glad you did this?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Yes, I thought you would be. Is your wife still there?

Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

Have some quiet time with her away from those emotions, some real quiet time, because that’s part of the healing too isn’t it? Just rest comfortably with your wife, maybe you want to talk with her about what just happened until you know the process you’ve begun will happen safely, so you don’t have to deal with it all at once.

Gary:

Right.

Igor:

So have a chat with her. I’ll talk elsewhere, just make sure you’re in a good place and you are aren’t you?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Gary:

Yes.

Igor:

This is a wonderful example, by the way, of how strong a role emotions have to play in pain. By the way, when we talk about the abreaction drill, do you begin to understand what I mean by it now and how much you have to work with it?

Students:

Yes.

Igor:

I’m going to thank you because without this demonstration, the abreaction drill just seems like a fun little thing that we did. But you see what it looks like in action right now did we pull him out of the experience? No, not really, just enough to deal with what we needed to deal with here but he came specifically for this didn’t he? I have his permission. He didn’t realize what else was happening as a result, but I had specific permission for that. How are you doing Gary? Still the recovering process going on? Carry on, I’m just checking in to make sure he knows I’m paying attention. He’s been through a pretty interesting time. Once again, do you recall and this goes back to regular hypnotherapy, we’ve talked other times about how you don’t want to rush the client through the change. Do I want to rush him through all those emotions? No, because he’s not ready for all that yet. Maybe if we had three hours we’d sit down and would release a little and would relax. I suspect that at some point he’d want to take a time out and say that’s enough for today. It’s like running a marathon. You had a good time today, but next time you’ll be a little faster you know that. Are you back with us?

Gary:

The heat expanded over my entire body and when the heat began to dissipate is when the emotions came.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

Right. Let me shake your hand. It was a real pleasure working with you because that wasn’t easy to do was it? All the way back from trance, all the way…let the beach fade away. All the stuff we talked about in there is gone right? It will do its own thing in its own time, right now you need to rest and breathe. Sarah, would you have a walk with Gary around the deck to chill out a bit. I have a sense he would enjoy that right now. Have a nice drink of water and then enjoy what’s actually a beautiful sunny LA day and then come back to us when you’ve had time to acclimatize is that cool? Good job, well done. [Applause]

Discussion Igor:

Once again, do you see this as an example of how you can’t dictate the pace of the change for the client? You have to do it in a way that’s safe for them. Have I failed because I couldn’t cure it all in one session? No. Has he gotten frustrated or bored with me for not doing it all in one go? No. What do you think the chances are of him coming back for a follow up session to continue this progress?

Students:

Pretty good.

Igor:

Also, you see how each individual has a different capacity for change and it’s not because one is better than another, it’s just because some people have more stuff to release than others do. It’s not a bit deal. There’s no judgment or value thing about it. Once again, do you see how this idea that there is a message in the pain? It just wasn’t the message he thought it would be. So you see how this goes and how many other of these principles did we end up using, other than just the symbolism? The symbolism was a

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual watershed. Then you become a hypnotherapist and do what you’ve been trained to do, which is to take one step at a time, whatever comes out that is the direction you need to go in. Did I have any conception or idea whatsoever when I began this that this would be the way it would end up? Students:

No.

Igor:

How could I? Some of you might be thinking oh this guy is a real genius, how do you know that the visualization would trigger all the emotions to do that? I didn’t. I had a suspicion that if I had done it any other way the exact same thing would have happened anyway. Maybe some greater part of me spotted something and that’s why the wait until this point to engage, how do I know. All I know is that I pay attention to whatever is happening and if the impulse comes that’s the right thing to do at that time. Make sense?

Students:

Yes.

Techniques 8-13 Igor:

We ran a little over from what we had originally planned. Can I very quickly run through some of the other processes, on the understanding that these are really easy things to follow up on, but then as I promise everyone, once we start it I have to stay with them until they’re in a safe place. I’ll very quickly go through these and then you can make your own ideas about this. You will see millions of these techniques explained online. You’ll understand them in a very different light, as a result of all four demos we’ve had here. Notice how we worked very differently with each

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual person and only worked with the four people. I had no idea who they’d be until I got their medical referral forms. So it’s really no difference between anyone else. We’ve got Visualizations, clearly that has a tendency to work when it’s of significance for the person and it’s important of course in how we deal with that too. There’s something called Sub-Modalities shifts, like with the shield whereas, I can turn it from gold to blue, maybe that makes a change or maybe it doesn’t and if it doesn’t then I might try another color or I might change its shape. What if we squashed the edges and made it more round would that feel better? So you see I’m changing the shape, its qualities and so on which some people call sub-modalities but in changing it is, like fractioning of the experience changes. Again, it’s a symbolic way of working with it. Then the Dynamic Induction, you an all clearly see the dynamic induction in action at this point, right? Stories are great for doing the whole thing in a more symbolic way. Stories allow you to introduce many symbols very indirectly before you even start it. If I tell a story about someone who had a pain in the neck and they resolved it, isn’t that symbolically giving some instructions along the same lines? So this is where success stories are very useful. The other classic symbol is this one, the Voodoo Shaman Placebo – uga voom-voom-voom-voom, yay! I’m hamming it up a little bit. As long as his belief is in the system, this becomes a symbol. If it’s a symbol, then it works, if it isn’t a symbol for him, then it’s just me making noise and embarrassing myself in front of a bunch of people.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual So in presuppositions again, you’ve seen the Classic Presuppositions, has it changed ‘yet’? I wonder how long it will take before it starts changing somewhat, one way or the other? Of course, the Non-Awareness Set fits beautifully into this and you’ve seen me using it pretty much in each one of the processes as little adjuncts, assists and to nudge things along, right? Can you see how it all fits together now, by the way? Students:

Yes.

Igor:

The voodoo shaman effect is again the same kind of idea. Fractioning pain is once again another set of presuppositions, isn’t it? If you can move a small portion of the pain then you can move the whole lot of it. I’ve also included presuppositions casually in my suggestions and let the others just fade away wherever they want to go and focus on this one we’re interested in right now. So, do you get the idea of the first three so far?

Students:

Yes.

Techniques 14 – 16 Igor:

Let’s finish up on Classic Revivification. We have some classic experiences we’ve already talked about like playing in the snow and falling asleep on an arm, getting distracted when you’re at work and play. In one of them I’m revivifying numbness and in the other I’m revivifying dissociation. If you get overloaded with information, too much stuff is happening, you don’t feel the stuff that is, right? Of course, you can’t use Mind Bending Language in pain control can you?

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual [Laughter] Or can you go beyond that idea? One of the classic revivifications is also a symbolic thing called Glove Anaesthesia. Imagine a hand in ice water and the other hand in hot water, pick up the hot hand, now the cold hand, hot hand whatever you do, it’s getting cold-cold-cold and numb and you move it. That’s the essence of the glove anaesthesia and it’s one of the most common forms of anesthetic hypnotic techniques used and in my opinion, one of the most primitive. It’s useful and works great on the people it works with, but it’s also very primitive because it’s not really focused on the individual as a person. Is there any room for Hypnotic Blitz in anything we do? [Laughter] The hypnotic blitz essentially is just revivifying the resources they need. Did you notice how I was being pleasantly obnoxious to help him out of the strong emotions that were starting to overwhelm him?

Closing Induction Igor:

All your skills have a role to play, everything. But really, I did nothing that all of you can’t do because you have the same skills, the only difference is that I have a little more experience, right? That’s it. Joe has a little more experience, but you do pretty much the same thing don’t you Joe?

Joe:

Exactly the same thing.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual Igor:

I want you to start thinking about your skill set as a hypnotist. I want you to think about the four demonstrations you’ve seen here and what they’ve taught you. Above all else, I’d like you to mentally review all your preconceptions about what pain is or used to be and realize that whatever you thought pain was it’s not that. And because pain is not what you thought it was, transmuting and transforming it is a lot easier than most people think. Of course, the problem is they’re still thinking and that’s why they haven’t changed yet. And to the extent you’re going to assist their thinking to go in a completely different direction than the work that comes easy. Still intense at times, natural at others but it doesn’t matter what emerges, because whatever does will be what needs to. So think about your experiences in here today relating to pain and pain control, and take a step back from all that information and all the individual details. Realize it’s simply teaching the person to step out of the world they lived in, the world filled with pain so they can start looking for a new world, one in which their pain is no longer necessary. When that happens the journey is easy or simple. It can be intense, but it’s still an easy journey to make. Your client will do all the work. That can be a sound to remind you that unexpected things happen all the time, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter where you need to end up, what matters, is simply beginning, because each step will automatically lead to the next one. If you understand those four basic principles and you understand how to set up the whole situation in the first place, then it all becomes very straightforward. You know this for a fact, because right now when you think about working with your very first pain control client, isn’t there a little sense of anticipation like, I want to give it a go, when do I get to give this a go? That’s because you’re prepared and because you understand and above all else, because you realize that especially in the field of pain control pain is far too important an experience to take seriously.

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Hypnotic Pain Control – DVD Transcript Manual

On that happy note, I want to thank you all for spending an extra day with us just to focus on this important topic. I hope you can take this away with you as real skills, something that’s a real force of good in people’s lives and that’s what you’ll be. So pat yourself on the backs folks, because now you’re a real hypnotist that can do something worthwhile. [Applause]

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