Recently I had a client who was concerned about going to the hospital for some test procedures that would require her to stay still for 4 hours. Part of the fear was the discomfort of having an overactive bladder. I took her into a hypnosis session and had her imagine time distortion. We installed a few trigger words so that as she repeated them in her head, time would vanish and she would experience complete freedom in the experience.
It is possible to achieve this effect using hypnosis. During the hypnotic induction, the hypnotist will use visualization, relaxation, and suggestion techniques to alter the client’s sense of time. This can be done by having the client imagine that the four hours has already passed, or by having them focus on an imagined activity that is so enjoyable that it causes an altered perception of time. The hypnotist may also use suggestions to convince the client that time is passing more quickly than normal, or that their experience of time is different than it usually is. Finally, the hypnotist may use relaxation techniques to help the client let go of any anxious thoughts or physical sensations that may be associated with their perception of time. Through these techniques, the client can reach a state of deep relaxation and altered perception of time, allowing them to experience four hours as if it were only four minutes.
The response from the client was that it was “smooth as silk”. No bladder issues and no problems.
What are other reasons we may want to use this? Here are some I can think of:
- Long flights
- Sitting in a waiting room
- Making potentially bad experience go faster
- etc…