Abreactions Do Happen; How To Deal With Them Properly

Imagine this;

You are hypnotizing someone, in front of mates, on stage, in the clinic, wherever.

It is all going well, and then suddenly, all hell breaks loose.

The subject starts crying and screaming violently. They totally lose control and you have no idea
whats going on.

This is rare, but it happens.

It's called an abreaction.

These are so rare that I always used to think 'why bother, it will probably never happen to me.'

Sure, I learned the basics of how to deal with them, but that was it.

When I did get my first abreaction, even though it was just a minor one, I was essentially
unprepared.

I didn't deal with it properly and as a result of this the subject could have been in serious trouble.

After this happened and I realized abreactions really do happen, I decided I had better learn how
to sort them out properly. I spoke to my mentor, Igor Ledochowski, as well as many others, and
am about to share with you what I learned.

Seriously, This may be the most important hypnosis article you will ever read!

Read this carefully, and learn it well, as when that abreaction does actually happen, when the peat
moss hits the fan, you will be damn glad you knew what you were doing!

What Is An Abreaction?

An abreaction is an intense emotional response to a hypnotic suggestion brought about by

spontaneous regression to a previously suppressed traumatic memory.
So, you are hypnotizing someone, and for some reason a traumatic memory of the past is
uncovered, and all the emotions associated with this memory come flooding free.

How To Prevent Abreaction

Sometimes abreactions just happen spontaneously. This is rare, but it does occur.

If you follow the guidelines below, then you will learn how to nip this problem in the bud and
seriously reduce the likely hood of an abreaction. We can't eliminate them altogether though, so
keep reading after this.

Do not do regression.

Until you are properly trained in clinical hypnosis, do not attempt age regression work.

You never know what trauma's you may unearth.

Now, personally I feel that regression is actually safe IF you do it right.

If you make it explicit in your suggestion giving that they will regress to a specific positive
experience, then the chance of uncovering a repressed trauma is limited.

STILL

Do not take regressions lightly.

This is one of the very few areas of hypnosis which can actually cause people long term harm if
done carelessly. So as a rule avoid regressions until you are qualified and capable to deal with
them properly and prevent and respond to whatever they may cause.

Do Not Attempt Anything Beyond Your Skill and Training:

In many ways, hypnosis is like driving.

It is powerful, useful, and can get a huge amount done.

But, do something outside your ability, and you can veer off the road faster than you can say
'sleep!'
Avoid hypnotizing people with known psychiatric disorders, and avoid doing hypnosis for heavy
duty therapeutic reasons until you are properly trained.

Don't get me wrong here, I LOVE experimenting with hypnosis.

Trying new things, pushing the envelope, and discovering what we can about the human mind.

This is great, and a brilliant way to learn, but always take hypnotic safety very very seriously. If you
have any doubts regarding the safety of the subject, then do not do it.

The Standard Method For Dealing With Abreaction

This is the standard method of dealing with abreaction.

It works well, so make sure you learn it properly.

After this, we'll take it to the next level and show you how to deal with an abreaction like a pro.

The standard method involves three very simple parts.

1: Stay Calm

You are the hypnotist. You are in control.

No matter what is going on in your own head you need to breath deep, be calm, and be confident.

Handle this like a professional, confidently and congruently. As Douglas Adam's says, 'Don't Panic!'
Stay calm, and sort it out smoothly.

If you are struggling to be heard over the clamor of the panicking subject, then stay calm, use
repetition and an authoritative yet reassuring tone.

2: Avoid Physical Contact

Not only could physical contact seriously freak out the person experiencing an abreaction, it could
also create an anchor to the negative state. Obviously you want to avoid this, as the last thing you
want is all the emotional baggage they are dumping on you to be released again the next time
someone holds their wrist of places a hand on their shoulder.

3: The Magic 9 Words

Gerald Kein is the source of these 9 words which have now become very famous among
hypnotists.

They work well and will more often than not be all you need.

Say them calmly and confidently.

"The scene fades and you tend to your breathing.'

Simple.

These 9 words should bring them from the trouble state they are in, and pull them back into
reality. However, that is not always enough.

How To Make Sure It Is Done Right

The possible trouble with the above is that it doesn't really go after the cause of the abreaction.

Now we do not want to start doing therapy here (unless you are properly trained and in an
appropriate context) but we do want to firmly shut the lid on the memories causing the abreaction
and safely ensure that they go back to where they were before hand.

How do we do this?

We talk directly to the unconscious mind.

We give process instructions that explain exactly what it needs to do in order to ensure the well

being of the hypnotic subject.

We explain to the unconscious mind that a memory has been revealed to the conscious mind
before the conscious mind is ready, and explain to the unconscious mind that it must continue to
protect them from this memory until the conscious mind is ready to deal with it on it's own,
(otherwise this may create dependence of therapists etc).

Use language like 'protected' and 'stored' rather than 'locked' or 'imprisoned' when describing the
revived memory, otherwise you may worsen the problem.

Here's an example:

"I am now going to talk directly to your unconscious mind.

In the past you have been doing a good job keeping (name) safe from these memories.

It is important that you continue doing this. Store these memories away back in the safe place

until such time that the conscious mind is ready to deal with them on (his / her) own.

Keep the conscious mind safe and protected, and remove from it all memory of this

incident. Leave to the conscious mind only what it is capable of processing on it's own right now,
hide the rest until such time as it is fully ready.

So now as you sit there, the memories are stored back away, and the scene fades, you tend to

your breathing, and emerge only at the rate and speed that everything can be restored to

it's ideal, healthy balance. Everything is well, and you return feeling fine"

The memory is returned to the safe place where it was before, and amnesia is created for the
abreaction itself so the subject does not have the added trauma of that experience. They are
returned to a healthy state of affairs with the unconscious mind looking after them properly.

Often doing this can stop an abreaction before it starts, and prevent the memories from being
fully uncovered before the abreaction really begins. Make sure you have your wits about you are
are always keeping a very close eye on the people you hypnotize, so if something does begin to
happen you can nip it in the bud.

Be sure your subject is totally 'fixed' before you emerge them.

There are no absolutes

The one thing I am absolutely sure about is that nothing is absolute.

As you develop more confidence, always trust your unconscious.

Rely on what comes to you in the moment, and use these words and techniques as guidelines
only.

--------------------

Get out there, have fun with hypnosis. Experiment and do some good in the world, knowing that
should the worst come to the worst, you know how to deal with it safely and professionally.

See you on the next article.

Nathan Thomas

PS

Abreactions do happen for a reason, and can actually be a legitimate therapeutic tool.

To learn more about abreaction, I suggest you check out the book Keys To The Mind, How To
Hypnotize Anybody and Practice Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Correctly.

PPS
If you are lucky enough the be able to attend, Igor Ledochowski is teaching a live certification
course in Vegas this November, and like all his work, it will blow you away;

http://www.conversationalhypnosiscertification.com