Yes, I DO do self-hypnosis!  Keep getting questions about whether self-hypnosis works.  Here’s my personal account:

Self Hypnosis & My ski-lifting story

I burst into tears when my husband announced that our favorite niece was getting married on top of a mountain and to get there I had to take a ski lift. They were not tears of joy for my niece. They were tears of terror at the thought of riding a ski lift.

I’ve been terrified my entire life just at the thought of being suspended in air in a gondola or lift. But I was determined not to miss the ceremony.

The first thing that came to mind was drinking heavily. That, however, was another form of missing the ceremony. Friends suggested I just keep my eyes closed. I suspected I’d peek.

“Hey, I’m a hypnotherapist.” I said to myself. “Do what you do.” (don’t tell anyone I talk to myself, please).
So I began a daily regime of self-hypnosis. Daily was slight over-kill but I wasn’t going to take any chances. I knew self-hypnosis worked for others but doubted anything could help abject terror, especially since it was mine!

Here’s what I did and you can do it too! It’s called Ideomoter Finger Signaling: (this is all done silently to yourself, so people don’t try to lock you up)

1. I found a comfortable chair where I’d be undisturbed and relaxed myself.
2. I gave my unconscious mind the command that it would select a finger to move that would be my “Yes” response finger
3. Then I repeated “yes” until one of my fingers slightly jerked up involuntarily.
4. Next I gave my unconscious mind the command it would select another finger to move that would be my “No” response finger.
5. I repeated “no” until one of my fingers slightly jerked up involuntarily.
6. Lastly, I gave my unconscious mind the command that it would select a finger to move that would be my “I don’t want to answer” response finger
7. Then I repeated “I don’t want to answer” until one of my fingers slightly moved involuntarily.

I was ready.
1. I asked my unconscious mind to search for memories related to my fear of being suspended in air.
2. I told my unconscious mind that each time it found a related memory it would respond by moving my “Yes” response finger.
3. I sat, relaxed, and counted the times the “yes” finger moved. . . . three!
4. I asked my unconscious mind to go to the first memory, review it and determine if all the old-outdated fears related to being suspended in air could now be released and to signal me with one of my signal fingers.
5. I told my unconscious mind to “now release the old-out-dated fear in each memory that was related to my fear of being suspended in air”. And when the fears were released to signal with my “yes” finger.

I repeated that with each of the 3 memories my unconscious mind found. Luckily, all I got was “yes” responses!

Confident that my old out-dated fears had been released, each day I did this mini-self-hypnosis that I made up:
• As I pictured myself in the lift chair I silently repeated: “I feel wonderfully up-lifted”.  (I thought that was pretty clever, if I do say so myself . . .)

Ta DA!  Rode the ski lift, eyes wide open, stone-cold sober and actually enjoyed the experience. (Well, there was a tiny moment of holding my breath and gripping tightly when the lift stopped and we “hung” in the air)

I’m so proud of myself I may even take up skiing.
I’d better start on my old memories related to my FEAR of speeding.. . .and aversion to cold . . .