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Two. Almost down. A grassy meadow below. It will be a gentle
landing. You feel great.
One. You are down. Open your eyes. You feel wonderful."
STEP TWO: Find a quiet place and get prepared
Use a quiet, comfortable, private place, like a bedroom. Make your
recording if needed. Place the player near your hand so you can easily
turn it on and off.
STEP THREE: Have the fantasy as vividly as possible
Have the experience. Get into it as deeply as possible; have
detailed and vivid imagery, using all your senses, and put your feelings
into it. It may be helpful to record each experience and compare your
reactions over time.
Time involved
Preparation time may take from 15 minutes to an hour. However,
most of these mood-altering exercises must be repeated for 10-15
minutes, two or more times a day to be effective.
Common problems with the methods
In general, they promise too much, especially expanded
consciousness. Take a "try-it-and-see" attitude. Another problem is
that some people have poor visualization abilities. If you don't
visualize well, try another modality, i.e. have your fantasies more in
words and feelings. Through practice you can develop a more vivid
fantasy.
Effectiveness, advantages and dangers
Fantasies do generate feelings. There are few experiments in this
area but many clinical reports of distress brought on by unpleasant
memories and thoughts about possible disasters. Some actors create
tears by thinking of a sad event. It is reasonable that positive
emotions can be created in the same way. As mentioned in method
#1, a few people are reluctant to relax or close their eyes in class. The
advantage is that these methods are simple, straightforward, and done
on your own. There are no known dangers.
Additional readings
Maltz, M. (1960). Psycho-Cybernetics
