How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Sensory thought

Techniques > Hypnotism > Principles > Sensory thought

Principle | Practice | Discussion | See also

Principle

Thinking about events triggers the senses. When I think about memories, I see, hear and feel what happened.

Practice

This is often used in regression, going back to explore events, both good and bad. As the person experiences them, they may describe how they feel to the hypnotist, who may then help them change or utilize those feelings.

It is also useful for future thinking. Getting people to imagine feeling good can be enough to actually make them feel good.

Discussion

This is a classic example of the close connection between mind and body, as well as the structures of memory and experiences.

It also illustrates well the power of imagination, where to imagine is to experience. Imagined senses are a bit different to remembered senses, as memories tend to be more stable (though they can also be changed!). Imagined experiences tend not to be as rich as with memories, although with guidance they can be far richer. For example it is not difficult to imagine seeing sounds and listening to the hues of the rainbow.

See also

Physical thought