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Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Possible Factors Behind Road Rage

To minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus and COVID-19 variants, I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. Meanwhile, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE!

(This blog was originally posted on April 6, 2016)

Photo by Rick Hustead

A few years ago, listeners of KFI AM 640 Radio called into the station to describe their experiences with road rage. One person described how someone tail-gated his vehicle for several miles before getting into a physical altercation. Another person reported witnessing a situation where an older woman “stole” a parking place close to the shopping mall that another, younger driver had been coveting; when the first driver blew her a kiss, the younger woman apparently shouted, “I will find you!” In another instance, someone described her fear when she and another driver had pulled over to the shoulder of the road and the other individual came at her with a jack. She said she was certain he would beat her up with it when the man suddenly turned around, got back into his vehicle and drove away.

As I listened to these anecdotes, I noticed some very interesting physiological changes going on in me. The first was astonishment, anxiety and even fear for the people involved. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if someone came at me with a crow-bar because I cut in front of that person in rush-hour traffic. I see drivers do that all the time, usually without consequence or a sharp bleep of a car horn. I felt horrible for the woman who received the threat that the other, wronged driver was coming after her because she took the other person’s parking spot. Yes, it was inconsiderate (to put it politely) and even mean for her to slip into a spot that someone else had been waiting for. But did this action deserve the implied threat, “I’m coming for you”?

My next response was anger. I wondered how any of those situations justified violence or even threatened violence. Sure, that annoying driver might have ignored the rules of the road or went out of the way to cause aggravation for other people “just because.” But what if one of the drivers made a mistake and realized, almost too late, that he needed to get into another lane to exit the freeway? Perhaps another person, unfamiliar with the city or roads, was lost and even having a panic attack, which explained his excruciatingly slow speed. What if the older driver who “stole” the parking place that another person was clearly waiting for had a physical disability? Apparently, she blew a kiss to the first woman as she pulled in, which allegedly sparked the other woman’s rage. What if the older woman blew that kiss not to goad the other person but was a gesture of her gratitude?

Now picture yourself in this scenario: You are driving in heavy, rush-hour traffic when a car cuts across the freeway and merges into your lane, right in front of you. Instinctively, you slam on your brakes to prevent crashing into the other vehicle, only to have the car behind you lay into her horn. You really haven’t done anything wrong in this situation; the person in front of you was driving dangerously and you were trying to prevent a crash. Anyone else would have done the same thing. Nonetheless, your nerves are in tatters from the near-miss and the loud horn is the last straw. You flinch, startled by the loud noise and you feel your face flush with fury. Perhaps you mutter a few curse words and go on your way, annoyed but also relieved when the other driver speeds past with another loud beep of the horn. You wonder what just happened and hope you stop shaking soon.

Fear: The screeching of your brakes and the sound of the loud horn blaring from the car behind you created an immediate fear reaction. As Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., explained in his model of the Theory of Mind, at birth we “know” only two things: reaction to the fear of falling and reaction to a fear of loud noises. These fear responses are lodged in the Primitive Area of the mind, always accessible and easily triggered to protect us from impending danger. The sounds of the screeching brakes and beeping horn, plus the sensation of lurching forward (“falling”) as you slammed on your brakes, triggered your fear response. Big time. When the first driver executed an unsafe lane change in front of your car, your first emotional response was probably terror that you were about to be in the worst car crash ever. The loud squeal of your brakes and perhaps the blast of your or another driver’s horn reinforces that fear response. When you slammed on the brakes, you were immediately grateful that the car behind you didn’t drive right into the rear bumper of your car, either. In fear, we perceive that we are literally at the mercy of the circumstance to not be harmed. We believe that have little or no control over the outcome, which is when the fight/flight response kicks in. Some people are very tolerant and possess a live-and-let-live attitude about everything. For them, the initial fear they experienced after nearly being involved in an accident on a busy freeway is appreciated for what it was: a “near miss.” Life and the rest of the drive goes on, perhaps with prayers of thanks or just a sigh of relief, but (hopefully) no more drama on the road.
Anger: However, fear and anger often go hand-in-hand. Conversely, when we feel angry we generally perceive that we have a greater perception of control over our circumstances. Furthermore, we even have the perception of the luxury of control over whether the behavior deserves to be punished and how much punishment to dole out. Once you know the danger had passed, the anger started to build up and you thought/yelled: Don’t you (other driver) know how scared I was just now because your careless/erratic driving almost caused me to crash my car? And to the car behind you, Why are you honking at me, you so-and-so, I was scared and trying not to crash into that such-and-such! It’s not my fault! Don’t get mad at me! What did you want to do to the person who cut into traffic in front of you? What did the driver behind you do in this situation?
Suggestibility: The next variable to consider in this reaction is Suggestibility. When the first car merged in front of yours, did you immediately place blame on his or her careless driving? Did you wonder if this action was to punish you for something you may or may not have done (or be aware of doing) in traffic a few miles ago? In your state of heightened alertness and fear, did you consider the possibility that the driver behind you was actually trying to reprimand the first driver for unsafe driving, in the first place?
Hunger and Nutrition: In my blog titled This Afternoon on the Radio, I described how low blood-sugar levels can affect suggestibility and behavior including memory problems, inability to focus, irritability and increased anxiety or even paranoia. This physiologically compromised state can exacerbate irrational and even potentially violent behavior in you and/or the other drivers that are involved in this situation. Hunger, compounded with the stress of driving in heavy, rush-hour traffic can bring out the worst in anyone. Another example of this kind of aggressive response recently and notably happened in a California-based McDonald’s in 2018. The state had just enacted a ban on distributing plastic straws, whereby restaurant customers had to specifically ask an employee for a straw if they wanted one instead of the straws being easily accessible. On this occasion, a man allegedly became aggressive with an employee when she told him about the new policy while taking his order. The guest reportedly became so incensed about this policy that he even reached over the counter to grab her, and then started punching her. A supervisor was called over to try to ameliorate the situation; meanwhile several of her colleagues and some customers rushed to help the clerk get out of the man’s grip (she also fought back) and separate the parties. Later, when various news outlets asked passersby what they believed might have triggered this violence over availability of a plastic straw, several astutely replied: “I think [the customer] was hangry.” You have probably also heard or even heard this term yourself in reference to the angry/aggressive influences many people experience when they become hungry. For more information about this relationship, check out my blog titled How This Snickers Bar Got It (Sort of) Right.

When fear for your life is compounded with the desire to punish someone who caused that fear by acting carelessly or recklessly, the situation can quickly become deadly for all parties involved. Unfortunately, these kinds of situations happen all too often on the road these days. If you are involved in a dangerous encounter on the road the best, safest and advised thing to do is call law-enforcement right away. Do not get into the altercation in the first place. Call police or drive to the nearest police or highway patrol station to report what is going on. No matter what yours or the other driver’s offense happened to be, it is not worth killing or getting seriously injured or dying for. There is always another place to park your car or a different lane to merge into. A smashed car can be replaced. A life cannot.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 and in September 2020 she was voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Monday, July 5, 2021

Depression and Diet

(This blog was originally posted on August 27, 2014)

Photo by Rick Hustead

In his book, The Professional Hypnotism Manual, Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., wrote that some symptoms of depression are also symptomatic of a physiological condition of low blood sugar. These symptoms include insomnia, perception of loss of ability/inability to control the environment and anxiety. There are many reasons why someone might have low level of sugar in the bloodstream, including eating too many carbohydrates and not eating enough protein, or even drinking alcohol or taking drugs. However, continuous physical or emotional stress is also a common culprit of this condition, Dr. Kappas warned.

He wrote that the perception of lack of control, which is often a precursor to depression, can be induced when the mind is overloaded by message units from the subconscious mind, conscious mind or body. Similar to slipping into hypnosis, “Depression is the tail end of escape for someone who is in conflict,” the hypnotherapist said.

People whose depressive symptoms are caused by low blood sugar can relieve these symptoms by changing their diet to include more protein. “You have to start stabilizing the mood swings,” Dr. Kappas said. However, even if you treat the physiological condition you must still confront the depression. As a certified hypnotherapist, it is out of the scope of my professional expertise to diagnose or treat depression or any other illness that may have a psychological or physiological basis (Business and Professions Code 2908). Therefore, I do and will refer clients to an appropriate licensed medical or psychology professional to determine the cause and/or treat that specific physical symptom.* However, once this other expert has ruled out a medical etiology of your symptom, with a follow-up referral from that licensed professional, I may continue working with you in hypnotherapy to help alleviate and/or control these symptoms.

*California law allows access by California residents to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are not providing services that require medical training and credentials. The purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for vocational and avocational self-improvement (Business and Professions Code 2908) and as an alternative or complementary treatment to healing arts services licensed by the state. A hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or psychologist, and hypnotherapy services are not licensed by the state of California. Services are non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of medicine, neither should they be considered a substitute for licensed medical or psychological services or procedures.

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

With Your Permission, and Only Your Permission....Part 2

To minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus and COVID-19 variants, I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE!

(This blog was originally posted on January 21, 2014)

Photo by Rick Hustead

I could not believe it. Right before my (and thousands of viewers’) eyes, a random hypnotist essentially ambushed a beloved character of the television series I was watching. Bam! Right in the middle of a critical scene in the episode, the hypnotist addressed the character by name, gave a command (eye fascination) and did a rapid induction to knock him out long enough for critical elements of the plot to make sense and the storyline to move along. Following are my reasons why this scene worked—and made sense—in the context of Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D.’s definition of hypnosis and the following key elements of the plot:

According to Dr. Kappas, hypnosis is “[a state] created by an overload of message units that disorganizes our inhibitory process (critical mind), triggering our fight/flight mechanism and ultimately resulting in a hyper-suggestible state [that provides] access to the subconscious mind.” The character was distraught and in a state of high anxiety when the hypnotist approached him. He didn’t want to/wouldn’t physically leave the scene, but this opportunity for temporary “escape” into hypnosis was an easy way to escape the trauma and drama going on around him.
The hypnotist was calm and in control—and took control of the situation. He spoke the protagonist’s name and commanded the character to look at him.
The hypnotist appeared to use a variation of the direct-gaze shock induction to hypnotize the protagonist. This is a legitimate rapid-induction technique in which a hypnotist has the person look him in the eye and supports his or her upper body during the physical aspect of the induction.
The hypnotist used the key phrase, “deep sleep” that is typically employed during hypnosis. At the end of the scene, once key plot details had been resolved, the hypnotist counted the character back up to full awareness.

When I saw this scene unfold every cell in my body screamed “foul!” at the irresponsible depiction and unethical/immoral application of hypnosis. The technique that the hypnotist employed, and the context in which he used it, was in no way hypnotherapy. However, considering the protagonist’s overwrought emotional state and the activity going on around him, it was easy to understand how this scene was a perfect example of Dr. Kappas’s explanation of how and why hypnosis works. I think the inclusion of a rogue hypnotist doing a rapid induction to temporarily overwhelm the character’s already-overloaded subconscious mind was an ingenious, extra detail that will keep fans talking about this episode for a long time.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

With Your Permission and Only With Your Permission.... Part 1

To minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus, I have temporarily suspended in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office, but they will be returning soon! Meanwhile, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE!

(This blog was originally posted on January 20, 2014)

Photo by Rick Hustead

If you do not want to be hypnotized—whether you do not believe that hypnosis will work for you or resist being hypnotized because you are afraid—you won’t be. I repeat the statement, “with your permission and only your permission” throughout the hypnotherapy session to remind my clients that they can choose to be hypnotized and actualize their desired behavior changes. I also use my clients’ own words to reinforce their emotions, reasons and motivations for making these changes. As a certified hypnotherapist, I use hypnosis is a tool to help you change behaviors that no longer work for you and replace them with behaviors, strategies, etc. that you want and believe will improve your quality of life. During hypnosis, you are completely aware of everything going on around you. If you wouldn’t say or do something when you are completely alert, you would not and could not be made to do anything in hypnosis that opposes your beliefs, morals and ethical principles.
Therefore, I tend to be very critical of how and why hypnosis is depicted on television and in movies: a protagonist is “commanded” to do something that is completely out of character; the hypnotist erases and then replaces a character’s memory with a new, fictitious personal history and personality; or, a person is “hypnotized” to behave in a particular way simply to move the plot along. In these scenarios, the character is completely unaware that he has been hypnotized and just does whatever the hypnotist tells him to move the plot along. Imagine my surprise that I not only bought the hypnosis-ambush of a character in a popular detective series, but it made absolute sense why this scenario worked and was believable.

Special Offer!

When you book your FIRST (Introductory) hypnotherapy session with me you are eligible for a $25 discount on BOTH your Second AND Third follow-up, a la Carte appointments! This promotion may not be combined with any other offer. It is non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash. Discount does not apply for hypnotherapy-package discounts. Valid through June 30, 2021.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Am I Suggestible, or Just Gullible?

Am I Suggestible or Just Gullible?

(This blog was originally posted on January 28, 2016)

Photo by Rick Hustead

Many years ago, someone told me that she would happily give someone the benefit of the doubt and believe what another person was telling her to be true until that “fact” was called into question. Her implicit trust impressed me—especially since this statement was made around the time that The X-Files was at the height of its popularity. During the late 1990s, just about everyone I knew kept reciting the series’ famous tagline: “Trust no one.” Some mutual friends liked to tease her for this gullibility, but I respected her open-mindedness. It’s a lonely world to question, doubt and double-think everything that somebody tells you. When I started my hypnotherapy certification at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2004, I learned that gullibility is really just a disparaging description of hyper-suggestibility. Furthermore, we are all probably susceptible to being led down that too-good-to-be-true rosy path to some extent, at some point during our lives.

John Kappas, Ph.D., a psychologist and founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, described suggestibility in terms of how a person learns. It develops between when we are born through the first eight or so years of life, through interactions with the primary caretaker (usually, mother). If Mom’s communications were typically direct and literal—i.e., “I say what I mean and I mean what I say”—you’re more likely to take other people at their word because that is how you were taught/learned to communicate. This is type of communication and understanding is a hallmark of Physical Suggestibility. Conversely, someone whose caregiver who did not always follow through or support her words with congruent actions is more likely to always wonder if there is a hidden meaning behind what was said. For example: Mom tells you to finish your homework before you’re allowed to play with your friends but eventually she gives in to your begging and whining and allows you to play first (for just a little while). In this case, you also rely on the speaker’s tone of voice and context of the communication/action to infer the meaning behind her words: She “said” I can’t go play but she just pointed to the door and indicated I should leave the house. The comparative ambiguity of this communication creates Emotional Suggestibility.

Now, as very young children, most of us are taught at a very young age to listen to and respect adults and to always tell the truth (not lie). This is all well and good until the first time an older relative comes to visit at the holidays and teases or pranks you. Deep down, you know that Mom has only run out to the market to pick up some ingredients for the meal; but your grandparent or an older cousin tells you (smiling) that mom has actually gone away on a trip without you. You have been taught to trust and believe grown-ups—and you basically do—until Mom saunters back into the house with an armful of groceries and you realize that you have been “had.” Where does that trusting instinct go from here?

Our suggestibility will continue to be challenged throughout our lifetime. Often, this happens willingly (with our permission), such as when we suspend our disbelief about a plot-twist while watching a movie or reading a book, or even when we go shopping for groceries or clothes. Yes, I really do want to buy that chocolate cake/those Jimmy Choo stilettos; I just “need” someone to persuade me to give into that whim. When we are engrossed in a thrilling story or interacting with a highly motivated salesperson, it is even more difficult to be skeptical and overcome the power of the hypnotic modalities that increase our suggestibility in the first place.

Someone who is ready and willing to believe anything and everything probably possess a somnambulistic suggestibility and go through most days in hypnosis. (The friend I described at the beginning of this essay probably fit this description.) As I explained in a previous blog, it is not uncommon for me to have to de-hypnotize a client before we can work on the issue the person wanted to address. This technique is also effective for increasing our critical thinking, logic and reasoning faculties in the conscious mind that enable us to resist and/or avoid the temptations to which our suggestibility can make us vulnerable.

Special Offer!

I am extending my May 2021 special offer! This month, when you book your FIRST (Introductory) hypnotherapy session with me you are eligible for a $25 discount on BOTH your Second AND Third follow-up, a la Carte appointments! This promotion may not be combined with any other offer. It is non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash. Discount does not apply for hypnotherapy-package discounts. Valid through June 30, 2021.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

To All the Horses I Have Loved Before

To All the Horses I Have Loved Before…

(This blog was originally posted on September 27, 2016)

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Me and Galhoso (“Gally”), the horse who brought me back to riding.

This blog is dedicated with love to the memories of Galhoso (“Gally”), the Lusitano stallion who reignited my love for horses and riding; and to Geeves, the first-ever horse of my own. Rest in sweet peace, dear boys.

When I started my hypnotherapy training, an important focus of my original business plan was to help equestrians improve their communication and relationship with their equine partners, including overcome anxiety around horses and achieve competition goals. Of course, not all of my practice focuses on horses and riding. Smoking cessation, weight loss, overcoming fear of public speaking/performance anxiety, grief resolution and dealing with stress/anxiety are just a few of many other self-improvement goals I help my clients achieve. But I named my hypnotherapy practice Calminsense Hypnotherapy® in homage of my special interest in horses and riding. “Common Sense” is a colloquial expression that means “horse sense,” and I use the word “calm” many times during every hypnotherapy session. Recent queries about my work with equestrians inspired me to pay tribute to some of the horses that have been so special to me over the years.

Paent (pronounced “Paint” and probably named because of his coloring). I rode him on a trail-ride during my one-and-only summer camp experience. He was probably an average-sized horse, about 15 or 15.2 hands high, but I was very little at age eight and he seemed huge. He was a gentle giant—i.e., he didn’t run off or try to dump me during the ride—and I begged my parents to let me take him home with me when I went home.
Renege. I rode this grey gelding for a few years between the ages of about 11 and 15. My first-ever riding instructor owned him and his doppelganger, a gelding called Charlie. Trivia fact: Clint Eastwood is riding Renege in the first 10 minutes of High Plains Drifter. The gelding was very dirty in this scene, but he is definitely in those scenes. My trainer’s husband worked in the movie industry and owned the horses—or bought them right after the movie, I can’t remember. Renege was a little smaller than Charlie and rarely used in jumping lessons—which made him less popular in lessons—but I really bonded with him. I can still remember how slow and smooth Renege’s trot was; in fact, it was probably better categorized as a Western jog. His canter (lope) was also comparatively slow compared to the bolder stride that is desired in dressage. My memory of how wonderful his canter felt probably created the subconscious mental script that my subsequent trainers and I had to work hard re-write so I would feel comfortable riding a true medium (bold) canter.
Galhoso (“Gally”). One of my dear friends co-owns a Lusitano stallion called Galhoso. Sadly, he passed away last week at the very respectable age of 31. His death may not have been completely unexpected, but it has been keenly felt by everyone who loved and cared for him. I am grateful that I was able to visit Gally a final time at the beginning of 2017, and he was as impressive and sweet as the first time we met about 15 years ago. At that first meeting, my friend asked if I would like to sit on him after their training session. She knew that I used to ride when I was a teenager and loved horses. The opportunity to get on a horse again and even trot him around on a lunge line for a few minutes was too good to be true. I admit that the idea of riding a stallion (!) was thrilling, and it still tickles me that I had that experience. That ride also was the beginning of my re-introduction to horses and riding as a passion and life-style. The following year I started taking regular riding lessons again and bought my first-ever horse. I now own a Lipizzaner/Arabian gelding named Galahad whom I affectionately nick-named “Gally-had” a few months before Gally died. I don’t know why I started calling my boy that, but I will continue to do so in loving memory of that tremendous stallion who brought horses and riding back into my life all those years ago.
Geeves. I bought him from my trainer at Silvergate Farms when I turned 35. As I liked to say, I knew I loved him before I ever met or rode him. Having lived in England for seven years I was a fan of the Jeeves and Wooster novels and television series. As soon as I heard there was a horse with that name at the barn I knew I had to meet him. My trainer was surprised when I asked to ride Geeves, but we soon became recognized as a kind of item at the barn: “Sara and Geeves.” At 16.2 hands high, the dark-brown gelding was (and remains) one of the biggest horses I have ever ridden. He was always very gentle with and even protective of me, as I was of him. He taught me how to enjoy every aspect of loving a horse—not just riding but grooming, hanging out on rainy days and worrying about every little thing that horse owners worry about, often unnecessarily. Geeves and I were together for nearly eight years and it’s nearly six years since he passed away. I still miss him every day, and I remember every lesson he taught me.
Candy. I leased this sweet part-Arabian mare for about a year after Geeves died. I had actually been riding her at the end of Geeves’ life because his arthritis was getting worse. I wasn’t ready to own another horse yet, but the schooling mare and I were a good fit as far as size and my riding goals/ability. She took me to my first horse shows and even though I knew she wouldn’t be a permanent part of my life, I am grateful for the time I got to spend with her while I was grieving for my horse.
Galahad. I met Avalon’s Galahad in 2011. Our introduction was similar to how I discovered Geeves. A friend (former trainer) owned a training barn and Arabian-horse breeding facility; when I finally started looking for a horse of my own, she gave me a DVD of some of the horses she was offering for sale at the time. My interest piqued the instant Galahad appeared in the frames. Learning about the horse’s part-Lipizzaner pedigree was like a dream come true. The dancing white horses of the Spanish Riding School symbolized the ultimate of classical dressage training, and I could have a chance to become part of that story. The first time Galahad was brought out for me to watch him work at liberty, even my trainer agreed he seemed to be flirting with me in a way he didn’t behave with another prospective buyer. The first time I got on him for a ride, the gelding cocked a hind leg and dropped his head, waiting patiently as I adjusted my stirrups. “Well, he’s made up his mind!” the trainer said with a laugh, noting Galahad’s relaxation with me on board.

We’ve been together ever since.

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Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Real-Life Application of Suggestibility

A customer walked into a music store the other day and the shop assistant said, “Good morning.”

The customer replied, “You too.”

The assistant said, “Second shelf, first aisle on the left.”

I have been a certified hypnotherapist, officially, for nearly 16 years. Suggestibility—specifically, the difference between emotional and physical suggestibility—is one of the first concepts I learned about during my training at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. All these years later, I continue to be fascinated by and amused with the way people’s suggestibility influences people’s day-to-day interactions and communication.

Briefly, HMI founder John Kappas, Ph.D., described suggestibility as the way we communicate and learn. Specifically, physical suggestibility is a literal and direct communication style. Emotional suggestibility entails inference and metaphor; the person looks for meaning behind the words.

Suggestibility occurs along a spectrum and it is not determined by your gender or sexuality. It is a behavior that we typically learn from our primary caretaker. Typically, although not necessarily, “mom,” a primary caretaker is the person whom we identify as the individual that met our most basic survival needs from when we were born until about age 8. So it is very common to have a different suggestibility and communication “style” from our secondary caretaker (e.g., dad), as I recently experienced.

My dad: Can I get you anything from the grocery store?

Me: I actually need more black-tea bags for hot tea. Thanks!

My dad: Okay. And he purchased, literally, a box of black-tea bags.

What I meant, though, was that I wanted more bags of Tetley tea, which we both prefer for hot tea. Because I meant a specific brand, I assumed he knew that, too. Nope. A physical suggestible, he literally purchased what I asked for, and I could only laugh about that.

A few days later, during a riding lesson, my trainer told me to ask my horse to go “forward.” I honestly cannot remember what her specific words or instructions were; they were very general and vague. Literally, a metaphor. But those words resonated so deeply and comfortably that I knew exactly what she meant and what she wanted me to do. They created a picture in my subconscious mind, and that picture became a feeling. My body instinctively knew what I needed to do, so I did that. Once again, I had to laugh. This was also a superb example of suggestibility in action.

In reference to the fun exchange between an employee at a music store, who do you think was the Physical Suggestible? Who was the Emotional Suggestible?

I wonder how the rest of the conversation might have gone…

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