Todays self-hypnosis process is one that I was taught for use with particular issues but that I have used in my hypnotherapy consulting rooms for a wide range of other issues with great effect.

In their book Essentials of clinical hypnosis: An evidence based approach, Lynn & Kirsch (2006) describe a particular mental imagery technique as a way of helping their therapy clients with PTSD.

In the book, they call it the elevator technique, which is a word that I have never used – here in the UK, we call them lifts! So I have “anglophile’d” the title of this process to make it more agreeable with me.

The elevator technique, as laid out in the afore mentioned book, is explained as a way of generating treatment goals and tasks and priming positive thinking about the benefit of overcoming phobic avoidance of trauma-related situations and coping with flashbacks by way of exposure. (2006: 165)

Today, I have developed and tinkered with this process and made it useable with self-hypnosis. Also to give it more of a generic methodology so it is applicable with a wide range of issues, or to just use as ‘ideal future’ imagery which is often useful to get inside the mind on a regular basis.

If you have a phobia of going in lifts, this process is not advised until that phobia is no more… Although, there are alternative means of using this type of process, you can get in touch with me for ideas on how to use the principles in a different manner.

However, if you are free of lift phobia’s and feel the need to get your life straight, to get your life in order, to feel like you know where you are going and to start taking some progressive action, then this process is one that you are going to love.

Get yourself in a comfortable posture, in a place where you’ll be undisturbed for the duration of this exercise, get into a receptive posture with your hands and legs not touching each other, and then we’ll get stuck in…

8 Steps To Use The Lift of Life With Self-Hypnosis

Step OneInduce Hypnosis.
You can do so by any means you desire or know of. You can use the process in my Science of self-hypnosis book, use the free audio we give away on this website to practice or have a look at the following articles as and when you need them; they are basic processes to help you simply open the door of your mind:

Heavy Arm Self-Hypnosis Induction Method
Using Eye Fixation for Self-Hypnosis
The Chiasson Self-Hypnosis Method
Hand to Face Self-Hypnosis Induction
Using Magnetic Hands for Self-Hypnosis
The Coin Drop Self-Hypnosis Induction

However, with this process, an induction is potentially too much activity, so I teach my clients how to adopt a hypnotic mindset and simply have a mindset that is positive and expectant. Again, to really understand the cognitive set of the hypnotic mindset, go grab a copy of my Science of self-hypnosis book where it is explained in simple but comprehensive terms.

Once you have induced hypnosis, or just adopted the hypnotic mindset, move on to the next step.

Step Two: Have a really good think about how you’d like your life to be. Are you hoping to overcome some obstacles in life? DO you wish to achieve a particular outcome with your life? Think about how you wish your life to be and with that in mind, move on to the next step…

Step Three: The aim of this process is to gives you the opportunity to recreate a vision of your life, and construct your life from the foundation upwards.

So engage your imagination and find yourself in a basement, the basement level of your life. Enjoy the sights, the sounds and really be there. Connect with yourself and be facing the doors of a lift. Notice what they are made of, what colour they are, how loud they are and then press the button to call the lift. Notice the sounds of movement, any lights that go on, any indicators that tell you it is on it’s way.

As you hear the sounds, see the sights, enjoy the feelings of anticipation, all the time let it all take you deeper inside your mind.

When the lift arrives, watch the doors open, step inside, familiarise yourself with the interior of the lift, press the button for the first floor watch the doors close and then move on to the next step…

Step Four: Imagine the movement, and imagine travelling upwards.

When the lift reaches the first floor, the doors open and you step out onto the first floor of your life.

Start to think about and consider how you wish your life to be, as you thought about it in step two.

Here, on the first floor, start to get a strong sense of the first thing you need to do that is going to make that happen. What foundations need to be in place for that outcome to occur?

There in front of you, on this first floor, as you think of the first steps towards that outcome, start to let images of those steps be formed here on this level. Perhaps there are images of actions you need to take… Perhaps you have a heightened awareness of decisions that you need to make, conversations you may need to have, or even resources/strengths/skills that you need to muster up, or even information that you need to learn.

Perhaps you need to think about your basic behaviours and/or thoughts that you need to have at your foundation in order to make your outcome possible… Let all of those first things, those initial steps be here at this level, played out in front of you on the first floor.

When you have developed a good strong sense of what actions you need to take, take a few moments to play them out in front of you on this floor. See yourself doing those things, acquiring that knowledge, having that conversation, completing that task, making that decision, or whatever it is that you know is the first important step in constructing your life as you wish it to be.

Only when you see this played out in front of you and are satisfied with this first step at this first level, then press the button on the lift again and step inside, press the button for the second floor and move on to the next step…

Step Five: Imagine the lift moving you upwards and onwards as you now progress to the second floor.

When the doors open, step out on to this level and start to consider and examine the next stage in your life construction. That is, what is the second steps that you need to take, what actions, thoughts, behaviours, connections need to be undertaken now?

What people do you need to connect with, what decisions need to be made, what skills or information needs to be learnt?

Consider all of this next stage, imagine it having successfully happened and how that will look and feel and play it all out in front of you on this second floor. Be sure to make it vivid and engage with it as much as possible.

Look at what you need to do to continue progressing and improving towards your outcomes. Create the scene in front of you in as much detail as you can, being as thorough and diligent as possible and when it is all set and vivid and created, then pres the button on the lift, step in and press the button for the next floor.

Step Six: Continue to repeat step five until you feel that you have really organised all the various levels and set up all the floors of your development and for the future of your ife as you wish it to be.

When you have gone through all the stages and steps to your satisfaction, then call the lift again, and press the button for the roof level and move on to the next step.

Step Seven: As you arrive at the top, the roof, step out and enjoy the full landscape of your entire life as you wish it to be. Designed, created and thoroughly constructed from the bottom upwards.

Feel how safe and secure you feel up here in the knowledge that all the levels beneath you have been developed and built diligently. Accept and absorb the scene and the sense of enjoyment you get being here.

Spend some time relaxing and enjoying being on top of your life and when you feel assured and confident in your plan from here, then move on to the final step.

Step Eight: Take a couple of good deep, energising breaths, wiggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes to bring this session to an end.

Once it has come to an end, go and start taking those actions and engaging in your plan and life design.

Enjoy that, it is a lovely process.

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Have some of themes here resonated with you? Then have a read of these pages:

1. Do you need help or support in a particular area of your life?
Coaching with Adam Eason Or Hypnotherapy with Adam Eason
2. Would you like a satisfying and meaningful career as a hypnotherapist helping others? Are you a hypnotherapist looking for stimulating and career enhancing continued professional development and advanced studies?
Adam Eason’s Anglo European training college.
3. Are you a hypnotherapist looking to fulfil your ambitions or advance your career?
Hypnotherapist Mentoring with Adam Eason.

Likewise, if you’d like to learn more about self-hypnosis, understand the evidence based principles of it from a scientific perspective and learn how to apply it to many areas of your life while having fun and in a safe environment and have the opportunity to test everything you learn, then come and join me for my one day seminar which does all that and more, have a read here: The Science of Self-Hypnosis Seminar. Alternatively, go grab a copy of my Science of self-hypnosis book.