by Calvin D. Banyan
Tired of using long inductions? Want something that is fast, really fast, and is still exceptionally effective? Want to do age regression hypnosis? Then this article is for you. It is about The AIAR Induction, pronounced like “Air Induction”.
Have you ever seen someone play “air guitar”? That is when you jam along with a great tune pretending like you are playing the guitar, but there is no guitar, all you have is two hands full of air, hence the name “air guitar”. Well I gave this induction the name “Affect Induced Age Regression Induction, abbreviated to simply the AIAR Induction. Why? It is the “air” induction because, really there is no induction! You simply trigger an age regression, inducing both the age regression and the deep level of hypnosis needed for the age regression instantly. That deep level of hypnosis is called somnambulism.
A word of caution, this induction should not be attempted unless you have undergone sufficient training in handling age regression work. Such work can include strong emotions, and needs to be done correctly so that you do not cause false memories, or cause the client unnecessary distress in the process.
Now having said that let me get on with how you do the induction and why it works. First off, hypnosis is not fragile. The hypnotic state does not depend on a tranquil state of physical or mental relaxation. Surely, mental and physical relaxation can be used to create the state of hypnosis, but it is not the only way. All we have to do is create a heightened state of suggestibility. That is what hypnosis really is. If this heightened state of suggestibility is created through the use of eye fixation, progressive relaxation, or through the prestige of the hypnotist that is all well enough. But the well trained hypnotist should know that highly emotional states can also create hypnosis.
I believe that the first time I ever heard of this was in a course I took with Gerry Kein, the coauthor of my book, Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: Basic to Advanced Techniques for the Professional. I also know that one of his best known students, Stephen Parkhill is a great proponent of the induction, although they use another name for it. Stephen Parkhill says that it is the only induction that takes his clients deep enough into hypnosis to do the kind of healing work that he does, which mostly consists of working on chronic illness.
This induction is explained in more detail and demonstrated in my DVD Course, Instant & Rapid Inductions for the Professional, which also includes, the Elman-Banyan Induction, Instant Induction by Post-Hypnotic Suggestion, the Ear Tug Induction, and the Eight Word Induction.
Now, here is how you do the AIAR Induction, step by step:
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Do a good pre-talk.
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Complete your pre-hypnosis interview.
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Assess readiness for hypnosis.
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Get permission to touch the client during hypnosis.
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Get permission to begin the induction at any time.
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Engage your client in a conversation about the problem and get them to feel the emotion associated with the problem.
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Have the client close her eyes while in the emotional state (and perhaps have her tell you about a time when she felt that way).
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Surprise her by bringing your hand to her head, and simultaneously saying, “Now follow that feeling back to an earlier time you felt that way.”
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Gently rock her head back and forth saying, you are going back to an earlier time that you felt that way, as if it were happening all over again.
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Now be there.
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Then proceed with the age regression work you intended to do.
There is the basic outline. NOTE: Before attempting this you need to be competent in age regression like I stated above, and you need to know how to do steps 1 through 5, which should be part of any good hypnosis training program.
With that said lets continue with an explanation of steps 6 through 11.
Number 6: You must not be afraid of emotions. You need to create an environment where your client feels like she can express how she is feeling otherwise she is likely to inhibit her feelings and you will be unable to get a sufficient level of emotion to trigger the bridge. When the feelings do come up you need to not look surprised or worried. You need to be matter-of-fact about it, and encourage her to express how she feels. Then the feelings can be intensified by asking her about how she is feeling and where they are located in her body. You can also tell her that you can see that she is feeling the emotion by saying things like, “Yes, I can tell that you are feeling the fear because your breathing has become much heavier (or your face is turning red, or you are clenching your fists).
Number 7: Have your client close her eyes and tell you about a recent time when she felt that way as if it were happening all over again. This tends to further get her into contact with her feelings from the past.
Number 8: While she is feeling the emotions and perhaps talking about a time when she felt this way say something like, “Follow my instructions instantly and automatically and then firmly bring your hand to her forehead. Then say, “Follow that feeling back to an earlier time that you felt that way, as if it were happening all over again.”
Number 9: Continue by rocking her head and saying, that feeling is connected to every time you felt that way, 5 follow that feeling back, 4, to an earlier time you felt that way, 3, as if it were happening all over again, 2, and now 1. All this time you are counting back, gently rock her head.
Number 10: Firmly state, “Be there” and speak to the individual as if she was a younger aspect of herself, in that earlier time and in another place. Remaining in present tense is vitally important.
Number 11: Proceed with the age regression work that you intended to do. For example we might ask about what is happening and how old she is and so on. For example, if we were working on a fear of spiders, we would find out what is happening, how old the child” is and so on. Then determine if the event is the Initial Sensitizing Event, and so on. How to conduct an age regression goes beyond the scope of this article, so I’ll leave it at that for now.
This is not a beginner’s induction. It takes a certain level of confidence on the part of the hypnotist, so it is best to start off with longer inductions like the Elman-Banyan Induction, then perhaps go on to master the Eight Word Induction. With the experience of having done a sufficient number of those inductions you will be ready to do the AIAR Induction. And, as you begin using these faster inductions you do yourself and your clients a favor, you will be using fast and effective inductions that take a great deal of the monotony out of your sessions and you save a great deal of time, time that can be better spent doing the work you hypnotized them to do. In my opinion that is what all professional hypnotists should strive to do.
