Betty Erickson Self-Hypnosis Technique

Okay, because @moonwillow473737 (sorry, your account isn't showing up to tag) asked, and nobody ever asks me anything, I'm writing this step by step guide on one of the most famous (and misused) self-hypnosis techniques out there: The Betty Erickson Method, also known as the 54321 Method. It was invented by the wife of American psychologist and psychiatrist Milton Erickson and is widely renowned as one of the best, and easiest self hypnosis techniques out there.

Once we get into the steps, you might notice the technique sounds familiar to you, as many psychologists recommend a variation of it as a grounding technique, and some shifters have attempted to include it in their methods. HOWEVER, I will point out that most people are doing it wrong, so if you think you already know how it works, I invite you to read on anyway and check your technique.

The Steps

The basic technique is pretty straightforward:

It's recommended that you have a plan for what you're going to do once you're hypnotised. Come up with your affirmations/suggestions ahead of time and repeat them to yourself a few times so you know you'll remember them when you're a dopey hypnotised mess.

Get into a comfortable position somewhere you can relax without being interrupted.

Keeping your head and body still, look around your room for 5 things you can see.

Repeat with 5 things you can hear.

Repeat with 5 things you can feel.

Then repeat steps 3-5 with 4 things you can see, hear and feel. Then 3, 2, and finally 1.

What Most People Get Wrong

These are the most common ways I've seen people get this technique wrong before:

Bringing in extra senses

Taste and Smell are very difficult senses to work with, and trying to find MULTIPLE things you can taste at any one time is insane. They're great for enhancing a visualisation session, but they're not helpful here.

Not using repetition

The most common mistake I see is people going "5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel" and so on, rather than the above method. Focusing on each sense multiple times is important, for multiple reasons:

It makes the technique last longer, giving your mind time to settle into the rhythm.

It slowly narrows in your focus. You start out being aware of 5 things for each sense, then 4, then 3 and so on, until you've phased them all out and are focused inwards.

Repetitive tasks lull your brain into a sleepy state, which is what we want when we're working with hypnotic suggestions.

Examples

The more specific you can make the things you're noticing, the better. So here are some examples to help you.

Sight

Shadows on the wall

Beams of light coming through the window

The movement of a fan blade

Leaves moving in the breeze

Hearing

Your breath leaving your lungs

The Inner Sound - often manifests as a high pitched ringing that only appears when you relax or try to meditate. (Note: This is NOT tinnitus. Tinnitus is present at all times, often very difficult to ignore, and does not go away as soon as you stop paying attention to it.)

Your bedroom fan, if you have one

The breeze

Cars going past on the street

Birds singing

Touch

The weight of your blanket

The texture of your mattress

The sensation of your chest moving as you breathe

Air moving around your room

The feeling of your clothes on your skin

The weight of your glasses on your face (if you're wearing any)

Finally

I had a few more things I was going to say but, honestly, this is plenty. If it doesn't work the first time, try again. If you think you can't do it because you have ADHD - you're wrong, because I have clinically diagnosed, combination type ADHD and I can do it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, me and my boyfriend are going to the zoo tomorrow and it took me 90 damn minutes to write this when it was supposed to be quick and now it's nearly midnight. Good luck and good night.

More Posts from Lorneytunes and Others

lorneytunes

1 month ago

Oh god. I'm such a spreadsheet maker as it is... I'm gonna have so many fucking documents aren't I? 😭

the fact that i’m not even geeking over my drs anymore… after shifting so much……..like i’m not just fantasising. i’m literally project managing transcendence. drafting timetables for greatness. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK.

do you even realise what it means to not crave the life but to have it??? to not beg reality to love you back but just reroute the algorithm like. lol. i win. because i do. i’m not in the dreaming stage anymore. i’m in the logistics office. with a clipboard.

this isn’t “what if i lived in paris.” this is “ok so when i am in paris, i’m gonna do x and y AND z.” like. not fantasy. REAL

no more devotionals to timelines i can’t reach. i can live like that. i will !!!!!!!!!! i already am. i am experiencing the lifestyle. i am in the lifestyle.

THANK YAAAAA SHIFTING

The Fact That I’m Not Even Geeking Over My Drs Anymore… After Shifting So Much……..like I’m

1K notes View Post

lorneytunes

6 months ago

bluesky post by ceej reading "hey dude, I noticed you attempting to carve a small space for joy in the face of overwhelming sadness. kind of problematic considering all the horrors"

how it feels to be online these days

138K notes View Post

lorneytunes

4 months ago

One of my shifting pet peeves is that so many people call guided meditations, soundscapes and subliminal hypnosis videos by the same name. Like if it's any kind of shifting video whatsoever it's a "subliminal" now, no matter the contents. 🙄

People lied when they said the shifting police isn't real because by the way some of these "shifters" act trying to control what other shifter do in their drs no luv they're real and they're hiding in plain sight

35 notes View Post

lorneytunes

3 weeks ago

Turned out like absolute shit. Back to square one.

Spent 6 hours yesterday gathering and cleaning audio of my s/o to make a voice clone of them and now I'm back at it again today.

Could I do this with only a minute or so of sample data? Yes. Would I be satisfied if it wasn't absolutely perfect? No.

So here I am settling down for several more hours of work, just so I can hear Him say whatever I want in this reality.

If you never hear from me again it's because I finally ran the voice cloner and it turned out shit so I jumped into the sea.

13 notes View Post

lorneytunes

3 weeks ago

You can tell this was written by a neurodivergent person because I can actually follow the damn instructions

The Hyperfixation Method

-By ZeeTheQueer

Hey all!

So this is the method I said I wanted to make. It's tailored towards my fellow neurodiverce shifters. I have ADHD and can find calming my brain to focus on just affirmations or similar for a lot of methods either hard, or it results in falling asleep to quickly for even an asleep method! So I wanted to create a method that could be used on it's own, or easily combined with other methods as well.

Before you start this method, we've got one 'pre-method' thing to do. Saturate your brain with stuff about your DR. Watch or read content that exists in this reality of the one you're shifting to. Until it's basically all you can focus on. Then you're ready to start the main part of the method!

Get into a comfortable position. Laying down for sleep method, sitting up for awake. You could also start with sitting up and lay down during the method.

Next close your eyes.

Start thinking about your DR. Whatever first comes to mind works, but I recommend starting with thinking about what you're doing when you first are conscious of that reality.

Start going through what all you'll be doing, every detail you can picture. If visualization is hard for you, focus on telling yourself what you're doing and seeing as if you're actively doing it in the moment.

I recommend using what are technically affirmations while doing the previous step. Things like 'I have a lot to do', ' I wanna go see my friends', 'I have to meet up with (person from DR) to go (random activity)'. Anything you'd normally say to yourself to keep your focus on what you're doing and need to do.

Continue to do this as long as you like or are able to focus your thoughts on it.

When your thoughts start to drift to something else from your DR, let it happen. Dive head first into the new thought and fixate on it. You don't have to stay focused on the moment you're going to gain consciousness there. You and the universe already know. Allow the changes in your thoughts. Fixate on each new one as they come.

If something not related to your DR comes up, twist it to fit your DR. That idiot driver who cut you off comes back to mind? Well now you're telling your s/o or friends about them and they're reacting to the situation.

Continue doing this until you fall asleep or shift.

And that's the Hyperfixation Method.

40 notes View Post

lorneytunes

7 months ago

Me, every time.

not being able to choose a dr to shift to is messing with my head 😭

do I shift to my spiderverse dr?? my batfam dr?? my mha dr?? should I make new ones since those interactive fictions I love so much won’t leave my brain??

I really need to choose. like yesterday, I lay down, was like “I’m in my spiderverse dr” and then my thoughts start wandering and I confuse myself 💀

24 notes View Post

lorneytunes

2 weeks ago

im so jealous of people who have friends who they can talk abt shifting with