Question 9: What About The Role Of Self-managed, Self-help And Visualization Techniques For Quitting Smoking… Permanently?

• Breathe deep, slowly and preferably naturally
• Feel every muscle in your body loosen up and relax. From your head to your toe
• Use some of your positive statements to flow through your mind
• You are utilizing suggestions, not giving orders to yourself to follow
• You can experiment with hypnotic states as often as you like or feel it will help you
• This is not logical, rational thought per se as you know it
• This has to do with your sub-conscious mind
• Use powerful, affirmation-type statement
• Do not criticize or evaluate
• Practice self-hypnosis until you are comfortable and confident
• Do not get discouraged if you do not quite get it right the first time
• You need to be more aware of your sub-conscious self
• Do not try to respond rationally or consciously to what you are doing
• There is a standard procedure to follow and lots of research being done on the best methods and effective techniques
• Individual results will vary, depending on the person, need, etc.

You are now ready to proceed…
(*NOTE: if it helps you, you can close your eyes as well. )

• Ensure all the muscles in your body are relaxed
• As you get ready to almost drift into sleep, you can introduce the positive statements and affirmations.
• Use general terms and allow time for them to be absorbed
• You can easily repeat them softly to yourself if you find it helps you
• Hypno-therapeutic methods of inducing these hypnotic states abound Lots have been written about it and you will be well-served to learn and read, even try more of it for yourself. It is a proven method and many have tread these paths before you and will still to come.
• These suggestions are not as deep as a trance-like state.

Here is another experts’ take on how to effectively induce hypnotic states for the optimal results to quit smoking:

• Have no lights to low-intensity lighting to create and simulate a relaxed environment, conducive to you inducing hypnosis.
• Ensure no distraction, interruptions or other interferences of any kind.
• Lie down or sit down in a recliner or couch, whichever is more/most comfortable for you.
• Close your eyes.
• Ensure your comfort zone and total relaxation.
• Release all the tension in your body consciously.
• Let it drift from your head to your toes, away from you, dissolving slowly until it is gone!
• Release all tension in your muscles.
• Regulate your breathing and keep it as natural as possible.
• Next use some dialogue, similar to this example: “I am now going to relax every muscle in my body . . . starting from my feet. . . and going up through my head . . . every muscle will relax and become limp .. . loose and limp.”
• Concentrate on your breathing and repeat.
• Be sure to take really deep and cleansing, relaxing breaths. Repeat three times. Continue to breathe naturally
• Next count out loud”One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six. . . .”
  Slowly exhale and count “one . . . two . . . three. . . .” Focus on breathing normally and quite deeply, very relaxed
  Simulate breathing in and out as if you were sleeping.

This is as simple and easy as you can possibly imagine, nothing fancy, complex or hard to master and do! Anyone can try, do and succeed at it. You will benefit on many levels by doing this! It is good for your well-being as well.
Do not underestimate the power of this ritual done often! It will improve your life, health and help you fight off cravings. All we can recommend is that you try it out and on for size!
Relaxation is a pre-requisite for this to work.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO INTO A TRANCE-LIKE STATE FOR THIS TO WORK EFFECTIVELY TO QUIT SMOKING!

This is not hard to do by any stretch of the imagination. One word of warning. Trust yourself and your own ability to get this right. Do not seek or want proof or evidence. Your rational mind will try to interrupt, question and rationalize, do not get distracted by these lines of thought!
Do not focus too much on the mechanics and steps in the process, that you lose sight of the goal or reward that it has for you!
It defeats the purpose in the end.
If you do not feel anything, that does not mean that nothing happened.
Avoid questions, doubt, worry or anxiety to take over and control of your process, keeping you from your results.  Self-hypnosis is within your easy reach. You can do it and reap  its  many benefits.
Deep breathing and relaxation go hand in hand and that is all that you really require for hypnosis and getting yourself to ‘hypnotic type states’.
Then  it is up to the power of suggestions that you use and can tap into in a post-hypnotic follow-up.
Here is another expert’s secrets for ‘countdown’ to induced hypnosis, just one of many ways that you can think yourself into these deeper states of sub-consciousness
Ten . . . I can feel my body becoming more and more relaxed. I feel somewhat limp . . . getting more and more comfortable . . . more and more relaxed … I am breathing slowly, naturally and deeply . .. I am increasingly growing relaxed.
This is an example of self-monologue that will help you reach your hypnotic state eventually and gradually. You can either say it aloud or
Nine . . . I’m going to take three deep breaths . . . they make me feel better…. Eight… Now I feel more relaxed … no tensions … body is limp…. Seven . .. They clear my head, relax my arms and hands and legs and feet… good … limp … relaxed … head is clear. . . . Six . . . three deep breaths. . . . Five … I see myself relaxed,    and   I    no   longer     have to smoke . . . feel better that way . . . breathe better, see better . . . not in knots . . . relaxed . . . limp … no tensions…. Four … have something better to do than smoking . . . breathing deeply … clearing my head … wiping out tension … relaxed . . . sleep better tonight . . . feel better tomorrow . . . limp . . . relaxed. . . . Three … no need to smoke. . . . Two . . . limp . .. relaxed . . . feel better . . . taking deep breaths . . . body feels cleaner. . . . One . . . relaxed . . . limp . . . muscles resting… breathing deeply … soothing…. Zero … breathing deeply … limp .. . limp . .. limp.”
Maybe you feel that you cannot reach these states on your own, regardless of the amount of effort that you put into it.
Guard your own expectations of and from this process. Let go of your will and your conscious effort. Hone, practice and harness your skills, refine and get better at it, to the point where it is almost second nature to you to self-induce that hypnotic state, where you are totally relaxed and open to receive those positive thoughts and suggestions that will change your life.
You do not have to be tense, anxious or apprehensive. There is no danger and nothing to be afraid of. You might even feel a little awkward as you set out – this is quite normal too!
DO not grow tense and consciously relax your muscles if you feel tension building up or losing your focus. For some of us it is much harder to relax than for others. You need to be able to FULLY relax your WHOLE body for these processes to work well.
If you are unable to relax, it does not mean that you have no hope of utilizing and tapping into these inner strengths. It will just take MORE effort, time and patience as well from you to make it happen.
At the end of the text, you will find some more helpful suggestions if you view yourself as one of these ‘unlucky’, pre-disposed to be tense individuals!
You can re-program and envision your way to success, with imagining and imagery! You start to see the ideal state and see yourself there. Your health, happiness, relaxation and even wealth can all take a turn for the better.
Here are some examples from published sources that you can utilize or customize to fit your own situation, challenges and circumstances.
This is all about the picture you paint of yourself, your results and successes.
Can you see yourself as a new person – a non-smoker – what will you look like, be doing?

• Your senses will be heightened and more sensitive than before.
• You will be healthier and look the part!
• You will not be smelly and stinky, aversive and offensive, annoying to others.
• You see yourself not giving in to illness, disease like lung cancer, heart attack, fatigue, bad breath, heavy breathing and other health related issues and concerns
• If you view yourself with others, they are smoking, you are NOT!
• You are mostly telling yourself that you do not need cigarettes to be happy or fill voids in your life
• You feel proud in that you quit and stuck with it!
• You envision success and celebrating quitting smoking!
• You now concentrate on other things
• You now have positive habits to replace/substitute for the bad ones like nicotine fixes and smoking addictions
• You have a sense of accomplishment, self and well-being
• You have quite smoking FOREVER and there is no turning back
• Repeat these images and statements to yourself , mean them and make them happen in your minds-eye. Be vivid and clear.
• See yourself as improved and happy with who you are!
• See what you will do and act like as a non-smoker
• Tell yourself how easy it was quitting and how you are sticking with it – what your plan and recipe for success is/was.
• You are free from smoking FOREVER!
• Plan these visions and statements beforehand that you can gradually introduce and build on them.

Try to understand the very reasons, motivations and rationale for you quitting in fact and tell them to yourself while in the hypnotic state.
DO NOT DOUBT OR CRITICIZE!
Make and effort to counter all the advertising and influences in and around smoking.
Emphasize to yourself that you will NEVER take up smoking again.
Imagine and confirm to yourself that you will not quit or fail (this time, like in the past!)
Celebrate your success and results – say what you will do with all your freedom from this habit, time, health, money, friends, social life etc.
You know and understand the problem, solution, how they are intermingled and what to do next!  Make mind-over-matter a reality for you. IT IS ALL POSSIBLE AND NOT TOO HARD TO DO!