CHAPTER 04

Following Instructions and Going with the Flow

general, as people became older, their talent for developing trance decreased. They were less willing to be programmed by an outside programmer.

If one is going with the flow and following instructions about conscious states, there is no real problem in allowing somebody outside to do that programming. However, if one fears outside programming and is afraid that that person is going to take advantage or if one just fears outside programming in general, one cannot go into the deeper trance in this way. High school students were better than college students and college students were better than the older age groups at getting into trance states. Apparently I was exceptional; I had been through LSD in isolation and I accepted outside programming much more easily. I was also more tolerant of going into these states. I could accept trance with a much greater degree of confidence than similar people in my age group.

I gave a seminar about the repeating word effect to a group in the hypnosis lab. I remember very well Professor Hilgard waiting a full eight minutes before he heard his first altemate. A smile broke out on his face as he heard his first altemate. He said later that he had not believed in the effect until that point, which was a good attitude to take. One should be skeptical of these things until one experiences them directly himself. However, I was very glad that he was willing to carry out the experiment and to hear his first altemate.

The specd at which people heard alternates scemed also to be a reftection as to how easily they were hypnotizable--in other words, what sort of talent they had for relaxing and gomg with the fiow. The youngsters all heard altemates immediately and went on and heard many, many more than the older people.
We found somewhat of a correlation between one's ability to go into trance and one's ability to hear alternates

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