I didn't mean for it to happen, I really didn't. There was no plan, no malicious forethought. And, in reality, I am not sure how much was me and how much was...them. At the beginning at least. Sometimes I even convince myself I'm not to blame.
My Master's program was going to be expensive, even with scholarships, so I took a year off to earn some money. I got a job as a manager at a building company and rented a room in a house near the shore. The pay was good, the work was good. In my spare time I took classes in hypnosis. I won't say I was really good, but I was pretty adept at it, or so the teacher said.
Hypnosis is really a fascinating subject. The bottom line, according to the literature, is that the subject is always in control. A hypnotist can't make the subject do anything they didn't want to do, but they may be able to be talked into things. It's more like being in your living room hanging out with your best friend. If your friend insisted it would be fun to bark like a dog, you may well start barking like a dog. Some subjects experience it stronger than others, and more sessions will have stronger results. If you can get someone to trust you enough to hypnotize them, they will usually enjoy the experience and trust you even outside of sessions.
In the run up to the summer season, the other two rooms in my house got rented by two girls working at the beach for the summer season. Tina was fresh out of high school, black hair, fit, working at a store and Ann was entering her Junior year in college, a very pretty brunette, looking to make some money as a waitress.
The girls were both nice and we got along pretty well. I was kind of developing a relationship with another girl, so I didn't really view my new housemates
that
way. I bought food for everyone, Ann cooked, Tina cleaned, and we all became friends. I thought they both were good looking, but Ann was particularly appealing. The subject of hypnosis never came up. Ann had started taking double shifts and was pretty scarce around the house. The first few weeks of the summer season were rainy and overcast. The weather finally cleared and I returned from work one day to find my housemates quite cranky. It turns out Ann had the day off and they had decided to lay out in the sun. Unfortunately, they had neglected to put on sunscreen and both were burned pretty red. I thought it was hilarious.
Later, after listening to them whine and complain, I mentioned hypnosis as a way of helping them deal with the pain. Long story short, after some resistance, Ann agreed to give it a try as long as Tina looked out for her.
"Well, first off, we need to get comfortable and remove distractions."
"But I can't get comfortable with this sunburn!" Ann complained.
"As comfortable as possible. And no distractions. That means turn your phones off."
I made a show of pulling out my phone and turning it off. Naturally, Tina just put it on silent until I forced her to turn it off. I got Ann as comfortable as possible on the couch, leaning gingerly into the corner.
"Now, we need to have no distractions," I said turning to Tina. "Tina, can you keep your mouth shut?"
"Shut."
"Tina, can you keep your mouth shut?" I repeated for emphasis. She smashed her lips together and pouted at me. I turned back to Ann. "Okay, Ann, hypnotism is a very deep and spiritual process based on trust. Ann, do you trust me?" She nodded. "Have I ever done anything you find untrustworthy?"
"You don't wash your potatoes before cutting them up."
"Do you want to do this?"
"Yes! Just get on with it!" she snapped and winced as she itched her arm. I waited for her to settle.
"Ann, look at me. Listen to my voice. I've had success hypnotizing others. If you trust me and work with me, I can help you deal with the pain from your sunburn. Are you ready to start?" She nodded. "Close your eyes. You are safe here. Tina will make sure nothing bad happens to you. The trick...if you want to think of hypnosis as a trick...is just to let your mind focus and relax. Just listen to my voice. Nothing else matters right now, just focus on the words. Let everything else drift away. My voice is soft and gentle. Focus only on my voice. There is only you and I, and my words are soft and soothing, but compelling. Nothing else matters but my voice. There is no pain, no suffering. Just peaceful and relaxed. You find it relaxing, as you relax you continue to focus on my voice. Relaxing, which is all a trance is, really. Becoming more and more relaxed. You feel relaxed, but your mind is quietly focused on my voice while you relax, your thoughts drift away, listening to my voice and letting it fill your mind," I said, my voice even but getting softer. Her head tipped down and she slumped against the couch.
"It's really nice to relax as your thoughts disappear. Being hypnotized is just relaxing while you listen to my voice, slipping into a trance as you listen to my voice, allowing your mind to relax and sleep, just letting yourself slip into a deep hypnotic trance, that's all it is. You're in a hypnotic trance and you feel warm and safe and relaxed. As your mind relaxes into the hypnotic trance you feel yourself relaxing even more, your trance becoming deeper and deeper, more and more hypnotized. You can hear my voice guiding you to be more relaxed, helping you. It's so nice my voice, so warm and reassuring. You trust my voice. You listen to my voice. My voice, warms you, reassures you, helps you feel more relaxed, more hypnotized. It's so trustworthy and reassuring. You like listening to my voice. It guides you to this warm, relaxing, hypnotic place. You like being hypnotized. There is no pain when you are hypnotized." I paused observing her seemingly asleep on the couch.
"Ann, can you hear me?" She nodded slowly. "You are now in your mind, but separated from it. You can see your mind. You mind is like a forest, a warm, safe forest. You are in a clearing and you are carrying a blanket. Without coming out of the trance, I want you to remember what you happened this morning. Do you remember?" She nodded slowly. "Can you see what your body looks likes?"
"Red," she whispered.
"Yes, red and painful. The pain is in the forest, a bright red stone emitting a red light. Can you find the stone Ann?" She flinched several times, worry creasing her face.
"Yes. It hurts."
"I know, Ann, but I'm going to help you. I need you to be strong, Ann, as strong as you've ever been. You need to take your blanket and throw it over the stone, trapping its pain under the blanket. Can you do that?"
"It hurts."
"I know, Ann, but be strong for me. I know you can do. You must do it."
She was panting now. Finally, she spoke again.
"I did it. I covered it."
"Good job, Ann, I'm very pleased with you. Now I want you to go back to the clearing. When you wake up, you will no longer feel pain, since the pain is trapped under the blanket. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Now when you hear me, and only me, say Chrysanthemum, you will come back to this clearing in the forest of your mind. Do you understand me?"
"Yes."
"The blanket will stay in place all night, until you wake up tomorrow. Then you will find the blanket has fallen away and needs to be put back in place. I will hypnotize you again in the morning. Do you understand?"
"I don't want the blanket to fall off."
"But sadly it will. Don't be to worried, I will be right here to help you again. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good, I'm pleased. I'm going to count down from 10, with each number you will feel more and more alert, and when I get to 1 you will awaken. You will not recall anything that happened while you were in the trance, but you will be free of pain until you wake up tomorrow. Ready?" She nodded. "Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one."
Ann's eyes fluttered open with a sigh. Her eyes darted to Tina and then back to me.