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Hypnosis with open eyes?

First of all, let me tell you that this forum has stupified me completely. And I mean that in the most positive way possible. :) I've read countless threads already, and I just want to keep reading. Finally I found a place with people who are on the same wavelength as I am, it really strikes me as a miracle. I am by no means stating that I am as far as some of the members here, or even close to their (spiritual) intelligence (I still have an awful lot to learn!), but just the fact that everyone here is so open to spirituality like I am is a truly wondrous.

Now, as I mentioned in my introduction, I have a lot of trouble getting access to my past life memories. I would like to start a thread soon about the things I do (or think?) I remember, but for now I would like to focus on the "practical" side of things. You see, I have tried quite a few regression videos on YouTube, but I get absolutely nothing. I just see the back of my eyelids, to put it bluntly. I've read about something called "aphantasia", but I don't think it's that; I have absolutely no trouble envisioning things, it just doesn't work with my eyes closed. However, having to close your eyes obviously plays a big part in these videos.

If you ask me to close my eyes and picture a strawberry, I just can't. But with my eyes open, it's right there. Just deeper in my brain, if that makes sense at all. I can see the strawberry floating in the "middle of my head". So I was thinking, if I can't even picture a boat on a beach when the video asks me to, it's not so strange that I can't look down at my feet to see what kind of shoes I'm wearing, or see where I am at all. At one point I thought the sun was shining down on me, but maybe that was just my mind playing tricks on me because I was forcing myself to concentrate. Another time I had a brief vision of big, empty station, much like Amsterdam Central Station, it was deserted and it was definitely not modern. However, I had so much trouble envisioning the things the lady in the video wanted me to picture, that I feel I made it up.

So basically my question is, can you go through such a video with your eyes open, and still get a result? Is that possible at all?

Thank you so much in advance for any help. :)
 
Hi MB,

I recognize a lot in your story. You described your process so perfectly that I realized this works for me too, a lot of the time.

Yes, all the spontaneous flashbacks about former lives were like a hologramlike video in the centre of my skull. With eyes wide open. Together with the knowledge of things. It's like as if a glaze comes over they physical eyes and you turn inwards to see.

As long as I can remember, I've also had visions with my eyes shut but this never gave me the impression of seeing former lives. I could see people, towns, landscapes... all just random.
It's just very recently that I somehow managed to control the things I see this way. For example, this afternoon I took a nap and while laying in bed with my eyes closed I started to see images like art productions and I concentrated on these and fixated on a kind of painting/drawing with interesting elements. And layer for layer, I saw how to build up those ideas. So cool. The images even suggested some choices and some try-outs. Sometimes I see drawings and paintings with beautiful intense colours. I wished I knew where to buy those paints, seriously.
But absolutely no link to former lives.

On the other hand, I just now realise that my visions and images of former lives with my eyes closed are also perceived the same way as if my eyes were wide open. No difference so to say.

My most convincing flashbacks and visions of former lives were all triggered by something that happened before. Doing a regression with a video without triggers never gave me convincing results. So many times during the years I opened the 'famous' door (an image often used in guided meditations)to my past life and I always saw just open sky. I kind of expected to start somewhere in the middle of a scene in the past but so many times my vision was blank after opening 'the' door. Untillllll... one occasion when I decided to turn my head after this 'blank' vision... and I saw I was in the empty belly of a military plane, soldiers waiting on wooden benches in the length of the plane. 'I' was standing in the opening of the door with my folded parachute on my back, facing an empty sky...

Anyway, there are some tricks to go quickly to the stage of seeing images. It needs some practice being able to distinguish the several stages but once you know, it'll be easier.
Did you ever try to meditate in a classical way: sitting still, emptying the mind, and so on...?
When I do this seriously, I get very distracted by visions and images, before I ever get to an empty stage with my mind. Perhaps you could try this too.
Another possibility is the stage before falling asleep. If you lay still and you allow your body to fall asleep while you keep awake (not the same as meditation), you'll enter dreamland without sleeping. It's very difficult not to fall asleep, so when it becomes too strong, you can go out of bed, have a drink, and go back to bed. Your mind is now near falling asleep, while your body is awake and activated. Great time to enjoy seeing images, stories, and so on. No, not necessarily past life related (not) but it's a way to invoke seeing images.

However, I had so much trouble envisioning the things the lady in the video wanted me to picture,
Is this the same lady that wanted you to imagine a boat at sea and then suddenly wanted you to picture a waterfall?
It sounds like I tried that video as well and I got very confused. Hahaha.*
I also have great difficulty imagining things. There is a huge difference between spontaneously seeing a boat on the river with your spirit eye and creating the image of a boat in which you float on the river.

So basically my question is, can you go through such a video with your eyes open, and still get a result? Is that possible at all?
Try it and you'll know it. We're all different and we all gather information in mysterious ways.



* video in dutch, I'm dutch too
 
Now, as I mentioned in my introduction, I have a lot of trouble getting access to my past life memories. I would like to start a thread soon about the things I do (or think?) I remember, but for now I would like to focus on the "practical" side of things. You see, I have tried quite a few regression videos on YouTube, but I get absolutely nothing. I just see the back of my eyelids, to put it bluntly. I've read about something called "aphantasia", but I don't think it's that; I have absolutely no trouble envisioning things, it just doesn't work with my eyes closed. However, having to close your eyes obviously plays a big part in these videos.

If you ask me to close my eyes and picture a strawberry, I just can't. But with my eyes open, it's right there. Just deeper in my brain, if that makes sense at all. I can see the strawberry floating in the "middle of my head". So I was thinking, if I can't even picture a boat on a beach when the video asks me to, it's not so strange that I can't look down at my feet to see what kind of shoes I'm wearing, or see where I am at all. At one point I thought the sun was shining down on me, but maybe that was just my mind playing tricks on me because I was forcing myself to concentrate. Another time I had a brief vision of big, empty station, much like Amsterdam Central Station, it was deserted and it was definitely not modern. However, I had so much trouble envisioning the things the lady in the video wanted me to picture, that I feel I made it up.

So basically my question is, can you go through such a video with your eyes open, and still get a result? Is that possible at all?

Thank you so much in advance for any help. :)

Honestly, I can relate with that too. I tried doing regressions from YouTube but none of them ever worked. The "classical" meditation technique doesn't work on me either. Even doing some "mantras" won't save me from my really noisy head :rolleyes:
If you lay still and you allow your body to fall asleep while you keep awake (not the same as meditation), you'll enter dreamland without sleeping. It's very difficult not to fall asleep, so when it becomes too strong, you can go out of bed, have a drink, and go back to bed. Your mind is now near falling asleep, while your body is awake and activated. Great time to enjoy seeing images, stories, and so on. No, not necessarily past life related (not) but it's a way to invoke seeing images.

I think the waking state can also conjure some stuff, Firefly.
I did remember something when I woke up. I just suddenly remembered a name.

I guess this is more of a trial and error thing IMO. It depends on what works for you.

- Dana
 
Yes, it is possible. Do you ever gaze out at something as idea's flash in your minds-eye? I don't know about the video's either, like you, I don't get the results I'd hope to or know how much a help it is- whether I'm just grasping at straws or maybe it's not my style. What seems important is to recognize the state of mind, the feeling of your gaze- are your eyes fixed? Has your breath slowed down or have you become significantly still? Just idea's, what allows you to see the strawberry so clearly? I'm not all that interested in past life recall as you but I am definitely interested in these non-physical experiences. I can tell you a friend has triggered whispers from Spirit or, implanted ideas in this field of consciousness. One day we were working together, he said something over my shoulder as I was arranging items on a lower shelf and I was taken by complete surprise- his voice sounded different than his actual voice! Instantaneously, my "internal vision" was transported somewhere else. Ideas lived or "flashed" before me. We were barefoot, there was bright or red colored dirt beneath us and we were leaned up against a clay styled hut. We were children and there was a feeling that we were related. It was a happy and playful sensation. I don't think my eyes were closed for any of it. I had no control over it, but I believe our desires are broadcasting throughout the matrix and it is possible to receive illumination and sometimes in surprising ways. It seems the post before mine relay the same- which tells me discovery isn't so black and white. You have an entire unique personality to account for, plenty of us stray away from traditional archetypes- this might be a clue to the nature of a Living Spirit... ? Hmm :) !
 
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welcome!
i did some month ago a regression hypnosis temptative and i have just 3 fast flashbacks but too much confused for be clear or to focus.
also my prebirth memories are so weird and strange that i guess my PL was into other world or other timelines/parallel universes. >_>
i have some prebirth memories spontaneus from the age of 3-4 years.
i did the meditation with open eyes with no problem however, if you have trouble to see things with closed eyes, you can do with open eyes. you can do that into a dark room with closed windows? if room is dark but eyes are opens the effect is mostly the same of have the eyes closed.
i hope that hint can work.
regression is not easy however, prebirth memories there are or not from childhood,
for face about the most deep of your mind you should find the trigger evento of place that you feel deep familiar to you, think to your personal taste, favourite places, favourite cultures.
about the video there is not a perfect hypnosis video, is strickly subjective, you shoukld try until you will find what's good for you.
:)
 
Thank you all so much for your replies! I'm sorry I took so long to answer. I would also like to apologise if my reply doesn't cover everything said on this thread; I'm currently at home with quite a severe burn-out, so I'm basically operating on half a brain cell. :confused: That being said, I really appreciate each and every reply very much, I have read all of them with my full attention. They are all incredibly interesting and helpful. :)

First of all, I'm so glad I'm not alone in this. I feared it was just me, since so many people in the comment sections on YouTube seemed to get astonishing results. I have indeed tried to meditate in the classical way, but I'm not very good at it (yet). I too get easily distracted by things both inside and outside my head. I get closest to a "receiving state" when I'm on the train or bus, especially while listening to music that resonates with me at that moment. Very striking actually: just the other day I was reading a thread here (about reincarnated children who lost their previous lives on 9/11), and somewhere it was mentioned that children often talk about previous lives during a car ride, because of the trance a ride can evoke. It was from Carol Bowman's book actually, someone said, but I can't remember if it was Carol herself who mentioned it. Anyway, reading that struck a chord with me, because I always thought it was a bit strange that riding the bus often takes me higher, haha! Turns out it's not so unusual after all. I was even thinking that maybe I should try listening to a hypnosis video on the bus some time, but then again, travelling isn't exactly fun or relaxing right now. I seriously doubt I can zone out with that piece of cloth on my face.

The stage before falling asleep also sounds very interesting, I would like to give that a try.

Fireflydancing: I'm not sure if it's the same lady, haha! I tried a few, Dutch videos too. In this particular video a Dutch lady wanted me to picture massive numbers, 1 to 3, and they could be made of anything. Then I had to go down a couple of levels with an elvator. There was also a Flemish lady (I think), who talked about a bridge and a door (it's awful that I can't remember, it was only last November, but my memory is pitiful). However, the one I actually tried a couple times was a video by Michael Sealey. This was also the one with the boat on the beach. I tried this one at least four times, because I really wanted it to work, and because so many people seemed get great results with him. It's true that making something up is something entirely different than actually getting to see something; personally I also get too distracted by making the picture "right". When he wanted me to see a boat, I first thought of nice little rowing boat. But later on, when I was already "at sea" with it, his words implied that my boat should have been an actual, big boat (maybe a fishing boat, or something like that). So I had to adjust everything, which cost me an awful lot of energy. This basically happened all the time, because at some point he would say something, and none of what I pictured would make sense anymore. I guess I'm not that good at letting go of "reality" (using that word loosely here, of course).

As for "random" flashes, seemingly out of nowhere, I do get them now and then. But I've only had one that I think might be related to a past life. It was quite odd actually, when I heard the song Toy Soldiers by Martika on the radio for the first time, I suddenly had this vision of older appartments with old fire escapes, like you see in the US. I have some images of those in my computer, but I would like to save them for a different thread. There was very yellow sunlight (golden hour?), and I saw a young boy with a white shirt (of what some people call the "wife beater" type). I have absolutely no idea why that song evoked such an image. It doesn't even make any sense, because apparently the song was released in 1989 (I heard it for the first time in 2010, I think), when I was already here. So it's not like I could have known this song from a previous life, it must have been some twisted association I guess.

The Traveler: Trying it with open eyes in dark room is great tip!

Again, I'm sorry I couldn't manage to reply to everyone personally. I appreciate all your replies so much. :)
 
Thank you all so much for your replies! I'm sorry I took so long to answer. I would also like to apologise if my reply doesn't cover everything said on this thread; I'm currently at home with quite a severe burn-out, so I'm basically operating on half a brain cell. :confused: That being said, I really appreciate each and every reply very much, I have read all of them with my full attention. They are all incredibly interesting and helpful. :)

First of all, I'm so glad I'm not alone in this. I feared it was just me, since so many people in the comment sections on YouTube seemed to get astonishing results. I have indeed tried to meditate in the classical way, but I'm not very good at it (yet). I too get easily distracted by things both inside and outside my head. I get closest to a "receiving state" when I'm on the train or bus, especially while listening to music that resonates with me at that moment. Very striking actually: just the other day I was reading a thread here (about reincarnated children who lost their previous lives on 9/11), and somewhere it was mentioned that children often talk about previous lives during a car ride, because of the trance a ride can evoke. It was from Carol Bowman's book actually, someone said, but I can't remember if it was Carol herself who mentioned it. Anyway, reading that struck a chord with me, because I always thought it was a bit strange that riding the bus often takes me higher, haha! Turns out it's not so unusual after all. I was even thinking that maybe I should try listening to a hypnosis video on the bus some time, but then again, travelling isn't exactly fun or relaxing right now. I seriously doubt I can zone out with that piece of cloth on my face.

The stage before falling asleep also sounds very interesting, I would like to give that a try.

Fireflydancing: I'm not sure if it's the same lady, haha! I tried a few, Dutch videos too. In this particular video a Dutch lady wanted me to picture massive numbers, 1 to 3, and they could be made of anything. Then I had to go down a couple of levels with an elvator. There was also a Flemish lady (I think), who talked about a bridge and a door (it's awful that I can't remember, it was only last November, but my memory is pitiful). However, the one I actually tried a couple times was a video by Michael Sealey. This was also the one with the boat on the beach. I tried this one at least four times, because I really wanted it to work, and because so many people seemed get great results with him. It's true that making something up is something entirely different than actually getting to see something; personally I also get too distracted by making the picture "right". When he wanted me to see a boat, I first thought of nice little rowing boat. But later on, when I was already "at sea" with it, his words implied that my boat should have been an actual, big boat (maybe a fishing boat, or something like that). So I had to adjust everything, which cost me an awful lot of energy. This basically happened all the time, because at some point he would say something, and none of what I pictured would make sense anymore. I guess I'm not that good at letting go of "reality" (using that word loosely here, of course).

As for "random" flashes, seemingly out of nowhere, I do get them now and then. But I've only had one that I think might be related to a past life. It was quite odd actually, when I heard the song Toy Soldiers by Martika on the radio for the first time, I suddenly had this vision of older appartments with old fire escapes, like you see in the US. I have some images of those in my computer, but I would like to save them for a different thread. There was very yellow sunlight (golden hour?), and I saw a young boy with a white shirt (of what some people call the "wife beater" type). I have absolutely no idea why that song evoked such an image. It doesn't even make any sense, because apparently the song was released in 1989 (I heard it for the first time in 2010, I think), when I was already here. So it's not like I could have known this song from a previous life, it must have been some twisted association I guess.

The Traveler: Trying it with open eyes in dark room is great tip!

Again, I'm sorry I couldn't manage to reply to everyone personally. I appreciate all your replies so much. :)
Thanks!
Let us know if you do some progress.
if you want another tip, not start brute and directly to try to force yourself to recover PL memories, start instead with progressive sessions when you recover memories of your childhood. each time try to go back into the time respect of previous session.
at the end you will reach the point of the newborn stage, then the fetus stage, then... well, before the fetus, there is what you're seeking.
 
That's very useful advice too, thank you! In my case it may even be especially important, since I'm quite lost when it comes to my childhood. I have so many questions, and I've actually been trying to complete the puzzle for the last two years or so. My memory is particularly bad, I remember very little from my childhood (just "pictures" in my head). And while I don't think I've experienced something extremely traumatic, I do suspect that I have pushed some things away, as it was a heavy time at home for us either way. I've been looking for a way to "submerge" myself in those days, to experience it again, but so far I haven't had any success.

I've also been thinking a lot about what you said about favourite things and personal taste. I'm planning on writing down things that may be essential, things that have been there since I can remember. It's going to be a challenge to separate the wheat from the chaff though, because I used to be very flighty with interests... Which is trait of mine I prefer not to face too much, as consistency is something I value greatly.
 
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As one wise old hypnotist said, 'hypnosis is not a state of eyelids'. It never was it never will be - however many people hypnotists and subjects think of it as having something to do with sleep and the eyes being closed and get a bit flummoxed when the eyes open.
 
close eyes only help to focus to not have visual distractions from enviroment and focus on self mind.
you true: hypnosis not have nothing to do with eyes open-closed. is a state of mind. can be used for expand perception or for be conditionated.
 
As one wise old hypnotist said, 'hypnosis is not a state of eyelids'. It never was it never will be - however many people hypnotists and subjects think of it as having something to do with sleep and the eyes being closed and get a bit flummoxed when the eyes open.

Hypnosis is very tricky. I've went under a few times and each time was different. Maybe because I knew what was going to happen. But sometimes I would open my eyes as a sort of relief and step back into reality. Well, this one anyways
 
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