Couldn't get this to work at all. I was fighting it very hard. May need a different way in, or more practice ?

I know. I was compelled to not allow.

Great exercise! Never done to myself. Very cool!

Wow! More from the thoughts that followed. I released my hold where I could no longer feel the tips so well to find that every few seconds my hand and arm continued to creep up to a height twice as high as where I thought was ‘done’ and a coolness spread down my arm. I was, AM, in awe that my body was capable of doing something I have so assumed requires my command. My body can do so much more than what I let it or think it to. This Is powerful learning. Thankyou again! Trusting our body has such broad application.

Got it after a couple of goes. Like you said Rob, was like my hand wasnt my own and I felt a moment of being scared because of this. Silly. I wonder what the neurobiological reasons are for this phenomena is.

I also wonder about the science Andrienne, there must be something happening on a muscular level with some sort of neurological override for the more regular response to lower the arm not to be activated... I wonder if I am wanting to know more about that to 'sell' it to friends and family and ultimately clients as valid therapeutic support or even to use science to explain away the scared feeling.

I just heard an imaging exercise that suggested imagining that your stronger (dominant) hand is heavy and is stuck in place. I tried it sitting with my hands on my knees and it worked for me. I could lift my other hand very easily. Leaving the "light" hand alone, it began to move on its own sliding on my knee as if it could potentially levitate. I will play with the experiment again. Seems like as an invitation there is lots of potential to initiate hypnosis trance too and refer to a variety of resources. Thoughts are very welcome.

I found it a weaker response with my dominant hand, thanks Margaret for the ideas to play with.

Non dominant hand felt heavier somehow. Tingling in fingers of my dominant hand, very interesting exercise.

Rob, this is the best demonstration of "invitation" to experience catalepsy that I have ever observed. Could you add some comments about what you say to the client while performing it: do you announce the goals of the manoeuver? do you question upon the sensations? when do you feel worth using it : only at and for induction or and at some transition moments during the session?

I tried this, and really surprised to find that it worked! Never had the confidence to try this with a client, (or arm levitation either) but this has inspired me to try it out on my family. Then, who knows.....

I've never done it on myself before. Very enlightening. I first had my arm in one position (don't have a chair with arm rests so made use of my desk) I could feel though that some of the muscles were working and it got a bit uncomfortable. I redid it again - then found that this time the arm was a little higher and there was less muscles working.

It felt really interesting feeling this and I got excited about it. It means a lot for my own self hypnosis practice and showing me that if I ease into it - I can do it. I am able to ease into anything and any situation and it will result in success. Thanks for this Rob!

Loved this. First time I've ever tried it. Beautifully explained ...and ....beautifully....demonstrated....

I started doing this invitation with a sort of "test case attitude" (i.e. skepticism) remembering phrases such as "most people do their don'ts" and "an enigma wrapped in a riddle" both of which have negative connotations for me. Then I forgot about history and thought about the intent of the layering and just got on with it, enjoying rather than analyzing. I started not to try so hard (which is my normal approach to everything), and concentrated on the words you had been using and the visuals, searching for sensations in the hand. All of a sudden I couldn't remember which hand was supposed to be doing what for a few seconds and then success. My hand was elevated with no effort and it felt like it could stay up there forever even though it seemed in some ways separate from my body. I had to push it down to the table (which was hard to do) when I started thinking too much again, then it returned to normal.

The exercise gave me more confidence doing the course and a better understanding of myself and why I have a very literal focus when communicating. More tact and finesse will help at work just as in this exercise. The more I learn and understand in this course and practice the easier many things become.

My thanks to everyone.

My hans and my-self are in-separable, the mind body connect is not two but one and it makes me smile and sometimes laugh discovering what they will do. As the saying goes " the men and mild shall inherit the earth as long asset's ok with everyone else". Justdon't try to hard and they won't come along for the ride.

All aboard!!

Some of my friends could somehow explain to themselves what happened, some seemed to be a bit confused, but catalepsy appeared every time we tried, we observed it when tried with ourselves and each other. So much fun! :D

I too had never practiced this on myself. It was a wonderful experience, a freedom. I have always been wary of suggesting any of the "convincers, though I was told in my training that arm catalepsy is easy to achieve. Two reasons: the overt one being it felt like theatre or trickery; but the real one was fear I would fail to deliver the effect. Sometime ago I had a client who really, really, really wanted to experience an arm levitation in our sessdion....and so of course he did. My worry had been obstructing him. Clearly I still have apprehension as my question Rob is do you have the client do their own lifting, or do you gently lift? When I do it for myself, I can detect when my lift is subtle enough to go undetected. I am not so sure I would intuit the correct lift pace for a client. .