Age Regression: Treating the Cause and Extinguishing the Symptoms ©

Somatic-Affect Bridge & Rescue Techniques© Explained and Annotated

Maureen F. Turner, LCMHC,RN-BC,LCSW

Age Regression (in this Life!) Clinical Hypnosis Intensive 15 hr. Workshop

June 1-3, 2012 Burlington, VT

Prior to Rescue Mission:

• 1. Rapport has been established• 2. An extensive history has been taken which

includes family history of both mother and father, siblings – how much older, younger they were when siblings were born, situation in which they were born – including whether they were wanted and the “right sex!”

Utilizing History as a Healing Tool

• At least 1-2 sessions should be solely devoted to gathering relevant and background history up to the present with special attention paid to the presenting issue. (Example of the 35 yr. old man with a habit of biting his cuticles to a permanent raw and bleeding state. Unconscious Purpose: Protection against being locked up in his room for one hour each day beginning at 5 yrs. – to practice his saxophone eventually they bled, became infected and he was hospitalized.) (Turner,M., 1995-2012)

Once History is Recorded:

• Discuss Overview of Trance States and the efficacy of Elman-Turner, or any other first Induction of choice.

• If Elman-Turner, give Pre-Talk including preparation for Anchoring and proceed to use one full session establishing Level 1- 4 and Anchoring the same. Utilize “anchoring” phenomenon for “how they wish to feel when emerged” and offer to anchor it.

Somatic - Affect Bridge/Rescue Mission Pre-Talk

• First partner with client re. what they choose to work on for this session – such as a feeling state like anxiety, sadness, anger, etc. or a belief they wish to change – e.g. “I’m a loser.”

• Let them know that once they are in deep trance you will be asking them to bring up the “feeling” or “urge” to do the behavior they would like to change and then for them to think of a time that they felt that way – recently or in the past so that their unconscious mind will know what they are talking about.

Somatic - Affect Bridge/Rescue Mission Pre-Talk (Continued)

• Explain that you will ask them to vividly be in this scene or event enough so that they will be able to point or say “where” they feel this feeling or urge from the top of their head to the bottom of their toes. You will then be repeating the names of the places that are holding these feelings or urges and ask that the unconscious mind takes them to the “littlest, youngest one who knows just what this feeling feels like.” We are looking for the first time this feeling appeared in order to find the “purpose.”

Somatic - Affect Bridge/Rescue Mission Pre-Talk (Continued)

• It is like being a “detective” solving the mystery of why the unconscious is bringing up this feeling and that you will be asked “what is the purpose of this feeling?” while in trance and will be asked to say the first thing that come to mind – this the cause of the symptoms/behavior he/she wants to change! (Diagnose the problem then the solution follows! Like the case of the cuticle biter and sax) Provided the purpose is no longer operative, we can go about “disconnecting it” and, typically the unwanted feelings/behavior diminish/extinguish.

• Explain the Basics of the Rescue Mission at this point as well – especially emphasize that they can be their own “Rescuer” and you will be the coach.

Finding the Somatic-Affect Bridge & Rescue Mission Script

Once Somnambulism State has been established:To Find the “the Somatic-Affect Bridge:”

Just ask individual to think of a time when she/he was really feeling it and revisit the scene in trance.

“Where” in the mind and body is the feeling being stored and to “increase the feeling until you can point to where you

feel this feeling in your mind and your body. You can say where or just point so I can know where you feel it.”

Using the Somatic – Affect Bridge to get to Encoded Imprinted Memory

• Using the Somatic - Affect Bridge (where they feel the feeling in their mind & body) to Regress:– Repeat the names of where they said or pointed

to in their head and body identified (Refer to Where are Feelings Stored Chart) – This is a good time to ask for the “purpose” of the

feelings – it is likely to be either clear or not known (“I don’t know”)

– If the purpose is answered - use it to help regress to the earliest time patient/client felt that way. (It always has an original positive intention, take note of it!)

Somatic-Affect Bridge Regression • Using the Somatic - Affect Bridge to Regress

– Ask for them to go to the earliest/youngest, first time when they were feeling the state or belief they are wishing to change and raise their finger when there.

– Typically an early event just pops up! Go with it (Typically when individual was 3-5yrs or younger).

– Ask the client to describe where they are and what is happening – typically it is a suppressed memory not a repressed experience and most often the scene has the imprinting belief embedded.

Age Regression “Rescue Mission” Treatment Considerations:

• Ask “what is going on?” or “what’s happening?” in the event that just “popped up.”

• Therapist – you will know almost immediately – whether the individual is in re-vivication(re- experiencing the event)– as if, it is all happening all over again (called “true age regression” in the literature) or in hypermnesia which is an increased memory ability in hypnosis where one will speak in the past tense and use statements such as “Now I remember.” Turner’s Rescue Technique works well with either heightened memory state. She recommends hypermnesia over re-vivication.

Age Regression “Rescue Mission” Treatment Considerations (Cont.)

rRe-vivicating is usually not necessary to re-orient or make contact with the traumatized part to establish believability that their host self has continued to “grow up” and they are welcome to “leave the scene” and re-integrate. This sharply differs from traditional re-vivication methods using age regression to de-sensitize the event. Turner describes that as “re-injuring” and facilitates escape from the “scene” as soon as possible while “fixing the problems as one exits the scene – such as getting apologies, and knowledge of the future as guidance and support. “Tim was a bully but you found out he was getting beaten at home and became friends later.” Getting to safety is priority!

Turner Rescue Mission• Assess quickly how soon to ask present client to

make self present on the scene then - Facilitate a connection with the present client and traumatized part.

• Ask if the trauma part recognizes or knows “(name) who is now ___yrs.old” The traumatized part that has been “frozen” in time is most often still “stuck” (dissociated) in the scene of trauma (abreaction), and does not recognize the individual.

• Not recognizing the “rescuer” older self is diagnostic – the trauma part and you are at a Belief Encoded event (or Imprint) that is causal to the undesired feeling state.

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission” Treatment Considerations:

• This is indicative that Imprinted Belief has been found. The therapist MUST facilitate the connection so that the traumatized part can be free and able to re-integrate. Otherwise, the rescue will be incomplete or non-existent.

• Be sure that the “rescuer” is using age appropriate language and the language spoken by the individual at that age (otherwise, the imprinted part will not understand what is being said! Turner has facilitated “rescues” in 24 different languages of origin to date- this appears to be a cross-cultural phenomenon.)

The ASCH Effect of the First Rescuer to the Traumatized (Dissociated) Part

• This is a critical intervention – Solomon Asch Experiments on Conformity (1956) was able to demonstrate just to feel “connected” to one other person causes a measurable reduction in anxiety, a second person and third person added – still measurable – a fourth person added was not statistically significant. The first “rescuer” made the most reduction in the anxiety response.

First, Establish of Credibility, Believability that the “Rescuer” is an older version of

him/herself!

This critical task is usually not difficult for the pre-5 year old encased part – identifying a share birth mark, color of their bedroom, or a favorite toy can do it.The older the encased part of an imprint – usually, the more details and “secrets” need to be offered by the “rescuer” to have the dissociated part to “believe!”Do not proceed without establishing this.

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission”

• The present client (who has been prepared in pre-talk prior to “rescue”) is encouraged to “up-date” traumatized part and orient the part, emphasizing the positive aspects of their history since the goal is to have the traumatized child part “off-duty” – ( use age-appropriate terms! A 5 yr. old does not know

what “off duty!” means and will say so!)• “ You no longer need to worry that it will ever happen again-”

“ You will never ever be the same age, etc. – again.” “That was then, this is now.” “ I will take it from here! I will take it from here! You can just be a child again and go play - - and no longer worry about _____”

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission”

• You are a good girl/boy – it was not your fault. You were just a child. You are a good girl/boy. You can leave if you would like to go now. I can take you back to the outside world with me. Coach the patient/client to tell the traumatized part that they are “good” that whatever happened was not their fault! They are/were just a child.

• (Children think that when “bad” things happen to them –that they are bad!) Re-inforce “You are a ‘good’ girl/boy”

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission”• Therapist to Patient/Client: “Talk to the child-part

about things in your present life that a child of that age would enjoy – like your animals, car, tell her/him that you make money and can buy things that you want - - that you are more in charge and in control than the child-part can imagine. That you can take care of him/her. That you want to get this part of yourself back (increased energy, curiosity lightness of spirit, joy, spontaneity, adventure,etc.).

The therapist is coach and guide to this rescue and has access to suggest magical props, including magic wands. (The unconscious mind does not know the difference from real or vivid imagined.)

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission”Suggestions like: How could you fix this scene if you and

your ___ yr.old part each had a magic wand? (Very empowering!)

Do Ask: What Did He/She Need Then That He/She Did Not Have? As long as it is a positive answer, encourage magic wand to make it happen. Often- it is “someone to hold him/her! The rescuer often, on their own, will pick up the trauma part and hold it.

The suggestions are directive until the “rescuer” gets the

idea,” then the patient/client gets to lead and therapist becomes a resource: “I’m here – let me know when you’ve rescued him/her and he/she wants to come back with you.”

:

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission” Summarized (continued)

• What does that part need to feel better – sometimes it is to go back to:– ego state “30 minutes before the dog bit me,” – get a heartfelt apology from a bullying brother– fighting parents to stop and tell the frightened part that they are

“sorry for scaring her so – that they would never hit her or leave her, etc. and ask for forgiveness.

• Traumatized parts of all ages are anxious to get out of pain and suffering and usually are very cooperative and often come up with solutions.

Turner Hypnotic “Rescue Mission” Summarized (continued)

• Once the Imprinted part is freed it is usually easy to call for “any other part that knows just what this little one feels” and have them gather in a safe place for their release back or ahead to a happier time. Once the original “encoded” event is found & “released” – the rest follows suit quite easily and with great relief.

Calling All Parts Who Know Just What The ___mo./yr. old was Feeling!

• Mindful that like experiences tend to be stored in the same mind file and the unconscious is absolutely literal -

• Therapist: “Imagine your free ___ self can go to a beautiful place and that you can call for all the other parts of you who are listening and feeling the same way your ___mo./yr.old self was feeling – would it be alright to ask them to come forth and out of hiding – like when you played “hide and seek” and it was safe to come out?

Calling All Parts

• Depending on age and likelihood of their knowing the saying,Turner will say: “Like “Olly, olly, in free! “Olly, olly, in free! or some other beckoning phrase to encourage other disenfranchised parts to come forward and be free. It is rare that no other parts show up. They are usually described as shadowy, filaments,fragments since the imprint held the origin. Turner always asks if anyone is younger than the one just rescued.

• If so, and if time, ask what happened and assess whether to do another Rescue then and there or let the part know we will be back and do so next time and make sure it feels safe until our return. Many major events have other feeling state involved that have a separate imprint needing to be rescued (like cross-referencing!)

Calling All Parts

• With each release (most times, parts can be released enmass), the patient/client is coached to let the part(s) know – “you are a part of me and I am a part of you and you will never, ever be all alone ever again.”

• The average “stored parts per mind file” varies greatly from 2 or 3 such events to the rarer “thousands.”

(One individual who had a terrible stutter felt she had three thousand parts who wanted to be released like “balloons.”)

Anchoring for Emerging• In trance, suggest prior to emerging patient/client

that they decide “how they would like to feel when they emerge and ask them to tell you what that state of mind is so you can help them anchor it (and evaluate whether it is in their best interest to do so). Then weave the name of the desired mind state as part of Count Up to Emerge Back to the outside world feeling _________, just as you wish!

• Typically the individual feels “lighter, happier” when emerged back after a Rescue!

• Be sure they are 100% Emerged! If not repeat emerging count – until client is 100% emerged!

Turner Age Regression Rescue Mission© 10 Steps:

A – Age Regression Contract – Q&AG – Go to Induction & Deeping (Pull Anchors & Deepen to Level 5)E - Establish Somatic – Affect Bridge to Best Memory of Feeling/Behavior/Mind State (Not necessarily the Imprinting Belief)

R – Regress to earliest, youngest, first timeE - Evaluate the “scene,” i.e. “What is happening?” “What do you see, hear, feel, etc.”G – Get “What does littlest one need right now ?”R - Rescue “Would it be alright for the older, you to be there & give littlest what is needed?” E - Establish if this littlest knows that you grew up and are ___(age) now & establish credibilityS - Safely re-establish safety/dignity & exit to safety S - Summon all other parts listening & free them (Be sure to ask for a # and if any are younger!)

References Asch, S.E. (1956). Studies of Independence and

Conformity: A Minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monograph, 70.

Turner, M. (2010) Age Regression in Clinical Hypnosis: History, Theory, Techniques, Demonstrations & Practice History, Theory, Techniques, Demonstrations & Practice Workshop Manual. 12 CEU ASCH Approved Advanced Course

Turner, M. (1995-2012), Age Regression Case

Histories, Unpublished.