Healing in Trance

by Susanna Bellini

I thought I’d share this with you all, as it’s a real, recent experience, with workable steps, should you ever need it:  During the following description, ‘level’ (a term from Silva training, short for slowing brainwaves to alpha level) = self hypnotic trance.

The night before last, I fell and twisted my hip in the middle of the night.  The pain was so bad I was doubled up and couldn’t straighten out, lying down or standing up.  Every position was painful and I was unable to sleep for the rest of the night, but just stayed hunched up on my left hand side.  (I tried to go to Level / give myself Reiki healing, but, mainly because I was tired and in so much pain, I gave it up and just tried to sleep).

In the morning I could not straighten up and could not stand or rest my weight on my right leg.  I was supposed to be assisting at a seminar and teaching a short slot (on self-hypnosis!) in the afternoon, so I did my best to relax and go to level and give myself some healing.  Things improved slightly so I could limp a short distance with a stick and I got a lift by car to the venue, as I could not have walked.

By the time I was there, I was limping, and in a lot of pain, but able to move and stand straighter and manage the pain by focusing on staying in light trance.  During the morning I found time to sit and go to level.  I then went to a much deeper level of mind and called up Moshe Feldenkrais, as the best expert I could think of to help with my hip / leg joints.  I asked for his help and had the distinct impression of Feldenkrais examining and moving my leg and explaining to a small class of students what was up with it and what needed to happen to get it right.

My trance experience didn’t feel ‘deep enough’ or effective enough – my mind was partly on the seminar in case I was needed for anything – so I gave my ‘unconscious’ commands for the work to continue and for whatever adjustments were needed in the muscles, ligaments and tendons of my leg to continue to occur.  I then had to come back out and take care of assisting at the seminar.

At lunchtime I finally had a chance to spend some time at level undisturbed.  I sat on a couch and read a book (to distract my conscious mind from the pain and unhelpful internal dialogue), while sending suggestions, images and feelings to myself of relaxing and feeling sleepy.  When I started to feel sleepy, I set the book aside and went to level with the 3 2 1 method and deepened the trance, counting down, while breathing slowly and mentally relaxing my muscles, body and mind.

When I reached a deep trance state (very calm, focussed, centred, at alpha going into theta as I continued) I called on Feldenkrais’ help to give me a treatment.  I asked for my body to move naturally and automatically as it needed, in order for me to be healed, if possible.  (i.e. not just pain removal, but for whatever adjustments to subtly occur as needed to release any trapped nerves/muscles etc.)

I was very deep in trance (theta) and was only aware of strong urges to change my position on the couch, sometimes getting up to turn around and lie down the other way.  After a number of these moves (4 or 5 I think), during which little subtle adjustments occurred, I felt he treatment work was done.  I came more to awareness and counted myself back up to the ‘light trance’ /alpha level state.  The pain had gone, but my hip still felt ‘tender’ and I was not sure if I’d just achieved pain control rather than cure, and so if it would last if I came all the way out of trance.

I went to teach my short section, which appropriately was on self-hypnosis, still in trance.  As I came to the end of my section, I came all the way out of trance and walked ‘off stage’ quite normally.  I was surprised (such confidence I have!) that this lasted, and treated myself with care for the rest of the evening.  After a while I was sure of the results – free of pain, perfect hip movement, actually walking straighter and more balanced – that night I slept well and was still fine the next morning.

As a teacher of self-hypnosis / Silva / mind skills I am embarrassed to admit my own lack of confidence in the system, but I thought it best and more useful to you to tell it like it is.   The thing is, (and I don’t think I am alone in this) – I know how powerful the mind can be, and I myself achieve many amazing things.  However there are some things, that no matter how many great stories I read of other people achieving them – and I do believe that those things are possible – I somehow don’t think I can do them.

Reading many powerful stories of such healings I thought “I know it’s possible, I believe it happened for those people, but I don’t believe it will happen for me, because (insert whatever ‘good reason’)”

This time, because I was strongly motivated that it had to work, as I really didn’t want to let people down, I went with 100 percent commitment and focus into the process and it worked.

Silva graduates will know that when you build your Desire to Belief and finally Expect a thing to happen – it does.  I think that my story shows that, even if you doubt, if you have the desire, focus and commitment to do the process anyway and really go for it – you can still work miracles.

©Susanna Bellini 2005

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