Customer Reviews

Self-Hypnotism: The Technique and Its Use in Daily Living (Signet)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Leslie Lecron has a warm, conversational writing style that makes this book very easy to read. He also knows this subject very well, which makes this book very worthwhile to read. At one time during her career, he provided help via hypnosis to Marilyn Monroe, which seems impressive evidence of his reputation.

We do natural things like breath, be aware, and rest. Systems come back to us with a varity of techniques of meditation which primarily "teach us" to breath, be aware, and rest. One nice thing about "self-hypnosis" is that, while it also leverages some natural abilities we have, it does so largely without hocus-pocus, without expectations that one join some organization, and without the need to become reliant on some teacher. Nevertheless, hypnosis can be extremely effective, even if we are only being taught a simple technique that we had the capacity for all along.

There are so many books on self-hypnosis. I've owned a few and browsed many. This book is the best I've found and, after searching around looking at others for a while, I realized that this one contains more than enough by itself. Whatever theory may be invoked to explain hypnosis, being pragmatic one can see for oneself how effective it is.

I don't seem to go into especially deep traces but I'm able to enter a very restful trance easily. It didn't take me long to learn how to do that, other than to learn not to expect too much. Self-hypnois can be very effective especially after one learns not to chase after some of the exaggerated claims made for it. Lecron's integrity is helpful in this regard. I'm glad I found it soon after I became interested in self-hypnosis.

I haven't tried to regress my age yet, but self-hypnosis seems to have helped my bruxism and provided a nice space in which to review my day and put my mistakes into a healthy perspective. I have hundreds of books stored away or on remote shelves: this is one of just 3 books that I keep next to my bed.

Part of the reason why this book gets three stars is because there is so much garbage written about hypnosis. This book is way less misleading than most. I think LeCron is dated in certain respects. Too much emphasis is given to Freud, who really mixes quite poorly with the way that hypnosis uses the word "unconscious". And not enough respect is given to the individual and the individual's relationship to trance. Also, the inclusion of homosexuality as a sexual disorder is offensive. There is too much emphasis on the importance of regression to cause (which has been shown to not always be necessary for successful therapy). In spite of all this, I learned from the book. LeCron does make a number of useful distinctions. He is a bit too dogmatic. The distinctions are useful except when they're not... No map of the interactions between thought ad feeling will always be accurate, all of these maps are merely hypotheses and will be accurate on a percentage. The best first book for self-hypnosis is Alman and Lambrou's Self Hypnosis. Read Lecron, only if you're fascinated by the subject and are curious about how our understandings of trance have evolved. Still, as a first book, it won't steer you as far wrong as many, many others.

Leslie Lecron is no beginner in the field of hynosis. He's written several books on the subject and is an established and highly qualified authority on the subject.

Over the years, I have been interested in this subject. Everyone uses hypnotic suggestion on themselves, whenever they tell themselves (or others) that they are "no good" at something, or that they've "always been able to" do some feat. Those are both examples of negative and positive suggestion (self-hypnosis).

But, with this book you can go much further. You can learn techniques which will enrich your life, heal certain illnesses, and generally inprove your situation. Tried and true methods.

I recommend it.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

First published in 1964, Leslie LeCron's "Self Hypnotism" may be dated in spots, but it remains a remarkably throrough introduction to hypnosis for the general reader. It's easy to see why this practical self-help manual remains in print. Before receiving training in hypnotherapy I read a number of older, popular books on hypnosis, but this was the one that really helped me appreciate and experience its practical application. LeCron's writing style was warm, conversational and refreshingly free of jargon, even in his later (1968) textbook, "Clinical Hypnotherapy" with gynecologist co-author David B. Cheek.

LeCron was a pioneer in the hypnotherapeutic use of ideomotor responses with Chevreul's pendulum and/or finger signals. Chapter Two of "Self-Hypnotism" provides a basic overview of ideomotor communication with the personal subconscious. Chapter Six, "Eliminating Emotional Troubles From Your Life," outlines basic psychodynamic and behaviorist principles along with LeCron's "Seven Most Common Factor Causing Emotional Troubles and Illnesses." (M. Gerald Edelstein would later adapt these "Seven Factors" in his 1981 "Trauma, Trance, and Transformation.") Other topics covered in this user-friendly book include Emile Coué's "laws of suggestion," the protective nature of the subconscious, how belief effects emotional well-being, and the therapeutic value of relaxation. A section entitled "You've been self-hypnotized many times" may help allay irrational fears of hypnosis by identifying several everyday experiences such as daydreaming and so-called "highway hypnosis" that are essentially hypnotic states.

Having practiced Self-Hypnosis (and Hypnosis) for almost fifty
years, I would have to say that in my experience as a professional that Leslie LeCron's book may be slightly too technical for some students (but remember his profession)...I recommend the book as an excellent source on the subject, having
recommended it for over 20 years to my clients! Wide ranging
and informative!

I find changing behaviors very fascinating, and this book definitely delivered. The title is misleading in my opinion, it does explain methods of hypnotizing ones self to change negative behavior traits, but more than that, it seemed to help me understand things in a psychological perspective. It really advocated the use of automatic writing, pendulum and finger movements, similar to a ouija board, which is a little freaky to me. It helped me learn a new relaxation technique, which is always beneficial. It is a great addition to your library if you are interested in self behavior modification, with some less common bits of knowledge.

This book helped me get over my Panic attacks. I was house bound for years with Panic attacks and now I can live a normal life again.

This book takes on self hypnotism in a very straight forward and logical manner that really works. There are numerous case studies throughout, and various exercises to test the methods, but no fluff and filler. Also, it's very easy to read, not boring or dry like some other books on the topic. The tone of some passages come off as somewhat dated, but I think it adds a little charm and is mildly refreshing for a topic that can either be very clinical or too whimsical. The methods of how to directly communicate with the subconscious mind while fully awake were worth the price of the book alone.

Highly recommended for anyone looking into self-hypnosis.

Leslie M. Lecron is well known as a mainstream specialist in the technique and understanding of the hypnosis process. What you are looking at is a classic. He may be a little Freud happy; however so was every one else in his environment. Say what you will the concept of triggering events is still with us. There is only one diagram of a Cheurel Pendulum "Magic Eye" and no photographs. Instead of me trying to interpret the good, bad and ugly of this book I will write the chapter titles so you can decide if this is what you are looking for.

1. What you should know about your subconscious
2. How you ca communicate directly with your "inner mind"
3. Hypnosis: A powerful force for good
4. Self-Hypnosis gives you the key to a happier life
5. How the use of autosuggestion can improve your life
6. Eliminate emotional troubles from your life
7. How bad emotions figure your health
8. The value of positive thinking and healthful relaxation
9. How to overcome feelings of inferiority and poverty "Complex"
10. How to conquer bad habits and overcome pain
11. Heal your own emotional scars
12. Fears and phobias can be conquered
13. Keep slim and youthful without dieting
14. Never suffer from headaches again!
15. The key to a happier sex life
16. Master your emotions and overcome allergies
17. common ailments and how self-therapy helps your remedy them
18. You have the power!

The Waking Sleep by Frank Monaghan

I first stumbled on LeCron when I was at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I was out of the military, working full time, and attempting to obtain grades that would qualify me for graduate school. I had no time to reread books, review notes, or use normal study techniques. I only had time to sleep five hours a night. Using LeCron's methods, I was able to develop a photographic memory and to increase my reading speed. I never took a class, read a book, or took an exam unless I used self hypnosis. I graduated with a GPA of 4.0 for the two years I used his technique. Although I quit depending on self-hypnosis after graduate school, I seem to have retained much of the benefits even decades later. This book changed my life.