According to the test I’m not very hypnotizeable. Nothing at all happened to my left hand when I tried the test. It did not move a single bit. I wanted to use this app to help with anxiety related to public speaking and physical symptoms I have before public speaking. Is there any point to continuing if I’m not very hypnotizeable? If so, which exercises will help me the most?
Also as a side note I found the test very confusing. Is your whole arm supposed to lift up or just the hand? The doctor uses the terms arm and hand interchangeably which adds to the confusion. Which body part (entire arm or just the hand) are we supposed to focus on and do the commands with? Should you be sitting and not laying down? He also says your legs should be up but in the picture the person is in an armchair. How can your legs be up if you are sitting in an armchair?
Your hypnotizability is unique and complex, just like you are. There are five different components to hypnotizability: physiological, sensory, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. So your experience with hypnosis will vary based on your hypnotizability profile as well as the type of session you are doing. As you experiment with Reveri’s exercises, you may notice that you have a stronger, more immediate response with certain types vs. with others. For example, I have a potent, immediate reaction to hypnosis sessions that are cognitive/emotional, like Relieve Stress and Enhance Focus. For the sensory/physiological exercises (eg. Manage Pain and Improve Sleep), I require more consistent practice to experience benefits.
So the best measure of success is how you feel and behave following a hypnosis exercise. For help preparing for public speaking, here’s what I recommend:
Relieve Stress (full length exercise) - this session can help with any acute fear, stressor, or source of anxiety
Be Intense, Not Tense (Quick Relief session)
Calm Control (Quick Relief session)
Cyclic Sighing (breathing exercise)
Breathe Better (Quick Relief session)
As you astutely acknowledge, there are physical symptoms that seem to make our anxiety worse. The breathing exercises, such as Cyclic Sighing, are research-backed “bottom up” approaches to anxiety relief, in that they soothe you physiologically, and then the mind follows. All of hypnosis has the power to help you bottom-up, but they can also work top-down (making “sense” to you and thus, allowing you to relax).
Thanks for the feedback about the hypnotizability test. We’re working on standardizing the terminology Dr Spiegel uses to avoid confusion. Your hand may float in the air, and your elbow should rest comfortably on the arm of your chair (or wherever it makes sense based on where you’re situated). As your hand floats up, your entire forearm will be suspended in the air. You can be sitting or laying down - whatever is most comfortable. When you are sitting in an armchair, you can prop your legs up on something, such as a stool, ottoman, beam, etc… Hope this clarifies everything for you!