Tick, Tock

Last week, as I was performing my inductions, I noticed that I was hearing an imaginary ticking in my head. I had read that repetitive sounds like that of a metronome can be helpful for going under, but I’d never tried it. Why bother when I can slip into trance so easily? I was puzzled why all of a sudden I was receiving a low-key auditory hallucination involving that noise. I decided that maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me something. I quickly thought about what I could use to simulate the metronome. I took piano lessons for six years, so I actually own one, but it’s digital and makes an annoying beeping sound rather than the traditional ticking. We don’t use any analog clocks in our house anymore (for one thing, my sister has an OCD-like hatred of said ticking sound), and the batteries in my watches have all died since I stopped wearing them due to carpal tunnel. I was fresh out of ideas for the moment, so I just let it go at the time.

However, the notion of a soothing ticking sound didn’t go away. A couple days later as I was contemplating how relaxing it would be to listen to a clock while under hypnosis, I suddenly had an idea. When I sleep at home, I have a loud air purifier running next to my bed, so I’ve become used to the crackle of static as I fall asleep. When I travel, my mind misses that gentle rushing sound so much that I have downloaded a white noise app in my phone for when I travel. I suddenly remembered that there are a whole host of different modes on the app besides just white noise (or, my personal favourite, “brown noise”). Wasn’t there a clock? I opened the app and scrolled through the options. Sure enough, there is one called “grandfather clock.” Excited, I decided to use it the next time I hypnotised myself.

The results were…unexpected to say the least. I rarely have trouble with the induction, so I wasn’t surprised when that worked about the same. But the depth I was able to reach was incredible to say the least. Within a few short moments, my limbs felt as heavy as lead and my mind became totally unconcerned with anything. When I performed my typical convincer to see if I was in trance, I was so relaxed that I honestly didn’t even want to try to do what I suggested that I couldn’t do. I just wanted to sit there and breathe slowly, enjoying the sensations of hypnosis. I’ve used the ticking several times since them, and I don’t always get the same result, but when I do, it’s glorious. I just couldn’t care less about all the stress and anxiety in the world because I feel so comfortable and at peace. When I don’t have my phone with me, I still go under without, but I can feel the difference. It’s bizarre. And fascinating.