DR MAXWELL MALTZ'S AND JOHN POWELL'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO HUMAN TRINITY HYPNOTHERAPY: 

By Chaplain Paul G. Durbin Ph.D

Dr MAXWELL MALTZ:
Dr. Maxwell Maltz was a world famous plastic surgeon who discovered the incredible power of a person's self-image for good or bad. Over the years, he realized that people's real problems were not their outward physical appearance, but their inner self-image. Following this discovery, he wrote several books using the term, "Psycho-Cybernetics." 

As I read Dr. Maltz, I discovered that "Cybernetics" means "goal-seeker" and carries with it the image of a helmsman who steers a ship to port. "Psycho-Cybernetics" is the steering of one's mind to produce good thoughts and actions so that a person can achieve success, happiness, and peace of mind. Areas I would like to highlight from Maxwell Maltz are self-image, relaxation, imagery, and forgiveness. 

Self-Image: 
A person's self-image is a blueprint for his/her life and the person follows that blueprint (good or bad) until the blueprint (self-image) is changed. In one of the "Peanut" cartoons, Charlie Brown was standing next to a school house. Charlie said, "I hate being a nobody, I wish I were a television star. If I were a TV star, I would not have to go to school." Next the school building spoke up, "I'd like to be the Sistine Chapel kid, but I'm not!" 

Charlie Brown's difficulty in thinking of himself as a somebody is a very real problem for a lot of people. Dr. Maltz points out that even some people who are considered successful are oppressed by a sense of personal insignificance. The inability to have a good self-image, to have a high opinion of one's self is one of the greatest problems of our day. There are those who feel inferior and those who try to lord it over others. The interesting thing is that they are both symptoms of a poor self-image. 
What is self-image? You can't see it, you can't touch it, you can't taste it; but nevertheless it is real. It is as real as you can be. It is your blueprint for life. It is your inner picture of yourself. It is your opinion of yourself. 

Relaxation: 
The ability to change begins with the ability to relax. Dr. Maltz does not call this hypnosis but with the combination of relaxation and imagery, hypnosis is achieved. In the Forward to the latest edition of Psycho-Cybernetics, hypnosis is explained as part of the "normal operating process of the human brain and nervous system. When people are convinced that the hypnotist words are true statements, hypnotic subjects are able to easily produce remarkable phenomena." Dr. Maltz encourages the use of hypnosis to bring about change in the self-image. He emphasizes the point that one cannot begin to properly develop new personality patterns until one becomes dehypnotized from negative input. The dehypnosis comes with hypnosis, using different suggestions. Much hypnosis comes without a formal induction. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are more or less hypnotized whenever we uncritically accept an idea or statement as true. When a person uses self-hypnosis, he can give himself audible or mental suggestions for the reprogramming of his mind. 
Progressive relaxation allows a person to reach a hypnotic state where one can change his self-image and thereby change his life. 

Imagery: 
Imagination plays a far more important role in a person's life than most people realize. A person acts and feels not according to what things are really like, but according to the image held in mind about what they are like. The person has a certain mental image of themselves, their world, and the people around them. The person lives and behaves according to that image. By the use of "Creative Imagery", a person can change their self-image. 

A favorite technique of Dr. Maltz was "The Theater Of The Mind." Mental pictures of the way one want to be offers the person the opportunity to "practice" new traits and attitudes. Your subconscious mind can not tell the difference between an actual experience and one that is vividly imagined. As a person recognizes their capabilities and imagines accomplishing that which they want to happen, the subconscious mind begins to work out a way to make it happen. "The Theater Of The Mind" can be used whether you are a visual person or not. It works just as well with those who think mostly with inner voices, sounds, and feelings. 

One use of "The Theater Of The Mind" is the "step in-step out" technique. This is helpful in releasing unpleasant memories. Remember an unpleasant memory, "step out" of the memory and watch yourself in it from the audience of your mental theater. Make the screen as small and as far away as necessary to learn from it, without reexperiencing the unpleasant feelings. Repeat until the screen is so small that you can not see it or feel it. Follow that with a series of pleasant memories on your mental screen. "Step in" to each memory, relive each experience as if it were actually happening again. Allow yourself to feel the pleasant feelings fully. If you do this each day, your subconscious mind will begin to automatically draw you to a positive, pleasant experience and minimizes the negative effect of unpleasant experiences. 
One can also use "The Theater Of The Mind" to picture yourself doing what you want to do in life. These mental pictures become your reality and changes will come into your life. 

Forgiveness: 
One of the most destructive aspect of human life is the failure to forgive. Forgive others. Do it not only for their sake, but for you own. Dr. Maltz realized that people need psychological surgery. People need to remove emotional growths and scars and very often forgiveness is the surgical tool needed for the operation. A person should forgive even when the person who harmed them doesn't ask for nor desires forgiveness. A person needs to forgive in order to free herself from the power that the other person has over them. Just as it is important to forgive others, it is equally important to forgive oneself. So often unresolved guilt (whether real or imagined) creates a need to make amends, to make restitution, to suffer enough to pay back the wrong, to set things right by damage to self and thus to balance the account. Guilt, whether real or imagined must either be forgiven or punished. It is not that God punishes, but if a person does not feel forgiven, she will find a way to punish herself. The message is clear, "forgive yourself and begin to live the more abundant life."

Dr. Maltz writes that God has offered us forgiveness, peace of mind, and happiness that comes with the forgiveness of ourselves and others. The most adequate and realistic self-image of all is to conceive oneself as made in the image of God. You can not believe yourself as made in the image of God, deeply and sincerely and not receive a source of strength and power. With this understanding, one is never to young or to old to change their self-image and start a new, more productive , more creative life. In the Preface to his book, The Power Of Self-Image Psychology, Dr. Maltz writes, "God brought us forth on the earth to live, not to stagnate. He meant us to be happy, to enjoy our lives. He meant us to relish every moment, to weave loving care into every day that we live-no matter how young or old we are." 

Ann's Case History: 
Ann is a 39 year old female who came to me in hopes of finding relief from a panic disorder. She had trouble leaving her home and would leave home only with a few close friends. Even with friends, she felt uncomfortable. She had a fear of being alone. She said, "I need someone." Ann was very close to her mother, but felt forsaken by her father. "Dad was there but he was not available. He did not matter very much." Her father had abandoned her emotionally and she was afraid that her mother would also leave her. 

She once said to me, "What is life without anxiety? If I don't have anxiety, I'm dead." I asked her, "Can you replace happiness with anxiety and still be alive?" She replied, "I hope so" and she did. I saw Ann several times. In one session, I used Dr. Maltz's "Theater Of The Mind" which is a desensitization technique. I had her imagine a time when she was experiencing a panic attack. Now "step out" of that memory and watch yourself as on the screen from the audience of your mental theater. Now make the screen small and as far away as necessary to experience the panic feeling being reduced. The further the picture goes, the smaller the picture becomes and the better you feel. Keep doing this until you are able to release all unpleasant feeling. 
Now think of a very pleasant experience from your past and see it on your mental movie screen. "Step into" that memory, relive that experience as if it were actually happening again. Allow yourself to feel the pleasant feeling fully. Do this over and over again replacing the panic memory with the happy memory, until the happy memory clears away all the other feelings.

Waterfall For Cleansing: 
On another occasion, I used this script. "Imagine that you are taking a walk in the woods. You are walking along a beautiful path. As you walk, you may experience a number of things. Possibly you are aware of the trees; some large, some small. It is a warm but comfortable summer day. Perhaps you feel a comfortable breeze... Gently cooling your face and arms... Maybe you can hear the crunch of leaves, twigs and grass beneath your feet. As you look up through the leaves of the trees, you see a sparkling of sunlight dancing to the tune of the wind. 

You come to an open area with a small pond. At one end of the pond is a beautiful waterfall. At the other end is a stream which runs as far as the eye can see. You set down by the pond and enjoy the sound of the waterfall, birds singing, and frogs croaking... As you sit there, you sense that there is something special about the waterfall. It seems to be inviting you to come over to it and indeed you do... You reach out and touch the water and the temperature is just right so you walk under the falls... You feel its cleansing flow and you realize that it is not only cleansing your body, but it is also cleansing your mind and soul. You feel that any anger, bitterness, feelings of rejection, grief, guilt, abuse, panic, and all other negative emotions are being cleansed from your system. You look down toward your feet and notice that the water coming from your body is a murky brown and it is flowing across the pond and down the stream at the other end. The more negativity that you release the murkier brown the water appears to be. As you feel these negative emotions being cleansed from your system, the water around your feet begins to clear, and you can see the murky brown water flowing further and further down the stream. 

As the murky water flows down the stream, further and further away, you feel more and more comfortable, more at peace with yourself... It gives you a strong feeling of relief... You are feeling yourself being cleansed of all those negative feelings: The anger, bitterness, feelings of rejections, grief, guilt, abuse, panic, and all other negative emotions are being cleansed from your system... Notice the feelings of comfort and peace increase as the murky brown water flows down the stream further and further away, you feel a sense of release and relief... You are getting rid of those problems...
The murky brown water is flowing further and further away. It is now beyond sight and you can breathe deeper and exhale slowly a few times... Now really enjoy the freedom, the relief, the calmness, and peacefulness flowing through you and having replaced the negative feelings. These feelings of comfort, serenity, and well-being remains with you even after you come out of the hypnotic state. Let go of the past, the past is past. Now you can make it past by putting it in the past where it belongs... do it right now... You are through living in the past... You're living right now, this very moment... You can handle the situation... You can overcome your problems... Life is worthwhile, life is meaningful, life is good... Love yourself, feel good about yourself, be calm within yourself, be at peace with yourself. (You may open your eyes now.) "
The last two times Ann came to me she drove her car and came alone. This was a major gain for Ann.

JOHN POWELL: 

John Powell is a Catholic Priest who has written several self-help books. I acknowledge his influence on my life and invite you to read his books for your own enhancement. One of the most important aspects of any counseling situation is rapport. Rapport is that accepting feeling on the part of the client to work with the therapist to help the client to make meaningful changes in his life. It is the client's ability to trust the therapist in the counseling situation. In addition to skill and techniques, the hypnotherapist must establish rapport to be successful. Powell quotes Dr. Paul Tournier, "No one can develop freely in the world without feeling understood by at least one person." As therapists we must be available to our clients so that they can open up and see us as the person they can trust to hear them and keep on caring for them even when the dark secrets of their lives are discussed. A person will either speak their feelings or act them out. Feelings are like steam that gathers inside a kettle. Steam is released or it builds up pressure and if the steam is keep inside the kettle, the kettle will eventually blow its top. 

Without having someone to talk to, how is a person able to release the pressure that builds up inside without acting out the feelings? How will she be able to free herself from being a compulsive eater? How is the person who is angry inside going to release that anger in non-destructive ways without someone to talk to? How is someone who feels guilty going to experience forgiveness without someone to talk to? As a therapist; be loving, caring, and available to the person in need, be someone they can talk to in trust.

John Powell recognized that good self-image is the most valuable psychological possession of a human being and a lack of self-worth is the most destructive aspect. Lack of self-worth brings depression, anger, anti-social behavior, physical sickness, addiction, feelings of meaningless, and a failure to live life to its fullest. Powell quotes Bertran Russell, "A man cannot possibly be at peace with others until he has learned to be at peace with himself." Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

How do we change? To change, you must change your thinking patterns, the way you see life and your vision of life. If a person has a negative vision of life, they need to begin by visualizing a better life, a happier life, a more meaningful life. "Vision Therapy" is used with the belief that all changes in the quality of a person's life grows out a change in his or her vision of reality. There are no lasting changes until the negative, self-defeating vision is changed. The three requirements of "Vision Therapy" are (1) find time for silence and solitude, (2) have an openness to face the questions of life, and (3) a willingness to reverse one's interpretation of life. 
In at least of two of his books, Powell quotes Viktor Frankl and before going to another case history, I would like to conclude this portion with a Powell quote from 'Man's Search For Meaning', "A thought transfixed me: For the first time in my life, I saw the truth as it is set into song by many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth that love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief can import: The salvation of man is through love and in love." 

Ms. Jones' Case History: 
Ms. Jones, a 60 year old woman, came to me for counseling with the statement that she could not get over the death of her son. Tom has died in an auto accident at the age of 21, some six months before Ms. Jones had called me. She felt depressed and want peace within. Whenever she tried to talk with someone about her grief, they would listen for a short time and then tell her that it was time to leave it behind and get on with her life. Ms. Jones had a daughter who was 33 and a son, 25; both lived in the New Orleans area. She has been divorced for over 10 years and there was very little contact between two since the divorce. Ms. Jones had several sessions with me over a four months period. 

While under hypnosis, I said to her, "I would like to tell you a story from World War II." Cardinal Mercier of Belgium was on a visit to Rome for a spiritual retreat. While he was in Rome, news reached him of the bombing of his home city. His Cathedral was in ruins, his library had been burned, but worst of all; many of his parishioners were dead. In his grief, he cried, "Why all this sorrow" O Lord! My God, why hast Thou forsaken us." This was his gut reaction to the bad news he had received and the hurt of the loss of dear friends. As he begin to cry, his face turned toward the cross. Though he continued to cry, he grew still. As he felt Christ come to him, he said with tears running down face, "We will rebuild." He realized that God was still with him. You have shared with me your faith in God so I am suggesting that you can this day experience the presence of God with you now. Allow God to help you rebuild your life. You can began to imagine what you have to be thankful for. Can you name some of the things you have to be thankful for? A silence of about five minutes was ended when she said, "I am thankful for John and Mary (her two other children), their spouses and my four grandchildren. I have a good job and work with people who care about me. I have my church and God".
I concluded our last session with "Overcoming Depression", Footprints In The Sand", and "Improving Self-confidence". (I share portions of those scripts withyou now.) 

"Yesterday, you may have felt down and depressed. But I want you to know that today is a new day; a new beginning... Remember the saying, "Today is the beginning of the rest of your life." It's true... Today is a very special and important day for you. You keep those beautiful memories of Tom and the joy he brought to your life. You appreciate John and Mary, their spouses and your grandchildren. You're thankful for your job, your church, and God's love and presence with you. I share with you this story: 'One night a man had a dream. He dreamed that he was walking along the beach with God. As they looked back, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to him and the other to God. Then across the sky flashed scenes of his life. When the last scene had flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints and noticed that many times along the path there was only one set of footprints in the sand. He also noticed that this happened during the lowest and saddest times of his life. This really bothered him and he questioned God, "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I notice that during the most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand. When I needed you most, you deserted me." God replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your time of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." God has carried you and continues to do so.'

Ms Jones has adjusted to life and feels that she has meaning and purpose for living. I see her from time to time in the community and she seems to be a happier more contented person.