METAPHOR OUTLINE

The client is told that they are sitting in a seat in a cinema. In front of them is a large blank screen. Above and behind them is the projection box. In their hand is a controller which determines which movie is played, at what speed, and whether it played backwards or forwards and whether it has sound or colour. The client can also control the size of the projected image.
In the scenario the client can safely view any aspect of their life. They can view a real memory and change some aspects of that memory. Or they can use their imagination to visualise some future event. Most clients feel very comfortable with the scenario because they are in control of the speed at which things happen on the screen. This metaphor is most commonly used in the Fast Phobia Technique and is very effective for a wide range of purposes.

 

The Magic Cinema

First, imagine yourself in a small old fashioned cinema. You are the only person there. You're sitting in a seat near the middle. On the screen is a black and white photo in which you can see yourself in the situation just before you had the phobic response.

 

Next, imagine floating out of your body, and up into the projection booth behind you. From there in the projection booth, you can see the screen, and you can see yourself sitting down there in the seat in the middle of the cinema.

 

Now, look at the screen. That snapshot on the screen turns into a black and white movie that begins to play slowly. Watch it play from the beginning, up to just beyond the end of that unpleasant experience.

 

When you get to the end, I want you to stop the movie, and then run the movie backwards. You will see everything happening in reverse - people will walk backwards, things will move backwards and run the movie back to the start.

 

Then run the movie forward in colour, but do it really fast, taking one or two seconds to do it. Then run it backwards in colour. Then run it forward again, but this time as it gets towards the end, the whole screen shrinks in size until is as if you are watching an animated postage stamp.

 

Then run the movie slowly forwards again but this time add funny voices to the people, add circus music to the soundtrack, see clowns leaping around in the scenes, see the thing you are worried about becoming tiny or getting stamped on, or getting washed away down a drain. Then run the movie backwards and forwards as fast as you can.

 

Go back and think about what is was that was giving you the problem. You will find that your reaction to it is now different.

 

David Mason www.hypknowsis.com © 2007

 

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