**6.2 Second step: overcoming fears and limitations**

In this second part of the exercise, we ask the patient to write a different list following these instructions:

*All those things that you thought have stopped you from reaching your goals, all those silly things that you said to yourself that made you feel like you might not be able to reach them… maybe all those fears that you had before and that stopped you from success until now.*

In my experience (AT), fear is the principal enemy of setting and achieving your goals, but optimism and good self-esteem will also act as your allies all the way to success.

*All those fears and limitations are just like a malicious software, like a computer virus… more like trash… like garbage… like waste… mental trash or mental waste or mental garbage that maybe were put there by somebody that wasn't you, maybe with or without intention… but you can get rid of this trash… of this malicious mental software… you can throw away that waste… you can throw away that garbage.*

Once all of these fears and limitations are written on a sheet of paper, we tell the person to say goodbye to them, and tear up the paper with all her/his strength. We tell them:

**125**

*Active-Alert Hypnosis to Achieve Personal, Professional, and Therapeutic Goals*

*small… unrecognizable… insignificant pieces… torn apart…*

*while throwing them away… ¡THAT'S RIGHT!*

wall or an image). Next, we start to suggest:

*we start? Ok, look at that picture1*

**(Arnoldo Téllez, n.d.)**

*Now that those fears are in that paper… that garbage is in that list… I want you to rip apart that mental waste… with all your strength… to tear that sheet of paper into small… unrecognizable pieces… that cannot be put together again… very* 

*Now… with all your strength… throw that garbage away… mental garbage… mental trash… mental waste… should be in the place where it belongs from now on… (we bring a trash can to them) … in this trash can… where those very small… unrecognizable… insignificant pieces of paper will be placed from now on…*

*(Now with louder voice) While you throw them away… those very small… unrecognizable… insignificant pieces of paper… give them a last goodbye… yell to them …* 

**6.3 Third step: active-alert hypnosis facilitation: the dumbbells technique** 

This is an active-alert hypnotic technique developed a few years ago, in which we ask the person to sit comfortably and look at any point (you can use a point on the

*… I would like you to focus your attention on any* 

*When you are ready to begin, please just sit and make yourself comfortable. Shall* 

*point of the picture, whichever you want… Now… please put your hands with your palms facing up resting on your legs… that's right… keep looking at the same point… while you concentrate on your breath… Now… I wonder what sensations are going to emerge within your body… when you start to practice this exercise… we are going to practice an exercise … Now… have you ever felt the sensation of a weight in your hands?… that's right… as if you have some weights in your hands right now… I want you to imagine as if you have some weights in each one of your hands, a pair of dumbbells… one in each hand… about 2 or 3 kilos… is that okay?… Right… Now… You can grab them hard… and feel the weight… 2 or 3 kilos in each hand… Right now… you do not know yet… exactly how you feel… but as you move your dumbbells up and down … they will feel heavier… While you watch that point… start raising one dumbbell … up to your shoulder … Now slowly lower it… While lowing it, raise the other dumbbell… Okay… now move up and down the other one… the left arm and then the other… Right… arm… while still looking at that point… that's right … I want you to continue looking at the same point… Maybe now you can feel how the muscles contract and then relax… I want you to feel the weight of those dumbbells… feel how the biceps, the muscles of the arms get tensed… little by little feeling warm… the energy and calories in your arms are burning… the muscles get tensed and then relaxed … and please keep your eyes open looking at the picture… looking at the same point … and with each movement… each time closer to know how you will be feeling… once you start moving… active… and relaxed… you become more actively relaxed… still focusing on your breathing… now take two or three deep breaths… That's right… now… every time you inhale… You can feel more and more awake … more alert… feeling more active and full of energy… your mind is awakened… your mind is clear and lucid… can you feel it… now… your energy spreading throughout your body and your mind?… not too much or too little energy… just the right amount of energy that you need… you can feel a sensation in your body… that indicates that this energy is spreading throughout your body… toward your feet… through your legs… through your entire body… while you continue… your mind becomes more active… more lucid… clearer …. You feel more* 

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92197*

*Now that those fears are in that paper… that garbage is in that list… I want you to rip apart that mental waste… with all your strength… to tear that sheet of paper into small… unrecognizable pieces… that cannot be put together again… very small… unrecognizable… insignificant pieces… torn apart…*

*Now… with all your strength… throw that garbage away… mental garbage… mental trash… mental waste… should be in the place where it belongs from now on… (we bring a trash can to them) … in this trash can… where those very small… unrecognizable… insignificant pieces of paper will be placed from now on…*

*(Now with louder voice) While you throw them away… those very small… unrecognizable… insignificant pieces of paper… give them a last goodbye… yell to them … while throwing them away… ¡THAT'S RIGHT!*
