TRANCE TUESDAY, VII -- Hypnosis/NLP Tip For Parents

One of the simpler hypnotic patterns is the "negative command." If I say, "Don't think of Red," you have to think of red first, in order to understand the sentence, before complying.

If a hypnotist says, "I don't want you to relax too soon," the listener often finds herself beginning to relax as a way of understanding the meaning of those words.

Beginning with a negation simply takes any pressure to respond off the listener.

The same pattern is used inadvertently to elicit unwanted responses. A well-meaning parent may exclaim to her child, "Don't fight!" or "Stop fighting!" The child must represent the unwanted behavior somehow in order to understand what's been said, and this makes the unwanted behavior more likely.

Always offer appropriate alternative behaviors. In the above example say, "Behave appropriately, now!" or "Sit in that chair, now!" instead, and you'll be more likely to get the wanted response.

Or you can try preceding desirable behavior with a negative: "Don't sit in that chair quietly and relax." Commonly known as reverse psychology.

So, don't come back to this site often, and be entertained!

E-BOOK LIVE at AUTHORHOUSE

I just learned that the ebook version of "The Zedland Chronicles" went live at www.authorhouse.com today!
It isn't available at the other booksellers yet in ebook format.
Not sure when that will happen.
Authorhouse: $5.99

ORPHEUS--Greek Mythology

Since the head of Orpheus graces the cover of "The Zedland Chronicles," I thought I should offer a brief explanation of the mythology, though it has nothing to do with the book beyond the fact that the illustration could be a depiction of the protagonist, Zed, who, at one point, does find himself in a body of water. The myth also mentions some interesting behavior by trees. The trees in Zedland don't up and walk. Ents, they're not. But a couple of them aren't your run of the mill fir, either.

Head of Orpheus floating in the river A supremely gifted minstrel, Orpheus attempted to rescue his dead wife from the Underworld. Apollo taught him to play the lyre, and such was his skill on the instrument, together with the sweetness of his singing voice, that he could charm wild animals and even cause trees to uproot themselves and follow in his steps. Jason and the Argonauts took him along when they quested after the Golden Fleece, and Orpheus saved them from shipwreck by drowning out the treacherously alluring voices of the Sirens with his own musical stylings. Orpheus fell in love with a nymph named Eurydice and blissful was their life together until one day a son of Apollo pursued her. It was the minor deity, Aristaeus. In her headlong eagerness to escape, she stepped on a poisonous snake, was bitten and died. Disconsolate, Orpheus found a cave which led to Hades and followed Eurydice to the Underworld. Here his musical charms were so persuasive that the King of the Dead permitted the minstrel to take his sweetheart home with him—on one condition. This condition was so simple that it takes some speculation to account for Orpheus's failure to heed it. 1. Perhaps he could not bear to keep his eyes off his beloved object for a moment longer. 2. Perhaps he wanted to share his rapture at birdsong and sunshine, as they approached the mouth of the cave.  3. Or maybe he wanted Eurydice to hear the latest lick that he had worked out on his lyre. In any case, he did the one thing he had been forbidden to do. He turned around and looked at Eurydice before exiting the cave, and she was lost to him forever. Orpheus swore he would never love another, and it may have been the steadfastness of this vow which caused certain wild women of Thrace to tear him limb from limb in a fit of jealousy. They threw his head into a river, and it kept on singing all the way to the sea.

Letter to my son, 1990

Dear Adam,
Both Mom and I experienced incredible amounts of anxiety as it became more and more apparent that the greatest obstacle to our having a safe and natural labor and delivery was the medical establishment itself. We attended one Lamaze class only to realize that it was nothing more than a nauseatingly patronizing, manipulative tool of the ob/gyns.

What they teach there is to revere and obey thy physician. Calling Lamaze "Natural Childbirth Classes" is intentionally deceptive. Over 90% of all Lamaze students end up taking drugs during labor or delivery. Like the church, Lamaze preaches blind faith. (Tee times are written in stone)!

We were very lucky to discover that BRADLEY HUSBAND-COACHED CHILDBIRTH CLASSES were available in the area. Nobody in the medical community offered us any information regarding alternatives to Lamaze in spite of repeated inquiries on our part.

It all turned out well. We remain eternally grateful to our Bradley instructor. She provided us with the education we needed to allow us to confidently fend off all of the inappropriate procedures routinely practiced by the ob/gyns. You emerged healthy, happy, and beautiful, and Mom and I were quite proud of the fact that we were responsible for that.

Of course, Horton Hospital has barred us from their maternity ward forever, but then, who would ever want to return to the gates of hell (other than Orpheus).

As you know, we gave birth to Jillian at a progressive birthing center in Catskill, NY, supervised by a lay-midwife, and it was an incredible experience for all concerned.
A Labor of Love,
Dad

Note: It is Orpheus' head, floating in a river, that graces the cover of "The Zedland Chronicles."