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Leonard discloses a diagnosis of Tourette’s in the interview.
His goal is to uncover any underlying emotional cause and release it.
Leonard has entered his sanctuary and is feeling carefree. I
give him a few moments to absorb that feeling even more and tell him to
allow his body movements to simply deepen his relaxation.
When I deepen his trance state further, Leonard reports that he’s feeling,
“descended – like lying on the grass.” Of course, I still want a number and
ask “if lying on the grass had a number what number would it be?” It’s a
two.
Next I check for Leonard’s ideomotor signals so that I can
communicate directly with his subconscious mind. Once they are established
we proceed. “Tell me, subconscious, are you creating the twitching that Len
experiences in his body? Yes or no?”
The answer is yes. Next I ask the subconscious if the twitching
provides any benefit for Len. The ideomotor response is “no.”
Since there is no benefit, I inform the subconscious that Len
would really like to experience life without the twitching. Next I ask the
subconscious if it’s willing to eliminate all this involuntary twitching
from Len’s body? Yes or no? The ideomotor response is a “yes.”
I wonder if there is any information that Len needs to know or
understand before the subconscious eliminates this twitching? The ideomotor
response is a “yes.” Subconscious, I ask, are you willing to bring that
information into Len’s conscious mind. The ideomotor response is a “yes.”
I suggest that the subconscious mind run a movie in Len’s mind
so that he’ll understand the cause. And if Len wants to share that with me,
he can describe the movie that come up.
Len’s movie shows a “scary scene – my brother’s chasing me. I’m
seven and I’m scared. I run when I’m scared. And I cover my eyes and ears.
I’m trying, trying not to notice, trying not to be scared.”
I ask seven year old Len what his body does when he tries not
to be scared? He tells me that it feels like he’s trapped in a bubble so he
won’t be hurt. His brother is younger, Len tells me but he’s not afraid of
anything. His brother knows that Len is afraid of bugs and things and likes
to scare him.
I give Len an opportunity now to change what happened. As the
writer and director of this experience he can make this turn out anyway he
wants. Instead of feeling scared and trapped, Len wants to be fearless and
not be scared. Seven year old Len doesn’t know how to change this scene. He
just knows that he wants his brother to stop. I suggest that Len can simply
ask his brother to stop. He can just tell him, “That’s enough, stop it.”
Len does say “stop” but not very convincingly. I encourage him
to say it louder. “Stop! You know I don’t like that. You know I’m scared of
bugs,” Len tells his brother. His brother agrees to stop and Len reports
that now he feels relaxed. I ask him if there is anything else that he wants
to change in this scene. No, Len tells me. All he wanted was for this
brother to stop tormenting him. And now, “It’s good. Like I can take my hand
away from my face and ears.” At the moment, there’s no anxiety in his body.
While Len relaxes and enjoys his new outcome I give him some
suggestions and tell him a story: Experience that feeling of no anxiety in
that seven year old body now. Just notice how every part of your body is
carefree, comfortable. In fact, you know what animals do? This might be
interesting for both seven year old Len and grown-up Len. When a gazelle is
being chased by a cheetah, it plays dead. So the cheetah may lose interest,
because he only likes to eat fresh meat. After the cheetah leaves, and the
danger has passed, the gazelle gets up and shakes off that impression that
he was dead. He just shakes it off. So, seven year old Len, I want you to
shake off that frightened feeling that you had in your body. Just shake it
off. Permanently. Shake it off. Imagine what can you do to get all that out.
You might want to jump up and down or. What can you do to get all of that so
it isn’t stuck anywhere in your body? Len tells me that he felt “this bulge
around me and it just went, uh, out.” And now seven year old Len’s body is
feeling much better now.
Grown-up Len tells his seven year old that it will be okay now.
And the boy tells his adult self that he will be, too.
I’d love to tell you that Leonard’s Tourette’s was resolved
with this session but this client didn’t do any follow up work so I don’t
know the long-term outcome but he certainly felt much calmer when he was
re-alerted. |
