Richard Bandler's Guide to Trance-formation

September 29, 2008
With decades of practical and clinical hypnotherapy work behind him-during which he claims to have cured everything from phobias to schizophrenia-hypnotist and author Bandler (Get the Life You Want) rejects conventional psychotherapy in favor of "neuro-linguistic programming," rooted in the inherent human capacity for learning and communication. Here, Bandler collects his techniques for overcoming mental problems now and in the future. Trance states, according to Bandler, are phenomena vital to the human experience, particularly in repetitive behaviors: "At some level or other, everything is hypnosis...people have their work trances, their relationship trances, their driving trances." Exploring these trance states with readers, Bandler provides a number of practical, meditative strategies for developing one's abilities to self-assess and reprogram destructive patterns, providing numerous patient anecdotes and sidelights on subjects like buried hypnotic commands. Despite some improbable claims (achieving lasting cures after only one trance session), Bandler's thorough breakdown of the learning process and simple, cumulative exercises make this psychological self-help worth a look, especially for those who have hit dead ends with more standard approaches.