Autogenic
Training
Autogenic
Training has been developed by Dr. Schultz who published the first book
on the subject in 1932. Dr. Schultz recognized that during hypnosis the
subject experiences various feelings such as warmth and heaviness. He
went on to teach practices to self induce these feelings and, consequently,
hypnotic states. From this self induction practice comes the name, Autogenic
Training. Auto-genic means self created. In
its practical application, Autogenic Training is a system of very specific
auto suggestive formulas that have the purpose to relieve tensions,
for stress management, and to alleviate psychosomatic disturbances,
including many cases of insomnia, overweight, inability to concentrate,
high blood pressure, constipation, skin problems, etc. Some people
use Autogenic Training as an aid to meditation, concentration, and to
keep their focus.
You can
also use Autogenic Training to create a receptive basis for very specific
formulaized resolutions. These resolutions can be a decisive help in
solving many of your challenges and in assisting you in many of your
endeavors.
Autogenic
Training may be regarded as an "inner mind machine". Therefore
its effectiveness increases enormeously when you boost this practice
with pulsed life force, i.e., the output of an orgone
generator® (Chi Generator®). This combination certainly
means a significant advantage over the traditional methods of Autogenic
Training, especially when the goal of the practice is the setting of
new outlooks and new trends (see www.astroboost.com
for practical suggestions that can assist you in the changing of habits and the setting of new trends towards successful manifestation of your deepest desires)
The practice
of Autogenic Training causes a state of relaxation so deep that fifteen
minutes of training can make up for a sleepless night.
Autogenic
Training has been used successfully in Europe by millions of people
in every walk of life for more than half a century. In Europe, Autogenic
Training is taught mostly in doctors' offices, in hospitals, and in
universities.
One of
the great advantages of Autogenic Training is that almost anybody can
learn it, except very young children, by just reading a how-to guide
book as this one.
More important,
Autogenic Training can be mastered in a relatively short period of time.
Most people become proficient in it in a matter of a few weeks by practicing
two or three times daily for five to ten minutes.
To practice
Autogenic Training you need no physical exertion. It is self-generated
in your mind.
Methods
related to Autogenic Training are Coueism ("day by day I am better and
better"), progressive relaxation, Zen, and Yoga. Autogenic Training
has more in common with the practices of yoga than with progressive
relaxation.
Dr. Schultz
developed Autogenic Training in the first quarter of this century. He
was drawing mainly from hypnosis and yoga. His first book, "Autogenic
Training, Concentrative Self Relaxation," appeared first in 1932.
The basic
practice of Autogenic Training consists of seven formulas that you repeat
in a specific pattern:
I
am completely calm (once)
My right arm is heavy (six times)
I am completely calm (once)
My right arm is warm (six times)
I am completely calm (once)
My heart beats calmly and regularly (six times)
I am completely calm (once)
My breathing is calm and regular ... it breathes me (six times)
I am completely calm (once)
My abdomen is flowingly warm (six times)
I am completely calm (once)
My forehead is pleasantly cool (six times)
I am completely calm (once)
After this
introduction you can continue with formulaized resolutions that you repeat
between ten and thirty times. Such formulas can be very effective, because
you repeat them during an altered state of consciousness. You
can end the session by canceling out the effects of Autogenic Training
with the following formula:
Arms
firm, breathe deeply, and open eyes.
In the following
chapters, you will find a more detailed introduction in the various stages
of Autogenic Training.
Autogenic
Training and Hypnosis
People who
are under hypnosis usually experience two conditions: a feeling of heaviness
and a pleasant feeling of warmth. Other feelings depend on the depth of the hypnotic state.
It
is important to know that every hypnosis is in reality a self generated
state of mind that is helped by the suggestions of a skilled hypnotist.
Autogenic Training goes one step further than hypnosis. In Autogenic
Training, it is the subject who is also the hypnotist. With Autogenic
Training you can self-induce the physiological conditions of hypnosis while remaining in control.
Once you have induced the physiological conditions of hypnosis, the
psychological conditions of this state follow naturally!
Autogenic
Training actually leads to deeper and more workable states of consciousness
than most modern day hypnotists achieve in their subjects. This is so,
because most professional hypnotists use progressive relaxation as an
induction method that brings their clients into a mere hypnoid (pre-hypnotic)
state rather than a hypnosis. Usually they lack the skill to lead their
subjects into deeper levels of hypnosis. Quite often this is the result of inadequate training. Hypnoid states of consciousness
lack the depth that is needed to cause significant change in the subject.
In Autogenic
Training the practitioner repeats formulaized resolutions instead of
the positive suggestions that the hypnotist usually gives. The practitioner
of Autogenic Training needs to be careful to formulate the resolutions
correctly. The subconscious that is addressed with the resolution has
the habit of taking things quite literally.
You can
also use Autogenic Training to enhance the suggestions on a self hypnosis
CD. This is so because the state that you can reach with the method
of Autogenic Training is much more receptive than the states that the
progressive relaxation techniques on tapes can ever induce. An unspecified
formula "... and you are getting deeper and deeper into a state of relaxation
and hypnosis" does not always do the trick, as many users of such tapes
find out the hard way quite often.
Autogenic
Training and how the Chi Generator®
(Orgone Generator®) can enhance its effectiveness
From the above
it becomes obvious that practice of Autogenic Training can be very effective
when you practice it while receiving the energy transfer from an orgone
generator® (Chi Generator®). It is a well established fact
that certain brain frequencies, especially Alpha, Theta and Beta frequencies,
will cause your brain to be more relaxed and receptive. This
state of relaxation and intuitive insights is considerably stronger when
you can receive these frequencies as pulsed orgone (chi) energy. In
fact, the practice of Autogenic Training will cause the brain to get into
Alpha, Theta, even Delta states. When you receive the frequency
as pulsed orgone, the adjustment of your brain to the desired Autogenic
state happens almost immediately! Adjust the frequency of your Chi generator™® to
the desired level. Some people like exact frequencies, such as the 7.83
Hertz Earth Resonance Frequency. You can get this frequencies on the JU
99 CE Standard Chi Generators®. The latest device on
the market is our PCHD device that allows you to set very exact brain
wave frequencies on your computer, which then will drive your equipment.
The
benefits of this extraordinary new neurotechnology are mind boggling!
It is the fastest way for you to master Autogenic Training and to use
its techniques to help you getting results in your practices for Self
Help, Neuro-Cybernetic Programming™ and Trend Management Techniques.
Persons
who have mastered Autogenic Training with the help of the Chi
Generator® are familiar with methods of rapid induction
of the Autogenic state. Once you have induced this Autogenic state,
you can follow specific formulas that you design to induce any desired
state of consciousness, even the most complex one.
Presently,
the best orgone energy devices to use for Autogenic Training are the new devices for your PC.
How
to Learn Autogenic Training
To learn Autogenic
Training is very easy, especially when you enhance the practice with your
orgone generator®. All
you need to do is sit or lie down comfortably and consistently repeat
the formulas. Either put the generator close to you or you carry a transfer
disk on yourself. A budget alternative is the Chi- Card.
If
you believe in the power of the method, you have an added plus that
enhances the speed of your learning process. However you need not to have
this attitude of believing.
The method
will show success rather rapidly. As a result of such direct evidence
you will develop an unshakable confidence in the practice of Autogenic
Training. Results motivate much better than thousands of words ever
can.
It is very
important that you practice of Autogenic Training systematically on
a regular basis. If you are a beginner, you should follow the instructions
as closely as possible.
As a beginner
you should practice Autogenic Training two or three times every day,
five to ten minutes every time. Ideal times are before you go to sleep
and right after you wake up. To begin the day with Autogenic Training
can be source of well being for the whole day. This practice can help
you attain and maintain your perspective.
In the
case you have the tendency to fall back asleep while you are training
in the morning, you need to repeat the following formula during your
practice:
I am
staying awake and alert while I am training.
You can
use the same formula if you practice anywhere you do not want to fall
asleep. Of course, you should never practice when driving a car!
It is very
important that you practice regularly. Regular practice produces the
desired results much faster and more easily.
Excessive
effort is counterproductive to the practice of Autogenic Training. Wanting
to succeed implies that success is not achieved.
Timing
your Autogenic Training Exercises
A systematic
and precise training plan can bring you the most powerful results and
benefits of Autogenic Training. Therefore it is very important for the
beginner of this practice to set up an exact time schedule for practicing
Autogenic Training. The beginner should then follow this schedule as closely
as possible. You can use some freedom of action, of course, especially when you are
not used to live by a fixed time schedule. However, for the majority of
those who learn the system, it is best to time the exercises precisely
right from the beginning.
You
will discover for yourself the best time to practice Autogenic Training.
Most people do their last exercise shortly before they go to sleep.
This has many advantages, especially for persons who are suffering from
insomnia of some kind or another. To practice every evening is absolutely
necessary for the beginner.
If you
practice before you go to sleep, it is important that you connect your Chi
Generator® with a timer, so that it stops generating life force after an hour.
To begin
your day with Autogenic Training certainly can be a source of emotional and physiological
well being for you. Anyone who thinks that he or she cannot afford five or ten
minutes of practice usually lives under significant pressures and stress, coming from the environment or self-induced, which eventually developed such an
illusion. Usually the same person does a lot of things every morning
that waste a lot more time.
Particularly
in the morning you should not allow to be driven by false ideas. To
practice Autogenic Training in the morning can help you begin your day
without tension or stress and to attain and maintain your perspective for the
whole day.
Some students
reported that they inclined to go back to sleep during their morning
practice. You can counteract this in several ways. Best is if you repeat
the following formula during your practice:
I an
staying awake and alert while training.
Insert this
formula several times during your practice. You can also use the same
formula when you are practicing in a place where you do not wish to fall
asleep. You can simply use a timer, of course, and the noise will wake you up, should this be necessary.
The
more regularly you practice, the more easily you will experience the
desired results and the faster you will be able to advance to a practical
use of the method.
As you
advance, the practice of the six basic formulas will bring results with increasing speed. Later you will learn how to shorten the formulas for your
convenience. Eventually you will know to enter the state of Autogenic
Training at a simple command that you utter mentally.
If you
have the opportunity to do so, it is beneficial for you to practice in a
slightly darkened room that is not overly warm. You should keep the
windows closed to keep out undesirable and disturbing noises.
You have
more difficulty to practice with a full stomach. Stimulants such as
coffee increase the difficulty to concentrate. The ability to concentrate
is essential in the practice of Autogenic Training. However, as you
proceed with your practice, you will strengthen your ability to concentrate.
Special formulaized resolutions will enhance the capability to concentrate
even more.
The
Body Position in Autogenic Training
It is important
that you practice any relaxation exercise in a relaxed position. Any relaxed
position will do. Sometimes it is necessary to adjust to circumstances.
A traditional
position for the practice of Autogenic Training is the so-called cabdriver's
position. Dr. Schultz called this position originally the 'coachman's
position.'
To get
into this position you sit down into a chair. When using the EPG, be
sure to carry the transfer disk or Chi-Card on you – or point the Chi Generator® directly at
you. First you straighten your back, then you slump down. Make sure
that there is no pressure on the stomach, i.e., do not bend forward
too far. In this position the head hangs loosely forward. The hands
rest relaxed on the thighs. The upper arms are supporting the weight
of the head and upper body. The hands should not touch each other, because
this may create a diversion. Both feet rest flat on the floor.
The eyelids
are closed. The tongue is loose and heavy. The jaws are slack although
the mouth need not be open.
This position
is also called 'the active sitting position.' You can assume it anywhere.
It differs from the passive sitting position in which you lean against
the back of the chair. At home, you can best do this in an armchair,
if possible, resting your head against or on top of the chair back.
The arms should rest easily on the arms of the chair. The legs must
not be crossed, because this may interfere with the exercise.
Most people
prefer to exercise while lying on their backs and with their heads slightly
raised. In this position the elbows are slightly bent, the palms of
the hands rest next to the thighs or slightly angled away from the body.
You may put a pillow under the shoulders. The feet should point slightly
outward. If they point upward, this means that you are not relaxed.
Not everyone finds it easy to practice while lying on the back.
When you
decide to practice before you are going to sleep this latter position
is ideal, because you can slide into sleep while training.
More
About Relaxation and Autogenic Training
The successful
switching from tension to relaxation determines whether we feel well.
The person who is gripped by physical tension and cramped muscles will
also be psychologically cramped. Such a person's relation to the world
around will also be beset with tension. Unhappiness, physiological problems
and failures will result almost always.
Tensions
are always part of life. But today it seems to be more difficult to
relax than ever before. Although tension is necessary, even beneficial,
in many situations of life, indiscriminate and chronic tension is not.
The more
chronically tense a person is, the stronger the desire to relax, and
the more difficult it is to find this desired relaxation.
Everyone
reacts differently to states of tension. But every sickness also leads
to an increase in tension that can have physical, psychological, and
social effects. We all know people whose constant state of nervousness
irritates us. Such people are in a permanent state of excessive tension.
People
wear a mask, i.e., they are in a permanent state of tension. These people
have chronic muscle spasms. Wilhelm Reich called this the muscular armor.
This armor is at the root of much malfunctioning on all levels: of our
bodies and in our personal and social relationships. Autogenic Training
can be a significant help in easing, even dissolving, the armoring of
a person, especially when supported by an orgone
generator® or a Chi-Card.
You should
practice the relaxation method that is inherent in Autogenic Training
in your own self interest. It leads to states of relaxation that are
much deeper that you can ever reach with methods of progressive relaxation,
even hypnosis that is induced by others.
By turning
your attention to your own body you will not only learn that you have
a body, you will also learn that you are body. According to Dr. Schultz, you must
slip passively into the physical experience of your body. You must transport
yourself into the organ that you wish to influence. This has nothing
to do with willpower, because successful autosuggestion takes place
without the exertion of the will and its subsequent interference.
Violation
of this principle may produce paradoxical effects. Consider the following:
Anytime you absolutely want to fall asleep or try to force this, you
will find that falling asleep is more difficult, even impossible.
Some persons
find it difficult to distinguish between concentration, i.e., the focus
on specific ideas, images, etc., and the personal will that is always
related to active tension. The practitioner who is 'willing' certain
things is less effective than the practitioner who 'is setting a focus'
on the same things.
Your complete
abandonment to the content of the formulas that you use in your practice
is in a way a form of abandonment of your will, even of forgetting yourself.
It guarantees the success of your practice. Anyone who can learn how
to relax during Autogenic Training will become relaxed in general.
Part II, Six Steps of Practice
Copyright
1991 by Karl Hans Welz.
All rights reserved. No part of this course may be reproduced
in any forms or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
prior permission in writing from the author. Address queries to HSCTI
-- e-mail
Published
by Karl Hans Welz
P.O. Box 1298
Woodstock, GA 30188 |