Chapter 1

Hi. My name is Jefferson Davis Monroe. But NOBODY calls me Jefferson, not even my mother. I am Jeff to most people and J.D. to a few of my friends. I'm twenty and a junior at the local University. Since I attend classes right here in town, I live at home to save on expenses. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship so there is little cost involved.

My father has his own Gas Station and Auto Repair Shop. It's a small operation so he has to work a lot of hours and isn't home much of the time. My mother is a nurse and works the evening shift most of the time. This means that she is not at home much either except on weekends.

And then there is Jennifer. Jennifer, who no longer answers to

Jennie since she is now "grown up", is sixteen and a raving beauty.

She is a junior in high school and could be a cheerleader if she wanted to be. But Jennifer is not into the popular crowd. She has lots of friends but they are not the 'in' crowd. They are just regular kids from good families. She and I get along pretty well most of the time. I do get irritated at times, like any big brother, and she gets ticked off now and then when I act too much like a boss and not enough like a brother.

One day after school Jen (I'm the only one who can call her that) had a couple of girl friends over to do homework. I was in the kitchen studying and they were in the dining room working on their

Algebra. After a while I heard them start talking about hypnosis. I don't know what brought it up but they were arguing about it and saying some crazy things. One of them said smart people could not be hypnotized. Jen said it was the other way around, that only smart people could be. Someone said that it was all a hoax that was faked.

They went on and on about it and I was amused by the things they said. It was obvious that they had no real knowledge about the subject but were only repeating what they had heard others say.

It just so happened that I had been interested in the subject for some time. I had read a good deal about it and had seen some demonstrations in one of my classes at the University. My psychology professor was showing us how easy it is to master and how it could be used in therapy. The result was that I knew the girls were way off base in most of what they were saying. After listening for a while I decided to go in and correct their ideas.

"Excuse me girls but I know a little about hypnosis, and what you are saying is mostly just rumors and false ideas from people that don't know anything about it. For example, almost anyone who is willing can be put under. There is a test that can show if you are susceptible or not. Would you like me to show you?"

The girls looked at each other and mumbled a bit before Jen finally asked the question I was waiting for.

"Do you actually hypnotize us for the test?"

"No. You will be wide awake. It just tests to see if you will react to suggestions. You will know what is going on at all times and can stop at any time. Do you want to try it?"

They talked it over some more and then all agreed to try it. They were all seated on the couch and I told them to get comfortable. I pulled a chair up in front of them and started the test. As I gave them instructions they followed along with no hesitation. I spoke in a soft voice and kept it even as I told them what to do.

"First place your hands palm down, flat on your thighs. Put them just above your knees so your forearms lay along your thighs. Now listen to my voice. Do not pay any attention to any other noises around you. Just concentrate on what I say. Look at your hands. Feel the cloth under your palms and fingers. Concentrate on the feeling of your skin touching the cloth. As you watch and think about how it feels, you will notice that your hands are getting heavier. They are starting to press down on your thighs. The more you listen to my voice and the more you think about your hands, the heavier they will get. Slowly they are pressing down more and more. They are much heavier now and are pressing down very hard. You don't want to move them but you know that you couldn't if you tried. Your hands are simply too heavy now for you to lift."

I watched them as I spoke. They all looked very intense and I could see they were reacting to my suggestions. I continued for a while just repeating the same thing over and over. Finally I was sure they were ready.

"All right girls. Very slowly I want you to try to lift your left hand up off your thigh. Keep trying until I say stop."

I watched as they tried harder and harder to lift their hands. They couldn't do it. It was as if their hands weighed a ton.

"Okay stop. Relax now and listen to my voice. Your hands are getting lighter and lighter. Now they are back to normal. You are very relaxed and you can feel your hands are not pressing down any more.

If you wanted to you could lift them up normally. Try to lift your left hand now."

Slowly each of them raised her left hand with no trouble.

"Now I want you to just relax for a minute. Let your hands rest on your thighs and breathe deeply as you feel better and better."

I let them relax for a bit and then told them the test was over.

"It seems that all of you are susceptible to suggestion. That means that if you were willing, you could be hypnotized. Do you all remember what we just did?"

They all nodded and started to chatter about what I had done. I decided to tell them a little more about hypnosis.

"In order to be hypnotized you must trust the person doing it. If you do not trust them it won't work. Also, you can not be made to do anything you would not do when awake. I know you have seen people in shows that squawk like a chicken or walk like a duck or some other silly thing. But they know that they may be asked to do something like that and are willing to take the chance as a part of the entertainment. Another thing. You may or may not remember what happens while you are under, depending on what you are told. If the hypnotist tells you to forget what has happened, you will forget. If not then you will remember everything."

We went on and discussed some other aspects of hypnotism. I told them how I knew about it and what I had seen done. We talked about the things it could be used for, such as stopping smoking or drinking, and to aid with studying and tests. We talked a little about post hypnotic suggestions and how they worked. The girls were impressed and I felt good about being able to explain something to them. After a while we went back to our respective studies, and when it got late, Jen's girl friends left.

Mom was on duty that night and Dad called to say he was going to be working late and we should make our own supper. This was not unusual and Mom had left us all the fixings so Jen could cook it. After we ate I would do the clean up. Most of the time we helped each other so we got done faster and had more fun. As we were cleaning up this evening Jen asked me some questions about what I had told them about hypnosis.

"Jeff, were you telling the truth about what you can do with hypnosis?"

"Sure, Jen. I had no reason to lie. It was all true."

"Could it help me with my Algebra?"

"Yes it could."

"How?"

"In two ways. First it could help you remember what you study and second it could help you when you take the test by relaxing you and making you feel confident."

Then came the question that opened a door I had not even thought about up to that point.

"Would you hypnotize me and help me with my Algebra?"

I thought about it for a moment. I knew Jen was having trouble remembering the formulas she needed for her Algebra and I also knew she needed a good grade to maintain her high average as she prepared for college. I had tried to help her but it was just not working and she was scared she would fail the test that was coming up.

"Okay. I'll help you. Go get your Algebra book and meet me in your room. I'll do what I can to help you pass your test."

She broke out in a big smile and came over to give me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she ran to get her book. I went up to my room and got a CD I had with soft relaxing music on it. It was a special recording that I used to help me relax and concentrate when I was studying. I went to Jen's room and she was there waiting for me.

"What should I do?"

"First of all why don't you change into something more comfortable.

Something loose so you won't feel anything pinching or distracting you. I'll step outside while you change. Call me when you're ready."

I stepped out in the hall and closed the door so she could change.

In just a minute she called me to come back in. When I looked I saw she was wearing a long tee shirt and a loose pair of shorts. She had taken off her shoes and had on just her socks.

"Okay. Now lie down on your bed and get comfortable."

As she did what I asked, I put the music on and turned off the overhead lights. That left just the lamp by her bed, which was not too bright. I won't bore you with the exact words I spoke over and over. Just accept that I spoke softly and kept telling her to relax and listen only to my voice. I told her she was getting sleepy and her eyes were heavy and things like that. After about ten minutes she was out. I checked by having her hold her foot up for a long time. If she was awake it would have sagged down on the bed in a few minutes but it didn't. Then I told her that her hand was numb and she could not feel anything. I took a pin and gently stuck her with it. There was no reaction. I was satisfied she was under.

Chapter 2 »