Stop Analysing: Your Answer Is Already in You

I just came back from a hypnotherapy conference where some of the world's most famous clinical hypnotherapists came together to share their techniques and wisdom.

I'd like to share one of the techniques that was most transformative for me, and I think you will find it useful too.

A visualisation for finding your own answer

Imagine that you are going somewhere.

In front of you is a hill you are going to climb. And coming towards you, you see someone familiar.

Just notice who that person is.

You go up the hill together.

He or she tells you that you're going on an adventure, and that you'll find something at the end.

Now a huge mountain appears in your sight.

At the bottom of the mountain you find a cabin, and in the cabin lives a wise guide.

You may know this guide, or you may not. You may have met them before, or you may not have.

Notice who your guide is.

The guide comes out, says hi, and tells you that they will be on this journey with you, to guide you to the top, and you'll find a treasure on top, but it's not going to be an easy journey.

They already have a map that will guide you to the treasure.

You can bring three things in your backpack.

Imagine putting them in now, and notice what they are.

Along with your friend and your guide, you start to climb the mountain.

As you reach the middle of the mountain, you are faced with an obstacle. Notice what that obstacle is.

And somehow, you, your guide and your friend find a way through it.

Take note of what your imagination comes up with to overcome the obstacle.

Finally, you are approaching a cave.

In that cave is the treasure you're looking for. It can be anything except money. See what kind of symbol your imagination offers you.

By the end of this, you will have a handful of seemingly unrelated symbols your unconscious has presented.

Write down what came up

Who showed up as the familiar person: _________

Who your guide is: _________

Three things you packed: _________

The obstacle: _________

How you overcame it: _________

The treasure: _________

Each of these symbols holds a hidden message, and combined, they reveal a key message for your path forward.

What the symbols meant for me

I will share an excerpt of what I discovered with the seminar leader.

"What are the 2-3 most important areas in your life right now and what's the journey you are on in those areas in your life?" he asked.

"My two to three most important areas are probably my business and spirituality. I had a spiritual awakening during an ayahuasca ceremony in September last year, and I have been called to leave behind my old career and move towards the role of a healer and a guide for others." I responded.

"What's the obstacle you encountered on the mountain?" He asked me.

"A huge rock fell on the path to the top. The only way forward was to climb a very steep hill, and my guide told me to not look down.

It's like the trial for Orpheus to bring Eurydice from the Underworld. He must not look back at her until they were both completely out of the Underworld."

"What is that metaphor telling you about your journey forward?"

"I can't look back at the old. No regrets about the old path. I have to take the leap trusting the new." I answered.

"What are the three things you put in your bag?" He asked.

"A pair of scissors, a hammer, and another map." I responded.

"What does a pair of scissors do? How is that a symbol for your path forward?" He asked.

"It cuts things. I need to cut through the complex pieces and turn them into small steps."

"What does a hammer do? How is that a symbol for your path forward?" He asked.

"It breaks things, destroys what's non-essential. I need to break what's non-essential." I said.

"And what else does a hammer do?" He pressed.

"It helps construct things, like putting together a wardrobe. I need to break things and put different pieces together." I said.

"Why did you need another map? What are some maps in your current life?" he asked.

"I bring an extra map in case the old one doesn't work. Although I have too many maps right now: hermeticism, Kabbalah, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, kriya yoga, Milton Erickson, a Czech mystic, and many, many other rabbit holes." I said.

"Which one is working?" he asked.

"Well, I suppose my mind is too scattered amongst all these different maps. Maybe I just need to choose one to follow and test it out."

"What's the treasure you found and what does it do? How is that a symbol for your path forward?" He asked.

"The treasure was a recipe for the philosopher's stone in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. It represents inner and outer mastery of elemental forces. I need to weave everything I've learned into my project."

Trust what's already there

My unconscious already knew the answer for my path forward.

My unconscious had somehow taken all of these seemingly unrelated pieces, my fears, my obsessions, the things I'd been studying, the direction I wanted to go, and turned them into symbols.

Sometimes we consciously try to analyse everything. We make pros and cons lists, read another book, ask for more advice, find another framework, and go down another rabbit hole.

But we forget that intuition has been guiding us in the background.

The answer is always within.

Sometimes we just need to become quiet and attentive enough to listen to the guidance that's already there.

Your intuition already knows what you need too.

Whether it's a decision you've been circling around or something you know you should begin or leave behind.

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