This sample self-hypnosis script is by Emmett Miller, M.D., from a book on ADD (Amen, 2013). This was where I got my original inspiration for the project. Miller, E. (2013). Self-hypnotic reprogramming for success. In D. Amen, Healing ADD Revised Edition: The Breakthrough Program that Allows You to See and Heal the 7 Types of ADD (Revised ed., pp. 366-383). New York, NY: Berkley.

1. ______..
Self-Hypnotic Reprogramming for Success
sounding different 0 1
nail tape recorder. It sounds very different
from what you hear i mporcant to remember that when you listen
co your speaking voice, you have a stereophonic, high-fidelity connection
augmented by the bass reflex subwoofer ofyour chest and the echo chamber
of your sinuses. It's never going to sound that good coming out of chat
little speaker. Everyone tends co react with disappointment when chey hear
che sound of their recorded voice. Just ignore any tendency coward self-
cricicism. When you listen to the tape, you will become rapidly so relaxed,
you will forget the sound ofthe voice, and focus on the sound ofthe words.
Change is going to occur within you; get used to listening co your own
voice. (A parent's voice is often soothing and acceptable to a child. If you
are doing this for your child, modify the instructions as appropriate.)
You may end up making three or more versions before doing one you
feel comfortable with. Don't be a perfectionist. You are making a tape for
yourself, not something you are entering into a contest. Even a sloppy
cape will work fine. Be reasonable.
SCRIPT : SELF-HYPNOTIC REPROGRAMMING
FOR SUCCESS
Turn off the phone, put a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door, and
turn off all the noise possible, especially extraneous alarms like washers,
timers, cell phones, beepers, etc. Find a comfortable chair. Many people
prefer a reclining or lounge chair so their head is supported. Some people
prefer to lie flat, perhaps with something supporting the knees and under
the head. If you find that you tend to go to sleep while listening to the
cape, then it is probably better co sit up-and if you still fall asleep, sit
in a straight-backed chair. The actual script co read into the tape recorder
is in boldface type.
STEP ONE : ENTERING THE DEEPLY RELAXED
(SELF-HYPNOTIC) STATE
Hello, (put in your name). ... We are here to clear your mind, relax
your soul, break through old barriers, and program success. Pick
375

2. 376 Healing ADD
a spot on the wall a little above your eye level and stare at it. [You
may find it helpful to put a little thumbtack there to look at.} As you
focus on this spot, become aware of the fact that there's no other
place that you need to go at this moment, nothing else that you
need to do, and there's no problem that you need to solve right
now. Therefore, you can give yourself permission to relax. Con-
tinue to look at that point, and as you do, I am going to begin to
count, slowly, from one to twenty.
As I count, say the number to yourself, silently, in your mind.
You may find it helpful to picture each number as you count it.
[Leave a couple of seconds between each number.}
One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six . . .
Notice your eyelids beginning to feel heavier and heavier....
Seven ... eight ... nine ... ten ... eleven ... twelve . . .
Notice how that spot in the distance is fading out of focus and
your eyelids are feeling still heavier and heavier....
13 ... 14 ... 15 ... 16 ... 17 ... 18 ...
Your eyelids are feeling so heavy, they feel as though they
really want to close.
19 ... 20 ...
Take a deep breath in . .. and as you let that breath out, let
your eyelids slowly close.
[Some people may actually find that they relax more if they leave
their eyes open through the entire experience. If you choose to do this,
simply keep them focused on that spot and don't be concerned that your
eyes stay open in spite of your voice saying they are growing heavier.
After a while, you may find that your eyelids will prefer to close.}
In a moment, I'm going to ask you to take three deep breaths,
and with each breath in, feel relaxation flowing in like pure, white
light. And with each breathing out, let yourself feel the feeling of
letting go. With each breath in, say, silently, to yourself, "With each
breath in, I breathe in relaxation," and with each breath out, say
the words, "With each breath out, I let my body breathe out all
tension and all the things that might interfere with my becoming
totally relaxed and comfortable."

3. Self-Hypnotic Reprogramming for Success 377
Now take a deep breath in, repeating to yourself, "With each
breath in, I breathe in relaxation."
And as you let this breath out, repeat, internally to yourself,
"With each breath out, I let my body breathe out all tension and
all the things that might interfere with my becoming totally
relaxed and comfortable."
[Take a few slow, deep breaths in and out, and get a sense of the
speed with which you will need to read these words to yourself.]
Now take another deep breath in, feeling the coolness of the
air as it enters through your nostrils, and repeat silently, "With
each breath in, I breathe in relaxation."
And as you let this breath out, let it be a feeling of letting go
and repeat, "With each breath out, I let my body breathe out all
tension and all the things that might interfere with my becoming
totally relaxed and comfortable."
Now take a deep breath in, repeating to yourself, "With each
breath in, I breathe in relaxation." As you let it out, imagine you
are a balloon letting out all the air, becoming completely flat and
relaxed, and saying to yourself, "With each breath out, I let my
body breathe out all tension and all the things that might interfere
with my becoming totally relaxed and comfortable."
Now let the air do the breathing for you, just as it does when
you're asleep at night, and feel how your chest and abdomen gently
rise and fall with each breath, letting each breath continue to relax
you from head to toe.
Now, as your body continues to relax, close your eyes really
tight, as though you were trying to keep soap out of them. Hold
them tense for just a few seconds, and feel the tension in your
eyelids.
Now, slowly let the muscles of your eyelids relax . . . relax • • •
more and more relaxed with each breath. [Five second pause]
Notice how much your eyelids have relaxed already. They will
continue to relax. And perhaps you will notice your eyes gently
rolling upward behind your eyelids, and your eyelids feeling so
relaxed, they just don't want to open at all. Now, as your eyelids

4. 37 8 Healing ADD
become more and more relaxed, imagine ripples ofrelaxation flow-
ing outward from your eyelids, like ripples flowing outward from
a stone thrown into the water ... flowing into your forehead . . .
through all the muscles of your face . .. relaxing your jaw muscles
and your lips . . . and flowing down through your neck and into
your shoulders. Feel your shoulders releasing any tension; you may
even feel them lower just a tiny little bit as the muscles relax.
Now feel the relaxation flowing down through your shoulders
and your arms ... flowing through your chest and through all the
rest of your body. With each rising and falling of your chest and
abdomen, your chest becomes more relaxed and all your internal
organs are becoming more relaxed. Feel that relaxation flowing
through the pelvis, relaxing all your pelvic organs . . . and flowing
down through your thighs and your knees ... your legs and your
ankles and your feet ... all the way down to the tips of your toes.
Imagine your body is resting in a soft tub filled with soothing,
warm water, that your muscles are melting ... all the tension is
being absorbed by the warmth of the water.
YOUR SPECIAL SAFE HAVEN
(Next, describe a special place ... your special place ... a special haven
chat you can go co in your imagination. Maybe a place you've been in the
past or a place you've always wanted co go bur only seen pictures of There
might have been a rime in the past when you were on vacation. ... It
might even have been a time early in your childhood. It can be a real or
an imaginary place: The idea is co create a place where you feel com-
pletely relaxed and comfortable. Describe chis place clearly co yourself,
and slowly so chat it will make it easy for you co visualize it.
(As you describe it, describe the sensations in all your senses-what you
see; the sounds around you; the temperature of the air; the movement of
your body if you're moving, or its peaceful stillness if you are nor; the smell
of the air; even the tastes if there are any tastes there. Use as much detail as
you can. You may rake from four co eight minutes for this description.
Sometimes people have a long description at first when they are learning to

5. ►
Self-Hypnotic Reprogramming for Success 379
relax. then lacer make another tape with a description of only one or two
minures in length. As you listen to the tape more often, your ability to relax
quickly will incre-.ise. For children, ask them ahead of time what scene they
would like to go to. They often like che beach, the mountains, or a beautiful
JXI-Ik.Just as an example, we will give you a description of walking along
che sand ac the edge ofche ocean. Here's an example.. . . J
Imagine you are on a magic carpet or in a time machine travel-
ing through space and rime-relaxing as you travel. Imagine you
are traveling co a beautiful beach, perhaps on a peaceful tropical
island. Even before you see the gentle waves our on the ocean you
can begin co feel the warm sand beneath your feet. Feel rhe pleasant
dryness of the warm sand beneath your feet. And as you move first
one foot and then the ocher from side co side, you can feel the warm
sand on the sides and the tops of your feet. As you push your roes
gently into it, you can feel the dry granules of sand between your
warm toes. Gradually you can begin co see this beautiful beach ...
dimly at first, then more and more clearly. Now, let yourself look
down the beach . .. and see the warm, glowing, golden-white sand.
Lee your eyes follow the beautiful expanse of sand . . . and as you
lift your eyes and look down chis beautiful sandy beach ... off to
one side you can see the deep blue-green of the ocean. Listen ...
you can hear the sounds of the ocean waves rolling slowly to shore
and see chem breaking into watery white fingers offoam char glide
smoothly over the wet sand. Walk over to the edge of the damp
sand, and see the bright reflection of the sky in the thin film of
water left behind as each wave strokes the wet surfaces and then
rushes back down the slope. Feel the damp sand beneath your feet.
White crests of waves slowly follow each other in toward the shore.
And as you enjoy rhe deep, rich color of the ocean . . . perhaps you
can feel the salty breeze blowing in, gently cool on the surface of
your body. Take a deep breath in, savoring the pleasant fragrance,
the smell of the sea. Perhaps even taste the slightly salcy taste on
your lips and tongue. And floating directly above you, you can see
the cottony fluffs of pure white clouds ... and a bird gliding
through vast expanses of blue. Behind you is the bright sun, shin-

6. l
L
3 80 Healing ADD
ing and pleasantly warming the skin ofyour back. Feel the warmth
on the surface of your back, sinking deep into all the muscles of
your back, relaxing you even more. And now, if you wish, you can
go for a walk or a run down the beach. Perhaps you'd like to run
on the firm damp sand, or on the soft warm sand. Or if you like,
you might like to wade into the water and feel its pleasant tempera-
ture. Immerse your body in it. Maybe you'd like to swim. Whatever
you'd like to do, let yourself do it now ...
[Pause for fifteen to thirty seconds]
[After you have completed your description of your haven, your spe-
cial place, say:]
As you listen to the rest ofthis tape, imagine yourselfspending
time in your haven, perhaps walking about, exploring it, enjoying
it in any way that you wish.
[These first few steps should take about five to ten minutes. After
you have finished with these initial steps, read the following affirmation
phrases into your tape recorder, modifying them to better suit your sit-
uation or that of your child. Read them slowly and clearly with a firm
feeling ofcertainty: Read it with a voice that sounds as though you truly
believe it, whether you do or not at this moment in time. Soon you will
begin to believe it, and as you believe it, it will happen!]
STEP TWO: GIVING YOURSELF
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
With each breath in, breathe in warmth and relaxation ... and
with each breath out, release all the tensions and worries that dis-
rupt life. Say to yourself:
"Day by day, I'm feeling better and better in every way. I'm
feeling more control in my life.
• I have clear goals for my relationships: to develop and nurture
kind, caring, loving relationships.
• I have clear goals for my work (or school): to do the best I can
every day.

7. Self-Hypnotic Reprogramming for Success 381
• I have clear goals for my physical health and mental health: to
always do things to keep my mind and my body healthy.
• I focus energy every day on accomplishing my goals.
I expect to succeed in whatever I do. I am able to see myself
succeeding at tasks before I start them. In this way, I program
myselffor success . . . and I see success. I understand that success-
ful people sometimes make mistakes and have failures along the
way. I do not expect perfection, but I learn from each mistake.
Every day, in every way, I am becoming the best person I can
be. I learn from others. By learning from others, I expand my hori-
zons on a daily basis.
I prepare carefully for each of my tasks and projects. I set
myself up to win and I have let go of the old pattern of putting
off tasks and thereby setting up failure. Every day I'm becoming
more and more organized.... Organization is becoming a vital
part of my nature. I realize that when I put something in its
right place in the beginning, I am more likely to find it when I
need it.
Every day I am becoming more focused, more alert, more wide
awake, and more filled with energy. Every day I'm becoming more
interested in what I am doing, in whatever is going on around me,
and the people around me. I work smart as well as hard, focusing
my energy on the goals I have set for myself.
I am more flexible . .. more adaptable ... more willing and
able to change as needed. At the same time, I am more disci-
plined . . . more thoughtful.
My environment matters . . . I will seek to be a positive force
in my environment every day. I surround myself with positive peo-
ple, and people who believe in me. Similarly, I am more positive
with those around me. I can step outside myself and understand
the feelings of others, and I see things from their perspective as
well as my own. J am free of fear of competition with ochers. I feel
wonderful when I win; when I do nor win, I learn. Competition
spurs me on to be as good as I can be.

8. 382 Healing ADD
More and more, I accept myself as I am and I accept oth
ers as
they are ... I accept things as they are, not as I think they should
be. I compromise when it is necessary. I eliminate the ANTs and
bad thoughts whenever they enter my mind. I own me, and I am in
control of me ... and I live with the inner voices that help and
uplift me. I erase any voice that would try to tear me down. When
I find anxiety, I am able to turn it into positive energy for creativity
and positive change.
I have let go of the habit of giving up on myself. Instead, I give
my best effort toward reaching the goals I have set for myself ... and
no matter what ... I keep pursuing my fondest dream in my life.
[If you've decided to put a little more active music on at this time,
you may do so.}
STEP THREE : VISUALIZING SUCCESS
Now visualize yourself in some future situation, perhaps a test or
challenge or meeting that is coming up in the near future. Choose
the kind of situation you might have had trouble with in the past,
but this time, as you go through it, visualize yourself applying all
the positive beliefs you've just repeated to yourself in your mind,
and watch yourself being personally successful, no matter what
the outcome of the situation is.
Visualize yourself there, clearly and vividly; see and hear
everything that is going on around you, and feel your body and
your voice responding in the way you really want to ... and the
way that is healthy and wise ... and see yourself being successful.
[Pause for about a minute or two, and then begin co read again.}
STEP FOUR : DEHYPNOTIZING YOURSELF
Now, as I count from ten down to zero, gradually feel yourself
becoming more and more awake. [Again, leave about three or four
seconds between each two numbers.}
Ten, nine, eight ...
_ ,...c.c&S

9. JI
Self-Hypnotic Reprogramming for Success 383
Feeling yourself coming up, growing more and more awake.
Seven, six, five ...
Feeling alert and full of energy.
Four, three . . .
Bringing the feelings of energy and relaxation with you as you
come up ... filled with energy and ready to do whatever you want
to do next.
Two, one, zero.
Take a deep breath in. As you let it out, let your eyelids open
and think to yourself, Wide awake . ..
Feel your body beginning to stretch and move.
Now get up and walk around the room, and make sure you're
fully wide awake before you do anything else.
The total time of the tape will be from fifteen to thirty minutes,
depending on the pace of your voice, images, etc.
Now that you have made the tape for yourself or your child, listen
to it once every day. This is important: The first few times you will find
out how your body will react to the relaxation. Some people become so
relaxed that they doze off to sleep for a bit. Ifthat happens to you, great!
Listen to the tape before you go to bed, or when you can catch a nap.
Some people find that it takes them awhile to be fully with it; they
remain very relaxed for several minutes afterward, as if they were waking
up from sleep. If the tape affects you that way, you want to make sure
that you're clearly awake before you do anything that requires full con-
centration, like driving a car. Others can listen to the tape anytime,
anywhere, and feel a relaxed energy flow through their body.
The most important thing is that you listen to your tape every day.
You can change the content of the tape in any way that you think will be
beneficial to you. This is your tape. Use it to strengthen your life.
Information on other self-hypnosis cassettes can be found at our website
at amenclinics.com or on Dr. Miller's website at DrMiller.com.