What is Hyperempiria?

On the hypnosis technique exchange, the following is asked:

What the hell is hyperemperia? and what can it be used for?

While this is not a very endearing way to ask a question, here’s a go at a simple and straightforward answer in my very own rambling and obtuse style.

In any case, there are a number of ways you can find some good solid high content little noise information about hyperempiria via the technique exchange list and elsewhere. Do keep in mind, that the search functions of the group may not be the best but they do work well enough to get an idea if a subject has been discussed before, especially if it’s been discussed very recently such as hyperempiria (albeit, we’re always happy to talk about new aspects of a topic to add to our understanding and knowledge – not so much interested in rehashing the same old same old over and over though), and barring that, Google is still pretty easy to use for most folks.

For those who might be less familiar with it, hyperempiria is a focused trance modality similiar in many respects to traditional hypnosis with hyperacuity or heightened sensory exprience. Dr. Gibbons, the "hyperempiria guy" characterizes it as "hypnosis awakened" or "alert hypnosis" on his webpages and that’s a pretty fair take on it.

There are some differences in how the induction is run (rather than using relaxation or inward focusing patter as done with many of the classic hypnosis inductions, the hyperempiric induction uses sensory extention and the like and rather than using simple relaxation to tie into trance it uses heightened awareness). Personally, I feel the are other ways to achieve the same outcome but this is one very interesting approach in and of itself. I also feel that it is a form of formal focused trance just as classical formal hypnosis is, but given a tendancy by some to think of hypnosis as a relaxed state, it is useful to differentiate focused trance that utilized heightened awareness with a different term. If you eliminate the idea of relaxation from the equation and consider focused trance to be "guided intensified imaginative involvement to bypass the critical factor of the conscious mind and establish appropriate selective thinking via forms of influence and suggestion through formal and informal ritual induction procedures within variable contexts for entertainment, recreational, therapeutic and educational obectives" as I do then the imaginative involement and critical factor bypass and selective thinking via suggestion are all that really matters . . . the rest become breeds of focused trance rather than species. However, when discussing one general approach compared to another, the differentiation based upon type becomes useful . . . just as the notion of depth is useful in some ways and less useful in others. It’s all about using the models in a helpful way rather than proving the models as absolute.

In any case, hyperempiria has become something rather in fashion of late and a number of the concepts are valuable to anyone doing trancwork of whatever modality.

First, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HypnosisTechniqueExchange/messages and do a search for hyperempiria and you will find a number of posts in the archives that discusses the use of this process.

Second, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HypnosisTechniqueExchange/files/ and download the book Hyper-Sex by Don Gibbons, PhD, which is a discussion of use of hyperempiria for consenting adult couples both for therapeituc and recreational sexuality enhancement. However, please do not download this book unless you’re actually going to read it . . . and, if you read it, you MUST send feedback to Dr. Gibbons. He was kind enough to upload it here for folks to read but only in so far as they would provide feedback as he goes through the re-editing process for the new edition. You will want to also read the various posts by Dr. Gibbons in the group’s archives related to hyperempiria (he kindly posted a couple advanced articles on this and other subjects as well). Be sure to let him know how useful or not you have found the material.

Third, as you are asking specifically about hyperempiria, then I would suggest going to the horse’s mouth. Don Gibbons wrote about hyperempiria formally many moons ago and his books on the subject are still considered the classics on the subject. Go to the hyperempiria pages at http://hometown.aol.com/gibbonsdon/ and read the FAQ. You might also want to get one or the other of the seminal works by Dr. Gibbons either "Applied Hypnosis and Hyperempiria" or "Experience as an Art Form" both of which are available from Amazon and other online booksellers (albeit, I would suggest the "Experience as and Art Form" book would be more appropriate to your needs as your description of your experience levels and your questions implies a more basic understanding of trancework. Actually, the Hyper-Sex book in the files section at the hypnosis technique exchange is probably even closer to your understanding levels (while it is not a general book and is intended specifically for erotic recreational or therapeutic applications, the concepts are easily applied to more vanilla pursuits).

Fourth, there are a few posts that either mention or are about hyperempiria and similar subjects on the Life of Brian blog:

Fifth, go back to the very recent post by Wilma Keppel on Informal Hyperempiria 101 on a couple of the general trancework discussion lists and crossposted by the author to the hypnosis technique exchange and READ IT.

That seems like a full enough response to your question . . . for now.

Also, I’m working on some scripts for myself (for studying, insomnia, etc), and I’m wondering how I can induce somnambulism in myself…

Personally, I am of the persuasion that unless someone is already an experienced hypnotist who knows how to guide others into somnambulism or a natural somnambule who goes happily into somnambulism at the drop of a hat, the best route for this is to find a real live hypnotist and have them guide you into real hypnosis – not just relaxation, but the real deal – and then have ’em give a posthypnotic suggestion that makes it easy to return to the state. Gerry Kein has a wonderful protocol for establishing somnambulistic self-hypnosis that I highly reccommend. To get somnambulism reliably (the key word is "reliably"), one just be an experienced and comptent hypnotist. Learn to do the work, get some real training and appropriate experience. Don’t just read about it, do it . . . preferably in a guided setting with a good quality competent trainer. Once you’ve got that, then Gerry’s protocol or that of another high quality teacher will take you a loooonnnng ways to consistent and reliable high-quality results. However, be sure to learn to walk before you start trying to fly. In my opinion.

You could also go to my webpages at http://www.briandavidphillips.com and learn quite a bit about focused trance, hypnosis, guided imagery, and a whole lot more. Or, join my workshop group in Taipei (in English). If you would like to take part in a formal seminar or workshop on trancework, hypnosis, or hyperempiria, contact me. The same goes for anyone interested in professional hypnosis, guided imagery, focused trance or entertainment hypnosis services (see my webpages for information). Just contact me, I’m in Taipei and ready to help and serve you! Hypnotically, that is.

All the best,
Brian