What I would like you to do is just imagine a candle, up on the wall. It could be on a shelf, on some kind of old-time candle-holder fixed to the wall, or just floating in mid-air, over there.

And just let me know when you can see it.

— “I can see it.”

Good. And all I really need you to do…

[Hypnotist begins to speak more slowly, mainly on the client’s exhalations]

…is keep your eyes resting on that candle and noticing whatever you notice.

And I wonder, is that candle lit?

— “Yes, it is.”

And is that flame still, or flickering? What do you see?”

— “It’s flickering, but only slightly. It’s mostly kinda still.”

That’s what I had guessed. But I’m glad you noticed that as well.

So, now, let your eyes…

[Waits for the next blink]

That’s right… just continue to rest on that candle. You may even find your focus narrowing even more, as you focus on that flame, just over there… and just look at that point…. just keep focusing on that spot, without moving those restful eyes…

And while you keep looking at that spot, perhaps your eyes wonder around a little bit, but always coming back to it in a gentle easy going comfortable way, you can become aware of the muscles around your eyes…. how they are holding your eyes up…. that’s right… and your eyelids… and what they feel like….

You may [waits for them to blink] blink a bit more frequently [waits for them to blink again] that’s right… and your breathing might get deeper, as you relax.

Now, as your eyes are resting on that flame over there, attracting your focus, your mind wrapped around the idea of that flame on that candle where your eyes are resting now, the eyelids may perhaps become heavy… or your eyes want to close. But I don’t want you to close them just yet.

Let them remain open.

And lots of people, as they begin to go into hypnosis, find that their focus becomes increasingly fuzzy… vision getting dim and misty… And as you look at that flame you might see that it begins to waver… or maybe you see it blurring…

[Pause]

That’s it…

You may not even have noticed what is happening with the rest of your body… your arms and legs getting heavy, just as your eyelids get heavier and heavier. And as you think about how nice it would be to allow your eyes and eyelids to relax… and close those tired eyes…

I would like you to conceive of that flame as a doorway, a portal if you will to your special place. You know that place… of peace and calm, safety and serenity…

And as you focus your eyes on that flame and as they become more tired and more heavy and more restful…

When you are ready, you can step through that doorway, as you …close your eyes.

And closing those eyes means you can relax straight into that special place… And whilst you are there, you may as well take the time to look around. See what you see, hear what you hear and feel what you feel… Notice whatever it is that you notice in that special place… Perhaps colours stand out to you, sounds that you can hear… maybe an idea pops into your head… Take this time to allow your subconscious mind to collect whatever resources it feels it wants to, to bring back with you, to assist you and empower you to be all that you intend to be…

[Pause] [Deepen, move to therapy/phenomena, or awaken.]