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Audiobook edition · 4 h 18 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if self-hypnosis is a skill you can practise, rather than a mysterious gift?
In A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis, Melvin Powers presents hypnosis as focused relaxation, not sleep or a loss of control. This short manual introduces a method you can practise at home. It explores how to enter a relaxed state and use suggestions to work on habits and attitudes.
Powers begins with preparation: a quiet room, a comfortable place to sit or lie down, and time without interruption. From there, he guides you through settling your body, slowing your breathing, and releasing tension. His approach then turns to clear, repeated suggestions that fit what you honestly want, along with ways to test your progress.
What you’ll discover
- Relaxation without losing control Explore Powers's account of hypnosis as focused relaxation, rather than unconsciousness or surrender.
- A place to begin See how quiet surroundings and a comfortable seat help prepare you for practice.
- Letting tension ease Follow steps for slowing your breathing and relaxing your muscles, part by part.
- Suggestions with a purpose Learn why Powers recommends short, positive wording rooted in what you genuinely want.
- Progress you can examine Discover how the manual approaches testing progress as you practise its methods at home.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy practical, do-it-yourself guides and are curious about the mind's response to suggestion will love this book. It also suits those who want calm methods for relaxation and steadier confidence.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Suggestion already shapes your choices
- Use hypnosis with sensible safeguards
- Relief can be a worthy goal
- Give your suggestions a mental picture
- Build a familiar cue through practice
- Judge progress by useful change
- Change your approach when you stall
- Keep practical uses beside medical care
- Guide suggestion without giving up control
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A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis
by Melvin Powers · 1961
A professional hypnotist shows how counting, imagination and a few simple tests can let you direct your own mind.
Challenging2–5 hours to read2 languages
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In short
Why do you buy the soap you buy, or trust the opinion of people you have never met? Melvin Powers opens with a bold claim.
A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h 5 min1 h 40 min fast, 2 h 30 min slow
- Length
- 29,700 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1961by Melvin Powers
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis
Powers starts from one claim. Hypnosis is a state of heightened suggestibility, and the person in it always controls how he responds. A hypnotist only guides. So all hypnosis is a form of self-hypnosis.
Why accept this? Powers points to daily life. We choose brand names, trust the newspaper and believe what we see on television. We are suggestible already. He thinks about ninety-nine percent of people can be hypnotized. So hypnosis means steering the suggestibility we already have.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1961
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 50 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Powers, Melvin. A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-practical-guide-to-self-hypnosis.
Powers, M. (2026). A practical guide to self-hypnosis. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-practical-guide-to-self-hypnosis (Original work published 1961)
Powers, Melvin. A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-practical-guide-to-self-hypnosis.
@book{powers2026practical,
author = {Powers, Melvin},
title = {A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-practical-guide-to-self-hypnosis},
note = {First published 1961}
}
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What is A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis about?
It teaches ordinary readers how to put themselves into a hypnotic state and give themselves helpful suggestions. Melvin Powers covers safety, waking up, step-by-step exercises, graded tests, help for people who struggle, and uses such as quitting smoking and easing stress.
Can anyone learn self-hypnosis according to Powers?
Powers believes nearly everyone can, since everyone is suggestible to some degree. He says most people need practice, often about a month, and that motivation, repetition and a positive attitude matter more than natural talent.
Is self-hypnosis dangerous?
Powers says he has found no harm in teaching thousands of people. You stay aware and can wake by counting to five. He advises seeing a doctor first about unexplained pain, and he does not offer hypnosis as a replacement for all therapy.
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