When I initially took my training, I learned as much as I could about the primary techniques within 5-PATH(R)  before I attended class. I carefully read Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, Basic to Advanced Techniques for the Professional (By Calvin D Banyan & Gerald F Kein), and I watched several episodes of the Hypnosis, etc Podcast. I excitedly focused on learning about Age Regression, Forgiveness of others and self, and of course,hypnosis in general. As I attended the training, I learned that while these are the bones and primary techniques within 5-PATH, there is so much more. There’s “The Secret Language of Feelings,” “Informing Soul Technique,” and then there’s the technique I want to address today: Age Progression- taking the client into the future with everything they’ve learned from their session to help them experience life with the changes in place.

When I first learned about Age Progression, I admit I became very enthusiastic with what Cal called a “Future Reinforcing Event:” (FRE) an event in the client’s life after the session where they would clearly know and experience the anticipated changes that we worked on in our sessions.  As Cal said in my class, these events set the clients FREE as they create a positive reinforcement of the change, as well as an expectation that additional future events will continue to be in alignment with these new behaviors, thoughts, habits and beliefs. When we do Age Progression at the end of our sessions, especially after neutralizing events in the past, we help the clients create this expectation of their future FREE of the issue that caused them trouble in the past.

Many, if not most practitioners throughout the field of hypnosis use some sort of technique to assist their clients in creating an image of the future that they want.  They might call it “future pacing,” or a similar phrase. One of the reasons that Age Progression is so easy to implement into sessions for 5-PATHers is that it uses the same set of words/phrases as our Age Regression techniques.  It is an especially effective technique because instead of imagining the timeline of their lives, the clients are actually stepping into the timeline.

Since I was so enthusiastic about implementing Age Progression into my sessions, I began using this technique during the very early days of my hypnosis practice.  Through this process, I’ve found ways to gather information from my clients that helps me decide when and where to go in the future to give them the best expectation of success. I’ve learned to troubleshoot this part of my sessions to help the client expect success immediately as well as on an ongoing basis.  I’ve come to understand how important this part of our sessions is to test our work before we send the client out the door, and I would like to share what I have learned with all of you! This summer, I’ll be presenting a 1-hour talk specifically devoted to Age Progression. While it is considered a class that anyone can benefit from, it is specifically focused on those who are trained in Age Regression techniques such as those of us trained in the 5-PATH system.  I truly hope that you will join me. In fact, if we were to do an example of Age Progression on me right now, this is what it would look like:

First Impression, Daytime or Nighttime: Daytime
Are you indoors or outdoors? Indoors
Are you alone or with someone? With someone- there’s lots of 5-pathers and other amazing hypnotists here in class with me!
What’s happening? I’m teaching my age progression class at the NGH convention!
What are you thinking? I’m thinking how happy I am to share this information with my colleagues, how it’s going to help them with their clients… oh and how at the end I’m going to help them do their own vision of their upcoming year as they grow their business and enhance their skills!
How are you feeling? I feel great, I’m so proud!
Where do you feel that in your body? I feel that ALL OVER, IT FEELS AMAZING!!

Please join me at the upcoming NGH Annual Convention to learn more!

Note: additional information about Age Progression can be found in Hypnosis and hypnotherapy, basic to advanced techniques for the professional (By Calvin D Banyan & Gerald F Kein) on pages 167-170.