A colleague of mine sent me this perhaps 20 years ago. I read it to a patient, and have it on heavy stock paper. It was Barber's demonstration of how Erickson used the 6 principle ideas which every therapist should communicate when using hypnosis. He called it a Rapid Induction of Analgesia and said basically this role to a series of dental patients before a root canal. He introduced himself as "Oh Dr. Dentist asked me to help you relax a moment, you'd really like to relax more right now, I know ... and just go on. Phrasing and emphasis will alter the effectiveness of this chatter a great deal, but for that you'll have to practice with a master for a time.

In all of the charts of almost every client of mine for 20 years is a note "Barber's RIA, TWGR".

TWGR means "tolerated well, good result." I've never had a bad results. Interesting results, yes, but no bad ones.

BARBER'S Stairs Script

I'd like to talk to you for a moment to see if you'd like to feel more comfortable and relaxed than you might expect.

Would you like to feel more comfortable than you do right now?

I'm quite sure that it will seem to you that I have really done nothing, that nothing has happened at all. You may feel a bit more relaxed, in a moment, but I doubt that you'll notice any other changes.

I'd like you to notice, though, if you're surprised by anything else you might notice. OK, then . . really the best way to BEGIN FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE is just to begin by sitting as comfortably as you can right now . . . go ahead and adjust yourself to the most comfortable position you like . . . that's fine.

Now, I'd like you to notice how much more comfortable you can feel by just taking one very big, satisfying deep breath. Go
ahead . . . big, deep, satisfying breath. . . That's fine.

You may already notice HOW GOOD THAT FEELS. . . how warm your neck and shoulders can feel. . . Now, then. . . I'd like you to take four more very deep, VERY COMFORTABLE breaths. . . and, as you exhale, notice. . . just notice how comfortable your shoulders can become. . . and notice how comfortable your eyes can feel when they close. . . and when they close. . . just let them stay closed. . . that's right, just notice them. . . and notice, too, how when you exhale, you can just FEEL THAT RELAXATION BEGINNING TO SINK IN. . .

Good, that's fine. . . now, as you continue breathing, comfortably and deeply and rythmically, all I'd like you to do is to picture in your mind. . . just imagine a staircase, any kind you like. . . with 20 steps, and you at the top. . .

Now, you don't need to see all 20 steps at once. . . you can see any or all of the staircase, any way you like. . . that's fine. . . Just notice yourself, at the top of the staircase, and the step you're on, and any others you like. . . how ever you see it is fine. . .

Now, in a moment, but not yet, I'm going to begin to count, out loud, from one to 20, . . . as you may already have guessed. . . as I count each number I'd like you to take a step down that staircase. . . see yourself stepping down, feel yourself stepping down, one step for each number I count. . .

and all you need to do is notice, just notice how much more comfortable and relaxed you can feel at each step, as you go down the staircase. . .

one step for each number that I count. . . the larger the number, the farther down the staircase. . . the farther down the staircase, the more comfortable you can feel. . . one step for each number. . . all right, you can begin to get ready. . . now, I'm going to begin. . . one. . . one step down the staircase. . . two. . . two steps down the staircase, . . .that's fine. . .

THREE. . . three steps down the staircase. . . and maybe you already notice how much more relaxed you can feel. . . I wonder if there are places in your body that feel more relaxed than others. . . perhaps your shoulders FEEL MORE RELAXED than your neck. . . perhaps your legs feel more relaxed than your arms. . . I don't know, and it really doesn't matter. . . all that matters is that you feel comfortable. . . that's all. . .

FOUR. . . four steps down the staircase, perhaps feeling already places in your body beginning to relax. . . I wonder if the deep relaxing, restful heaviness in your forehead is already beginning to spread and flow. . . down, across your eyes, down across your face, into your mouth and jaw. . . down through your neck, deep, restful, heavy. . .

FIVE. . . five steps down the staircase. . . a quarter of the way down, and already beginning, perhaps, really, really, to enjoy your relaxation and comfort. . .

SIX. . . six steps down the staircase. . . perhaps beginning to notice that all the sounds which were distracting become less so. . . that all the sounds you can hear become a part of your experience of comfort and relaxation. . . anything you can notice becomes a part of your experience of comfort and relaxation. . .

SEVEN. . . seven steps down that staircase. . . that's fine. . . perhaps noticing the heavy, restful, comfortably relaxing feeling spreading down into your shoulders, into your arms. . .

I wonder if you notice that one arm feels heavier than the other. . . perhaps your left arm feels a bit heavier than your right. . . perhaps your right arm feels heavier than your left. . . I don't know, perhaps they both feel equally, comfortably heavy. . .

It really doesn't matter. . .just letting yourself become more and more aware of that comfortable heaviness, or is it a feeling of lightness?. . . I really don't know, and it really doesn't matter. . .

EIGHT. . . eight steps down the staircase. . . perhaps noticing that, even as you relax, your heart seems to beat much faster and harder than you might expect, perhaps noticing the tingling in your fingers. . . perhaps wondering about the fluttering of you your heavy eyelids. . .

NINE. . . nine steps down the staircase, breathing comfortably, slowly, and deeply restful, noticing that heaviness really beginning to sink in, as you continue to notice the pleasant, restful, comfortable relaxation just spread through your body. . .

TEN. . . ten steps down the staircase. . . halfway to the bottom of the staircase wondering perhaps what might be happening, perhaps wondering if anything at all is happening. . . and yet, knowing that it really doesn't matter, feeling so pleasantly restful, just continuing to notice the growing, spreading, comfortable relaxation. . .

ELEVEN. . . eleven steps down the staircase. . . noticing that as you feel increasingly heavy, more and more comfortable, there's nothing to bother you, nothing to disturb you, as you become deeper and deeper relaxed. . .

TWELVE. . .twelve steps down the staircase. . . I wonder if you notice how easily you can hear the sound of my voice. . . how easily you can understand the words I say. . . with nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . .

THIRTEEN. . . thirteen steps down the staircase, feeling more and more the real enjoyment of this relaxation and comfort. . .

FOURTEEN. . . fourteen steps down the staircase. . . noticing perhaps the sinking, restful pleasantness as your body seems just to sink down, deeper and deeper into the chair, with nothing to bother, nothing disturb. . . as though the chair holds you comfortably and warmly. . .

FIFTEEN. . . fifteen steps down the staircase. . . three-quarters of the way down the staircase. . . deeper and deeper relaxed, absolutely nothing at all to do. . . but just enjoy yourself. . .

SIXTEEN. . . sixteen steps down the staircase. . . wondering perhaps what to experience at the bottom of the staircase. . . and yet knowing how much more ready you already feel to become deeper and deeper relaxed. . . more and more comfortable, with nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . .

SEVENTEEN. . . seventeen steps down the staircase. . . closer and closer to the bottom, perhaps feeling your heart beating harder and harder, perhaps feeling the heaviness in your arms and legs become even more clearly comfortable. . . knowing that nothing really matters except your enjoyment of your experience of comfortable relaxation, with nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . .

EIGHTEEN. . .eighteen steps down the staircase. . . almost at the bottom, with nothing to bother, nothing to disturb, as you continue to go deeper and deeper relaxed. . . heavy. . . comfortable. . restfully. . .

NINETEEN. . . nineteen steps down the staircase. . . almost at the bottom of the staircase. . . nothing to bother, nothing to disturb you as you CONTINUE TO FEEL MORE AND MORE COMFORTABLE, more and more rested. . . more and more comfortable. . . just nothing. . . and now. . .

TWENTY. . .bottom of the staircase. DEEPLY, DEEPLY RELAXED. . .deeper with every breath you take. . . as I talk to you for a moment about something you already know a lot about. . .

remembering and forgetting. . . you know a lot about it, because we all do a lot of it. . . every moment, of every day you remember . . . then you forget, so you can remember something else. .

You can't remember everything, all at once, so you let some memories move quietly back in your mind. . . I wonder if you remember what you had for lunch yesterday. . . I would guess that, with not too much effort, you can remember what you had for lunch yesterday. . . and yet. . . I wonder if you remember what you had for lunch a month ago today. . .

I guess the EFFORT IS REALLY TOO GREAT to dig up that memory, although, of course IT IS THERE. . . somewhere, deep in the back of your mind. . . no need to remember so YOU DON'T. . .

and I wonder if YOU'LL BE PLEASED to notice that the things we talk about today, with your eyes closed, are the things which you'll remember tomorrow, or the next day. . . or next week . . . I wonder if you'll decide to let the memory of these things rest quietly in the back of your mind. . .

or if you'll remember gradually, a bit at a time. . . or perhaps at once, to be resting again in the back of your mind. . perhaps you'll be surprised to notice that the reception room is the place for your memory to surface. . . perhaps not. . . perhaps you'll notice that it is more comfortable to remember on another day altogether. . . it really doesn't matter. . . doesn't matter at all. . . whatever you do, however you choose to remember . . . is just fine. . .absolutely natural. . . doesn't matter at all. . whether you remember tomorrow or the next day, whether you remember all at once, or gradually, . . . completely or only partially . . . whether you let the memory rest quietly and comfortably in the back of your mind. . . really doesn't matter at all. . .

and, too, I wonder if you'll notice that you'll FEEL SURPRISED that your visit here today is so much more pleasant and comfortable than you might have expected. . .

I wonder if you'll NOTICE THAT SURPRISE. . . that there are NO OTHER FEELINGS. . .perhaps you'll FEEL CURIOUS about that surprise. . .surprise, curiosity. . .

I wonder if you'll BE PLEASED to notice that today. . . and any day. . . whenever you feel your head resting back against the headrest . . . when you feel your head resting back like this. . . you'll feel reminded of how very comfortable you are feeling right now. . .

even more comfortable than you feel even now. . . comfortable, relaxed. . . nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . .

I wonder if you'll be reminded of this comfort, too, and relaxation, by just noticing the brightness of the light above. . . perhaps THIS COMFORT AND RELAXATION will come flooding back, quickly and automatically, whenever you fine yourself beginning to sit down in the dental chair. . . I DON'T KNOW exactly how it will seem. . . I only know, as perhaps you also know. . .

that your experience will seem surprisingly MORE PLEASANT, surprisingly MORE COMFORTABLE, surprisingly MORE RESTFUL than you MIGHT EXPECT. . . with nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . .

whatever you are able to notice. . . everything CAN BE A PART of your experience of comfortableness, restfulness and restfulness and relaxation. . . everything you notice CAN BE A PART of being absolutely comfortable. . .

and I want to remind you that whenever (*******) touches your right shoulder, like this. . . you'll experience a feeling. . . a feeling of being ready to do something. . . perhaps a feeling of being ready to close your eyes. . . perhaps a feeling of being ready to be even more comfortable. . . perhaps ready to know even more clearly that there's nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . . perhaps ready to become heavy and tired . . . I don't know. . .

but whenever I touch your right shoulder, like this. . . you'll experience a feeling. . . of being ready to do something. . . it doesn't really matter. . . perhaps just a feeling of being ready to be even more surprised. . . it doesn't really matter. . .

nothing really matters but your experience of comfort and relaxation. . . absolute deep comfort and relaxation. . . with nothing to bother, nothing to disturb. . . that's fine. . .

and, now, as you continue to enjoy your comfortable relaxation, perhaps you'd like to notice how very nice it feels to be this way. . . really to enjoy your own experience, really to enjoy the feelings your body can give you. . . and in a moment, but not yet. . . not until you're ready. . . but in a moment, I'm going to count back from 20 to 1. . . and as you know, I'd like you to feel yourself going back up the steps. . . one step for each number. . . you'll have all the time you need. . . after all, time is relative. . .

feel yourself slowly and comfortably going back up the steps, one step for each number I count. . . more alert as you go back up the steps, one step for each number I count. . . when I reach three, your eyes will be almost ready to open. . .when I reach two, they will have opened. . . and, when I reach one, you'll be alert, awake, refreshed. . .perhaps as though you'd had a nice nap. . . alert, refreshed, comfortable. . . and even though you'll still be very comfortable and relaxed, you'll be alert and feeling very well. . . perhaps surprised, but feeling very well. . . perhaps ready to be surprised. . . no hurry, you'll have all the time you need, as you begin to go back up these restful steps. . . TWENTY. . . NINETEEN. . . EIGHTEEN. . . that's right. . . feel yourself going back up the steps. . . ready to be surprised, knowing what you had for lunch yesterday, and yet. . . SEVENTEEN. . . SIXTEEN. . . FIFTEEN. . . a quarter of the way back up, more and more alert. . . no rush, plenty of time. . . feel yourself becoming more and more alert. . . FOURTEEN. . . THIRTEEN. . . TWELVE. . . ELEVEN. . . TEN. . . halfway back up the stairs. . . more and more alert. . . comfortable but more and more alert. . . NINE . . . that's right. . . feel yourself becoming more and more alert. . . EIGHT. . . SEVEN. . . SIX. . . FIVE. . . FOUR. . . THREE. . . . . . that's right, . . . TWO. . . and ONE. . . that's right, wide awake, alert, relaxed, refreshed, . . . that's fine. How do you feel? Relaxed? Comfortable?

RAPID INDUCTION OF ANALGESIA, "Stairs Script", by Joseph Barber