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I have used this in two distinctly separate ways; after an induction,
as a deepener to be remembered later, and as straightforward advice
(when I abbreviate it a little and give just an outline) for those
who have consulted with other problems but who are having difficulty
with sleep. I have not attempted to use it any time as a 'cure'
for any form of sleep disorder. It is probably not totally original,
though I have not consciously seen it anywhere.
Now I'd like you to imagine yourself on the top floor of a busy
department store... at Christmas time... Christmas eve, in fact,
with shoppers bustling everywhere, tills ringing, flustered counter
assistants looking harassed and hot... there's noise and hassle
and everybody's pushing everybody else... and patience is becoming
strained as whole families rush about searching for those last-minute
gifts that they had forgotten all about 'til now... and this is
all too much for you and you decide to go down to the next floor,
via the escalator... and even the escalator is busy, loaded up to
almost maximum capacity... but when you get down to the next floor...
you actually sigh with relief because it's only half as busy as
the floor above... only half as busy as the floor above... and it's
maybe the cosmetics department, because there are women having makeovers
and still people trying to buy last-minute gifts... worried young
men sniffing at perfume bottles... older men looking at price labels...
and it's still too busy for you, so once again you decide to take
the escalator down to the next floor... and this time the escalator
is only half as busy... and the next floor down is only half as
busy as the one above... the whole atmosphere is decidedly calmer
and more easygoing... and this is the floor where they sell luggage
and all sorts of things connected with holidays... and even though
everything feels so much calmer here, you decide to see how things
are on a lower floor still... taking to the escalator once again
and being pleasantly surprised to discover that there's hardly anybody
else on it at all... and when you step out onto the salesfloor this
time, you see that it's the furniture department... sofas and chairs,
tables and cupboards, bookshelves and display cabinets... furniture
of almost all descriptions... and it's quiet and cool down here,
hardly anybody around... and those that are here are just moving
around quietly, gazing at things for a few moments before moving
on... and you notice that the escalator has nobody on it at all...
and you move towards it and soon find yourself being transported
gently down and down and down... with this wonderful relaxed feeling...
and as you step of at the bottom, you're interested to notice that
you're in the bedding department now and there's not another soul
around... just you... and in the peace and quiet of this place,
you stroll casually to the largest most comfortable bed you have
ever seen in your entire life... and just flop yourself lazily onto
it... marvelling at the sense of deep comfort that you suddenly
experience... a deep comfort that seems to fill every pore of your
entire body... relaxing you... calming you... lulling you into a
deep and relaxing sleep... a deep, sound, beautiful sleep... and
as you sleep, you have a dream... you dream that you're on the top
floor of a busy department store... at Christmas time... Christmas
eve, in fact...
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