Count backwards, saying to yourself: "As I complete the count from ten to zero, my eyes will become tired and heavy. My eyelids will close. The moment they do, I shall fall into a light state of self-hypnosis. I will be fully conscious and able to hear everything around me, but concerned only with the direct suggestions I will give to my subconscious mind.

"Ten . . . my eyelids are becoming heavy . . . tired ... hard to hold open. Nine ... my eyes are becoming watery . . . the spot at which I am looking is becoming blurred. Eight. . . my eyelids are becoming very tired . . . very heavy . . . tired . . . heavy. Seven ... I can hardly keep my eyes open ... I am relaxed all over . . . breathing deeply . . . normally . . . easily ... relaxed . . . tired. Six ... I am beginning to close my eyes ... I can feel my eyelids closing. Five . . . my eyelids are closing more and more . . . heavier . . . more watery . . . tired . . . closing. Four ... I am completely relaxed ... at ease ... a feeling of well-being . . . my eyes are closing . . . closing . . . closing. Three ... it is becoming impossible to hold my eyelids open .. . the spot is blurred . . . my eyelids are nearly shut . . . dropping . . . heavy . . . relaxed. Two ...

I can no longer hold my eyes open . . . my eyelids are closing ... I am at peace . . . resting . . . feeling wonderfully rested and relaxed. One... my eyelids are closed. Zero ...

I am now entering the self-hypnotic state, in which I can give myself whatever post-hypnotic suggestions I desire."

Do not rush the count. Take time to create the heavy, watery feeling which you have purposely intensified by self-suggestion. If at any time during the count you feel that you wish to close your eyes, let them close. Do not hold them open with a deliberate conscious effort, and do not consciously try to close them. What you are looking for is a subconscious response, an automatic behavior pattern, activated by a conscious stimulus to the subconscious.

Let us suppose that you try to get an eye closure, but fail. Your eyes remain open and staring, even after you suggest that they will close.
Three things are possible. Either you are not taking enough time to get complete body relaxation. Or you are not in the right psychological frame of mind. Or the conditioning process hasn't yet been established sufficiently.

Check to see that you are physically relaxed. Has tension crept back into any of your body muscles? Are you completely comfortable, except for the slight strain upon your eyes?

Are you perfectly sure that what you are doing is a completely normal phenomenon, as natural and easy to attain as normal sleep? Are you being disturbed by any outside influences? Are you consciously resisting your own suggestions, rather than accepting them uncritically?

In the event that you do not get an involuntary (subconscious) eye closure, voluntarily (consciously) close your eyes and follow through with the post-hypnotic suggestions as though you were in the hypnotic state. Following this instruction is extremely important, because as you do this you are conditioning yourself to a response pattern, exactly as you do in habit formation. It will result in attaining self-hypnosis much more readily the next time you try.

The second test is known as the "swallowing test." Like the "eye closure test," it proves subconscious response to a conscious suggestion. In hetero-hypnosis, these tests are called "ideo-motor activity," and they enable the hypnotist to see how well the subject is responding with physical actions to suggestions.

This is important Whenever you give yourself a test for bodily reaction under hypnosis, you must be certain to tell yourself that the reaction will stop as soon as the test is over. Otherwise, it might persist, following the conclusion of self-hypnosis, as a post-hypnotic suggestion.

For the swallowing test, give yourself the following suggestions after you have completed the body relaxation. Say to yourself: "As I count from ten to zero, and before I reach the count of zero, I shall get an irresistible urge to swallow one time. As soon as I swallow one time, this feeling will leave me and I'll feel normal again in every respect. Ten . . . My lips are dry . . . Nine . . . My throat is becoming dry . . . Eight ... I am beginning to get the urge to swallow . . . Seven . . . The urge is becoming stronger . . . My throat feels parched . . . my lips dry. ... Six ... I have a strong . . . irresistible urge to swallow . . . Five

. . . urge is becoming so strong I cannot resist it. ...
Four ... My lips are dry.... My throat is parched. 

I must swallow. . . . Three . . . The urge to swallow is even stronger now. . . . Two ... I must swallow ... I cannot resist the urge.... One ... I must swallow ... I must swallow ... I must swallow. . . . Zero . . . I have swallowed one time. I am now in a self-hypnotic state in which I am very receptive to positive self-suggestions."

If at any time before the count is completed, you have the urge to swallow involuntarily, do not resist it. What you are seeking is involuntary (subconscious) reaction to voluntary (conscious) direction.