It occurred to me if a person reacts to kinetic, instead of visual (or taste adn smell) clues then a guided visualization or guided hypnosis tape wouldn't work very well. You would need to have someone (hypnotist) to be present to touch you...to hypnotize you with physical maniputlation. Another thought I had...if a kinetic type person was successful in being hypnotized, then to regress that person to past lives, s/he may not be able to 'see' (to see pictures) the events of a past life to explan to the hypnotist. I'd be interested in hearing the experience of a regressed aphantasic person...that they can be regressed and experience a past life?

Thanks, DKB, for this clear explanation. Of the 5 senses, kenetic probably applies to me the most. My experiment in trying to learn music, and failed, tells me I'm not auditory...I seem to be tone death. I can't make my 'mouth water' thinking of delicious foods, so that eliminates smell taste and smell. Have you been sucessful in being hypnotized using kenetic words, such as feel, tecture, soft, hard, etc? While I can rationize those 'touching' words, I don't think I can 'feel' them. As a hypnotist, I realize I used all of the senses during the induction of hypnosis...drifting in a canoe with fingers touching the water; walking in a garden smelling the flowers; hearing beautiful music on a journey to the source of the music at a hamock and, of course, visualizing the experience. I've been quit succesful hypnotizing subjects with these combination of words. I can't recall the induction used by the people who attempted to hypnotise me. I will have to try and make a 'guided visualization' tape and give it a chance to work. Thank you for your comments and suggestion. Jerry

Erik, send me an email message with your address and I'll send you a book. [email protected]

Marti, I sympathize with you. I have wanted to be hypnotised and regressed to pass lives for many decades now. Like you I can't 'see' anything, and I just get frustrated. Is there anyone out there tha can hypnosise and regress peope wh can't visualize?

Again, thank you for the last message. I have a friend who took corses with NLP and practiced on me. We had an enjoyable time trying it out, but it didn't seem to work for me. However, my friend felt he was successful with other volunteers. I've attented Hypnosis shows...were the hypnotist gets a bunch of people on stage, hypnotise them and entertain the audience with 'tricks'. I volunteered several times, but was directed to my seat...until the last time I faked it. I stayed on stage for the first half doing what he asked the group to do. When he gave the key word to come back on stage for the second half, I didn't go, as I was aware of eveerything. At the break I talked to a couple of other people who were on stage and hypnotized and they told me they couldn't remember anything while up there. When the key word was given they immediately ran up on stage again. For years I was a member of Eckankar, receiving precepts, or instructions on how to leave my body to 'soul travel'. Each exercise was another form of guided meditation, but I was unsuccessful. Recently I signed up for Shaolin Tai Chi...which included marshal arts and meditation...a lot of guided meditation, which I enjoyed, but no experiences. So the bottom line is I'm a person who has witnessed success with hypnosis and meditation, but never experienced it. If you think I could be helpful in your research I would be happy to chat with you. I hope you enjoy my ebook. If you do/did I will mail you the second book, which focuses on the benefits of meditation and reincarnation.

From an early age I've been interested in ESP etc. Later I discovered that ESP could be acieved with menitation. Not only ESP by such things as 'astral projection', soul travel, chanelling, contacing your spirit guide, etc. I bought books on how to meditate. I practiced but didn't have any success. I connected meditation with hypnosis, or guided meditation. I bought many guided meditation tapes and listen to them...no results. I then contacted a medical doctor who did hypnosis. He tried his best to hypnotise me, but no success (but I still had to pay him). I met friends who were also interested in hypnosis and exchanged sessions...many times...no success. However, I was succesful in hypnostising the friend. I went to a weekend conference with a professional hypnotist as a speaker. He clained he could hypnotise anyone. I approched him at the conference and he agreed to do a session with me. His method was to visualize a teenage event...my first car...and attempted to get me to talk about it. I couldn't 'see' anything to tell him (I only mentioned a few things I remembered). He took my hundred dollars and appoligized. I continued with guided meditation tapes until a years ago when I heard about aphantasia. It was a releaf to know why I couldn't be hypnostised, but a disappointment becasue I wanted to experience the benefits of meditation.Since I was successful in hypnotising people, I continued with it. I started to regress people to younger ages, and then to past lives. I ended up writing two books about it. I helped recreate wonderful experiences for others, but no direct experience for me. If you are interested I converted my first book to an ebook, and offered it for free. Here is the address for it: http://www.notunique.ca/content/bm~doc/we-are-not-unique-a-discussion-on-spirituality---jerry-jordison.epubJerry Jordison

Thanks for contacting me, Zach. I submited information to this site in April and never heard back. What follow is my innital imput. I'm pasting it here in case you didn't see it. However I will answer you question about my expeience with the hypnotist in more detail.After discovering that I have aphantasia, I realized why I failed at my attempts to be hypnotized and unsuccessful with meditation. I’m seventy-seven. It was just last year while listening to the CBC radio I heard a discussion on aphantasia. As I listened I realized they were talking about me…a person who cannot ‘see pictures in my head’. It has been my normal throughout my life and has created much frustration in my daily functioning. I thought it was the way I was born…with a lower IQ than many people. I was always poor in spelling at school, and rejoiced when computers were invented with Spell Check. Now I realize my inability to spell correctly could be related to not being able to visualize the written word. Yes, I used phonics to sound words out, but instantaneous recognition of words did not work for me.Watching cop shows on television created a feeling of failure in me because I would never be able to describe the events at a murder scene. I might be able to tell you some general things, like the number of people involved, or their general size, but I couldn’t tell you the colours of their hair, or clothe. To this day, my wife would comment on a certain person…you know the one with brown hair. It never helped me to recognize such a person. I couldn’t tell those details about anyone I’ve meant. I could not visualize them. My most important revelation in discovering I’m aphantasic, is the realization why I was never successful at meditation. Most of my adult life I’ve been interested in spirituality, with particular emphasis on meditation. I’ve taken several courses, attended workshops, and meditation groups in order to receive the benefits of mediation…less stress, enhanced self-awareness, improved memory, improved sleep, pain control, decrease blood pressure, etc. All of my efforts proved elusive. I purchased visualization recordings and attended visualization groups, again with no success. I was persistent, knowing the great benefits of it. I realized hypnosis was a form of visualization and studied that at university. I learned to be a hypnotist, and successfully hypnotized many people. I hypnotized dozens of people to help them stop smoking, and eliminate headaches. My passion led to hypnotic regressions, both to younger ages and to past lives. I ended up writing two books on the topic (see bio). I paid professional hypnotist to hypnotize me, with no results. A hypnotist usual method is to suggest to the subject to visualize certain scenes like resting in a hammock, gently floating in a canoe, walking in a flower garden, etc. Most people were able to visualize these experiences making them good subjects to be taken into a hypnotic trance. As I proceeded with the hypnotic induction I realized I couldn’t visualize the experiences I had asked them to be involved in. My interest in psychic things, and my success at helping others to accomplish such things as telepathy, precognition, astral projection and soul travel, made me envious to want to experience these things myself. I was persistent and kept working at it but with no success. At the time I didn’t realize that other people really could clearly ‘see’ what I suggested and what they experienced. I thought somehow we were all the same…couldn’t actually ‘see’ pictures, but were objectively creating reality as a mind game. It was just this past year when I fully understood that I was a part of the two percent of people who couldn’t visualize…I was aphantasic. Knowing this, it was a comfort to know my failure wasn’t completely my fault. I’m less frustrated now and accept my inability to experience the ‘spiritual’ world. At the same time I know it is a reality for all of us, but not all can experience it. I have a friend who has a photogenic memory. My assumption is aphantasia is the opposite of that. I have never been musical in my life, I cannot sing. I always wanted to play a guitar, so a few years ago I took lessons. I learned the finger placements for the cords and I practiced jamming with a group of people for a few years (I watched their finger placements). I had to finally admit that I could not distinguish one cord from the other…I’m tone deaf. I’m assuming this is another symptom of aphantasia. Being aphantasia is not a pleasant thing. It creates frustration and stress. However, knowing you have aphantasia creates understanding and acceptance.

It occurred to me if a person reacts to kinetic, instead of visual (or taste adn smell) clues then a guided visualization or guided hypnosis tape wouldn't work very well. You would need to have someone (hypnotist) to be present to touch you...to hypnotize you with physical maniputlation. Another thought I had...if a kinetic type person was successful in being hypnotized, then to regress that person to past lives, s/he may not be able to 'see' (to see pictures) the events of a past life to explan to the hypnotist. I'd be interested in hearing the experience of a regressed aphantasic person...that they can be regressed and experience a past life?

Thanks, DKB, for this clear explanation. Of the 5 senses, kenetic probably applies to me the most. My experiment in trying to learn music, and failed, tells me I'm not auditory...I seem to be tone death. I can't make my 'mouth water' thinking of delicious foods, so that eliminates smell taste and smell. Have you been sucessful in being hypnotized using kenetic words, such as feel, tecture, soft, hard, etc? While I can rationize those 'touching' words, I don't think I can 'feel' them. As a hypnotist, I realize I used all of the senses during the induction of hypnosis...drifting in a canoe with fingers touching the water; walking in a garden smelling the flowers; hearing beautiful music on a journey to the source of the music at a hamock and, of course, visualizing the experience. I've been quit succesful hypnotizing subjects with these combination of words. I can't recall the induction used by the people who attempted to hypnotise me. I will have to try and make a 'guided visualization' tape and give it a chance to work. Thank you for your comments and suggestion. Jerry

Erik, send me an email message with your address and I'll send you a book. [email protected]

Marti, I sympathize with you. I have wanted to be hypnotised and regressed to pass lives for many decades now. Like you I can't 'see' anything, and I just get frustrated. Is there anyone out there tha can hypnosise and regress peope wh can't visualize?

Again, thank you for the last message. I have a friend who took corses with NLP and practiced on me. We had an enjoyable time trying it out, but it didn't seem to work for me. However, my friend felt he was successful with other volunteers. I've attented Hypnosis shows...were the hypnotist gets a bunch of people on stage, hypnotise them and entertain the audience with 'tricks'. I volunteered several times, but was directed to my seat...until the last time I faked it. I stayed on stage for the first half doing what he asked the group to do. When he gave the key word to come back on stage for the second half, I didn't go, as I was aware of eveerything. At the break I talked to a couple of other people who were on stage and hypnotized and they told me they couldn't remember anything while up there. When the key word was given they immediately ran up on stage again. For years I was a member of Eckankar, receiving precepts, or instructions on how to leave my body to 'soul travel'. Each exercise was another form of guided meditation, but I was unsuccessful. Recently I signed up for Shaolin Tai Chi...which included marshal arts and meditation...a lot of guided meditation, which I enjoyed, but no experiences. So the bottom line is I'm a person who has witnessed success with hypnosis and meditation, but never experienced it. If you think I could be helpful in your research I would be happy to chat with you. I hope you enjoy my ebook. If you do/did I will mail you the second book, which focuses on the benefits of meditation and reincarnation.

From an early age I've been interested in ESP etc. Later I discovered that ESP could be acieved with menitation. Not only ESP by such things as 'astral projection', soul travel, chanelling, contacing your spirit guide, etc. I bought books on how to meditate. I practiced but didn't have any success. I connected meditation with hypnosis, or guided meditation. I bought many guided meditation tapes and listen to them...no results. I then contacted a medical doctor who did hypnosis. He tried his best to hypnotise me, but no success (but I still had to pay him). I met friends who were also interested in hypnosis and exchanged sessions...many times...no success. However, I was succesful in hypnostising the friend. I went to a weekend conference with a professional hypnotist as a speaker. He clained he could hypnotise anyone. I approched him at the conference and he agreed to do a session with me. His method was to visualize a teenage event...my first car...and attempted to get me to talk about it. I couldn't 'see' anything to tell him (I only mentioned a few things I remembered). He took my hundred dollars and appoligized. I continued with guided meditation tapes until a years ago when I heard about aphantasia. It was a releaf to know why I couldn't be hypnostised, but a disappointment becasue I wanted to experience the benefits of meditation.Since I was successful in hypnotising people, I continued with it. I started to regress people to younger ages, and then to past lives. I ended up writing two books about it. I helped recreate wonderful experiences for others, but no direct experience for me. If you are interested I converted my first book to an ebook, and offered it for free. Here is the address for it: http://www.notunique.ca/content/bm~doc/we-are-not-unique-a-discussion-on-spirituality---jerry-jordison.epubJerry Jordison

Thanks for contacting me, Zach. I submited information to this site in April and never heard back. What follow is my innital imput. I'm pasting it here in case you didn't see it. However I will answer you question about my expeience with the hypnotist in more detail.After discovering that I have aphantasia, I realized why I failed at my attempts to be hypnotized and unsuccessful with meditation. I’m seventy-seven. It was just last year while listening to the CBC radio I heard a discussion on aphantasia. As I listened I realized they were talking about me…a person who cannot ‘see pictures in my head’. It has been my normal throughout my life and has created much frustration in my daily functioning. I thought it was the way I was born…with a lower IQ than many people. I was always poor in spelling at school, and rejoiced when computers were invented with Spell Check. Now I realize my inability to spell correctly could be related to not being able to visualize the written word. Yes, I used phonics to sound words out, but instantaneous recognition of words did not work for me.Watching cop shows on television created a feeling of failure in me because I would never be able to describe the events at a murder scene. I might be able to tell you some general things, like the number of people involved, or their general size, but I couldn’t tell you the colours of their hair, or clothe. To this day, my wife would comment on a certain person…you know the one with brown hair. It never helped me to recognize such a person. I couldn’t tell those details about anyone I’ve meant. I could not visualize them. My most important revelation in discovering I’m aphantasic, is the realization why I was never successful at meditation. Most of my adult life I’ve been interested in spirituality, with particular emphasis on meditation. I’ve taken several courses, attended workshops, and meditation groups in order to receive the benefits of mediation…less stress, enhanced self-awareness, improved memory, improved sleep, pain control, decrease blood pressure, etc. All of my efforts proved elusive. I purchased visualization recordings and attended visualization groups, again with no success. I was persistent, knowing the great benefits of it. I realized hypnosis was a form of visualization and studied that at university. I learned to be a hypnotist, and successfully hypnotized many people. I hypnotized dozens of people to help them stop smoking, and eliminate headaches. My passion led to hypnotic regressions, both to younger ages and to past lives. I ended up writing two books on the topic (see bio). I paid professional hypnotist to hypnotize me, with no results. A hypnotist usual method is to suggest to the subject to visualize certain scenes like resting in a hammock, gently floating in a canoe, walking in a flower garden, etc. Most people were able to visualize these experiences making them good subjects to be taken into a hypnotic trance. As I proceeded with the hypnotic induction I realized I couldn’t visualize the experiences I had asked them to be involved in. My interest in psychic things, and my success at helping others to accomplish such things as telepathy, precognition, astral projection and soul travel, made me envious to want to experience these things myself. I was persistent and kept working at it but with no success. At the time I didn’t realize that other people really could clearly ‘see’ what I suggested and what they experienced. I thought somehow we were all the same…couldn’t actually ‘see’ pictures, but were objectively creating reality as a mind game. It was just this past year when I fully understood that I was a part of the two percent of people who couldn’t visualize…I was aphantasic. Knowing this, it was a comfort to know my failure wasn’t completely my fault. I’m less frustrated now and accept my inability to experience the ‘spiritual’ world. At the same time I know it is a reality for all of us, but not all can experience it. I have a friend who has a photogenic memory. My assumption is aphantasia is the opposite of that. I have never been musical in my life, I cannot sing. I always wanted to play a guitar, so a few years ago I took lessons. I learned the finger placements for the cords and I practiced jamming with a group of people for a few years (I watched their finger placements). I had to finally admit that I could not distinguish one cord from the other…I’m tone deaf. I’m assuming this is another symptom of aphantasia. Being aphantasia is not a pleasant thing. It creates frustration and stress. However, knowing you have aphantasia creates understanding and acceptance.