By McClelland

This is an adaptation from a seminar I attended by Werner Erhard some time back. My wife (who by the way is a registered senior staff nurse working in the operating theater) is plagued by a severe case of dysmenorrhea or "menstrual cramps" for short. Now you are probably thinking: if she is a nurse working in the hospital, why would she need help from me, a therapist? Well here's where it gets interesting; My wife is allergic to pain killers. I don't mean just a few, like aspirin or paracetamoI; there is a list, and doctors are afraid to prescribe anything for fear that if they gave the wrong thing, it may be fatal

So, what is a good peak performance husband to do, when he watches his wife bent over in the middle of the bedroom floor month after month, for the first year of our marriage? Her mother and brother told me there was nothing that I could do, as she has been in this kind of pain since she reached puberty, and her only source of relief from this excruciating pain was a hot water bottle. Of course it was difficult for me to believe that there was nothing I could do. I don't live by those limitations, so I started to going through my memory bank to see if I could remember anything from the field of alternative medicine that could help the love of my life.

I remember at a seminar I attended, a man in the audience complained of migraines, and where the trainer proceeded to tell the audience the human body has the natural ability to heal itself and all the affected person had to do was to identify the exact location of the pain. I have since modified the procedure, be that as it may, here it is:

Have the person in pain sit in a chair with his or her eyes closed, both hands palm down on his or her lap in a quiet, darkened room. Instruct your client in the most monotone voice you can find; not to shake his or her head at any time. I have found that if the person is a stranger, have a trusted friend or relative present during the entire procedure. Assure the client that you will not touch them at any time during the procedure, have a trusted friend or relative assure the client that he or she will not allow you to touch them or try funny-business (especially if the client is a female). I was surprised to find that people are afraid to close their eyes in the presence of a stranger. Tell your client that no matter how ridiculous the answer to your questions may be, they should answer truthfully.

GATHER THE RELEVANT INFORMATION

First question: where exactly is your pain, is it on the left side, right side or in the middle front or back? This is to get the client to focus on the exact location of their discomfort. (Ex: in the front on the left side)

Second question: How big is your pain? HERE IS WHERE YOU WILL NEED TO PACE AND LEAD YOUR CLIENT. Is it the size of a dollar bill, a twenty-five cent coin, a five cent coin, or ten cent coin? Or is it the size of an ocean? (Ex: the size of a twenty-five cent coin)

Third question: What Color is your pain? PACE AND LEAD AGAIN. Is it black, white, or blue like a lightning bolt? Or gray? I have found that because the person probably never focused intensely on the pain, they have no idea what color it is, so in giving them your choice of colors they will more than likely choose one of yours.) THERE IS THE OCCASIONAL PERSON IN WHICH THE COLOR WILL BE SOMETHING LIKE RED. (EX: The pain is gray.)

GO THROUGH QUESTIONS ONE THROUGH THREE ONCE MORE; THIS TIME YOU CHANGE THE INTENSITY OF THE SUB MODALITIES

Verify the information: the pain is "on the left side in the front, the size of a twenty-five cent coin, and is gray. PACE AND LEAD YOUR CLIENT: ARE YOU SURE IT IS NOT WHITE? In most cases I have found that the person will say, “Yes, it is white.” IT'S THE SIZE OF A TEN CENT COIN? Remember the original size was a twenty-five cent coin. I have also found that if I make this “mistake,” the client will agree the size of the pain has decreased in size.

NO MATTER WHAT SIZE THE CLIENT STARTS OUT WITH TALK THEM DOWN TO THE SIZE OF A TEN CENT COIN, AND THE COLOR WHITE.

*Now ask your client to produce an image of a cup of cold water in their mind, and to tell you when they have the image. When the client alerts you to the fact that they have the image, instruct them to take the cup of cold water and pour it over the pain.

When that is done, ask the client, "Where is the pain?" IF THE CLIENT HESITATES OR HIS EYES START TO LOOK FOR THE LOCATION OF THE PAIN BEHIND CLOSED EYES, THAT IS AN INDICATION THAT THE PAIN IS EITHER GONE OR HAS SUBSIDED TO A TOLERABLE LEVEL. CLAP YOUR HANDS AND SAY, “OPEN YOUR EYES.” If the client can tell right away where the pain is, take it from the top. Also be aware of the client’s secondary gain, such as he may want to hang on to the headache. In about 80% of people I have tried this technique on, the pain was completely wiped away for headaches, and there was a pain reduction of about 60% in woman with menstrual cramps. In difficult cases, you may have to go through the procedure two or three times.

IMPORTANT: Be certain that the client does not touch themself, other than the contact of their hands on their knees.

NOTE: I have performed this procedure in crowded restaurants, airplanes, and even at a night club with equal success.