The 6 Basic Uncovering Question of Regression to Cause Hypnotherapy

In regression hypnosis the goal is to uncover what contributed to causing the client’s problem.  The basic six uncovering questions can help you associate your client deeper into a scene or situation from the past.  And they can help you to uncover the information you need to resolve the underlying issue.

Don't expect a 3-D experience.

Most people expect that regressing into a past event means they're going to step into a 3-D experience of the event.  But that’s seldom how people experience a regression in hypnosis. What’s more likely to happen is that the client won’t trust their impressions regarding the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, and “how” that make up the aspects of a given event.  They’ll start thinking.  

Thinking can, and does, get in the way of uncovering the information you need to resolve the cause. You need to teach your clients to allow the information to bubble up into awareness.  You need to teach them to trust their impressions of where their mind takes them.  

The easiest way to do this is to work incrementally. The 6 basic uncovering questions are designed to do just that.

Think of the uncovering process as a virtual Easter-egg hunt.  

You take one small step and uncover the first piece of information.  Then you take another step and find the next “egg” or aspect.  So the uncovering questions don’t necessarily fall in a specific order.  You need to adapt them to wherever the client is at in the process.  This will help to maintain the flow of unfolding perceptions.

1. Day time or night time?

The first uncovering questions is: "Day time or night time?"  The purpose of this question is to elicit the broadest sense of where the client finds themselves.  What you're after is their most general impression.  "First impression, does it seem like it's day time or night time?"

If the client answers this question, either way, you’re in!  If they’re not sure, right away, that’s okay.  This is about giving the client time associate into the image while teaching them to respond with their first impression.  At first the client may not trust their impressions.  Thinking may get in the way of sensing and feeling.

Some clients expect to step into a 3-D event but that’s seldom how people experience regression.  It’s not about seeing.  It’s about feeling.  And feeling begins with tuning into the senses.   So, if your client says, “I can’t see anything,” remind them to go with their “first sense.”

Sometimes they don’t know if it’s day time or night time because they have regressed to the womb.  Ask the client if it’s light or dark.  If they report that it’s dark, ask them how it feels where they are.

If they are inside Mom they will report that it’s warm or that they are floating.  Then ask them to get a sense of any sounds around them.  If they report a heartbeat ask, “Are you inside or outside Mom?”

If they’re not clear, right way, no pressure.    Just move on to the next question.

2. Inside or outside?

Notice how this question is beginning to narrow the focus a little.  You're asking the client to locate their position in terms of space.  If their sense is that they are “inside” you can focus on getting more detail.  What room?  What time of day is it?  This helps the client to associate into the image.

Again, this is about the clients “first sense” of where their mind has taken them.  We start with the broader sense of things.  And gradually narrow down to the more specific details.  Just like with the Easter-egg hunt.  We take one small step.  We uncover the next aspect before taking another step.

If it seems like they’re over-thinking I’ll just say, “There’s no wrong answers – pick one.  Does it feel like you’re inside or outside?”  This usually gets the ball rolling.

3. Alone or with someone?

Here you are beginning to invite more complexity of detail to surface.

If they’re with someone, make a list of who that might be.  These are key players in this person’s particular drama.  So, make note because, often, these are the people who need to be forgiven to resolve the problem for good!

Sometimes the client will know right away who they’re with.  e.g. “I’m with Mom.”  When they answer quickly you can move more quickly with the uncovering. 

In this case, you might ask any of the uncovering questions to flesh out the image.  Examples:

• “How young might you be that you’re with Mom?”
• “What’s happening that you’re with Mom?”
• “What feelings are you feeling that you’re with Mom?”

Sometimes the client will report “alone” when they’re actually with someone.  Because that’s how they are feeling.   In this case, you want to uncover who they are with and what’s happening that is contributing to them feeling alone.

Sometimes they might report that they’re with someone but they’re not sure who it is.  So, you need to dig a little to find out more about that “somebody” they’re with.  Is this the only person they’re with or are there others?

Asking this question will sometimes bring the realization, “Oh, it’s a party!” or “It’s the family.”  You can then explore who is there and what their significance might be.  The idea is to find the key players.

If they’re with just one person but they can’t identify it is, ask if that person feels familiar or unfamiliar.  If it’s a stranger, they will feel unfamiliar.  In this case, you may not be able to uncover who the person actually is.  e.g. being raped by a stranger, abused by the baby-sitter, bullied by older kids at school.

While the Child cannot reveal what s/he doesn’t know, you can uncover lots of information.  Ask whether the person they’re with is male or female. How does the Child feel about that person – comfortable or uncomfortable?

What do they notice about that person?  The color of their shirt, the sound of their voice, the look in their eye.  These things can become triggers if associated with negative emotion.

4. How young might you be?

Notice I didn’t ask, “How OLD are you?”  The reason for this is because during the count back I am suggesting “growing younger.” “How young are you?” is more congruent and helps the client associate into their younger self.

During the count back I suggest “growing younger” so I don’t ask, “How old are you?”  I want my questions to be congruent and help the client associate into their younger self.

If the client reports, “Little,” you know you have a young Child.  In this case, you can ask, “Are you days, weeks, or months old?”  If they say "months" you can suggest, “Become aware of the tops and the backs of your hands.  From that you’ll know how young you are.  Show me – how many fingers?”  Small children often show their age with fingers.

5. What's happening?

This question invites the client to now tell you the story as it's happening now. I use this question when it’s clear to me that the client has connected with what’s happening.  I just ask them to give me a report.  Tell me the story as it’s happening now.

If you want more detail about something the client has just revealed you can ask,

• “What’s happening that you think (thought)?”
• “What’s happening that you’re feeling (feeling)?”
• “What’s happening as you’re noticing (perception)?”
• “What’s happening as (s/he) is (doing/saying) that?”

Wait until it's clear that the client knows where they’re at.   You’ll find that as your client learns to trust their impressions their skill with regression will improve.  They will drop easily into events and allow the scene to quickly become clear.

6. What feelings are you feeling?

This is the most important question because emotion is the motivating power of the subconscious mind. The feelings trapped in an event have everything to do with the problem you’re working on.  To resolve the problem you need to find out what is happening to make the client feel that way.

What is causing that emotion?  Once you have these key pieces of information you can help the client connect the dots.  Make the connection between that situation in the past and the problem they came to see you about so they can choose to release the pattern.

The most important information is the emotion the client is feeling.  But we also need to uncover what is happening to make them feel that way.  What is causing that emotion? The answer to this question is in the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, and “how” of the event.

• Who are they with?
• What is happening?
• What is being said/done?
• What is not being said/done?
• When is this happening?
• Where are they when it’s all happening now?
• How do those things make them feel?

If the client is resistant to facing the event or feelings, remind them why they’re there.  For example: “Your mind brought you here because there’s something that needs to be healed.”

If the client abreacts before you have a chance to uncover any information about the event, just encourage them to get it out.  Once they get some relief they’ll have more clarity with which to report and you can proceed with the uncovering process.

Once you have this information, you can help the client to release all the painful associations.  And as the client gains more clarity they’ll be able to “connect the dots” and see how the event contributed to the problem they came to see you about.

So, that's it. These basic six questions can help you associate your client deeper into a scene or situation from the past.  And they can help you uncover the information you need to resolve the issue. The trick is to adapt to the needs of the client.

1. Does it feel like its day time or night time?
2. Does it seem like you’re inside or outside?
3. Are you alone or with someone?
4. How YOUNG might you be?
5. What’s happening in this moment your mind now has you?
6. What feelings are you feeling?