As discussed previously, some individuals experience difficulty in attaining the deeper hypnotic states. My advice is to be patient and to continue working with yourself. It is not imperative or vital to reach the somnambulistic stage for therapeutic results. It is a misconception on the part of many students that they must go into the deepest state possible to obtain results. Dramatic changes can come about at all levels of hypnosis. The somnambulistic state is necessary in hypnotherapy when there is a need for the patient to relive some traumatic episode. It is also useful when the patient is reluctant to consciously discuss certain aspects of his problem. Many hypnotherapeutic techniques such as amnesia, hypermnesia, progression, paramnesia, automatic writing, dream induction, regression, production of experimental conflicts and crystal or mirror gazing require a somnambulistic state. For those of you interested in hypnotherapy, I can recommend no finer book than _Hypnotherapy of War Neuroses_ by John G. Watkins, Ph.D. In this book, the theory of hypnotherapy has been diagramatically presented for easy comprehension and shown to be an amalgamation of concepts and practices from various schools of thought. Most students of hypnosis equate the phenomenon of amnesia with the somnambulistic state. The mistake they make is in trying to achieve amnesia. It's similar to the dog trying to catch his tail. It is impossible for the subject to effectively suggest amnesia to himself. If he remembers what he was supposed to forget, he has failed. If he truly doesn't remember what he was supposed to forget, he doesn't even remember the amnesia suggestion and can take no satisfaction from his success because he is not aware that he has accomplished the posthypnotic suggestion. Unless an elaborate set of posthypnotic suggestions are worked out, it is an impossible test for self-hypnosis. I know the reader is anxious to begin his conditioning for the somnambulistic state, but there are still a few pertinent remarks which should be remembered before proceeding further. The reader should not memorize verbatim any of the tests involved in proving the somnambulistic state. All that is necessary to remember is the general form and the goal you seek. The goal is to increase your suggestibility which, in turn, means deepening of the hypnotic state. After each step, you are to give yourself suggestions that you will go still deeper the next time. You should also designate a specific length of time to work with self-hypnosis. The suggestions are as follows: "I shall work with self-hypnosis for 15 minutes. At the end of that time, I shall open my eyes and wake up feeling wonderfully well. I'll be wide awake and refreshed. In case of any danger, I'll be able to awaken immediately and act accordingly."