PD Revelation

[Updated – 4/26/21]

This post updates and elaborates on a prior post in which I outlined some techniques I've used in an effort to deepen my response to the two core exercises of the Janice Walton-Hadlock (JWH) protocol.

Phrasings

These are examples of some of the kinds of things I've said during a session in dialogue with my “invisible friend.” My primary aim with all of these phrases, requests, etc. is to nurture feelings of safety and surrender. So these phrasings contain content about those and other related feelings.

“Let me feel you hold me... safe and loving... trusting you... reminding me I'm safe... so giving myself over to you.”

“Please hold me... comforting me... letting me know I'm safe... as I surrender to your love.”

“I trust you... and I give myself over to you... and surrender to your love.”

Notice that two of the examples begin with a request from exercise #2.

It helps to take a moment after each little phrase, pausing to feel the feelings it engenders.

Those are just possibilities. Though I definitely repeat certain phrases, it may be best not to get too locked into same same phrases all the time. You don't want this to become too mechanical. I believe I've had some of my best results when I've been talking spontaneously, not necessarily saying something completely new, but saying it in a way I never have before. And you can of course emphasize whatever feelings you think you need to nurture most — trust, safety, surrender, love, etc.

Simply being held in your friend's arms

The above phrasings notwithstanding, I am not actually positive that centering the content of your dialogue with your invisible friend around the feelings you're trying to nurture actually accomplishes anything! In my case it does not seem to have hurt, and does seem to help [Update – 4/26/21: Note that I only do this some of the time. As I understand it, the default should be talking about whatever heartfelt topics you need to talk about.], but I can't be sure it speeds things along any more than simply carrying out the two exercises in their purest forms. After all, JWH explains that techniques like affirmations were not found helpful, and that the two exercises “do an end run around Step 2 for turning off pause: sensory confirmation that the surroundings are safe” (RFP, 2020, p. 48). [1]

More in line then with the two core exercises in their pure forms, I refer you to the slightly intensified version of exercise #2 that lately has become one of my favorite techniques.

For me, a typical phrase within this technique would be, “Resting in your arms, feeling you holding me...”

Paired association

I've found it helpful to create a kind of paired association between my invisible friend and a feeling of calm relaxation. I've done this by consciously relaxing whenever making a request like, “Let me feel you hold me,” or in fact when talking with my invisible friend in any way. Through repetition, this has led the act of connecting with my invisible friend frequently to produce an automatic feeling of relaxation. (That said, the same thing might have come about regardless, a result of increased feelings of safety.)

Related to that, sometimes I ask my invisible friend if we might sit together on a particular beach on a particular island I know. This can add to the sense of peace and calm, perhaps bringing in a little more parasympathetic mode.

Asking my invisible friend for direct reassurance

I make a request, then listen to the response. No, I don't hear the voice of my invisible friend as I would the voice of another flesh and blood person in my presence. You could argue it is coming from my imagination. I believe it is more accurate to say it is coming from my heart, my higher self, or from my invisible friend via my heart. For there is generally more wisdom in my invisible friend's observations than I possess as a routine matter. Examples of these kinds of requests:

Tell me about always being there for me.
Tell me about how I can trust you.
Tell me about how you keep me safe.
Tell me about your love for me.

A heart-oriented technique

This earlier post covers the process I went through to begin to have feelings of heart expansion. Today my standard techniques for triggering a feeling of heart expansion is to say something to my invisible friend like, “I open my heart to you” or “My heart is open to you.” (sometimes in conjunction with the “lips on the heart” technique)... then be receptive to any feelings of heart expansion. This can be a good lead-in to talking with your invisible friend. Sometimes you might follow up with a question of concern, the aim being to get answers from your heart or from your invisible friend via your heart... then simply stay attuned to any thoughts, words, images, etc. that might come to you.

Combining core and auxiliary exercises

You can of course work the core and auxiliary exercises at the same time. For example, you might focus on energy at Yin Tang while you dialogue with your invisible friend. You might ask your invisible friend for help in visualizing the Du channel's energy running up the back of your neck and through your head to Yin Tang. And don't forget to thank your invisible friend for everything they provide you!

To close, I want to suggest that you not make too much of any of the above. It's just some things I feel have helped me. This stuff has to be personalized. You have to find what helps you. Moreover, I find these things are always evolving. What works best today may not be the same as what works best three weeks from now. My best advice might be to just take the two core exercises and run with them. Spend enough time in the protocol and you'll figure lots of things out. Still, I hope the ideas above might provide some useful leads.

[1] That said, I have at times had very clear, positive results from engaging within the dialogue in a simple form of cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing on issues of safety. See this example.