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American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujhy20

The Utilization of Non-Drug Induced Altered States of Consciousness in Borderline Recidivists J. E. Spear D.O. Published online: 20 Sep 2011.

To cite this article: J. E. Spear D.O. (1975) The Utilization of Non-Drug Induced Altered States of Consciousness in Borderline Recidivists, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 18:2, 111-126, DOI: 10.1080/00029157.1975.10403785 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00029157.1975.10403785

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THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS

Volume 18, Number 2, October 1975 Printed in U.S.A.

The Utilization of Non-Drug Induced Altered States of Consciousness in Borderline Recidivists

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J. E. SPEAR, D.O. Tulsa, Oklahoma!

Utilizing non-drug induced altered states of consciousness, various modes of interior reflection, behavior modification and reprogramming of conscious attitudes and values were utilized with 49 borderline recidivists. Such offenders were so determined by the Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Office, District II. No coercion was used to induce such individuals to enter the program and there was no reprisal for stopping therapy at any time. Over a two and one-half year period the recidivist rate among this group was less than 5%. It is suggested that non-drug induced altered states of consciousness combined with indirect as well as symbolic techniques may prove to be the most effective means of criminal rehabilitation.

In the fall of 1971, a Tulsa probation and parole officer noted that one of his parolees was ceasing to be a difficult case and was working and straightening out his life more effectively. Further investigation revealed that the change occurred soon after the parolee came to the author for therapy. This led to a series of discussions between the probation and parole officer (P.O.) and the author. In January, 1972, these two, along with others including an Assistant District Attorney, a former Judge and Criminal Attorney, a Psychiatrist, a Businessman, a Probationer and two Medical Assistants formed a non-profit corporation "The Tulsa Rehabilitation, Research and Evaluation Programs, Inc." The acronym, "TRIP" was used as this is what the letters roughly spell out and many of the individuals in therapy have compared the therapy to "tripping out." One of the aims of this organization was to provide an innovative guidance and therapeutic program for probationers and parolees, many of whom were indigent.

!

5535 So. Lewis, 74105

A study was begun in which only borderline recidivists were referred. Such determination to be made by the Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole, District 2. These were individuals, who, in the opinion of the P.O. were, in all probability, to be returned to prison within a few months, or less, if there wasn't a major change in attitude and actions, and that all previous and current efforts were to no avail. In 1972, the Department referred 33 cases. By the end of that year the status of these cases were: Expunged 5 Finished probation or parole satisfactorily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9 On probation or parole, satisfactorily 15 On probation or parole, marginal 3 Incarcerated 1 Refused therapy , , .. 1 In 1973, one of the State's P.O.'s became a Federal Probation and Parole Officer, referring 8 individuals for care.

III

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112 TABLE 1 RANGE OF AGE OF INDIVIDUALS REFERRED

Age 16 17 18 19 20 21

22

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23 24 25

26 27

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 38 Average Age: 23.9 Median Age: 21

The State referred an additional II. Many more would have been referred, but there was a lack of funds. Number of State referrals were essentially told, Individuals "You had better go over there and get your I head together or you are going to end up 2 back in jail." Federal referrals were essen4 tially told, "I don't know if they can help 2 8 you, but why not go over there and try it?" 4 Table 1 shows the age range of the indi4 viduals referred. 3 Table 2 shows the type of crime in2 volved, the number of individuals who 5 4 were convicted of that crime, whether re2 ferred by the State or Federal P.O.' sand 1 the age or age range of the individuals in2 volved. One should keep in mind that in 1 each case the crime listed was the last one 2 I of which the individual was convicted and 1 that in many cases, the individual "copped I a plea" that is, he or she pleaded guilty to a I lesser charge than actually had been com1 mitted. Table 3 indicates the number of indiTABLE 2 TYPES OF CRIMES AND AGE RANGE

State Shooting with intent to kill Assault with a deadly weapon Robbery with firearms Breaking and entering Entering without breaking Robbery by force Burglary of auto Interstate auto theft Theft from interstate vehicle Burglary from vending machine Larceny from retailer Burglary 2 Bogus check False demand from U.S. Government Sale of Dangerous drugs Possession of drugs-5th Possession of controlled drugs Possession of Marijuana Driving while intoxicated Lewd molestation Indecent proposal to a child Indecent exposure

Federal

I I I I I I I

3 I I I

8 2 3 1 3 9 3 I I 7

*Actual ages given unless more than three individuals of different ages involved.

Age Range* 38 22 28 20 17 26 18 20-23 20 25 27 18·31 18-34 22 20-21 33 20-25 17-23 16-29-36 22 25 20-31

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viduals who had consultations preceding therapy and how many had the indicated number of hours of therapy in an altered state of consciousness (ASC). Generally, individuals under the age of 21 were not given regular consultations/ unless they were or had been married. In the author's experience and that of another therapist (Boswell, 1969) this group responds more effectively to immediately beginning procedures in ASC, rather than evoking the usual defenses and guarding mechanisms that they have used so often with other therapists, other therapies, and other attempts at counseling. To the author's knowledge, no one was coerced into staying in therapy by anyone. Strong encouragement by the office assistants and by the P.O.' s was given when necessary, but it remained the individual's own decision when to stop therapy, and such individuals were not penalized in any way other than the loss of the treatment program. The author would have preferred to see each individual have at least 15 hours The regular consultation essentially follows that outlined by Van Pelt in his book "Hypnotic Suggestion" (published by Wehman Bros. 1955, pages 56 and 57). In addition, a sexual history is taken as well as eliciting the answers to the following questions: (a) What is the most significant, outstanding or frightening experience you've ever had? (b) Is there anything about which you have had a great deal of personal guilt, not that you are supposed to feel guilty about, or were taught to feel guilty about, just that it is your own idea? (c) What is the most emotionally disturbing experience you've ever had? (d) What is the nicest thing that's ever happened to you? (e) Is there anything you haven't told me that you think I should know? 3 The Rotary Prism is an instrument ordinarily used in ophthalmology. It consists basically of two prisms, one over the other that rotate in opposite directions. Consequently, any individual looking through the instrument when it is set at 0 will see an intact image. As the knob is rotated, causing the prisms to rotate in opposite directions the image.begins to split. The concentrated effort of the Subject to keep the image as one results in the induction of an ASC. 2

TABLE 3 TOTAL HOURS OF THERAPY PER SUBJECT

Number having Consultation Number of hours of therapy

o

1 2 3 4' 6 7 8 9 10 12

13 14 15 23 25 27 28 31 32 37 40 42 53 60

State -

35 Federal -

State 2 4 .4 1 3 2 2 1 1 1 .4 2 2 3 2 0 1 0 1 2 1 2 1 1 1

6

Federal 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

of therapy, but was not always able to convince the individual to do so. METHOD OF THERAPY

Utilizing closed-circuit TV with to and fro audio, the subject is seated in a reclining chair in a private room with pleasant, unobtrusive decoration and a suspended, dim amber light as the only illumination. A light level of ASC is induced utilizing a Rotary Prism". The subject is instructed to concentrate on keeping the slowly splitting image as one image. Earphones are placed on the subject's head, the gentle vibrator of the chair is turned on, and the therapist leaves the room. The assistant observing this on the closed circuit TV, starts the tape deck for that particular room and subject, following the "prescription" by the therapist as to which pre-recorded tapes to play and in what

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order. The initial tape further deepens ASC, then, depending on the particular work to be done with that patient at that time, this is followed by both "live" and pre-recorded techniques which evaluate the subject as well as give therapy. Evaluation techniques are, for the most part, indirect and symbolic. The therapist is observing the subject over closed circuit TV. The subject is frequently asked, while in ASC, to evaluate his or her reactions and experiences during a particular procedure and to state what he or she feels it means. "How would you summarize this experience, what does it mean to you?" This aspect alone is often therapeutic, with excellent insights achieved; consequently, the evaluation is usually therapeutic simultaneously. The Subconscious Personality Profile" is acquired by indirect techniques which precludes even the most astute subject from "second guessing" the therapist in all areas. The subject may not tell the truth, deny, or may even attempt to tell the therapist what the subject thinks the therapist is looking for. As the only thing the therapist is looking for is the first thing that comes to the subject's mind, such a subject soon becomes confused in the statements he or she gives. If such is not what the subject really thinks or feels, it soon stands out glaringly from the rest of the Profile. This is because the Profile overlaps in many areas. If the subject's word association test show a "low opposite sex 4 The Subconscious Personality Profile essentially consists of a dissociation technique where the subject is asked to imagine that his mind floats up out of his body and across the room, "What do you see about that person that causes a problem?", a word association test filled out and categorized at home by the subject as a result of post-ASC suggestion, a symbolic walk-in-the-woods (woods, key, cup, body of water, picnic, sleep, bear, wall, lost young creature, house and creature giving birth), the subconscious image (symbolic way your subconscious mind sees itself), and the subconscious love object (symbolic way your subconscious mind sees its love objects).

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positive" (difficulty in trusting or depending upon a mother or mother figure in the first 10 years of life), the "Walk-In-TheWoods" shows he did not pick up the cup or perhaps he kicked it, if the subconsicous love object is "nothing" or "hazy" and the subject tells the therapist that he had a warm, close relationship with his mother, there is strong reason to doubt such as statement and in practice gently asking the subject to think about the pattern just mentioned and his conflicting statement eventually, the subject will face the true situation and resolve it. As the elicitation of the Profile requires only 10 or 15 minutes of a one hour session, guidance and therapy are given as well. There are indications that the subject should undergo four, five or six hours of continuous ASC for several days in a row, especially those who have severe alcohol and/or other drug problems. One of the reasons for this is that the subject very quickly gets to the basic problem and may work it through very quickly in continuous ASC daily. This appears to reduce the tendency of certain subjects to leave therapy when they begin to come close to the true problem area. Therapy essentially involves multiple aspects: 1. To automatically recall this deeply relaxed state and to utilize it when under stress. 2. A form of Remote Emotive Therapy . . . "What first caused you to feel this way, how has it affected your life; is it valid now?" "Have any other experiences occurred that relate to this?" 3. To evaluate oneself, one's weaknesses and strengths, conditionings, learned responses, goals, attitudes, etc. 4. The utilization of mental exercises that are symbolic, therapeutic as well as intense mental practice for similar circumstances in normal waking consciousness. 5. Continuing suggestions to set his or her own goals and ideals, rather than the

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therapist trying to fit the individual into a particular model. 6. To put purpose and meaning into the individuals life in a concept similar to that of logotherapy. 7. The "nudging" of the individual to examine his or her relationship with his or her particular concept of God. Three factors are frequently noted among these individuals: 1. Low levels of self esteem 2. Depression 3. Going into deep levels of ASC once trust in the therapist and the therapeutic approach is established. Occasionally, some highly guarded individuals will go very deep during the first hour of ASC. If the treatment session is ended at this time as a routine procedure, they may have a strong emotional reaction. Following this affect-laden abreaction, these individuals usually require strong reassurance to continue any further therapy. This is another indication to utilize prolonged ASC during the early part of therapy. All subjects are treated as individuals and with respect in every aspect of therapy and in the relationships with the staff as well. The therapist never speaks to the individual at the end of the session; instead an office assistant is specially trained to handle the few types of reactions that are encountered from time to time and can be very effective in aiding the individual in therapy. Such reactions vary from ripping off the earphones and stomping out in the middle of the session to being so deep in ASC at the end of the session that the assistant must arouse them to get them out of the chair. Other reactions are: "I went to sleep;" "I didn't go to sleep;" "I feel more nervous now than when I started;" and similar comments. The basic, most effective approach to each of these is reassurance. In just about every case, simple reassurance will effectively handle these reactions.

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Each individual will have the feeling that the periods of therapy were his or her's alone, even though they know that three others were being treated simultaneously, each in their respective private room. Results to date are demonstrated in Table 4 and include the 32 individuals from 1972. These subjects have been followed up for at least one year or longer. The individual who recidivated while under state supervision was recidivated for indecent proposal to a male child. Interestingly enough, this individual's past arrests were for indecent exposure, for which his subconscious personality profile was not typical, nor was his history. He indicated that he engaged in homosexual acts, mainly that of having fellatio performed on him for some years. The individual from the Federal Office recidivated for burglary. The one individual charged is for armed robbery. Two who refused therapy on State probation or parole did so after consultation. The individual from the Federal Office refused therapy after she was threatened by her boy friend if she came for treatment. CASE SUMMARIES

Fifty-two borderline recidivists were referred for therapy utilizing non-drug induced altered states of consciousness. Three refused therapy, two recidivated, one is charged and out on bail. Forty-six either finished supervision or are still on probation TABLE 4 Present status of Case to date*

State

Expunged 6 Finished Parole or Probation Satisfactorily 13 On Parole or Probation Satisfactorily 19 On Probation or Parole Marginal 2 Charged 1 Incarcerated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Refused Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2 *June 30, 1974

Federal

3 I 0 1 1

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or parole. The "mind set" or mental attitude of the individual at the time of referral for therapy seems to playa major part in the motivation and determination of the individual to enable them to do well in response to the treatment design. The individual is not given any particular model to fit himself to, instead, he or she is encouraged to set his or her own entelechy. Recidivist rate: State 2.27% Federal 12.5 % Overall rate 3.84% If the charged individual is convicted the overall rate is 4.55%.

Case 1 H.B. a white, 18 year old male on parole, had been evaluated and given therapy elsewhere. He was on parole following a seven year history of difficulty with the law. When he was 11 he had been convicted of juvenile burglary, at age 14 of petty larceny and shop lifting; at 15 he was involved with forging checks, and about the age of 17 he was convicted of burglary, breaking and entering. His previous therapist stated that he could not help H.B. and that he should be returned to jail. A very brief consultation with H.B. elicited that he wanted help in solving problems and that he would rather play basketball than anything else. It is perhaps unfortunate that the author chose to do even this very brief consultation, because we were only able to get H.B. to come in six times in 13 months. He was asked during the first hour of therapy to dissociate and "look back at the person in that chair - what do you see about that person that causes a problem?" Where he had responded spontaneously to other questions asked just a few moments before, there was now no answer to this question. He was told that later on he would have some significant thoughts about that question and we would discuss

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it. The second hour of therapy was about one month later. Again he entered ASC very nicely, remaining quiet and his eyes closed until he began to hear a pre-recorded set of suggestions on "fear and guilt." He sat throughout this part of the session with his eyes wide open. At the end of this set of suggestions he again closed his eyes for the last 30 minutes of the session. Needless to say that here was an area of great stress for H.B. His third hour of therapy was 10 weeks later, he was again dissociated and was asked what he saw that caused a problem and his answer: "Childhood, not having a mother." He came back to see the author three months later; in therapy he said his problem was that" in school everybody asked me about my mother: she died when I was eight years old. Everybody else had a mother to take care of them." Author: "How did this cause you to feel about yourself?' , H.B.: "I felt lower than everybody else. " Author: "What could a little boy do to escape a feeling like that?" H.B.: "Don't know." Author: "What could a little boy do to avoid feeling like that in the future?" H.B.: (tears in his voice, rubbing eyes) "Take on responsibility himself - didn't get to play and have a good time like the other (kids)." His fifth hour of therapy was two months later. He reported at the beginning of the hour that he felt more relaxed, more self confident. The last hour he was in was two months later. In most individuals we would have given and had returned the Word Association Test by this time. This is a test in which the Subject is told while in ASC to read the first word and write down the first word that comes into his mind on reading that word. He is to continue doing this with all of the words and phrases, some 213. After that, he is to go back over the words

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he wrote down and categorize each from one to eight: I = Self positive, 2 = Self negative, 3 = Self physical, 4 = Opposite sex positive, 5 = Opposite sex negative, 6 = Opposite sex physical, 7 = Mother, 8 = Father. By the third hour we have elicited the "Walk-In-The-Woods." As H. B. was so guarded a personality, he did not return the WATS and the author hesitated to do the "Walk-In-The-Woods," due to the tendency of H.B. to back off from therapy for prolonged periods of time. If the author was treating H.B. for the first time today, he would have H.B. in ASC for at least five hours and do an intense symbolic and indirect therapeutic approach with him. His "Walk" went like this: General Character of Woods (life): Trees, flowers, but cool. Key (expectations from Life): To a cabin. Body of Water (emotional and sexual involvement): Cool - cross to the other side on rocks. Cup (basic home and social atmosphere): Old stein with shield on it ceramic - leave it there. Picnic (food and social atmosphere): Lots of people enjoying themselves stand and watch. Sleep (ability to sleep, general fear and anxiety level): He slept. Bear (competition): Big, brown, robbing a beehive - I go around him. Wall (life drive): Go over easily. Lost young creature (benevolent attitudes): Lost dog, pet it, make friends. House (involvement in home situation): Log cabin, go in, antiques inside. Creature giving birth (birth attitudes): Bird - eggs hatching, hear little birds peeping. Soon after this session, H.B. successfully completed parole and stopped therapy. Some months later his P.O. was contacted and he informed the author's assistant that once H.B. started therapy here

he stopped being a problem to him. That he had successfully completed parole and was now enrolled in a Jr. College on a basketball scholarship. The author would predict that H.B. will have problems in the future, but to date he has not had any known legal problems. In most of these individuals it is difficult to determine what they are currently doing if they are off probation or parole. Case 2

M.e. a white, 25 year old male had been arrested once for indecent exposure, something he vigorously denied: "It was the only time I ever did anything like that and I wasn't exposing myself, I just thought it would be a good way to get her interested. The only reason I did it was because my wife didn't like sex and I wasn't getting enough at home. I was in my car and I saw this strange girl and I asked her 'Do you want this?' It was just a spontaneous thought just after asking her in the car and she said 'NO.' I don't have a sexual problem and I came to you to prove it." M.e. had been having difficulty "proving it" as he had been to at least 3 previous therapists, all of whom said he needed therapy. He was quiet, appeared studious and conservative, somewhat overweight. His wife divorced him soon after the arrest. He was now engaged to a Psychology major attending a local university. He had spent several uneventful years in the army and noted that he had a tendency to drive very fast. Between the ages of 16 and 25 he had had many speeding tickets, almost losing his drivers license. He was a "loner" in school and was now working as a clerk, which he liked although he would rather have a different boss. "Present boss and I are both hard headed." He was presently living alone, his young son and daughter were with their mother. He had problems with enuresis until the age

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of 17. He stated that he never had much to do with either parent nor his five brothers, that he "never tried to get close to them." If he wanted something bad enough "I would beg Mama until I got it." Of he and his siblings, he was the third child. When he was 19, his mother died following surgery. M. C. said his first sexual intercourse was when he was married and it was "blah," however it "improved for me but not for her." He could not recall the most significant, outstanding or frightening experience of his life; he stated he felt guilty about nothing and that he had had no really emotionally upsetting event in his life. This is the fore-runner of the great deal of denial that this individual utilized while under the author's care. Of further interest was his statement that the nicest thing that had ever happened to him was his marriage. In ASC on dissociation he stated that he could see nothing about that individual in the chair that caused a problem. He was cooperative enough that on the third visit he brought in a completed Word Association Test. This showed No.2 higher than No.1 and No. 1 lower than usual. No.3 was high No.4 low, No.7 high. This indicates that here is an individual who never developed a strong positive image of himself, who has not been able to develop a deep interpersonal relationship with the opposite sex and who has an extremely strong habit of avoiding or fleeing any uncomfortable circumstance, feeling, or thought. It is this pattern that has prevented him from examining himself and from taking the necessary attitudes and steps to correct his difficulties and develop his entelechy. This is also the reason that he changes therapists. In his Walk in the woods the symbolism here was confirming: Body of Water: Cool, fast, bubbling stream - jumped it. Cup: Broken porcelain - leave it there. Picnic: Two women and two kids - go get chicken and eat it.

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Bear: Big - I run. Lost young creature: Crying little boy. House: White, small, frame, go in, empty, leave. At the end of this session he began a more conscious denial of what he was uncovering about himself in ASC. Told the Assistant that "I wasn't really down this time or any of the other times." However, he did have a time distortion in that "the hour didn't seem that long." In the author's mind there was no question that M. C. was working in ASC in all of his sessions. At the beginning of his fourth hour he stated that he had "got rid of some problems" and was now feeling more relaxed. In the fifth hour he examined his subconscious image (SCO) - "that image that best represents your subconscious mind, its hopes, its dreams, its fears, its memory bank" - M.C.'s was a round white ball rolling along. His reason for seeing himself this way was because it would "go along with anybody." What he liked about it was "no pointed or sharp edges on it." What he disliked about it was that it "rolls too easily ." He could not come up with any changes he would make in it to improve it or make it more desirable to him. Asked what happened that first caused him to feel negative about himself his only statement was' 'My brothers - doing what they did." In the sixth hour of therapy he denied that he felt negative about himself. Before starting the seventh hour of therapy he stated that this was his last time and that he wanted a letter to his P.O. stating that he had no sexual problem and that he should be released from probation and any further therapy. In ASC his SCO was the same ball, no changes, "I don't think I'd change it. " On being asked to come up with a subconscious love object (SCLO) he saw "nothing" which means he had no love object - even though he was presentlyengaged. This individual was essentially the same

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after seven hours of therapy as he was at the trouble since the age of nine at which time beginning of therapy. He had made some he began his long career of purse snatching minor changes in the beginning, but as soon and about that time was destroying the as he became aware of this he became neighbors' property. At age 15 he was frightened and continued his routine of de- convicted of public drinking. It was during nial. Here again is another individual who this year that he married for the first time ... probably would have benefited from at least a marriage that was to end abruptly and unfive hours of continuous ASC. He did not happily when his wife was killed in a car get the kind of letter he requested and later accident three years later. When he was 16, had his girl friend call me. She told me that his son was born; and P. S. was engaged in the Word Association Test was invalid as "sticking up" 31 gas stations. He was conshe had gone over eight or ten of the words victed of armed robbery and placed on proand told him what to put down including bation. He was sent to the state mental inthe numbers. As the reader can see, even stitution for evaluation, "but the charges though those few were deliberately were dropped and I was out in ten days." At changed, it does not invalidate the profile the time his first wife was killed, he was spending 20 months in prison for second debecause so many other factors confirm it. M.e. was not released from probation gree burglary. He married a second time at and was told he must stay in therapy. He re- about the age of 22. This marriage lasted turned to group therapy (this was safest- about four weeks. "She was pregnant, not he could easily avoid getting to the real my kid, got an abortion and then her folks crux of the problem there) and had less than began needling her." He had returned to a year to finish out probation. The difficulty the state mental institution voluntarily "to here is the massive denial M.e. utilizes. I .get my head straight," however, while he have seen another case with a similar pat- was there he heard his best friend had been tern who waited ten years before sexually shot and he left the same week he came to exposing himself a second time. The cir- the office of the author. For the past two cumstances of both events were almost months he had been thinking of hanging or exactly the same, as though a play was shooting himself due to strong feelings of being performed with different supporting depression. He described his father as quiet characters each time. Consequently, al- and not affectionate and his mother as a though M.e. has not recidivated, his sub- "bitch." He recalled one incident where conscious "structure" or profile is such his mother and big brother had a fight and that we might predicate that he would under she pointed a pistol at him. "After a while sufficient stress. she wouldn't pick on me because I'd scream - once I choked her. " He had both an older brother and a younger brother. Case 3 (The older brother came in for therapy a In the fall of 1971, one of the Probation year later because of the' 'tremendous imand Parole Officers phoned my office. He provement you've made in my brother"). In eliciting the Subconscious Personality was sending in P.S. a 23 year old white male whom he felt had suicidal tendencies. Profile he said that his problem was his P.S. was a tall, thin boy appearing more "parents. " During the next few hours of like 18 or 19 years old. He had .difficulty therapy it was suggested that he would have keeping a job, usually" getting fed up and an informative dream as to why he has the quiting. I have trouble getting along with problem that brought him here. P.S. never people. " He stated that he had been in told me the actual dreams, only his interpre-

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tation of them. From these dreams emerged a home situation of a neurotic mother and a passive father who' 'never stuck-up for himself. " This is related to the 31 gas station stick-ups that occurred about the time P.S. became a father. He prided himself on his purse snatching ability. "It's the thing I do best, never been caught . . . I've got the old lady's purse and all her goodies and I get off by myself and laugh my ass off." Between the fourth and fifth hour of therapy he was caught purse snatching. He later noted that the "kicks weren't there anymore either." The purse snatching he related as "some relationship to Mother. " He continued working well with dreams and this revealed to him that he was "emotionally disturbed and needed help." A picture of a young boy whose mother would scream and yell at him, often for reasons he did not understand or for things he was not guilty of, began to emerge. He began to feel that he could not trust females at all; as a matter of fact, he felt he really could not trust anybody. By the eighth hour of therapy he saw his SCO as a "Glass man - full of different things, but can't tell." By this time he was thinking about returning to stealing as he needed $500 for a lawyer, and he had no job. Two weeks later he had a job and was feeling more relaxed. His SCO was "myself - more considerate, understanding feelings of others more." However 12 days later he had beat his girl friend up and was feeling "homicidal. . . suicidal." He had been told by his lawyer that if he came up with $1000 he could get him 10 years probation. (This was very interesting as you can only get 5 years probation at the most in Oklahoma. When he was informed of this, he changed attorneys, thanks to his employers assistance.) By the 12th hour of therapy he had not only changed lawyers, but he had "changed chicks." He now saw himself (SCO) as "myself - more secure . . . much more!" His SCLO was "Girls

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. . . several. . . all different." His dream the night before was that of strangling somebody. During the 16th hour he related an incident which furthered his hatred of women. This related to a "crush" he had while in grade school on a 24 year old next door neighbor. She and an older woman were present when' 'my mother went crazy and started beating me." His description was "She kept beating and beating and beating me and those bitches thought it was funny . . . I started crying . . . was too big to cry . . . I was scared . . . embarrassed and humiliated. . . started tormenting all of them from then on." When he was 5 years old his mother thought he had done something and began hitting him. . . "scared me to death." His aunt came in and wanted him to come to her but he could not, he wanted to but he could not. . . "I screamed at her too, she thought it was funny." His Walk-In-The-Woods was as follows: Tall trees, sunny and shady. Big brass key - throw it away. Paper cup - walk on by. Ocean - take boat across. No picnic. Was able to nap in the woods. Bear was big and he avoided it. Lost young creature - a rabbit, I play with it and then leave it. House - my grandmother's, stop and eat. Creature giving birth - a cow giving birth to a bull calf, I check it out from a distance and go on. Before beginning the 20th hour he said "It just blows my mind to even think about stealing. . . freaks me out. Job is the best I've ever had. Having problem with my "chick." His Word Association Test showed Normal self positive, however his self negatives were greater than his self positive indicating he had been made to feel inadequate and negative about himself almost since birth. His self physical was high

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indicating that something that seemed life threatening to him occurred in the first two to three years of life. His opposite sex positive, negative and physical were all low. This indicates that he has never been able to mentally, emotionally or physically depend upon or trust the opposite sex, in particular the mother or a mother figure. Much of this could have been guessed from his previous responses. It further showed that although he was reporting great gains that much remained to be done. By the 22nd hour he had lost his job due to the company's financial situation. The 23rd hour was remarkable in that he reported having a dream in which he was going to have intercourse with his mother, but his father came home. He was now becoming more tolerant of his mother. . . he recalled nice things she had done for him and how she was the only one who understood when he was two years old and wet the bed. He was now beginning to see the opposite sex as people, not just sex objects. His goals were elicited in the 25th hour and included being able to take care of himself and be on his own, to find a good job and to marry and have a family. As therapy continued his SCO and his SCLO improved, he had stopped beating his girl friend, until she gave him gonorrhea. At this point he felt like hitting her but did not. About two weeks later he reported he was beginning to feel violent and his SCLO was now' 'nothing" because he disliked women. As time went on he reported in the 36th hour in October of 1972 that everything is better"I enjoy going straight." In January, 1973 the last charge against him had been expunged. He was last seen in January 1974; he had been in no legal trouble since the purse snatching incident over two years before - the longest he had gone in many years without committing a crime. He had married a girl whom he had lived with for sometime and had been "saved" and joined a Baptist church.

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Case 4 P.P. was a constantly moving white, 20 year old male who stated that he was all confused - "I was real religious when I was younger." He had been arrested for desecration of the American flag and selling LSD at the same demonstration. In grade school he had begun using drugs, "Valo" in particular, and by age 12 was regularly using amphetamines. He denied using anything other than marijuana or amphetamines and that his preference was for "speed" because "it feels good - puts your head in a real nice place - makes me feel like the nicest person in the world; I get stoned to make everything look prettier." The previous winter he spent five and onehalf months in the state mental hospital. He was unhappy there for the drugs they gave him made him feel worse. He had had hepatitis at age 19 and when he was "a kid" he had emergency room repair of multiple lacerations that occurred "when my mother pushed me down." He described his parents as the "strangest couple in the world", - Mother as "weird", - Father as "the nicest, understanding." He had two older sisters. Sexually he reported his frustrations this way: "I really dig girls, but I get too messed up (on drugs) and pass out. " The most frightening thing that had happened to him was when a "con threatened to kill me - I didn't want to get killed." The most disturbing experience he had ever had was "Each year my friend got busted and he did not do it. I gave them a dollar for him, and it wasn't given to him - I flipped out!" He felt that no nice thing had ever happened to him. A report by a psychologist from a large, local clinic reads in part: ". . . typically schizophrenic manner on psychological testing. In addition to his strange mannerisms, inappropriate affect, and bizarre statements; he appeared to drift off fre-

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quently; the examiner had great difficulty in persuading him to attend to the questions and was not always certain that his client actually heard what was said. [It] is difficult [for me] to determine if this is the result of a rather insidious process over a number of years." P.F. was the same way in the author's office during the consultation. His appearance was typical for that of a "speed freak" including dirty bare feet; long, dirty, unkept hair; bad body odor and classic "hippy" dress. His feet and his hands were constantly in motion. Therapy was immediately instituted and P.F. readily entered an ASC. During that first hour of ASC he sat completely still, not moving until the ASC was ended. On disassociation he stated in a rather rambling, disconnected manner that his problem was "had it rough . . . shouldn't be nothing wrong with anybody, hurts him. . . ." Five days later he appeared for his second hour of therapy asking the staff' 'How do you like my haircut?" His Walk-In-The-Woods three days later is as follows: Trees, big rocks. Gold key, pick it up and keep it for good luck. Cup - white with design on it, don't know what to do with it. Brook - crystal clear, rocks, walk around it. Picnic - no picnic. Sleep - no sleep, go back to the water and look at the rocks .. Bear - no bear. Wall - turn around and walk away. Lost young creature - pretty, little deer, pet it, talk to it. House - log cabin, look at it never saw before, don't go in, real nice. Creature giving birth - no creature. Four days later he brought in a poem and mentioned casually that he had not taken any speed in the past two weeks. His poem was written about two weeks before:

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To be something To make is to make something Deep An not let fade So iF not Fade, let it be Now The noing of the bran is What makes the Love of beauty So sit bake an Thing He also brought in a second poem that was written later while not on "speed" The beauty of life is the life in the eye of beauty that shines in the air of sparkles of glowing stars that fly so high During the fifth hour of therapy while looking at his SCO for the first time he began chewing motions and finally curled up into a fetal position. On revealing his SCO - during the next session he described it as: l. "Me" male, long hair, bell bottoms on. 2. Best image there is. 3. Way it feels - happy. 4. Nothing. 5. Nothing - read more books. He then said, referring back to the WalkIn-The-Woods, "The wall scared me - I would go over it now. " Five days after this visit, the author received a phone call from P.F. 's attorney who commented on P.F. 's improvement and requested a letter to the court regarding P.F. In my letter I noted P.F. 's improvement as well as the fact that he would go to great lengths to avoid direct confrontation with life's problems. I requested the court to allow him to continue in therapy. P.F. came in the day before his trial very upset: "I'm turning into a junkie - shooting anything I could find - over a Broad!" He went into a level of ASC from which he was unable to respond until the ASC was ended. Four days later, he returned, sentencing had been deferred as the Court noted his improvement. "I'm a freak and I'll always be a freak, a Freak can do what

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he wants to." An attempt was made to elicit his SCLO, but again he had entered a level of ASC from which he did not respond until the ASC was ended. When he came in four days later he was wearing shoes and was obviously less depressed. He was not seen again for ten weeks as he had a fight with his mother and ended up in Hawaii, where he got hit by a bus. While there he met a girl who wanted him to set up some kind of business with her. He wanted to go back to Hawaii, but "everybody is down on me." He was sentenced to serve some time in jail. About two months later his father phoned to state that P.F. had told him that his treatments with the author had really helped him while he was in jail. Nothing more was heard for about a year, then his father called again to state that he was out of jail, doing well, but having a difficult time getting ajob. He was also taking a one hour daily course to finish up the credits he needed for a high school diploma. The following year, contact was made with his mother who stated, " . . . the change is like a miracle, we are so thankful." Case 5 L.C. was a 22 year old white female who attempted to kill her husband and the girl with him, with an automobile. They had previously agreed to a trial separation. For a six month period before the separation, L.C. had dreams that someone was trying to kill her. She grew up with an affectionate mother but her father had been diagnosed as "psycho" by the V.A. physicians. She believed that he was married not only to her mother, but to another woman as well and had, as a third mate, a common law wife. L.C. was "fearful of him to a point," for when she was eight years old she was present when he raped her sister who was 12 at the time. When L.C. reached puber-

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ty, he began to molest her as well as well as her younger sister. She stated that she managed to escape him before anything could happen. The parents fought constantly and the father "never supported us." At age ten she was caught stealing a can of hair spray for which she was "talked to" by her father. When she was about 14 her mother thought she was sexually involved with a boy and came up behind her. She started beating her with a stick. "The more I stood up for myself the worse it got." About the age of 16 she was expelled from school for fighting. She and her husband had two children ages two and four. During both of these pregnancies he apparently was involved with other women. Zung Depression Scale at this time was 68. Therapy was begun that same day, and on disassociation she stated her problem was "confusion." At the beginning of her second hour, four days later, she reported she was sleeping better and that she needed a report for her P .0. Five days later at the beginning of her third hour she asked that nothing be said about her father in the report. Word Association Test showed: low self positive, low opposite sex positive, high self physical and high opposite sex physical. Subconscious Image (SCO): "Me" with hollow eyes, funny face, sitting." Like about it: "Nothing." Dislike about it: "Sketchy character." Changes would make: "Softer, rounder, more feminine.'" Before starting the sixth hour she reported that she was gaining better control of her temper. Subconscious Love Object at this time: 1. Heart. 2. Don't know. 3. Doesn't represent much. 4. Smooth, silky, soft. Her low opposite sex physical she related to her father: "He bothered my sister sexually - attacked me once when I was seven,

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he bothered my mother the same way." By the 12th hour of therapy she had filed for a divorce as her husband was living with another woman. In ASe she noted the similarities between her father and her husband: (a) They are both not mature, responsible or seem to care for the children and (b) "I don't feel safe with either one. " She could find no ways in which they were different. As therapy progressed she revealed that her poor image of herself was contributed to by her teachers who "punished me for nothing," "made me feel guilty." She was unable to pattern herself after her mother as she was growing up because she did not see her very much and often felt lonely. During the history she had stated that she enjoyed sexual relations with her husband and reached a climax. Before going into ASe on her 18th visit, she stated ''I'm frigid - could this problem be due to my father?" While in ASe she recalled: 1. "My father raping my sister, he ran after her as she ran past me. . I held my doll. . . scared of his face. . . sister was crying." 2. "The neighbor who offered me candy to molest me. . . I knew it was wrong but I wanted the candy." 3. "At age five or six the father of my girl friend who tried to put his hands in my pants. " In later sessions she would recall an uncle who molested her also. As a result of this she felt she could not trust men - "All lied to me, all used me and never accepted me." By this time she was beginning to date and had set goals of becoming a secretary. During her 25th hour her seo was now seen as a small fluffy bird, flying - happy and free. She was getting the training to become asecretary and had had an unsatisfactory love affair with a new man which she broke off - handling it well. By the 35th hour she evaluated herself as "I'm

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doing what I've always wanted - to be happy." Since the beginning of therapy she has not had any further legal problems, is working and taking care of her children. Her P.O. reports that she is doing well. DISCUSSION

A therapeutic approach utilizing nondrug induced states of consciousness as the basic principal vehicle has been described. The basic philosophy of the therapeutic content is based on several factors: I. Teaching the individual to become more relaxed automatically during times of stress, by subconsicously recalling the relaxed state of ASe and utilizing it to pause before reacting. 2. The understanding as to what happened to cause the individual to think and act the way he or she has in the past, as given to the therapist by the subject, rather than the therapist inserting his own ideas as to causes. The therapist takes care to avoid inserting himself into this area, with the exception of very gently pointing out patterns to the individual. 3. The inculcation, as well as direct teaching, of other ways to examine and evaluate past experiences where such is needed. Frequently, the individual needs only to see what the experiences and reasoning were and is instantly able to see where such reasoning is now invalid. Where such does not occur, the individual needs to be "nudged" along by being given several ways to view the experience(s). Essentially these are based on: a. Is your understanding of the experience at that time valid today? b. Even ifit is, why let it damage the rest of your life? 4. The restoration of the individual's self esteen has already begun to occur by this point in therapy, not by telling the individual that he or she is wonderful, but be-

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cause the individual is already finding out that many concepts of himself he or she has acquired from others who may have had something to gain by making him or her feel inadequate, or by things that were said or by some person who did not realize the effect such was having on the individual. The strengthening of self-esteem is furthered by the individual's new found ability to go into ASC, to have more control over himself during stress periods and the change in attitude in those around him as he or she changes. This restoration of selfesteem is one of the most important factors in therapy of these individuals. The therapist does not attempt to have the subject conform willingly or otherwise, a' la "Clockwork Orange," but rather the basic attempt is to change the individual entelechy; i.e., the functioning of the individual, his or her ways of responding to what happens to him (or her) and eventually aspiring to an ideal that conforms to his or her own inner goals and reality. In ASC, one's entelechy finds a natural environment to develop and express itself. At the same time, the individual can more objectively accept self-evaluation and guidance. Masters and Houston (1972) note with research subjects: ". . . subjects display an astonishing ability to direct their own sessions precisely into those areas which will prove most beneficial to them . . . (the) experience has the potential of initiating the unfolding of an entelechial self-healing and self-realizing process . . . [it is important that] the therapist be able to refrain from interrupting the process by indulging his own authoritarianism or imposing his own ideology on the patient." In the author's experience, such is the occurrence when an individual comes in for therapy. If the individual denies any problem at the beginning of treatment, by the time he has experienced the Subconscious Personality Profile and earlier mind exercises, he or she is usually quite willing to see what can be done to

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improve certain areas. These two techniques are not only those of evaluation, but they also serve to indicate to highly guarded individuals where they may have problems - by their own evaluation. This would require many long hours of work by other therapeutic approaches; furthermore, the individual may be suspicious of another's diagnosis and resist efforts to work in these areas. This possibility is minimized with ASC and these techniques. The use of symbolic and indirect procedures in ASC gives a much greater flexibility, not only in eliciting areas of difficulty, but in expanding the individual's capacities and concepts Of himself. "Its purpose, as we have remarked, is to free the subject from the limitations of his old ways of perceiving, thinking and feeling. It would seem that only when consciousness has been freed from these limitations is the unconscious free to release [and consciousness able to accept?] those materials and initiate those processes which become conscious and increasingly purposive as the subject moves from one level to the next [Masters & Houston, 1972]." 5. The author, in accord with Frankel, "tries to make the patient more fully aware of his own responsibleness, therefore, it [therapy] must leave him the option for what, to what or to whom he understands himself to be responsible," and that "man is a responsible creature and must actualize the potential meaning of his life [Frankel, 1969]." Consequently, during the therapeutic experience, the author attempts to gently nudge the individual to examine his or her relationship with his or her concept of "GOD. " Due to a great diversity of religious backgrounds and teachings, such nudging is done in an extremely broad manner; i.e., "Consider the concept of an Immortal Creator of the Universe." The reactions to this, is usually of returning to the particular religious teachings of earlier life, or to begin searching through a variety

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of denominations until satisfied with one. If the individual accepts the concept of a Higher Power, then he or she will usually accept the concept that he or she does not have to solve life's problems alone, that one may call upon this Higher Power. At the same time, the subconscious development of an ideal to be responsible to, is developing. Throughout the therapy, the individual receives suggestions to "put meaning and purpose" into his life." Frankel (1969) wrote "One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein, he cannot be replaced nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone's task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it." It is the author's impression that the apparent success of this approach is the result of the individual learning about himself from himself, and from the standpoint of how he has been affected and by what, and from the guidance which attempted to help him reach his entelechy. Furthermore, the author believes that the dehumanizing, deindi vidualizing of the entire process of "justice" in the United States results in just the opposite of its intended results. Menninger (1969) states, "We commit the crime of damning some of our fellowcitizens with the label 'criminal' and having done this, we force them through an experience that is soul-searing and dehumanizing. In this way we exculpate ourselves from the guilt we feel and tell ourselves that we do it to 'correct' the 'criminal' and make us all safer from crime. We commit this crime every day that we retain our present stupid, futile, abominable practices against detected offenders." It is just the opposite of this "dehumanizing" that is required for successful rehabili-

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tation. "Criminals" are people; they are human; they have other feelings besides anger and hate. They do not need "coddling" or our present system of brutality; what they do need is guidance and procedures that will enable them to free themselves from the prison of reactions that they have placed themselves in and to realize and develop their" human-ness. " Over half of the individuals treated (30) had 15 hours of therapy or less, and half of these (19) had seven hours or less. It was postulated that those in the first year having fewer hours of therapy would be among the first to recidivate and with an increasing recidivist rate into the second year and future year. To date (June 22, 1974), surprisingly, this has not been true. Whether or not it will continue in future years remains to be seen. As we continue to refine techniques and procedures, as we elicit a better understanding of why individuals repeatedly break the law and, as we better understand factors which influence our own attitudes and prejudices, then it appears likely that we will not only be able to reduce the recidivist rate - we will have the knowledge and the means of reducing the actual "crime rate." More importantly, we will have the means and the knowledge of truly - guiding our children each to their own entelechy. REfERENCES BOSWELL,

L. K.• JR. Personal communication,

1969. V. E. Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. New York: Washington Square Press, 1969, Pp. 172, 173-175. MASTERS, R. E. L. & HOUSTON, J. The varieties of psychedelic experience. New York: Dell Publishing Company, 1966. Pp. 177-178,201. MASTERS, R. E. L & HOUSTON, J. Mind games; The guide to inner space. New York: Viking Press, 1972. MENNINGER, K. The crime of punishment. New York: Viking Press, 1969, Pp. 9.

FRANKEL,