Guided Meditation Elevator Technique

Guided meditation is a process in which one is led, by a voice, into an altered state of consciousness. Typically, the voice is that of another person who describes sensations and thoughts that the meditator is to imagine. The elevator technique is a way of channeling into the unconscious mind by drawing one's awareness inward. The concept of an elevator going down is symbolic of one's conscious faculties remaining at the surface while he is allowed to explore the deeper regions of his psyche. At this level, useful insights and resources become available that were previously beyond everyday understanding.

Relaxing the Mind and Body

• An altered state of awareness can be achieved in many ways, but a simple one is for the subject to focus entirely on her breathing. The speaker brings attention to the rise and fall of the meditator's chest, the feeling of air traveling in and out, even the cooling rim of her nostrils. Breathing is directly linked to a person's state of mind. This focus causes the subject's breathing pattern to change after a few moments, and produces a relaxing effect. She could also be told to imagine blowing out all tension while exhaling and to imagine breathing in good feelings on the return.

The Elevator Technique

• The subject is directed to close his eyes and imagine himself standing in the middle of an extremely large room. It is empty, save a freestanding elevator compartment several feet away. He is instructed to move toward the elevator, hearing and feeling each footstep, seeing the doors becoming larger, wondering what mysteries lie beyond.

  When the subject reaches the elevator doors, they open automatically, and he instinctively steps inside. The guide takes care to mention the brilliant color and fabrics lining the compartment. Often the buttons notating different floors are carved from some sort of jewels. (Describing each step in this sensory-rich language serves to flesh out the internal environment, taking the subject to deeper levels of consciousness.)

Going Down

• The floor indicator shows the elevator to be, initially, positioned on the 10th level. The lower floors are numbered chronologically below. The doors close and the elevator moves downward. The subject is told to feel the vibration in the floor, to hear the bell as each number lights in turn. When the elevator reaches the first level, the doors open to reveal a new world, where the meditator will find images, sounds, feelings and insights somehow relevant in the current moment.

Emerging

• After exploring the realm of his inner mind for a time, the subject is simply directed to move back into the elevator. The entire process is then reversed, with instructions that each passing floor will move him toward his normal state of awareness. At the count of 10, he's told to open his eyes and is given positive suggestions to take forward into life.

The Effects

• The resources attained at the deeper level will tend to emerge naturally as new behaviors for the individual. This may come about unconsciously, as the revelations discovered continue to merge into new ideas and understandings beneath the surface of awareness.