‘I felt as though I did, though I was vaguely aware of you talking. It’s annoying that I can sleep here but not in my bed.’ I checked my watch. It was an hour and a quarter since I’d arrived. ‘Wow. I … So what now?’

‘I’m going to get you a glass of water while you gather yourself, and then we’ll have a further chat. After a first session, some people can feel slightly disorientated.’ He left the room. I didn’t feel odd in any way, in fact I felt great, like I’d just awoken from a good night’s sleep. I was amazed that the time had passed in what felt like five minutes. While I waited, I had a look at the leaflets on the table in front of me. I read a little about Simon and then, on the back of his brochure, the list of issues he dealt with.

Hypnosis can help with:

Confidence building

Stopping smoking

Stuttering

Nail biting

Fitness and health

Weight loss

Stress and anxiety problems

Sexual problems

Insomnia

Motivation

Phobias

Relationship issues

Simon Jenkins is also trained in past life regression and tracing unresolved issues and deep-seated trauma.

Simon came back into the room and handed me a glass of water. ‘I’d like you to do some homework,’ he said as he sat down. ‘It’s to support the session today. Although you may not be aware of it, you have been telling your unconscious mind, I can’t sleep or I’m not sleeping and, as I explained earlier, that became your reality. What I’d like you to do is simply to change that to “I can sleep” or “I sleep well and awake refreshed and alert”. I want you to be aware if you find yourself going back to thinking, I can’t sleep. Suggestions must be positive.’

‘Like affirmations.’ I knew all about them. Marcia was into the power of positive thought and she was always giving me lines to say about feeling good and creating success.

Simon nodded. ‘A mental mantra. Repeat what you want to say over and over as you go about your daily tasks; visualize it too. See yourself sleeping well and awakening fresh and alert and that will become your reality.’

‘OK, I can give it a try.’

‘Don’t try, do. And lastly, if you have time, I’d like you to write down these affirmations; that way, you’re doing everything you can to convince the subconscious mind that you have no trouble at all in sleeping. You’re thinking positively, visualizing, and the repetition in the writing will help override the old beliefs.’

I held up the brochure. ‘I see that you’ve also trained in past life regression.’

‘I have. Why? Are you interested?’

‘I … no, well, yes … I mean, do you really believe people can relive past lives, or that there’s even such a thing?’