Spoken to the subject
Have you ever heard of a bionic arm? (Pause for response)
(if the child hasn’t heard about the million dollar man on TV, explain something about it, especially about his unusual, powerful arm)
I want to tell you something else about the million dollar man that most people don’t know, but you’d probably go around telling everyone else. (Pause for response)
(Usually you get the child going, and he/she promises to keep it a secret)
Would you really like to know something special about his arm? (Pause for response)
(Optional: If using music, start it at this point)
One day the million dollar man was sitting at home, listening to music on his radio, and all of a sudden he noticed something very unusual about his arm, (watch to see if his/her eyes move left or right. Then use the arm on the side towards which his/her eyes moved)
(Lift his/her arm) Yes, that’s it. It’s that arm. It started becoming very stiff, and soon became as stiff as a board, (stroke the arm and say) notice that it keeps becoming stiffer … As stiff as a board.
That’s a very special arm, as it keeps becoming stiffer your eyes close, and you begin having a very pleasant dream, because that’s your dreaming arm.
You can hear the music playing as you are beginning to have a very pleasant dream … Watch the whole dream, and your arm will go down only as fast as you see the whole dream.
(Note: The following sections are for performing therapy)
You can tell me all about the dream, and every time I lift your dreaming arm you can have another dream.
(Note: You can then use the dreaming arm to have the child dream about the cause of the problem and get any information needed to help overcome the problem)
Example: When I lift your dreaming arm, you will have a replay, a very clear dream of the entire experience that has been causing (Describe the problem)