The hypnotic state can be divided into three levels: mild, moderate and deep.
When entering a mild hypnotic state, the subject's muscles will become weak all over the body, his eyelids will be difficult to open, his body and mind will be relaxed, he will feel comfortable, and he will lie lazily on the bed and unwilling to move.
When entering a moderate hypnotic state, the subject's perceptions are significantly altered, with memory loss, paralysis, and an inability to feel pain. While their awareness remains clear, its scope is greatly reduced, and their cognitive and critical abilities are significantly diminished. They may experience delusions and hallucinations under the hypnotist's guidance.
When entering a deep hypnotic state, the subject will feel numb all over, with muscles stiff, body functions inhibited, attention highly focused, and the scope of consciousness extremely narrowed. The subject will almost absolutely obey the hypnotist's instructions and be completely immersed in a very subjective personal world. There is also a great possibility of hallucinations and changes in age and personality.
Moreover, even after waking up, deeply hypnotized subjects can faithfully carry out post-hypnotic suggestions.
What is post-hypnotic suggestion? It means that after waking up, the subject can still remember the instructions given by the hypnotist in the dream and strictly follow them in life.
For example, if a patient wants to lose weight, the hypnotist will suggest to him during hypnosis that he should eat less, otherwise he will feel nauseous. Then, after waking up, if the patient eats too much, he will feel nauseous and want to vomit, and gradually achieve the goal of losing weight.
In order to completely cure Miss Zhou's mental illness, Zhuang Li must put her into a deep hypnotic state and continue to be affected by post-hypnotic suggestions after waking up.
In this way, the treatment effect can last a lifetime rather than being a short-term improvement.
Now, Miss Zhou, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, had actually just entered a mild hypnotic state. When she woke up from this state, her hysteria would not be improved at all.
Zhuang Li turned around, raised his index finger, and made a gesture of silence.
Thinking that the prince was right next door, Master Zhou suddenly dared not even breathe. He was silent, and naturally, Madam Zhou and the two maids also held their breath.
Zhuang Jiuge was very well-behaved and obedient. He covered his mouth with his hands without his brother telling him to.
The private room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The only sound was the water dripping from the teapot into the copper basin, tick, tick, tick... one by one, intermittently, gently hitting everyone's eardrums.
Zhuang Li said in a low voice, "Do you hear the sound of water dripping?"
Miss Zhou's frown slowly relaxed. The monotonous voice made her slightly struggling consciousness become confused.
Zhuang Li continued, "A cave appears before you, and the water drops are falling from above. Candles are lit on the cave walls, illuminating the path ahead. Before you is a spiraling stone staircase leading downward. I want you to follow it down."
Miss Zhou frowned. She resisted the road that had no end in sight, and was also afraid that there were evil spirits lurking in the darkness.
"Don't be afraid. Raise your right hand and hold my hand. I'll take you with me." Zhuang Li gave the order, then looked at Mrs. Zhou and mouthed, "Hold her hand."
He still understood the principle that men and women should not touch each other.
Mrs. Zhou hurried to the chaise longue, gently held her daughter's hand, and tears flowed out again unconsciously.
Three years ago, this hand was round, white, smooth and lovely, and with the emerald green bracelet on it, it was as beautiful as a work of art; however, three years later, this hand became rough, skinny and as cold as ice.
What on earth had tortured her daughter into this state? She had to find out!
Thinking of this, Mrs. Zhou increased the strength of her handshake.
This force seemed to greatly comfort Miss Zhou, and the struggle in her eyes and eyebrows eased, and she regained her composure.
Zhuang Li said slowly, "Now, I will walk down with you. Please count the steps carefully. When you count to ten, we will reach the end of this road, and I will let go of your hand.
“When I let go of you, your arms will naturally fall down, which is a sign that you are becoming more relaxed.
"As your hands gently and slowly descend down your legs, you will enter a deeper, more complete state of relaxation."
Zhuang Li paused for a moment, letting Miss Zhou prepare to go down, then began to count slowly: "Okay, let's move together, breathing deeply as we walk. Exhale every time you lift your leg, inhale every time you put your foot down. Breathe deeply.
"Count with me: One, we descend the stairs; Two, we walk slowly downwards; Three, candles light up in front of the dark stairs, guiding our way; Four, we walk more steadily, deeper and deeper; Five, we are halfway down, and our bodies are falling, light and floating; Six..."
Zhuang Li's voice always maintains a steady, neither high nor low, yet deep and melodious state, like a flowing hot spring, quietly wrapping everyone's eardrums.
Not only did Miss Zhou appear calm and peaceful, but even Mrs. Zhou, who was sitting next to the chaise longue, almost fell asleep with her forehead supported on her hand.
The two maids staggered back and forth and even fell asleep while standing.
Mr. Zhou rubbed his eyes repeatedly and then gulped down the tea.
Zhuang Jiuge rested his head on his knees and fell asleep quietly.
The combination of Zhuang Li's slow voice and the monotonous sound of dripping water produced a hypnotic effect that was more powerful than drugs.
At the same time, the King of Qi, standing at the door, began to nod his head, but he stubbornly kept his eyelids open. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity and wanted to continue to inquire about the whole process of the little master's ghost hunting.
It was strange, because in the past, as long as he could fall asleep, he would immediately put down what he was doing and find a safe place to sleep. But now, he was reluctant to fall into unconsciousness, because that would prevent him from hearing the little gentleman's whispers.
Several guards wanted to help the prince lie down, but they did not dare to interrupt his brewing sleep, so in the end they could only stand there stiffly.
In the private room next door, Zhuang Li finally counted to ten and then emphasized his tone, "Now, we have reached the end. A door appears before us. I want you to let go of my hand and push open this door. Remember, when your hand gently falls on your leg, you will enter a state of complete relaxation, and you will pass through this door into your past."
Following his guidance, Mrs. Zhou reluctantly let go of her daughter's hand.
Miss Zhou's hand slowly fell back onto her legs, and then her expression became completely holy and pure, like a carefree angel flying in a hall filled with fairy music.
This strange phenomenon happens to everyone who enters a deep hypnotic state.
No matter how crude and cruel a person is in reality, once he enters deep hypnosis, the dirt in his soul will be washed away, and he will show a nobility and elegance that is unimaginable to ordinary people.
Everyone is born noble, and this statement may have originated from this.
Zhuang Li waited for a few seconds, giving Miss Zhou time to push the door open, and then continued to guide: "Now, you have returned to the time before everything happened. At that time, you were very happy and very relaxed.
"The sun in the sky is warm, the flowers on the ground are fragrant, and your heart is open and free. A breeze that lifts your hair can make you laugh with joy. I want you to remember this feeling."
He waited for a few seconds, allowing Miss Zhou to remember the happiness of the moment.
Miss Zhou raised the corners of her lips and smiled like an innocent child.
It had been a long time since she saw her daughter smile. Mrs. Zhou actually let out a half-joyful, half-sad sob, then bit her fist tightly, fearing that she would wake her daughter from her rare sweet dream.
Even Mr. Zhou, who was as hard as iron, had tears in his eyes. He turned his head away silently and wiped the corners of his eyes.
In the private room next door, the King of Qi had already laid back on the soft couch, sleeping peacefully with a faint smile on his lips.
Several guards guarded him like an iron tower, their palms pressed tightly on the hilts of their swords, their faces full of alert expressions.
They listened attentively to what was happening next door and were filled with admiration for this young man who could control other people's dreams at will.
There is no better method than this!
However, happiness is always short-lived. Zhuang Li's voice deepened and he changed the subject: "Now, I want to take you back to the day when the evil spirit first appeared."
Miss Zhou had completely entered a deep hypnotic state. Even though the smile on her face immediately twisted into fear, she had no way of disobeying Zhuang Li's orders.
Then the beautiful scenery was instantly shrouded in endless darkness. She returned to her boudoir, curled up in the corner of the bed, and wrapped her head tightly with the quilt.
"What did you see? What did you hear? Tell me!" Zhuang Li gave orders.
In the dream, Miss Zhou hid under the quilt and said, "There's a ghost under the bed! I hear it knocking on my bed board, bang bang bang, bang bang bang, every night."
"How do you know there is a ghost under the bed?" Zhuang Li asked quickly.
"Qiutong told me, and I heard it myself!"
"Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. I want you to take a look under the bed. Don't run away, take a look!" Zhuang Li's tone became extremely tough.
Miss Zhou had no way of disobeying his order, so she had to lift the quilt, crawl to the bed tremblingly, lower her head, and look under the bed in horror.
"What did you see?" Zhuang Li asked at the right time.
"I didn't see anything. No, there was no ghost!" Miss Zhou, who was tense all over, relaxed instantly.
Mrs. Zhou, who was sitting next to her, collapsed like mud. She was really scared just now.
Mr. Zhou could no longer sit still. He walked to the soft chair in three or two steps and looked at his daughter quietly.
"Then why did you hear the sound of knocking on the bed?" Zhuang Li asked the reason.
Miss Zhou shook her head left and right: "I don't know either."
"No, you know. You will always remember when someone knocks on your bed, but you are in a daze and think you are dreaming, and forget it when you wake up in the daytime. I want you to think about it carefully, and you will definitely remember. Tell me, who is knocking on your bed? Or is it just an illusion that someone is knocking on the bed?" Zhuang Li guided step by step.
Miss Zhou desperately tried to recall and think, finally screaming out in shock: "It was Qiu Tong! When she was keeping vigil for me, she secretly knocked on my bed. I glanced at her drowsily and fell asleep again."
In this era, maids had to sleep on the footstool beside the lady's bed when they kept watch for the lady at night, so knocking on the bed was very convenient for Qiu Tong.
"She knocked on the bed herself, but pretended to be scared, shouting in my room, waking me up, and said she saw a ghost under the bed! I believed her, I believed it! It wasn't a ghost knocking on the bed, it was Qiu Tong!" Miss Zhou seemed to understand something and cried in pain.
"Qiutong said an evil spirit was haunting me, and I believed it. Qiutong told me to find a Taoist priest to exorcise the evil spirit, and I believed it too. Qiutong also said that Taoist Lingxi had great magical powers, and I believed it again. I asked my mother to find Taoist Lingxi, and I invited a wolf into my home. Taoist Lingxi insulted me! He sent everyone away and forcibly took me, took me..."
Even under deep hypnosis, this horrific memory was buried deep in Miss Zhou's subconscious.
She couldn't say any more.
But Mrs. Zhou and Mr. Zhou could completely imagine the words she had not said.
Both of them showed expressions of horror, then collapsed, shaking their bodies.
Every time Taoist Lingxi came to help his daughter perform a ritual, he would send everyone away and tell others not to get close no matter what they heard, as it was an evil spirit at work.
So they never knew how Taoist Lingxi helped their daughter exorcise the evil spirit. They only knew that after Taoist Lingxi came, their daughter would become unusually well-behaved and quiet. Now, looking at her again, that was not the kind of well-behaved and quiet thing at all. It was clearly she was completely despaired!
In addition, Taoist Lingxi would also bring several of his disciples to exorcise the evil spirits. As they left, the disciples all had satisfied expressions. What had these people done to my daughter?
Mrs. Zhou, unable to think any further, clutched her clothes, almost fainting from the pain.
Master Zhou gasped for breath like a trapped beast, his red eyes filled with murderous intent.
The two maids were in tears and sobbing softly, feeling the same despair as the other maids.
Zhuang Jiuge, curled up in the corner, had already woken up, listening in amazement as he heard these extremely dark and filthy things. He thought Zhuang Tianer, who had strangled Donkey Egg, was the most evil person in the world, but he had no idea that there was a demon in human skin above her.
In the private room next door, the King of Qi had opened his eyes and sat up, with a murderous aura lingering around him.
Several guards grasped their sword handles, gritting their teeth in hatred.
When the situation was about to get out of control, Zhuang Li's voice became soft and soothing again: "I understand. This is the demon in your heart. You caught it. You did a good job. Now, I want you to leave this dark room and go outside.
"When you push open the door, you will forget everything behind you. You will walk into a warm sunshine, and every inch of your skin will be soaked in the fragrance of flowers. The breeze will ruffle your hair, bringing a slight itch and taking away this painful memory.
"You look up at the sun and laugh from the bottom of your heart. When you wake up, you will feel extremely relaxed and happy. You will forget all the pain and move on with your new life."
Zhuang Li spoke more slowly: "When I count to five, you will wake up. Now, I will start counting. One: You push open the door and walk out without looking back. Two: You walk into the sunshine, your body warmed by the sun. Three: You smell the fragrance of flowers and feel the gentle caress of the wind. You feel very relaxed and happy.
"Fourth, all the painful memories in your mind will disappear, leaving only the beautiful ones. After waking up, you will begin a new life. You will become strong and brave, not caring about the rumors around you, not caring about the strange looks of others, you will live for yourself:
"Five, you woke up, and you felt relaxed and refreshed."
As soon as Zhuang Li finished speaking, Miss Zhou regained consciousness. She blinked and looked around in confusion, then clutched her stomach and said in a delicate voice, "Mom and Dad, I'm so hungry! This seems to be Jin Man Lou. Can you take me out to eat?"
She hadn't eaten for two days, so she was naturally hungry.
Seeing her charming expression and clear eyes, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were stunned.
This, this is clearly the daughter before the tragedy! She has actually forgotten all the pain and despair!
She just took a nap, but her time went back completely.
The scars in her heart have been completely healed, and as long as she stops thinking about that horrible experience, she can live happily!
Thinking of this, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou wanted to hug their daughter and cry bitterly, but they also wanted to pretend nothing had happened and smile.
The two of them pulled their lips apart, but their eyes were red. They tried their best to suppress their sobs and said in a muffled voice: "Yes, Mom and Dad will take you to a restaurant. Whatever you want to eat, Mom and Dad will ask the chef to make it right away."
Miss Zhou sat up with the help of the maid, ordered a bunch of dishes, and joked that she was so hungry that she could eat a cow.
Mrs. Zhou covered her mouth and smiled, but tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She had no choice but to turn her head away and pretend that she was blinded by the wind.
Mr. Zhou couldn't stand it anymore, so he opened the door and strode out, wiping his face with his sleeve. Although he was strict and rigid, his love for his daughter was no less than his wife's, he just didn't know how to express it.
Zhuang Li quietly left the private room with his brother, pulled Master Zhou to a secluded corner, and said in a deep voice, "When you go back, investigate that maid named Qiu Tong. She is the one who instigated all the evil.
"Also, later you will tell Miss Zhou that she has been seriously ill these years and has been lying in bed in a coma. That's why she is so weak and has no memory of this period.
"Her fiancé also broke off the engagement because of her illness. It's no big deal if someone like her doesn't keep their promises doesn't marry her. Let her not worry about it. You should keep the servants in check and try not to mention the fact that she was possessed.
"Of course, even if you bring up the matter of being possessed, my memory seal won't loosen. But if Miss Zhou becomes curious and explores it, I can't predict the outcome. So you should do your best to dispel her suspicions. If she remembers the past, you can come back to me. After sealing it once, it will be much easier to seal it a second time, and a third time might be able to permanently erase this memory.
"What happened today will rot in the hearts of the two of us brothers. You don't have to worry."
Mr. Zhou nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Yes, yes, I understand, I will pay attention. Thank you for your help to my daughter. I trust you very much. It is just a small gift, not a token of respect, please accept it."
Mr. Zhou took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and stuffed it into Zhuang Li's hand without saying a word.
Zhuang Li was not a real fortune teller, so he didn't have to worry about any drawbacks or shortcomings. He put the thick stack of banknotes into his pocket and turned away.
Mr. Zhou wanted to invite them to stay for dinner, but they refused.
"I have to go back to look after my stall." Zhuang Li waved his hand and said.
"That stall won't run away if it's placed on the roadside." Mr. Zhou joked.
"But the person I'm waiting for will run away." Zhuang Li said seriously.
Mr. Zhou asked, "Who are you waiting for?"
Zhuang Li pointed to his chest, his smile gentle and quiet: "Waiting for my sweetheart."
The King of Qi, who was sitting in the adjacent private room, was somehow reminded of the words that the young master had said in a soft voice yesterday when they were leaving: "I will wait for you here in the future."
So, is it me he's waiting for? Thinking of this, the King of Qi's heart couldn't help but beat wildly, and his pale ears took on a rare blush.
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