The Silva Method

José Silva (1914-1999) is one of the pioneers in the field of self-help psychology. Although he was an electronic repairman by training, he had an insatiable appetite for the study of psychology like hypnosis. Initially, he hoped to use his skill to increase the IQ of his children, but he decided to go even further in the development of psychic abilities after he became convinced that one of his daughters was a clairvoyant. (Stone, 1991)

The underpinning of Silva’s method is that our brains emit different wavelengths under different mental states. When one is fully awake, the brain emits beta waves, which is 14-21 hertz. When one is in a deep sleep, the brain gives delta waves, which is 0-4 hertz. Between these two states are alpha waves (7-14 hertz) and theta waves (4-7 hertz). When the human brain is at these two frequencies, the capacity for creativity is at maximum, and it gives one the greatest ability to realise one’s potential. Therefore, Silva devised methods to bring the brain into these waves.

Here is a short video in which Jose explained his method in his own words:

Silva’s course of mental training is nowadays known as the Silva Method. Although much of his method is now commercialised, the basics of his programme remain freely available. One of the most fundamental exercises of his application is called the centring exercise, which is a progressive relaxation procedure combined with visual imagery and alpha-frequency background rhythm. You can try it out with the media below:

In case if you cannot listen to the full recording, here is the full script:

DEEPENING (physical relaxation at level 3)

Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, take a deep breath and while exhaling,mentally repeat and visualize number 3 three times. (pause)

To help you learn to relax physically at level 3, I am going to direct your attention todifferent parts of your body.

Concentrate your sense of awareness on your scalp, the skin that covers your head; youwill detect a fine vibration, a tingling sensation, a feeling of warmth caused by circulation. (pause) Now release and completely relax all tensions and ligament pressures from this part of your head and place it in a deep state of relaxation that will grow deeper as we continue. (pause)

Concentrate your sense of awareness on your forehead, the skin that covers your forehead; you will detect a fine vibration, a tingling sensation, a feeling of warmth caused bycirculation. (pause) Now release and completely relax all tensions and ligament pressures fromthis part of your head and place it in a deep state of relaxation that will grow deeper as wecontinue. (pause)

Concentrate your sense of awareness on your eyelids and the tissue surrounding your eyes; you will detect a fine vibration, a tingling sensation, a feeling of warmth caused bycirculation. (pause) Now release and completely relax all tensions and ligament pressures fromthis part of your head and place it in a deep state of relaxation that will grow deeper as we continue. (pause)

Concentrate your sense of awareness on your face, the skin covering your cheeks; youwill detect a fine vibration, a tingling sensation, a feeling of warmth caused by circulation. (pause) Now release and completely relax all tensions and ligament pressures from this part of your head and place it in a deep state of relaxation that will grow deeper as we continue. (pause)

Concentrate on the outer portion of your throat, the skin covering your throat area; youwill detect a fine vibration, a tingling sensation, a feeling of warmth caused by circulation. (pause) Now release and completely relax all tensions and ligament pressures from this part of your body and place it in a deep state of relaxation that will grow deeper as we continue. (pause)

Concentrate within the throat area and relax all tensions and ligament pressures from this part of your body and place it in a deep state of relaxation going deeper and deeper every time.(pause)

Concentrate on your shoulders; feel your clothing in contact with your body. (pause) Feel the skin and the vibration of the skin covering this part of your body. (pause) Relax all tensionsand ligament pressures and place your shoulders in a deep state of relaxation going deeper anddeeper every time. (pause)

Concentrate on your chest; feel your clothing in contact with this part of your body. (pause) Feel the skin and the vibration of your skin covering your chest. (pause) Relax alltensions and ligament pressures and place your chest in a deep state of relaxation going deeper and deeper every time. (pause)

Concentrate within the chest area; relax all organs; relax all glands; relax all tissues,including the cells themselves and cause them to function in a rhythmic, healthy manner. (pause)

Concentrate on your abdomen; feel the clothing in contact with this part of your body. (pause) Feel the skin and the vibration of your skin covering your abdomen. (pause) Relax alltensions and ligament pressures and place your abdomen in a deep state of relaxation goingdeeper and deeper every time. (pause)

Concentrate within the abdominal area; relax all organs; relax all glands; relax all tissues,including the cells themselves and cause them to function in a rhythmic, healthy manner. (pause)

Concentrate on your thighs; feel your clothing in contact with this part of your body. (pause) Feel the skin and the vibration of your skin covering your thighs. (pause) Relax alltensions and ligament pressures and place your thighs in a deep state of relaxation going deeper and deeper every time. (pause) Sense the vibrations at the bones within the thighs; by now these vibrations should beeasily detectable. (pause)

Concentrate on your knees; feel the skin and the vibration of your skin covering theknees. (pause) Relax all tensions and ligament pressures and place your knees in a deep state of relaxation going deeper and deeper every time (pause)

Concentrate on your calves; feel the skin and the vibration of the skin covering your calves. (pause) Relax all tensions and ligament pressures and place these parts of your body in adeep state of relaxation, going deeper and deeper every time. (pause)

To enter a deeper, healthier level of mind, concentrate on your toes. (pause) Enter adeeper, healthier level of mind.To enter a deeper, healthier level of mind, concentrate on the soles of your feet. (pause) Enter a deeper, healthier level of mind. (pause)

To enter a deeper, healthier level of mind, concentrate on the heels of your feet. (pause) Enter a deeper, healthier level of mind. (pause) 

Now cause your feet to feel as though they do not belong to your body. (pause)

Feel your feet as though they do not belong to your body. (pause)

Your feet feel as though they do not belong to your body. (pause)

Your feet, ankles, calves, and knees feel as though they do not belong to your body.(pause)

Your feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, waist, shoulders, arms, and hands feel as though they do not belong to your body. (pause)

You are now at a deeper, healthier level of mind, deeper than before.

This is your physical relaxation level 3. Whenever you mentally repeat and visualize thenumber 3, your body will relax as completely as you are now, and more so every time you practice.

DEEPENING (mental relaxation at level 2)

To enter the mental relaxation level 2, mentally repeat and visualize the number 2 several times, and you are at level 2, a deeper level than 3. (pause) Level 2 is for mental relaxation, where noises will not distract you. Instead, noises will help you to relax mentally more andmore.

To help you learn to relax mentally at level 2, I am going to call your attention todifferent passive scenes. Visualizing any scene that makes you tranquil and passive, will helpyou relax mentally.

Your being at the beach on a nice summer day may be a tranquil and passive scene for you. (pause) 

A day out fishing may be a tranquil and passive scene for you. (pause)

A tranquil and passive scene for you may be a walk through the woods on a beautifulsummer day, when the breeze is just right, where there are tall shade trees, beautifulflowers, a very blue sky, an occasional white cloud, birds singing in the distance, evensquirrels playing on the tree limbs. Hear birds singing in the distance. (pause)

This is mental relaxation level 2, where noises will not distract you.

To enhance mental relaxation at level 2, practice visualizing tranquil and passive scenes.

TO ENTER YOUR CENTER

To enter level 1, mentally repeat and visualize the number 1 several times. (pause)

You are now at level 1, the basic level where you can function from your center.

DEEPENING EXERCISES

To enter deeper, healthier levels of mind, practice with the count-down deepening exercises.

To deepen, count downward from 25 to 1, or from 50 to 1, or from 100 to 1. When youreach the count of 1, you will have reached a deeper, healthier level of mind, deeper than before.

You will always have full control and complete dominion over your faculties and sensesat all levels of the mind including the outer conscious level.

WHEN TO PRACTICE

The best time to practice the count-down deepening exercises is in the morning when youwake up. Remain in bed at least five minutes practicing the count-down deepening exercises.

The second best time to practice is at night, when you are ready to retire.

The third best time to practice is at noon after lunch.5 minutes of practice is good; 10 minutes is very good; 15 minutes is excellent.

To practice once a day is good; 2 times a day is very good; and 3 times a day is excellent.

If you have a health problem, practice for 15 minutes 3 times a day.

TO COME OUT OF LEVELS

To come out of any level of the mind, count to yourself mentally from 1 to 5 and tell yourself that at the count of 5 you will open your eyes, be wide awake, feeling fine and in perfecthealth, feeling better than before.

Then proceed to count slowly from 1 to 2, then to 3, and at the count of 3 mentallyremind yourself that at the count of 5 you will open your eyes, be wide awake, feeling fine and in prefect health, feeling better than before.

Proceed to count slowly to 4, then to 5. At the count of 5 and with your eyes open,mentally tell yourself, "I am wide awake, feeling fine, and in perfect health, feeling better than before. And this is so."

DEEPENING (routine cycle)

To help you enter a deeper, healthier level of mind, I am going to count from 10 to 1. Oneach descending number, you will feel yourself going deeper and you will enter a deeper,healthier level of mind.

10 - 9 Feel going deeper,
8 - 7
6 - deeper and deeper,
5 - 4
3 - deeper and deeper,
2 - 1

You are now at a deeper, healthier level of mind, deeper than before.

You may enter a deeper, healthier level of mind by simply relaxing your eyelids. Relax your eyelids. (pause) Feel how relaxed they are. (pause) Allow this feeling of relaxation to flowslowly downward throughout your body, all the way down to your toes. (pause)

It is a wonderful feeling to be deeply relaxed, a very healthy state of being.

To help you enter a deeper, healthier level of mind, I am going to count from 1 to 3. Atthat moment, you will project yourself mentally to your ideal place of relaxation. I will then stoptalking to you, and when you next hear my voice, one hour of time will have elapsed at this levelof mind. My voice will not startle you; you will take a deep breath, relax, and go deeper.

1 - (pause) - 2 - (pause) - 3. Project yourself mentally to your ideal place of relaxationuntil you hear my voice again.

Relax. (Lecturer: remain silent for about 30 seconds.)

RAPPORT

You will continue to listen to my voice; you will continue to follow the instructions atthis level of the mind and any other level, including the outer conscious level. This is for your  benefit; you desire it, and it is so.

Whenever you hear me mention the word, “Relax”, all unnecessary movements andactivities of your body, brain, and mind will cease immediately, and you will become completely passive and relaxed physically and mentally.

I may bring you out of this level or a deeper level than this by counting to you from 1 to 5. At the count of 5, your eyes will open; you will be wide awake, feeling fine and in perfect health.

I may bring you out of this level or a deeper level than this by touching your left shoulder three times. When you feel my hand touch your left shoulder for the third time, your eyes willopen; you will be wide awake, feeling fine and in perfect health. And this is so.

GENIUS STATEMENTS

The difference between genius mentality and lay mentality is that geniuses use more of their minds and use them in a special manner.

You are now learning to use more of your mind and to use it in a special manner.

BENEFICIAL STATEMENTS

The following are beneficial statements that you may occasionally repeat while at theselevels of the mind. Repeat mentally after me. (Lecturer: Read slowly.)

My increasing mental faculties are for serving humanity better.

Every day, in every way, I am getting better, better, and better.

Positive thoughts bring me benefits and advantages I desire.

I have full control and complete dominion over my sensing faculties at this level of themind and any other level, including the outer conscious level. And this is so.

I will always maintain a perfectly healthy body and mind

EFFECTIVE SENSORY PROJECTION STATEMENTS

Effective Sensory Projection statements for success.

I am now learning to attune my intelligence by developing my sensing faculties and to project them to any problem area so as to be aware of any actions taking place, if this isnecessary and beneficial for humanity.

I an now learning to correct any problems I detect.

Negative thoughts and negative suggestions have no influence over me at any level of the mind.

POST EFFECTS - PREVIEW OF NEXT SESSION

You have practiced entering deep, healthy levels of mind. In your next session, you willenter a deeper, healthier level of mind, faster and easier than this time.

POST EFFECTS - STANDARD

Every time you function at these levels of the mind, you will receive beneficial effects physically and mentally.

You may use these levels of the mind to help yourself physically and mentally.

You may use these levels of the mind to help your loved ones, physically and mentally.

You may use these levels of the mind to help any human being who needs help, physically and mentally.

You will never use these levels of the mind to harm any human being; if this be your intention, you will not be able to function within these levels of the mind.

You will always use these levels of the mind in a constructive, creative manner for all that is good, honest, pure, clean, and positive. And this is so.

You will continue to strive to take part in constructive and creative activities to make thisa better world to live in, so that when we move on, we shall have left behind a better world for those who follow. You will consider the whole of humanity, depending on their ages, as fathersor mothers, brothers or sisters, sons or daughters. You are a superior human being; you havegreater understanding, compassion, and patience with others

BRING OUT

(Gradually lower the volume level of the Alpha Sound to zero.)

In a moment, I am going to count from 1 to 5. At that moment, you will open your eyes, be wide awake, feeling fine and in perfect health, feeling better than before. You will have no illeffects whatsoever in your head, no headache; no ill effects whatsoever in your hearing, no buzzing in your ears; no ill effects whatsoever in your vision and eyesight; vision, eyesight, andhearing improve every time you function at these levels of mind.

1 - 2 - coming out slowly now.

3 - at the count of 5, you will open your eyes, be wide awake, feeling fine and in perfecthealth, feeling better than before, feeling the way you feel when you have slept the right amountof revitalizing, refreshing, relaxing, healthy sleep.

4 - 5 eyes open, wide awake, feeling fine and in perfect health, feeling better than before.

(Be sure to observe whether or not the person is wide awake. If in doubt, touch the person’s left shoulder three times and while doing so say: “Wide awake, feeling fine and in perfect health. And this is so.”)

It is recommended that everyone practice staying at your Center for fifteen minutes a dayto normalize all abnormal conditions of the body and mind.

To learn more about the Silva Method, a good resource is The Silva Method: Tapping the Secrets of the Mind for Total Self-Mastery by Robert Stone (1991).

REFERENCE: Stone, R. B. (1991). The Silva Method: Tapping the secrets of the mind for total self-mastery. Chicago, IL: Nightingale Conant.