Creative Imagination Scale

The Creative Imagination Scale is a measure of imaginative suggestibility. It can be

administered to an individual or to groups. It does not require a hypnotic/trance induction
procedure.

It was developed in response to other scales of the time, such as the Barber Suggestibility
Scale or the Stanford Scales, which were perceived to be too authoritarian in style.

Instructions

The Creative Imagination Scale can be administered either:

1. Without any special preliminaries – participants are simply told that they will
receive a test of creative imagination
2. After a traditional trance induction procedure – a standard hypnotic induction
3. After special preliminary instructions such as Task Motivational Instructions
(Barber, 1969), Human Potential Instructions (Barber, Spanos, Chaves, 1974), or
Think With Instructions (Berber & Wilson, 1977)

Participants should be asked to close their eyes and to keep them closed during the
administration of the scale. The experimenter should read the scale items verbatim in the
order they are presented.

Immediately following the administration of the Creative Imagination Scale participants

should report what they experienced on the scoring form.

Reference:

Barber, T. X., Wilson, S. C. (1978). The Barber Suggestibility Scale and the Creative
Imagination Scale: Experimental and Clinical Applications. American Journal of Clinical
Hypnosis, 21: 84-108

HypnosisAndSuggestion.org  
1. Arm Heaviness

“By letting your thoughts go along with these instructions you can make your hand and
arm feel heavy, Please close your eyes and place your left arm straight out in front of you
at shoulder height with the palm facing up.”

(Begin timing) “Now imagine that a very heavy dictionary is being placed on the palm of
your left hand. Let yourself feel the heaviness. Your thoughts make it feel as if there is a
very heavy dictionary on your hand. You create the feeling of heaviness in your hand by
thinking of a large heavy dictionary. Now think of a second large heavy dictionary being
placed on top of the first heavy dictionary. Feel how heavy your arm begins to feel as you
push up on the dictionaries. Push up on the heavy dictionaries as you imagine the weight;
notice how your arm feels heavier and heavier. As you push up on them. Now tell
yourself that a third big heavy dictionary is being piled on top of the other two heavy
dictionaries in your hand and your arm is very, very heavy. Let yourself feel as if there
are three heavy dictionaries on the palm of your hand and your arm is getting heavier and
heavier and heavier. Feel your arm getting heavier and heavier and heavier, very, very,
very heavy, getting heavier and heavier ... very heavy.”

(Approximately 1’20” since the beginning of timing)

“Now tell yourself that your hand and arm feel perfectly normal again and just let your
hand and arm come back down and relax.”

2. Hand Levitation

“By directing your thoughts you can make your hand feel as if it is rising easily, without
effort. Keep your eyes closed and place your right arm straight out in front of you at
shoulder height with the palm facing down.”

(Begin timing.) “Now, picture a garden hose with a strong stream of water pushing
against the palm of your right hand, pushing up against the palm of your hand. Think of a
strong stream of water pushing your hand up. Let yourself feel the strong stream of water
pushing up against the palm of your hand, pushing it up. Feel the force of the water,
pushing your hand up. Feel it pushing against the palm of your hand. Tell yourself that
the force of the water is very strong, and, as you think about it, let your hand begin to
rise. Feel your hand rising as you imagine a strong stream of water pushing it up, and up,
and up, higher and higher. Tell yourself that a strong stream of water is pushing your
hand up and up, raising your arm and hand higher as the strong stream of water just
pushes it up, just rises and pushes and just pushes it up, higher and higher.” (End of
timing: about 1’10”.)

“Now tell yourself it’s all in your own mind and just let your hand and arm come back
down and relax.”

HypnosisAndSuggestion.org  
3. Finger Anaesthesia

“By focusing your thinking you can make your fingers feel numb. Please place your left
hand in your lap with the palm facing up. Keep your eyes closed so you can focus fully
on all the sensations in the fingers of your left hand.”

(Begin timing.) “Now, try to imagine and feel as if a local anaesthetic has just been
injected into the side of your left hand next to the little finger so that your little finger will
begin to feel like it does when it ‘falls asleep.’ Focus on the little finger. Become aware
of every sensation and the slight little changes as you think of the anaesthetic slowly
beginning to move into your little finger, just slowly moving in. Notice the slight changes
as the little finger begins to get just a little numb and a little dull. The little finger is
becoming numb as you think of the anaesthetic moving in slowly.”

“Now think of the anaesthetic moving into the second finger next to the little finger. Tell
yourself that the second finger is getting duller and duller, more and more numb as you
think of how the anaesthetic is beginning to take effect.”

“Tell yourself that these two fingers are beginning to feel kind of rubbery and losing
feelings and sensations. As you think of the anaesthetic moving in faster, the fingers feel
duller and duller ... more and more numb ... dull, numb and insensitive. As you think of
the anaesthetic taking effect, the two fingers feel duller and duller ... more and more
numb ... dull ... numb ... insensitive.”

“Keep thinking that the two fingers are dull, numb, and insensitive as you touch the two
fingers with your thumb. As you touch the two fingers with your thumb notice how they
feel duller and duller, more and more numb, more and more insensitive.”

“Keep thinking that the two fingers are dull, numb, and insensitive as you touch the two
fingers with your thumb. As you touch the two fingers with your thumb notice how they
feel duller and duller, more and more numb, more and more insensitive ... dull, numb,
rubbery and insensitive.” (End of timing: about 1’50”)

“Now tell yourself its all in your own mind and you’re going to bring the feeling back;
bring the feeling back into the two fingers.”

4. Water “Hallucination”

“Keep your eyes closed. By using your imagination constructively you can experience
the feeling of drinking cool, refreshing water.”

(Begin timing.) “First, imagine you’ve been out in the hot sun for hours and you’re very,
very thirsty and your lips are dry and you’re so thirsty. Now, picture yourself on a
mountain where the snow is melting, forming a stream of cool clear water. Imagine
yourself dipping a cup into this mountain stream so you can have a cool, refreshing drink
of water. As you think of sipping the water tell yourself it’s absolutely delicious as you

HypnosisAndSuggestion.org  
feel it going down your throat ... cold and beautiful and delicious. Feel the coolness and
the beauty of the water as you take a sip. Now, think of taking another sip of water and
feel it going over your lips and tongue, going down your throat, down into your stomach.
Feel how cool, refreshing, delicious and beautiful it is as you take another sip ... so cool
... cold ... sweet ... beautiful ... delicious and refreshing. Think of taking another sip now
and feel the cool water going into your mouth, around your tongue, down your throat and
down into your stomach ... so beautiful and cool and wonderful ... absolutely delicious ...
absolute pleasure.” (End of timing: about 1’30”.)

5. Olfactory-Gustatory “Hallucination”

“Keep your eyes closed. By using your imagination creatively you can experience the
smell and taste of an orange.”

(Begin timing.) “Picture yourself picking up an orange and imagine that you’re peeling it.
As you create the image of the orange, feel yourself peeling it and let yourself see and
feel the orange skin on the outside and the soft white pulp on the inside of the skin. As
you continue peeling the orange, notice how beautiful and luscious it is and let yourself
smell it and touch it and feel the juiciness of it. Now think of pulling out one or two of
the orange sections with your fingers. Pull out part of the orange and bite into it.
Experience how juicy, luscious and flavourful it is as you imagine taking a deep, deep
bite. Let yourself smell and taste the orange and notice that it’s absolutely delicious. Let
yourself feel how delicious, beautiful, and luscious it is. Just the most beautiful, juicy
orange ... absolutely juicy and wonderful. Let yourself taste and smell the juicy orange
clearly now as you think of taking another large bite of the delicious, juicy orange.” (End
of timing: about 1’30”.)

6. Music “Hallucination”

“Keep your eyes closed”

(Begin timing.) “Now, think back to a time when you heard some wonderful, vibrant
music; it could have been anywhere, and by thinking back you can hear it even more
exquisitely in your own mind. You make it yourself and you can experience it as
intensely as real music. The music can be absolutely powerful ... strong ... exquisite ...
vibrating through every pore of your body ... going deep into every pore ... penetrating
through every fibre of your being. The most beautiful, complete, exquisite, overwhelming
music you ever heard. Listen to it now as you create it in your own mind.” (End of
timing: about 45”.)

(15 second pause.) “You may stop thinking of the music now.”

HypnosisAndSuggestion.org  
7. Temperature “Hallucination”

“Keep your eyes closed and place your hands in your lap with the palms facing down and
resting comfortably on your lap. By focusing your thinking you can make your right hand
feel hot.”

(Begin timing.) “Picture the sun shining on your right hand and let yourself feel the heat.
As you think of the sun shining brightly, let yourself feel the heat increasing. Feel the sun
getting hotter and feel the heat penetrating your skin and going deep into your hand.
Think of it getting really hot now ... getting very hot. Feel the heat increasing. Think of
the sun getting very, very hot as it penetrates into your hand ... getting very hot. Tell
yourself, ‘The rays are increasing ... the heat is increasing ... getting hotter and hotter.’
Feel the heat penetrating through your skin. Feel the heat going deeper into your skin as
you think of the rays of the sun increasing and becoming more and more concentrated ...
getting hotter and hotter. Feel your hand getting hot from the heat of the sun. It’s a good
feeling of heat as it penetrates deep into your hand ... hot, pleasantly hot, penetrating your
hand now. It’s a pleasantly hot feeling, pleasantly hot.” (End of timing: about 1’15”.)

“Now tell yourself it’s all in your own mind and make your hand feel perfectly normal
again.”

8. Time Distortion

“Keep your eyes closed. By controlling your thinking you can make time seem to slow
down.”

(The following is to be read progressively more slowly, with each word drawn out with a
long 2-6 second pause between statements.)

(Begin timing.) “Tell yourself that there’s lots of time, lots of time between each second.
Time is stretching out and there’s lots of time ... more and more time between each
second. Every second is stretching out. There’s lots of time between each second ... lots
of time. You do it yourself, you slow time down.” (End of timing: about 1’40”.)

(The following is to be read at a normal rate.) “And now tell yourself that time is
speeding back up to its normal rate again as you bring time back to normal.”

9. Age Regression

“Keep your eyes closed. By directing your thinking you can bring back the feeling that
you experienced when you were in primary school – in first, second, third, or fourth
year.”

(Begin timing.) “Think of time going back, going back to primary school and feel
yourself becoming smaller and smaller. Let yourself feel your hands, small and tiny, and
your legs and your body, small and tiny. As you go back in time feel yourself sitting in a

HypnosisAndSuggestion.org  
 big desk. Notice the floor beneath you. Feel the top of the desk. You may feel some
marks on the desk top, or maybe its smooth, cool surface. There may be a pencil slot and
perhaps a large yellow pencil. Feel the under side of the desk and you may feel some
chewing gum. Observe the other children around you, and the teacher, the black-board,
the notice board, where the cloak room is, and the windows. Smell the chalk dust or the
paste. You may hear the children and the teacher speaking. Now just observe and see
what happens around you.” (End of timing: about 1’20”)

(15 second pause.) “Now tell yourself it’s all in your own mind and bring yourself back
to the present.”

10. Mind-Body Relaxation

“Keep your eyes closed. By letting your thoughts go along with these instructions you
can make your mind and body feel very relaxed.”

(The following is to be read slowly.) (Begin timing.) “Picture yourself on a beautiful,

warm summer day lying under the sun on a beach of an ocean or lake. Feel yourself lying
on the soft, soft sand or on a beach towel that is soft and comfortable. Let yourself feel
the sun pleasantly warm and feel the gentle breeze touching your neck and face. Picture
the beautiful clear blue sky with fluffy little white clouds drifting lazily by. Let yourself
feel the soothing, penetrating warmth of the sun and tell yourself that your mind and body
feel completely relaxed and perfectly at ease ... peaceful, relaxed, comfortable, calm, so
at ease, at peace with the universe ... completely relaxed ... relaxed, peaceful, lazy,
tranquil ... calm ... comfortable. Your mind and body are completely relaxed ...
completely relaxed ... calm, peaceful, tranquil, flowing with the universe.” (End of
timing: about 2’05”.)

“Now you can open your eyes, let yourself continue to feel relaxed and yet perfectly alert
... peaceful, alert, normal again. Open your eyes.”

HypnosisAndSuggestion.org