Quit Sugar Cravings

You imagine every sugary food you have eaten laid out on a table, and call your desire for them a level seven. Then Dr. Jones asks what it would take to reach six, five, four and so on down to zero. Along the way the ice cream spoils, the cake icing dries and cracks like mortar, and flies gather, until sugar feels unacceptable rather than tempting. The whole sequence is played twice in the session.

The beach is the relaxing stage: the warm sun, fine white sand, kites and waves, then a slow scan from your temples and jaw down to your toes. Next you watch a man lower a flag on the sandcastle while the count runs from ten to one. Each number lowers the flag one foot and takes you deeper into relaxation, so you are very calm before the sugar imagery starts.

After the sugar scale, Dr. Jones asks you to picture your energy as a ball you can aim at a goal, then imagine having achieved it. He follows with suggestions about purpose, calm self-belief and standing up for yourself. The idea is that your decision about sugar sits within a wider sense of being capable and looking out for yourself.

Near the end, he points out how hard it is to recall what was said seven or nine minutes ago, and says that effort is not worth it. You are told you can let go of trying to remember, because your subconscious mind is meant to process the words while you sleep. It is an invitation to stop analysing and simply rest.

The session opens by asking you to listen only at night, when you are safe and undisturbed, and never in a moving vehicle. It closes with suggestions to fall into a deep sleep and wake rested, refreshed and ready for the day. It also says the suggestions grow stronger each time you listen.