Book Reviews

The Inner Mind (1966)
The Inner Mind Revisited: Researching the Soul (2003)
Heaven, The Road Back Home (revised, 2008)
Phenomenal Expressions of Hypnotism (2010)

"As hypnotherapists and other integrative care practitioners we occasionally stumble into some phenomena that make us delve into regions of unknown and unexpected. In the mid-1960's A.L. Ward, a San Bernardino, California policeman and sometimes hypnosis instructor encountered a series of events that led him to expand hls interest into the inner workings of our mind and Soul."

"In The Inner Mind, Ward details a series of conversations with Rebecca, a personality that claims to have special spiritual knowledge and insights into spirituality and the inner workings of the mind. I found it an interesting case study. I really enjoyed this very thorough documentation of conversations between a competent hypnotist and what appears to be a channeled entity. While I'll leave it up to other reader's level of acceptance of the 'scientifically unexplained', I must admit the ongoing dialogue is either an outstanding work of fiction or a brilliant insight into truths normally considered beyond our day by day comprehension."

"What I loved best about this book was how Ward attempted to tie all the concepts together in the chapter entitled 'Theories and Explanations'. My first impression was that this chapter should have been the introduction for a major book on hypnosis. His comments about the workings of the mind are some of the best expressed that I have found in hypnosis books published over the past 50 years. This one chapter makes the book worthy of the purchase price."

Reviewed by Tim Brunson DCH, Founder/Editor of 'The lnternational Hypnosis Research lnstitute

 

"I have had the pleasure of meeting Al over the Net a few years ago and have read all of his publications to date. I am a Registered Nurse by profession and instantly recognized the value of his findings and technique and how beneficial they could be if somehow embraced and incorporated into our current medical system, which as we all know, leaves much to be desired. I would love to study under Mr. Ward personally, but even moreso, I wish for a way for his techniques and personalized method of hypnosis to be taught and continued on, to be made available to healthcare professionals in all capacities across the board. I have little personal knowledge of hypnosis other than the hypnotists I sought out for different problems I needed help with over the course of the last few decades, and I found nothing similar to his methods, and the same with local courses when I researched the programs. His books have sparked in me an interest in the field, and a desire to find a way to continue on his work. Aside from that, The Inner Mind Revisted: Researching the Soul, has value to all who read it and leaves the reader - no matter their profession or age, with a thirst for more of the same."

Posted by Michele, comment in forum of 'The lnternational Hypnosis Research lnstitute

 

"The Inner Mind Revisited: Researching the Soul by the well-known and respected California hypnotist, A. L. Ward, is essentially a second , expanded version of his earlier book The Inner Mind, which was published almost four decades earlier. His tone and approach reminds me so much of classic hypnotists such as Estabrooks, Bernheim, and Elman. This book is a thought provoking volume that winds through a series of anecdotal case studies to include a continuation of one first discussed in his earlier work."

"Although this work is related to the earlier book, it is self-contained and complete. In fact, some ways I felt transported mentally back to his 1966 edition. Like that book he gives a very coherent recounting of how he got involved with hypnosis, some excellent background and historical information about the field, and provides a concise description of his methodology with appropriate illustrations how his skills were used for a variety of situations and ailments."

"His primary focus appears to be the use of hypnotic regression as a way to alleviate a subject's concerns. As explained on page 44, this includes uncovering a physical or mental deficiency, finding its origin, finding a connecting emotion and its origin, and then "cleaning" house. Even though I felt that I was reading the work of Dave Elman at this point as the similarities and apparent influence were more than a little obvious, Mr. Ward provides an elegant bouquet of case studies to show over and over again the validity of this method and experience."

"One of my more critical observations is that this book should have been published as two separate publications. The first 74 pages, which I have been discussing up to this point, make it a brilliant instructional manual. Members of the general public and experienced hypnotherapists could derive a wealth of knowledge from this material. I think that it is unfortunate that he did not expand on this. The second section is a continuation of a case study first described in The Inner Mind. In this assistance in a forensic hypnosis case led him to a witness who apparently channels an entity who is able to give Mr. Ward some rather interesting insights. Although this part of the book was very interesting, the hardened clinician would probably have to do some mental stretching to see the benefit to most main-line practices. Again, I wish that both sections had been fully developed into two separate books, as each apparently has its own value and audience."

"What is clear from reading both of A.L. Ward's previous books that he must be a truly remarkable hypnotist. His experience, sincerity, compassion, and competence are evident in every page of his books. His long history with hypnosis gives his case histories a value that should be accepted and respected the healing community."

Reviewed by Tim Brunson DCH, Founder/Editor of 'The lnternational Hypnosis Research lnstitute

 

"Author and hypnotherapist A.L. Ward's book, The Inner Mind Revisited: Researching the Soul is a fascinating read. Though the book sets out to explicate the research results of the hypnotherapy that A. L. Ward has done over the past 47 years, it is much more than a research piece."

"The first portion of the book is a collection of anecdotes and stories experienced by Ward over his long and distinguished career. A former police officer, the author turned his interest and study of hypnotherapy into a full­time job and a four-decade obsession."

"One of the most intriguing parts of this book is Ward's hypnotherapy work with his clients over the years. He outlines the evaluative process that he has developed during his career to help people deal with their illnesses. Through hypnotherapy, he is able to effectively reconstruct emotional, spiritual and physical deficiencies in a single session. Fine-tuning and honing his technique over the years, he learned to evaluate ailments based on their location in the body and their positioning on the right and left sides of the human frame. Many health practioners may raise their eyebrows at his simplistic evaluative process, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Ward claims to have helped innumerable clients over the years with everything from tumors and multiple sclerosis to heart problems and phobias."

"The latter chapters of the book outlines his work with past life regressions. One case that dominates the author's research in this area is with a seventeen year-old girl named Irene, who gave Ward access to a female spirit named Rebecca."

"Through extensive and repeated regressions, Rebecca provided him with an opportunity to speak to powerful spiritual figures on the other side. These spirits gave him encouragement about his work, his path in life and the role of humankind. Ward's work with Rebecca also gave him wisdom about how things work in the hereafter."

"All in all, A. L. Ward's book is a must-read for anyone who truly questions the meaning of their lives and what takes place after we die. This book is truly a mesmerizing work!"

Reviewed by, Jeni Mayer, publisher and managing editor of Body, Mind, Spirit Magazine.
E-mail address: editor@sackworld.com

 

"It is always a gift when someone who has led an unusual life takes the time to publish his experiences. The Inner Mind Revisited: Researching the Soul, recounts the career of a master hypnotist. The author has practiced his craft in police work as well as to help clients with healing, past life regression and spiritual discovery."

"Though not formally educated in medicine or psychology, A.L. Ward has facilitated powerful physical and emotional healings in many who sought his help. He stresses the importance of faith, both in the hypnotist and client, in creating a positive outcome. It is easy to see how Ward's strong personality and true interest in serving others work together with his skill as a hypnotist to inspire such faith."

"The Inner Mind Revisited: Researching the Soul, features the cases Ward finds most instructive plus a brief explanation of his method. He freely shares the wisdom he has gained and the conclusion he has drawn from exposure to people in deep trance states. His awe at the power of the human mind comes through on every page."

"Beyond the book's power to instruct, it fascinatingly describes Ward's apparent encounters through hypnotized clients with possessions, interplanetary visitors, spirit attachment, God ("The Leader"), Jesus Christ ("The Teacher") and a host of other phenomena. Moreover it presents information given by (through?) his clients regarding the Bermuda Triangle, Earth in the year 3000, and the soon-to-be-discovered Cure for Cancer."

Reviewed by Maggie Bryant and Barbara Stecker per request of Allan Hartley, for the 2004 Winter issue of his "New Perspective" magazine. Maggie Bryant is a Marriage and Family Therapist in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles and uses clinical hypnosis both in present-day and past-life regression.

 

"A.L. Ward has been a great inspiration for me in my work as a family doctor. I was fortunate to witness his unique method of helping people. His book, Heaven, The Road Back Home, is an honest life document of a self-made man, who shares his important insights into metaphysical aspects of healing. Unfortunately, most medical schools have no idea what he is talking about."

Reviewed by Franklin Sluijters, M.D., Clinical Hypnotherapist, The Netherlands