23/08/2026
ADAC — Activate, Dissociate, Associate, Collapse — is a four-step neurological change pattern that works regardless of belief. First, you activate the problem state by having the person fully step into the bad feeling and crank it as high as possible. Pushing it higher isn’t cruelty — it signals to the unconscious that the person has control over it, which primes the collapse. Then you dissociate them from it: they grab the feeling as a mental picture, shove it down with their physical hands, make it small and grainy. Now it’s beneath them, which neurologically puts them in a position of dominance over it.
From there you build a competing associated state — something powerfully positive, ideally tied to a peak experience where the person feels completely in control. This resource state must be stronger than the problem state or the collapse won’t hold. Once it’s fully activated, you fire both states simultaneously: the person opens their eyes, stays in the powerful state, and looks down at the problem picture. Neurologically the stronger state wins and the problem collapses. Check the SUDs after — aim for zero, and repeat with fresh resources if needed. Finish every session with direct suggestion in hypnosis to reinforce the work, using the client’s own words where possible.
Learn more at www.mikemandelhypnosis.com
