The Elevator method is a visual shifting technique: you imagine stepping into a lift and rising, floor by floor, until the doors open onto your desired reality. It's ideal for people who enjoy visualisation and like the idea of a clear "journey" between realities.
In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to do the Elevator method, which affirmations to use, what symptoms to expect and how to make it work better.
What Is the Elevator Method?
The Elevator method is a reality shifting technique where you visualise entering an elevator, pressing the button for your desired reality and feeling the lift rise until the doors open onto your DR. The movement of the elevator gives your mind a sense of transition, which helps you let go of your current reality.
New to shifting? Start with my guide to the Raven method, which covers scripting, safe words and the basics.
How to Prepare
Before your first attempt, take a few minutes to set up your environment and your script. These four preparation steps help you relax quickly and know exactly where the elevator will take you. Good preparation makes the method itself much smoother.
- Script your DR, including where the elevator will open: your bedroom, a school hallway, a castle.
- Choose a quiet time, ideally at night when you're relaxed.
- Lie down comfortably on your back in a dark room.
- Optional: play theta binaural beats or a shifting subliminal at low volume.
How to Do the Elevator Method: Step by Step
Here's the Elevator method in eight steps. The idea is simple: each floor takes you deeper into relaxation and closer to your desired reality. Go slowly and let each stage feel real before moving to the next.
- Relax deeply. Breathe slowly and relax every part of your body.
- Visualise the elevator. Imagine standing in front of an elevator. Notice the doors, the colour, the light and the sound when it arrives.
- Step inside. Feel the floor under your feet and the doors closing behind you.
- Press the button. Imagine a button labelled with your DR's name, or simply "DR". Press it.
- Feel the movement. Sense the elevator rising. Some people count floors from 1 to 10 or 1 to 100, saying an affirmation at each floor.
- Increase the detail. As you rise, start hearing sounds from your DR through the doors: voices, music, wind.
- Arrive. Feel the elevator stop, hear the ding and watch the doors open onto your DR. Step out and explore with all your senses.
- Drift off. Stay in the scene until you fall asleep or feel strong shifting symptoms.
Elevator Method Affirmations
Repeating an affirmation as the elevator rises helps you stay focused on your intention. These short phrases are easy to say in your mind while you visualise. Choose one of them or create your own.
- With every floor, I get closer to my desired reality.
- I am rising into my DR.
- I am safe and ready to shift.
- When the doors open, I am in my desired reality.
Symptoms You May Feel
As you rise, you may notice physical sensations. These are the most common symptoms with this method. Some people feel several, others none at all.
- A floating or rising sensation
- Pressure in your ears or head
- Tingling or heaviness in your body
- Faint sounds or voices from your DR
- Flashes of light or colour
These are normal signs of deep relaxation, similar to what happens as you fall asleep.
Tips to Make the Elevator Method Work
These tips help make the elevator feel more vivid and the experience more relaxing. They come from common challenges people face with this method, such as rushing or losing focus. Try adding one at a time.
- Use all your senses. Feel the handrail, smell the air, hear the motor.
- Go slowly. Rushing the floors keeps your mind alert.
- Use the same elevator every time so the image becomes familiar.
- Practise visualisation during the day. These visualisation exercises strengthen your imagination.
- Combine with the state akin to sleep. Read more about SATS.
- Try a variation: the Staircase method uses the same idea with steps instead of floors.
Example Elevator Script
You can read this to yourself or record it in your own voice and listen as you relax:
"I'm standing in a quiet hallway. The elevator doors slide open with a soft chime. I step inside, and the doors close behind me. There's one golden button marked 'DR'. I press it. Floor one… I am relaxed. Floor two… I'm leaving my current reality behind. Floor three… I can hear music from above. Floor four… I'm almost there. Floor five… the elevator slows. The doors open, and I step into my desired reality."
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Try This |
|---|---|
| Can't picture the elevator clearly | Focus on the sounds and the feeling of movement instead |
| Feel claustrophobic | Imagine a glass elevator with a view |
| The doors open onto your current room | Close them, press the button again and continue rising |
| You lose count of floors | That's a sign of deep relaxation; go straight to the doors opening |
Who Is the Elevator Method Best For?
It suits strong visualisers and people who like a clear beginning and end to the process. If you struggle to visualise, try audio-based methods like the Julia method or simple ones like the Pillow method.
FAQ
Should the elevator go up or down?
Either works. Most people imagine it going up, which feels like rising to a new level, but some prefer going down, which feels like going deeper.
How many floors should I count?
Anything from 10 to 100. Choose a number that gives you enough time to relax deeply.
What if the doors don't open onto my DR?
Simply keep imagining them opening. The image doesn't need to be perfect; focus on the feeling of arriving.
Can I use the Elevator method for manifesting?
Yes. Imagine the doors opening onto a scene where your desire has already come true.
How long does it take?
Usually 20–40 minutes including relaxation.
Conclusion
The Elevator method gives your mind a vivid sense of travel: step in, press the button, feel the lift rise and step out into your desired reality. Use all your senses, go slowly and practise regularly. Even before you shift, it's an excellent exercise for deep relaxation and visualisation.