Question: Is there a method whereby if one does not have patience for meditation, he could use hypnosis or self-hypnosis instead to quiet the mind so his soul can come forward?

Sri Chinmoy: To try and approach meditation by way of hypnosis is dangerous and negative. The better way is to dive deep into yourself. Through hypnosis one doesn't go into himself. When all other aspects of the person, the heart, the vital, the physical, join in really going deeply into one's soul, then there is a chance of quieting the mind. The human mind though can never convince the soul. There is no reason for the soul to be enticed by the mind. The soul does not push. The soul has infinite patience. But sometimes, if it is God's Will, the body vital and heart can force the mind to diminish its activity.