Ericksonian induction approaches often make a distinction between the unconscious and conscious minds. “The conscious mind _____________ while the unconscious mind _____________.” Examples: “The conscious mind thinks while the unconscious mind understands.” “The conscious mind wonders as the unconscious mind experiences.”
Category: Hypnosis
Symptom As Task
One of Milton Erickson’s most frequent interventions was to give the symptom as a task and alter the task in some way. For example, he might instruct a nail-biter to bite their nails at a specific time and to bite each nail for a certain length of time. Assigning the problem behavior as a task […]
Contextual Cues
When inducing hypnosis, it can be effective to give the client cues that something different is happening. When they move to the “relaxation chair,” and the lights are dimmed, they know its time to go into a trance. Below are some examples. Change the environment (lighting/seating) Change your voice tone (switch to hypnotic voice) Match […]
Implied Directive
Implied Directive is a subtle form of directive where you don’t actually tell someone to do something, but you assume something will be done. You then only give the option of signaling when it is done. The giving of the signal when it is done actually seems to have both motivating and reinforcing properties on the […]
Metaphor Patterns
Metaphors are used extensively in storytelling, song lyrics and poetry. They can also be used effectively in business communication to illustrate complex points. Speaking in metaphorical terms is a very powerful way of getting your message across, both in hypnosis and in everyday communication. Metaphorical communication causes the listener to relate to the subject of […]
Indirect Elicitation Patterns
Indirect elicitation literally means getting a specific response without overtly asking for that response. Direct elicitation is often seen as being very blunt or authoritarian, whereas indirect elicitation is a way of softening up your communication. Indirect elicitation patterns elicit a desired response indirectly; asking for an outcome without making it obvious that a) you […]
Inverse Meta Model
The Inverse Meta Model language patterns are used to describe experience in vague terms. The Inverse Meta Model language patterns can be broken into three distinct classes: Deleting Information, Semantic Ill-Formedness Limits of the Speaker’s Model Deleting Information Where information is deleted, the listener must fill in the deleted information from their own unique experience. […]
Non Sequiturs
A non sequitur is a statement presented in the form of ’cause leads to effect’, A > B, but where there is in fact no logical connection between A and B. The structure of the statement fools the listener by starting with a statement of something that is true and then specifying an outcome that […]
Negative Suggestions
Negative suggestions are similar to conversational postulates in that they ask for one thing but really expect a different behavior. The Milton Model works because the unconscious mind does not deal with negatives well, and tends to ignore the words ‘don’t and not’ and instead focuses on the object of the sentence. The sentence ‘Don’t […]
Extended Quotation
If you attribute a suggestion to someone else this can avoid a lot of resistance from the client. By using one or more levels of quotation you can say almost anything to the client, and will probably confuse the unconscious mind in the process, making the suggestion more likely to be accepted. Milton Erickson once […]