Hypnosis-Knowledge.Com » Milton Erickson

The Story of Ericksonian Hypnosis

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:40:02 +0000

Since thousands of years ago, hypnosis has been used to some extent in every culture. It has been used by many doctors thorough the years but it has not always been considered a viable means of assistance. The world of psychology got very interested in hypnosis and used it with some amount of success.

Currently there is a very famous means of hypnotizing people known as Ericksonian hypnosis. It has many applications.

What Is The Difference Between Ericksonian Hypnosis And Traditional Hypnosis?

When people think about hypnosis they always imagine a very typical image of a hypnotherapist giving strong commands to people in a semi conscious state or sometimes in deep trance. This is not the case of Milton Erickson’s discovery.

Milton Erickson was a poor man born in 1902. He grew up in a rural environment. Nobody could have imagined that this man would invent some kind of hypnosis. He received a very bad education and he was indeed color blind, dyslexic and tone deaf. Not the image of someone who would then create Ericksonian hypnosis, and become very well famous.

He contracted polio at the age of seventeen. This left him paralyzed. His parents, who were very poor, doing the best they could, tied him to a chair during the day, while they went to work, and he was left in the house. As Milton could not move, he spent most of his time watching people’s movements and their body language. He realized that people had some kind of subtle body language and that our bodies can communicate things that we do not want. He also liked to visualize himself moving, walking or playing outside. He could even move his chair when he was in such a deep state of concentration. He also noticed his baby sister’s movements and he started imitating her, until he could walk himself.

Thanks to this success, he could develop Ericksonian hypnosis. In this kind of hypnosis the hypnotist gives indirect suggestions instead of direct ones as it is the case in classical hypnosis. The Ericksonian hypnosis approach can use both deep trance state and storytelling.

In Ericksonian hypnosis through storytelling, a general topic is used over and over in order for the subconscious mind to pick up the messages the hypnotist is trying to send.

This kind of hypnosis is in a very wide use these days. There are different approaches and methods to using it both during trance states and through story telling.

Even some people report that Ericksonian hypnosis has worked for them in cases when classical hypnosis has failed.

Further Resources

Click here to find out how Conversational hypnosis works! Learn secrets and tips about the Ericksonian Hypnosis Approach!

Stress Reduction NLP

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:00:02 +0000

Following on from our previous article, Reducing Stress – Key Success Factors, we will now look at practical ways in which you can reduce stress and anxiety, without recourse to drugs or other expensive and time consuming treatments.

These practical ways are based around NLP – Neuro Linguistic Programming – and we must first understand what this is.

Neuro Linguistic Programming is a collection of techniques that allow us to understand how our minds work, and apply this knowledge so that we can achieve greater success in life and make positive changes to better ourselves.

It is unsurprising therefore that NLP has its basis in Psychology. NLP was founded by John Grinder and Richard Bandler back in the 1970s. Working together, they found a way to turn excellent behaviour into a process. They then sought to teach that process to others, so that anyone can learn excellent behaviour. Their work is based upon their study of eminent experts in human behaviour, including Virginia Satir, Gregory Bateson, Milton Erickson and Fritz Perls.

Bandler and Grinder initially studied these eminent therapists and found them to be excellent communicators – they all generated amazing changes with their clients purely through their conversations and the clever use of their language with their clients. This is where Bandler and Grindler came up with the term Neuro Linguistic Programming:

Neuro – How we use our nervous system to experience the world around us. All the information that enters into our brain using our five senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Linguistic – How we use language and other non-verbal communication systems to interpret this information – pictures (is it focussed and clear or hazy), sounds (is it a loud or quiet noise), touch (does it feel rough or smooth), smell (does it smell fresh as a daisy or is it an odour of decay), taste (does it taste too salty or too sweet).

Programming – Once we have interpreted all this information, we run programmes (often unconsciously) to get things done. We are not aware that we are running them; they are just part of our routine. For example, brushing our teeth twice a day, or washing our face, or our daily drive in to work. Using all the information in our mind we can find out what is in that programme. If there’s something that needs changing we can do so. For example if you can write presentations easily but get anxious about standing up and actually presenting, or you find it easy to talk to your boss informally but get nervous when you ask for a promotion or pay rise, or you play sports excellently for fun but always lose in competitions, NLP can help.

NLP teaches you how to change your unwanted actions into excellent actions and behaviours, so instead of feeling anxious about having to lead the client presentation and how you might mess this up, your behaviour would be to feel excited and motivated about how well you will be able to lead the client presentation.

NLP is formed around the concept that all behaviour is rooted in the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is the bit of the brain that is always functioning, and runs all our necessary programmes, even though we are not aware of this, like making sure we keep breathing when we are sleeping.

The unconscious mind stores all our memories, processes all our experiences, filters everything we feel, hear, see, taste and smell, and it attaches emotion to everything we do.

NLP shows us how to access our unconscious minds, and also provides techniques for making changes at the unconscious level. Because the change is unconscious, it is easier, faster and more permanent.

Consider this example – A few years ago I was standing in my friend’s garden with her, her husband and her two year old son, who was playing at her feet. A large cat suddenly jumped onto her garden wall. She screamed and grabbed her son. He instantly picked up on her fear and started crying. The cat stayed immobile on the wall. Her husband, annoyed that she had taught their son to be frightened of cats, took him from her, and tried to show him that the cat was friendly, but his son was terrified, even though the cat had not attacked anyone. He had learned, in an instant, to be afraid of cats.

Anxiety is a learnt behaviour. The brain does not differentiate between a wanted or unwanted behaviour. It just does things to get results. So, where you have learnt to feel anxious in a situation, you can unlearn that too.

You can also learn positive behaviours instantly. If you change your hair style and everyone tells you how great it looks, you automatically style it that way more often.

Every time you have a moment of realisation like this, your brain makes a new connection and you are learning.

And it is in this ability to use NLP techniques to unlearn unwanted behaviour, and learn desired behaviour, that one solution to anxiety lays.

Look out for the next article in this series shortly.

Heena Pattni, Anxiety Treatment Specialist, is committed to providing professional women with tailored, painless, effective and long-lasting solutions to their anxiety, stress and related issues, using powerful NLP Therapy, Time Line Therapy™ and Hypnotherapy techniques. She is committed to providing them with the ongoing resources to maintain the positive changes they make during their time with her, freeing her clients to pursue their goals with increased confidence, motivation and determination. Visit us at http://anxietytreatmentspecialist.co.uk

The Hypnotic Handshake Induction

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:10:51 +0000

Today I am going to teach you a simple hypnotic induction that you can add to your arsenal of powerful covert hypnosis tactics. As you may be aware the hypnotic handshake induction was created by Milton Erickson, perhaps the greatest hypnotist to ever live. This means you are going to be learning an easy induction created by one of the very best hypnotists. The hypnotic handshake induction is often taught in expensive NLP workshops but today the knowledge is yours for free.

As the name suggests, in this induction you will need to be shaking hands with your subject to induce a light hypnotic trance. I’m sure that right now you realise the power and potential this holds for you. Think of all the times you shake hands with someone whether it’s with a friend, a customer or a boss. If you want to, you can use the hypnotic handshake induction on anyone you meet.

The basic premise behind the hypnotic handshake induction is to shake the subjects hand and then breaking the flow of the handshake in someway. Common methods of doing this including gently grabbing the subject’s wrist or running your fingers over their palm. Allow me to explain to you why this works. Shaking hands is a behavior so well engrained in the mind that when it doesn’t go “as usual” the mind literally suspends itself in a trance, confused at the situation. The subject is left momentarily confused and this leaves them open to suggestion and direction.

There are only really two skills to this confusion tactic. One is having the nerve to use it. The other is to distract the subject while you are performing and ending the hypnotic handshake induction. You can do this by making an innocuous comment such as “Isn’t it a great day today?”. As the subject processes this comment you should notice they look a little confused and usually they will not have heard what you said so they will either smile blankly or ask you to repeat what you said. This is an excellent sign that the hypnotic handshake induction has worked.

After you have performed the induction it is time to jump in quick with a suggestion or command. What this is depends on who you are talking to and what you desire of them. If you are talking to a customer, for example, you may want to step in with a leading question such as “So what are you looking to buy from me now [Name]?”. The command or suggestion is every bit as important as the handshake induction itself so have what you want to say planned before performing the induction. As you can see from my example the question presumes that the customer is looking to buy something from me, right now. You may be able to imagine how many quick sales this can help you achieve.

The hypnotic handshake induction is something you should probably practice with a willing friend before “going public” with it. However you will find that it really doesn’t take long to master. The version I have taught you above is for using as an induction for covert hypnosis, however with some small changes it can be used during stage or street hypnosis and even hypnotherapy.

Doug Slater.

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The Milton Erickson Handshake Induction

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:30:05 +0000

Anyone with so much as a passing interest in hypnosis will have at least heard the name Milton Erickson before. Milton Erickson (1901-1980) is highly regarded as one of the most important figures in hypnosis (and NLP) as many of the techniques he created were revolutionary. One of the many great techniques attributed to Milton Erickson was the hypnotic handshake induction. This is a techniques so effective and powerful than even today it is still taught in many NLP workshops.

Before I teach you the hypnotic handshake induction though I would like to discuss Erickson’s background what exactly it is that made him such an extraordinary man. Milton was born into a farming family of modest wealth when at the age of 17 he contracted polio. The polio effected him so badly that doctors believed he had only days to live. It was through pure will and the use of self hypnosis that Milton was able to stay alive. As he was recovering Milton was still almost completely paralyzed and unable to speak. Rather than do nothing though Milton used this time to study people’s body language as well as their tonality, non-verbal communication and their choice of words. This was how Milton Erickson became so adept at reading people.

Even more amazing though was the way Milton used self hypnosis to regain the ability to walk. He would induce a hypnotic trance within himself and then begin to think back to times when his arms and legs worked and imagine them moving once more. It was a slow ordeal but eventually Milton Erickson taught himself to walk again.

That is the sort of fortitude and intelligence Erickson held within himself. You can be sure that the hypnotic handshake induction is the real deal, just like Milton Erickson himself was.

To start with approach your intended subject with a smile and offer them your right hand. Without even thinking about it they will extend their right hand and begin shaking your hand.

As the handshake is about to end you change your grip to a light touch by your thumb and then brush the subject’s hand with your middle finger. The touch is then shifted to the pinky finger. From here you shift the touch to the middle and then the thumb once more. Next you touch the open area of the wrist with an ever so slight upward push before a downward push of a similar force. The handshake is then terminated ever so gently so that the subject doesn’t even realise contact has been broken.

Because shaking hands is something every adult has done thousands of times this unexpected change of action literally confuses the subject’s mind into a trance state. That is what makes it such a great hypnotic induction. The Milton Erickson handshake induction turns a very mundane action into a very interesting one indeed. What you suggest to the subject once you have induced a hypnotic trance state is up to you.

It may take a little practice to truly master but once you do you have a great tool to use either as an induction to conversational hypnosis or maybe just as a party piece to get people talking.

Learn more hypnosis secrets such as the hypnotic handshake induction only at NLP Hypnosis Secrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D._Slater

The Hypnotic Handshake Induction

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:20:21 +0000

Doug Slater.

Using Embedded Commands For Seduction

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:25:11 +0000

When you intend to seduce either a woman or man it pays to have a plan and one of the very best seduction techniques you could ever learn are embedded commands. The idea behind embedded commands came from Milton Erickson and was later fine tuned by John Grinder and Richard Bandler, the co-founders of NLP. There are many uses for embedded commands but in this article I will concentrate on how they can be used to seduce anyone you desire.

Embedded commands work by planting a thought or idea into the mind of the person you are trying to seduce. So, for example, if I was talking to an attractive woman that I had met via strange circumstances I might say to her “Isn’t it funny we should be together like this?”. It’s a perfectly natural piece of conversation but within the question you will notice the command “we should be together”. This places the idea in the woman’s mind that it would be a good idea for us to get together.

At this juncture I would like to mention the importance of the tone of your voice while delivering embedded commands. They are called commands for a reason, they should be spoken in the manner of a command. That doesn’t mean you need to seem stern and authorities though (although it is a good idea to appear in control of the situation if you are a man looking to seduce a woman). Commands should be delivered with a downward inflection. This is in contrast to questions which end with an upward inflection. If you’re not sure what I mean by this say “go to the shop” out-loud to yourself and listen to the commanding tone of your voice.

There are a couple of different formulas that have been designed to help with the creation of embedded commands but I find these to be restrictive and often too obvious or difficult to naturally slip into a conversation. I have come up with a number of embedded commands for the purposes of seduction and I invite you to borrow them as well as create your own.

“I could sense/feel the excitement…”
“It’s just like me to…”
“Sometimes you have to take a chance…”
“You can find the perfect man/woman (touch or stroke your chin) for you if you look hard enough.”
“Isn’t it great when you can feel a connection growing?”
“Did it feel good?”
“Could you imagine us in the future?” This one works great after a discussion about life goals.

The embedded commands above can be used on a man or woman.

Before you start trying to seduce people with embedded commands it is important to spend time practicing so that your technique is flawless. If you go out and attempt to use embedded commands without practice your speech will sound awkward and disjointed and you will enjoy no success.

The best way to practice and master the use of embedded commands for seduction is first by creating a number of commands that flow well with your regular speech patterns. Commands don’t have to be complicated so this part should be easy. Once you have an arsenal of embedded commands, practice speaking them into a dictaphone (many cell phones now have this capability).

Keep practicing and playing your recordings back to yourself until your embedded commands flow smoothly to the point where you believe no-one would ever suspect that you are using this powerful seduction technique.

When you are ready you can begin using these commands while talking to a potential partner. Pay close attention to how they react whilst you are speaking to them. Some commands will work better than others, try to gauge which ones have the desired effect and which ones don’t. This way you can edit your embedded commands for the future, keep the good ones and ditch bad ones.

If you stumble the first few times in a real social situation don’t worry. It is perfectly natural as you are now in a new and stimulating environment. You will soon find yourself settling into a rhythm where embedded commands become second nature to you.

Do not forget that the dance of seduction is a two way conversation not a monologue so make sure to listen just as much as you talk.

Please be responsible with this technique.

Doug Slater.

Milton Erickson

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:20:03 +0000

Milton Erickson was a psychiatrist and clinical hypnotherapist, who was the founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis. He is noted for his unorthodox methods of therapy, and his influence in the field of psychiatry, psychology, NLP and hypnotherapy. He deserves special mention here not only for his influence in many fields, but also for the way he fought against his own adversities.

At a young age, Erickson both dyslexic and color blind, started following in his fathers footsteps of becoming a farmer. However at the age of 17 he became very ill when he contracted polio.

“I had polio, and I was totally paralyzed, and the inflammation was so great that I had a sensory paralysis too. I could move my eyes and my hearing was undisturbed. I got very lonesome lying in bed, unable to move anything except my eyeballs. I was quarantined on the farm with seven sisters, one brother, two parents, and a practical nurse. And how could I entertain myself? I started watching people and my environment. I soon learned that my sisters could say “no” when they meant “yes.” And they could say “yes” and mean “no” at the same time. They could offer another sister an apple and hold it back. And I began studying nonverbal language and body language. I had a baby sister who had begun to learn to creep. I would have to learn to stand up and walk. And you can imagine the intensity with which I watched as my baby sister grew from creeping to learning how to stand up.”

Erickson was not beaten. He decided to fight back. One day he was sitting by the window, looking longingly outside. As he sat there imagining being outside he noticed that the chair began to rock slightly. Excited he attempted to make it happen again, willing himself to move, but he could not no matter how hard he tried. Eventually he gave up and sank back into his daydreams, again imagining playing outside. Once more the chair began to rock. He realised that it was his vivid imagination that was producing a response in his body. Inspired by this discovery, he taught himself to walk again He spent a lot of time observing his baby sister growing up and learning to walk. He began to recall “body memories” of the muscular activity of his own body. By concentrating on these memories and using visualisation, Erickson started to regain control of parts of his body. Eventually, although still unable to walk, he decided to train his body even more by embarking on a thousand mile canoe trip. After this grueling trip, he was able to walk with a cane.

Despite this, Erickson realised that he still did not have the strength to become a farmer, so at the age of 21 he began to train as a doctor instead. Whilst at medical school, Erickson was still very interested in the human mind. In fact he was so curious about it that he gained a psychology degree at the same time.

In the years that followed, Erickson used his education and background to become one of the most influential psychotherapists and clinical hypnotherapists ever. He had a very practical approach to his therapy sessions, often telling stories, using metaphors, and whole array of unorthodox therapeutic methods should the situation demand it. He once spent 4 sessions talking to a young boy who was interested in baseball, about such things as how you need to control the muscles in your hand to let go at just the right time in order for you to be able to throw the ball where you want it to go. Despite never specifically talking about his presenting problem, Erickson successfully treated the boy for bed wetting. In another case he treated a married man of his fear of being in moving elevators by persuading a young girl to repeatedly ask him for a kiss whilst they were inside. The man was no longer afraid of traveling in lifts, in fact he wanted the lift to start moving quicker so that he could get to his destination and get away from her!

Later in life Erickson developed post-polio syndrome due to the over use of partially paralyzed muscles. This condition again left him severely paralysed, but because of his previous experience, he knew how to rehabilitate himself. However because he was much older this time, he was still confined to a wheelchair, and suffered from chronic pain. Instead of lying down, he learnt how to manage his pain with self-hypnosis, and became an expert at treating others who also suffered from chronic pain.

Erickson eventually died at the ripe old age of 79. When considering all the health problems that he was presented with throughout his life, this was a feat in itself, never mind all the amazing therapy that he gave to others. He was also a prolific writer, and has influenced, and still influences many therapists to this day.

Erickson’s life and work have been a source of inspiration for many therapists and patients in many disciplines. He turned around his disadvantages, learnt from them, and used them to help others. When most people would have given up, Erickson kept going and achieved so much. A true inspiration and a real illustration that almost anything is possible with hard work, determination and a vivid imagination.