The name was Milton Hyland Erickson. He was an American psychiatrist and an expert in medical hypnosis as well as family therapy. Dr. Erickson was known for his work in psychotherapy. His methods were rather unconventional which earned him the attention of his peers and the whole medical community. He was in particular fond of using therapeutic metaphors and story as well as hypnosis in his treatments.

Dr. Erickson pioneered some methods in therapies such as his use of interventions that influenced the whole strategic therapy and family systems therapy’s standard practices. He also created the concept that the unconscious is highly separate from the conscious mind. This concept of the unconscious has its own awareness, responses, interests, learning plus it was creative, solution-generating, and often positive.

According to the good doctor, the human mind’s unconscious is always intent on listening on things around it. He said that regardless if a person is unconscious or not, the unconscious mind can accept concepts, ideas and suggestions from any outside source. Dr. Erickson firmly believed in the unconscious and used these concepts in his therapy sessions.

Also his studies influenced the whole area of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) study. All in all Dr. Erickson was a famous hypnotherapist. Because of his extensive research on the unconscious mind and experience with hypnosis he was able to develop very effective therapeutic techniques.

Some of these techniques or concepts include Encouraging Resistance; Providing a Worse Alternative (The ‘Double Bind’); Communicating by Metaphor; Encouraging a Relapse; Encouraging a Response by Frustrating It; Utilizing Space and Position; Emphasizing the Positive; Prescribing the Symptom and Amplifying a Deviation; Seeding Ideas; and Avoiding Self-Exploration. Delving on each type of technique will take some time and a lengthy discussion is best left on a separate chapter or a separate article. For now let’s focus on the differences of traditional hypnosis, Ericksonian hypnosis, and NLP.

Traditional hypnosis is simple and direct. A hypnotist fills the subject’s unconscious mind with direct suggestions. This traditional style of hypnosis is most effective for someone that is less reactive or resistant from suggestions and commands The best type of person that could be paired with traditional hypnosis is someone who generally accepts what they are told without questioning or contesting them.

Meanwhile, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP techniques seem to be more effective in modern times. At present people are more democratic in their beliefs and are taught to be more vigilant and to ask more questions. Today’s generation is not likely to follow suggestions or commands blindly. They need prior explanations on why they should follow.

But why do Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP techniques more effective today? This is because both methods can reach and influence the unconscious more than the traditional one. It is, however, a long and hard road before someone could be able to use efficiently such methods. Ericksonian hypnosis mainly uses short stories, otherwise known as metaphors, to present suggestions and ideas to the subconscious.

Because it incorporates the suggestions and ideas in a story, the subconscious usually is not that resistant to it nor does the conscious mind try to block them too much. When we speak of metaphors, we either mean “Isomorphic” which gives direction to the subconscious through a story or “interspersal” which refers to those of the embedded command.

And finally, with “Neuro-Linguistic Programming” of NLP what therapists and psychiatrists use are thought patterns that are similar to those when creating a problem. NLP is an advanced technique and should be used wisely.