What Milton Erickson Added to Hypnosis according to Jeff and with Jeff s (challenging) elaborations An Orientation Based in States, Especially Therapist States. Artists explore the potentials of their genre and invent new forms, new orientations. Sometimes they find something that changes the foundation of their field. So it is with canonical figures, those who at one time existed in the margins 1
Primary points What Milton Erickson Added to Hypnosis according to Jeff and with Jeff s (challenging) elaborations An Orientation Based in States, Especially Therapist States. Orientations, not techniques Therapist states. Hypnosis is a relationship. Redefining hypnosis Erickson s Contributions Zeig Version: An Orientation; A Relationship An Ericksonian Orientation to hypnotic relationships. Therapist states are a foundation. A revised understanding of hypnosis as dependent on, and inseparable from the relationship. Erickson Did Invent Techniques Classified techniques include Confusion and Interspersal. Myriad unclassified techniques: The symbolic use of hypnotic phenomena. Explored the territory of hypnosis as no previous investigator. He invented a grammar that has become central to the practice of modern hypnosis. Erickson demonstrated how to use of all output channels of communication to elicit responses. Techniques are secondary to orientations. Techniques are not Erickson s primary contribution to hypnosis, neither are theories. Erickson helps us understand states. 2
Emotions, Moods, States. Emotions Moods States States States are influenced in three domains Personal Interpersonal Contextual States Personal States Some states rely more than others on one of the three influential domains Self determined 3
Personal states. Left side: positive states. Right side: problematic. Responsible Calm Self Satisfied Faith Creative Conscientious Persevering Coping Believing Present Self hypnosis Meditation Mindfulness Irresponsible Agitated Unsatisfied Doubt Uncreative Careless Apathetic Falling Apart Doubting Preoccupied Turbulent Contextual states. On the left side in boldface are positive states. On the Right are opposites, often problematic. Concentrated Focused Attentive Present Aware Awe Faith Distracted Diffuse Inattentive Preoccupied Unaware Unimpressed Doubt 13 14 Relational States Relational States Continued Forgiving Vulnerable (Open) Independent Inspirational Agreeable Resilient Social Generous Liberal Adventurous Pursuing Unforgiving Hardened (Closed) Dependent Uninspiring Disagreeable Vulnerable (Easily Hurt) Withdrawn Miserly Conservative Inhibited Avoiding Altruistic Considerate Humble Honest Delegate One Up Strong Positive Attuned Empathic Trusting Self Serving Inconsiderate Inflated Deceptive Micromanage One Down Impotent Negative Not Attuned Uncaring Suspicious 15 16 4
Relational States Continued Praising Patient Moral Respectful Engaged Forgiving Diplomatic Humility Assertive Assertive Concerned Sophisticated Thoughtless Criticizing Immoral Disrespectful Disengaged Unforgiving Tactless Narcissism Passive Aggressive Unconcerned Boorish Other States. Cultural Ethnic, etc. 17 Therapist States. Traditional Therapist Empathic Attentive Accepting Quiet Educational Inquisitive Placid Warm Present Vanilla Traditional Hypnotist Directed Commanding Powerful Active Suggestive Imperative Dynamic Calculating Future Colorful 5
Ericksonian Therapist Experiential Dramatic Active Tour guide in charge Flexible Metaphoric oriented towards Utilizing Expectant Systemic Gift wrapping Friendship cannot adequately be examined within a person; it is a Relational State. Hypnosis is a Relational State. Understanding Erickson Hypnosis is not a technique. Hypnosis is not an entity. Hypnosis is a fluid relationship Hypnosis is best understood as a relationship Trance may exist within. Hacking through a jungle. Not a proper British Rose Garden I have spent 40 years studying Milton Erickson s hieroglyphics. Here is how I understand his orientation to hypnosis: 6
Hypnosis as a Relationship Friendship, Loving, Teaching, Marriage, etc. are Relational States. Hypnosis is best understood relationally, not as an internal phenomena. Friendship and relational states must be understood in context not in vitro. Self hypnosis is not hypnosis. All hypnosis is not self hypnosis. Therapist states during the hypnotic relationship are the mother of techniques. Therapists States are central to the Hypnotic Relationship I am my own wife An Orientation About Induction Induction can precede assessment. Induction provides assessment. Induction is a means of delivering therapy, not just a method of achieving trance. Therapist States Attunement. Jump into Action. Beethoven principal Acuity. Orienting toward. Eliciting change in client states is accomplished by orienting toward. Guiding associations not being indirect. Poetry is a carefully crafted arrangement of representations. Responsiveness to innuendo. The hypnotic relationship is based in the technology of injunctive communication. One cannot have enough responsiveness in the hypnotic relationship. Evocative communication activates. Utilization is the foundation of solutions. Multilevel communication is central. The hypnotic relationship has a grammar that Erickson invented. Increasing density elicits activation. Destabilization is part of every induction. It is a precursor of dissociation. Use arousal states. Deemphasize relaxation. 7
Therapist States The process of communication empowers change. Strategic development is a therapist characteristic. Create a dramatic process. A minimalist approach. Build on small changes A conversational approach. The hypnotic relationship is a dialog, not a monologue. Amplify strengths. Awaken dormant potentials. Amplify strengths. Whereas therefore. Medicine is about finding causes in order to provide treatment. Therapists, including Freud, have been locked into this model. Social change is independent of finding the roots. Precision. Using all of the output channels of communication. A central therapist state. Tailoring. Create a new induction for every client. Focus through the client s lens. Speak the client s experiential language. Eschew protocols and scripts. Create the dots. Do not connect them. Do not treat categories, treat components Metaphor. We can say things in metaphor that cannot be stated in other ways. Metaphor is a way of being effective, not correct. Metaphor is novel and leads to neurogenesis. It makes things memorable. Therapist States Congruent Caring In Addition Hypnosis is an experiential method, a delivery system; it is not designed for didactic psychoeducation. It is not a way to offer insight. Anecdotes, reference experiences, jokes, metaphor, parallel communication, and naturalistic trance are delivery systems. Techniques do not cure. Dynamic experiences precede dynamic understandings. Erickson was radically experiential. Think systemically. Look for an interactional solution. Be structural rather than historical. Hypnosis can be an entrée, a main course, a dessert. It is not a matter of trusting the unconscious. It is a matter of keeping the implicit, implicit. Procedural learnings trump working memory. Conclusions Hypnosis is a relational state, highly influenced by the state of the therapist. The states that I assumed changed the nature of the trance. The hypnotic relationship is influenced and determined by the gifts you bring. The Vera principle A meta state is: What do I want to offer? > how do I it? Explore the possibilities in our artistic genre: Therapist States. 8
Hypnosis Deconstructed Using a Prism 9
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