Ericksonian Hypnosis Live Class Intro: Indirect Demo of Metaphors, Nested Loops | Michael A Kamins

“I don't teach content; I teach to motivate." -Milton H. Erickson

Introduction to a live course by
Michael A. Kamins, MFT, PhD, CCHT
Email: [email protected]
-Individual sessions
-Educational supervision
-Updates on certificate training courses.

SYNOPSIS: Erickson's signature technique of teaching indirectly through the use of conversational anecdotes, surreal non-sequiturs, stories within stories or Nested Loops, embedded suggestions, and hypnotic metaphors is demonstrated here subtly and masterfully.

These communication devices are powerful means to promote pervasive learning and meta-levels of understanding and can strategically evoke “states” and trance-phenomena.

Stories/anecdotes show or demonstrate the "idea” before it is presented explicitly. This promotes learning by providing a big picture or pattern (which paces the more primary and experiential “right brain”) as a data-structure for data provided later; and paces psychosocial genomics eg: mirror neurons ➡️ experience-activated gene expression=memory/learning; and nesting or layering stories holds attention (novelty) and ultimately assists in the retention of a large amount of info in a brief period.

The stories and embedded (“gift wrapped”) suggestions prime students and encourage the requisite states for the weekend course eg: motivation and rebelliousness against thier traditional training, also against limiting beliefs about potential and what’s possible; and promote thinking outside the box; and demonstrate problems can contain solutions (“The Answer Within”), liabilities can become assets, and to "seed" the main ideas that will be developed over the weekend.

Isomorphic metaphors are structurally similar to the students’ situation. Metaphors/anecdotes also deliver indirect suggestions. A few of many examples:

-Resistance to a software update becuase “I’m used to the way my phone works and don’t want to have to learn a bunch of new features”= students’ hitherto reliance on the traditional model of hypnotherapy and worldview generally and reluctance to challenge its “dogmas” and authorities (echoed in Blade Runner and Erickson’s trickster behavior, etc.) and learning the “new features” of “Ericksonian” aka The Utilization and Indirect Approach to hypnosis.

-Deep Space Mining of Interstellar Resources= retrieving inner resources in deep trance or from the depths of the unconscious mind (Utilization Approach to Hypnotherapy)

-Blade Runner character, “Brilliant artist” who designs memories to provide reference experiences for confidence=my role in the currnet situation as trainer, provide students w resources and requisite experiences to develop competency; metaphor for Erickson’s Utilization approach which will become students’ role/ approach.

-AI=Automatic Intelligence (unconscious mind); AI “prompts”= hypnotic suggestions; prompting AI to write essay about Ericksonian hypnosis= indirect suggestion to students’ UCMs to synthesize/consolidate learnings from course.

-Time Distortion anecdotes= Indirect suggestions to slow-down time to accelerate student learning.

-Writing=“Righting” (phonological ambiguity: write/right): activates “right brain;” Erickson’s “insecurity” about writing=students’ inexperience w Erixson approach.

-References to holography and hypnogogic illuminations=Indirect suggestions for visual hallucinations: utilizing the more visual “right brain” for deeper learning.

-A key to the opening metaphor, the anecdote about the “Terrible Procrastinator” was provided later in the workshop when the students were introduced to “Ambiguity” patterns in hypnotic language. In this example, Syntactic Ambiguity: “Terrible Procrastinator” as in {terrible person}because a procrastinator? or {terrible AT}procrastinating?

There are also significant archetypal (mythic) themes within this introduction which can be made conscious or explicit by drawing associations between items such as:
Apple—Software Upgrade—Blade Runner-theme of Rebellion—etc…

Also, The Hero’s Journey: slaying the Dragon to retrieve the treasure hidden within; or Defeating the Tyrannical King to rescue the Captive Maiden —is the archetypal background implicit in all hypnotherapy: bypassing the conscious-critical mind to access Unconscious Resources.
Examples:

-The dangerous work of Deep Space mining for interstellar resources;

-Blade Runner-theme of overcoming conditioned programming and obedience to tyrannical authority (Tyrell Corp);

-Star Wars: “Let go Luke, use the force,” destroys Death Star, saves Galaxy
➡️
-Bypassing the conscious-critical mind= Slaying Dragon or Tyranical King;

-To access Unconscious Resources= Treasure within/Captive Maiden;

-Trusting the adaptive guidance of the Unconscious, especially in a perilous moment or impasse= helpful animals, spirit allies, the Wise Old Man (Obi Won, Yoda) etc., that aid the Mythic Hero on the Journey.

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