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Indirect, conversational hypnosis
Ericksonian Hypnosis: The Art of Indirect Suggestion
Milton H. Erickson changed hypnotherapy by trading commands for conversation. Instead of telling the mind what to do, he told stories, offered choices and worked with whatever the client brought into the room. Here is who he was, the techniques he pioneered, how they compare with direct hypnosis, and what the research actually shows.
Who Erickson was · 6 core techniques · Direct vs. indirect · Research
The man behind the method
Who was Milton H. Erickson?
Milton Hyland Erickson (1901–1980) was an American psychiatrist and psychologist, and is often called the father of modern clinical hypnosis. He was the founding president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and founded its journal, the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. For most of his career he practiced and taught from his home in Phoenix, Arizona.
His approach was shaped by his own life. At 17 he contracted polio and was left almost completely paralyzed. By his own account, he spent months carefully observing the people around him, including his baby sister learning to walk, and recalling the feel of his own movements, which he believed helped him relearn how to use his body. That experience left him fascinated by how much of what we do happens outside conscious awareness, and by how small, well-timed nudges can change it.
Erickson rarely used the formal, authoritarian inductions common in his day. He treated every client as unique, and his work later inspired a generation of therapists, including the founders of brief strategic therapy and solution-focused therapy.
The core techniques
How Ericksonian hypnosis works
Ericksonian hypnosis, sometimes called conversational or indirect hypnosis, aims to work around the critical, analyzing part of the mind rather than confronting it. These are the tools Erickson is best known for, each with a simple example.
Indirect suggestion
Rather than “You will relax,” an Ericksonian hypnotherapist might say “I wonder how soon you’ll notice your shoulders beginning to relax.” The idea is planted without a command for the critical mind to push back against.
“You might find that your breathing is already slowing down, all by itself.”
Metaphor and storytelling
Erickson was famous for teaching tales: stories about other people, plants, farm life or ordinary events that carry a message for the listener. The story lets a person take in a new idea at their own pace, without feeling lectured.
A story about a tree bending in a storm, for someone who feels they must never give way.
The confusion technique
Described in Erickson’s 1964 paper “The Confusion Technique in Hypnosis”, this uses rapid, puzzling or contradictory statements. As the listener struggles to make sense of them, they become eager for something clear, and readily accept the next simple suggestion.
A playful string of remarks about today, yesterday and tomorrow, followed by “and now you can simply relax.”
Utilization
Erickson’s signature principle: use whatever the client brings. Resistance, restlessness, skepticism, even a noisy room, can all be woven into the session instead of being fought.
“And you can keep that healthy skepticism with you, and notice what changes anyway.”
Double binds
An illusion of choice where every option leads in the helpful direction. The client keeps a sense of control, which lowers resistance.
“Would you like to go into trance quickly, or would you rather take your time?”
Truisms, pacing and leading
Start with statements that are simply true right now (pacing), which builds agreement, and then gently add a suggestion (leading).
“You’re sitting in the chair, you can hear my voice, and you can begin to feel more comfortable.”
A teaching tale
The runaway horse
Erickson often told a story from his youth that sums up his whole approach. A stray horse wandered onto his family’s farm with no brand or markings to show where it belonged. He climbed on, rode it back to the road, and simply let the horse decide which way to go. He only stepped in when it wandered off the road to graze.
Eventually the horse turned into a farmyard a few miles away, and the surprised owner asked how the young Erickson knew where to bring it. His answer, in essence: he didn’t know. The horse knew. All he did was keep it on the road.
Why it matters
That is how Erickson saw the therapist’s role. The client already has the resources to find their way; the hypnotherapist’s job is not to drag them somewhere, but to keep them on the road and let their own mind do the navigating.
Direct vs. indirect
Which style of hypnosis fits you?
Erickson’s indirect style is one of two broad ways to give suggestions. Neither is better for everyone. In Dr. John Kappas’ model of suggestibility, the best approach depends on how you take in information.
Direct (authoritarian) suggestion
Clear, literal instructions: “Your eyelids are getting heavy.” Common in traditional and Kappasinian hypnosis.
- Tends to suit Physical suggestibles, who take messages literally
- Straightforward, fast and easy to follow
- Can meet resistance in people who dislike being told what to do
Indirect (Ericksonian) suggestion
Stories, implications and permissive language: “You may notice…”
- Tends to suit Analytical suggestibles (Kappas’ original term: Emotional), who read between the lines and infer meaning
- Gives the listener room to reach their own conclusions
- Works around skepticism instead of confronting it
Many hypnotherapists, including those trained in the Kappasinian method, blend both styles and adjust them to the person in the chair. Not sure which you are? The free Suggestibility Test shows whether you lean Physical, Analytical or somewhere in between.
The research
What the evidence says about Ericksonian hypnosis
Erickson was a brilliant clinician, but most of what we know about his methods comes from his case reports, teaching seminars and the books written by his students, not from controlled trials. An honest summary:
- Hypnosis itself has solid support for some uses. Clinical hypnosis has good evidence for helping with pain, irritable bowel syndrome and procedural anxiety, and is a useful addition to therapy for several other problems.
- Indirect is not proven to beat direct. Studies comparing indirect, permissive suggestions with direct ones have produced mixed results. A well-known review by Lynn, Neufeld and Maré (1993) found no consistent advantage for indirect suggestions overall.
- Few trials test “Ericksonian” as a package. Because the approach is tailored to each person, it is hard to standardize and study. The research base is growing, but still small.
- Beware of the offshoots. Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) was partly modeled on Erickson’s language patterns, but NLP’s own claims have little scientific support. That is not the same thing as Ericksonian hypnotherapy.
Erickson’s lasting influence is less about any one technique and more about an attitude: respect for the client, flexibility, and the belief that people already hold many of the resources they need. That attitude has shaped modern brief therapy far beyond hypnosis. His work is preserved by the Milton H. Erickson Foundation in Phoenix, founded in 1979.
FAQ
Ericksonian hypnosis: common questions
What is Ericksonian hypnosis?
Ericksonian hypnosis is a style of hypnotherapy developed by psychiatrist Milton H. Erickson. It relies on indirect suggestion, metaphor, storytelling and the client’s own responses rather than formal, direct commands.
How is Ericksonian hypnosis different from traditional hypnosis?
Traditional hypnosis tends to use direct, authoritative suggestions such as “you are becoming sleepy.” Ericksonian hypnosis is permissive and conversational, using implication, stories and choices, and adapts to each person rather than following a script.
What is the confusion technique?
It is a technique Erickson described in 1964 that uses puzzling or contradictory statements. As the listener tries to make sense of them, they become eager for clarity and are more ready to accept the next simple, clear suggestion.
What is conversational hypnosis?
Conversational hypnosis is a popular name for Ericksonian-style techniques used in ordinary conversation, such as embedded suggestions and stories. In a therapy setting it is always used with the client’s knowledge and agreement.
Can Ericksonian hypnosis make me do something against my will?
No. Hypnosis of any style does not remove your judgment or values. Indirect suggestions give you more room to accept or ignore an idea, not less.
Is Ericksonian hypnosis better than direct hypnosis?
Not for everyone. Research has not shown indirect suggestions to be consistently better. Many people respond best to direct, literal suggestions, while others do better with indirect ones. Matching the style to the person is what matters most.
How do I know whether indirect suggestion will work for me?
People who read between the lines and infer meaning (Analytical suggestibles, in Dr. John Kappas’ model) often respond well to indirect suggestion. You can find your style with the free Suggestibility Test.
Is Ericksonian hypnosis the same as NLP?
No. NLP borrowed ideas from Erickson’s language patterns, but it is a separate system, and its specific claims have little research support. Ericksonian hypnotherapy is a clinical approach built on Erickson’s own work.
Direct, indirect, or both?
Take the free Suggestibility Test to see whether you are Physical, Analytical or in between, with an instant, personalized interpretation.