Examples:
running water
shooting stars
babbling brook
Hypnotizing hypnotists can be tricky.
11.2.0.55 9. Scope Ambiguity
Scope ambiguity exists when you cannot determine by context how much one portion of a sentence applies to another portion. “The organization consists of healthy men and women.” Do we mean to imply that just the men have the quality of “health” or do we mean to include the women as healthy as well? You can construct Scope Ambiguity by adding an “-ing” on a verb and put an “and” between the objects.
Example:
Your deep breathing and trance…
Hearing Bob and John…
Yesterday I was driving my car with tennis shoes on.
I was riding my horse with blue jeans on.
11.2.0.56 10. Punctuation Ambiguity
There exist three kinds of punctuation ambiguities. The first involve run-on sentences. “I want you to notice your hand me the book.” “On your arm I see a watch yourself go into trance.” The second form involves improper pauses. This form of sentence involves times when you begin a …. uh… sentence and you never quite… uh… finish the… sentence. This causes a forced mind reading and becomes highly trance inducing. Newscaster, Paul Harvey, does this in a marvelous way when he says, “… good… day.” The third type of punctuation ambiguity involves an incomplete sentence. In this form you begin a sentence and you never quite… You then go on to another sentence with a totally different thought.
Examples (run-on sentences):
Let me take your hand me the pen.
See the butterfly drifting over the hilltop is a beautiful valley.
She has freckles on her butt I like her anyway.
Examples (improper pauses):
My wife left me… to go to Texas.
I was looking for my tie… into this thought.
If you hear any ambiguities, it’s all right to write them right here.
11.2.0.57 11. Utilization
Erickson utilized utilization to its fullest potential. He used everything the client said. He used every sound and incident in the room. In one of my (BB) trainings a wall chart fell off the wall. Tad James said, “And old concepts are falling away.” Once when I used hypnosis with a client, I had a relaxation tape playing. Suddenly the tape finished. I knew that in a short moment that the tape player would make a click as it cut off. So, I said, “In just a moment you will hear a click. And, when you do, that means you will let go of the pain totally and completely.” In a brief moment the player clicked and the client’s body jumped as the emotion totally released.
Examples:
Client: “I don’t think I know.”
Practitioner: “That’s right, you don’t think you know.”
Client: “I can’t be hypnotized.”
Practitioner: “That’s right. You can’t be hypnotized yet.”
Client: “I’m not sold.”
Salesman: “That’s right, because you haven’t asked the one question yet that will let you be sold.”
11.2.0.58 12. Embedded Commands
Erickson worked as a master at giving the unconscious mind directions through embedded commands. He would mark out such words that he wanted to go into the unconscious mind. To give such commands and mark out words, we have to both lower our tone and raise the volume of the voice. “It is possible for you to instruct a client’s unconscious mind through embedded commands to get well, now.” Say, did you get the command from the marked out words? When you have a client dissociated above their Time-Line, this offers a wonderful opportunity to send embedded commands to the unconscious mind. When using Time-Line processes, the client will have then entered into a rather deep trance.
11.2.0.59 13. Analogue Marking
Erickson would mark out the words that he wanted to go into the unconscious mind. Marking out refers to emphasizing specific words or phrases by altering tonality. In giving these commands and marking out words, both lower your tone and raise the volume of your voice. It is possible for you to instruct a client’s unconscious mind through embedded commands to get well, now. Did you get the command from the marked out words?
11.2.0.60 14. Spell Out Words
John Burton says that by spelling out key words we draw attention to the word we are spelling out. This induces trance. And, you k-n-o-w that spelling out words does induce trance, doesn’t it?
11.2.0.61 15. Linkage Language
This refers to the verbal process of describing (pacing) observable and verifiable behavior in the listener. Then, by using a “linking word,” the speaker goes on to describe (leading) the desired behavior. Different people, of course, respond differently to each pattern. Linkage language involves the process of utilization connected to specific linking words.
a. Conjunctions
Use a conjunction such as “and” to link observable behavior and desired experience. The conjunction links the pacing statement to the leading statement. (“X” and “Y”). Example: “As you sit there, breathing and reading this document and you can begin to breathe more deeply and become more relaxed.” The purpose here involves linking the pacing statement to the leading statement so that the latter seems to follow logically from the former. Thus, the linkage collapses information boundaries to enhance the sense of continuity. Additional pacing statements further enhances the effect (“X” and “X” and “X” and “Y”). Examples: “As you sit in your chair (pacing) and read this paper (pacing) and I communicate to you (pacing) and you can breathe deeply and relax more thoroughly (leading).”
b. Disjunction
Using the contrasting or negative form of conjunctions can also sometimes achieve the same results. (“X” and “X” and “X” but “Y”). Examples: “I don’t know whether you prefer to continue gazing at this paper (pacing), or, whether you’d like to look elsewhere (pacing), or whether you’d like to breathe deeper (pacing), but I do know that your conscious can develop a trance that will fit nicely your present needs (leading).”
c. Adverbial Clauses or Implied Causatives
Causatives often exist as “time” words that imply that one event inevitably functions as linked in time with, or caused by the other. Key implied causatives include: (1) Since “X” then “Y.” Since you are now breathing deeper, you can begin to relax even more. (2) When “X” then “Y.” When you settle comfortably into that chair, you can allow your eyes to slowly close. (3) While “X” then “Y.” While you remember that very special time and place, you can comfortably begin to develop that trance. (4) After “X” then “Y.” After you have become very comfortable, you can begin to allow your trance to develop. (5) Other implied causatives words include: often, as, before, during, following and throughout. To familiarize yourself with these language patterns, write down five sentences for each. Include the Meta-Model violations as well in your exercise. You will find these skills most helpful in all areas of communication and highly useful in public speaking.
11.3 Conclusion
“Hypnosis” and trance describes nothing new, odd, occult, strange or mysterious. Our consciousness can “come up” (uptime) and “go down” (downtime). And when it goes down inside—we enter into another world, the inner world of meaning, belief, concepts—a world of spirit where we create our neuro-semantic reality.
Nor can we escape from this. We can only effectively develop awareness and understanding of this and how it plays out in communication in everyday life so that we can have more choice and control over it. When we do that, then we can choose our hypnotists well. Then we can know when to “go into trance” and when to come out! Then we will not allow ourselves to unknowingly or unconsciously receive the onslaught of the bad suggestions that some people forever put out. Then we can know how to dehypnotize ourselves from the dysfunctional negative suggestions left over (in our heads) from childhood. Then we can take a proactive stance in communicating positive and enhancing suggestions for ourselve
s and others. This empowers us in communicating professionally and consciously.
11.4 Summary Of Milton Model Language
11.4.0.62 Milton Model Language Patterns Using Meta-Model Violations
1. Mind Reading 8. Modal Operators of Possibility
2. Lost Performative 9. Nominalizations
3. Cause-Effect 10. Unspecified Verbs
4. Complex Equivalence 11. Simple Deletions
5. Presuppositions 12. Lack of Referential Index
6. Universal Quantifiers 13. Comparative Deletions
7. Modal Operators of Necessity
11.4.0.63 Milton Model Continued
14. Tag Questions
15. Pacing Current Experience
16. Double Binds
17. Conversational Postulate
18. Extended Quotes
19. Selectional Restriction Violation
20. Phonological Ambiguities
21. Syntactic Ambiguity
22. Punctuation Ambiguity
23. Utilization
24. Embedded Commands
25. Spelling Out Words
11.4.0.64 Linkage Language
25. Disjunctions “X” and “X” and “X” but “Y”
26. Adverbial Clauses (implied causatives)
27. Conjunctions “X” and “Y”
a. Since “X” then “Y”
b. When “X” then “Y”
c. While “X” then “Y”
d. After “X” then “Y”
11.5 Steps In Communicating
Determine your Well-Formed Outcome
Build rapport and test
Gather information with the Meta-Model
Use Milton Model language patterns to:
Induce trance.
Directionalize language towards outcome.
Deliver embedded commands toward outcome.
11.6 Thought Questions To Assist Your Learning:
What do we mean by the “Milton model”?
Describe what the phrase “artful vagueness” means?
How does the Milton model operate in a reverse way to the Meta-model?
Which distinction within the Milton model did you discover you already have in your language repertoire?
Which distinction(s) would you like to become really skilled at? Why?
11.6.0.65 Notes – Chapter 10
13Gratitude goes to Tad James for providing me with many of these examples. Members of one of his Accelerated Practitioner’s Training generated them.
12
Hypnosis Part III
Story, Metaphor, Analogy
(Derived from Hall & Bodenhamer, 1997d)
12.1 What you can expect to learn in this chapter:
The role of “story” or metaphor as a hypnotic pattern
How to use storytelling to induce trances
The power of metaphors to bring about changes
How to re-story your own life
Robert Dilts (1976) has defined a metaphor as “a figure of speech in which something is spoken of as if it were another.”
Robert Dilts (1976) has defined a metaphor as “a figure of speech in which something is spoken of as if it were another.” (p. 74) The word “metaphor” itself literally means “to carry over.” Thus by means of a metaphor, we carry over or transfer a message to another person’s mind. The listener interprets the framework or structure of the metaphor and interprets them in the framework of their own experience(s).
Yet because we put the message in the frame of an unrelated story, the story typically bypasses the conscious mind and thereby allows the unconscious mind to receive it. A well-designed metaphor as a set of mind-lines that conversationally changes beliefs, must have a similar structure to the person’s experience. This similarity at the structural level, in fact, works to invite the unconscious mind to interpret it in relation to one’s own needs. The term isomorphic describes this.
As a communication device, story, metaphor, and narratives also present a far less threatening style than does direct advice.
As a communication device, story, metaphor, and narratives also present a far less threatening style than does direct advice. What explains this? It occurs, in part, because we veil our intended message in the metaphor.
Further, as a multi-level device, we can use story to communicate on numerous levels at the same time. Milton Erickson’s genius centered in this. He would use metaphors to communicate with both the conscious and unconscious facets of mind simultaneously. In this way, he provided the conscious mind with a fun and entertaining message while simultaneously he would address deeper concerns using the structure of the story. The surface story primarily keeps the conscious mind occupied. The deeper (or higher) structural message then “carries over” to the unconscious mind through the story’s similarities. Accordingly, we primarily use stories and metaphors in hypnosis.
Theoretically, the Meta-model of language explains that metaphor works by presenting a Surface Structure of meaning using the surface statements that comprise the story’s content. At this level we just hear a story. Yet at the same time, the Deep Structure of meaning activates our TDS to find references in our own library of references which then connect us to the story at that level. Yet this primarily occurs outside of conscious awareness. We unconsciously make connections.
Sometimes this process can bring about deep healing at these out-of-consciousness levels. When such healing occurs, we engage in a “submodality mapping across.” The story operates as a meta-level to our lower level autonomic nervous system processing.
As with the other reframing patterns that we have mentioned, metaphors function directly on our mental internal representations. The languaging of metaphors introduces new strategies, meanings, states, ideas, etc., to the lower level belief meanings. The only difference: it operates apart from conscious awareness. Here we use story and narrative as “as if” formats to try on new meanings.
Did you have any idea that story, metaphor, narrative, poetry, etc., could have involved such depth or complexity? On the surface, a story seems so simple. Yet the transformative power of a story does not lie on the surface, but under the surface. The three major components involved in the nature and processes of a story include:
Major Components of a Metaphor
Trans-derivational Searches
Displacing Referential Indexes (Symbolism)
Isomorphism
12.2 Trans-derivational Searches
The TDS (or trans-derivational search) refers to the neuro-linguistic process whereby when we hear symbols (words, language, etc.), to make meaning of the symbols, we go in and access our memory banks, our library of references, our internal references. We search inside. (Think about TDS as Travel Down in Side!).
Language always exists meta to experience.
Whenever we describe an experience, we move from the actual experience to a description of the experience. We have moved from the territory, to our “map” of the “territory.” Now our language, as a description or symbolic verbal representation of the experience, moves us into the neuro-semantic dimension of reality. At this level, the experience only exists as an internal mental representation. It does not involve external reality and so does not have that kind of reality to it. It only exists as our internal paradigm or model of the world.
This means that language always exists meta to experience. It operates at a higher level of abstraction than the internal representation to which it refers. So for language to “work” it must elicit and evoke inside of us sensory-based representations. We experience the meaningfulness of language when the words (as symbols) trigger us to see, hear, feel, smell, taste, touch, etc, the referents on the screen of our mind.
What does the word “car” evoke in terms of sensory-based representations? Does it evoke for you a black Pontiac as it does for me (BB)? Probably not. That reference describes the result of my TDS. Where did your TDS take you? A Toyota, of course (MH)!
What does the word “dog”
evoke? Where does your TDS take you? I (BB) have an internal representation of a black Cocker Spaniel. What kind of dog did you find in your library of references?
All language operates metaphorically.
We make sense of language in this way. We understand by searching through our internalized and stored experiences for visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and/or gustatory sensations that correspond to the language symbols we use and hear. This explains how language (all language) operates metaphorically.
Now we call this process of associating the language we hear with our own internal representation(s) a “trans-derivational search” (TDS). When we go from the Surface Structure language of a metaphor to the Deep Structure, we make our internal search. So when we listen to a story or metaphor, our brain and nervous system makes an unconscious TDS to connect the metaphor with our model of the world. Count on metaphors doing this. Count on stories activating listeners to search their “memory banks” to make sense of things using their model of the world.
The User's Manual for the Brain Volume I Page 27