“You will relax now.” That is a direct suggestion. “I wonder how soon you will notice your breathing beginning to slow.” That is an indirect one. The second style, now so common that most people assume it is simply how hypnotherapists talk, comes largely from one man.
Who was Milton Erickson?
Milton H. Erickson (1901–1980) was an American psychiatrist and probably the most influential hypnotherapist of the 20th century. He contracted polio at 17, and his long recovery is said to have sharpened his attention to body language and the fine detail of how people communicate. In 1957 he became the founding president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
What makes the approach different
Permissive language. Instead of commands, the therapist offers possibilities: “you may notice,” “perhaps,” “when you are ready.”
Utilization. This was Erickson’s central idea. Whatever the client brings — scepticism, fidgeting, a wandering mind, even resistance — is used as part of the process, not fought against. “That’s right, and as your thoughts keep wandering, part of you can go on relaxing.”
Indirect suggestion. Ideas are implied instead of stated. A question, an assumption or a choice between two options carries the suggestion.
Stories and metaphor. Erickson was famous for telling anecdotes that seemed unrelated to the problem and left the client to draw their own conclusions.
Tailoring. No scripts. Every session is built around the individual.
A naturalistic view of trance. Hypnosis is treated as an ordinary state people drift into every day, so it can arise in conversation without a formal induction.
Direct and indirect, side by side
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| “Close your eyes.” | “You can close your eyes whenever it feels comfortable.” |
| “Your arm is getting heavy.” | “I don’t know which arm will feel heavier first.” |
| “You will feel confident.” | “You might be surprised how calm you feel next time.” |
What the research says
Here the legend runs ahead of the data.
Erickson’s followers claimed that indirect suggestion works better because it slips past conscious resistance. When researchers tested this, they found little support. Reviews of the experimental literature conclude that the indirect style has little effect on how people respond to standard hypnotic tests, and that the best-controlled studies have not shown indirect suggestions to be clearly superior to direct ones.
So why does the style remain so popular?
- Clients often prefer it. Being invited feels more respectful than being told.
- It suits people who dislike being directed, or who are anxious about losing control.
- It is flexible, which helps the therapist respond to what is actually happening.
Much of what is known about Erickson’s results comes from case reports written by him and his students. These are vivid and instructive, but they are stories, not trials.
His wider influence
Erickson’s work fed into brief therapy, solution-focused therapy and family therapy. It was also the main model for neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), whose founders studied his language patterns — though NLP’s own evidence base is weak, as a later post in this series explains.
Is it right for you?
If you bristle at being told what to do, or you found a traditional induction stiff, an Ericksonian-style therapist may suit you well. If you like clear instructions and want to know exactly what is happening, a direct style may feel more comfortable. Both lead to the same place.
The bottom line
Erickson made hypnosis gentler, more flexible and more personal. The evidence does not show his indirect style is more effective, but it has made hypnotherapy more comfortable for many people.
Next in the series: Post-Hypnotic Suggestion: How Hypnosis Keeps Working After the Session
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.