Double Binds

Ericksonian Hypnotic Language Patterns

Double binds are sentences that suggest your listener to do one of two things. This, however, is actually an illusion of choice because either choice is in the direction you want them to go.

As an example, if you say to your client,

“Would you like to enter trance now or would you like to try to keep your eyes open for a little longer while that delightful sense of comfort continues to fill your body?”

either way they choose to go leads them into trance.

Here is a classic example from the on-going trance world called parenting:

“Child, do you want to go to bed now or watch 5 minutes more of your video before you go to bed?”

Milton Erickson is quoted as having said to a client:

“I think your unconscious mind knows more about this than your conscious mind does, and if your unconscious mind knows more about this than your conscious mind does, then you probably know more about this than you think you do.”

Now, you can continue reading and learn more or you can write your own examples.

Someone once said repetition is the Mother of skill. Someone else said “Practice Makes Permanent.” How did your review go from last week?   We’ve now learned a dozen language patterns. That’s quite a lot, really. You know, if you were to take a therapeutic metaphor and figure out how to insert each of the patterns you’ve learned so far into it you might be pleased at how much it adds, or not. The only way to know for sure would be to test it out.

That reminds me of a story…