Content area
Full Text
This paper explores the broad context of suggestion, which is so much more than the style in which a suggestion is clothed in language. There are many significant factors that may be overlooked if we get locked into a limiting perspective of supposedly opposing styles. The indirect and direct forms of suggestions will be explored from an eclectic perspective, rather than broadly categorising the latter as weak or inferior, as so many influential practitioners have done. Direct suggestions have important uses in many contexts, and indirectly structured suggestions are also limited to appropriate contexts. Misunderstandings about forms of suggestion are part of a bigger picture, which includes common established misconceptions about the field of hypnotherapy, including the influence of Erickson. This field traditionally has tremendous complexities, range and diversity.
Understanding the Broad Context of Suggestion
Virtually all writings comparing and contrasting the use of direct and indirect suggestions in hypnosis refer to the structure, timing and expression of language. But there is much beyond the way we word and say suggestions that can have a major suggestive impact. These impacts are something we need to be keenly aware of in order to give maximum benefit to the influence of suggestions. Besides timing, tone and volume of voice, major indirect suggestions that affect the meaning of our language include facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, body language, and physical contact such as a handshake, as well as gender, age, bearing and appearance, including health, body type and clothing. The meaning of language will also affect and be understood by each individual uniquely because of the various personal meanings and connotations each of us associates to words and phrases, and by the emotional state, mood and expectancies of the client.
Further indirect suggestions are given by colours, harmony of styles, cleanliness, temperature, aromas or odours, condition of the office, reception area, facilities and office building, and by the function, form, style and quality of furniture. Various additional aspects of location include the size and prestige of the city or town, neighbouring offices and adjacent buildings, section of city or town and immediate neighbourhood, people one may encounter in the vicinity of your office, and noise levels. Cultural and semantic factors also influence the meaning of suggestions,...