The Three Types of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is an art form that almost defies categories and types. There are almost as many types of hypnosis as there are hypnotists. It is almost like fingerprints. Every person that is hypnotized requires a little bit different method. This makes it complicated to define the types of hypnosis. But for purposes of discussion and to better understand hypnosis, it helps to break it down into a couple of prominent types.

One very helpful way to categorize hypnosis is by the approximate historical development of the styles of hypnosis. Looked at this way, the three types of hypnosis are: Traditional hypnosis, Ericksonian hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (or NLP for short).

Traditional hypnosis fits the old fashioned stereotype that most of us have for stage hypnosis. The hypnotist brings you into a trance using fairly straightforward scripts. Once you are hypnotized he may test you with a few questions or suggestions. When he is sure you are under he will have you do whatever fits the agenda. In other words, why were you hypnotized in the first place? If it is a stage show, he will probably have you do something silly or embarrassing. If the purpose was therapy, the therapist might be exploring for answers or he might make direct suggestions. For example, he might ask you why you started smoking cigarettes when you first started or he might simply tell you to stop smoking. Again, everything is straightforward in traditional hypnosis. There is no hidden agenda. No hidden meaning inside a story with this type of hypnosis. Traditional hypnosis is mostly concerned with the trance induction. It does not have a lofty therapeutic or ethical goal.

For therapy, traditional hypnosis still has a place. It works great on people who tend to believe everything a doctor tells them. No questions asked. But for people who are skeptical about hypnosis it usually does not work.

Milton Erickson developed Ericksonian hypnosis in the 1960's and 70's. It pretty much follows the same trance induction methods used by traditional hypnosis. However, the methods of suggestion are totally different. Ericksonian hypnosis uses story telling to influence the patient's mind. These stories are called metaphors. Nothing is obvious in Ericksonian hypnosis. Meaning and suggestions are hidden or embedded in a story. Erickson found that by using metaphors it is much easier to get past the critical, questioning part of a patient's mind. The metaphors go straight to the patient's unconscious mind and are much more influential as a result.

NLP is a relatively recent development in the history of hypnosis. Strictly speaking, NLP is not a form of hypnosis. It is actually more a philosophy of how the mind works. But hypnosis plays such a big role in NLP that it is almost always considered a type of hypnosis. NLP is a science that studies how language can program our subconscious minds. It is straightforward and practical like traditional hypnosis. However, it is much deeper and more modern in its understanding of how the mind works.

There are many other ways to break down hypnosis into types. Group hypnosis, self-hypnosis and individual hypnosis are all different types of hypnosis. Grouping it by purpose is also interesting. Sometimes hypnosis is used to change people. Sometimes it is for entertainment. Sometimes just to find things out. Some hypnotists even claim to be able to age regress you to discover past lives. But placing all of those under the three headings of Traditional hypnosis, Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP is the best way to get all of hypnosis under one umbrella.