Product reviews for Understanding Advanced Hypnotic Language Patterns

Understanding Hypnotic Language Patterns by John Burton (co-author of Hypnotic Language: Its Structure and Use, published in 2000) is a valuable resource for any therapist interested in cognitive processes, hypnotic language patterns and how to combine both to facilitate client change. It contains a considerable fund of information and inspiration, with scripts, metaphors, stories and case studies complementing the theoretical sections.

The book can be divided into three parts: The first three chapters focus on thinking styles (the continuum of awareness), levels of perception (Gestalt categories of framing) and cognitive development levels (as identified by Piaget). The second part is a collection of case studies and scripts addressing emotional states, perception, time, and behaviour. Unfortunately the interventions dealing with emotional states and behaviour are not set up in the first part and therefore seem disconnected from the rest of the book. The third part is a very useful compilation of Milton Erickson's hypnotic language patterns.

The principal purpose of hypnotic language, according to Burton's book, is “to assist clients into a trance for the purpose of examining the contents of a particular focus, allowing the client then to adjust the contents, meaning, and influence in their life”. Thus, hypnotic language is not only a tool to introduce a trance state but also a point of entry into a client's logic and a vehicle to change this (problematic) logic through reframing, creating dissonance, distorting time, opening up uncertainty, re-categorizing, dissociating, to name just a few. The principal purpose of counselling or psychotherapy, following Burton's approach, is “to help move a person's awareness from a narrower to a broader perspective”. *

Burton describes three forms of hypnotic language: the first addresses the cognitive aspects of a person's experience. The second form is a metaphorical way of communicating with the unconscious mind. And the third type of hypnotic language brings in a needed resource to the problem situation.

Although appearing rather academic to start with and not always easy to read, Burton's book offers a lot of practical value, and its principles can easily be integrated into a variety of therapy styles.



To give just one example: Transductive Logic entails believing that en event closely preceeding another in time, regardless of relationship, causes the second event (an erroneous causal link exists here). Someone who combines transductive logic with egocentricity believes they cause other people's behaviour and that their behaviour is about them. Through inductive logic an abused person may ironically come to believe they are -˜bad' because the other person is misbehaving! An example of a statement driven by transductive logic is: “Every time I care about someone they leave me.” Burton suggests loosing the logic by asking: “So do those people you don't care about stay with you, and have YOU ever LEFT anybody who CARES about YOU? But you think that your care causes people to leave you and this tempts you to abandon your care, leaving you with a void, which is a feeling you really want to a-void leaving your care, because caring never made anyone lea,-e. And if you could really cause people to leave, then you could also cause people to stay, now couldn't you? So this only proves that you neither cause people to leave nor stay, so your care is not guilty and you can keep )-our care and leave your worry to feel more care not worrying about caring. Why not let your care take care of you? Regularly fill yourself with care and then extend this outward to others. It's just sharing, with no obligation. you know? And now how do you feel about your caring, knowing it does not make people leave?”