Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, Stress and

Healing
Interview with German publication
Esotera:Neues Denken und Handlen, Feb. 1995, p. 18-
25

Updated on December 28, 1999

Ernest Lawrence Rossi, Ph.D.

1. What is the difference between traditional and Ericksonian Hypnosis?

Rossi: Milton H. Erickson, MD was a remarkably creative individual and an

important transition figure in the history of hypnosis. Traditional hypnosis is
usually understood to mean that a hypnotherapist helps a person achieve a state of
deep rapport within themselves as well as the doctor so that more effective
communication can take place between them. The doctor then uses direct
suggestions to heal the patient or facilitate problem solving. While Erickson
certainly used this direct authoritative approach he was also a genius in what we
called “The Naturalistic or Utilization Approach” wherein there is a greater focus
on helping each individual patient find their own talents for problem solving and
healing in their own unique manner. Ericksonian hypnotherapy emphasizes and
facilitates the patient’s own creative processes.

2. Is it possible to make someone do something in trance that they would not do

while normally awake?

Rossi: While there is still controversy on this question, many years ago in 1932,
Erickson published his first scientific paper on hypnosis dealing with this issue. He
found that it is not really possible to consistently manipulate another person’s
behavior against their will. However, I believe there are evil geniuses who at some
time and some place could probably manipulate some types of people against their
will at least for a short while. Thus we must be ever vigilant against the use of
hypnosis by the wrong people who are not trained ethically and professionally.

3. What are the advantages of hypnotherapy in comparison with other kinds of

psychotherapy?
Rossi: Hypnotherapists like to believe they have special skills in observing people
and helping them achieve their optimal states of consciousness for realizing their
highest potentials. We now know, for example, that during hypnosis some people
are able to optimize certain of their brain waves for optimizing performance in
certain areas. With the new brain imaging methods like the Pet (positron emission
tomography) scans and MRIs (magnetic resonance images) we can now document
the reality of the dynamics of the healing process in cognitive therapy and
hypnotherapy. Even more significant I believe is the new research on gene
expression with what is now called "DNA Microarray technology. I believe the
growing edge of research in the new millennium will be to use this new technology
to illustrate the changing patterns of gene expression with psychotherapy in
general and hypnotherapy in particular.

4. How can Ericksonian Hypnotherapy help people with practical problems like
improving school and work performance?

Rossi: Above all Ericksonian hypnotherapy helps people learn how to better
recognize their own natural inner resources for problem solving and healing. Each
of us is different and we have to learn what is unique about how we each function
at our best. This knowledge needs to be understood by everyone. It is not to be
restricted to any special professional group. As we learn more about the creative
process and how to optimize our own healing I believe this knowledge will
eventually be taught in the schools along with reading and writing and arithmetic.

5. In your book The 20 Minute Break: Using the New Science of Ultradian Rhythms
you write about a Basic Rest Activity Cycle that takes place within us thoughout
the day every 90 minutes or so. How is this related to optimum performance and
healing?

Rossi: Ah, at last, I thought you would never ask! Everyone knows that being your
best in work, play and general health requires that you are well rested. What’s
really new and exciting is to learn that Nature has built a natural rhythm of
activity and rest in all of us that runs for about an hour and a half or so throughout
the day- we call it an ULTRADIAN RHYTHM because it takes place many times a
day. Every hour and a half or so you need to take a rest break - if you don't you
may be well on your way to the Ultradian Stress Syndrome: you get tired and lose
your mental focus, you tend to make mistakes and have accidents - If you continue
to ignore your need to take a break you can actually get sick.

When you learn how to recognize your need to take a 20 minute break you can
convert your stress into what I call THE ULTRADIAN HEALING RESPONSE -
Its that wonderful feeling of comfort and well being that you have when you are
well rested and in top form!

6. What happens if we do not pay attention to these natural rhythms? How do you
use this knowledge in hypnosis?

Rossi: When you do not pay attention to your natural rhythms of activity and rest
you are in danger of falling into stress. This is an entirely new way of
understanding what stress actually is! STRESS IS NATURE’S SIGNAL THAT
WE NEED TO TAKE A BREAK - IF WE DON'T WE FALL INTO THE MANY
SYMPTOMS OF THE ULTRADIAN STRESS SYNDROME - making mistakes,
having accidents, feeling fatigued, irritable, depressed and uncertain of yourself-
maybe even psychosomatic symptoms!

Taking a 20 minute healing break allows your mind and body to recover - it more
than just a luxury to feel good! Your mind and body needs a chance to build up its
supplies of available energy -to clear up the backlog of unfinished business and
gear up for another hour and a half of good work, play and health. The Ultradian
Healing Response allows you to optimize your health as well as your performance
and creativity.

I believe that hypnosis as well as most other holistic approaches to healing are
actually utilizing the ultradian healing response without knowing it. When the
hypnotherapist tells you to relax, get comfortable an focus inward to go into a
healing trance, he is actually entraining your natural ultradian healing response.
That is one of the most interesting characteristic of these natural mindbody
rhythms of performance and healing - they are very responsive to so-called
“psychosocial cues.” Ultradian rhythms are the secret connection between the so-
called magic of words and how our body uses the information in words to heal at
all levels down to the cellular-genetic level. Ultradian rhythms are highly flexible
and change easily in response to environmental demands. Ultradian rhythms are
especially sensitive and responsive to psychosocial cues. If there is a life emergency,
for example, you are immediatly aroused emotionally. This emotional arousal
immediately shifts your ultradian rhythms to a peak of heithtened activity. If
someone shouts "emergency" this simple word becomes a psychosocial cue that
can shift your ultradian rhythms.

7. What will you be presenting at the “Visionen Menschlicher Zukuft” in Germany

this year?

Rossi: I will be presenting the most recent research data on what I call the process
of mind-gene communication and healing. I will be discussing and illustrating with
practical demonstrations how therapists can facilitate such healing with new
approaches to hypnotherapy. I hope to also present this new view of how we can all
learn to use our natural ultradian healing response every hour and a half through
out the day as a very easy form of self-hypnosis. Erickson believed that everyone
experienced what he called “The Common Everyday Trance.” I believe I am
helping people experience the reality of it in their daily lives at a more profound
level than they previously believed possible.

8. What is the message for German colleagues and interested laymen?

Rossi: Above all Germans have much to be proud of in their long tradition of doing
pioneering research in hypnosis. One of my earliest teachers was Andre
Weitzenhoffer from Germany who helped develop the modern hypnotic
susceptibility scales that are used for research and clinical work thoughout the
world. Today I would mention the outstanding research that is being done with
hypnosis and the immune system by Walter Bongartz, Ph.D. on faculty at the
University of Konstanz. I am currently helping Wolf Buntig, MD, the medical
director at ZIST ( Zentrum fur Individual und Sozialtherapie near Penzberg)
develop his training program for professional psychotherapists and laymen
interested in exploring their own personal experiences of healing and self
transformation. Most facinating is that we are now engaged in a program of
research to document what I call the process of mindgene communication in my
book Die Psychobiologie der Seele-Korper-Heilung. I hope to see all Germans
continue to take a leading role in these new areas of deepening our understanding
of life and healing.