Communicating with the Unconscious Mind
Finding myself in a steamy, tangled jungle, I crouched beneath a banana palm. The large leaves overhead sheltered me from the gentle mist that hid the predawn sky. Sounds of nature rose about me: the croaking of frogs; the charming squawk of the macaws, parrots, and toucans; and the constant buzzing of insects. A gigantic multicolored lizard approached and began to speak to me, directing me to follow him deeper into the forest. As we proceeded along a path overgrown with vegetation, we encountered many creatures and plants that appeared to notice our passing. Without warning, I was bitten in the thigh by a snake. I fell to the ground in a deep swoon. Opening my eyes, I notice my room where I lay on the bed. Orienting myself, I glance around the room at the familiar bookshelves, my music collection and the picture of me with my brother at the 1962 World’s Fair. My bed feels so cozy and comfortable. The sheets smell freshly laundered, and I hear my family in the other room. It’s probably time to get up, even though I really don’t want to. I drift back into a light slumber. I sit straight up, abruptly, eyes wide open. What is going on; where am I? Oh, yes, here I am, on this dreadful cliff. The waves are still crashing against the stone, but I’m relieved that the sun is peeking through the clouds. I must get away from here. My, my, what strange dreams I have had. Where does the dream end and "reality" begin? Which is more real? Am I the dreamer or the dreamed? This is not a new philosophical dilemma, but rather an eternal one. Dreams are our unconscious mind’s way of communicating a distinct and personal message to our conscious mind. Whenever we have a dream, we are fascinated by the symbols, interested in determining their meaning. We instinctively know that there is something deeper than just the haphazard, and oftentimes bizarre, imagery that is presented. Dreams are fascinating, rich with symbols, and vastly important. Dreams contain metaphors created by the unconscious mind for the purpose of sorting information and communicating a message to the conscious mind. Psychosis and disorientation have even been known to appear when one has been deprived of one's dreams. Yet, dreams are only one method that the mind uses to communicate its message. Another way is through the use of "reverse metaphors." A reverse metaphor is the artful elicitation of a symbolic message from the unconscious mind. Through simple yet effective steps, a hypnotherapist or psychotherapist can coax the unconscious mind into sharing its wisdom, needs, and experiences with the conscious mind of the client. The story is told by the client and recorded in writing by the therapist. Neither party knows where the story will begin, what will happen as it unfolds, or where it will end. The adventure makes itself known step by step. A metaphor is simply the use of symbolic imagery that is meant to have correlation to, or be a substitution of, something else. It is synonymous with a simile or an analogy. There is a philosophy that all of life is one big metaphor. In many ways, that can be true. If one views life metaphorically, a new perspective begins to emerge, along with a radical and curious new awareness. In hypnosis, the use of metaphor is known to be extremely powerful. The subconscious mind will more readily accept the message found in a metaphor than if it is given direct commands and suggestions. When the conscious mind listens to a story, the unconscious is searching for meaning and resolution. It allows the client to create his or her own change, thereby learning without barriers. In order for traditional metaphors to work most effectively, the therapist must engage in a thorough interview with the client. It is important to know clients' likes and dislikes, the images that will appeal and the images that will repel them. Obviously, a metaphor involving cleansing oneself in a pool of water will not be an effective healing image for someone with a fear of water. Therefore, the traditional use of metaphor can involve lengthy investigation and can possibly lead to a faux pas. As I began to develop the idea of the reverse metaphor, I realized that each person already has the most appropriate symbols within his or her own mind. What you produce is, by far, more elegant than anything that a therapist could create for you. The unconscious mind knows full well what will best suit its particular individual symbolism. Just as a dream is a specific message tailored for just one person, so too the reverse metaphor is a perfect communication. There is a reason this technique is called a reverse metaphor. Instead of the therapist creating the metaphor and delivering it to your unconscious mind, in a reverse metaphor, your unconscious mind creates the story and reveals it to your conscious mind. This is done in a simple, non-intrusive, client-centered fashion. After a hypnotic induction, if it is needed or desired, you are asked to create a story. The story is allowed to unfold with whatever detail you notice or experience. You are encouraged to continue even if the story doesn’t seem to make any sense to you at the time. It is simply a story, and, as with dreams, it can become rather fantastical. You are, naturally, most adept at creating a metaphor that is most elegant and intricately pertinent to your own inner sense of the issue. When the story comes to an apparent conclusion, you are asked, while still in a trance-like state, to begin to analyze the individual elements contained in the story. The facilitator names each part of the story, each symbol, each event, and you are asked how these correlate to anything that is going on in your life at present. Clients are often astonished at how relevant the story is to their lives. Patterns, behaviors, attitudes, relationships — all the parts of their lives that were creating disturbances — suddenly become apparent or understood. There is a sense of clarity, a broader perspective of their particular situation. By moving or changing parts of the metaphor, you can correlate those changes to the very things that need to be changed in your present life in order to create a more desired pathway or initiate a healing. You become your own source of wisdom, with exquisite knowledge of the perfect pathway to healing. The story simply is told, flowing and evolving from image to image. Later, during the analysis stage of the session, it is perfectly acceptable, if not desirable, to facilitate the correction of any presenting issues through the use of therapeutic techniques. The subconscious mind can be directed to the topic that you wish to address, or it can be given free reign to prepare and present the most relevant issue of which it would like to make the conscious mind aware at the time. This is frequently most enlightening, always pertinent, and sometimes surprising. The permission for latitude allows the unconscious mind to present issues, warnings, and wisdom of which you may be so unaware that you didn’t even realize it was an issue to be dealt with. Though surprising, these issues are sometimes the most vital. The uses of this therapy technique are varied. It is very effective in addressing health issues, weight loss, smoking, and other addictions. The reverse metaphor allows a deeper, broader perspective of life issues, such as life purpose, relationships, decisions, and behaviors including, but not limited to, procrastination, stress, and insomnia. This very versatile technique will prove to be a most elegant and useful addition to a therapist’s "tool box" or to an individual’s choices of healing modalities. It is so simple that it allows the therapist to move through the session with a minimum of work, so elegant that it affords one of the most client-specific therapies available, and so effective because it allows the client’s own subconscious to direct the individualized healing. Mary Lee LaBay is a certified instructor of hypnotherapy, a national speaker, and co-author of three books, including Through the Open Door: Secrets of Self-hypnosis. Her two-hour workshop on Reverse Metaphor will be presented at the NGH National Convention in August. She teaches hypnotherapy certification courses, including one at B.C.C., and has a private practice in Bellevue. (425) 828-0115; <marylee@w-link.net>. |
It wasn’t long before I found myself on a precipice overlooking a dark and brooding ocean. The waves were furiously crashing against the broken stones that lay below me. Distraught and afraid, I momentarily considered plunging headlong into the violence, but thought it better, instead, to lie down and rest my weakened body. Sprawling limply against the earthen floor, I drifted into a restless sleep.