Some of my stories

The following stories have a variety of uses which can be adapted by the hypnotherapist. Many are metaphorical and include a variety of embedded suggestions. They should be seen as a basis for adapting to particular clients needs.

Stories are similar to metaphors, and sometimes it is hard to distinguish between them. In fact, many authors use the terms interchangeably. A story, like a metaphor, does not require a response. It is designed to initiate unconscious thought processes. Usually a story is longer than a metaphor.

Traditionally stories were passed down by word of mouth. Villages had their storytellers. Often these stories were a way of educating children by sharing the experiences of the characters in the story. But stories are not solely for children. A major use of storytelling is to guide and shape our lives. Many early stories we hear are those from the bible – at least in the West. But this illustrates a point. The stories are particular to the culture because they attempt to guide people to live in that culture. Stories that guide have heroes and heroines, they have mentors, models and heroes and heroines that do kind and heroic deeds – the things that we ourselves would wish to do. Because stories expand the possibilities of what we might imagine ourselves to do, so they expand our actual possibilities. We only do what we perceive it is possible to do. Some people perceive the impossible and do it!

Stories help us create new realities for ourselves and go beyond reason. They engage our imagination and our emotions. They help us in making ethical choices. Many a story, especially in the bible, is about good and evil. Mr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a case in point. But stories can help explain the haziness of concepts. The story can show how evil can have some good while good can contain elements of evil intent. As we identify with the characters in a story so we begin to image that we may act in that way, that we might act with an evil intent. But then we learn from the story how to suppress this and allow our good nature to dominate. We learn from stories that absolutes do not exist. The point is that a story influences both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. We experience (right brain) and do not simply reason (left brain). We become emotionally involved in a story, which does not happen when we read reasoned logical argument.

Stories act as a means of reframing and as such should not be analyzed or even discussed by the hypnotherapist. They should be allowed to work on the client's unconscious in their own way. Analyzing or discussing a story can rob it of its power and significance.

Some traditional sources for stories

Modern sources of stories

Carol H. Lankton and Stephen R Lankton, Tales of Enchantment, Brunner/Mazel

Audio CDs

The following CDs provide both a discussion of the purpose of stories and many enchanting stories that can be used in therapy.