Healing Metaphors
Magic is the art and science of changing consciousness at will.
Psychological transformation is often attacked head on. We, alone or in concert with a therapist, make direct attempts to change how we respond to life situations. We write affirmations, we pen new year's resolutions, we write a fearless and thorough moral inventory, we pray for relief from personality defects. Healing metaphors are an indirect approach to transformation. Instead of attempting to force change directly, we suggest the change to the unconscious mind through a parable, a story, or a metaphor. This is usually best done in a state of light hypnosis or trance, when the unconscious mind is more receptive.
- Some basic principles of healing metaphor work distilled from a classroom exercise.
- A metaphor I used with a woman suffering from a great deal of stress, struggling to cope with a difficult situation without her normal support system.
- An intervention I used with a woman who felt trapped by a difficult decision without enough information to make the absolute best decision. Rather than talking her through the decision, I helped her become more comfortable with her own decision making capabilities.
- An alcoholic starts to feel better after a few weeks sobriety. He begins to think that he's OK, and doesn't need to maintain his sobriety any more. Rather than wrestling with him to confront his denial, I simply told him a story . . .
- Young children perceive the universe magically. In the darkness, in the absence of their parents, their fears manifest as imagined concrete objects and situations--nightmares and fear of the dark or the creature under the bed. Here are some simple actions that parents can take to help diffuse those fears.
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visits. Changes last made on: August 20, 2003