Just like in nature, where everything evolves over time, NLP and hypnosis are evolving.
NLP was formed by a student and a teacher who got together to distil the best from the world famous therapists of the time. NLP is constantly being evolved by students that bring in unique NLP models. Also so much has changed from the first time it was used, so many improvements have been made. The introduction of Trainer’s training helped that process.
Hypnosis has had its fair share of evolution. From the traditionalists who would spend hours with a pendulum or pocket watch to induce a reaction, along comes Milton Erickson and induces altered states in minutes and then Dave Elman induces altered states in shorter times to instant inductions.
Hypnosis has gone in other directions too. Light states of hypnosis work really well with scripts. Erickson was great for creating interesting scripts that meant nothing to the conscious mind and would, in a light state of hypnosis, make sense to the unconscious mind. Medium states offer post hypnotic suggestions so that a client can make a change effortlessly.
The strange state of Somnambulism is where the client can open their eyes and be unaware that they are in an altered state of consciousness, experience posthypnotic hallucinations and can be made to forget experiences.
James Esdaile discovered something deeper, a catatonic state that he called ‘Coma’ which is not that removed from medical coma since James Esdaile coined the name. Surgery performed in those days had a 5% survival rate and under his catatonic state, this was increased to 95%. However the British Medical Association declared the man who had his limb amputated under his hypnosis was paid a gold coin and was really tough.
Walter Sichort demonstrated that hypnosis can be taken to new depths. Through his Ultra Depth® state, which has now been renamed Sichort state in his honour, induces body healing 6-10 times faster than waking state. James Ramey has adapted his work into the Ultra Depth® Process.