17 MILTON MODEL

PATTERN

EFFECT

STATEMENT

MIND READ

Claim to known the thoughts of someone else without

specifying the process

I know you are curious.........

LOST PERFORATIVE

Value judgement where the performer of the judgement

is left out

....and its good to be that way.

CAUSE & EFFECT

(A > B)

It is implied that one thing causes another ( Causes,

because, if/then, as you, then you)

...because it keeps you active and

wondering.

IMPLIED CAUSATIVES

Use of connectives
(as, while, during, before, after)

...your state will deepen while you listen to

my voice.

COMPLEX EQUIVALENCE

Where two people are equated - as in their meanings or

significance being equivalent
( means- is - the verb to be )

...which means you can easily

PRESUPPOSITIONS

Linguistic assumptions
(presupposition of awareness and change of state)

....Notice your internal experience change

UNIVERSAL QUANTIFIERS

Words with universal generalisation and no referential

index
(all, every, never, always)

...All of the....

MODAL OPERATORS

Words that imply possibility or necessity

(can, will, must, ought, possible)

The things you can (will) learn....

NOMINALIZATIONS

Verbs frozen in time, making them a noun

..creating new possibilities and

opportunities

UNSPECIFIED VERB

Abstract verbs stated without the context of how, when

and where

...that you have now...

LACK OF REFERENTIAL
INDEX

Unidentified pronoun

....they often say that.....

COMPARATIVE DELETION

A comparison is made without specifying with whom or

what it is made
(better, more, lesser, greater, smaller)

...this is a better way....

TAG QUESTION

Closed question after a sentence to displace resistance.

...havent you.?.do you know what I

mean?..does that make sense.?..

CONJUNCTIONS

Casual linking through conjunctions

(and, are for, and, nor, but, or, yet)

...and you notice your experience.

PACE CURRENT
EXPERIENCE

Where clients external experience is described in a way

that is undeniable

...sitting here together, listening,

considering

DOUBLE BIND

Where client has the illusion of choice

...what we can do, shall we do it now or

later?

CONVERSATIONAL
POSTULATE

A closed question (with a yes or no answer) that will

direct the client without the client being aware of it and
without being authoritarian.

...can you be comfortable here?

EXTENDED QUOTATIONS

Several quotes in one sentence where the speaker

quotes a person who was talking about what was said
by a second person who was talking about what was
said by a third person...and so on.

...you know I was with Michael Carroll the

other day and he said to me that when he
was talking with John Grinder, that John
said that in Phoenix Milton Erickson said
Just trust your unconscious mind, that
right, very good.

SELECTIONAL
RESTRICTIONAL
VIOLATION

Implying an object or animal can have human responses

...and you and your chair can go into a

deep trance together.

ANALOGICAL
MARKING

Marking out part of a sentence with a body movement

or tonal shift. Sometimes known as an embedded
command.

...you can only be curious about how easy

it is to close your eyes now..

EMBEDDED QUESTION

A question that builds a potential response from a client

without an overt answer

I am wondering how easy you will be and

comfortable you will find it to keep those
eyes closed.

EMBEDDED COMMAND

Statements that include an analogically marked

command

Some people John, sit down and relax, and

listen....

17 MILTON MODEL
PATTERN
AMBIGUITY

EFFECT

STATEMENT

1. PHONOLOGICAL: using words with different

meanings that sound the same or similar when
spoken together in the same context.
2. SYNTACTIC : Where the syntactic function of the
word cannot be immediately determined from the
immediate context, ie the word can have more than
one meaning
3. SCOPE: Where it cannot be determined by the
linguistic context how much is applied to that
sentence by some other portion of the sentence.
4. PUNCTUATION: Using the same word that ends a
sentence to begin the next sentence.

UTILISATION

Use whatever is present

METAPHOR

Telling stories and jokes

here-hear
They are visiting relatives
Hypnotising hypnotists
They are walking dogs
Speaking to you as a master of hypnosis
The feelings in your hands and feet
The young men and women
Notice your watch how you change.
Milton was on the train -ing is fun.
Can you notice your hand me the glass.