ABSTRACT
Milton Erickson's contribution to the therapeutic use of hypnosis and suggestion was characterized by the "utilization approach" (Erickson, 1959) and by the use of indirect forms of suggestion (Erickson & Rossi, 1979, 1980). Erickson and Rossi (1980) assert that "indirect suggestion tends to bypass conscious criticism and because of this can be more effective than direct suggestion" (p. 455). The absence of empirical support for this assertion prompted me to embark upon an experiment that would investigate whether indirect suggestion is in fact more effective than direct suggestion.
