A diagnosis of polio at age seventeen forced Milton H. Erickson to explore the physical potential of his own mind while confined to a bed. This experience with self-healing through hypnosis shifted his career path from a childhood commitment to medicine toward a lifetime of scientific inquiry into the unconscious mind and therapeutic communication.
Early Life and Sensory Challenges
Born in 1901 in the mining camp of Aurum, Nevada, Erickson grew up in Wisconsin on a family farm. His childhood was marked by specific sensory and learning disabilities, including dyslexia, tone deafness, and color blindness. He viewed these limitations as tools that allowed him to focus on communication patterns that others ignored. His early interest in hypnosis began when he observed a traveling entertainer, leading him to believe the technique was too significant to be relegated to performance, prompting his pursuit of a medical career.
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Erickson attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned degrees in psychology and medicine. He secured his M.D. in 1928, focusing on neurology and psychiatry. During his studies, he worked in the laboratory of Clark Hull, though he eventually established his own independent research path regarding hypnosis. Between 1929 and 1948, he held various positions at state hospitals, conducting experiments that refined his practical therapeutic methods and clinical case studies.
Wartime Contribution and Professional Life
During the Second World War, Erickson performed physical and mental examinations of soldiers and collaborated with experts including Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson on intelligence projects concerning communication factors. Following the war, he relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, after developing post-polio syndrome. He operated a private practice from his home, focusing on patient care, teaching, and writing for the remainder of his life.
Advocating for Clinical Hypnosis
In 1957, Erickson founded the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) following a departure from the Society for Clinical and Educational Hypnosis. He served for ten years as the founding editor of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. Through these roles and his teaching seminars, he disseminated his approaches to family therapy, brief therapy, and strategic therapeutic interventions until his death in 1980.
Fast facts
- Born: 1901, Aurum, Nevada
- Died: 1980, Phoenix, Arizona
- Education: University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Medical Degree: 1928, Neurology and Psychiatry
- Founding President: American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
- Primary Fields: Psychiatry, Hypnotherapy
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What medical conditions did Milton H. Erickson have?
He experienced dyslexia, color blindness, and tone deafness throughout his life, and contracted polio at age seventeen, which later resulted in post-polio syndrome.
What is the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis?
It is an organization founded by Erickson in 1957 to promote scientific research and the use of clinical hypnosis by physicians and dentists.
Achievements
- Fields: psychiatry
