Metaphors

Michelangelo

Under a hot sun, a little boy is gazing at a young man intently chipping away at a large piece of rock.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Because," said Michelangelo, "there is an angel inside, and he wants to come out"

Primary source - Anecdotal

Metaphors can be used effectively in the context of Hypnotherapy and NLP to change a persons perception or to add new ways of looking at a problem. There is something about the way the mind responds to stories that can open up new perspectives and choice of outcome. If a person is to overcome limiting beliefs then having different perspectives on what they find limiting can be very helpful. The interesting thing about stories is that they are open to interpretation by the individual and therefore will have different meanings to different people in the context of the problem. Sometimes it can be just a few words that helps a person overcome their limitations. Metaphors can be a powerful indirect means of appealing to the mind in ways that direct suggestions may not.