▁indirect ▁suggestion ▁and ▁allow ▁the ▁un cons cious ▁mind ▁to ▁particip ate ▁act ively ▁in ▁the ▁th era pe ut ic ▁process . ▁In ▁this ▁way , ▁what ▁seemed ▁like ▁a ▁normal ▁conversation ▁might ▁indu ce ▁a ▁hyp not ic ▁tr ance , ▁or ▁a ▁th era pe ut ic ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁subject . ▁According ▁to ▁We itzen hof fer , ▁"[ Er ick son ' s ] ▁conception ▁of ▁the ▁un cons cious ▁is ▁definitely ▁not ▁the ▁one ▁held ▁by ▁Fre ud ." ▁ ▁Er ick son ▁was ▁an ▁irre press ible ▁practical ▁j oker , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁un common ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁s lip ▁indirect ▁suggestions ▁into ▁all ▁kinds ▁of ▁situations , ▁including ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁books , ▁papers , ▁lect ures ▁and ▁sem in ars . ▁For ▁example , ▁a ▁student ▁arrived ▁at ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁five - day ▁int ensive ▁sem in ars ▁he ▁held ▁in ▁his ▁home ▁office ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁When ▁Er ick son ▁asked ▁why ▁she ▁had ▁come , ▁she ▁replied ▁fran k ly : ▁" My ▁teacher ▁told ▁me ▁that ▁I ▁should ▁come ▁to ▁see ▁you ▁before ▁you ▁died ." ▁ ▁Er ick son ▁smiled ▁and ▁said : ▁" You ▁tell ▁him ▁that ▁dying ▁is ▁the ▁last ▁thing ▁I ▁intend ▁to ▁do ." ▁The ▁group ▁laughed ▁at ▁the ▁pun . ▁Then ▁Er ick son ▁said , ▁with ▁a ▁tw ink le ▁in ▁his ▁eye , ▁" Do ▁you ▁want ▁to ▁know ▁how ▁to ▁avoid ▁dying ? ▁Always ▁w