▁on ▁the ▁un cons cious ▁mind . ▁▁ ▁Enc ou rag ing ▁a ▁Rel ap se ▁- ▁To ▁by pass ▁simple ▁short - l ived ▁" ob ed ience " ▁which ▁tends ▁to ▁lead ▁to ▁la ps es ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁the ▁ther ap ist , ▁Er ick son ▁would ▁occasionally ▁ar range ▁for ▁his ▁patients ▁to ▁fail ▁in ▁their ▁attempts ▁to ▁improve , ▁for ▁example ▁by ▁over re aching . ▁Fail ure ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁life , ▁and ▁in ▁that ▁frag ile ▁time ▁where ▁the ▁patient ▁is ▁learning ▁to ▁live , ▁think ▁and ▁behave ▁differently , ▁a ▁random ▁failure ▁can ▁be ▁cat ast roph ic . ▁D eli ber ately ▁causing ▁a ▁re lapse ▁allowed ▁Er ick son ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁variables ▁of ▁that ▁failure , ▁and ▁to ▁cast ▁it ▁in ▁a ▁positive ▁th era pe ut ic ▁light ▁for ▁the ▁patient . ▁ ▁Enc ou rag ing ▁a ▁Response ▁by ▁Fr ustr ating ▁It ▁- ▁This ▁par ado x ical ▁approach ▁acts ▁directly ▁on ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁own ▁resistance ▁to ▁change . ▁Ob ese ▁patients ▁are ▁asked ▁to ▁gain ▁weight , ▁or ▁in ▁a ▁family ▁ther apy ▁session , ▁a ▁stub born ly ▁silent ▁family ▁member ▁is ▁ignored ▁until ▁the ▁fr ustration ▁oblig es ▁them ▁to ▁bl urt ▁out ▁some ▁des perate ▁truth . ▁Once ▁again , ▁this ▁approach ▁has ▁its ▁roots ▁in ▁Er ick son ' s ▁hyp not ic ▁language ▁patterns ▁of ▁the ▁form ▁" I ▁don ' t ▁want ▁you ▁to ▁go ▁into ▁a ▁tr ance