▁family ▁systems ▁ther apy , ▁solution ▁focused ▁brief ▁ther apy , ▁and ▁ne uro - ling u istic ▁programming . ▁ ▁Personal ▁history ▁ ▁Er ick son ▁was ▁largely ▁self - t aught , ▁and ▁his ▁bi ography ▁was ▁noted ▁down ▁by ▁Sid ney ▁Rosen ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁My ▁Vo ice ▁Will ▁Go ▁With ▁You . ▁Er ick son ▁identified ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁earliest ▁personal ▁experiences ▁as ▁hyp not ic ▁or ▁aut oh yp not ic . ▁ ▁Er ick son ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Low ell , ▁Wisconsin , ▁in ▁a ▁mod est ▁far ming ▁family ▁and ▁intended ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁far mer ▁like ▁his ▁father . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁late ▁developer ▁and ▁was ▁both ▁d ys lex ic ▁and ▁color ▁blind . ▁He ▁over c ame ▁his ▁d ys lex ia ▁and ▁had ▁many ▁other ▁inspir ations ▁via ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁sp ont aneous ▁aut oh yp not ic ▁" flash es ▁of ▁light " ▁or ▁" cre ative ▁moments ", ▁as ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁paper ▁Aut oh yp not ic ▁Exper ien ces ▁of ▁Mil ton ▁H . ▁Er ick son . ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 7 , ▁he ▁contract ed ▁pol io ▁and ▁was ▁so ▁sever ely ▁par al ys ed ▁that ▁the ▁do ctors ▁believed ▁he ▁would ▁die . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁to ▁recall ▁" body ▁mem ories " ▁of ▁the ▁mus cular ▁activity ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁body . ▁By ▁concentr ating ▁on ▁his ▁mem ories , ▁he ▁slowly ▁learned ▁to ▁twe ak ▁his ▁mus cles ▁to ▁reg