Volume IV explores some important questions through a presentation, never before published, of Erickson's own hypnotic workshops and demonstrations: - is hypnosis a process of manipulation or facilitation? - does the hypnotherapist control people? - does the hypnotherapist simply give people permission to heal themselves?

The authoritarian-permissive paradox of hypnotherapy is most evident in Erickson's use of the double bind. Volume IV takes the reader on a journey that recaptures his evolution of the therapeutic double bind: from a technique based on an authoritarian concept of 'illusory choice', to a modern vision of the double bind as a 'free choice among comparable alternatives'. This new vision represents a profound shift in attitude: creative choice, not control or manipulation, as the inherent agent of healing in psychotherapy.

More than any other individual, Milton Erickson has been responsible for shaping the modern view of hypnosis. His great contribution came from his ablity to locate an individual's inner resources for coping creatively with the real problems of every day life. Erickson himself endured two bouts of polio and was in a wheelchair throughout much of his later life. He learned to use the healing methods of self-hypnosis to deal with his handicaps and uncover ways of experiencing living at more profound levels. His delight in teaching these methods of self-healing are clearly shown in these transcriptions of his seminars, workshops and lectures.