Short stories, tales, symbols and analogies are often used as metaphors in trance. Dr. Milton Erickson was one of the proponents of using metaphors as an indirect method to plant suggestions for well-being. Metaphors can help one discover resources necessary for change, facilitate new patterns of thinking, and enhance one’s belief in the ability to transform and grow. For example a metaphor like ” imagine a flower opening graciously petal by petal, ” described with colorful paints, details and olfactory add-ons can be associated with an indirect suggestion like “as you see it, feel it and smell it, you naturally allow your creativity to blossom ever so beautifully from now on…”