The Power of Confusion

Why Confusion as the Catalyst for Change

A reflection for Solution Focused Hypnotherapists

As solution focused hypnotherapists, we're used to helping clients move toward clarity, confidence, and positive change. But in both our own learning and our client work, there’s an often-overlooked state that deserves celebration: confusion.

Rather than something to avoid, confusion can be a powerful part of the therapeutic and learning process. It’s not a sign of failure—it’s a signal that something new and important is trying to emerge.

Confusion as a Catalyst for Change
From a neuroscience perspective, confusion is a signal that our current mental models no longer fit the situation. This triggers prediction error, a process that activates the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)—which monitors conflict—and the prefrontal cortex, which helps us problem-solve and adapt.

This cognitive friction is what drives neuroplasticity. It forces the brain to build new neural pathways and adapt—essentially making confusion the ignition point for learning.

In fact, research in educational psychology has shown that students who engage with initially confusing material retain it better long-term compared to those who are given clear, step-by-step instructions without struggle (D’Mello & Graesser, 2012).

But What If They’re Wrong?
Some training schools still insist on rigid repetition—same questions, same language patterns, same structure—session after session. The idea is that repetition reinforces learning.

And while repetition does have its place in reinforcing patterns and calming the nervous system, an over-reliance on it may inhibit deeper therapeutic work. The brain, when repeatedly exposed to the same input, begins to tune out. Learning plateaus.

Novelty, on the other hand, activates the hippocampus and dopaminergic reward pathways—regions strongly associated with learning, attention, and motivation. When something surprises the brain, it pays closer attention and encodes the experience more deeply.

So yes, repetition might create familiarity, but novelty and confusion are what create learning and transformation.

And if you think hypnosis is all about brainwave lengths, you’ve still got a lot to learn about hypnosis.

Yes, EEG studies show changes in alpha and theta wave activity during hypnosis. But those are correlates, not causes. Hypnosis is far more about focused attention, expectation, and the therapeutic relationship than it is about electrical frequencies in the brain.

As leading hypnosis researcher Irving Kirsch found, hypnotic responsiveness is largely mediated by suggestion, context, and belief—not by brainwave manipulation (Kirsch, 1997).

Confusion Breaks the Cycle
When things feel too familiar, the brain slips into cognitive autopilot. Confusion breaks this. It signals the need for real-time adaptation, increasing alertness and engagement.

This shift is crucial in hypnotherapy. In fact, Milton Erickson often used confusion deliberately as a therapeutic tool—to interrupt rigid patterns and open the client to new possibilities. Confusion, for Erickson, wasn’t a problem—it was a portal.

Creativity in the Unknown
The solution focused approach invites us to explore what’s possible, not just what’s probable. This openness often requires us—and our clients—to sit with uncertainty.

Creativity blooms when we’re not locked into fixed expectations. Studies in divergent thinking show that people are more creative when they are free from rigid mental frameworks and allowed to play with ambiguity.

In a hypnotic context, this means stepping beyond scripts and embracing the unique, unfolding moment of the session.

From Uncertainty to Empowerment
When clients work through confusion, they’re not just learning something new—they’re rewiring their brain to become more adaptable. They develop confidence in their ability to make sense of life’s challenges. They grow resilience.

And so do we.

As therapists, staying curious and reflective—especially when things don’t go to plan—helps us evolve. The best work often happens when we’re not quite sure where the session is going… and trust the process anyway.

Celebrate the Discomfort
So next time you—or your client—feel confused, lean in.

Don’t rush to fill the gap.
Don’t silence the questions too soon.
Because confusion isn’t the opposite of clarity—it’s the start of it.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time we let go of the idea that change comes from reading scripts and routines alone. Because research, neuroscience, and lived therapeutic experience all say the same thing: Confusion is where transformation begins.

References
D’Mello, S., & Graesser, A. (2012). Dynamics of affective states during complex learning. Learning and Instruction, 22(2), 145–157.

Kirsch, I. (1997). Suggestibility or hypnosis: What do our scales really measure? International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 45(3), 212–225.

Oakley, D.A., & Halligan, P.W. (2013). Hypnotic suggestion: Opportunities for cognitive neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(8), 565–576.