Coyote, Chaos, and Confusion

Abstract

This paper explores the paradoxical value of confusion in therapeutic and spiritual practices, drawing on the work of Milton Erickson, Indigenous traditions, and the archetype of the trickster figure Coyote. Peter Blum illustrates how intentional disorientation—through language, behavior, or ritual—can bypass rigid conscious thought and activate deeper unconscious insight, healing, and transformation. By embracing confusion as a creative and sacred state, practitioners can disrupt limiting narratives and open space for new meaning and growth.