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| | | From: Rene (Original Message) | Sent: 5/13/2006 7:54 PM |
The Transformational Nature of Hypnotherapy The Subconscious is the Key
To get powerful, lasting and fairly rapid results in therapy, it is essential that the methods employed reach and affect the subconscious mind. The subconscious houses the emotions, imagination, memory, habits, intuition, and is the pathway to the superconscious. It also regulates our autonomic body functions. It is the very core or essence of how we experience ourselves and the world. Meaningful personal transformation, whether in or out of therapy, results from a shift in the subconscious mind.
Through hypnosis, we have access to the subconscious. In fact, during waking states, the only way to reach and change major set beliefs and emotional responses of the subconscious mind is during experiences that are hypnotic. Hypnosis is an altered state beyond ordinary consciousness, but a natural state that can occur spontaneously. In addition, there are many ways hypnosis can be induced and deepened. Once in hypnosis during therapy, there is a vast range of therapeutic possibilities to harness and transform the subconscious. Hypnotherapists are taught to use a variety of methods to bring a person into a state of hypnosis, deepen and lighten the state, direct various processes and return the subject back to normal awareness. Eclectic training in the uses of hypnotherapy can substantially enhance the skills of any health, counseling or teaching professional. Examples include psychologists, physicians, dentists, chiropractors, social workers, marriage counselors, physical therapists, optometrists, ministerial professionals, nurses, massage practitioners, coaches and electrologists. Hypnosis, while often unrecognized as such, weaves a common thread through the healing arts and sciences. Effective therapists often use hypnotic methods whether they use or understand that semantic or not. As understanding of the field spreads, the deliberate use of hypnotic processes is currently making a major impact in the health professions and truly revolutionizing the field of counseling. While it won't work for everything or for everybody all the time, it is often a powerful therapy that is as much an art as a science. Within the field of hypnotherapy, there are a great variety of ways to harness the power of the subconscious mind to affect change. Hypnosis is used in areas such as chronic and acute pain control, to change the pain threshold or affect the psychological associations of pain. It can be effective to improve confidence, concentration, recall, motivation, achievement, focus, health and stress management. Hypnosis can help overcome addictions, habits, eating disorders, insomnia, fears, phobias, and negative thought, emotional and behavior patterns. It can also tap people into the utilization of their full potential in endeavors like work, sports, art or creative expression. Hypnotic Phenomena Within a therapeutic setting, hypnosis is often induced through various methods of relaxation. As a result of this process the critical factor of the conscious mind is bypassed, giving the hypnotherapist and subject direct access to the deeper mind, the subconscious, which has been called "the other 90% of the mind." Generally, the most well known characteristic of hypnosis is increased suggestibility. Though there are varying degrees of this heightened responsiveness to suggestion, the potential power of this direct access to the subconscious should not be underestimated. For example, I worked with a man named Gino who had been a three-pack a day smoker for over 20 years. He had never been able to quit for even a day since his early years as a smoker. After his first hypnosis session, he called his wife from work later that day. "I can't believe how easy it is. It's like I never smoked," he exclaimed. "I can remember smoking, of course, but there's no desire at all!" While I cautioned him during our follow-up session not to be overconfident, he continued to do fine, including no negative side effects. To the contrary, he was constructively redirecting his energy, and had dramatically increased confidence and vitality. I remember Gino vividly because after referring many of his friends and acquaintances to me for hypnotherapy, he came back a few years later to take my training to become a hypnotherapist. He introduced himself to the class with a twinkle in his eye, saying, "Randal helped me quit smoking, but I've never been hypnotized." In spite of his results, he had a hard time accepting that he had entered hypnosis, even though he knew he must have, because his hypnotic experiences were so subtle to him. Initial doubts about the hypnotic state are not unusual, and more about the subjective experience of hypnosis will be discussed later in this chapter. What was unusual was the immediate ease of his results, although such a response is not rare in the practice of an attentive, skilled hypnotherapist. While varying degrees of initial struggle are the norm for addiction or habit cessation through hypnosis sessions, my experience has been that more than ten percent of such clients will achieve the desired results and more, with astonishing ease from the beginning. It is not rare for a skilled hypnotherapist in rapport with a motivated client to produce such profound suggestibility that it can have the effect of an imprint. An imprint is a powerful, emotional, single impact learning experience that can affect a person (or an animal) in many cases for a lifetime. But even when results are not exceptional, responsiveness to suggestion is routinely greatly heightened during hypnosis. As important as increased suggestibility can be, it is only one of many kinds of value that can result from access to the subconscious. Concentration typically increases dramatically during hypnosis. There are many benefits from this. For example, many indigenous cultures have kept oral records for centuries or millennia. Successive generations of historians would enter hypnotic trances and recite detailed, prolonged ancestral records. Within the context of therapy, heightened hypnotic concentration has value as an inherent aspect of trance and is a partial explanation of the effectiveness of hypnotic suggestion. In addition, specific issues such as improved study habits and various achievement goals ranging from public speaking to improved sports performance, are addressed directly by this hypnotic phenomenon. The subject can actually re-enter a state of self-hypnosis later while studying or performing, to gain further value from the concentration inherent to the hypnotic state. While sometimes directly associated with concentration (as in some of the above examples), heightened recall during hypnosis has many functions. Revivification of significant events, whether or not they were previously repressed, can be combined with many therapeutic modalities. Also, many persons have used hypnotic access to buried memories to find missing objects of value. Although the use of hypnosis for solving crimes has been restricted in recent years by the courts, hundreds of crimes have been solved by the use of forensic hypnosis, such as when Ed Ray's hypnotic recall of the license plate after the Chowchilla kidnapping led investigators to the kidnappers. Victims and witnesses to crimes have hypnotically recalled crucial memories, whether buried because of detail or time or trauma. A person can be taught to re-enter hypnosis to access stored memories while taking examinations or, in certain situations, to improve job effectiveness. Therefore, persons developing memory recall skills are supported by the value of increased suggestibility during the initial hypnosis sessions, as well as by the later heightened concentration and recall natural to the state of self-hypnosis. (Other values of hypnosis will also apply to improved recall, such as various uses of therapy for test anxiety.) The pain threshold changes dramatically during hypnosis or self-hypnosis. Hypnosis can provide great relief for chronic pain sufferers referred by their physicians for such complaints as back pain, arthritis, headaches or recovery from injury. As with any issue, the good hypnotherapist will work comprehensively and holistically toward lasting results, dealing with life-style, stress, emotions and personality factors, as well as possible secondary gains. self-hypnosis can often provide some immediate benefit, while any underlying emotional and life-style issues are addressed during hypnotherapy sessions. In deeper levels of hypnosis major surgery can, in many cases, be painlessly performed with no other anesthetic agent. In addition, physiological functions normally controlled by the subconscious can be effected, such as by suggestions from a dentist to a hypnotically anesthetized patient to control salivation and bleeding. Increased access to the emotions during hypnosis has many uses. Often hypnotized persons later report having experienced feelings of bliss, joy or euphoria, sometimes spontaneously and other times as a response to post-hypnotic suggestions or therapeutic methods. Such feelings can be very meaningful and have substantial therapeutic value. When a person has been struggling with feelings such as fear, grief or anger, there are various therapeutic methods during hypnosis to help him or her access those feelings when appropriate and express, release or transform them.
Facts and Fallacies
Misconceptions about hypnosis are still fairly prevalent but gradually diminishing with time. The fear of loss of control is a result, in part, of stage hypnosis demonstrations. Volunteers may seem to be "under the spell" of the stage hypnotist. Some develop the notion that the participants will do whatever the hypnotist suggests. Actually, some operators have been known to survey the audience and express disappointment if, say, five volunteers are needed and there are only 60 people in the audience. Most people will not respond well to stage hypnosis and those that do, will do so only under the right circumstances. Stage hypnosis is a chance for a person with some extrovert tendencies to perform, have fun, and be a star. It is no coincidence that the longest running series of stage hypnosis shows in history, with Pat Collins, was in Hollywood. A large percentage of volunteers for her shows were striving to become actors and actresses. Volunteers of any stage show know they will be expected to do silly things in front of an audience, and find that appealing. The ones who show timid or self-conscious responses are asked early on to go back to the audience. The participants who are receptive to hypnosis will have, to some extent, a loss of inhibition. However, the volunteer would not do anything against his or her moral beliefs. For example, if handed an imaginary glass of champagne, a non-drinker will refuse to pretend to drink. Also, some otherwise responsive persons will back off to a specific suggestion (e.g., to sing) because of a lack of self-confidence in that area. Even during stage hypnosis, individuals retain control in areas of principle or in which there is major subconscious resistance. During a hypnotherapy session you know you may be open to suggestion. Rather than losing control, a comprehensive series of sessions can help a person to gain control. If during the initial consultation I am not convinced of my new client's firm commitment toward a proclaimed goal, I will not continue with the person. In spite of the increased suggestibility inherent with hypnosis, genuine motivation is necessary for a person to achieve meaningful results in therapy. Clients become more motivated toward their goals if significant underlying resistance issues get properly addressed and there is some degree of rapport with the therapist. Many persons who have not previously experienced a formal hypnotic induction expect the experience of the state of hypnosis to be far different, and often more extreme, than what it is. Even after attempts prior to the induction to alleviate such misconceptions, a classic response after a first hypnosis is, "I know I wasn't hypnotized. I heard every word you said." Ironically, the same person, when asked what this "non-hypnosis" experience was like, may give a dramatic response, such as, "Well, I haven't relaxed so much in twenty years." (The initial subjective experience of the state is often disappointing to some extent, but the results, as with Gino, can nevertheless be profound.) Some will doubt in early sessions whether they went into hypnosis at all. Others who achieve significant depth may believe only light hypnosis was achieved. With continuing experience, people tend to go deeper and also begin to recognize the signs that for them are associated with hypnosis. Rather than losing consciousness during hypnosis, there is typically heightened consciousness. Awareness is much greater than normal, which is related to the increased focus previously described. When somnambulism (a deep state of hypnosis) is reached, however, the shift back to normal consciousness is so great that the memory of the experience may stay buried in the subconscious after the person comes out of hypnosis. This can be similar to the experience of someone who has been asleep and dreaming, and upon awakening remembers the dream at first, only to be unable to recall it a few minutes later. The memory of the dream or of the hypnotic experience is still there in the subconscious, even when conscious recall fades. Though the somnambulistic state is the exception, it has led to the still somewhat common misconception that a person in hypnosis will automatically experience amnesia. Hypnosis actually leads to increased awareness, and one result of this is that distant or previously unconscious memories may be recalled in vivid detail. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that is entered spontaneously every day. Examples include states of narrow focus, such as you might experience when watching television or absorbed in a good book. Highway hypnosis can occur when driving on the freeway and suddenly realizing you have no conscious memory of the past several miles traveled. A form of hypnosis, the hypnogogic state, is entered just prior to falling asleep, and the heightened suggestibility of the hypnopompic state occurs when first waking up. Even daydreaming is considered by many experts to be a form of light hypnosis, or a borderline (hypnoidal) state. The conscious mind begins to recede and the subconscious mind comes to the foreground, giving you greater access to the imagination, memories and feelings. Beginning around the age of five, the overwhelming majority of the population is hypnotizable in the formal sense. Exceptions include some psychotic individuals who don't have the necessary trust to be open and receptive, and some retarded persons and those with advanced Alzheimer's, who don't have the necessary concentration or imagination. However, I have used hypnosis with the developmentally disabled through the Sonoma County Mental Health Department and found that some of the higher functioning individuals were able to respond rather well. During most of our daily lives we are in touch with our conscious minds, while subconscious activities below the surface regulate physical functions such as the autonomic nervous system and circulatory system. The subconscious can leap into action during emergencies, but it is in part that portion of the mind that is on "automatic pilot" while we are awake or asleep. People who enter hypnosis deliberately in session or during self-hypnosis know they are suggestible. The most common danger with hypnosis lies primarily outside of the therapeutic context, in situations in which people are not aware that they are in suggestible states. For example, we can be influenced by an authority figure, such as a doctor or other professional, or a political or parental figure. When a person is unduly influenced by an authority, a spontaneous hypnosis can develop and the person may become extremely suggestible. To give another example, double-blind suggestibility studies have documented that most persons will respond well to placebos, even when used in place of morphine for severe pain. That gives us a glimpse at the enormous power of the subconscious mind. A person who deliberately uses hypnotic states to control his or her subconscious mind can create extreme physiological changes and other exceptional achievements without needing to project power onto a pill or an authority figure. Additionally, our consumer culture bombards us with various forms of advertising that can have a hypnotic affect. Advertisers may even pay a premium for broadcasting late at night or early in the morning when people are more likely to be highly suggestible. Learning about hypnosis and suggestibility helps us recognize times when we may be more open or vulnerable so that we can retain awareness and have more control. There are many therapy or healing practices that include forms of hypnosis. Biofeedback techniques, for instance, are used in conjunction with hypnosis. Jose Silva, in developing Silva Mind Control methods, borrowed liberally from Dave Elman's hypnotic inductions. Christian Scientists use hypnotic methods for pain control. Guided imagery, guided fantasy, visualization, selective awareness, autogenic training, progressive relaxation and relaxology are examples of hypnotic methods. Sometimes the practitioner, teacher, nurse, psychotherapist, etc., who uses such methods will not associate the methods with hypnosis. If these methods are recognized as hypnotic and that is communicated to the client, time needs to be taken to alleviate possible misconceptions. Any practitioner who sometimes uses hypnotic methods but has not previously recognized them as such, would find hypnotic skills magnified tremendously by a thorough training in hypnosis. The various forms of meditation (Zen, Vipassana, TM, etc.) are also forms of hypnosis. A group at U.C.L.A. in 1969 set out to prove that their particular form of meditation was different from hypnosis. Their study compared the meditation experience of persons who had been practicing meditation every day for many months and getting excellent results, with the initial hypnosis experience of persons that had never practiced hypnosis or meditation. The hypnotist was a member of the meditation group. The two groups naturally had different results and a claim was then made that this meditation practice causes more profound physiological differences than hypnosis. But just as with meditation, increased hypnotic depth (and the dramatically different physiological changes that entails) is a skill that develops with practice. The therapeutic value of hypnosis is gradually becoming much more widely recognized. As the myths and misconceptions are exposed and word continues to spread about the values of hypnosis, growing acceptance and interest has increased in academic and scientific communities as well. Many doctors and other professionals are being trained themselves or referring patients to hypnotherapists for work in conjunction with conventional treatments. While there is still residual misunderstanding in some people's minds, the misconceptions of many have lessened over the years.
The Experience of Hypnosis
Following a preliminary discussion and alleviation of any misconceptions, three things are needed for hypnosis in a therapeutic setting: concentration, imagination, and a motivation to be hypnotized. Hetero-hypnosis, in which a therapist works with an individual or a group, is in a sense self-hypnosis because each individual goes into hypnosis by choice. If a person doesn't feel rapport with the operator or doesn't desire to, that person will resist entering hypnosis. The more you practice hypnosis the deeper you tend to go, but it isn't necessary to reach deep levels to be therapeutic. Excellent results in therapy can be achieved in light and medium states. Practicing hypnotherapists can train many of their clients in self-hypnosis for added benefits. With experience and confidence that a relaxed and open state of hypnosis can be reached, tools are soon developed that an individual can use for a lifetime to access the power of his or her own subconscious mind. There are many levels of hypnosis and various subjective states can be experienced at any particular depth. During lighter levels of hypnosis feelings of relaxation and passivity are commonly experienced. Additionally, there may be slightly altered perceptions or physical changes such as eye fluttering or a tingling sensation in the extremities or a light or heavy sensation in some part of the body. Persons who don't get much of a response at first will continue to learn and develop significant skills within a few weeks of practice. In the beginning it is common to underestimate the length of time in hypnosis. When asked after an initial hypnosis, many will guess the time as shorter than it actually was. A person who has had a few more hypnotic experiences will usually have a better estimate of time. The flip side to the occurrence of an initial subjective distortion of time is that the subconscious mind has a kind of built-in clock. When you enter self-hypnosis or when you go to bed at night, your subconscious mind can be trained to bring you back or wake you up at a particular time. One student related giving herself a suggestion when going to sleep at night to wake up at a particularly early hour. She was awakened at exactly the right time by her husband's voice saying, "It's five o'clock." She turned over to thank him but he was sound asleep. The call had come from her own creative subconscious. In medium depths of hypnosis, the altered state becomes more enhanced. There may be more pronounced physical sensations of heaviness or lightness, or a floating or sinking feeling in part or all of the body. A loss of conscious awareness may occur, or a major change of pain threshold, such as with the experience of "glove anesthesia" in the area of the hands. Various illusions may be perceived through any of the senses. Ability to visualize or imagine suggestions tends to increase with depth. Somnambulistic levels of hypnosis create more extreme physical and mental responses, such as loss of awareness of most or all of the body. Physiologic responses may include the same kind of rapid eye movements that are associated with dream stages of sleep. Exceptional suggestibility often includes a profound literalness in response to suggestions. Some will have the ability to produce hallucinations, even with the eyes open or post-hypnotically. Complete conscious amnesia may occur. Hypnosis is a far different state than sleep, but it has been called a sleep of the nervous system. Respiration and circulation slow down, but not as much as during normal sleep states. The brain waves also slow down, though not as slow as the brain waves of delta that are reached during the deepest levels of sleep. The levels of brain waves begin with beta, the fastest, then slow to alpha, theta and delta. Under most conditions of normal waking consciousness, brain waves are primarily beta. In light to medium states of hypnosis, a significant decrease to predominately alpha level brain waves will occur. In deeper levels of hypnosis a person's brain waves may actually go down into theta. Remember, however, that hypnotic skills develop with practice, so the rules of the above paragraph can be broken under truly extraordinary conditions. An Indian Swami who had been meditating several hours a day for many years was documented on film as having gone into delta brain waves while sitting, his eyes half open. (As a general rule, unless you're focusing on a major trauma issue, the deeper you go into hypnosis the more pleasant the state is, until at deeper levels it can be quite euphoric. This Swami was certainly in a state of bliss.) There is a rare state of hypnosis far deeper than somnambulism called the plenary trance, that could be likened to almost being a state of suspended animation. The British physician, James Esdaile, produced this state in some surgical patients in India in the 1840's, using a few hours of mesmeric passes as the induction. The patient was kept in the plenary trance sometimes for 24 hours, since this was before chemo-anesthesia had been accepted and hypnosis was the only anesthetic agent. But more importantly, he soon discovered his mortality rate after surgery dropped from 50% to 5%. This was before Lister's campaign against infection, when surgeons washed their hands after surgery, not before. During hypnotic anesthesia the subconscious mind aids the body in developing greater resistance to infection. In the 1890's a Swedish physician named Wetterstrand reported keeping some patients in the plenary trance for over a week for healing purposes. Leslie LeCron produced this state in more recent times, recording a pulse of 50 beats per minute and a barely discernible breathing rate of only three breaths per minute. This chapter is a brief introduction to the value of hypnosis and hypnotherapy for the purposes of this book, and cannot be a comprehensive description of the many phenomena and uses of hypnosis. This overview and the following three examples are a sampling, to explain some of the special qualities of hypnosis, which prepares us to better understand the tremendous potential of Hypnotic DreamworkTM.
see part 2 below .............
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 5/13/2006 8:02 PM |
Karen's Story When I first met Karen she was experiencing a recurrence of symptoms of multiple sclerosis. She had been diagnosed ten years earlier, in 1977. At the time of diagnosis she was blind in one eye and had partial sight in the other. She was informed that within six months she would be a vegetable. Her doctors advised her to go home and get her affairs in order. Karen, who had been raised as a devout Catholic, was in the middle of difficult divorce proceedings. She was particularly worried about her three young children, and prayed that she be allowed to live long enough to see them through school. Amazingly, instead of deteriorating, her symptoms gradually disappeared. Her doctors had no explanation for this turn of events. Ten years later Karen's husband, a student in one of my hypnotherapy classes, asked if he could bring Karen in as the subject in a class demonstration. Her symptoms of MS were recurring and had advanced, in some ways, even further than before. Her vision and coordination were seriously deteriorating, she was losing dexterity in her hands, and she was about to give up. During our interview she told me that the youngest of her children would be graduating from school in a few months. When I asked if she had been having any other major changes or stress in her life, she said that she and her husband, Kenn, had had to close their business. All three of her children were still at home, she was working more than full time as a bookkeeper, and though she would like some time to herself, she saw no hope of that in the future. After doing a hypnotic induction we set up ideomotor signals, which is a way of bypassing the conscious mind to communicate directly with the subconscious. Different fingers on one hand can be chosen to rise if the answer to a question is "yes" or "no." Alternative fingers can be used for a subconscious signal that it doesn't know or refuses to answer. Through the use of this type of questioning we were able to determine that Karen's subconscious mind interpreted the cessation of her symptoms ten years earlier as a pact with God that she now had to honor. At the same time there was a part of Karen that had lost faith in God because of her resentment at having developed the sudden blindness. We were also able to ascertain that the onset of her earlier blindness, as well as her current symptoms, had in part to do with the stress in her life. Further questioning revealed that Karen felt a measure of guilt about becoming healthy again. The session became very long and complex, with conflicting ideomotor signals and subconscious confusion. As the process continued I used Gestalt dialogue between Karen and God to try to break through her guilt and subconscious resistance to getting well again, as well as her resentment of God. There was even some question of whether she still believed in God. Well into the session, I reminded her that if there was no God, then there was no one to keep a pact with. If there was a God, I asked her, wouldn't God be compassionate enough to see that Karen had suffered more than enough already? After giving Karen some explanation about the sometimes deductive way the subconscious mind works, and that it isn't always rational, I had her do some hypno-analysis to figure out if there was some kind of misconception she had developed as a result of those traumatic experiences. She was eventually able to realize that she had developed the misconception that in wanting to see her kids grow up and getting her eyesight back, she needed to be punished. She continued to assert, however, that "My dues are up. I have to pay." Over and over again we hit dead ends as I kept trying to find ways to help Karen through subconscious blocks. At one point I asked her subconscious mind if she had asked, "Please let me live to see my kids grow up and get through school," or "Please let me die or get worse when my kids grow up." When Karen was able to acknowledge the former, I encouraged her subconscious mind to accept that she was therefore not required to now deteriorate. But she continued to resist, saying she still had to pay. Eventually I was able to help her accept that she could have a pact to live and be reasonably healthy, without repercussions. While she was still subconsciously open and suggestible I ended the session with many positive affirmations of the success she had already had in overcoming the condition previously, the new lasting success she would now begin to have, and the ways in which she could find creative ways to take better care of herself. Karen began to experience major improvement within the first week, and in the two subsequent sessions I continued to encourage and support Karen on the ways she was now taking better care of herself and the progress she was making. Within six weeks she was free of symptoms, having improved much more rapidly this time. A subsequent Cat Scan years later showed no evidence of M.S. Our sessions were ten years ago and she continues to be healthy today. This story is a dramatic example of the potential of a variety of creative techniques with hypnosis to affect the subconscious mind. Gestalt dialogue, such as that used with Karen, is employed in almost all of the transcripts of this book, and brief ideomotor methods appear in some cases.
Kenn's Story *
Kenn, Karen's husband from the previous story, used his experiences in the hypnotherapy classes and his self-hypnosis to make tremendous changes in many areas of his life during the year he was getting his training. He came back to see me in 1991 because of a serious injury that caused an anterior curve in the cervical arch of the neck, and had been treated with surgery a year earlier. Instead of getting better, the condition immediately deteriorated further after the surgery. He was so weak that he could not carry a quart of milk one block. He was currently working with a talented hypnotherapist in his town, Charlie Simon, a graduate that I had recommended. One of the effective strategies was to visualize removing the cervical vertebrae area and replace it with stacked tinker toys on wheels that would cause the neck to bend properly. They had made significant progress, but Kenn needed further improvement. His surgeon had seen him recently and recommended immediate surgery, as weakness in the injured areas had caused his head to bend in a way that was pinching nerves affecting his hands and going down into his legs. The surgeon wanted to open up his back and put a brace from the seventh cervical vertebrae to the first, leaving him in a rigid permanent position facing slightly upwards. "I won't be able to nod yes, so I'll just have to say no," Kenn joked wryly. Kenn's belief was that he had been damaged by the first surgery. But he also wondered whether his sense of deep shame was hindering his body's ability to heal more fully. In his words, "Before I started (hypnotherapy) in 1986 I was a compulsive gambler, excessive drinker, and a three pack a day smoker. I came up with every compulsive, addictive behavior, even eating disorders, and because of all this I feel a lot of shame. I've started recovery and I feel like what might be a stumbling block are my feelings of shame and guilt that go way back." He was waiting to get a second opinion before making a decision about getting more surgery, which terrified him. The original doctor's concern was that without treatment he could become a quadriplegic. Before doing a hypnotic induction I checked with Kenn about whether or not he could move his fingers to do ideomotor signals, and he showed me the two fingers on his left hand that he could move slightly. Before the hypnotherapy work with Charlie he had been unable to move those fingers at all. He had also been able to get off drugs he had been taking for pain and was no longer chronically constipated, so he had already made dramatic progress in the six weeks since he had started sessions. After an induction I used the affect bridge (which is also used for Tom's regression in Chapter 19), a technique that taps a person into a particular emotion and then moves rapidly to an earlier memory which is associated with a similar feeling. Kenn recalled being in his bedroom at three years of age and feeling very ashamed. He was being scolded by his mother for wetting the bed. She told him he was a very naughty boy. It was something that had happened many times. He continued to sporadically wet the bed until he was thirteen. It was very embarrassing and he was consequently very shy and self-conscious. After going to other scenes where young Kenn had been scolded and felt ashamed, I brought adult Kenn back to the earlier scene with his mother and had them engage in Gestalt dialogue. I then asked young Kenny how he felt listening to adult Kenn and had them dialogue. Adult Kenn assured young Kenny he had never done anything wrong, that wetting the bed was a common experience for many young boys and out of their control - there was sometimes even a genetic factor. Young Kenny responded that he would try not to feel the shame. We kept working until young Kenny had more clarity that he was not at fault and adult Kenn was able to realize that he was a good person and could let go of those feelings and the affects they had had on him. Toward the end of the process he said he felt that his mother had done a good job overall and he loved her deeply. She had made a mistake because she was naive. She just didn't know it was something he couldn't help. During hypno-analysis Kenn described not having been able to forgive himself and he now did so wholeheartedly. I gave Kenn positive reinforcements and suggestions for further healing in his neck and back and then brought him out of the hypnosis. Following the session Kenn continued hypnotherapy and refocused on physical therapy and feeling better about himself. Meanwhile he got a second opinion that confirmed the first. He recognized gradual improvement, and the following month he went to his original surgeon who, with considerable surprise, now said, "Because of your vast improvement I can't justify surgery at this time." Kenn continued to improve dramatically. Early childhood is a time when we are particularly open and vulnerable to suggestion. Early experiences may teach us that we're not good enough, that the world is a hostile place, that we can't trust people, or that we're likely to get hurt in some way. Very often when we want to make fundamental changes as adults and feel stuck, the problem is that we have been hypnotized by limiting experiences early in life. Such early subconscious conditioning can sometimes last a lifetime. As the story with Kenn illustrates, when doing hypnotherapy we are sometimes in part doing de-hypnosis. We are helping that person to let go of negative suggestions or misconceptions that were taken in, often at a young age, and continued to affect his or her experiences. We help that person to wake up and escape the limiting trance he or she has been in. Kenn's example is particularly dramatic because of the physical healing that accompanied the emotional healing, but combining Gestalt and hypnotherapy can routinely cause profound lasting shifts in subconscious attitudes and feelings. Getting in touch with the deeper, greater part of the mind can help in so many ways to unleash the vast potential and abilities that are there.
Frank's Story
When Frank came back from Vietnam he attempted to go to college but dropped out. Initially he made attempts to find work but didn't stick with it. He remained unemployed and lived with his parents. He was addicted to drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. He was overweight, depressed, and had no self-confidence. He hadn't had any relationships and hadn't even been on a date since soon after his return. He briefly tried various therapists but hadn't responded well with anyone. His parents had desperately tried to help him and when they heard of my work, encouraged him to make one more try. It had been ten years since his return from Vietnam when I met Frank. We started by looking for ways for him to be successful and then taking one step at a time. J.D. Hadfield said, "Suggestion does not consist in making an individual believe what is not true. Suggestion consists in making something come true by making a person believe in its possibility." The first thing I helped him work on was getting into shape while losing weight. With that success, he had the confidence to quit smoking. Then we worked on his issues with drugs and alcohol. After making dramatic progress in these areas, we worked on building up Frank's confidence to get ready to look for work. His dream was to do delivery work. He felt he would really enjoy being out and driving a truck. He got a delivery job through an employment agency and was very satisfied. He worked hard and diligently, but three months later he was told that although he was doing a fine job, he was being laid off. Frank was angry and felt there was a deal going on between his employer and the agency. He had been retained for as long as he was still paying a large portion of his wages to the agency which had gotten him the position. A setback like this could certainly be an excuse to slip back into drinking and depression, but Frank turned his anger into action. He intensified his exercise program and got right out and started looking for work again. He was hired with forty other people by Federal Express for temporary work during the Christmas season. At the end of the season two people were kept on. Frank was one of them. He's been working for Federal Express for 14 years now. Over time we periodically worked on various things, including relationship issues. An early example of his progress in this area is when the issue had developed from not having dates, to feelings of guilt because he did not want to continue to see a woman who was interested in him. He eventually developed a long term relationship. We have had a total of about 30 sessions over the years. Currently, like everyone, Frank has his ups and downs. But he is functioning far better than he was when I first met him. Many causes that bring people to seek hypnotherapy do not involve the kinds of life-changing issues of Karen, Kenn and Frank. But even hypnosis for common issues can lead to major benefits, such as sessions for smoking cessation, which may help significantly lengthen a person's life span. I view the hypnotic state with reverence and consider the role of a hypnotherapist as an honor. I am aware of no greater satisfaction than the service of helping to satisfy a client in making major, lasting changes. * Complete transcripts of the session described in Kenn's Story are included in Randal Churchill's book Regression Hypnotherapy, published in 2002 by Transforming Press. Transcripts of Karen's story, described above, will be featured in a later book .....
From: http://www.hypnotherapy.com/chapter1a.html
Also: Hypnosis and another thread Hypnosis The Shaman Within |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 5/13/2006 10:29 PM |
Experiencing Hypnotic Regression Therapy
A journey through time and space�?BR>by Keith Thompson
Simply exaggerated suggestibility."
"A state of intensified attention and receptiveness, and an increased responsiveness to an idea or to a set of ideas."
"Primarily a special psychological state with certain physiological attributes, resembling sleep only superficially and marked by the functioning of the individual at a level of awareness other than the ordinary conscious state." These disparate definitions of hypnosis bear witness to an observation by psychology researcher Martin Orne: although there is no widely accepted definition of hypnosis, considerable consensus exists at a descriptive level. In other words, "Don't ask me to define it, but I'll tell you how it works and what it can do." To consult the newspaper ads placed by Marin County hypnotherapists is to encounter claims that hypnotic induction can do a lot, including helping people: lose weight, quit smoking, overcome phobias, improve athletic performance, enhance self esteem and motivation, reduce stress, explore past lives, get off cocaine, overcome sexual dysfunction. The list of proven applications goes on, all attesting to what William James considered the greatest discovery of his generation: "that human beings can alter their lives by altering their minds." I first became interested in hypnosis during my college years when I read that a young Viennese physician named Sigmund Freud worked with Joseph Breuer, considered one of the best medical hypnotist of his time. Just as Freud later was unable to tolerate Jung's intellectual independence, neither could he accept the fact that he himself wasn't much good at inducing hypnosis. As his jealousy over Breuer's superior skill increased, Freud abandoned hypnosis and developed free association and dream interpretation. As I began to research the field of hypnosis for this article, I was struck by the fact that although abandoned by the controversial Father of Modern Psychotherapy, hypnosis has continued to develop a sophisticated array of approaches and techniques for altering behavior by altering awareness. After exploring my own capacity for trance in sessions with several Marin and Sonoma hypnotherapists, I discovered that most of them had taken their training at the Hypnotherapy Training Institute. Founded by Randal Churchill and co-directed with Marleen Mulder, the Hypnotherapy Training Institute has offered private hypnosis counseling since 1971. The Institute began offering an intensive state-approved program to educate and certify hypnotherapists in 1978. What is hypnosis and how does it work? Why are so many entering the helping professions with a primary focus on hypnosis? And can you help me resolve a phobia I've had for a long time? These were the questions I took to Churchill and Mulder earlier this month. "I wish I could give you a simple, concise theory to explain all of the psychological, physiological and interpersonal factors involved in hypnosis," Churchill told me. "But the hypnotic state is extremely complex and diverse, just as are waking and sleep states. Heightened suggestibility is just one of the uses of hypnosis. The state of hypnosis itself is ideal for pain control, stress reduction and overcoming insomnia. The effectiveness of hypnotic pain control alone has drawn numerous physicians, dentists, chiropractors and nurses to take our professional training. Also, since in hypnosis one is tapping into the inner mind, the subconscious, memories, become more accessible. This has ramifications ranging from improving test scores to finding lost objects to helping witnesses recall details after a crime."
"The hypnotic state is extremely complex and diverse�?
Added Mulder, "Increased memory recall is part of the key to hypnotherapy for past traumas, as the realizations people have in hypnosis typically affect them far more profoundly than in their normal conscious awareness."
At that point I knew I could either continue to engage Churchill and Mulder in questions about theory, or ask for proof. The first path seemed safe, and most of all I love safety. Which is why I¹ve steered pretty clear of swimming pools since I came close to drowning at age six. Having had a vague memory of my older brother Jeff jumping onto the air mattress I was on and knocking me below the surface, I recently have wondered whether mine is a love of safety or, rather, a fear of its absence. No matter, I said to myself; summer is coming, and this is the year I want to go swimming again. "Got anything in your bag of tricks for a good water phobia?" I asked apologetically, as if to make it clear I'd gladly settle for more theory. Mulder didn't miss a beat, gently suggesting that I push back in my reclining chair and take a deep breath. When they asked me what specific issues I wanted to explore, I told them as much as I could recall about the swimming experience and my subsequent fears. "What I really want is to get into and beyond that event so I can enjoy swimming laps again." Churchill urged me to take another breath, and then another. As I felt my fingers tingle, my trust for both of them grew. "If your eyelids begin to feel heavy, just let them start...to fall...shut," Mulder continued. My eyelids closed. Then I heard Churchill's voice again. "As your state of relaxation deepens, Keith, consider that hypnosis is a process through which you gain greater, not less, awareness, and that you can choose to go as far as you want in exploring the dynamics of your mind. You're in control here..." What he was saying was true: far from the carnival-like demonstrations in which the hypnotized person seems to be a mere puppet, I was beginning to feel a marvelous sense in which I knew I was free to accept only those suggestions in hypnosis which were right for me at that particular moment. They continued jointly to induce what at first was a light trance, then a much deeper one. (They remarked later that changes in my breathing rate and skin color suggested natural hypnotic depth.) I don't remember their words, only the sweet melodic tone of their voices and an image of descending a spiral staircase and entering a sanctuary of safety and peace. Then Churchill gave me the suggestion that while in hypnosis my subconscious could respond to yes and no questions through the fingers on my right hand, giving information which I might not have consciously remembered. "One of your fingers raises in response to questions to which the answer is yes. Allow that finger to signal now," he urged. After a pause, my index finger - to my surprise - lifted gently. Through this process I discovered that my thumb signaled "n" and that my middle finger lifted in response to questions to which "I don't know" was my answer. "I'm not ready to say just now" announced itself eventually through the trembling of my pinkie.
"Got anything in your bag of tricks for a good water phobia?" I asked apologetically, as if to make it clear I'd gladly settle for more theory.
Certain details of my experience are too sketchy to recall, and therefore too sketchy to write about with any clarity. Churchill and Mulder later assured me that not remembering all details of the trance state is common, especially among "hypnosis adepts." What I do remember is Mulder mentioning something about the hands of an ancient grandfather clock beginning to move backwards, counter-clockwise, signaling a return to a previous time in my life. Whether it was suggested or not, I also saw yellowed pages of a calendar being lifted off by a swift breeze. "How old are you now?" Mulder asked.
"Six." "Are you inside or outside?" "Outside," I said. "In the pool." "Alone or with others?" asked Churchill. "I'm alone on my floating mattress, but others are near." "Describe what is happening now." she suggested. "I'm belly down on the float, daydreaming that I'm skipper of a great ship, looking for dolphins. Oh no..." Churchill told me I didn't have to speak right now and that the appropriate finger would signal whether it was safe for me to recall and be open emotionally to whatever it was I was on the verge of recalling. My index finger said yes, to both questions, Mulder suggested that I would be able to review the experience as if watching a television screen. Since the actual event happened so many years before, she added, it would be safe to allow the events to unfold like an old movie. My brother jumped from the side of the pool onto the air mattress, the ship of which I was captain, and I saw myself fall beneath the surface and swallow what seemed an enormous amount of water. Previously, my conscious mind had turned off at this point, no doubt protecting me from the memory. In hypnosis, assured of my physical safety, I was able to recall my mother pulling me above the surface choking and coughing. Wrapped in towels, more coughing. Fear of dying. As the worst passed, I began crying as if the worst had just begun. My sense of anger, fear and relief were tremendous, and all mixed up together, now in hypnosis as then in reality. As I continued crying, I felt my anger and terror subsiding. As the revivified experience passed, my body ceased to writhe, and I felt a growing sense of calm. Churchill and Mulder encouraged me to communicate as the six-year-old and dialogue with my brother, my mother, even with the water and my fear of death. With each completion, I felt more of a strange peace come over me. Then they encouraged my "adult" self to share insights with the child about the experience. "You're well, and strong and safe", Churchill said, echoing and anchoring my growing subconscious understanding. "As you leave that experience behind you," Mulder added, "reflect for a moment on your new relationship with water." Together they gave me a series of clear, succinct affirmations reminding me how much I enjoy being in the water, how much I love swimming, how skilled I am at taking care of myself, how much I benefit from my laps in the pool. "You swim with the grace and elegance of the dolphins you waited for in the pool," Mulder suggested gently. It was as if she knew precisely how positive this image would be for me. An unknown amount of time passed in this drowsy reverie, and then, inevitably, the reality principle returned in Churchill's words: "As I count from one to five, with each number you become more alert, more awake, more rested, more ready to return to your normal, waking state of consciouness." I didn't want to return; the realm felt so good. First they gave me some quiet time to integrate my experience, and then we talked about the session. With each word I spoke, I became more aware of the ways in which my experience in the pool had programmed my attitudes not only toward swimming, but sailing as well. My sense of release was amazing. Mulder fixed tea, and I felt like a newborn baby for the rest of the afternoon. I met with them both a week later in their San Anselmo office just as they were preparing to teach a summer intensive for prospective hypnotherapists.. "I swam 20 laps yesterday," I said. "Well?" asked Mulder, "what was it like after all these years?" "Like a dolphin."
From: http://www.hypnotherapy.com/ This article initially appeared in the Pacific Sun. |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 6/29/2006 10:43 PM |
Create Your Own Custom Hypnosis MP3 Editor's Note: The work of Richard A. Blumenthal, MS, NCC has appeared in some of the world's most respected scientific journals, e.g.:
- Medical Hypnoanalysis
- The International Journal of Psychosomatics
- The British Journal of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis
- The Journal of Human Behavior and Learning
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 7/1/2006 7:40 PM |
Expanding the Science of Hypnosis
By Muriel Prince Warren, DSW
Abstract: Recent brain research indicates that it is possible to talk to the amygdala, a key part of the brain that deals with certain emotions. The inner mind is concerned with emotion, imagination and memory as well as the autonomic nervous system which automatically controls our internal organs. By talking to the amygdala, an experienced hypnotherapist can relax the autonomic nervous system shutting down, or curtailing the trigger that sets off secretion of the adrenal and pituitary glands. This gives the body an opportunity to rebuild its immune system in many chronic illnesses.
When a patient is in a hypnotic trance the amygdala automatically shuts down the rapid alert system and turns off the stress hormones epinephrine, cortocotropin, and glucocorticoids. I have tried to talk to the amygdala in a number of critical cases including a 22-year-old woman with diabetes and a fear of hypodermic needles, 40-year-old male with osteoscarcoma and prostrate problems, and a 75 year-old man with kidney failure. In each case, the technique of relaxation through hypnosis has proven a highly effective tool in giving the body a chance to heal itself through its own inherent wisdom system. This is the part of the mind that knows how to make you breathe and send oxygen to your blood cells. David Barlow of the Boston Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders claimed in a Newsweek article (Feb. 24, 2003) that it is actually possible to talk with the amygdala, a key component of the brain that deals with emotions like fear. Since this idea was consistent with the basic tenets of hypnosis, it intrigued me. “Hypnosis is a way to access the untapped power of the mind and alter brain functions. In this state of intense relaxation and concentration, the mind is able to focus on positive suggestions which can be carried out at a future time. These subliminal messages are surprisingly powerful. "The mind is like an onion. The outer layer, or conscious mind, deals with intelligence, reality, and logic. The inner mind is concerned with emotion, imagination, and memory, as well as the autonomic nervous system which automatically controls our internal organs (i.e., how we breathe, send oxygen to our blood cells, or walk without using the conscious mind.) The internal mind is on autopilot, reacting to the dictates of the pleasure principle. It seeks pleasure and avoids pain�?(Warren, 2003, pp. 175-6). It is these characteristics that make hypnosis a highly effective therapeutic tool in dealing with a wide spectrum of mental and physical disorders. When a therapist is doing hypnosis, the amygdala is turned down. Therefore, I call this “talking to the amygdala.�?nbsp; The hypnotist can actually relax the autonomic nervous system, shutting down the usual “fight, flight, or freeze�?response and curtailing the trigger that sets off secretion of the pituitary and adrenal glands. This gives the body a chance to build up its immune system and reduce trauma (Frank and Mooney, 2002) in many chronic illnesses (i.e., irritable syndrome, bulimia, cancer, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease.) Even the Wall Street Journal (Friedman, 2003) has documented how hypnosis has entered the mainstream and is using trance states for fractures, cancer, and burns and speeding recovery time. Dr. David Spiegel, Stanford University researcher, speaking at the 54th Annual Conference of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, November, 2003, in Chicago reminded us that although we don’t fully understand how it works, there is significant evidence that hypnosis can be effective in helping people reach into their own unconscious resources to solve problems normally beyond their ability. Not only does it work, but it often succeeds where modern medicine has failed. That evidence continues to pile up. Hypnosis is now being used in dentistry, fertility, childbirth, allergies, eating disorders, headaches and improved academic and sports performance. Eleanor Laser, PhD. assists physicians like Elvira Lang, MD by performing hypnosis and analgesia during operations at the Harvard and Iowa University Medical Schools. Hypnosis is not sleep, but an altered state of consciousness in which a person accesses that part of his or her mind that is capable of adjusting the problem without the conscious, thinking mind directing it. In addition to being a psychotherapist, author, researcher, and educator in private practice in Rockland County, New York, I am also an experienced hypnotherapist. So I decided to put David Barlow’s statement to the test. Patients don’t have to know where the amygdala is located and what it does. The unconscious mind knows. The unconscious mind knows how to work without the conscious mind directing it. That’s one thing I have learned from years of conducting hypnotherapy. You can rely on the patient’s unconscious mind to come up with the answers, while the therapist contributes positive suggestions. First, I did a little research on the amygdala and was surprised to find that tremendous progress has been made in just the past few years in our understanding of the brain and how it works. I was also amazed that no one has put it all together in one place. So I thought I would conduct my own experiment.
The Amygdala:
The amygdala is located on either side of the middle of the brain known as the Limbic System. There are two of them, each 1.5 centimeters �?the size of a walnut. The amygdala is critical for certain kinds of negative emotions, particularly fear, but it can also provide an important link to creativity and increased intelligence Richard J. Davidson, Director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and the W. M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison has studied this area of the brain and mind-body interaction since 1999. He explains that many parts of the brain work together to produce complex behavior such as emotions (Gyatso, T. and Goleman, D. 2003). It was found that the amygdala plays a key role in the circuitry that activates emotion, while the prefrontal cortex does much of the regulation. Evidence suggests that regions of the left frontal cortex play an important role in positive emotions while the right frontal lobe plays that role in certain negative emotions. Another key part of the brain is the hippocampus, a long structure directly behind the amygdala which has been linked to memory. The hippocampus is essential for the appreciation of the context of events. Some emotional disorders such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression involve abnormalities in the hippocampus. In both these disorders, it was found that the hippocampus actually shrinks. The amygdala, the hippocampus, and the frontal lobes (p. 193) are all extensively connected with the body, in particular with the immune system; with the endocrine system which regulates hormones; and with the autonomic nervous system that regulates heart rate, blood pressure and other functions. The brain provides a complex system of feedback circuits involved in the reaction to stress and trauma. This process starts (Sapinsky, 1993) with the actual or perceived threat of death or injury that activates the higher reasoning centers in the cortex. The cortex, in turn, sends a message to the amygdala, which is the principal mediator of the stress response. The amygdala then releases cortocotropin-releasing hormone to stimulate the brain stem to activate the sympathetic nervous system by way of the spinal cord. This triggers the adrenal glands, located atop of the kidneys, to release epinephrine and glucocorticoids. These two hormones act on the muscles, heart, and lungs to prepare the body for the “fight,�?“flight,�?or “freeze�?response. When the stress becomes chronic, glucocorticoids induce the locus coeruleus to release nor epinephrine that makes the amygdala produce even more CRH and other stress hormones as the reaction escalates. Dr. Hillary P. Blumberg, and a team of researchers at Yale University (Scanning a Brain, New York Times, Dec. 30, 2003) have found that the amygdala and hippocampus are much smaller in teenagers and adults with bipolar disorder. That finding may provide doctors with a new tool for early diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. Teenagers and adults with bipolar disorder are at high risk for suicide. Recovery function is the time it takes for a person to come back to a quiet baseline condition of the brain after being provoked by an emotion as in a traumatic event. Certain people have a prolonged response and others return to the baseline very quickly. It has been shown that people with quick recovery function have less activation in the amygdala. The amygdala and hippocampus in their brains are larger and a more normal size than those of anxious people. These people show more activation in the left prefrontal cortex. They report that their everyday experience is filled with feelings of vigor, optimism, and enthusiasm (Gyatso, T. and Goleman, D. 2003, p. 197). Other Research: Other research projects have centered on the memory which has been linked to adrenaline, the hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to anxiety, stress, and fear. Dr. Jim McGaugh at the University of California at Irvine demonstrated that rats injected with adrenaline just after learning a task had enhanced retention (Friedman, 2003) Dr. Larry Cahill also at Irvine shows that blocking the effects of adrenaline could prevent emotional arousal from enhancing memory. That implies that any emotionally charged situation that causes adrenaline release will produce stronger memories. Dr. David Barlow of Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, claims that we can actually talk to the amygdala and reduce stress in our minds and bodies. As a hypnotherapist, I know that the unconscious mind is best addressed by hypnotic language in a trance state I was further encouraged by numerous scientific studies in recent years showing that the hypnotized mind can exert a real and powerful effect on the body. Hypnosis is increasingly being used today to help women give birth without drugs, for muting dental pain, treating phobias and severe anxieties, helping people lose weight, stop smoking, or even improve their performance in athletics or academic tests (Wall Street Journal, Waldholz, 2003). The stage was set for my first trial. Three Cases: My first example involves a patient who feared an upcoming operation and the possibility of his blindness or death. He explained that he was a professional golfer, and had been diagnosed with osteoscarcoma. His physician had just found a tumor the size of a golf ball behind his left eye. He had been warned that he had a slim chance of retaining his eyesight and having the tumor removed. Furthermore, there was a real possibility that he would not make it through the operation. We had five consecutive sessions during the week before his operation. The patient told me that he was a multimillionaire at age 40. All he wanted was to play golf, and his wife would not let him. He was deeply depressed and without a “causa sui�?(a reason for living) (Becker, 1983, p. 119), and often dreamed of dying. Dr. Norman Shealy, a Harvard-Trained neurosurgeon and researcher, and many others have concluded that the immune system becomes compromised by depression, stress, anger, and guilt, leading to many diseases including cancer. In each hypnosis session, I relaxed the patient’s amygdala, shutting down the fear and enhancing the outcome. I did not explain to the patient that I was talking to his amygdala, but under hypnosis in a trance state, the amygdala shuts down the stress hormones, giving he patient an opportunity to rebuild his immune system. I am not a golfer. But I suggested that when the surgeon drilled into his skull, he would hit a hole in one and the tumor would pop out. On the day of the operation, the patient showed no fear of the procedure. When the surgeon made the initial incision just behind the eye, the tumor simply rolled out of his head without further intervention. The patient arrived at my office the following day with his eyesight intact and nothing but a band aid covering the incision. The tumor was sent to Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic for analysis. To this day, the surgeon and his colleagues don’t understand what happened. They think they made an error in diagnosis. The tumor was just not as serious as they originally thought. This patient has decided to become a golf coach, thereby reducing his depression and finding a, ”causa sui.�?nbsp; His immune system was now functioning well. About six months later, he began having difficulty with his prostrate. Because of their constant fighting, his wife turned to smoking pot which made her amorous. His amygdala was activated by her sexual demands and the fear that he would not be able to perform. The prostate is a male sexual gland that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the beginning of the urethra. The gland secretes a thin opalescent fluid that forms part of the semen. An activated amygdala doesn’t wait around for instructions from the conscious mind,�?explains Claudia Haub (Newsweek, Feb. 24, 2004, p. 46). Once it perceives a threat it can trigger a body wide emergency response within milliseconds. Jolted by impulses in the amygdala, the nearby hypothalamus produces a hormone called Corticotrophin Releasing Factor, or CRF, which signals the pituitary and adrenal glands to flood the bloodstream with epinephrine, adrenaline, nor epinephrine and cortisol. These stress hormones then shut down nonemergency services such as digestion and immunity, and direct the body’s resources to fighting or fleeing. The heart responds, the lungs pump, and the muscles get an energizing blast of glucose. The stress hormones also act on the brain , creating a heightened awareness and supercharging the circuitry involved in memory formation. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system is confused and attacks the body. Hypnotherapy can help stimulate healthy immune system functioning where only foreign invaders or mutant cells are attacked. A general understanding of how autoimmune diseases operate is helpful to patient and therapist alike. Sometimes pictures of the disease process and immune system help to facilitate the internal changes necessary for healing or remission. This patient underwent tests which indicated a PSA of 2.4 ug/L. We began hypnosis focused on his prostrate. In a quiet, relaxed state, I asked him to locate the pipe that controlled his prostate gland, reminding him that the back of his mind knew better than I just how to put it in working order. His PSA level has now been reduced to 1.66 ug/L. (The normal range is 0.0 to 4.0.) Perhaps even more dramatic is the case of a 75-year-old man with kidney failure who was facing the prospect of dialysis. This patient had been through three heart attacks and showed an allergic reaction to the contrast or dye used in angioplasty. His kidney function, as measured by the level of creatinine in his blood, had declined to about 20-25% of normal. Using the same technique of inducing trance and reducing all stress hormones, I asked the patient to visualize himself in a healing garden, and using all of his senses, imagine through the powers of his own pure subconscious mind -- which knows better than I do -- sending healing energy to the parts of his body that need it most. In a sense I was using his own intuition to empower him. After three sessions of hypnosis focusing on improvement of his kidneys, blood tests showed his creatinine level was reduced from 3.0 to 2.0, equivalent to approximately 50% of normal and a 100% improvement. Although his kidneys are not perfect, dialysis is no longer necessary. We are now working on his carotid artery which shows a partial blockage. Serious medical malfunctions are not the only areas susceptible to the power of hypnosis. This case involved a 16 year-old girl who was failing math with a 53 average despite attempts to tutor her. After three months of hypnosis once a week, her average climbed steadily to an amazing 85. Through hypnosis, I was able to shut down the stress hormones that can impair memory and taught her how to anchor those feelings of calmness. Eventually, she was able to perform her own self-hypnosis prior to scheduled tests at school. I helped her to realize that her brain was like a computer, only better. In fact, it was the prototype for all manmade computers. We went over the fact that in the first five years, she learned more than at any other time in her life. She learned a language, to tell one person from another, to distinguish different objects, to begin mastery of her ABC’s, how to color, brush her teeth, and many other things. All of this was data she was able to program into her brain before she was five years old. Now that she was 16, those tasks slipped in to her subconscious mind. Just like breathing or sending oxygen to her blood cells, she didn’t have to think with her conscious mind about how to do it. The same principle holds true for math, science, and anatomy. Only now, it is much easier. Data we store in our computer brain can be retrieved just the way we retrieve the method for tying our shoelaces. First, the patient is given a simple way to anchor the feeling of calmness, perhaps by simply placing his pointer finger and thumb together, putting her into a state of self-hypnosis so the stress hormones do not interfere with her memory bank. Then she is told to tackle the easiest questions first, giving the patient a feeling of success. Success breeds success. Reducing stress hormones and strengthening the ego combined with desensitization helps patients with school and test-taking. I can’t claim that every case is an absolute success, but I can say that more and more and with the perseverance of my patients, I have been getting better and better results. As Stephen Kahn and Erika Fromm have told us, therapists go through change every day. The profound transformation in my work came about with the understanding of how hypnotherapy works. Until then, I was confident it worked, but I didn’t understand how. That understanding has reassured me and made it possible for me, in turn, to reassure my patients. As continuing research unlocks the secrets of the brain, hypnosis will emerge, breaking the barrier between art and science. There are other cases, some more critical than others, but they all end the same way. In all cases, even the patients find it difficult to accept that hypnosis was effective in eliminating the problem. They sometimes would prefer to think that the original diagnosis and the laboratory tests had been wrong. Since it often appears so simple, hypnosis may not get the credit it deserves. The main thing is that the problem that brought the patient to me has been solved. METHOD: Let me clarify what I mean when I say “talking to the amygdala.�?nbsp; When I hypnotize a patient, the amygdala normally shuts itself off. The body and mind are at rest. There is no fight, flight, or freeze response, and all stress hormones are shut down. The patient is constantly reassured that he/she is in control, and that the patient’s unconscious mind will intuitively know where to direct the healing power. The critical point is that the patient’s brain knows how to solve the problem even if the patient doesn’t consciously know that he knows. The procedure s no different in principle from any hypnosis session, and consists of six discrete steps: (1) Set-Up, in which the subject is reassured of his/her control and offered the choices of staring at a spot on the ceiling, opening or closing their eyes, etc.; I often tell them that I don’t want them to go into a trance too fast or too slow. It is all up to the patient. This reinforces their sense of control; (2) Induction, direct or indirect using parallel process narratives to reinforce the realization of the power of the brain, in which the patient enters the trance state and goes to a deeper and deeper level. An example of parallel process narrative might be Erickson’s famous story in which a horse wandered into his family’s yard when Ericksen was a young man. The animal had no identifying marks, (Rosen, 1982) but Ericksen offered to return the horse to its owners. In order to accomplish this, he simply mounted the horse, led it to the road, and let the horse decide which way he wanted to go. He intervened only when he horse left the road to graze or wander in to a field. When the horse finally arrived at the yard of a neighbor several miles down the road, the neighbor asked Erickson, ‘How did you know that that horse came from here and was our horse?�?nbsp; Erickson said, ‘I didn’t know �?but the horse knew. All I did was keep him on the road.�?nbsp; pps.46-47. The analogy is obvious. Like the horse who knew his way home without intervention, the unconscious mind knows instinctively how to solve the problem; (3) Talking to the amygdala, in which the therapist uses metaphors and ego strengthening suggestions to facilitate healing intuitively like trees that are barren in winter and flourish in spring. I sometimes suggest they can marvel at the metamorphosis that took place overnight You know that your pure subconscious which is active day and night can repair, rejuvenate, and regenerate creating new energy and sending its intuition to the part of the body that need it most. You may be amazed or surprised where it sends it first. My voice w ill disappear while the back of your mind �?your pure subconscious -0- allows you to do the work. When you are ready to continue, you can let me know w by wiggling your finger. This is known as ideamotor signaling. Even though the patient may not have consciously heard what I said, his or her unconscious mind heard me. This suggests that a call on the patient’s unconscious mind to solve the problem, assuring the (4) Post-Hypnotic Suggestion, in which the patient is reassured that he/she will awake feeling physically well and refreshed with no ill effects from the trance. I often give them a post-hypnotic trigger, on the form of words or anchors that help them stay calm so the healing can continue. An example might be the words “easy control.�?nbsp; Another anchor would be to put their pointer finger and t hum b together anytime during the day they feel the need to calm down; and (5) Return, in which the patient is brought gradually to full alertness. Then we discuss their experience and how it felt. References Becker, E. (1973).
The Denial of Death.
New York: The Free Press. Frank, D. and Mooney, B. (2003).
Hypnosis and Counselling in the Treatment of Chronic Illness.
New York: Crown House Publishing. Friedman, R.A. Traversing the Mystery of Memory.
New York Times.
December 30, 2003. p. 5. Gyatso, T. (Dali Lama) and Goleman, D. (2003).
Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them?
New York: Bantam Books. Hammond, D.C., Ed., (1990).
Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors.
New York: W. W. Norton and Company. Laser, E. and Lang, E. (1996).
Methods of Non-Pharmalocologic Analgesia: A Sourcebook for Practitioners.
The Methods of Non-Pharmacologic Analgecis Workshop, University of Iowa Hospital.. Myss, C. and Shealy, N. (2002).
The Halographic View of Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit, Session 4. (CD-ROM). The Science of Medical Intuition.
Sounds True. Boulder, CO. Rosen, S. (1992).
My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton Erickson.
New York: W. W. Norton & Co, Saplinsky, R. (1993).
The Vicious Cycle of Stress.
Scientific American, pp. 81-91. Scanning a Brain for Bipolar Root. (December 30, 2003).
New York Times. Spiegel, David. (2003).
Presentation at the 54th Annual Conference of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, November, 2003, Chicago, IL. Waldholz, M.
Altered States: Hypnosis Goes Mainstream.
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 7, 2003. Warren, M. P. (2004).
Trauma: Treatment and Transformation.
New York: IUniverse.
From: http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/library/hypnosis-expanding-the-science.php
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 8/2/2006 6:45 PM |
Using hypnotherapy as a tool for weight loss
October 17, 2005, As fad diets fall in and out of popularity, more people are turning to hypnosis as a way to lose weight.
Because of its reputation as a form of entertainment, many are skeptical hypnosis has any therapeutic value. But, suzanne Winger is a believer. She teaches aerobics at this calgary fitness club. Despite years of working out, she's still carrying around 25 extra pounds and is a self confessed junk food fiend. When a friend suggested she try hypnosis, she had her doubts. "I have a very strong personality, very confident individual...I didn't know what it was about. I was very skeptical," says Winger. She started seeing calgary hypnotherapist Dr. Bob Levenson in june.
It takes only minutes for levenson to put Suzanne into what he calls a hypnotic state. "When you take them into a deeply relaxed state, in a sense they're able to let go of their normal way of doing things and of thinking," says Levenson, who is also president of the Alberta Hypnosis Society. Levenson says hypnosis targets a person's sub-conscious mind. Whiel under hypnosis, he tries to make helpful suggestions and get patients visualizing healthy food and behaviours. "you can actually put someone in hypnosis in one session, tell them they will enjoy water, like a beautiful strong tree it will make them healthy, get them visualizing this, and they come back after the session saying, i don't know what you did, but i'm drinking more water now," says Levenson. Suzanne has lost 18 pounds. She says hypnosis gave her the motivation to make changes, she knew she should've been doing all along. "I work at a gym, which is a block from where I live. I would drive there because I had my gym bag, etc. And now, I walk! I feel so much better for that," she says. Kristin von Ranson Studies the psychology of eating. She knows of no studies that prove hypnosis can work, but admits it may be less harmful than some other weight-loss bandwagons. "Some of these things have turned out not to work too well, and things like Atkins were actually dangerous and not good for your health. Hypnosis doesn't have that potential, it's not obvious to me how it would harm you, but there's always the issue of spending money on something that may or may not help them," she says. Suzanne says she no longer craves potato chips ... And eats more of those vegetables she never used to like. After years of failing at diets and weight loss plans, she says hypnosis has been simple and stress-free. "It hasn't been a huge effort on my part, so I don't' give up. The work isn't too hard," says Winger. Dr. Levenson says his success rate is 70-75%, which is slightly lower than his quit-smoking sessions.
It costs $600 for 7 one-hour sessions. It is Important to remember some people are more easily hypnotizable than others and it tends to work better for people who are already highly motivated.
Global Calgary
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 2/13/2007 10:45 PM |
Hypnosis relieves pain, anxiety in biopsy By ED SUSMAN CHICAGO (UPI) -- The pain and anxiety that accompanies a biopsy for breast cancer can be markedly reduced with a little hypnosis performed at the operating table.
Doctors said Wednesday that hypnosis also appears to reduce adverse events, reduces the time it takes to perform the procedure and lowers costs.
"Hypnosis may be an attractive option not only for breast biopsy but for other procedures as well," Dr. Elvira Lang, associate professor of radiology at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, told United Press International.
"Hypnosis can greatly help women cope with the stress of breast biopsy," Lang said at the 92nd annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, the largest medical meeting in the Unites States, drawing more than 62,000 healthcare professionals.
Lang asked 236 women who were undergoing breast biopsy procedures to undergo her study. She assigned 76 women to received usual, standard care -- which generally meant no special treatment in the operating room. Another 82 women were assigned to be accompanied by a friend or relative trained to be empathetic and not say things like, "It won't be too bloody." The remaining 78 women were assigned to a group in which a calm, third party read a standard script that promotes self-hypnosis.
She said that post-operative pain was reduced significantly in both the patients receiving empathetic care and among those who received hypnosis.
For anxiety, however, patients receiving standard care, when compared with their anxiety level at the start of the procedure, were significantly more anxious after the biopsy was completed. Those who had an empathetic person nearby showed no change in anxiety levels. Those receiving hypnotherapy showed a significant decline in anxiety.
Lang said there were seven adverse events among people getting standard care, 11 in the empathy group and three adverse events in the hypnosis patients. Biopsies in the standard-care patients were performed in an average of 46 minutes; patients getting empathetic assistance had their average biopsy take 43 minutes; patients under hypnotherapy were finished in an average of 39 minutes.
The research suggested that patients who were hypnotized did not move as much during the biopsy, making the procedure easier to perform for the doctors.
The median cost for doing a large core biopsy among the standard-care patients amounted to $161; the average cost among the empathy patients was $163. The cost for the hypnotherapy patients was $152. That cost was reduced to $137.50 if there was someone on the biopsy team who could perform the task of doing the hypnosis.
"Physicians are trained from their earliest days in the profession about the positive use of interaction with the patient. We don't use that often enough," Dr. Michael Brant-Zawadzki, medical director of the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., who moderated the news briefing on behalf of the RSNA, told UPI. "I've heard of similar approaches for hypnotherapy in other procedures that are performed under local anesthesia as were these biopsies." |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 6/9/2007 11:46 PM |
Hypnotism gaining legitimacy in healthcare ROCHESTER, Minn. (UPI) -- Although it is not known exactly how hypnosis works, the technique is becoming popular to treat medical conditions, says a U.S. newsletter.
Hypnotism is generally considered an altered state of consciousness -- or trance -- in which a person has a focused attention and heightened ability to respond to helpful suggestions, according to the April issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
It can be administered by psychiatrists, psychologists and other healthcare providers trained in hypnosis and is generally considered safe, but it only works in patients who are compliant.
Hypnosis has been shown to help relieve severe, acute pain associated with childbirth, burns, surgical procedures or dental pain, and it can especially helpful for those who can't take pain medications or for whom medications aren't effective, the newsletter says. May 07 |
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