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Hypnosis
– is it magic? Not
really, but a lot of my patients tell me it is.
While hypnosis is not a magic wand, it does become so to
paralyzed patients when they find they can walk again, and to
patients who have suffered for years with chronic pain, when they
find that their pain is gone.
There
is no mystery to hypnosis. In
fact, everyone has
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No
one will do anything under hypnosis that they really don’t want to
do.
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been in
hypnosis, every day of his or her life.
Whenever we become very engrossed in what we are doing, we
slip into hypnosis. Self
hypnosis occurs when you watch TV, drive a car, or daydream.
You probably can recall many times when you have driven
beyond your destination because your mind was on something else.
That is because you were in hypnosis.
Most
people anticipate a state of unconsciousness when hypnosis occurs.
Actually there is never any loss of consciousness, even in
the deepest state of hypnosis.
Rather, the subject is also not under the control of the
therapist, but maintains control at all times.
No one will do anything under hypnosis that they really
don’t want o do.
Hypnosis is now accepted by physicians, psychologists, and
dentists as an effective tool of treatment for many physical and
psychological disorders. Typically,
habit control disorders associated with weight, smoking, and drug
and alcohol abuse, and psychological disorders associated with
stress, anxiety or depression symptoms respond well to treatment
with hypnosis. It
should be noted that hypnosis is most often used as an adjunct to
medical and psychological interventions.
For example, to provide really successful weight control, a
multifaceted approach is taken.
Cultural, psychological, activity, lifestyle change, dietary
and self-confidence are all aspects of the problem, which need to be
integrated with the hypnotherapy.
Another major application of hypnotherapy is to relieve pain.
Pain is a complex
psychological emotional experience irrespective of the cause.
Whatever the origin and whether it is chronic or acute,
hypnotherapy can reduce or completely eliminate pain and associated
suffering. Body tissues
can feel the pain, but once the pain has served its purpose as a
signal, why continue to experience the sensations?
Undergoing unnecessary surgery to remove pain may have
detrimental results whereas hypnotherapy is a successful medical
treatment restoring the capacity for productive function.
Other exotic applications include motivating athletes to
maximum achievement, focusing and concentration for passing a test,
criminal investigations, as the sole anesthesia for major surgery,
and even for treatment of cancer and the terminally ill.
One of my own specialties is working with women in
preparation and during labor and delivery.
It is interesting to note that the average time of labor for
a first child is fourteen hours.
With hypnosis, studies indicate that this is reduced to five
hours. Also
obstetricians who have used hypnosis have stated that it is the only
way to have a child. Since
pain and anxiety are highly related, when a woman is relaxed under
hypnosis, she experiences minimal or non-existent pain.
The techniques used in hypnotherapy are in themselves the subjects
for many books, fact and fiction.
Hypnoanalysis is general term, which describes the process by
which the source of a problem is revealed to the patient who has
repressed this information, that is, pushed it into the subconscious
mind. Whether this has
manifested itself as a psychological problem or as a physical
problem does not matter. Regression therapy utilizing hypnosis
allows the patient to explore the past without the
repression of the present, and to uncover significant events along
the way, right down to the birth experience and maybe even into a past life. |
Ideomotor signaling is another interesting technique.
Researchers a number of years ago uncovered the fact that
under hypnosis, patients could produce physical movements of the
fingers which provided “yes” or “no”,
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Age
regression allows the therapist to explore the past without the
repression of the present, and to uncover significant events along
the way, right down to the birth experience.
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and
“I don’t want to answer” answers to questions straight from
the unconscious mind while under hypnosis. In other words, as I pointed out previously, the patient is
aware of what is happening so his mouth could be answering yes while
his fingers are providing the real truth to the therapist.
A good hypnotherapist however, allows the patient to conceal
whatever is uncomfortable for him to talk about, since it is only
useful that the patient know what he has repressed and be thus
motivated to work on correcting his present problems.
That correction takes place using other hypnotherapeutic
techniques.
A prime technique which is used is imagery conditioning. The
patient in hypnosis is provided with or invents his own pictures of
himself doing as a present action that which he would like to be
able to do. For
example, if he wants to lose weight, he visualized himself as now
being thin. In
hypnosis, the subconscious mind more readily accepts his message and
programs the body to achieve this image.
The expectant mother is similarly programmed for a rehearsal
of her labor and delivery such that it is relaxed, pain free, and a
joyous experience. Neuro-Linguistic
Programming is the source of another useful technique called
“anchoring” under hypnosis, the patient accesses all of his
inner resources which he utilized at some time in the past and
superimposes them upon the present problem situation.
Eventually he “anchors” these to the same or similar
situations in the “future” which may in the “past” have
continued to be problematic.
I
pride myself on losing my patients fast!
Hypnosis is like taking a shortcut through the woods, it
results in considerably shorter treatment times.
A patient came to me, referred by her neurologist who had
given her a choice between lower back surgery or a series of visits
with “Dr. Elly”, which oftentimes my patients call me.
I generally suggest six sessions for permanency in pain
relief. If the source
of the pain is psychological, this allows sufficient time to perform
hypnoanalysis to determine why the problem started, although this
knowledge is not necessary to achieve pain relief, and to perform my
own unique methodology of pain control.
The patient was entirely pain free after three sessions and
chose to return twice more. This
needs mention since, for example, one session could remove the
desire for smoking. However,
numerous studies have shown that when this is not reinforced by
succeeding sessions of “rubbing in” in various ways, the patient
will return to smoking within six months if not sooner.
Careful
consideration should be given before you choose a hypnosis
practitioner. During a
hypnotic session, particularly where age regression
and hypnoanalysis are undertaken, if some heavy emotional
experiences are uncovered, a lay hypnotist may not be equipped to
deal with them, whereas a psychologist or physician is trained to
handle these situations and turn them into positive therapeutic
experiences.
By
Eleanor S. Field, Ph.D.
President,
Los Angeles Academy of Clinical Hypnosis, on staff AMI Tarzana
Regional Medical Center.
Author of “The Good Girl Syndrome” Macmillan 1986. |
