Hypnosis, As A Therapeutic Approach,
A technique made up of a series of instructions and suggestions that place a person in a trancelike state of mind, possessing similarities to being asleep. Only, in this trance a person is able to hear and respond to questions or suggestions, these states are otherwise known as hypnosis. However, when it is combined with hypnotic suggestion and therapeutic understanding, it is then referred to as hypnotherapy. This alternative treatment therapy has proven to be beneficial in many circumstances. A few of these being, pain management, anxiety, the cessation of smoking, weight control and many other physiological and psychological circumstances. Over time hypnotherapy has proven to be helpful in treating a wide range of health conditions, not only medical patients but as well as nonmedical ones.
History & Theories
Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician in the 1700s is said to have brought animal magnetism (hypnosis) to light. However, since many people were beginning to seek out Mesmer and his fellow colleagues, King Louis of France at the time asked Benjamin Franklin and others to delve deeper into this new practice. Which led to a setback into hypnotism, brought on by the brought to light doubt surrounding this new found practice, as being a medically beneficial method. The full acceptance of hypnosis in medicine did not come about until 1847 and in 1958 the American Medical Association (AMA) approved and published a 2-year study written by the Council on Mental Health. In the report it stated that there could be, “definite and proper uses of hypnosis in medical and dental practice and the establishment of necessary training facilities in the United States” (James, 2008). Some of the multiple t...
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...djunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy: A meta analysis". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 63: 214–220. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.63.2.214.
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JOMT | Full text | The effects of a medical hypnotherapy on clothing industry employees suffering from chronic pain. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.occup-med.com/content/8/1/25
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It is good in that it calls upon the hypnotist's creativity, which is the key to
Hypnosis is a state of mind that is induced by a hypnotist. This state of mind is a process that must be done carefully in order to keep your patient relaxed. The patient remains conscious throughout the entire process, but is not affected by outside distractions. This allows the subject to be open about a specific problem they are having difficulty with. For example, if a patient was having a problem with addiction, this would be the topic of discussion. The hypnotist would carefully ask questions and get the patient to confront their problems head on. This would make the patient much more aware of their problem and the effect it has on their life. Although this process seems easy, a hypnotist must be careful how they work the discussion.
Leichsenring, F., & Leibing, E. (2003). The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of personality disorders: a meta-analysis. American Journal Of Psychiatry, 160(7), 1223--1232.
Hypnotism has the power to bring out people's deepest darkest secrets, but it can also cure so many different illnesses. It doesn’t just relieve stress it also makes it harder to have a filter on what you say and think. That’s why it makes it so hard to keep secrets. If hypnotism can cure illnesses why doesn’t everyone do it? Hypnotism might not always be the best answer to solving everyone’s problems. There have been many people that have died because of it. On the other hand, it can help people with different things. Hypnotism is dangerous and you can tell by how many people have lost theirs lives due to or related to it, but it also has the ability to heal people.
Hypnosis motivates the attentional manipulation due to the cause of pain and attention activating relatable areas in the brain. According to Raz, A., & Shapiro, T. (2002, p. 87) “Traditionally, hypnosis was studied as one of the most effective behavioural interventions for acute and chronic pain.” Suggestibility to a heightened state is directed by the systematic procedure. Reports were seen to be beneficial on humans who overcame their feeling of pain through hypnotic analgesia. The hypnotic framework rides with the dependency of expecting an ease sensation, that eventually alleviates the pain. A psychiatrist named Freud, who studied at Charcot, had initially used hypnosis as his strategy to convert his patients to the desired trancelike state.
Society may have different views on practices that can affect the human mind and body. Hypnosis is often viewed in society as a joke. It is regularly seen in carnivals as entertainment with non-professional hypnotist that only seek laughter than regular results. Hypnosis is a cooperative social interaction in which the hypnotized person responds to the hypnotist’s suggestions with changes in perception, memory, and behavior. This may aid in someone with an addiction like, smoking and have them not want to smoke anymore. Thus, they will no longer have the urge to smoke a cigarette and live a healthier lifestyle. The public’s views on hypnosis may bias the person getting hypnotized because they may not take it seriously. This is because of people viewing it for its entertainment value than its actual value.
Further evidence is the apparent analgesic effect of hypnosis. Hypnosurgery using hypnosis as an analgesic during surgery is now being used by the NHS, and it is also used as an alternative to anaesthetic, and as pain relief for chronic cancer pain. An advantage of this evidence is that demand characteristics are unlikely here - it is difficult to ignore pain or pretend that you are not in pain. In fact, Knox et al (1947) found that in highly susceptible subjects, ischaemic pain was rated as 1/10 when hypnotised compared to 9/10 when not hypnotised, which provides support for the analgesic properties of
Wain, H. (1986). Pain control with hypnosis in consultation and liaison psychiatry. Psychiatric Annuals, 16(2), 106-109.
Hypnosis: a highly controversial topic in the medical field. Capable of changing a person’s behavior, modifying daily routines, causing odd reactions to normal things, plus countless other phenomena’s. Many people believe that the mystic of hypnosis does not exist and is just a simple stage routine used for entertainment. But, in this report, I will prove that on the stage, in the therapy office, and in the mass public, Hypnosis does exist and is capable of changing our behavior and that it is a very delicate process and not a power to be taken lightly.
Hypnosis, also known as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion, is a trance-like state where someone has a very high focus and concentration (Hypnosis). You could compare hypnosis to breathing, it’s been known and experienced by all humans. It’s only the last few decades that we’ve realised that it is an inherent and universal trait (Learn about the History of Hypnosis).
When a person begins talking about hypnosis, what is your first thought? If the first thing you think of is a person on their knees barking like a dog, or flapping their arms while clucking like a chicken, then you are among many others who believe that hypnosis is purely entertainment. It is actually very common and used across the world as a helpful form of deep relaxation. Many, many people have used hypnosis to achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and enhance the quality of their personal and professional life. It is also believed by many that it takes a professional hypnotist swinging a shiny metal object to become hypnotized, when in fact, hypnosis is not something one person “does” to another. Its use varies from person to person, although development of this skill can be enhanced with the guidance of an experienced hypnotist. (Baker-Jambretz).
Wedding, D., & Corsini, R. J. (Eds.). (2014). Current psychotherapies (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage
In recent years, there has been ongoing research that supports the fact that hypnosis can be seen as a viable alternative treatment to be used for people dealing with pain and other types of emotional distress. In this article we will uncover case studies highlighting the fact of using cognitive behavioral therapy along with hypnosis to deal with obstetrics.
During hypnosis, your mind is in a completely natural state where you can directly influence your reaction to and experience of daily life. To begin this transformation, download the Freedom from Past Child Abuse mp3