Autogenics is a self- directed relaxation technique which uses suggestions to create feelings such as warmth and heaviness in the body. These feelings are caused by vasodilation of blood vessels which is a response of the activation of the parasympathetic system. The word autogenics comes from the Greek word autos, meaning self, and genos, meaning origin (Olipin & Hesson, 2010).
Autogenic training is a method of stress reduction developed in the early 20th century by physiologist Oskar Vogt. While working with a group of hypnotic subjects, Vogt realized that when they went into a hypnotic state, they had a significant decrease in tension, fatigue and headaches. Inspired by this newfound information, a psychiatrist named Johannes Schultz decided to expand Vogt’s research in order to learn more about the workings of autogenics (Olipin & Hesson, 2010). Schultz was able to discover that through self-directed hypnosis, subjects were able to experience sensations of heaviness and warmth, primarily through their arms and legs. From these observations, “Shultz developed a system designed t...
Noyes, Arthur P. M.D. and Kolb, Lawrence C. M.D. Shock and Other Physical Therapies. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Text and Criticism: The Viking Press. New York. 1973. Page 499.
Friedman, B. H. Feelings and the body: The Jamesian perspective on autonomic specificity of emotion(2010). Biological Psychology.
Manipulation of the human condition, by where and with who contentment and satisfaction is found, is fabricated through experiences which dictate direction and purpose. William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, As You Like It (1611) explores individuals escaping a world poisoned by man’s inhumanity to man, to an ideal bliss where community thrives from the joyous aura circulating amongst people. Gillian Dawson’s short story, East Wind captures disconnection from place and people as a powerful driving force to find fulfilment. Further, the texts explore comfort and security spurring from the unexpected, revealing change in human nature at an instant.
“I’m calm, I’m swell, I’m not screaming, I’m resting” (Mueller). Around the turn of the 19th century, many patients were treated for depression and anxiety with Dr. Weir Mitchell’s “Rest Cure” which promoted weeks of bed rest, a fatty diet, and minimal amounts of interactions. An article by Julia Mueller published in 1936 by the Alumnae Association of the Lenox Hill Hospital School of Nursing exploits the issues of this practice as it contains the narrative of a Rest Cure patient who has undergone the treatment. An earlier and highly-regarded piece of literature known as “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman was published in The New England Magazine in 1892, and told the story of a woman experiencing
As a Psychiatrist, they are to proficiently understand the function of the human mind to be able to penetrate into their patient’s thoughts and feelings. These medical doctors are required to spend approximately twelve years gaining a better insight into the complex structure of the brain. They are trained to understand how specific sections of the brain work together to achieve varieties of functions and how a mutation can cause a severe malfunction (Zorumski and Rubin). As a result of the years spent training, Psychiatrists are to differentiate and categorize physical and psychosomatic stress caused by chemical changes in the special parts of the brain. Psychiatrists are also trained to use neurotic technologies such as deep brain stimulation. Additionally, the medical doctors are equi...
Vanderlinden, J. and W. Vandereycken. "The (Limited) Possibilities of Hypnotherapy in the Treatment of Obesity."
In Eastern cultures, meditation has been practiced for over two thousand years. Through this training a culture has developed in which an individual is empowered to engaged in preventative behaviors, which reduce stress and morbidity, resulting in a general state of wellbeing, with stability and mental peace in the face of everyday challenges (Richardson and Lutz, 2008). Over the last half-century, the western-scientific community has begun to evaluate the efficacy of the eastern methods of meditation. In the modern western world there is an over abundance of stress, pressure and over stimulation. These conditions often result in stress-related morbidity, high levels of anxiety and mental illnesses. This cause and effect relationship is well established, and typically emphasis is placed on symptom control and less on preventative behavior modification. There are clinically documented see table 1, meditation practices that can be taught over a short period of time to an individual which have been shown to have positive results. Meditation can be used preventatively in supporting immune function and during illness as a method to aid healing and wellbeing for nominal costs. This paper will make an literary examination of a variety of studies of which examine the role of meditation training in regards to promoting immune function in athletes, recovering cancer patients, in addition to reducing stress and promoting well being in business professionals, cancer patients and seasoned meditation practitioners.
The overall history of psychology is a short one in comparison to the other fields of medicine and this is because things considered to fit into psychology today were put in other categories throughout history. They were passed off as other ailments or labeled as nerves or stress (Tracy, 2013). Anxiety disorders were seen as a woman’s problem and unimportant. This is a misconception though, because both men and women suffer from anxiety disorders (Tracy, 2013). As time progressed many things were tried and most failed due to the little to no understanding of the cause. Many early treatments involved bloodletting, hydropathy, herbs and balms, bathing in very cold rivers or streams, and health spas (Tracy, 2013). The a...
Western medicine has recently discovered the powerful affects of meditation, by allowing doctors to treat the body and the mind. In reality, the mind is a very misunderstood and unexplored region of the human existence. Modern science knows more about the composition of the earth than it does about the mechanics of the human brain. Yet, meditation thwarts all notions of modern medicine with its shocking ability to to take obscure visualizations and create physical responses in the body. Mahayana Buddhism, found mainly in the autonomous region of Tibet, has become the main reference and standard for meditation practices in the west. Tibetans have used meditation for centuries as treatment for illness, and now, modern medicine of the western world is just beginning to reap the benefits of this unique and unconventional treatment for a variety of physical and mental ailments. Once a practice reserved strictly for Buddhist monks, meditation has become a worldwide phenomenon. Simply enter “Buddhist meditation” into the any Inter...
As human beings we are very active creatures. It is very rare we sit absolutely still with no movement at all, in fact to do so would be considered strange in most social contexts. These movements are not however sporadic, they are in fact highly controlled, practiced skills. Even when remaining relatively still, for example, to rest or sleep, we have still been taught the required skills to do so, whether it’s how to sit on a chair or lay on a bed, these are very ordinary, everyday techniques that we take for granted and perceive as something natural, but often they are technique’s we have been taught to do.
What is massage therapy you might ask? The title for it explains almost the entire career. Massage therapist help their customers by using the manipulative skill of touching to relieve pain stress, and many other discomforting factors. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014) state, therapists help rehabilitate injuries, improve circulation, relieve stress, increase relaxation, and aid in the general wellness of clients. Therapists also soften issues of the body and knead muscles. They promote general wellness and provide treatment for injuries. Massage therapists may use lotions and oils and massage tables or chairs as Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014) writes. Massages can last as short as 5-10 minutes or even longer than an hour. These are
What’s the easiest and quickest way to take a mini-vacation, and feel totally rejuvenated, renewed and rewarded? Do you want a well paying job that can give this feeling to you and your clients? If so I have the perfect job for you. But before I start to tell you about it you have to have an open mind and realize this job does take some work. I’m going to tell you some of the things you might have to do, the reasons its a growing industry, places you can get this job, the wages, the amount of education you need and where to get it, the curriculum of the schools, some of the skills you need, and how to start preparing for this job now. Of course, you want to know the career I’m talking about! It’s massage therapy! I know, I know, your probably thinking so I rub someone’s back big whoop! But there’s more to massage therapy than that.
In 1885 he spent a year in Paris learning hypnosis from the neurologist Charcot; he then started using hypnosis with his patients in Vienna. However, he found its effects to be only temporary at best and it did not usually get to the root of the problem; nor was everybody capable of being hypnotised. Meanwhile Breuer, another Viennese doctor, was developing another method of therapy which he called the cathartic method, where patients would talk out their problems.
Overview This paper will discuss the mind-body connection and its relevance to health care professionals and to the public. It will explore the history of the mind-body connection, as well as state research that has been done on the subject. The reader will gain an understanding of the various techniques used in mind-body therapy, as well as their effectiveness. What is the Mind-Body Connection?
Our body utilizes the stress response to protect us from harm in certain situations. This response causes increased heart and lung functioning, muscle tension, and an increased metabolic rate (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2013, p. 646). While our bodies benefit from this condition under temporary circumstances, too much stress causes detrimental effects to one’s body by inhibiting the immune system. Likewise, increased anxiety has been linked with medical issues such as coronary heart disease and depression. On top of utilizing the recommended pharmacotherapy, many patients reported decreased levels of stress and anxiety following yoga therapy (Li & Goldsmith, 2012, p. 22). Unfortunately, a patient’s claim of the effectiveness of a specific CAM does not provide enough evidence to prove its