Studies show that
hypnosis can treat everything from chronic pain to poor study habits. Chances
are, it can work for you.
By Deirdre Barrett, published on January 01, 2001 - last reviewed
on September 02, 2010
Nancy Jordan sat down in
my office and lit a cigarette--a deadly habit, given her severe asthma and
tobacco allergies. Jonathan Hunter, M.D.--my supervisor, her
psychotherapist--was also in the room. He wanted to attend Nancy's first
hypnotherapy session to put the shy college
sophomore at ease. I knew he was also eager to observe hypnosis.
"Hunter," as he was known, was supervising my graduate school psychotherapy program.
Although Hunter was no hypnotist, I had taken a hypnosis course and had been
practicing on volunteers for a semester. We agreed that he would direct me on
general psychological aspects of Nancy's treatment, my first hypnotherapy case.
I positioned my chair at a 90-degree angle to the recliner in which my young patient sat. I asked Nancy to look up at the ceiling, where four porous tiles intersected in a neat point. (I have yet to encounter a hypnotist who uses a swinging gold pocket watch. Instead, we ask clients to gaze at a steady object to block distracting visual stimuli.)
"Stare at the point
on the ceiling and let your breathing become slow and deep. Let your body begin
to relax, starting with the muscles of your feet and toes. Let your thighs
relax; let all tension flow out of your legs." I gradually slowed my voice
as I spoke to subliminally cue her breathing to slow down. "As you
continue to stare at the point on the ceiling, your eyelids become heavier, as
if a weight were attached, pulling them gently down. You may notice the point
starting to move or change color; that will be a sign that you are beginning to
go into hypnosis. Each time you blink, it gets harder to open your eyes. Soon
they will close completely, and you will sink into a peaceful, sleeplike
state." Nancy looked drowsy, and her eyes began to droop.
At that point I glanced
over at Hunter to see what he thought of the induction. The worst reaction my
insecure imagination could conjure was mild disapproval, but what I saw was
infinitely more dismaying: My big, rangy supervisor sat slumped in his chair.
His eyes were closed, muscles lax, breathing barely detectable.
I stalled as I wondered
what to do next. I could just proceed. But I had no idea how Hunter, a
nonsmoker, would respond to my commands about Nancy's smoking.
What if he woke, thinking he did smoke? I decided to bring both Nancy and
Hunter out of the trance. She gradually opened her eyes as his popped open.
After a moment of confusion, he quickly affected a look of exaggerated
nonchalance. I made another appointment with Nancy, and she went on her way.
"You were out
cold!" I announced to Hunter the instant the door closed behind her.
He looked perplexed
again. "I think I dozed off. I remember you saying my eyes would
close--er, I mean, her eyes would close. Maybe I was hypnotized."
Can you be hypnotized?
Most people like to think that they can't. There is often the suspicion that
being hypnotized could label them as being weak-willed, naive or unintelligent.
But in fact, modern research shows that hypnotizability is correlated
with intelligence, concentration and
focus. Hypnosis is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but rather a continuum.
Most people can be hypnotized to some degree--the only question is how far.
A hypnotic trance is not
therapeutic in and of itself, but specific suggestions and images fed to
clients in a trance can profoundly alter their behavior. As they rehearse the
new ways they want to think and feel, they lay the groundwork for powerful
changes in their future actions. For example, in hypnosis, I often tell people
who are trying to quit smoking that they will go hours without even thinking of
a cigarette, that if they should light up, the cigarette will taste terrible
and they'll want to put it out immediately. I'll talk them through the imagery
of being a nonsmoker--some combination of finding themselves breathing easier,
having more energy for exercise, enjoying subtle tastes and smells again,
having fresh breath and clean-smelling closing, feeling good about their
health, even saving money on cigarettes or whatever motivates that person to
quit. The deep relaxation of a hypnotic trance is also broadly beneficial as
many illnesses, both psychological or physical, are aggravated by anxiety and
muscle tension.
Research over the last
40 years shows that such hypnotic techniques are safe and effective.
Furthermore, a growing number of studies show that hypnotherapy can treat
headaches, ease the pain of childbirth, aid in quitting smoking, improve
concentration and study habits, relieve minor phobias, and serve as
anesthesia--all without drugs or
side effects
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