The BBC recently ran a fascinating story about Dr. Jose Luis Mosso Vazquez, a Mexican surgeon who has brought virtual reality (VR) into the operating theater. Many procedures seem to work better with just local anesthesia and VR than with general anesthesia, which is not always available, anyway.
My colleague, Dr. Don Gibbons, has worked extensively with hyperempiria and the BEST-ME technique, often achieving a "virtual reality" involving all of the senses at once. Perhaps these "new" techniques will find broader acceptance in medical settings.
Of course, James Esdaile, a British surgeon, was using "Mesmerism" (i.e., hypnosis) on his patients as far back as the 1840s. Although success rates have varied, it seems clear that hypnosis and its sister-disciplines may often help the patient deal with pain.
I have nothing particularly dramatic to report, although I got through my colonoscopy using self-hypnosis, drank the post-procedural glass of orange juice, and drove home! This was far better than losing the rest of the day in a drug-induced haze!
The complete article may be accessed here:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170202-the-surgeon-using-virtual-reality-instead-of-sedatives?ocid=global_future_rss&ocid=global_bbccom_email_03022017_future
