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
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Why Hypnosis May Fail (for Smoking and Weight Loss)
By far the most common applications -- indeed, the "bread-and-butter" of many practicing professionals -- involve the use of hypnosis to help people quit smoking and lose weight. Sadly, the statistics are quite different than what many may believe.
It is a principle of hypnosis that one cannot be hypnotized to do something he/she does not wish to do. This is extremely valid with habits. Those who want to quit smoking will do so (generally with or without hypnosis), whereas those who merely wish they didn't smoke rarely succeed.
When I first read Trance and Treatment (by the Spiegels, a father-son duo, both psychiatrists), I was stunned to learn that they claimed a mere 26% success rate with smoking. The American Medical Association (AMA) has also noted that roughly three of four people who begin smoking will be unable to quit. However, I heard various hypnotists bragging about 50% all the way up to 94% success.
The discrepancy is explained by precisely when the follow-ups are done. For some unknown reason, major regressions occur at three months and one year. The Spiegels' follow-ups were at the one-year mark, while some of my colleagues did follow-ups within as little as three days!
In those pre-Internet, pre-cell phone days, it was far too easy to lose touch, so I was unable to do follow-ups on all of my smokers. Of those I reached twelve to thirteen months later, some 30% had kicked the habit, but given the limited numbers, my score still lies well within the parameters suggested by the Spiegels and the AMA.
Weight-loss is actually worse. A colleague told me years ago that he had never seen a person for weight-loss where the excess pounds were really the issue. In fact, there were almost always other problems related to the obesity. Various studies by the AMA invariably found that five years later, the overwhelming percentage of dieters had regained their pounds. The only encouraging sign was that people who lost weight gradually and began an integrated program of diet, exercise, and nutrition were more likely to succeed.
I didn't bother with five-year follow-ups, and at this point I almost never work with people for either of these purposes. Happily, other uses of hypnosis have proven most beneficial, and it may perhaps even more helpful when combined with reiki. Anxiety (including performance anxiety/test anxiety), cognition (helping people learn more quickly), pre-birth, and pre-surgical applications have shown marvelous results, and hypnosis (with reiki) also helps immensely with treatment of many psychological issues, including phobias and stress management. I am delighted to address all of these, as well as general "healing" (physical, emotional, chakric, and spiritual).
It is a principle of hypnosis that one cannot be hypnotized to do something he/she does not wish to do. This is extremely valid with habits. Those who want to quit smoking will do so (generally with or without hypnosis), whereas those who merely wish they didn't smoke rarely succeed.
When I first read Trance and Treatment (by the Spiegels, a father-son duo, both psychiatrists), I was stunned to learn that they claimed a mere 26% success rate with smoking. The American Medical Association (AMA) has also noted that roughly three of four people who begin smoking will be unable to quit. However, I heard various hypnotists bragging about 50% all the way up to 94% success.
The discrepancy is explained by precisely when the follow-ups are done. For some unknown reason, major regressions occur at three months and one year. The Spiegels' follow-ups were at the one-year mark, while some of my colleagues did follow-ups within as little as three days!
In those pre-Internet, pre-cell phone days, it was far too easy to lose touch, so I was unable to do follow-ups on all of my smokers. Of those I reached twelve to thirteen months later, some 30% had kicked the habit, but given the limited numbers, my score still lies well within the parameters suggested by the Spiegels and the AMA.
Weight-loss is actually worse. A colleague told me years ago that he had never seen a person for weight-loss where the excess pounds were really the issue. In fact, there were almost always other problems related to the obesity. Various studies by the AMA invariably found that five years later, the overwhelming percentage of dieters had regained their pounds. The only encouraging sign was that people who lost weight gradually and began an integrated program of diet, exercise, and nutrition were more likely to succeed.
I didn't bother with five-year follow-ups, and at this point I almost never work with people for either of these purposes. Happily, other uses of hypnosis have proven most beneficial, and it may perhaps even more helpful when combined with reiki. Anxiety (including performance anxiety/test anxiety), cognition (helping people learn more quickly), pre-birth, and pre-surgical applications have shown marvelous results, and hypnosis (with reiki) also helps immensely with treatment of many psychological issues, including phobias and stress management. I am delighted to address all of these, as well as general "healing" (physical, emotional, chakric, and spiritual).
Thursday, August 18, 2016
An Interesting Article on False Memories
“What Experts Wish You Knew about False
Memories,” by Julia Shaw, appeared in Scientific
American 8 August 2016. Over the
years a number of hypnotists have expressed interest in age regression and some
of the “false memories” that have been uncovered therewith. The article url is below:
Saturday, July 30, 2016
"Is Hypnosis All in Your Head? Brain Scans Suggest Otherwise"
Erica Goode's article with the title above ran in The New York Times on Friday, 29 July. She cited a recent study by Stanford researchers using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.
Dr. David Spiegel, a redoubtable authority on hypnosis, noted that "one particularly intriguing
finding was that hypnotized subjects showed decreased interaction between a
region deep in the brain that is active in self-reflection and daydreaming and
areas of the prefrontal cortex involved in planning and executing tasks."
The complete text can be accessed through this url: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/30/science/hypnosis-brain-changes.html.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Hypnosis Involved In Epic Solar-Powered Flight
As of this writing, two bold pilots are attempting to fly around the world in a solar-powered plane. This amazing effort showcases the latest technological achievements and is designed to encourage further development of clean-energy alternatives to fossil fuels.
Needless to say, the humans face a number of physiological challenges. According to a Reuters report published today, "[Bertrand] Piccard and Andre Borschberg have been taking turns piloting the plane on each leg of the journey. Both have trained to stay alert for long stretches of time by practicing meditation and hypnosis."
The full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-solar-airplane-idUSKCN0YD03H.
Needless to say, the humans face a number of physiological challenges. According to a Reuters report published today, "[Bertrand] Piccard and Andre Borschberg have been taking turns piloting the plane on each leg of the journey. Both have trained to stay alert for long stretches of time by practicing meditation and hypnosis."
The full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-solar-airplane-idUSKCN0YD03H.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
The Power of the Mind: Not Always Positive!
The BBC published David Robson's fascinating article, "The Very Real Pain of 'Imaginary' Illnesses," on Friday, 8 April (2016). This piece reported on the work of Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan, who has treated a number of seriously debilitated patients whose problems were apparently "all in their minds."
Psychosomatic illnesses are indeed "real" to the victims thus afflicted, and the external symptoms may include conditions as severe as blindness, muscle spasms, excruciating pain, paralysis, and seizures. These are often addressed via cognitive behavior therapy, and I suspect that hypnosis might be successfully integrated into the program as well.
The article can be accessed at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160407-the-very-real-pain-of-imaginary-illnesses?ocid=global_future_rss&ocid=global_bbccom_email_08042016_future.
Psychosomatic illnesses are indeed "real" to the victims thus afflicted, and the external symptoms may include conditions as severe as blindness, muscle spasms, excruciating pain, paralysis, and seizures. These are often addressed via cognitive behavior therapy, and I suspect that hypnosis might be successfully integrated into the program as well.
The article can be accessed at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160407-the-very-real-pain-of-imaginary-illnesses?ocid=global_future_rss&ocid=global_bbccom_email_08042016_future.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
BBC Article Links ASMR Response To Musical Stimuli
The autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) refers to a variety of sensations, including "chills" down the spine, "goosebumps," and other "tingling" feelings, usually prompted by sensory stimulation (e.g., music). Thus, this post should be of interest to those with a variety of interests. We can point to apparent links between hypnosis and music, as well as hypnosis and ASMR. Moreover, the skepticism about ASMR is remarkably similar to initial skepticism about hypnosis!
David Robson's piece appeared some months ago (22 July 2015), and while he did not mention ASMR specifically -- he referred instead "musical skin orgasms"! -- it is clear from the text that what he described is indeed ASMR.
Perhaps more interesting than the colorful description is the question of susceptibility. Some people experience ASMR far more than others, while many do not experience it at all. Similarly, of course, a few people fall into the category of "suggestively gifted elite," while others respond far less dramatically to hypnosis or hyperempiria, and some seem altogether resistant.
Obviously, these subjects all need far more research. Meanwhile, here's the article: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150721-when-was-the-last-time-music-gave-you-a-skin-orgasm
David Robson's piece appeared some months ago (22 July 2015), and while he did not mention ASMR specifically -- he referred instead "musical skin orgasms"! -- it is clear from the text that what he described is indeed ASMR.
Perhaps more interesting than the colorful description is the question of susceptibility. Some people experience ASMR far more than others, while many do not experience it at all. Similarly, of course, a few people fall into the category of "suggestively gifted elite," while others respond far less dramatically to hypnosis or hyperempiria, and some seem altogether resistant.
Obviously, these subjects all need far more research. Meanwhile, here's the article: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150721-when-was-the-last-time-music-gave-you-a-skin-orgasm
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