“Sophie” was in her late teens when she first came to see me for a hypnosis session. When she complained in passing that she was getting criticized a lot, I knew just what to do.
In The Heart of the Mind by Connierae and Steve Andreas there is a simple NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) process for turning criticism into emotionally neutral, useful information. It was perfect for Sophie.
The first step was to have Sophie imagine seeing herself sitting in a chair in front of herself. (We'll call the imagined Sophie “Sophie 2” to make this easier to understand) Sophie 2 was the one who was going to learn how to deal with criticism. Then Sophie imagined a clear bulletproof glass barrier between herself and Sophie 2, because Sophie was going to be completely safe from any harm while Sophie 2 learned.
Sophie 2's first job was to imagine two TV screens popping up every time she was criticized. Then she learned to automatically put any feedback or criticism on the left hand screen. Sophie 2 then compared the information on the left hand screen to her “understandings” screen on the right. The “understandings”screen showed her current beliefs and understandings about the situation.
The next step for Sophie was to take any valid new information from the criticism screen and add it to her understandings screen. Any untrue information was left on the criticism screen. For example, if someone said, “You bitch! You stepped on my toe!” Sophie would put the information that she had stepped on the person's toe on her understandings screen. She would notice that she was human, and not a female dog, and leave the “bitch” part off of her understandings screen. The fact that the other person was upset was valid information, so, of course, it was added to Sophie's understandings screen.
The next steps were for Sophie 2 to respond to the other person appropriately. “Sorry, I didn't mean to step on you.” And, then she imagined practicing new responses or behaviors based on the new information similar situations in the future. In this case Sophie 2 would imagine being more aware of people around her in a crowded place. After four or five mental rehearsals, the new behaviors became automatic both in her imagination and in the real world.
Well, Sophie 2 has learned a great way to deal with criticism, but what about Sophie?
So, I then Sophie to imagine Sophie 2 melting back into herself so she could have Sophie 2's learnings. After all, Sophie 2 was an aspect of Sophie all along. It's only fair that Sophie should benefit from all of Sophie 2's good work.
I tested Sophie's new responses to criticism by having her imagine being criticized in a variety of ways, by a variety of people, including the ones who were the most difficult to take, like her parents. Sophie did fine.
The next week when I asked how she had done with criticism since her last visit, Sophie replied that she couldn't tell, because no one had criticized her!
Sophie had completely transformed criticism into information in just a few minutes by learning the NLP criticism strategy.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Why The Secret is Bad Hypnosis, and What to Do Instead That Will Work, Part 1
To begin with, I have seen the movie, but I have never read the book The Secret. So the basis for my thinking that The Secret is promoting bad hypnosis is based on the movie, and on my observations of my friends who have tried to put the secret of The Secret into action.
I recently ran across a report of current research that shows that visualizing the end result is much less effective than using a different method of visualization. And, the reasons that the small difference between the two methods that makes all the difference in a successful outcome will become clear in my next blog post, Part 2 of "Why The Secret is Bad Hypnosis, and What to Do Instead That Will Work".
The Secret emphasizes that just intensely visualizing oneself as already have one's desires will somehow make them appear. One man in the movie visualized a house in great detail for a while, and then some years later he realizes that he has bought the house that he had visualized, and was actually living in it. That story is offered as proof that the techniques of The Secret work.
The man was said to have “manifested” the house for himself according to the narrators of the movie. When people use the word “manifested” I get the impression that they mean that the desired item magically appeared out of thin air because someone visualized it intensely and clearly for a few minutes or hours.
Of course, what we do not find out from the movie is whether the “perfect house” that the man visualized was built before or after he visualized it. If it was built before, we have to conclude that “manifesting” is not subject to the normal restrictions of time and space. Or, perhaps the man experiences the paranormal phenomena called remote viewing, and intensely visualized an existing house that he had never physically seen.
It is certainly no surprise that someone would buy a house that was similar to one that he or she had passionately visualized some years before. In the movie the man claimed that he had no conscious awareness of how similar the house that he had visualized years earlier was to the one he bought until some months or even years after he had been living it.
Perhaps the more plausible explanation is that the man was unconsciously attracted to a house that was similar to the one that he had visualized. There is no way of telling.
Perhaps I am misinterpreting the message of The Secret. However, I am sure that others have bought the "visualize it and it will happen" line completely. One of my more metaphysically inclined friends, let's call her Frannie, told me that she was frustrated with a woman at her work who was being unfriendly. Frannie, then let me know that she didn't understand why the woman was not treating her better. After all, Franny had been using The Secret's visualizations to make her coworker be more pleasant!
Another friend told me that she had “manifested” the parking space for us in the full parking lot in front of the bookstore that we went to by visualizing it for a few minutes before we arrived. And, she was serious.
So, The Secret seems to hypnotize people into believing that they can “manifest” whatever they visualize through mind power alone. What makes it bad hypnosis, is that it creates a false belief that tends to be immune to critical thinking. According to The Secret if the person visualizes and does not get their desired results, it is simply because that they did not visualize long enough, with enough desire, or enough clarity. And, that is bad hypnosis.
I recently ran across a report of current research that shows that visualizing the end result is much less effective than using a different method of visualization. And, the reasons that the small difference between the two methods that makes all the difference in a successful outcome will become clear in my next blog post, Part 2 of "Why The Secret is Bad Hypnosis, and What to Do Instead That Will Work".
The Secret emphasizes that just intensely visualizing oneself as already have one's desires will somehow make them appear. One man in the movie visualized a house in great detail for a while, and then some years later he realizes that he has bought the house that he had visualized, and was actually living in it. That story is offered as proof that the techniques of The Secret work.
The man was said to have “manifested” the house for himself according to the narrators of the movie. When people use the word “manifested” I get the impression that they mean that the desired item magically appeared out of thin air because someone visualized it intensely and clearly for a few minutes or hours.
Of course, what we do not find out from the movie is whether the “perfect house” that the man visualized was built before or after he visualized it. If it was built before, we have to conclude that “manifesting” is not subject to the normal restrictions of time and space. Or, perhaps the man experiences the paranormal phenomena called remote viewing, and intensely visualized an existing house that he had never physically seen.
It is certainly no surprise that someone would buy a house that was similar to one that he or she had passionately visualized some years before. In the movie the man claimed that he had no conscious awareness of how similar the house that he had visualized years earlier was to the one he bought until some months or even years after he had been living it.
Perhaps the more plausible explanation is that the man was unconsciously attracted to a house that was similar to the one that he had visualized. There is no way of telling.
Perhaps I am misinterpreting the message of The Secret. However, I am sure that others have bought the "visualize it and it will happen" line completely. One of my more metaphysically inclined friends, let's call her Frannie, told me that she was frustrated with a woman at her work who was being unfriendly. Frannie, then let me know that she didn't understand why the woman was not treating her better. After all, Franny had been using The Secret's visualizations to make her coworker be more pleasant!
Another friend told me that she had “manifested” the parking space for us in the full parking lot in front of the bookstore that we went to by visualizing it for a few minutes before we arrived. And, she was serious.
So, The Secret seems to hypnotize people into believing that they can “manifest” whatever they visualize through mind power alone. What makes it bad hypnosis, is that it creates a false belief that tends to be immune to critical thinking. According to The Secret if the person visualizes and does not get their desired results, it is simply because that they did not visualize long enough, with enough desire, or enough clarity. And, that is bad hypnosis.
Why The Secret is Bad Hypnosis, and What to Do Instead That Will Work, Part 2
Visualization is crucial to all kinds of human activities and the achievement of goals of all kinds. An engineer looks at a canyon and visualizes a bridge across it as a necessary part of designing and building a bridge. If all that the engineer did was visualize the bridge, it would never get built, which is the crucial piece that is left out of The Secret.
It takes a great deal of sustained human energy and effort to create that bridge. And there has been some research that indicates that the most effective use of visualization in the accomplishment of a goal includes a significantly different technique than the one taught in The Secret.
It was found that when the research participants visualized themselves taking all the necessary steps in accomplishing the goal, that they were much more likely to be successful than if they simply imagines themselves having already accomplished it. The missing piece is simply to mentally rehearse taking each of the appropriate steps to accomplish the goal, whether it is to get a date with Joan, or earn a million dollars next year.
Mental rehearsal has been used effectively as a technique in hypnosis for centuries.
The key to successful mental rehearsal is to imagine doing the activity as if we were really living it. For example, if we were to imagine driving a brand new car, we would be see our hands in the edge of our vision as we look out at traffic through the windshield, hear the sounds of the engine, and feel our bodies sway as we went around a sharp curve. We would even smell the new car smell.
This is an important distinction. When people to say things like, “I see myself driving a new car,” they are are separating themselves from the experience. That lessens the impact of the mental rehearsal.
There are two simple rules for successful mental programming that we can all take from hypnosis.
First, imagine doing all the intermediate steps from our current situation to the completion of our goals.
Second, imagine doing the steps as if we were actually there using all our senses. We see through our eyes as if we were literally there, we hear the sounds, and feel the sensations of what we touch and of our movements. Including any smells and tastes that may be there as we take each step will amplify the experience as well.
It is not necessary to formally go into hypnosis to effectively program our minds to achieve our goals. Simply mentally rehearsing correctly is enough.
It takes a great deal of sustained human energy and effort to create that bridge. And there has been some research that indicates that the most effective use of visualization in the accomplishment of a goal includes a significantly different technique than the one taught in The Secret.
It was found that when the research participants visualized themselves taking all the necessary steps in accomplishing the goal, that they were much more likely to be successful than if they simply imagines themselves having already accomplished it. The missing piece is simply to mentally rehearse taking each of the appropriate steps to accomplish the goal, whether it is to get a date with Joan, or earn a million dollars next year.
Mental rehearsal has been used effectively as a technique in hypnosis for centuries.
The key to successful mental rehearsal is to imagine doing the activity as if we were really living it. For example, if we were to imagine driving a brand new car, we would be see our hands in the edge of our vision as we look out at traffic through the windshield, hear the sounds of the engine, and feel our bodies sway as we went around a sharp curve. We would even smell the new car smell.
This is an important distinction. When people to say things like, “I see myself driving a new car,” they are are separating themselves from the experience. That lessens the impact of the mental rehearsal.
There are two simple rules for successful mental programming that we can all take from hypnosis.
First, imagine doing all the intermediate steps from our current situation to the completion of our goals.
Second, imagine doing the steps as if we were actually there using all our senses. We see through our eyes as if we were literally there, we hear the sounds, and feel the sensations of what we touch and of our movements. Including any smells and tastes that may be there as we take each step will amplify the experience as well.
It is not necessary to formally go into hypnosis to effectively program our minds to achieve our goals. Simply mentally rehearsing correctly is enough.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Using Hypnosis for Pain Control 5 – Dave Dobson's Meta 5's Do the Trick
Everyone knows about metaphors. However, when Dave Dobson started talking about meta 5's in one of his hypnosis funshops, most of the students, myself included, were clueless.
Dave was well known for his use of hypnosis for pain control with hospitalized burn victims. He used what he called meta 5's to help them go into an alternate reality of sorts while they healed. Of course, once in their “alternate reality” his patients were not only pain free, but having a good time.
Dave gathered more information from the burn patient's family and friends than the patients themselves to build meta 5's. He would ask them about the patient's favorite hobbies, vacation spots, and pastimes. When he knew what the patient liked to do, he would start describing the favorite activity in rich sensory detail while the patient was in a hypnotic state.
One of the things that hypnosis does is to amplify the imagination. If a patient loved to scuba dive, Dave would start describing the sensations of breathing with scuba gear, the buoyant feelings of being underwater, the filtered light coming from the surface, the bright colors of fish swimming by.
After a short while, the patient would begin to access their memories of a scuba dive so vividly that it seemed as if they were really there. And, of course, on that dive they felt physically comfortable, and pain free.
So how does it work? Scientific research has shown that when we imagine a movement, lifting the right arm, for example, that there are tiny movements of all of the muscles of the right arm, as if it were actually lifting. Imaginary sensations and movements, hypnotically amplified cause the conscious mind to become completely focused on those sensations, so much so that they can seem completely real. The patient will then be transported by their imagination to the proverbial “better place”.
Even if the imagined experience is not “real” enough that the patient cannot distinguish it from reality, it can be real enough to eliminate or dramatically diminish the pain. And, having the patient learn how to go fully back into their enjoyable experience at will would be considered a successful outcome for a hypnosis pain control session.
Dave was well known for his use of hypnosis for pain control with hospitalized burn victims. He used what he called meta 5's to help them go into an alternate reality of sorts while they healed. Of course, once in their “alternate reality” his patients were not only pain free, but having a good time.
Dave gathered more information from the burn patient's family and friends than the patients themselves to build meta 5's. He would ask them about the patient's favorite hobbies, vacation spots, and pastimes. When he knew what the patient liked to do, he would start describing the favorite activity in rich sensory detail while the patient was in a hypnotic state.
One of the things that hypnosis does is to amplify the imagination. If a patient loved to scuba dive, Dave would start describing the sensations of breathing with scuba gear, the buoyant feelings of being underwater, the filtered light coming from the surface, the bright colors of fish swimming by.
After a short while, the patient would begin to access their memories of a scuba dive so vividly that it seemed as if they were really there. And, of course, on that dive they felt physically comfortable, and pain free.
So how does it work? Scientific research has shown that when we imagine a movement, lifting the right arm, for example, that there are tiny movements of all of the muscles of the right arm, as if it were actually lifting. Imaginary sensations and movements, hypnotically amplified cause the conscious mind to become completely focused on those sensations, so much so that they can seem completely real. The patient will then be transported by their imagination to the proverbial “better place”.
Even if the imagined experience is not “real” enough that the patient cannot distinguish it from reality, it can be real enough to eliminate or dramatically diminish the pain. And, having the patient learn how to go fully back into their enjoyable experience at will would be considered a successful outcome for a hypnosis pain control session.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
How to Use Hypnosis for Pain Control 4 – Communicate With the Nerves
When Leena asked me how her friend is able to use hypnosis to create anesthesia for dental work, I got curious myself. Leena's friend says that she “communicates with her nerves and synapses” in some way that eliminates the pain. And, since I am unfamiliar with that specific technique, I began to wonder how it might work.
First, I remembered a hypnosis technique that involves using the imagery of a dimmer switch. The client imagines a wire with a dimmer switch that runs between the painful spot and the brain. Perhaps the pain looks like a stream or pulses of light moving to the brain. Seeing the pain shifts the client's focus away from of their feelings and into the visual system, which is likely to reduce the intensity of the pain to some lesser or greater degree in and of itself.
Next, the the client is instructed to increase the intensity slightly for a few moments by imagining turning the dimmer switch up. Depending on each person's preferred imagery, the images of the pain running along the wire may get brighter, the color may intensify, or impulses may speed up, or slow down. Many people in pain believe that they cannot just make the pain less at will. Turning the pain up first is a way of demonstrating to the client that it is possible to control the intensity, at least to some extent.
Now, the client is directed to turn the dimmer switch down and notice the representation of the pain getting dimmer, the pulses less frequent, or whatever signifies a lessening of the pain. The hypnotherapist can then ask about the intensity of the client's current pain level. Typically the client is noticably more comfortable.
Some clients report that they are not able to turn the pain off completely. However, the ability to lessen the pain and increase comfort can be a real blessing for someone who has been suffering.
The next step is to teach the client how to go back into hypnosis and adjust the dimmer switch any time he or she needs to. Once the person learns how to go into hypnosis, they can go deeply into the state in a few moments after just a little practice.
So, how does this relate to Leena's friend who communicates with the nerves and synapses? The underlying pattern is most likely the same as the dimmer switch technique. Her friend sees or talks to the nerves in her mind, separating herself from the pain (feelings) by putting her awareness in another sensory system, auditory or visual, that has no pain. The communications may come in the form of a mentally spoken request or imagery of the nerves being soothed. So, Leena's friend slips into a nice state of hypnosis with her imagery and receives her dental work painless and drug free.
First, I remembered a hypnosis technique that involves using the imagery of a dimmer switch. The client imagines a wire with a dimmer switch that runs between the painful spot and the brain. Perhaps the pain looks like a stream or pulses of light moving to the brain. Seeing the pain shifts the client's focus away from of their feelings and into the visual system, which is likely to reduce the intensity of the pain to some lesser or greater degree in and of itself.
Next, the the client is instructed to increase the intensity slightly for a few moments by imagining turning the dimmer switch up. Depending on each person's preferred imagery, the images of the pain running along the wire may get brighter, the color may intensify, or impulses may speed up, or slow down. Many people in pain believe that they cannot just make the pain less at will. Turning the pain up first is a way of demonstrating to the client that it is possible to control the intensity, at least to some extent.
Now, the client is directed to turn the dimmer switch down and notice the representation of the pain getting dimmer, the pulses less frequent, or whatever signifies a lessening of the pain. The hypnotherapist can then ask about the intensity of the client's current pain level. Typically the client is noticably more comfortable.
Some clients report that they are not able to turn the pain off completely. However, the ability to lessen the pain and increase comfort can be a real blessing for someone who has been suffering.
The next step is to teach the client how to go back into hypnosis and adjust the dimmer switch any time he or she needs to. Once the person learns how to go into hypnosis, they can go deeply into the state in a few moments after just a little practice.
So, how does this relate to Leena's friend who communicates with the nerves and synapses? The underlying pattern is most likely the same as the dimmer switch technique. Her friend sees or talks to the nerves in her mind, separating herself from the pain (feelings) by putting her awareness in another sensory system, auditory or visual, that has no pain. The communications may come in the form of a mentally spoken request or imagery of the nerves being soothed. So, Leena's friend slips into a nice state of hypnosis with her imagery and receives her dental work painless and drug free.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
How to Use Hypnosis for Pain Control Part 2 – Glove Anesthesia
Part of the basic education that I give all my hypnosis clients on their first visit is “The body can't tell the difference between imagination and reality.” I may not be obvious at first, but just think: your mouth starts to water when your friend describes a delicious meal, or you jump involuntarily when there is a sudden loud sound in a movie. There is no food in your mouth, yet your body produces more saliva. You know that you are perfectly safe, but your body goes to battle stations, pumping lots of adrenaline into your system, when that car suddenly explodes on screen.
So what do battle stations and a watering mouth have to do with pain control? It's simple. When a hypnotherapist uses specific kinds of imagery with a client in hypnosis, the client's body produces numbness. A common technique is called “glove anesthesia”.
The hypnotherapist suggests that the client remember a time he or she was so cold that some part of the body became numb. Everyone has had that kind of experience. For me, it happened at a football game when I was in high school. I hadn't noticed that my feet were numb until I stood up and almost fell over.
Typically the hypnotherapist asks the client to imagine one of their hands in a bucket of ice water so that the hand gets cold enough to become numb. Then the client might be asked to imagine that the numbness is like a thick glove on the hand. So any touch on the gloved hand just feels like a mild kind of pressure.
Once the client indicates that their hand is numb, the hypnotherapist can test by asking the client to close his or her eyes. Then the hypnotherapist uses his or her fingernails to pinch the skin on the back of client's hand hard enough to leave a mark. If glove anesthesia is present, client will only feel a little pressure. The client is astonished after opening his or her eyes to see the nail marks on their hand.
The way that hypnosis helps to creates glove anesthesia is by amplifying the client's imagination. The stronger the imagined events, the stronger the response from the body.
Once the clients have learned to create glove anesthesia, they can be taught to move the numbness to any area of the body that they wish. For example, someone with chronic headaches could move the numbness to the painful areas of the head.
Teaching someone to use hypnosis to control pain with glove anesthesia usually can be done in one session. It is an easy way to use a little self hypnosis to produce relief for someone in pain.
So what do battle stations and a watering mouth have to do with pain control? It's simple. When a hypnotherapist uses specific kinds of imagery with a client in hypnosis, the client's body produces numbness. A common technique is called “glove anesthesia”.
The hypnotherapist suggests that the client remember a time he or she was so cold that some part of the body became numb. Everyone has had that kind of experience. For me, it happened at a football game when I was in high school. I hadn't noticed that my feet were numb until I stood up and almost fell over.
Typically the hypnotherapist asks the client to imagine one of their hands in a bucket of ice water so that the hand gets cold enough to become numb. Then the client might be asked to imagine that the numbness is like a thick glove on the hand. So any touch on the gloved hand just feels like a mild kind of pressure.
Once the client indicates that their hand is numb, the hypnotherapist can test by asking the client to close his or her eyes. Then the hypnotherapist uses his or her fingernails to pinch the skin on the back of client's hand hard enough to leave a mark. If glove anesthesia is present, client will only feel a little pressure. The client is astonished after opening his or her eyes to see the nail marks on their hand.
The way that hypnosis helps to creates glove anesthesia is by amplifying the client's imagination. The stronger the imagined events, the stronger the response from the body.
Once the clients have learned to create glove anesthesia, they can be taught to move the numbness to any area of the body that they wish. For example, someone with chronic headaches could move the numbness to the painful areas of the head.
Teaching someone to use hypnosis to control pain with glove anesthesia usually can be done in one session. It is an easy way to use a little self hypnosis to produce relief for someone in pain.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Find a Hypnotherapist in the UK
I recently ran across a useful website for anyone who is seeking hypnosis from a qualified hypnotherapist in the UK.
The articles about the various uses of hypnosis on the site are well written. There is a good brief introduction of two types of hypnotherapy, direct suggestion and hypno-analysis, which uses a type of age regression to release repressed emotions.
Here is a condensed description of the site taken from an introductory email:
The Hypnotherapy Directory (www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk) is a web directory listing hypnotherapists all over the UK. Each hypnotherapist has a profile with information about their specialties, background, and qualifications. All the hypnotherapists registered with the Hypnotherapy Directory have relevant qualifications, and professional liability insurance, or proof of registration with a professional body, so their professionalism is assured.
Their is a wealth of information about various issues that hypnotherapy can help, as well as a blog about the latest health news.
It is possible to search for a hypnotherapist by postcode or town. And, of course, the site is free to use.
I would like to encourage my readers to take a look at The Hypnotherapy Directory for the informative articles, whether or not they are interested in finding a hypnotherapist in the UK.
The articles about the various uses of hypnosis on the site are well written. There is a good brief introduction of two types of hypnotherapy, direct suggestion and hypno-analysis, which uses a type of age regression to release repressed emotions.
Here is a condensed description of the site taken from an introductory email:
The Hypnotherapy Directory (www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk) is a web directory listing hypnotherapists all over the UK. Each hypnotherapist has a profile with information about their specialties, background, and qualifications. All the hypnotherapists registered with the Hypnotherapy Directory have relevant qualifications, and professional liability insurance, or proof of registration with a professional body, so their professionalism is assured.
Their is a wealth of information about various issues that hypnotherapy can help, as well as a blog about the latest health news.
It is possible to search for a hypnotherapist by postcode or town. And, of course, the site is free to use.
I would like to encourage my readers to take a look at The Hypnotherapy Directory for the informative articles, whether or not they are interested in finding a hypnotherapist in the UK.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
How to Use Hypnosis for Pain Control Part 1
Since the unconscious mind thinks in metaphors, associations, symbols, and images it is possible to influence it to do some extraordinary things simply by using a few analogies and telling a few stories.
For example, one client came to me for hypnosis to get ready for surgery. She going to have a fibroid growth removed from her uterus. Once she was in hypnosis, I used the analogy of an alarm clock to suggest the elimination of pain after her surgery.
Everyone knows how an alarm clock works. Its purpose is to alert us to wake up at a given time, and once it has done that we turn it off. If the alarm were going all day and night, it would lose its meaning, and just become background noise.
Pain is like an alarm clock. Its purpose is to alert the conscious mind to take care of some injury or illness. Once we have noticed and responded properly to the situation, it only makes sense to turn the alarm off. Otherwise, the alarm (pain) is just confusing, and meaningless.
My client reported that after her surgery that she felt sore, but fine otherwise. While she was in hypnosis, I had given her unconscious mind suggestions to only give her pain if she were doing something that might cause damage to the areas that had been repaired. The soreness kept her from doing anything sudden or strenuous.
Metaphors and stories are just one of the approaches used in hypnosis to create pain relief. Hypnotherapists also have a variety of other methods to help clients in acute or chronic pain.
For example, one client came to me for hypnosis to get ready for surgery. She going to have a fibroid growth removed from her uterus. Once she was in hypnosis, I used the analogy of an alarm clock to suggest the elimination of pain after her surgery.
Everyone knows how an alarm clock works. Its purpose is to alert us to wake up at a given time, and once it has done that we turn it off. If the alarm were going all day and night, it would lose its meaning, and just become background noise.
Pain is like an alarm clock. Its purpose is to alert the conscious mind to take care of some injury or illness. Once we have noticed and responded properly to the situation, it only makes sense to turn the alarm off. Otherwise, the alarm (pain) is just confusing, and meaningless.
My client reported that after her surgery that she felt sore, but fine otherwise. While she was in hypnosis, I had given her unconscious mind suggestions to only give her pain if she were doing something that might cause damage to the areas that had been repaired. The soreness kept her from doing anything sudden or strenuous.
Metaphors and stories are just one of the approaches used in hypnosis to create pain relief. Hypnotherapists also have a variety of other methods to help clients in acute or chronic pain.
Monday, October 5, 2009
How Hypnosis Works for Pain Control
Some feelings that you are not noticing right now are a good example of how hypnosis works to control pain. For example, you have probably not been noticing the feelings of temperature on the inside of your left elbow until you read this sentence. The sensations are there, but your conscious attention is on the computer screen in front of you, and the words that you are reading.
You have likely had the experience of noticing a bruise, bump, or scratch that must have happened earlier, but you did not notice it until when you saw it sometime later. Not only that, it looks like it should hurt, but there is no pain.
So, what is going on?
Research has shown that the mechanisms of hypnotic pain control are different than the way drugs work. Drugs alter the chemistry of the nerves so that pain impulses are muted or eliminated. In someone using hypnosis for pain control, there is no change in the pain impulses coming from the nerves. The nerves are sending the pain signals, they just never enter conscious awareness. So, the person is simply unaware of any pain.
Some of the reasons that hypnosis is not used more commonly by medical doctors are that hypnosis is time consuming, drugs are easier to measure and administer than hypnosis, and drugs are not as dependent on the doctor establishing and maintaining rapport with the patient.
Advantages of using hypnosis for pain control include that there is no possibility of overdose, toxicity, or addiction. Another advantage is that hypnosis never triggers allergic responses. That is why it is sometimes used for surgical anesthesia for patients who cannot tolerate drugs.
You have likely had the experience of noticing a bruise, bump, or scratch that must have happened earlier, but you did not notice it until when you saw it sometime later. Not only that, it looks like it should hurt, but there is no pain.
So, what is going on?
Research has shown that the mechanisms of hypnotic pain control are different than the way drugs work. Drugs alter the chemistry of the nerves so that pain impulses are muted or eliminated. In someone using hypnosis for pain control, there is no change in the pain impulses coming from the nerves. The nerves are sending the pain signals, they just never enter conscious awareness. So, the person is simply unaware of any pain.
Some of the reasons that hypnosis is not used more commonly by medical doctors are that hypnosis is time consuming, drugs are easier to measure and administer than hypnosis, and drugs are not as dependent on the doctor establishing and maintaining rapport with the patient.
Advantages of using hypnosis for pain control include that there is no possibility of overdose, toxicity, or addiction. Another advantage is that hypnosis never triggers allergic responses. That is why it is sometimes used for surgical anesthesia for patients who cannot tolerate drugs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
