Contemporary hypnosis : the journal of the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis最新文献

The use of a ‘virtual reality’ hypnotherapeutic procedure was trialled for feasibility as a possible treatment modality for autism (4 sessions over 2 weeks) with 2 boys aged 14 and 15 years old. The aim of the study was to determine if the procedure would be acceptable to autistic patients and thus have some potential as an intervention for reducing anxieties and/or alleviating symptoms associated with autism. Results indicated that the procedure had no effect on autistic symptoms, however, the parents of both boys reported that their son enjoyed the sessions, was attentive and relaxed throughout and that they would pursue this procedure if it were available. Furthermore, they indicated that they believed it was an effective technique to gain their son's attention, and this, combined with the fact that the boys found it enjoyable and engaging, led them to believe there is significant potential for this particular treatment modality. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The above article (DOI: 10.1002/ch.340) was published in Volume 24, Issue 4, Pages 154–160.

The authors of this paper stated that they had used the Inventory Scale of Hypnotic Depth (ISHD; Field, 1965) in this research when in fact they used the Subjective Experiences Scale (SES) for the HGSHS:A (Kirsch, Council, & Wickless, 1990). Thus the reader should substitute the SES for the ISHD.

Otherwise, the statistics, analyses, and conclusions remain the same

The complex interaction of pain, other symptoms and suffering in cancer patients requires a treatment approach that integrates psychological as well as pharmacological interventions. The supplementation of a pharmacological pain treatment concept based on WHO-guidelines by the use of self hypnosis was examined in a controlled clinical follow up study: 61 of 342 patients with cancer related pain referred to the Interdisciplinary Pain Unit of Munich University Clinic were included. In a cross-over design they were randomly assigned to two different successions of treatments after a 2-week period of establishing optimal medication: either AB (A: using self- hypnosis and analgesics, followed by B: pharmacological treatment alone, 4 weeks each) or BA (B: continuing pharmacological treatment alone and then A: using additional self-hypnosis). Patients themselves evaluated therapeutic effectiveness with the help of visual analogue scales (VAS) in a ‘pain diary’ for a total of 10 weeks. On account of a carryover-effect caused by the beneficial effects of self-hypnosis the ‘cross-over’ did not show statistical significance. Using a parallel design we found a statistically significant reduction of pain and suffering after the first four weeks for treatment A (with self-hypnosis) in comparison to treatment B (without self-hypnosis). The utilization of hypnosis requires an intensive subjective exchange over a period of time between the patient and the therapist, who embark as travelling companions on a journey through uncharted territory. Three case reports serve as an example for three different ‘time windows’ of this travelling companionship of therapists and patients: short term/crisis intervention, cooperation for several weeks/coping enhancement, and long term/psychotherapy. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The therapeutic potential of the use of mental representations, such as mental images, might be an interesting approach in the treatment of people who are severely impaired with respect to the processing of emotion, and in particular the activation of mental images. That is the case of alexithymia, which is a multifaceted construct comprising (a) difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing between feelings and the bodily sensations of emotional arousal; (b) difficulty describing feelings to others; (c) a restricted imagination, as evidenced by a paucity of fantasies; and (d) a cognitive style that is literal, utilitarian, and externally oriented (Taylor and Bagby, 2000). Thirty-one alexithymic female students were randomly distributed into two conditions: hypnotic imagery condition and control condition. Participants in the hypnotic imagery condition took part in an 8-session individual training programme. The findings indicate that hypnosis is an effective technique for obtaining a decrease in alexithymic scores. The findings also indicate that changes in mood states are not involved in the change in alexithymia scores. This suggests that hypnosis has exerted a direct effect upon alexithymia (not attributable to anxiety or depression), and consequently demonstrates that it is possible to exert an effect (i) upon alexithymia without targeting a decrease in anxiety or depression scores, (ii) upon alexithymic people with no anxiety or depression problems, as anxiety and depression are not the therapeutic determinant of the therapeutic response. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The phenomenology and paradigm of a therapeutic method, referred to as ‘hypnotherapy’, are overviewed here. Phenomenological descriptions of the terms ‘waking state’ and ‘trance state’ are offered. Both states together constitute an experience referred to as ‘reality’ and thus the question arises as to whether it is important to induce such a trance state if it already exists in our daily reality.

In this opinion piece, the authors suggest that the trance state has been long since buried under a surface of culture and education-driven complaisant behaviour. However, complaisant behaviour fails to be supported by our secret demands and wishes. In contrast, the hypnotic or trance experience delineates the fact that we, as human beings, are far more than a function of alien conceptions and demands provided by our cultural and education system.

Second, a description of the paradigm of how hypnosis could act within an individual is offered. Epistemological arguments are provided to designate the hypnotic experience as a process which, in turn, generates authenticity. Copyright © 2007 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recent neuroscience findings regarding phenomena including perception, action and imagery are discussed. In each of these phenomena, a form of neural simulation is involved, which sheds a new light on our traditional knowledge of brain function, and can also be interpreted as the mechanisms underlying many forms of physiological and pathological human behaviour. In the last section, the implications of such concepts for the practice of hypnotic psychotherapy are discussed, giving us a more solid understanding and confirmation of techniques currently being used by Ericksonian psychotherapists. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The author – a psychologist, psychotherapist and poetess – traces the history of hypnosis in France, the cradle of hypnosis. At the outset there were two conflicting schools, one originating with Charcot, a neurologist, who ended viewing hypnosis as a pathologic phenomenon associated with hysteria; the other with therapeutic goals originating with Bernheim and viewing hypnosis as a physiological state involving suggestion. From 1900 psychoanalysis dominated until the mid-century when Chertok and later Michaux struggled to stimulate a revival. In 1980 they founded the Groupement d'Etudes pour les Applications Médicales de l'Hypnose (GEAMH) for research and training purposes, which continues to host conferences to the present day. In 1983 Godin and Malarewicz established in Paris the first Milton H. Erickson Institute, and there followed a proliferation of institutes throughout France. From 1991 Roustang wrote prolifically offering an original Eastern and Western synthesis and therapeutic approach. In 1997 Bellet founded the Confédération Francophone d'Hypnose et de Thérapies Brèves (CFHTB) drawing together, by 2007, 21 affiliated organizations with 3000 practitioners in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Québec, and with affiliation with international societies. Copyright © 2007 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The study introduces an interactional analysis of subjective data (PCI and DIH questionnaires) from hypnotist and subject along with the concept of hypnosis styles (maternal/paternal scores), in a real-simulator design. It was expected that the subjective experiences of maternal and paternal hypnotists (and their subjects) are different: 1) maternal style is more emotional regarding both interactional and experience parameters, while paternal style is rather cognitive and sovereign; 2) subjects can experience subjective signs of alteration of their consciousness with both hypnosis styles; 3) while hypnotizing, maternal hypnotists are more likely to feel the alterations of their own level of consciousness, while paternal hypnotists remain reality-oriented. The correlational analysis of our data confirmed the above expectations and strengthened the construct of ‘hypnosis style’. Only slight, but characteristic differences could be observed between real and simulating interactions. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Two studies investigated the effect of hypnotic susceptibility (study 1) and the label ‘hypnosis’ (study 2) on the perception of a noxious stimulus (cold pressor). Suggestions for pain control during hypnosis are highly effective but the mechanisms of this effect and the role of the hypnotic induction in achieving pain relief remain uncertain. Study 1 demonstrated increasing pain experience with hypnotic susceptibility during performance of a visual distraction task, i.e. greater hypnotic susceptibility resulted in greater pain experience when performing the task. There was no relationship between pain experience and hypnotic susceptibility when not performing the task. Study 2 demonstrated that the use of the label ‘hypnosis’ to describe a relaxation recording increased feelings of being hypnotized and decreased pain experience relative to the same recording being labelled ‘relaxation’ outside of task involvement. In conclusion, hypnotizability per se does not facilitate a reduction in pain experience whereas the label ‘hypnosis’ does reduce pain experience. It is possible that the use of hypnotic terminology in the context of pain provides a reduction in pain experience through mechanisms that are not automatically engaged by those who are highly hypnotizable. Copyright © 2007 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

While today hypnosis is widely used as an adjunct for many therapeutic purposes, clinical as well as psychological, an embarrassing historical heritage of somewhat esoteric practices has prevented it from becoming mainstream in the fields of medicine and psychology. Today, hypnosis has been scientifically validated as a valuable adjunctive therapy. However, hypnosis has a long history, having passed through three main historical phases and currents of thinking: the ancient religiously based doctrine of the Egyptians and the Greeks as well as the medieval Christian superstitious beliefs that later gave birth to ‘spiritualism’; Mesmer's ‘fluidism’ founded on physics and nature; and finally the psychologically based ‘suggestionism’, as a premise to the study of the subconscious mind. In this study, I provide a synthesis of the history of magnetism and hypnotism. Copyright © 2007 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.