The clinical use of hypnosis.

Abstract

Although hypnosis has been used clinically for years, research in this field is in its infancy. Authorities disagree on what distinguishes hypnotic from nonhypnotic therapy and on the circumstances under which an induction may add leverage to cognitive-behavioral treatments, Recent experimental evidence on the hypnotic treatment of obesity, cigarette smoking, alcoholism, clinical pain, warts, and asthma is reviewed. It is concluded that although hypnosis may be effective with addictive behavior, the therapeutic success is attributable to nonhypnotic factors. In contrast, hypnosis appears to be of unique value in the treatment of clinical pain, warts, and asthma. Differential effectiveness may be attributable to the nature of the disorders or to the manner in which hypnosis is used in treating them. The relevance of hypnotizability to treatment is discussed, as is the need to distinguish between genuine and placebo-based hypnotic effects. Future research must be more attentive to (a) the nature of the disorders and patient populations, (b) the adequate implementation of therapeutic techniques, (c) the context in which treatment is delivered, and (d) the influence of hypnotic susceptibility and other subject factors on outcome.

Hypnotizability and Somatic Complaints:A Gender-Specific Phenomenon

“…High hypnotizability has been considered an adaptive trait (Santarcangelo & Sebastiani, 2004), as these individuals respond more positively to some hypnotic interventions. Interestingly, it has been shown that highly hypnotizable individuals may be particularly responsive to hypnotic treatments of somatic complaints, such as asthma, pain, and warts (Wadden & Anderton, 1982). In order to reconcile our present findings with past results, it may be possible that high hypnotizability reflects an increased susceptibility to environmental and interpersonal influences.…”

The (perceived) meaning of spontaneous thoughts.

“…Hypnosis, for example, may be used to treat some disorders such as smoking cessation (Wadden & Anderton, 1982). People's beliefs about the power of the thoughts revealed in hypnosis extend beyond the realm of the scientific, however, believing that the images that come to mind during hypnosis may offer evidence of past lives (Loftus, Garry, Brown, & Rader, 1994;Spanos, Menary, Gabora, DuBreuil, & Dewhirst, 1991).…”

Unconscious Agendas in the Etiology of Refractory Obesity and the Role of Hypnosis in Their Identification and Resolution:A New Paradigm for Weight-Management Programs or a Paradigm Revisited?

“…Between 1976 and 2000 at least nine reviews were published examining or summarising the benefits of reports and trials such as those above (Leon, 1976;Mott and Roberts, 1979;Wadden and Anderton, 1982;Heap, 1982; Spiegel, 1983;Cochrane, 1992;Levitt, 1993;Vanderlinden and Vandereycken, 1994;Allison and Faith, 1996;Schoenberger. 2000).…”

“…Rarely was any formal, or informal, assessment of hypnotisability employed prior to commencing therapy, but where this was measured, there appeared to be a correlation between such measurements and subsequent weight loss (Stanton, 1975;Andersen, 1985;, an exception to this being that of Deyoub (1979) who found little correlation between weight loss and the Harvard Scale assessment. Irrespective of the parameters used to assess the resulting success of hypnotherapy sessions, or the length of follow-up posthypnosis or post-weight-loss, 33 out of 43 (77%) of the papers referenced in table 1 deemed hypnosis to have been efficacious in enhancing weight loss in their obese patients.Between 1976 and 2000 at least nine reviews were published examining or summarising the benefits of reports and trials such as those above (Leon, 1976;Mott and Roberts, 1979;Wadden and Anderton, 1982;Heap, 1982; Spiegel, 1983;Cochrane, 1992;Levitt, 1993;Vanderlinden and Vandereycken, 1994;Allison and Faith, 1996;Schoenberger. 2000).…”