ABSTRACT

The word hypnosis or hypnotism has negative connotations. But the science of hypnosis, when used by a qualified clinician trained in hypnotherapy, is a very potent tool in the armamentarium of a doctor. In this article I have discussed the common mis-beliefs about hypnosis, scientific definition of hypnosis, indications for hypnotherapy, present day scenario, and abstract of an interesting case study. Information about learning opportunity of this science in our country is also included.

The word “hypnotism” or “hypnosis” provokes a picture of the magician in our minds, who pretends to use some strange power in him to demonstrate that the hypnotized person starts following every command. The person under hypnosis seems unable to bend a straightened arm as he/she has been told that he/she cannot bend it or sniffs a bottle of ammonia with obvious expression of delight, as he/she has been told the odour was that of a rose. He/she remains relaxed and comfortable despite application of a painful stimulus or he/she is regressed back to the age of six months and made to suckle a milk-bottle.

Stage performances of hypnosis, just for fun and entertainment, have done a profound disservice to the more valuable therapeutic use of this science. They not only cause psychological and at times biological damage to the participants on the stage but also spread misconceptions in the society.

MISCONCEPTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Generally, it is believed that people with weak mind can be hypnotized easily or that the hypnotist is endowed with a supernatural power or that he used some magic or mantra to bring the hypnotized person under his command. And then, the person under hypnosis would do everything, the hypnotist instructs him to do.

In fact, more than 90% of the population is hypnotizable. Ability to undergo hypnosis is a quality of one’s personality and not a weakness. As it is with any other capability, everyone cannot attain the same degree of hypnosis. Co-operative individuals with strong will-power and better imaginative involvement can reach a deeper level of hypnosis easily.

Hypnosis is not magic; neither a supernatural power nor a mantra is used by the hypnotist. Willingness of a person to undergo hypnosis is essential. Even under a deep state of hypnosis a person remains endowed with sufficient power of self-defence. He/she is not just a passive follower of all the commands of the hypnotist. Neither would he/she do the thing that is against their morals or personal ethics, nor would they disclose secrets.

WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness different from sleep and wakefulness. It is characterized by focused attention to a particular facet of mental activity with decreased peripheral awareness. In everyday life we, at times, become absorbed inwardly in thought, remembrance, fantasy or in reading a story or watching a movie; all these are examples of spontaneous hypnosis. Physically, it is a state of relaxation and decreased movements. It is calm and quiet, pleasant state of mind wherein we use more of our own potentials and in which imaginations and ideas can have a greater impact on our mind and body. Hypnosis is a structured, guided and goal oriented meditation.

Our mind is like an iceberg, three fourth of which is subconscious, i.e. we are not consciously aware of the processes going on in this larger portion of our mind. The subconscious mind is the regulator of all our psychological (viz., memory, thinking, feeling, behaviour and personality) as well as biological (viz., autonomic, endocrine and immune) functions. It possesses tremendous potentials which are made available to an individual largely through the right brain functioning. Hypnosis provides systematic access to the right brain functioning and thereby to the subconscious inner potentials.

HISTORY AND PRESENT SCENARIO

Hypnosis has been recognized as a legitimate form of treatment method by the British Medical Council (1955), the American Medical Association (1958), and Medical Councils of many other countries like Canada, Australia, Sweden, Japan and so on. Last four decades have seen development of serious interest in systematic research in the field of hypnosis all over the world. This has resulted in the formation of a strong and viable International Society of Hypnosis (ISH), with more than 25 National Constituent Societies, including the Indian Society for Clinical and Experimental hypnosis (ISCEH) established in 1972 by Dr. H. Jana and his colleagues. Hypnosis has been included in many of the medical schools’ curriculum in England, America and continental Europe.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY IN INDIA

In India, a one-year post-graduate Diploma in Clinical and Applied Hypnosis has been started, since 2000, by M. S. University of Baroda, for which the students are required to attend regular two hours a day classes for the entire year. Since 2016, Charotar University of Science & Technology (CHARUSAT - http://117.239.83.200:8106/) has started a one-year Online PG Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis for which the students need to visit Baroda for Practical Learning only (for 15 days divided in three visits during the year) and they study all the theory through video recorded lectures and other material online.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Induction of hypnosis and its deepening consists of facilitating an inward focusing of attention, which largely depends upon the motivation, hypnotisability and emotional state of the subject himself rather than the ability of hypnotist. The real skill of therapy through hypnosis is in proper understanding of the psychopathology of patient’s symptoms and his personality, developing immediate and long term goals and then presenting proper ideas (suggestions) and images to achieve therapeutic gains. When used within the total management approach to a patient, hypnosis establishes a climate for healing because:

• It creates a relaxed atmosphere by reducing anxiety
  
• it increases patient’s motivation to work in the healing process and allows him to be an active participant in the treatment
  
• it enables the person to be relatively more open to receiving new information and to developing new points of view about his perceived problem
  
• it enhances the natural healing capacity of body
  
• it allows reassurance to work better and taps higher resources like hope and trust
  
• it allows sensory and perceptual alterations, e.g., raising tolerance to pain
  
• it provides a tool for cognitive restructuring through reinterpretation of an experience, feeling or thought by the use of meaningful words
  
• it provides opportunity for self-mastery by making the patient aware of his own unconscious potentials and by increasing the ability of the person to produce desirable changes in habit patterns, motivations, self-image and life-style in general
  

SELF-HYPNOSIS

Usually in hypnotherapy, the patients are taught to use self-hypnosis after a few initial sessions. This reduces patients’ dependence on the therapist and thereby the cost of therapy. At the same time it develops, in the patient, a sense of self-mastery which is highly desirable in patients with emotional problems and neurosis.

SOME INDICATIONS OF HYPNOTHERAPY / SELF-HYPNOSIS

Psychosomatic Disorders:

Hypnotherapy is indicated, along with the primary treatment modality, in many medical problems where stress is one of the causative or promoting factors, e.g., high blood pressure, angina pectoris, asthma, acid-peptic disorder, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, migraine headache, insomnia, menstrual disorders, impotency, skin conditions like warts, psoriasis, eczema, etc.

Habit Disorders:

Stammering, obesity, bed-wetting, thumb sucking, nail biting, ticks etc.

Addiction:

Tobacco chewing, smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse.

Pain Control:

Functional headache, backache, stomach pains, etc. Control of organic pains, such as pain during dressing in burns patients, or in dentistry, childbirth and terminal cancer.

Neurotic Conditions:

Anxiety, phobias (viz., fear of open space, close space, public speaking, school), and other neurotic conditions.

Creativity and Self-development:

• Managing day-to-day stresses easily and with a relaxed attitude
  
• Problem solving and decision making
  
• Building confidence, self-expressiveness and social skills
  
• Facilitating Learning
  
• Changing negative beliefs and creating positive attitude
  
• Developing effective and healthy communication
  
• Facilitating team-work
  
• Balancing the work and home life
  

Besides the clinical and developmental uses, hypnosis is of great help in the study of mind and mental functions, emotions and consciousness.

A CASE OF STRESS RELATED HEMOPTYSIS MANAGED BY HYPNOTHERAPY