Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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Overview of Published Research To Date on Hypnosis for IBS

Whorwell PJ; Prior A; Faragher EB. Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable-bowel syndrome.The Lancet 1984, 2: 1232-4.

This study is the earliest and perhaps the best study in this research area to date, as it was thoroughly placebo-controlled and showed dramatic contrast in response to hypnosis treatment above the placebo group. Thirty patients with severe symptoms unresponsive to other treatment were randomly chosen to receive 7 sessions of hypnotherapy (15 patients) or 7 sessions of psychotherapy 

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placebo pills (15 patients). The psychotherapy group showed a small but significant improvement in abdominal pain and distension, and in general well-being but not bowel activity pattern. The hypnotherapy patients showed a dramatic improvement in all central symptom. The hypnotherapy group showed no relapses during the 3-month follow-up period.

Graph adapted from the above paper, showing group differences in two of the main IBS symptoms:

Whorwell PJ; Prior A; Colgan SM. Hypnotherapy in severe irritable bowel syndrome: further experience. Gut, 1987 Apr, 28:4, 423-5. This report summed up further experience with 35 patients added to the 15 treated with hypnotherapy in the 1984 Lancet study. For the whole 50 patient group, success rate was 95% for classic IBS cases, but substantially less for IBS patients with atypical symptom picture or significant psychological problems. The report also observed that patients over age 50 seemed to have lower success rate from this treatment.

Harvey RF; Hinton RA; Gunary RM; Barry RE. Individual and group hypnotherapy in treatment of refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet, 1989 Feb, 1:8635, 424-5. This study employed a shorter hypnosis treatment course than other studies for IBS, and the success rate was lower, most likely demonstrating that a larger number of sessions is necessary for optimal benefit. Twenty out of 33 patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome treated with four sessions of hypnotherapy in this study improved. Improvement was maintained at a 3-month treatment. These researchers further found that hypnosis treatment for IBS in groups of up to 8 patients seems as effective as individual therap

Prior A, Colgan SM, Whorwell PJ. Changes in rectal sensitivity after hypnotherapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gut 1990;31:896. This study found IBS patients to be less sensitive to pain and other sensations induced via balloon inflation in their gut while they were under hypnosis. Sensitivity to some balloon-induced gut sensations (although not pain sensitivity) was reduced following a course of hypnosis treatment.

Houghton LA; Heyman DJ; Whorwell PJ. Symptomatology, quality of life and economic features of irritable bowel syndrome--the effect of hypnotherapy. Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 1996 Feb, 10:1, 91-5. This study compared 25 severe IBS patients treated with hypnosis to 25 patients with similar symptom severity treated with other methods, and demonstrated that in addition to significant improvement in all central IBS symptoms, hypnotherapy recipients had fewer visits to doctors, lost less time from work than the control group and rated their quality of life more improved. Those patients who had been unable to work prior to treatment resumed employment in the hypnotherapy group but not in the control group. The study quantifies the substantial economic benefits and improvement in health-related quality of life which result from hypnotherapy for IBS on top of clinical symptom improvement.

Koutsomanis D. Hypnoanalgesia in the irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 1997, 112, A764. This French study showed less analgesic medication use required and less abdominal pain experienced by a group of 12 IBS patients after a course of 6-8 analgesia-oriented hypnosis sessions followed by 4 sessions of autogenic training. Patients were evaluated at 6-month and 12-month follow-up.

Houghton LA, Larder S, Lee R, Gonsalcorale WM, Whelan V, Randles J, Cooper P, Cruikshanks P, Miller V, Whorwell PJ. Gut focused hypnotherapy normalises rectal hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gastroenterology 1999; 116: A1009. Twenty-three patients each received 12 sessions of hypnotherapy. Significant improvement was seen in the severity and frequency of abdominal pain, bloating and satisfaction with bowel habit. A subset of the treated patients who were found to be unusually pain-sensitive in their intestines prior to treatment (as evidenced by balloon inflation tests) showed normalization of pain sensitivity, and this change correlated with their pain improvement following treatment. Such pain threshold change was not seen for the treated group as a whole.

Vidakovic Vukic M. Hypnotherapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: methods and results in Amsterdam. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1999, 230:49-51.Reports results of treatment of 27patients of gut-directed hypnotherapy tailored to each individual patient. All of the 24 who completed treatment were found to be improve.

Galovski TE; Blanchard EB. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback, 1998 Dec, 23:4, 219-32. Eleven patients completed hypnotherapy, with improvement reported for all central IBS symptoms, as well as improvement in anxiety. Six of the patients were a waiting-control group for comparison, and did not show such improvement while waiting for treatment.

Gonsalkorale WM, Houghton LA, Whorwell PJ. Hypnotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome: a large-scale audit of a clinical service with examination of factors influencing responsiveness. Am J Gastroenterol 2002 Apr;97(4):954-61.This study is notable as the largest case series of IBS patients treated with hypnosis and reported on to date. 250 unselected IBS patients were treated in a clinic in Manchester, England, using 12 sessions of hypnotherapy over a 3-month period plus home practice between sessions. Marked improvement was seen in all IBS symptoms (overall IBS severity was reduced by more than half on the average after treatment), quality of life, and anxiety and depression. All subgroups of patients appeared to do equally well except males with diarrhea, who improved far less than other patients for unknown reason.

Palsson OS, Turner MJ, Johnson DA, Burnett CK, Whitehead WE. Hypnosis treatment for severe irritable bowel syndrome: investigation of mechanism and effects on symptoms. Dig Dis Sci 2002 Nov;47(11):2605-14.Possible physiological and psychological mechanisms of hypnosis treatment for IBS were investigated in two studies. Patients with severe IBS received seven biweekly hypnosis sessions and used hypnosis audiotapes at home. Rectal pain thresholds and smooth muscle tone were measured with a barostat before and after treatment in 18 patients (study I), and treatment changes in heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, finger temperature, and forehead electromyographic activity were assessed in 24 patients (study II). Somatization, anxiety, and depression were also measured. All central IBS symptoms improved substantially from treatment in both studies. Rectal pain thresholds, rectal smooth muscle tone, and autonomic functioning (except sweat gland reactivity) were unaffected by hypnosis treatment. However, somatization and psychological distress showed large decreases. In conclusion, hypnosis improves IBS symptoms through reductions in psychological distress and somatization. Improvements were unrelated to changes in the physiological parameters measured. 17 of 18 patients in study 1 and 21 of 24 patients in study 2 were judged substantially improved Improvement was well-maintained at 10-12 month follow up in study 2.

Lea R, Houghton LA, Calvert EL, Larder S, Gonsalkorale WM, Whelan V, Randles J, Cooper P, Cruickshanks P, Miller V, Whorwell PJ.Gut-focused hypnotherapy normalizes disordered rectal sensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.Alimentary Pharmacology& Therapeutics 2003 Mar 1;17(5):635-42. This study evaluated the rectal sensitivity changes in IBS patients who received hypnotherapy, like a previous study by the same group (see Houghton et al's study above, but using a slightly different methodology. Twenty-three IBS patients were tested before and after 12 weeks of hypnotherapy. Following the course of hypnotherapy, the mean pain sensory threshold increased in the hypersensitive subgroup and tended to decrease in the hyposensitive group, although the l. Reduction in gut pain sensitivity was associated with a reduction in abdominal pain. These results suggest that hypnotherapy may work at least partly by normalizing bowel perception in those patients who have abnormal gut sensitivity, while leaving normal sensation unchanged.

Gonsalkorale WM, Miller V, Afzal A, Whorwell PJ. Long term benefits of hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome. Gut. 2003 Nov;52(11):1623-9. In this study, 204 IBS patients treated with a course of hypnotherapy completed questionnaires scoring symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, and depression before, immediately after, and up to six years following treatment. 71% of patients showed improvement in response to treatment initially, and of those, 81% were still improved years later, while most of the other 19% only reported slight worsening of symptoms. Quality of life and anxiety or depression scores were also still significantly improved at follow-up but showed some deterioration. Patients also reported fewer doctor visits rates and less medication use long-term after hypnosis treatment. These results indicate that for most patients the benefits from hypnotherapy last at least five years.

Gonsalkorale WM, Toner BB, Whorwell PJ. J Psychosom Res. 2004 Mar;56(3):271-8. Cognitive change in patients undergoing hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome. Cognitive changes were evaluated in 78 IBS patients who completed a 12-session hypnosis treatment course, using the recently developed Cognitive Scale for Functional Bowel Disorders. Hypnotherapy resulted in improvement of symptoms, quality of life, anxiety and depression. Unhelpful IBS-related cognitions improved significantly, with reduction in thetotal cognitive score and all component themes related to bowelfunction. Overall symptom reduction correlated with an improvement on the cognitive scale.

Palsson OS, Turner MJ, Whitehead WE. Hypnosis home treatment for irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot study. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2006 Jan;54(1):85-99. A 3-month home-treatment version of a scripted hypnosis protocol previously shown to improve all central IBS symptoms was completed by 19 IBS patients. Outcomes werecompared to those of 57 matched IBS patients from a separate study receivingonly standard medical care. Ten of the hypnosis subjects (53%) responded totreatment by 3-month follow-up (response defined as more than 50% reduction inIBS severity) vs. 15 (26%) of controls. Hypnosis subjects improved more inquality of life scores compared to controls. Anxiety predicted poor treatmentresponse. Hypnosis responders remained improved at 6-month follow-up. Althoughresponse rate was lower than previously observed in therapist-deliveredtreatment, hypnosis home treatment may double the proportion of IBS patientsimproving significantly across 6 months.

Barabasz A, Barabasz M. Effects of tailored and manualized hypnotic inductions for complicated irritable bowel syndrome patients. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2006 Jan;54(1):100-12. This small clinical pilot study provided preliminary data on the effects of hypnotic inductions tailored to an irritable bowel syndrome patient in each session compared to Palsson's fully scripted (standardized) protocol. A total of eight IBS patients previously unresponsive to any treatment were assigned randomly to either the tailored or standardized induction condition. Other than pre-testing for hypnotizability, the procedure followed for the standardized group (four subjects) was exactly as prescribed by O. Palsson (1998). The same scripts were used for the other (tailored) group of four patients except that the inductions were individualized. Patients showed favorable treatment response immediately post-treatment and at 10-month follow-up. Only the tailored group showed no incapacitating pain at post-treatment but greater emotional stress than the standardized group. The tailored group continued to improve and showed better results than the standardized group at 10-month follow-up, and the post-reatment emotional distress had decreased significantly

Smith GD. Effect of nurse-led gut-directed hypnotherapy upon health-related quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. J Clin Nurs. 2006 Jun;15(6):678-84. This study conducted in Edinburgh, UK, measured the effects of a nurse-led gut-directed hypnotherapy. Seventy-five patients were treated with 5 to 7 1/2 hours of hypnotherapy, as well as receiving education and support. Diary results showed that the physical symptoms of abdominal pain and bloating improved significantly after treatment. There were also significant statistical improvements in six of the eight health-related quality of life scales and in anxiety scores after treatment. Vlieger AM, Menko-Frankenhuis C, Wolfkamp SC, Tromp E, Benninga MA. Hypnotherapy for children with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Gastroenterology. 2007 Nov;133(5):1430-6. This randomized controlled trial compared the effectiveness of six sessions of hypnotherapy over 12 weeks with results from standard medical therapy plus six sessions of supportive therapy in children with functional abdominal pain or IBS. Fifty-three children ranging in age from 8 to 18 years, with functional abdominal pain (31patients) or IBS (22 patients), were randomly assigned to either hypnotherapy or the comparison treatment. Pain scores decreased significantly in both groups from baseline to 1 year follow-up, but the hypnotherapy group showed significantly greater reduction in pain compared with the comparison group. At one-year follow-up, treatment was judged successful for 85% of the hypnotherapy group and 25% of the comparison group (p< .001).

© Copyright 2000-2008, Olafur S. Palsson, Psy.D. All Rights Reserved.

'Why I chose hypnobirthing

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Saturday, 20 July, 2002, 23:18 GMT 00:18 UK

'Why I chose hypnobirthing'

By Jane Elliott

BBC News Online Health Staff

Pia Goodman was terrified at the thought of giving birth, but she astonished midwives by having her first baby in just over three hours at home without any painkillers.

Ms Goodman admits she is a worrier and the thought of labour pains and the fears of what could go wrong were almost too much.

I just breathed her out without drugs

Pia Goodman

So when she was about 22 weeks pregnant she decided to try a pioneering new technique called hypnobirthing.

Hypnobirthing, which started in the States, uses self-hypnosis, relaxation, visualisation and breathing techniques to prepare the mother for birth.

And Ms Goodman, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, said it had worked fantastically during Imogen's birth.

"I am usually quite scared and I was petrified about going into labour.

"I am a worrier and I do get quite panicky about things like childbirth so I thought this might help me."

After taking the course Ms Goodman was so confident that she decided to try for a home birth.

"She was my first and I had her at home.

"I said that I had wanted a home birth, but I did not think I would be able to do it.

"But I went to see my midwife when I was 39 weeks and five days pregnant and said I definitely wanted a home birth.

"She panicked and said I hadn't given her much time, but my mum was my birthing partner and she and I were confident we could do it."

Diligent practice

As well as the series of classes Ms Goodman was given textbooks and relaxation tapes and she practised them religiously in the months leading up to the birth.

So when the big day came five weeks ago she was able to put all the theory into practice.

We have had women coming to us who are absolutely terrified at the thought of giving birth and they have gone on to have a perfectly natural birth with no drugs

Sonya Wadsworth

"The midwives were so impressed I had my hypnobirthing tape on and I rocked on a birthing ball and I just breathed.

"I just breathed her out without drugs it was just great and I could not have wished for anything better.

"I think it is just fantastic and it really, really helped."

Hypnotherapist Sonya Wadsworth, of Oldham, said that Ms Goodman's experiences at her birth just five weeks ago were typical of the many positive responses she has had to the pioneering technique.

Since she started the hypnobirthing in the UK last November she has had 26 very happy mothers complete her course and have successful births, including one set of twins.

"It gives women the chance to have choices. We reframe everything for mothers in a positive way so that the mums gain the confidence to have a good birth.

"We use self-hypnosis so that they can do it themselves and so that by the time the birth comes round they are actually looking forward to it rather than dreading it."

Complications

But although the technique is ideal for enabling natural childbirth, it can also be adapted for women who know they are going to have complications.

One of Mrs Wadsworth's clients suffered from pre-eclampsia and needed a Caesarean section, but she was able to use the technique to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

"The mothers have the birth that is for them, we do not set them up to fail.

"And the babies born in this way are so much calmer because they have been born in such a calm way. They really are chilled babies.

"We have had women coming to us who are absolutely terrified at the thought of giving birth and they have gone on to have a perfectly natural birth with no drugs, not even paracetamol."

Mary Newburn, of the NCT, said natural birthing methods like hypnobirthing should be encouraged by the NHS as a means of cutting the growing Caesarean rates.

"We should be exploring ways of letting people get over fear.

"The birth process is very straightforward if you can get into the mindset.

"Compared with some other self-help hypnotherapy is quite a minority interest but in the cases of people I have heard who have used this there have been very positive reports."

Anyone wanting to find out more about hypnobirthing can ring 0161 620 8770.

Hypnosis 'doubles IVF success'

Last Updated:

Tuesday, 29 June, 2004, 12:58 GMT 13:58 UK

Hypnosis 'doubles IVF success'

By Caroline Ryan

BBC News Online health staff in Berlin

Hypnosis may aid relaxation

Hypnosis can double the success of IVF treatment, researchers have claimed.A team from Soroka University, Israel, found 28% of women in the group who were hypnotised became pregnant, compared with 14% of those who were not.

The study of 185 women was presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Berlin.

But other experts said the research failed to account for key differences between the two groups.

The longer a couple have been trying to conceive, the less likely they are to conceive

Dr Francoise Shenfield

The Israeli researchers were looking to see if hypnosis could make the embryo transfer stage of IVF more successful.

During this stage, the embryo is transferred into the womb. However, if the womb is contracting, it can affect the chances of the transplant being a success.

It was hoped hypnotherapy could help women relax and therefore improve the chances of success.

Stress

Women undergoing IVF were assessed to see if they were suitable to be hypnotised.

Eighty-nine women were then given hypnosis while their embryos were implanted. Some underwent more than one cycle of IVF treatment.

Ninety-six other women underwent embryo transfers without hypnosis. All received one cycle each.

Dr Eliahu Levitas, who led the research, told the conference: "Embryo transfer is known to be a stressful time for patients, and it may be that the procedure is the peak of their stress in IVF.

"Hypnosis may be related to a tranquilising effect.

"Performing embryo transfer under hypnosis may significantly contribute to an increased clinical pregnancy rate."

But experts said the study failed to take into account key differences between the groups which would have a major influence on their chances of conceiving.

On average, women in the non-hypnosis group had been trying to conceive for 7.4 years, compared with 4.7 years for those who did receive hypnosis.

Dr Francois Shenfield, of University College London Hospital, UK, said: "One of the very important confounding factors in this field is the duration of infertility.

"The longer a couple have been trying to conceive, the less likely they are to conceive spontaneously, and with technical help."

Hypnosis 'reduces cancer pain'

Last Updated:

Friday, 10 September, 2004, 16:06 GMT 17:06 UK

Hypnosis 'reduces cancer pain'

By Paul Rincon

BBC News Online science staff, at the BA festival

Hypnosis can affect the left frontal cortex of the brain in some

Childhood cancer patients suffer less pain when placed under hypnosis, scientists have claimed.Children who had been hypnotised in trials reported they had less pain from medical procedures as well as cancer-related pain.

Dr Christina Liossi, from University of Wales, Swansea, suggested there was even tentative evidence that hypnosis prolonged the lives of cancer patients.

The research is being presented at the BA Festival of Science in Exeter.

In one study, 80 children were placed in four groups: two experimental groups who were treated with an anaesthetic and hypnosis.

Two control groups were just given the anaesthetic.

"All [40] children who used hypnosis with a local anaesthetic felt much less pain than children who were just given the local anaesthetic," said Dr Liossi.

The children, aged six to 16, were placed under hypnosis by experts and then taught to hypnotise themselves before they underwent procedures.

Children not treated with hypnosis were talked to and counselled instead.

"We asked children to rate their pain from 0 to 5 on a graded scale. Before we perform hypnosis we ask them to rate their pain on this scale," Dr Liossi explained.

"Then we introduce hypnosis and then we ask them to rate pain again and they report much less."

Brain changes

Other evidence presented at the festival also supports the idea that hypnosis is a genuine physical state and that people are not simply deceiving themselves into thinking they are hypnotised.

There are some studies and there are some encouraging results from these that hypnosis can probably improve the survival of cancer patients. But at the moment there isn't enough evidence

Dr Christina Liossi

Individuals who are highly susceptible to being placed under hypnosis show that there are changes in the left frontal cortex of the brain and a structure called the cingulated gyrus when viewed through a functional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner.

"The frontal lobe is concerned with our planning, our future actions, our analysis of the here and now, our critical evaluation and the things we do so we don't make silly mistakes," said Dr John Gruzelier of Imperial College, London.

"If you think about what the hypnotist does, he asks you to go with the flow and not critically analyse what you're doing."

Dr Liossi suggested there was even evidence that hypnosis might prolong life in adult cancer patients.

"There are some studies and there are some encouraging results from these," she said.

Adult cancer patients placed under hypnosis show fewer cancer-related symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and pain, said Dr Liossi.

"There are some studies and there are some encouraging results from these that hypnosis can probably improve the survival of cancer patients.

"But at the moment there isn't enough evidence."

Hypnosis could banish hay-fever

Hay-fever symptoms can be severe

Hay fever sufferers could benefit from using self-hypnosis, researchers say.A Swiss team at Basle University taught 66 people with hay-fever the art of hypnosis and found it helped them alleviate symptoms such as runny nose.

The volunteers also took their regular anti-hay-fever drugs, but the effect of hypnosis appeared to be additive and reduce the doses they needed to take.

The findings appear in the medical journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

Self-hypnosis

The study took place over two years and included two hay fever seasons.

During the first year, some of the volunteers with hay-fever were taught and asked to regularly practise hypnosis as well as take their usual allergy medicine.

The hypnosis training consisted of one two-hour session with an experienced trainer.

The remaining volunteers had no other treatment apart from their normal allergy medication.

After a year, the researchers found the volunteers who had been using self-hypnosis had reported fewer symptoms related to hay-fever than their fellow volunteers.

Runny noses

During the second year, the researchers taught the remaining "untrained" volunteers how to use hypnosis. By the end of this year, these volunteers also reported improvement in their hay-fever symptoms.

Although the improvement in symptoms was not statistically significant and, therefore, could have been down to chance alone, the researchers also found that the volunteers had cut down on the amount of hay-fever medication they used after learning self-hypnosis.

While our findings are not a definite answer, this simple intervention is worth investigating further

Lead researcher Professor Wolf Langewitz

Professor Wolf Langewitz and his team also tested the volunteers in the laboratory to see what effect the hypnosis was having on the body.

Using a machine that measured how forcefully a person could exhale through their nose, the researchers found that the hypnosis was helping to improve nasal airflow, even when the volunteers were exposed to things that triggered their hay-fever, such as pollen and grass.

Professor Langewitz said: "While our findings are not a definite answer, this simple intervention is worth investigating further.

"It is cheap and only takes a couple of hours to teach."

How it might work

He suspects that hypnosis might work by altering blood flow and helping alleviate congestion in the nose that can occur with hay-fever.

Dr Peter Whorwell from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, who uses hypnotherapy to treat people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, said some of his own patients who also had hay-fever had commented to him that their noses were less runny after hypnotherapy sessions.

He said: "It is known that you can alter blood flow with hypnosis.

"Hypnosis has been used for a variety of medical conditions, including asthma, eczema and migraines.

"It's definitely an area that is worth researching."

A spokeswoman from Allergy UK said they had heard anecdotal reports of hay-fever sufferers using hypnotherapy. However, they said they were unable to recommend any approaches that had not be extensively investigated and backed by strong scientific evidence.

Dr Adrian Morris, a GP in Surrey with a special interest in allergic disorders, said although hypnotherapy might be useful, what was far more helpful to lessen hay-fever symptoms was gradual, graded exposure to the trigger to increase tolerance.

Hypnosis 'eases cancer op pain'

Last Updated:

Wednesday, 29 August 2007, 23:45 GMT 00:45 UK

Breast cancer surgery patients often suffer severe side-effects

Breast cancer patients need less anaesthetic during operations if they have been relaxed by hypnosis beforehand, US research suggests.Patients in the study of 200 women by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine also reported less pain afterwards.

Breast cancer surgery patients often suffer severe side-effects such as pain, nausea and fatigue during and after their operations.

UK experts said more research was needed to prove hypnosis worked.

The side-effects from breast cancer surgery can sometimes mean a longer stay in hospital, extra drugs, or even a return to a hospital ward when patients should be recovering at home.

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute paper is just the latest to conclude hypnosis can help with operations.

Dr Guy Montgomery, who led the research, recruited 200 women to receive either 15 minutes of hypnosis or just a conversation with a psychologist before their surgery.

The women undergoing hypnosis were given suggestions for relaxation and pleasant mental images, and instructions on how to use hypnosis themselves.

Patients who had received hypnosis needed less anaesthetic than the others, and reported less pain, nausea, fatigue and emotional distress after the operation.

Money saving

The researchers said this was not just better for the patients, but it added up to cash savings for the hospital, as operations took less time on the hypnotised patients, and less was spent on medication and readmission of patients.

Dr David Spiegel, from Stanford University School of Medicine, wrote in the journal: "You have to pay attention to pain for it to hurt, and it is entirely possible to substantially alter pain perception during surgical procedures by inducing hypnotic relaxation, transforming perception in parts of the body, or directing attention elsewhere.

"The key concept is that this psychological procedure actually changes pain experience as much as many analgesic medications and far more than placebos."

Dr Sarah Cant, from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "This is an interesting study and anything that can help reduce the side-effects of breast surgery for breast cancer patients is to be welcomed.

"However, further, larger studies are needed before we can come to any firm conclusions about the benefits of hypnosis prior to breast surgery.

"Anyone interested in using hypnosis should discuss this with their breast care team first and ensure that they are using an appropriately trained and experienced hypnotherapist."

Fighting Fears Using Hypnosis

12/2/2009 10:18:00 AM

Islanders queueing up to fight fears Have you got a fear, habit or negative behaviour you want change? Hypnotist Monica Dobbie believes she can help. She claims hypnotherapy can solve almost any problem - from a fear of needles to controlling your weight or helping you sleep. She said: "Not only do I help people to eliminate negative habits and fears with hypnotherapy, I also use it to assist people in positive ways. "For example, to increase confidence, improve sports performance, enhance memory or pass exams, become more creative and better in almost any endeavour. "So if someone wants to improve their lives, this is a great way to do it." Ms Dobbie worked part-time as a hypnotist from 1999 until 2007, when she made it a full-time career. She claims her service has become increasingly popular in Bermuda, especially among people trying to quit smoking. She said: "I'm told it is the easiest and most pleasant way to stop. "When a person leaves my office they believe they are a non-smoker, which means they don't smoke. It's as simple as that. "No anxiety, no withdrawal symptoms - just a feeling of being able to breathe better and feel healthier. "Most of my clients are word-of-mouth referrals, so it really does work." Ms Dobbie has personal experience of the benefits of hypnosis. She underwent hypnotherapy 20 years ago while working in the reinsurance industry. She said: "I used to get very panicky when I had to give presentations to high-powered executives and after a couple of sessions with a hypnotherapist, I overcame my fear." She took hypnotherapy training and qualified as an advanced hypnotherapist with the U.S. National Guild of Hypnotists 10 years ago. Today she practices self-hypnosis on a regular basis. She claims hypnotherapy is a popular phobia treatment and you can be cured after just one session. She said: "Change often occurs after just one session. However, I strongly recommend a follow-up session as this reinforces the effect and seems to have better long-term results. "Unlike other therapies requiring weekly visits, motivated clients achieve success in two to four sessions maximum." Hypnotherapy works by bypassing the conscious mind and talking directly to the subconscious mind. It is a state of focused concentration when you are neither fully awake nor fully asleep - a sensation similar to daydreaming. When a person is in a relaxed state of body and mind, the conscious mind can be bypassed to make suggestions directly to the subconscious. The subconscious mind then accepts these suggestions and creates the behaviour or body changes to align with the given suggestions. Ms Dobbie said: "If we do something often enough, such as smoking with a cup of coffee, the subconscious mind begins to believe this behaviour pattern is what we want and makes it part of our normal behaviour - it becomes a habit. "Then, no matter how much we try to consciously change that behaviour pattern, our subconscious mind wins the mental tug-of-war and we return to the stored habit. The only way to effectively and permanently make a true change in our behaviour pattern is to override the remembered programme in the subconscious mind, and a very effective way of doing that is with hypnosis." Ms Dobbie says "the key" to hypnosis is a person's willingness and active participation. She added: "Hypnotherapy is completely safe. "You are aware and in control at all times and you can end the session if you want at any time. "You are not asleep nor can you get stuck in hypnosis - and you can't be made to do anything against your will." The biggest misconception people have is they think that they will be "out of it" during the sessions. Ms Dobbie said: "In hypnosis one is not asleep or unconscious. "When I guide people into hypnotherapy, they relax so profoundly that their body appears to be asleep but the mind is still very much aware and hears everything that is said." For more information, call 505-7531, email change@ hypnosisbermuda.com or log on to www.hypnosis bermuda.com.

Using Hypnosis For an athletic slump

The Sophomore Season

Ravens trying to battle through second-season syndrome and return to playoffs

By Joe Platania

For ardent sports fans in today's athletically-saturated society, beauty and joy are provided by so-called supermen who burst majestically onto the scene by scoring touchdowns, hitting home runs, throwing down windmill dunks and generally towering over their competition in ways that won't soon be forgotten.

Lack of proper perspective notwithstanding, they are held aloft on pedestals, revered seemingly for eternity until ... the sophomore jinx.

No one seems to know the origins of a phenomenon that dictates that an athlete's second-year performance must suffer by comparison to his first. No one seems to have pinned down all the factors responsible for an alleged drop-off in motivation, work ethic and statistics. That's probably because nobody is sure if the sophomore jinx really exists.

Baltimore Ravens fans probably believe it does, given the path the team has taken. From the fork in the road at which the team found itself before the 2008 season began, to the current state of affairs, the franchise has taken the proverbial long and winding road.

When the 2008 season kicked off, the team had, in the space of just nine months, changed head coaches (Brian Billick to John Harbaugh), offensive coordinators (Rick Neuheisel to Cam Cameron) and starting quarterbacks (Steve McNair to rookie Joe Flacco). Despite a season that saw a franchise-record 19 players placed on the season-ending injured reserve list, the results were stunningly positive.

The team improved in almost all major statistical categories, averaging seven more points per game than the previous year, winning six more games and advancing all the way to the AFC Championship game before narrowly missing a second Super Bowl appearance.

Through the first three games of the current campaign, it looked as if nothing had changed. Indeed, the Ravens seemed even more explosive than before, a welcome change from a decade-long offensive malaise.

Points were pouring through as if a dike had broken -- 38 against Kansas City, 31 in a pulsating win at San Diego and 34 more in a hammering of the Cleveland Browns. Cameron's creativity and innovation were widely praised. The rocket-armed stoicism of the youthful Flacco was drawing comparisons to the taciturn legend that was John Unitas.

And Harbaugh's steely-eyed focus and devotion to tempo, alacrity and a no-nonsense, diligent work ethic was just what the doctor ordered for a humble, blue-collar fan base weary of nine years of Billick's new-age verbosity and arrogance that belied his overall success.

But in the nine games that followed 2009's sterling start, the sheen dulled, the euphoria was muted and the bloom definitely fell off the rose.

Games won by laughingly absurd margins suddenly became lost by razor-thin ones, due to the most trivial mistakes. Big plays at clutch moments that were a "fait accompli" for a tremendously talented roster were seemingly just out of reach.

Did the sophomore slump wrap its sinister sinew around the Ravens?

Or did the vagaries of a parity-ridden league simply come around to bury Baltimore in their inevitable avalanche?

'THE JINX' AT WORK What do the following names have in common?

Scott Williamson, Pat Listach, Bob Hamelin, Marty Cordova, Ben Grieve, Kaz Sasaki, Eric Hinske, Mike Croel, Kendrell Bell, Leonard Russell, Mike Anderson.

All of them won one of the various Rookie of the Year awards presented by Major League Baseball or the National Football League over the past two decades. None of them ever made a significant impact in their respective sports again. Croel's case is especially telling.

An aggressive linebacker, Croel was the fourth overall pick in the 1991 draft from Nebraska and, at first, lived up to his billing with 84 tackles, 10 sacks and four forced fumbles. That output helped the Denver Broncos post a 12-4 record and advance all the way to the AFC Championship game, where they lost to Buffalo, 10-7.

Croel's output dipped to five sacks the following year, and the Broncos' feared defense collapsed partially because of it. They went 8-8, missed the playoffs and made only a token wild-card appearance over Croel's next two years in Denver.

By the time Croel arrived in Baltimore and played with the Ravens' 1996 inaugural team -- a defense that produced the fewest turnovers (22) and gave up the most yards per game (368) in Ravens history -- his days as a spotlighted force to be reckoned with were over.

What causes such a drop-off?

Dr. Charlie Citrenbaum has been a licensed psychologist for 41 years. He has worked in the Prince George's County addiction program, among others and has used clinical hypnosis as a means for determining an individual's inner motivation. He is a believer in the mysterious second-year decline but has a tangible reason for it.

"There does seem to be something we could call the sophomore jinx," Dr. Citrenbaum said. "It's a label, like other labels, that describes someone that has a positive first year; then, in his second year, he doesn't even come close (to matching the first-year performance).

"What happens is there are expectations generated in the public. Whether the athlete says to himself or others, 'I'm not putting pressure on myself,' it's there because the expectations are there."

If someone could have avoided the sophomore jinx, it would have been Mike Anderson.

A former Marine Corps member with a stoic personality and strong work ethic, Anderson burst onto the scene with the Broncos in 2000, gaining over 1,400 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns and proving to be the team's offensive linchpin before Denver got eliminated by the Ravens in the wild-card round.

The following year, Anderson played in all 16 contests but started just seven games, rushing for less than half of his previous year's total (678). By the time 2001 ended, he had already run for half of his eventual career total of just over 4,000 yards, even though he would play five more NFL seasons, his last two with the Ravens.

"There's a part of that person who expects to do what he did in his first year," Dr. Citrenbaum explains. "The external world is going to have expectations. You can see the media picking up on that in the questions that they ask.

"In lots of cases, if a negative experience gets into his second season, it gets magnified because of the expectations set. Negative energy is much more amplified, whereby an injury, a fumble or interception take on more substance."

THERE'S NO SUCH THING Of course, there are plenty of cases where if a player proves himself over a consistent basis, he cannot only avoid a sophomore jinx, he can go on to be one of the greats of his game.

Ravens running back Ray Rice may be one of those people. In fact, you could say he didn't have a sophomore jinx, but rather it was an injury-related rookie regression.

The 5-foot-8, 210-pound Rice had surprisingly few problems adjusting to the pro game in 2008, touching the ball 140 times for 727 yards and averaging six yards per attempt. But a lower-leg injury forced him to miss the last three games of the regular season and most of the postseason as well.

Already well into his second year, Rice not only leads the Ravens in rushing and receptions, but he tops all NFL running backs in catches (68) and receiving yards (652). Rice ran for a career-high 166 yards against the Lions in Week 14, finishing the game with a personal-best 219 total yards and going over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

“First off, last year was my first experience being in an NFL stadium," Rice recalled. "Emotions do run high. This year, I knew what to expect."

Rice also understood that preparing for a full football season -- rather than draft workouts, on-campus pro day workouts and then training camp -- would make a difference in his sophomore campaign.

“Last year I was training for (the pre-draft Scouting) Combine. That’s totally different training than trying to become an NFL running back," Rice said. "Last year I was training for a 40-yard dash, a 225 (-pound bench press) and a vertical jump.

"This year, being around the team in the offseason, pumping the weights each day, but at the same time the conditioning that we’re doing helps maintain your speed and quickness in your joints. You learn how to train when you’re a professional athlete."

Harbaugh, a no-frills type who easily shrugs off any notion of clichéd external forces having an effect on his or anyone else's players, saw Rice's big year coming during training camp.

“The thing is -- it’s always probably been true -- that your biggest improvement in your career, as a football player, at any level, is between your first year and your second year, high school, college and pro," the second-year coach said in August. "That’s when you make the most improvement. So, our rookies -- last year’s rookies -- need to make the biggest jump that they’re going to make, probably in their career, between Year 1 and Year 2.

"Ray has taken that to heart. We expect him to make that improvement.”

Not only has Rice shaken off the jinx, but many other 2008 draftees have done so as well.

Two of them play Rice's position -- Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall and Tennessee Titans speedster Chris Johnson. All three of those players are among the top six rushers in the AFC and are in the NFL's overall top 10.

SO, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? There is compelling evidence for both the existence and the folly of the sophomore jinx. Taking that into account, what has caused the Ravens' performance in general -- and the fortunes of Harbaugh, Cameron and Flacco in particular -- to suffer this year?

Dr. Citrenbaum brings up a common psychological point, the phenomenon of "regression to the mean."

"The mean is the average ability of a given player," the doctor explained. "The second year is more of what that person really is, and it balances out what happens in the first year. In that second year, who that person really is comes out.

"Other teams learn that person's strengths and weaknesses and take advantage of them. That causes what you could call 'performance anxiety.' Once they had a great first year, within themselves, they experience an energy that leads to that."

Throughout their history, the Ravens have almost always been, at best, average when it comes to launching a downfield passing attack. During their successful 2008 season, they performed well above their mean, and lived well beyond their means as a result.

In the regular season, the Ravens delivered 40 pass plays of 20 or more yards. That may not sound like much, but they did so with two different quarterbacks and 11 different receivers participating in those plays with varied formations, imaginative play calls and pinpoint execution born from high-tempo practice drills.

The pressure to perform such feats in a second consecutive year has definitely shown, and Cameron knows it.

“Well, you know, every player or coach in this business … you get stung," Cameron said. "That’s just the way this business is. I think there is a ton of great examples of people that come back and continue to do good things. I’m not different than a player. You learn from any situation you were in. You come back. You’ve got to get better. You move on. If you can’t bounce back, then this is probably not the profession for you.”

Given his results and family history in the coaching business, Harbaugh is definitely in the right profession.

But the team's recent lack of tempo, sloppy tackling and penalty-filled ways, and more than a few ill-chosen timeouts -- including one where Harbaugh mistakenly thought he could have back in return for a replay challenge -- have raised as many questions about Harbaugh's coaching identity as the team's on-field philosophy.

However, the coach believes the big-picture objective is what's important now.

"The difference between last year and this year is the fact that the team, players and coaches know the process," Harbaugh said. "They know where we’re going with this thing. I think that’s a huge advantage in getting better.

"They know where they’re tracking, and they can get there a little more quickly now.” On the field, the quarterback is supposed to be the one getting the team there a little more quickly. But despite throwing 14 touchdown passes in the first 12 games -- matching his entire rookie year output -- Flacco has had his troubles as well.

When the foot of a Minnesota Vikings pass rusher met Flacco's in October, it caused foot and ankle problems that have continued to plague the former Delaware quarterback, something that made the sophomore jinx irrelevant.

The Ravens have had slow offensive starts for the past two months, but by the time Flacco gets to the fourth quarter, the pain obviously subsides: Flacco's 96.1 fourth-quarter passer rating is fourth in the AFC and ninth in the entire league.

But with the team having obviously fallen in love with Flacco's arm a bit too early in his career, has this caused a sophomore jinx season?

“Well, maybe that’s true," Cameron said. "It’s really hard for anybody to know what he’s being asked to do. We ask our quarterbacks to do a lot.

"It may not look that way at times, but there is a lot of leeway for our quarterbacks in and out of plays, formations. But at the same time, as a young quarterback grows, you’d like to think you can do more. What that means, I guess we’re going to have to wait and find out.”

THEY’RE HUMAN, TOO Dr. Citrenbaum believes it's just not possible sometimes to maintain the one-game-at-a-time mentality athletes and coaches try so hard to keep.

"I know pro athletes do their best to stay in the moment," he said. "I know they try to do the best job they can, but they are human. Everyone has a little marginal point within himself, and that's why you see a lot of athletes being superstitious."

To this point, there have been no reports of Ravens players not changing their socks or underwear for long periods of time, but the questions surrounding this team have, to be sure, created their own uncertain stench.

For instance, the Ravens' recent Monday-night trip to Green Bay's Lambeau Field elicited widely varying opinions on the team's performance.

ESPN analyst Cris Carter, before the game: "Joe Flacco has really graduated from his freshman to his sophomore year. All he needs are some playmakers."

MASN analyst Bruce Laird, after the game: "Joe Flacco is definitely having sophomore-itis."

It would seem hard to believe a laid-back, level-headed player like Flacco would fall victim to something as intangible and ambiguous as a sophomore jinx.

His shaky performances this season could well be caused by the fact that teams are trying to contain him in the pocket more often and cover what few targets he has.

They could be caused by the fact that over the past five weeks prior to the offensive explosion against Detroit that saw Baltimore find the end zone six times while racking up 308 rushing yards, the Ravens were averaging two touchdowns less per game, with their single-game rushing average dropping below the 100-yard mark.

In the NFL these days, that's absolutely suicidal, for the passing game is on its way to setting record totals. League-wide, games are averaging 672.5 yards per contest between the two teams, with 442 of those yards coming in the net passing category.

Not only that, through Week 13, there were 82 passing performances of 300 or more yards. Flacco had only three of those.

"The ability is there," Cameron said. "Everyone ... can see that. The matchups on a week-to-week basis and those differences are the little things that the great quarterbacks can take advantage of.”

But it's the opposition that has taken advantage of the Ravens' offense at a key point in its development: the sophomore years of the head coach, the coordinator and the quarterback. The Ravens built this trio for short-term stability and long-term success.

That's because since 1945, there have been 11 head coach/quarterback tandems that have lasted for 10 or more years. All have advanced to at least one championship game, with seven of them winning at least one title.

Does Harbaugh mind having his fortunes tied to Flacco's?

“I don’t know if it’s fair, but I’m pretty happy about it, to be honest with you, because I think we have a quarterback," Harbaugh said. "We’ve got good players on this team. But when you’re a coach in the National Football League -- or for any team -- you like to have good players. And Joe is fast becoming [a good quarterback].

"As time goes on, he’s going to be a tremendous quarterback in this league. So, I’m OK with that.”

But it's December, and sophomore jinx or not, the time for improvement is now.

Issue 144: December 2009

Comments:

I meant to say pitcher versus BATTER, not catcher. Sorry. Anyway, team sports like hockey and football are truly team sports in that players must work in concert with each other. Look how many stud RB's Denver had for a while. When they left that superior blocking, the RB was left to be declared in decline. Look how many LB's left Baltimore only to be so-so when not playing with Ray Lewis. Are these players having a Sophomore Team Jinx? Of course not. Swimming, skiing and golf don't even try to use the term because they are players against themselves. It is only competitive in the sense times or scores are compared at the end of the day.

Posted by:

Mr Bad Example @ 4:56 PM on 12.17.2009    [

The Sophomore Jinx is a baseball term. Even though baseball is a team sport, it is centered around pitcher versus catcher -- individual versus individual. Players have tendencies, so players playing against those tendencies once they are learned will sometimes generate a reduction in production. It then becomes incumbent on that player to adjust (so the Sophomore Jinx is a one-year blip), or he goes away never to be heard from again (so the One Year Wonder's downfall began with the Sophomore Jinx). The same phenomenom can be seen in individual sports (tennis, boxing) or other activities (poker, chess) if it is one-on-one. It is mostly coincidence if it happens in football or swimming.

Posted by:

Mr Bad Example @ 4:50 PM on 12.17.2009    [

to create an account.

Regression Therapy

Don't bite me: Nail-biter's dirty little secret can help

There are ways to keep your fingers out of your mouth

BY TARA KRUGER, CANWEST NEWS SERVICEDECEMBER 3, 2009

When you're a chronic nail-biter, everyone's always sticking their fingers in your business. My elementary school teacher once asked me, "Did you know your nails are made of the same substance as a beetle's exoskeleton?", thinking that factoid would gross me out enough so that I'd quit.

It didn't.

I didn't.

I still nibble, gnaw and chew at my fingernails like a rabid squirrel going after Mr. Peanut. My mom tried everything to nip the problem in the bud early on, to no avail.

I've had my hand slapped away from my mouth by my boss, co-workers, friends, my boyfriend and complete strangers.

I've been a biter as long as I can remember. After a lifetime of daily chewing, my poor nails have been bitten to the quick and beyond.

I don't need anyone to tell me why I should stop. Nail-biting (the medical term is onychophagia) isn't pretty, it can cause infections, it's interpreted as a sign of insecurity by others, and with H1N1 lurking on every door handle, constantly putting your fingers in your mouth is just asking for trouble.

I've even developed a phobia of pointing. The last thing I want is for anybody to have a reason to look at the end of my finger. It's downright embarrassing.

"Lots of people bite their nails. It's nothing to be ashamed of," I tell myself, but sharing a body-focused repetitive behaviour with Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton provides little comfort. Then again, even Princess Di balled her hand into a fist when it came time to display her engagement ring, lest her raggedy nails be exposed. It's estimated that 30% of children and 45% of teenagers bite their nails. Most simply outgrow it once they reach adulthood, but not everyone does.

With unshakable resolve and a few tricks, many kick the habit.

Rubber-band bracelets are quite flattering (wear red and you're in style-step with Kabbalah-practising Madonna), but you have to remember to punish yourself with a snap on the wrist when you catch yourself biting. Nasty-flavoured nail polish can be effective, too.

There is never a drink or mint close enough when that foul taste hits your tongue. It's like licking the inside of the cap of a bottle of nail-polish remover and chasing it with a shot of lye. Tasty! Band-Aids around the fingertips invite awkward questions, as do gloves in the middle of summer, but you can't bite what you can't get at.

Fake nails seem to work. Press-ons do the trick for me, but they only last a week or so. I've never had gel tips, but I hear they are tough enough to break a tooth if you try to chow down on them. Eventually, though, the falsies must come off and you're back where you started.

I have tried all of these methods and have succeeded in quitting three times. But then my fingers make their way into my mouth again within a few months and all that hard work and will power are for naught. Wally Muller, who owns Advance Hypnosis in Calgary, says my compulsion to chew is all in my head. Some experience in my past gave rise to an emotion that makes me want to bite, he maintains. He uses regression hypnosis to help people identify the root cause of their bad habit and overcome it. "They don't know where it came from, but they can't get rid of it," Muller says. "They know it's there, but they don't know what it is. It's called anxiety."

Regression therapy is only one type of hypnosis. Direct suggestion -- you've seen the shows where some unfortunate soul clucks around the stage with his arms flapping -- involves the hypnotist reading a script to influence behaviour while the subject is in a trance. You can buy MP3 recordings and CDs online, and do direct-suggestion hypnosis at home. Muller says this method does work, but only temporarily. "Direct suggestion in a lot of situations is a Band-Aid. It'll fix it for a while, but then it comes back because you never really got rid of the cause."

Psychologists and hypnotists get along like doctors and chiropractors, but they do agree on some things. Most psychologists also think nail-biting is stress-induced. So if anxiety is to blame for the problem, then all I have to do is rid my life of stress and presto! Nails to die for. I'd also like a unicorn for Christmas and Albertans to vote for an NDP government in the next provincial election.

So I'm contemplating getting what could be the final nail in the coffin of my bad habit: a mouthpiece. Custom-moulded clear covers that fit over either your top or bottom teeth are an option, as is a device primarily used to discourage thumb-sucking; it has sharp bits that jab any fingers that wander into your mouth. As I also have TMJ, I'm thinking a clear cover could help me overcome two of my oral obstacles.

If you do manage to quit nibbling-I'm crossing my fingers for you- the hard part is keeping it up. The battle may be won, but the war is never over. Once you've stopped, buy a handful of nail files and never let yourself be caught without one. Seriously. The slightest sign of a ragged edge can undo all your hard work in a matter of minutes. Invest in some cuticle cream and a few new shades of nail polish. Flawless tips are the best defence against a relapse.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

Hypnotist says it doesn't work like it does on TV

Dec 10 2009

Hypnotism is often portrayed as a mysterious practice in which the subject loses control over their actions in order to move the plot along to a fantasy conclusion.

In real life, it is a straightforward procedure that helps people overcome the mental blocks that obstruct their path to a happier life.

“The general assumptions about hypnosis aren’t always true,” said Diana Labrum, owner of Personal Best Hypnosis. “It can help people control the impulses that cause them to overeat or smoke. It is one of the best ways to deal with stress or to overcome a mental block.”

Hypnosis, however, is not a form of mind control. Someone in a trance will not do anything that is against their nature or incompatible with their beliefs.

“If I put someone under hypnosis, they will never do anything they would not do when they are awake,” Labrum said. “If I tell you that a session costs $60 and put you under hypnosis and ask you to write a check for $600, you will get up and walk out.”

While the purpose of hypnosis is to quit addiction or modify behavior, it is only the first step.

It is perhaps used most often as a method to slim down, and to this end Labrum’s most popular program is a $150 eight-week weight loss course.

Still, the course doesn’t offer a direct path to weight loss. Rather, it helps the patient accomplish the sometimes-difficult (and necessary) diet and exercise goals.

“Hypnosis changes the way you view things,” Labrum said. “It can motivate you to take better care of youself or see yourself more clearly.”

Continuing the notion that it is not a typical mall, the Towne Center in Port Orchard features a hypnotherapist as part of the spectrum of businesses sharing the location, Labrum has taken over a small room on the mall’s lower level, furnishing it with a variety of recliners positioned in a circle.

Labrum, who once worked as an accountant, has worked as a hypnotherapist since 2005. Since then, she has worked out of her home and in a mall office, moving to her current location earlier this year.

Prior to treatment, Labrum conducts a 30-minute “intake interview” to determine a patient’s needs.

“The assumptions that you make about a patient aren’t always true,” she said. “If you have an overweight person they may not want to lose weight. Maybe they’d rather quit smoking, although it’s very difficult to do both at the same time.”

Hypnotic suggestions are often permanent, such as one that steers a person away from a certain unhealthy food.

Physical dependencies are different. Someone may use hypnosis to quit smoking, but may relapse if their life takes a stressful turn that causes them to again crave cigarettes.

In those cases a follow-up visit could be required.

Aside from weight, stress and smoking, Labrum said that hypnosis is most useful to deal with fears and phobias.

Fear can be a positive thing when it creates caution. In other cases, such as the fear of public speaking or certain small, harmless animals, it serves no useful purpose.

And fears of crowds or unfamiliar places can impose unwelcome restrictions on a person’s ability to function.

Labrum uses age regression, which delves into a person’s past and finds the reason for their particular fear or phobia. Through this, casual factors can be addressed and healed.

“Regression therapy deals with specific fears that you might not be aware of,” she said. “Something can happen to you when you are three or four that you remember in your subconscious. I can help you discover and address this.”

Hypnosis and Past Life Regression

, Hindustan Times

Email Author

Mumbai, December 10, 2009

First Published:

11:00 IST(10/12/2009)

Last Updated:

18:09 IST(10/12/2009)

There’s a new show on TV and it takes you back to your past life, literally, through a therapy that is supposed to help you find a solution to the problems dogging you in this life. That’s Raaz Picchle Janam Ka for you, whose first episode aired on Monday.

But, if industry sources are to be believed, the reality show was not on the cards until two months back. In fact, rumours are that the reality show is responsible for pushing Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega, the sequel to Rakhi Ka Swayamvar that features Rahul Mahajan, to early next year.

“Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega was never slotted for December. I agree there was a buzz that the show could start in December, but there’s a lot that needs to be done on it before it goes on air,” explains Shailaja Kejriwal of the channel, adding that the initial promos were just to call in the entries from prospective brides and the video is meant to add to the buzz. “The show should begin only early next year because we will start shooting for it this month. There has to be a considerable gap between two seasons of a show. The girls had to be short-listed and groomed before we began shooting for the show,” she says, “That process takes a lot of time and energy. Meanwhile, we needed to keep non-fiction shows breathing on our channel. Raaz… was always planned for this period.”

But wasn’t Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka a risk? Kejriwal believes that it’s more of an experiment than a risk. “We have to consistently come up with different content and by different we don’t mean copied or adapted formats. Those are good but they should not become the order of the day. This was an original format and a good one at that. We didn’t mind the plunge,” she reveals.

The show is expected to go on for a maximum of eight weeks, with five episodes every week. Initially, buzz was that it would be a 26 week-long show with one episode per week. But Kejriwal refutes the rumour:  “No non-fiction show should go on for more than eight weeks, which is the maximum period for such shows. This one, if it works well, might come back in a second edition too.”

Rumours are rife that Sushmita Sen and Sanjay Dutt had been approached to participate on the show and that the episode shot with Shahid Kapoor’s mother, Neelima Azeem, might not be shown at all, because it doesn’t have enough meat. But, the channel chose not to respond to these queries. Well, we just have to wait and watch as these secrets are unravelled in the coming weeks.

All about past life regression therapy

It uses hypnosis to dig into the memories of what most practitioners believe are people’s past lives or incarnations. Practitioners use a string of questions and suggestions, generally beginning with “Look at your feet. Where are you standing?” to promote recall. This therapy is mentioned in the yoga sutras of Patanjali that were written in 2 BC. The concept of Past Life Regression gained popularity in the West in the 1950s when an American housewife, recounted the alleged memories of a 19th-century Irish woman named Bridey Murphy.

Who needs this therapy? According to most clinical psychologists and Past Life Regression Therapy practitioners, people with strange phobias, anxieties and with unresolved and unaccounted for problems in their current lives need this therapy that helps them to go deep into their past to find an answer to the questions they face today. For instance, one could be petrified of heights for no clear reason, or have recurring dreams of drowning or simply hate someone for no reason. Some practitioners also believe that extremely restless minds, skeptics and those who aren’t peaceful in their mind need this therapy. People with schizophrenia, arthiritis or people who’ve suffered a stroke or have a weak heart are not advised this therapy.

‘No one can fool a therapist’ Dr Trupti Jayin on the procedure of Past Life Regression

Accessing past life The induction process involves a series of steps which extend from 40 minutes to two hours depending upon the subject. This is followed by progressive relaxation after which one can be led into visualisation. When the conscious mind switches off, one can access the sub-conscious, which stores memories. Conscious state I have to ensure that the subject doesn’t go off to sleep with the given amount of relaxation. When there’s no movement of the eyes, I know they’re in deep sleep. Otherwise, their eyes generally move and their lids flutter as if they were watching something with their eyes closed.

Fool-proof? I don’t think anyone can fool a therapist by saying things consciously. In the first episode of Raaz Picchle Janam Ka, the girl, Swati Singh, couldn’t have conjured up the details she gave about a person she had never met, a seat number she had never seen. She had never heard about the incident or anything associated with it. No one can fool a therapist. They’re cheating themselves if they’re doing that.

Does it fail? Regression fails when the subject becomes too resistant or is scared to try the therapy out. It also fails when they don’t believe what they see and wake up in the middle of the course. They just can’t fathom what they see. When a subject can’t disconnect from his or her materialistic surroundings is also when the therapy doesn’t succeed.

Celebrities and their past lives

Shekhar Suman This actor-politician went through a roller-coaster ride on the show to discover that he was a soldier in 1873, who lost his life fighting. He apparently even found reasons for certain complications in his current life.

Monica Bedi This actor was a Portuguese woman, who was a mother of three children, two daughters and a son. She was a self-sacrificing mother. She’s had the same mother in both her lives and has also met her husband from the past life in this ‘janam’.

Celina Jaitly This light-eyed ex-Miss India was a happily married woman in the US. She had a peaceful life. She had her own turmoil but nothing that she felt was earth-shattering.

Sambhavna Seth She was an uneducated Muslim girl. The actor-dancer found that she was a five-time namazi and strictly followed her religion. She also discovered that her uncle had killed her because he wanted to take advantage of her.

Hypnosis and Past Life Regression

, Hindustan Times

Email Author

Mumbai, December 14, 2009

First Published:

01:08 IST(14/12/2009)

Last Updated:

01:43 IST(14/12/2009)

The scientific community has labelled a new reality television programme that deals with past life regression therapy to be an irresponsible propagation of blind superstition.

The show, Raaz Picchle Janam Ka, which NDTV Imagine began airing on December 7 and claims it addresses people’s fears by connecting them to their past life, has prompted scientists and rationalists to question its effect on millions of Indian television viewers.

“When India is trying to be scientific and development-oriented, a show like this is highly regressive, perpetuating superstition while playing on peoples’  vulnerabilities, said Jayashree Ramadas, Dean, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education. “So-called past life regression through hypnotism has been tested and debunked, and besides, it has dangers.

From watching the show for fun, many will start believing it, and it may take hold of their lives, leading to trouble for them and their families.”

Past life regression therapy claims to use hypnosis to delve into the memories of people’s past lives. It has no scientific basis and there is no evidence to show that hypnosis helps recall past life events.

“Science has not been able to establish that we have a past life. Psychologists and psychiatrists do not accept it either,” said Dr Yusuf Matcheswala, a practicing psychiatrist. “The concept of a past life is more of a cultural and religious belief. An unconscious mind can go to any limits. One’s thoughts could also be based on what’s read in history.”

But Nikhil Madhok, vice-president of NDTV Imagine, said that the show was not pitching the therapy as a panacea for medical problems. “The therapy is specific to people who cannot resolve the extreme phobia and paranoia they possess,” said Madhok. “It will not dent scientific beliefs.”

He said that the show has found many viewers because many people believe in a past life. “The channel received 600 phone calls every day for six weeks when we opened telephone lines those wishing to participate,” added Madhok.

In a country where many believe in reincarnation, academicians and rational thinkers feel that the show will reinforce such beliefs. “The show tries to prove to the gullible masses that all their physical and mental problems are derived from their past lives,” said Sanal Edamaruku, president, Indian Rationalist Society.

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Hypnosis Can Be Useful for Pain Management In Mesothelioma

Friday, November 27, 2009 Mesothelioma can be a painful cancer. Over half of the pleural mesothelioma patients experience pain in the chest which can be intense and severe enough to require narcotics to alleviate the pain and discomfort.

Not willing to take any more drugs, some mesothelioma patients are turning to hypnosis as a way to manage their pain. Hypnosis, once shunned by the medical profession, is becoming more popular in clinical settings helping people stop smoking, lose weight, and now, deal with pain.

Hpynotherapy, when performed by a trained specialist, can be a powerful and effective procedure. A hypnotist brings a patient to a state of high concentration allowing him to have a strict focus. The person then "projects" himself to another place or state where he can block pain awareness or substitute other sensations for painful ones.

Hypnosis is considered an unconventional therapy and is often used with other holistic treatments including yoga and meditation. Hypnosis is not effective for everyone.

Meetings with a Remarkable Man

Review - Meetings with a Remarkable Man

Personal Tales of Milton H. Erickson by Bill O'Hanlon Crown House, 2009 Review by E. James Lieberman, M.D. Dec 15th 2009 (Volume 13, Issue 51)

Hypnosis seems to be an ugly duckling in regard to training clinicians and researchers in the mental health professions. It's fascinating, and open to many theories and research approaches, but seems tainted by association with mysticism and charlatans.  It is said that ten percent of the population is highly hypnotizable, another ten percent indifferent or immune, and the great majority somewhere in between. Much of therapy--like parenting, teaching, politics, religion, sports, literature etc.--is suffused with suggestion.  Yet few are aware of how they--we--act and talk suggestively. According to Peter Brown (reference below), if you can read this, you are trained in self-hypnosis: you can convert arbitrary symbols--letters on a page--to meaningful images and ideas.

This compact disk is one of six produced by marriage and family therapist O'Hanlon, who has conducted over 2000 seminars and workshops and authored or coauthored 29 books. A good, easy-going speaker, O'Hanlon relates his experience with this "amazing man," Milton Erickson, M.D. (1902-1980). The two met in 1973 when O'Hanlon, a student at Arizona State, did some gardening for the Ericksons and then became his student.

O'Hanlon describes a few cases that characterized his mentor's style: sensitive, imaginative, bold; sometimes cryptic, often paradoxical. He calls Erickson a "wounded healer," who transcended polio as a teenager before deciding to go to medical school because he could no longer be a farmer. A great observer, Erickson trusted his unconscious and often used indirect suggestion to engage that of his patient.

This is an attractive introduction to a complex, ingenious therapist and, to many, a guru. A handful of his colleagues and students sometimes seem to compete for his mantle. Erickson's papers are collected in four volumes. There is an excellent biography, Milton H. Erickson, M.D.: An American Healer (2006) edited byBetty Erickson and Bradford Keeney.  For a broader introduction, TheHypnotic Brain by Peter Brown, M.D. (1991) has a fine example of Erickson's approach, while addressing the hypnotic phenomenon generally in its many guises.

Having studied hypnosis only in the last decade of my psychiatric career, I regret that it earns so little respect in academic circles and the health professions.  The relatively few who are trained in hypnosis have learned to pay attention to how we sound when we talk: content is important, but so is context and giving preference to positive rather than negative statements. Students of hypnosis benefit from knowing how we weaken our persuasive messages or influence more than we intend to.  Respectable researchers have made important contributions to this neglected subject in recent decades. Hypnosis is probably as well understood as most talking therapies. This CD is a good starting place for anyone interested in a psychological phenomenon that includes everything from the mundane to the mind-boggling.

© 2009 E. James Lieberman

E. James Lieberman, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus, Geor

Use Hypnosis to Achieve New Year Resolutions

(NaturalNews) "What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve," Napolean Hill. It is almost February. How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? If you've been successful, congratulations! If not, why not try hypnosis, an effective, scientifically proven tool to help you reach your goals? Hypnotherapy works. Quite simply, hypnosis is a deep state of relaxation where your subconscious mind is more receptive to ideas and suggestions. It has been described as 'half-awake, half-asleep'. It is very similar to that 'miles away' feeling you probably find yourself in from time-to-time when you let your mind wander. Hypnotic states are characterized by a tremendously pleasant state of relaxation.

Everyone experiences the state of hypnosis many times during the day, including that time just before falling asleep at night. Meditation, daydreaming, being absorbed in a book or music or television, driving and arriving at your destination without recalling all the usual landmarks, ... these are a few examples of the state of hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a natural and effective technique for accessing the subconscious mind - the key to unleashing our potential, changing our unwanted habits and behaviors, and finding solutions to our problems and concerns.

You may associate hypnosis with people on stage quacking like a duck or disco dancing while thinking they are wearing fins. Stage hypnosis is real and fun. It is important to note that the participants are all more than willing to be silly. Trained stage hypnotists choose their subjects carefully. The subjects desire the attention, are open to suggestion, and are prescreened to be easily hypnotized. In other words, they choose to quack like a duck in front of an audience.

As with stage hypnosis, it is crucial that you understand that ALL HYPNOSIS IS SELF HYPNOSIS. You can feel perfectly safe under hypnosis. You will never do anything that is not in line with your wishes. Your conscious and subconscious mind will reject any suggestion for which you do not fully agree.

Let's use weight loss as an example. Hypnosis is a powerful tool for people genuinely motivated to lose weight. In a study of 60 women separated into hypnosis versus non-hypnosis groups, the group using hypnosis lost an average of 17 pounds, while the non-hypnosis group lost an average of only a half pound.

In another study, two dieting groups (one using hypnosis, another not using hypnosis) were followed over the course of two years. The hypnosis group continued to get results, the non-hypnosis group did not.

In a meta-analysis study, results demonstrated that adding hypnosis to weight loss treatment increased weight loss by an average of 97% during treatment, and even more importantly, increased the effectiveness of post treatment by over 146%.

Hypnosis can produce life-long positive changes in the manner in which you approach dining. A typical session might include the following:

Induction- (counting backwards, staring at an object, and/or progressive relaxation). Progressive relaxation is a process of relaxing all of your muscles, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. This will allow your conscious mind to relax, making way for your subconscious mind to receive the suggestions you desire.

Deepening technique- (usually counting backwards). This, somehow, signals the brain to go deeper into relaxation.

Imagery- Visualization works because certain areas of the mind cannot distinguish between what you see with your eyes and what you see in your mind. You can manipulate your mind and body to believe that what you are visualizing is real. You can insert any visualization that brings you a sense of beauty and peace. The purpose of this section is to tap the pleasure centers of your brain, putting you in a more conducive frame of mind to make positive changes in your perception of yourself, and it also serves to relax you even further. Examples are a tropical beach, a mountain cabin, a spring meadow, or any place that brings you a sense of tranquility. It is very important that the imagery is congruent with your likes and dislikes. For example, if you are not fond of birds, the phrase, "imagine the sound of the seagulls flying overhead..." might snap you right out of your relaxed trance.

Suggestions- Once deeply relaxed, with your subconscious mind receptive to change, you will be given a number of suggestions. One of the most powerful tools of the suggestion process is in "seeing" the outcome. You will "see" yourself at your desired weight. Other highly successful visualizations include seeing yourself dining in a healthful fashion, eating slowly, savoring each bite. Other examples of positive suggestions include: "You crave healthy food. You love fresh, crispy salads full of colorful, dark, rich greens, red, orange, and purple vegetables...You love these antioxidant rich foods. They make you look good; they make you feel good. You eat only lean meats, and you eat only until you are full. You dine sitting down, and you eat slowly..." As with the visualization, the suggestions must be congruent with your dining goals. If you are focused on dining in a low-carb fashion, if your hypnosis session offers a suggestion such as "you crave whole-grain foods," you will sense a contradiction and the session may falter in effectiveness. You should agree 100% with all of the suggestions.

Some people respond to negative suggestions, some do not. Negative suggestions would be something like, "and you have lost your appetite for fatty foods. In fact, fatty foods disgust you, and you can barely stand to look at them. You don't like the way they taste; you don't like the way they look; you don't like the way they make you feel. You are free from temptation." This author, admittedly, had a "thing" for french fries. No longer. Positive suggestions did not work. Only after the suggestion that the vats of fat in which fries are fried are filled with all sorts of unsavory things ... was I able to finally find french fries distasteful. (Seriously, have you ever seen the debris in the french fry vat?)

Affirmations may be a part of this phase. These are similar to the suggestions, but more concise. For example, "I love to dine on healthy foods," "I drink two full glasses of water before beginning any meal," "I exercise at least twenty minutes every day."

Return to consciousness- This last part is simply to bring you back into consciousness, usually by counting up, from 1 to 5. (One, ... you are beginning to become aware of the room right now. Two ... you might want to wiggle your fingers and toes. Move around a little bit. Three ... take a deep breath and as you exhale, smile ... with a happy sense of anticipation that something wonderful is about to happen. Four...slowly, gently, open your eyes. Five...you are awake, relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated. You feel a sense a quiet confidence you have not felt before.)

Hypnosis is also helpful for smoking cessation, anxiety, pain, and to help you develop positive habits such as exercise.

Keep in mind that hypnosis is not a magical cure. It is simply a tool. An effective tool, if you are in the right frame of mind.

Cochrane, Gordon; Friesen, J. (1986). Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.

Kirsch, Irving (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments--Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519.

Allison, David B.; Faith, Myles S. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: A meta-analytic reappraisal. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1996 Jun Vol 64(3) 513-516

About the author

Cindie Leonard has a Master's degree in Psychology and specializes in research (namely psychoneuroimmunology), and enjoys savoring time with family and friends, spoiling her pets, travel, beaches, cavorting around San Diego, and is working on perfecting the art of "il dolce far niente." Other articles on Natural News written by Cindie:

Use Both Hetero-Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis for Best Results

(NaturalNews) Like with many other great things, hypnotherapy can be categorized into 2 different subcategories. They are hetero-hypnosis and self-hypnosis. The key to understanding the difference between the two can be the key to a successful session and subsequently, successful results. Hetero-hypnosis is defined as hypnosis induced by another person. Often times, hetero-hypnosis is induced by a licensed and trained clinical hypnotherapist. Self-hypnosis is also known as autohypnosis. Self-hypnosis is when the state of hypnosis is self-induced or when you are hypnotizing yourself. Self hypnosis is most often done in the form of imagery where the subject puts themselves into a situation of maximum relaxation. A study conducted determined that both Hetero-Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis are encouraged for best results of hypnotherapy.

The article was written in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis about a study performed using both hetero-hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Researchers involved in the study wanted to test the efficacy of using both methods.

During the hetero-hypnosis sessions the hypnotherapist established his/her supportive role acting as a positive parent figure. The hypnotherapist used words of encouragement throughout the session and helped the patients tap into their inner strength.

The hypnotherapist then teaches the patients self-hypnosis. The focus for self-hypnosis is imagery. Between weekly hypnosis sessions with the hypnotherapist, the patients are encouraged to practice self-hypnosis and to elaborate on the imagery already provided by the sessions.

The hypnosis sessions induced by a hypnotherapist are particularly beneficial because the hypnotherapist can re-work negative feelings and thoughts the patient has expressed. The initial concern of hypnotherapy is taking certain events or thoughts within a person`s mind and re-charging them with different feelings. Fears can be alleviated, substance dependency can be dropped, and ultimately, a person`s life can be changed. Self-hypnosis is beneficial because it allows the patient to be more aware of her/her internal dialogue and subconscious thoughts. In order to truly put these new thoughts and emotions to use, they can start off by practicing them at home, through the use of self-hypnosis.

The researchers found that by using both hetero-hypnosis and self-hypnosis, patients reported better results in improving their conditions and lives. They concluded that using both types of hypnosis is especially beneficial for those who have problems relating to control. They suggest that the focus when using hetero-hypnosis and self-hypnosis should be on imagery. By successfully imagining themselves in a newer and better situation, the subjects are going to be able to do so in their everyday lives.

Source:

Eisen, M. R. & Fromm, E. (1983). The Clinical Use of Self-Hypnosis in Hypnotherapy: Tapping the Functions of Imagery and Adaptive Regression. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 31(4). 243-55.

About the author

Steve G. Jones, M.Ed. has been practicing hypnotherapy since the 1980s. He is the author of 22 books on Hypnotherapy. Steve is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, and director of the Steve G. Jones School of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Steve G. Jones, M.Ed. is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Florida (1994), a master's degree in education from Armstrong Atlantic State University (2007), and is currently working on a doctorate in education, Ed.D., at Georgia Southern University. Learn more at:

The Benefits of Using Hypnosis in a Pediatric Setting

(NaturalNews) Hypnotherapy is a natural and safe form of relaxation. The person receiving hypnosis is always in control whether the hypnosis is being administered by a licensed hypnotherapist or through self-hypnosis. Hypnosis is particularly effective in children, because it often requires creative visualization. This imagery easily allows children to be in a relaxed state. Being in a state of hypnosis allows children to work on a various number of things such as pain and anxiety, in a productive and natural way. O'Grady and Hoffmann (1986) evaluated the use of hypnosis in a pediatric setting. Hypnosis was found to be highly successful when children have high expectations from hypnotherapy, a good relationship with their hypnotherapist, and the ability to be hypnotized. They also found that success was more prominent when the children and parents had a positive relationship with the pediatrician.

These researchers looked at cases in which children used hypnosis. Looking at one particular pediatric hospital, they found that 5% of the children were using hypnosis to improve their symptoms. The study found three particular areas that have shown to improve symptoms in children when using hypnosis. One symptom includes pain. Hypnosis enables children to control pain, reducing the severity and reducing the frequency of painful episodes. Another symptom that hypnosis can improve is anxiety in children. Hypnosis allows children to relax and cognitively reduce anxiety and stress. The third area that hypnosis can help children with is undesirable habits. Hypnotherapy allows children to replace negative behaviors and habits with positive ones through the power of suggestibility.

Goldberg (1987) studied the benefits of psychoanalysis in changing behavior. He found that psychoanalysis was more effective when combined with hypnosis in changing behaviors. Hypnosis works by reprogramming negative behaviors using positive suggestions. These negative behaviors, in time become positive behaviors. This has many potential benefits in helping children change their negative behavior patterns into positive behavior patterns.

Another method of hypnosis that has been found to have many potential benefits in children is the use of self-hypnosis (Gardner, 1981). Self-hypnosis allows children to perform hypnosis on themselves at any time they choose. It allows them to be in control of their symptoms when and where they want. Self-hypnosis works best when both children and parents are open to the idea of learning and practicing hypnosis.

Hypnosis has many potential benefits when used with children. Whether a child is suffering from pain from cancer or they are showing hyperactivity behavior with ADHD, hypnosis can help improve their symptoms in a natural and safe way. Hypnotherapy uses the power of positive suggestions to help children reprogram their subconscious minds so that they are in control of their symptoms.

Sources

Gardner, G.G. (1981). Teaching self-hypnosis to children. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 29(3), 300-312.

Goldberg, B. (1987). Hypnotherapy: A combined approach using psychotherapy and behavior modification. Psychology: A Quarterly Journal of Human Behavior, 24(3), 37-40.

O'Grady, D.J. & Hoffmann, C. (1986). Use of hypnosis by psychologists in a pediatric setting: Establishing and maintaining credibility. Retrieved from ERIC database. ERIC ID: ED272813.

About the author

Steve G. Jones, M.Ed. has been practicing hypnotherapy since the 1980s. He is the author of 22 books on Hypnotherapy. Steve is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, and director of the Steve G. Jones School of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Steve G. Jones, M.Ed. is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Florida (1994), a master's degree in education from Armstrong Atlantic State University (2007), and is currently working on a doctorate in education, Ed.D., at Georgia Southern University. Learn more at:

Teaching the police hypnosis

John Walsh: 'Teaching the police hypnosis is the stupidest idea in crime-busting'

Tales of the City

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

• Picture the scene. There's been a bank heist in Highgate. The robbers have sped away in a Ford Granada, but have been intercepted by the Met's finest on the corner of Finchley High Road. They are now pinned down by police marksmen. The Commissioner steps forward, a stern and noble presence. "Hand me that megaphone, Gordon," he says to his quaking driver, "and the gold half hunter." Thirty yards away, behind the Granada's open doors, the bank robbers steel themselves for a final confrontation. Then it happens. A leather-gloved hand appears over the police roadblock. Inexplicably, it holds an old-fashioned fob watch on a long chain. The watch starts to swing, very slowly, from side to side. "YOUR EYELIDS ARE BECOMING HEAVY," shouts the Commissioner's voice through the megaphone. "YOU ARE FEELING VERY RELAXED..."

Forgive me, but I was tickled by the news that British policemen are going to be trained in the dark arts of hypnotism as an aid to fighting crime. No really. They're being sent on six-day courses, costing £1,500 per person, in which an American "celebrity hypnotherapist" (I know, I know, but he must be kosher – he's been on TV) called Tom Silver will explain how they might extract more information from their suspects. Not, I confess, in the course of actual gunplay in the street and violence in the back of the Black Maria, but during questioning.

That makes sense, doesn't it? The whole point of being a hypnotist is that you get to say,"You are completely in my power" quite soon after your victim lies on the couch, and that you can make them do anything you like. You can make them believe they're a little girl or a champion boxer, a drunkard or an opera singer, and persuade them to make twats of themselves, right there in front of you. It seems an unfair advantage, in the cop/ interviewee relationship, that the former can suggest that the latter gets on the floor and act like a dog, while the latter can't do anything about it but bark and roll over.

Remember the cop-shop scenes on TV, in which interviewees fight back heroically, being cheeky to DCI Hunt, demanding a lawyer, refusing to answer incriminating questions? You can't do that when you're mesmerised. It's hard to maintain a convincing attitude when you're being told by a soothing voice that you're walking down a corridor towards a white light. It's hard to plead the Fifth Amendment when the bloke across the desk is doing that look-into-my-eyes routine from Little Britain.

And what's to stop a wily detective implanting a thought in the villain's brain, one that will surface during the trial, like in The Manchurian Candidate? So that when he hears a trigger word, he'll confess to everything, plus a few dozen other unsolved cases that have been on the Met files since 1971? Sorry, but this is the stupidest idea in crime-busting circles since they began staking out Brazilian electricians. You don't believe me? Ok, look deep into my eyes...

***

If, like me, you can't stand to hear "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly" on an in-store Tannoy one more time, nor the yapping voice of Peter Kay the ubiquitous northern droll, nor that unbearably sentimental version of "Sweet Child o' Mine" in the John Lewis TV commercial, nor the voices of children asking if you'll buy them a £900 Mac PowerBook, nor the announcements on Tube platforms that the District Line isn't working today and the Circle Line is going sideways – if you've had quite enough of these vexatious sounds, the Orange telephone people have a treat for you. Their Relaxation Line offers frazzled subscribers the chance to switch off for a few minutes. You dial a number and can listen to the sounds of waves lapping on a beach, the pock of cricket on a village green, the crackle of a log fire rising, the twittering of birds in a wood. The Orange people apparently found that listening to the sea for 12 minutes calms you down by slowing the body's stress response, lowering pulse and blood pressure. I can think of something that would work wonders for your stress levels and take only a few seconds: the voice of a newsreader saying, "Due to an unforeseen error in the nation's telephone systems, Mr Simon Cowell will not, after all, make a fortune out of everyone who phoned in votes on The X Factor, he will, in fact, owe the ITV network £250m..." Merry Christmas.

More from John Walsh

THE INDEPENDENT

Hypnosis with children and pain management

Kids Allowed

BY MARC SILVER

Integrative medicine isn't just for adult cancer patients.

• Integrative Techniques: A Sampler

• Video: The Sounds of Music Therapy

The 13-year-old girl has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her prognosis is good, with a 75 percent chance of cure. But side effects from chemotherapy have sunk her spirits. “She felt miserable,” says her doctor, Susan Sencer, MD, a pediatric oncologist.

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The child’s chemo is delivered into the spinal fluid via spinal tap to prevent the cancer cells from entering her spinal cord area and brain. But how do you protect the patient from the fear and pain the procedure can trigger? Anesthesia is one option. So is … hypnosis?

As medical director of hematology/oncology at the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Sencer combines standard treatments with practices that a decade ago might have seemed offbeat, from hypnotherapy to energy healing. Such therapies are entering more hospitals and often have a growing amount of solid science behind them, though not every doctor is on board.

The question of what to call such therapies is up for debate. The adjectives “alternative” and “complementary” have been used. But “alternative”—meaning “instead of”—is problematic since no doctor would recommend an unproven treatment over a proven one. The word “complementary” also is used, but Sencer and many other doctors prefer the term “integrative medicine,” reflecting the idea that exercise, nutrition counseling, and stress reduction are vital parts of the anticancer package.

Whatever the label, skeptics want to know: Do these tactics really work? Let’s look at the case of the bummed-out 13-year-old.

Nitrous oxide, inhaled from a fruit-flavored mask, reduces the child’s agony index. Research shows the chemical compound known as “laughing gas” can diminish pain during chemotherapy and bring a bit of eupho ria.

The other tool is a hybrid of hypnosis and guided imagery. This is not sitcom hypnosis, where an unsuspecting subject ends up squawking like a chicken. Rather, Sencer aims to lessen distress by distracting the patient.

“Every person who hypnotizes has their own technique,” the doctor explains. Sencer puts her finger atop the girl’s head, tells her to look up, and speaks in a soft, reassuring voice: “I can see you relaxing. Your body is getting lighter.” Then she leads the child to an imaginary destination—that’s guided imagery.

“Generally, you take advantage of something the child gives you,” says Sencer, who knows the girl’s family has a cabin and boat on the Mississippi River. Sencer sends her floating out the window to the beloved getaway.

At one point during the 10-minute procedure, the patient shifts. Since sticking a needle into the spinal canal is tricky, Sencer prefers a motionless subject.

“Why did you move?” she asks.

“I’m fishing from my sailboat,” the child says.

When the chemo infusion is complete, Sencer shuts off the nitrous oxide and asks the patient to take three deep breaths. “Come back to me,” she says. “Open your eyes.”

“I was surprised you could fish on a sailboat,” Sencer remarks. The child replies, “It was the best boat in the world. I sailed into the hands of God, and God held me while you did this.”

Sencer is convinced the buzz of nitrous oxide and the joy of the pretend journey reduced the child’s pain. She sees long-term benefits as well: “I’m trying to teach the kids self-regulatory behaviors that will be helpful not just through their cancer journey but, hopefully, for the rest of their lives.”

Studies back up Sencer’s approach. Lonnie Zeltzer, MD, director of the pediatric pain program at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, looked at hypnotherapy for pain relief in children with cancer versus distraction and support. “Distraction and relaxation were more effective than normal support,” Zeltzer says. “But hypnotherapy, involving children and their imagination, was even more effective.”

Doctors believe such mind games have a physical component. “If you’re anxious, your heart rate goes faster, your breathing gets faster, and your sympathetic nervous system is aroused,” explains Margaret Stuber, MD, a psychiatry professor at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. A signal of danger—say, a needle prick—can be “emotionally amplified.” Conversely, slow deep breaths slow the heart rate, reduce arousal, and result in a less frightened patient. That could diminish pain.

Parents have long been fans of integrative techniques for their kids. Recent surveys report that 31 to 84 percent of children with cancer have tried the techniques. “It averages out to about 50 percent,” estimates pediatric oncologist Kara Kelly, MD, medical director of Columbia University’s integrative therapies program for children with cancer located at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. For most parents, she says, it allows them to feel like they’re doing something on their own, without the physician, to help their children.

Kelly does point out two major caveats. First: “We haven’t found anything [in integrative medicine] that’s an effective anticancer therapy. Most of our approach is focusing on supportive care and symptom relief.” Second, parents should consult with the physician to ensure that an integrative treatment won’t harm the youngster or interfere with conventional treatments.

Killian died of cancer in August at age 16, but before his death he recorded Somewhere Else, an album to raise money for the cause. A gifted ukulele player, he made music with famous musicians like Dr. John and Levon Helm.

As for children, they’re usually happy to explore techniques that promise relief from pain and stress. But if they can’t do it emotionally, says Stewart Goldman, MD, medical director for neuro-oncology at Children’s Memorial Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Chicago, “I tell them not to and to revisit it later.”

Some hospitals that focus on childhood cancers have received grants or donations to offer integrative services for free. That’s a model Killian Mansfield and his family espouse. Diagnosed with a rare soft-tissue cancer at age 11 and treated at New York-Presbyterian, Mansfield found that acupuncture relieved anxiety, fatigue, and nausea. He and his family started the Killian Mansfield Foundationto help all young cancer patients gain access to integrative treatments.

Killian died of cancer in August at age 16, but before his death he recorded Somewhere Else, an album to raise money for the cause. A gifted ukulele player, he made music with famous musicians like Dr. John and Levon Helm. “Express Yourself” was a favorite song, says his mother, Barbara. Killian told her it sounded like a party that spilled over from a small room into a wider venue—just as his family hopes to bring integrative medicine into a bigger arena.

Insurance companies haven’t rushed to join the party, though. A few progressive insurers may reimburse for integrative therapies for kids, but many do not. CIGNA, for example, covers acupuncture for adults with cancer based on studies with that age group—but not for children.

There is a loophole of sorts. Insurance plans with a mental health benefit may cover visits to a therapist during cancer treatment, says psychiatrist James Gordon, MD, founder and director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine ( 202-966-7338). Just as an insurer wouldn’t ask a therapist, “Did you talk about the patient’s mother?” there won’t be queries like, “Did you use guided imagery?”

The challenge for parents is to find a licensed therapist who uses integrative techniques. Gordon hopes the center’s website will soon offer a list of health care professionals, advocates, and survivors who have received the center’s “cancer guides” training, which includes integrative cancer for kids.

There is no guarantee integrative therapies will be a balm. Gabriella Casabianca, 7, has endured surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation to treat her brain tumor, diagnosed in December 2008. “Acupuncture left a rash, and she didn’t really care for it,” says her mother, Frances. But foot massages—also known as reflexology—are a bright spot: “My daughter looks forward to it. She takes off her socks. She enjoys it.”

Energy healing appealed to Katrina Janik, whose daughter Carrie, now 5, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 14 months. Energy healers use their hands to bring energy to a patient’s “unbalanced” energy system. Janik spent about $1,300 out of pocket to pay for 10 sessions with a practitioner. She had mixed feelings about the sessions, partly because the healer lacked the patience to work well with small children.

At Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Janik turned to touch therapy practitioner Suzanne O’Brien. After a five-minute session, Carrie will grow sleepy and say, “That feels good.” Carrie now meditates for hours, and Janik reports that a surgery went better than the doctor expected.

Doctors don’t quite know what to make of energy healing, in part because the biological basis of this practice is obscure.

Goldman of Children’s Memorial is overseeing a study that pits stretching and breathing exercises against energy healing to see how patients report the benefits. “I’m pleased we’re [examining it] in a more regimented way,” he says.

After a five-minute session, Carrie will grow sleepy and say, "That feels good." Carrie now meditates for hours.

At 5 years old, brain tumor survivor Carrie Janik has used medication and touch therapy to cope with the disease. Photo by Shauna Bittle.

Yet Goldman is willing to admit he can see a boon in the absence of evidence. “I’m skeptical about energy transferring from one body to another. I can’t comprehend how this works, but in a way, I don’t care as long as the kids come out feeling calm and comforted—that’s a benefit right there.”

From curetoday.com WINTER/2009

Hypnosis and Weight Loss

What Is The Secret To Permanent, Healthy Weight Loss? We asked Inga Chamberlain of the Atlanta Weight Loss Group

Weight loss in Atlanta, GA has never been easier now that the Atlanta Weight Loss Group has restructured its program. Men and Women in and around Atlanta, GA have been consistently losing weight with Inga Chamberlain's new program at the Atlanta Weight Loss Group's group weight loss program. People have been losing weight permanently, and consistently at a healthy average of 15 pounds in 7 weeks; all of which drug and surgery free. The Atlanta Weight Loss Group's secret to success is a 7 week program which is a combination of learning healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating, exercise, and much more that get enhanced using hypnosis, NLP and hypnotherapy. The key to making permanent change is using a person's subconscious to make it all happen automatically making permanent change a part of the whole person.

Atlanta, GA (December 23, 2009 -- Weight Loss in Atlanta, GA has never been easier now that the Atlanta Weight Loss Group has restructured its program. Men and Women in and around Atlanta, GA have been consistently losing weight with Inga Chamberlain's new program at the Atlanta Weight Loss Group's group weight loss program. People have been losing weight at an average of 15 pounds in 7 weeks. The Atlanta Weight Loss secret to success is a 7 week program which is a combination of learning healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating, exercise, and much more that get enhanced using hypnosis, NLP and hypnotherapy. The key to making permanent change is using a person's subconscious to make it all happen automatically making permanent change a part of the whole person.

Think about a healthy lifestyle subconsciously, and permanently change the whole person.

"Permanent weight loss can be difficult for most women because they are attempting to lose weight in a way that doesn't work for them." - Women, to put it bluntly, are biologically different from men. Those differences imply some guidelines for diet, exercise and health matters in general.

Hard to believe, but true! So far, I have lost 35 pounds since seeing Inga Chamberlain. She made it easy with her relaxing technique... I can’t believe it was really this easy, but you never know the power of your mind... jaknig - Atlanta, GA

"For permanent weight loss to happen, a healthy lifestyle that includes a proper diet and exercise has to be part of the whole person" - It is Nutrition 101!

"When people try to lose weight by using will power alone they are using their conscious mind and it can't work long term. People have only so much will power. When a person connects to and uses the power of their subconscious mind the results are incredible. People use the power of their subconscious mind everyday to keep themselves alive. The subconscious mind is what keeps a person's body alive giving it the power to constantly compensate for what they try to do consciously. People don't consciously think about making sure their hearts are pumping blood, it is all done subconsciously for them." - Even though we could consciously stop eating, the body's systems continue to compensate subconsciously.

"If everyday people were to connect to where their thoughts about food and exercise are coming from in the first place, they would realize the important truth about why their bodies and their lives are the way they are. Most of the time people don't eat because they are hungry, they eat because they are bored, anxious, stressed or fearfull. People just want something in their mouths to change the way they feel. People that come to the Atlanta Weight Loss Group get the help they need to permanently change the way they feel so they don't need to eat for emotional reasons." - Adjusting one's attitude to losing weight is key to permanent success.

Once they complete the program at the Atlanta Weight Loss Group, they will have learned how to properly exercise and nourish their minds and bodies. This will permanently give them back their power over their minds and bodies subconsciously. When a person first joins the group the first thing that is worked on is why they eat the way they do. It is important that the person know what their emotional reasons are for eating and what the associations they have formed over time to food and exercise that come from their past. After the discovery process, changes are made to the person's eating, and lifestyle behaviour based on their original thoughts about food and exercise so that they will naturally change to more positive eating, exercise, and thought behaviour that becomes part of who they are. This is key to a person's ability to permamently take back control so they no longer feel like they are dieting. They have simply changed their thoughts about food and exercise and by changing their thoughts their behaviour automatically changes as well. Join the Atlanta Weight Loss Group's group weight loss program and make permanent, positive changes in your life!

About the Atlanta Weight Loss Group Inga Chamberlain of the Atlanta Weight Loss Group & NeuroSolutions in Atlanta, GA. is an Atlanta NLP Master Practitioner, and Hypnotherapist who has been practicing Hypnosis, NLP and Hypnotherapy for more than 16 years in Atlanta, GA. She has successfully worked with hundreds of people nationwide to help them make permanent changes in their lives to stop smoking, deal with anxiety and depression, phobias, sales and sports performance enhancement and works with men and women who want to lose more than 10 pounds.