The Transparent Hypnotist

Warm coffee. Cool morning. I am still drinking from the original pot and have yet to move onto the next. Perhaps a touch of cinnamon would be nice. Are you a flavored coffee fan or a traditionalist? No, that is not the Sunday question, but feel free to answer it.

The Sunday contemplation or question for the day is indeed one of philosophies or psychologies to be specific. After looking into Eliza yesterday and reading a tad more about Rogerian Psychology and his “client-centered” approach (gee – client centered, where have I heard that before? LOL), the question is:

In your hypnosis work, do you subscribe to any particular psychology philosophy to help you? Or if you are a client of a hypnotist, have you experienced a form of hypnosis that is based on a particular style of psychology?

Last weekend’s Esoteric Saturday subliminal software really caught on in my mind. LOL. Actually, I have been playing that software in the background of my machine since then. Not sure if it is doing any good, but there have been times when I wonder if it makes me a tad bit more aggressive - just a tad. But there are several other factors that could be contributing to that as well. I would need a therapist to help me decipher it all.

hypnotist (which we may go into at some point), she was a base-line for Speaking of therapist (do you like the segway?), I thought we would go into a blast from the past and bring out Eliza. Remember Eliza, the cyber-Rogerian psychotherapist? She was a computer program created in 1966 by Joseph Weizenbaum. Though she is not a cyberartificial intelligence. The program is rather simple in that she more or less just rephrases your comments into questions. She has been called a “parody.”

Here is a short conversation:

Ellie: What do you think of hypnosis?Eliza: Does that question interest you?

Ellie: Very much.

Eliza: Please go on.

Ellie: It is the most fascinating therapy ever.

Eliza: Please go on.

Ellie: Do you have any thoughts about hypnosis?

Eliza: Oh, i have any thoughts about hypnosis.

Anyway, thought she was something fun to explore. You can visit her here.

So, today is the day - World Mental Health Day. While I have been having my tea, I looked up some information on hypnosis and mental health. It seems like citing a few ways hypnosis is valuable to the realm of mental heath would be relevant to the topic.

Jeffrey W. Braunstein wrote a marvelous article called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Rape Victims: A Review of Cognitive-Behavioral & Hypnotic Treatment Approaches. The article describes PTSD, defines it and states how effective hypnosis can be for helping those who suffer from it.

Treatment for rape induced PTSD includes both psychotherapy in conjunction with hypnosis. During hypnosis, the patient summons the memory of the event and relives the trauma. This is known as “abreaction”. The reliving while under suggestion allows the patient to discuss the rape verbally and discharge the emotions that cannot be released during the normal state of consciousness. Ebert (1988) reported that hypnotic suggestion can also be used to help patients sleep better. This aids in restoring some of the lost everyday functioning typically experienced by PTSD patients due to sleep disturbances.

Hypnosis also enables the therapist to change the recollections of terror, anxiety, and helplessness that are associated with the specific symptoms. While under hypnotic suggestion, the therapist can instead associate the symptoms with safer thoughts such as relaxation, confidence, and control. This allows the patient to recall the memory during normal consciousness. This enables the victim to deal with the memory and not avoid it, thus allowing them to express the emotions, discuss the event and conquer the trauma. According to Peebles (1989) the more active of a role a therapist takes in guiding the patient through the reliving of the rape, the greater the ability that the therapist has in changing the emotions associated with the trauma and allowing for easier and more manageable recall. Peebles (1989) quoting Freud and Bruer (1895/1955) stated that “each individual hysterical symptom immediately and permanently disappeared when we had succeeded in bringing clearly to light the meaning of the event by which it was provoked.” (Peebles, 1989, p.201). Peebles (1989) stated “as verbal labels for her memories were provided in the abreaction, the patient no longer had the need for bodily symptoms for memory communication.” (Peebles, 1989, p. 202).

Also according to an abstract from an article in International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, called Cognitive Hypnotherapy for Depression: An Empirical Investigation, cognitive hypnosis was effective in helping those suffering from depression. Using a base of 86 participants, they were assigned to either 16 weeks of cognitive hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. Using the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Scale, the hypnosis group came out with higher changes.

Effect size calculations showed that the CH group produced 6%, 5%, and 8% greater reduction in depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, respectively, over and above the CBT group. The effect size was maintained at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups.

Just a few nice things to put in our minds.

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Special thanks to Jeffrey W. Braunstein, who gave me permission to quote and cite his article. Please visit his web site at www.ResearchConsultation.com.

Normally, upon waking I grab my coffee or tea and slide into my chair, read email and begin my musing to you. Realizing the joy in occasionally shaking things up a bit, I read the New York Times this morning. There is an interesting article in the health section today entitled Who is Minding the Mind by Benedict Carey. You might want peruse it yourself, so just click on the article title and it should take you there.

Mr. Carey’s article discusses some interesting findings from various studies. One study focused on participants perceptions about a hypothetical person. Before this, the participants were “Bumped into” by a stranger and asked to hold a cup of hot coffee or tea or an iced beverage of the same nature. Those holding the iced cup often found the hypothetical person to be “cold”. Interesting.

Findings also found that much of humanities subconscious decisions happen in the ventral pallidum within the brain, the part that used to be considered the “reptilian” part and this is before it transmits to the prefrontal cortex.

Anyway, I will not rewrite or synopsize the whole article (two pages) so you can read it and enjoy it. I am always game for a good discussion.