“I Don’t Believe In Hypnosis”

At a social gathering a woman inquired about purchasing a gift certificate so her niece could learn self hypnosis for stress management. Moments later, her niece walked up to me and said, “Thank you, but no thank you. That was very nice of my aunt, but I don’t believe in hypnosis.” After composing my thoughts for a few moments, I responded, “Believe? Believe? What’s there to believe in? It’s not a belief or religion. It’s a method that was approved by the American Medical Association in 1958 and continues to help many people of all walks of life.”

There is much written on belief, religion and hypnosis. But none of it has to do with actually believing ‘in’ hypnosis. The abstracts and documents written regarding belief and hypnosis speak mostly about different religions and their uses of hypnosis and similar actions. Most Eastern belief systems practice some form of hypnosis or techniques in their rituals. Even the Roman Catholic Church issued statements approving the use of hypnosis in 1847. The Bible refers many places to hypnotic like events. For example, Paul speaks of being in trance while he was praying in the temple (Acts 22:17).

Consulting hypnotists spend a lot of time educating their clients and the public on hypnosis. Media, myths and those that just don’t understand have done an injustice to a technique that has proven itself time and time again to help many. Ignorance is either lack of knowledge or just a fear of the unknown. Both do an equal injustice to complementary health fields.

I spend more than half of my client’s first visit talking about facts and dispelling hypnosis myths. From movies to cartoons, I have seen hypnosis portrayed as a zombie like act. Even in the children’s cartoon, Rugrats, I recently saw an episode where one 4 year old hypnotized the 2 year old to do bad acts. I literally sat back in my living room chair and screeched, “Oh no, more children to set straight after this episode!!” Children are notoriously easy to hypnotize as their brains are in constant trances. This could account for the high success rate in children. But if Angelica is turning Tommy into a zombie through hypnosis, then what’s a 5 year old to think when his/her mom suggests he be hypnotized for his fear of dogs. Our job as hypnotists is 24/7 to dispel myths so the mind-body can connect.

Being a hypnotist, daily I see the mind-body connection. I experience it personally and through clients that the mind has a lot to do with health or illness. When people think of mind-body, they sometime think spiritual-religion. Although I do find that many spiritually aware people believe in the mind-body connection. It has nothing to do with religion or belief. For them, it has to do with their experiences and practices with the mind which have allowed their body to make changes. The American Medical Association has stated that up to 75 percent of illness is stress based. If that is not mind-body, then I don’t know what is!

Recent studies and diagnostic advances have scientifically proven the mind body connection for those skeptical. A Canadian study tracked patient outcomes for those with breast and prostate cancer and found that mindfulness based meditation “altered cortisol and immune patterns consistent with less stress and mood disturbance, and decreased blood pressure.” Brain Behav Immun. 2007 Nov; 21(8):1038-49. Epub 2007 May 22. Recent research has even shown that the mind can change the actual physical structure of the brain. Neuroreport. 2005 November 28; 16(17): 1893–1897.

According to the National Institute of Health, “there is evidence that mind-body interventions can be effective in the treatment of coronary artery disease, enhancing the effect of standard cardiac rehabilitation in reducing all-cause mortality and cardiac event recurrences for up to 2 years. Hypnotists really do not need such proof for ourselves, but the general public needs to be informed and educated about the new discoveries of the mind-body connection.”

According to the Aug. 28, 2007 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, it was reported that a study was released that breast cancer is eased with just 15 minutes of hypnosis. According to the new study, women who received hypnosis before breast cancer surgery needed less anesthesia during the procedure, reported less pain afterward, needed less time in the operating room and had reduced costs. A major advance for hypnosis and its skeptics.

In my practice, I work a lot with children. Children and hypnosis are a wonderful, effective partnership. According to the National Institute of Health clinical hypnosis and self-hypnosis benefit children in pain relief. Studies found pediatric hypnosis effective for bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture during cancer treatment, for alleviating postoperative pain and anxiety in children undergoing surgery, and for headaches and some other conditions involving chronic pain or undergoing other medical procedures.

November, 2007, it was reported that hypnosis be used as a treatment for IBS. “We advocate that hypnotherapy become the treatment of choice in children with persisting complaints of either functional abdominal pain or IBS in whom first-line therapies such as education and dietary advice have failed,” Dr. Arine M. Vlieger of St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, Journal of Gastroenterology.

Conservative hospitals are now adding hypnosis, guided imagery, acupuncture and Reiki (energy medicine) into their facilities. Ten years ago, I was considered woo woo; now I’m mainstream! Good medicine today blends complementary and alternative medicine and treats the entire person, not just the physical body.

There are many more studies, convincers and statistics that could be portrayed here. It is up to the individual to be educated in their own health care choices. We, as Consulting Hypnotists, have to continue our crusade to adequately educate the public so that they know the facts before they can make good choices. The facts are that hypnosis works. Hypnosis is not a belief, it’s a fact!