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Imagery and Cancer
Published in Anees A. Sheikh, Imagination and Healing, 2019
The first step involved taking a 25cc sample of blood from each subject to provide prehypnosis baseline data of lymphocyte function. Subsequently, subjects were hypnotized with a relaxation induction. During hypnosis they were asked to imagine their white blood cells as “strong,” “powerful” sharks with teeth that attacked and destroyed “weak,” “confused” germ cells that caused colds and the flu. Following hypnosis subjects were given written and verbal instructions in self-hypnosis and asked to practice twice each day until the second session one week later. One hour after the end of hypnosis, another 25cc post-hypnosis blood sample was taken. One week later, subjects returned for their second session during which hypnosis and imagery exercises were repeated and a third blood sample was drawn. The purpose of this second session was to determine the effects of practice on hypnosis and immune function. After completing both hypnosis sessions, each subject was individually assessed on hypnotizability with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C [21].
The Relaxation SystemTherapeutic Modalities
Published in Len Wisneski, The Scientific Basis of Integrative Health, 2017
Hypnosis is a technique of deep concentration that suspends certain states of active awareness. It has been used for hundreds of years and dons a colorful history (Dossey, 2000). It is used for treatment of both psychological maladies and physical problems. Physiological parameters change in a manner consistent with other types of stress-reduction exercises (e.g., reduced respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen consumption). Typically, hypnosis is used with some form of psychotherapy to reduce psychological or physical symptoms, including pain. Hypnosis can access memory and alter perception or mood, or increases the subject's ability to experience imagery and creativity. A willingness to participate is crucial to its success, but suggestibility does not imply compliance against one's will. However, hypnotic susceptibility has been shown to increase effectiveness of treatment, such as reducing pain (Spinhoven and ter Kuile, 2000). Dr. Milton Erickson's experiments with hypnosis in the first half of the twentieth century brought hypnosis into the realm of clinical practice. Erickson recognized the integration of the mind and body many years before psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) experiments were being carried out. He saw that the unconscious mind was a rich source of information for providing physical and emotional healing. There is evidence that hypnosis is most effective when the mind is in the theta state (see Chapter 1 for information on the theta state). Today, various studies attest that hypnosis benefits relaxation and anesthesia (Ashton et al., 1995, 1997; Defechereux et al., 1999).
Pain in pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium
Published in Pamela E Macintyre, Suellen M Walker, David J Rowbotham, Clinical Pain Management, 2008
In evaluation of biofeedback, a study by Duchene78 showed women using biofeedback during childbirth reported significantly lower pain than control women at admission, delivery, and 24 hours postpartum. Seventy percent of the women in the control group requested and used epidural anesthesia compared with 40 percent of the women of the biofeedback group. Although several trials have been published in the literature, the heterogeneity of methods and evaluations does not support a generalized improvement in pain scores or reduction in requirements for pharmacologic pain control (i.v./i.m. opioids or epidural analgesia).79 It should be noted that, in these trials, patients were prescreened for hypnotic susceptibility.
Hypnotic analgesia in chronic pain: role of psychopathology and alexithymia
Published in American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 2023
As demonstrated by the large effect size, the effects of hypnotic analgesia in patients with chronic pain are pronounced. This effectiveness is largely independent of the level of hypnotic susceptibility, although pain intensity decreased more in subject with high hypnotizability. All pain dimension scores decreased irrespective of whether the patient received clinical or at-home hypnosis, as did anxiety and depression, although this latter reduction was more pronounced when suggestions were delivered by a therapist in person. No links between psychopathology or hypnotizability and pain relief after treatment with hypnosis were found. Moreover, no relationships were found between hypnotizability and degree of psychopathology or alexithymia. Therefore, our results should dispel any doubt regarding the belief that hypnotizability is an abnormal phenomenon, and indeed demonstrate that in subjects with chronic pain hypnosis represents a treatment capable of improving pain and the psychological suffering associated with it.
Hypnotizability and psychopathology of patients with personality disorders
Published in American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 2022
Anna Dominika Kaczmarska, Michał Mielimąka, Krzysztof Rutkowski
Hypnotizability or hypnotic susceptibility is an ability to experience suggested alterations in physiology, sensations, emotions, thoughts, or behavior during hypnosis (Elkins, Barabasz, Council, & Spiegel, 2015). Hypnosis sessions can lead to significant therapeutic results, while their effectiveness depends on the level of hypnotizability (Thompson et al., 2019). Therefore, to utilize its predictive value, many studies begin with hypnotizability measurement, using a number of different scales. Depending on the obtained results, the participants are divided into low, medium, and high hypnotizability groups (Weitzenhoffer, 2002). The most famous scales, including the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: Form A (Shor & Orne, 1963) and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C (Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard, 1962), were constructed decades ago, and there is growing evidence that they may be suboptimal for contemporary research purposes (Jensen et al., 2017). Elkins Hypnotizability Scale – Clinical Form (EHS-CF) is a modern and validated tool for measuring hypnotizability in scientific research and clinical practice (Elkins, 2014). Moreover, studies comparing EHS to Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C have demonstrated high accuracy and precision of the scale (Kekecs, Bowers, Johnson, Kendrick, & Elkins, 2016).
Assessment of reliability and factor structure of the hypnotic induction profile (HIP) scale
Published in American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 2022
Shahyad Somehsaraei Sabet, Mohammad Ali Rahmani, Susan Emami Pour, Hasti Atashi Shirazi
The HIP scale provides information on the hypnotizability of a subject, considering more accurate and measured clinical decisions regarding the use of hypnosis in therapy (Spiegel & Spiegel, 2004). Also, this scale has a significant correlation with other valid scales such as the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility scale (Frischholz et al., 1980; Orne, 1979). The correlation range is between .35 and .60, which means that the scales apply to the same context, but measure different aspects of it (Spiegel & Spiegel, 2004). The procedures of a hypnotic experience can be marked and recorded; By and large, the stages of entry, presence, and exit from the state of hypnosis can be recorded as well (Spiegel, 1977). Spiegel examined the correlation between the two methods of scoring Induction score (practical hypnotizability) and Profile score (biological hypnotizability) on 1023 patients, so that for 5% of patients with acute psychopathology, a score of .22 was obtained, but the correlation coefficient for all patients was .84, which indicating a high correlation between the two scoring methods and the statistical results showed that the validity of induction scoring was higher than the profile score (Spiegel, 1974).