hypnosis to improve your swimming techniques

How does hypnosis work to improve performance? In this case, I am looking at one of its uses for improving swimming technique. Generally, hypnosis can be applied to any focus in which one feels that re-programming our brain would be beneficial to performance.

I swam from an early age, and like many kids, I never really learned how to swim correctly. Only when I took up triathlons did I realize how inefficient my swimming was.

Triathlons were in their infancy when I began competing. My first race was a sprint; my second was the Ironman in Hawaii.

So, let's look at where hypnosis and visualization helped me.

One of my many problems was a nonexistent streamlined body position. Technically this was due to lack of rotation around my central axis, which led to a myriad of other mechanical problems. I powered my way through the water to make up for it.

I had an extensive teaching/coaching background in swimming and was very good at helping everybody else; however, I could not see the issue with my own technique. I hired a coach. Video analysis of my stroke revealed all.

Mechanically, I understood what my body should be doing, streamlined as illustrated in the photo. Mine was flat! Not completely flat, but not far from it!

Hypnosis to help improve swimming techniques

Hypnosis to help improve swimming techniques

Do you remember the idiom, ‘Practice makes perfect?’ Like many athletes, I recognised that I had been taught/coached incorrectly. My incorrect motor patterns became entrenched in my memory banks. I am not saying that you cannot change them… but the longer you spend practicing anything incorrectly, the harder it is going to be for you to undo those mistakes.

Without realising the inefficiency of my stroke, I opted for ‘practice makes perfect’ by putting in many perfectly incorrect miles. I developed great muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Unfortunately, the incorrect technique was counterproductive; contributing to further muscle imbalance.
Counting how many strokes it took for me to swim one length, was one of my coach’s earliest lessons. The number wasn’t impressive! After just one coaching session, that included exhausting drills, I reduced that number by a third. Quite a dramatic change but I could only do it for one length. The signals from my brain to my muscle were getting confused. “Wait a minute now. We spent hours and hours doing it this way and now you want us to CHANGE?” my unhappy motor nerves complained.

Making them happy meant changing deeply embedded motor signals. Now this is where the self-hypnosis/visualisation comes into play.

During self-hypnosis, you can replicate the mechanics of the movement BY VISUALIZING THE DRILLS. In turn, this ‘practice’ re-educates the muscles at an accelerated rate …without even getting in the water. Sounds too good to be true, but all hypnosis does is create a point of focus. Imagine how a magnifying glass focuses the sun’s rays to intensify its heat. Your attention is the focus physically intensifying the new behaviour into your neuronal pathways.

For review, or for greater understanding, see the links below.

A Review of the Development of Sport Hypnosis as a Performance Enhancement Method for Athletes

Improving Sports Performance using Hypnosis, Mental Imagery and Self-talk

Like any skill development, the process of self-hypnosis receptiveness is a personal journey. Some people must work a little harder than others, but everybody can experience profound accelerated change with practice.

Barry Jones MSc

Hypnosis Slows Impact of Dementia

The University of Liverpool has published a study which demonstrates that hypnosis can slow the symptoms of dementia. As you may know, dementia is a neurological condition which can result in people losing their memories- they can forget where they live, they forget people they love, and tend to become more withdrawn and less social as the disease progresses.

In this study, dementia patients were treated with hypnosis, and showed improvements in memory, concentration, and levels of social interaction compared to a group who did not undergo hypnosis. In addition, for the hypnosis dementia group, relaxation, interest, and motivation also improved, as did participation in the activities of daily living (ADL's). Activities of daily living would include behaviors such as taking a shower, fixing a meal, and so on.

This research suggests that hypnosis can improve the quality of life for people with dementia, helping them soothe the anxiety and depression that often occurs with the disease.

Evidence suggests that hypnosis is a useful tool in helping slow the impact of dementia, and should be added to the treatment regiment for those suffering from the disease.

Source: "Alternative Approaches to Supporting Individuals With Dementia: Enhancing Quality of Life Through Hypnosis," Alzheimer's Care Today 2007, volume 8, number 4, pages 321-331.

Tagged as: hypnosis dementiamanaging dementia, university of liverpool

Hypnosis Improves Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disorder which leads to hair loss. Initially, the disease is characterized by rapid hair loss, usually on the scalp, but it can also lead to hair loss on other parts of the body. Alopecia Areata may lead to complete loss of hair, creating bald patches on the scalp or body, or it may be more diffuse, where the hair becomes thinner and more fragile.

Typically, Alopecia Areata is diagnosed when there is rapid hair loss, patchiness, and a more significant loss of hair on one side of the head compared to the other. It is believed to be caused by an immune disorder in which the body's own cells attack the hair follicles and disrupt normal hair growth and formation. Alopecia Areata is often associated with other autoimmune disorders such as lupus, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Typically, the condition is diagnosed by the presence of so-called "exclamation point hairs", which are short, close to the scalp, and are broken off.

Treatment for this condition typically includes injections, steroid creams and other medications. The longer the time between hair loss and treatment, the less likely the hair is to regrow. Hypnosis has been tested as an adjunctive treatment, and has produced interesting results. The mechanism for this effect is related to the fact that Alopecia Areata symptoms worsen under stress.

The International Journal of Clinical Experimental Hypnosis (July 2008) has published research suggesting that hypnosis can improve hair growth in patients with alopecia areata, as well as significantly reduce the anxiety and depression associated with the disorder.

Based on this finding, those suffering from Alopecia Areata should seek ways to actively reduce their stress, as an adjunct to ongoing medical treatment. Stress reduction, such as that provided by hypnotic suggestions, can go a long way to reducing the impact and progression of this type of autoimmune disorder.

Tagged as: autoimmune disorders, exclamation point hairs, hypnosis alopecia areata, hypnosis hair loss

Hypnosis Reduces Headaches in Children

When we read and learn about stress management, we are often focused on how adults can better manage stress- whether it be personal, on-the-job, or due to a failing relationship. Sometimes, though, with all this focus on adults, we forget that children can feel stressed too.

One of the biggest reasons children feel stress is because of changes in their environment. They feel out of control when things change, and might not be able to have any control over where they live or go to school (such as when their parents separate or divorce) and they may also be subjected to stress at school, such as by being bullied or ridiculed.

Sometimes, it's tough being a kid. One of the ways that children demonstrate stress is through complaints of headaches. A recent study published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Hypnosis examined the impact of hypnosis for headaches in children.

The study made a distinction between fixed and variable stressors. Fixed stressors were defined as events over which the child had no control, while variable stressors are those in which the child might be able to change his behavior and modify the outcome.

In this study, 37% of children reported fixed stressors, and 63% reported variable stressors.

In the study, 96% of children reported improvement in their headaches after using hypnosis- improvement, in this case, meant that they had fewer headaches or the headaches weren't as painful than before. This effect was greater for children who were experiencing variable stressors.

For these children, it means that hypnosis, plus a greater understanding of the role they were playing in their own stress, was highly effective at reducing headaches.

This is a positive sign, because it means that, perhaps, children who are under stress can learn how to relax and gain control, instead of relying on medication to control their stress and headaches.

Tagged as: children headache treatment, hypnosis headache, treating headaches with hypnosis

You Will Never Look at Pain the Same Way Again

A new study, published in the November 2008 issue of the journal Current Biology* just blew my mind.

 Researchers found that just by changing the way subjects looked at an achy limb, they could affect the degree of pain experienced AND the swelling of the limb.

This is pretty crazy stuff, but is just more evidence of the mind/body connection.

Here is the study in more detail:

Researchers found subjects who all experienced chronic pain in one of their arms. They then had them all do 10 hand movements that would trigger pain in the aggravated arm. The movements were such that the subject could watch their own hand movements.

They had the subjects do these movements under four different conditions:

1. With No visual Manipulation (control 1)
2. While looking through lenses that did not affect the size of their arm (control 2)
3. While looking through lenses that magnified the size of their arm
4. While looking through lenses that minimized the size of their arm

All of the subjects experienced some pain and swelling under all conditions, but the differences were significant under the different conditions, and truly amazing.

The lenses caused the subjects to see the arm as bigger experience more pain and swelling than the control groups, while the lenses that caused the subjects to see the arm as smaller causes less pain AND less swelling than the control groups.

Researchers still can't tell us why exactly this is happening but some guesses have to do with something called the, "top-down" effect of body image on body tissues. Meaning that the experience of pain is bi-directional (works both ways) between the actual cause of the pain and the perception of the pain causing stimulus.

Another related theory from one of the study's authors, Dr. Mosley, is that protective responses—including the experience of pain—are activated according to the brain's implicit perception of danger level. "If it looks bigger, it looks sorer and more swollen," Moseley said. "Therefore, the brain acts to protect it."

Either way, I find the whole experiment fascinating. It is just one more piece of evidence of the brain's role in how we experience pain.

More Information on the Brain's Role in How We Experience Pain

If you are interested in knowing more about the brain's role in how pain is experienced, we have downloadable recordings of Dr. Maggie Phillips (a world renowned expert on mind/body healing) going into great detail on the subject.

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/downloads/?E398Q This is free and consists of 5 mini lectures explaining how pain works and a mini session called, "Using Mental Focus to Shift Pain" that acutally guides you through a semi-hypnotic session where you actually shift the experience of pain using your mind.

The lectures are kind of cerebral (boring to some people) but I personally think they are interesting! And if you or a loved one is experiencing pain and/or taking dangerous medications, then it is more than worth listening to.

If you enjoy the lectures and are experiencing physical pain, Dr. Phillips created a four CD audio program where you can use hypnosis and other body/mind modalities to reduce and sometimes eliminate chronic pain.

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/pain_management.php

Important: Please listen to the free interviews before making this decision. It is not a miracle solution and if you don't find the interviews interesting, you probably will not have the patience to use the program to great effect.

If you do have the patience to actually do the sessions and learn about how pain works (this is part of the process) then it will improve the quality of your life pretty dramatically.

While we are on the subject of pain, my good friend Jesse Cannone recently wrote an article on how back pain actually shrinks the brain!

Instead of co-opting his article, I think it is only fair that I send you to his site to read it. He has a really good back pain product that deals with the physical causes of back pain and is a great guy to know.

How Pain Shrinks The Brain

Well, here is to a great December! Please comment about this article and any of the links in it. I am interested in this subject. Please refrain from overt product pitches, but I would be interested to know of any interesting solutions for pain management, whether they are nutritional or physical exercises.

Regards,

Michael Lovitch

* source: Visual distortion of a limb modulates the pain and swelling evoked by movement G. Lorimer Moseley, Timothy J. Parsons, Charles Spence Current Biology – 25 November 2008 (Vol. 18, Issue 22, pp. R1047-R1048)

Tagged as: chronic painhypnosis pain, hypnosis research, Jesse Cannone hypnosis, pain research

Christianity and Hypnosis: Answers from an Academic and a Minister

In order to help clarify the range of Christian viewpoints on hypnosis, we interviewed two experts about hypnosis and Christianity. Neither one is affiliated in any way with The Hypnosis Network.

Of course, everyone has their own theological perspectives. You may find that neither of these commentators reflects your views. The interviews are provided strictly as information for those who are curious about possible Christian perspectives on hypnosis.

Our interviewees are:

  • John Court, Professor of Psychology, University of South Australia Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Adelaide Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis, Australian Society of Hypnosis Certificate in Theology, Sydney
  • Paul Durbin, United Methodist minister Chaplain (Brigadier General), United States Army (retired 1989) Director of Pastoral Care & Clinical Hypnotherapy, Methodist Hospital, New Orleans, LA (retired 2001) Director of Clinical Hypnotherapy, MHSF, affiliated with Methodist Hospital (retired June 30, 2005)

Below are their answers to some of the questions we frequently receive.

Some Christians are concerned that by undergoing hypnosis they might be going against their faith. Why is this?

John Court

Because they have been told, or have read in Christian books, that hypnosis is condemned in the Bible. Those who love to find a proof text for their beliefs use one word in Deuteronomy 18 (vv 10-11). In English the Hebrew word is usually translated 'charmer,' or 'one who casts spells,' and from other contexts it is clear that the word refers to snake charming. To relate it to hypnosis is quite misleading.

Good exegesis, of course, calls for more than a simple proof text, and this is lacking.

On the other hand, there are two examples in the Acts where it refers to Peter going into a trance (the Greek word is ekstasis from which we get 'ecstasy') and both events are reported as both positive and significant.

Paul Durbin

As you well know, there are many misconceptions concerning hypnosis which make some people (religious or non-religious) have some fears of hypnosis. A few years ago, I read an article in Family Weekly titled "Boom Days For Devil Hypnosis." Hearing that title, what ideas, images, or thoughts come to you? Though the article had what I considered a very negative title, it was a very positive article on hypnosis in the health care field. The only reference to the devil was in the last paragraph, "Some conservative religious groups consider hypnosis to be the work of the devil."

Hypnosis is mistakenly viewed as mind control or demonic by many misinformed people. Let me describe one situation I've experienced:

Recently I received a physician consult to work with a Catholic woman for pain management. As I explained the process of relaxation, imagery, and hypnosis, I could see that she was very responsive. As I concluded my pre-talk, she said, "I am really looking forward to this experience, but I need to tell you that my daughter is a self-proclaimed born-again Christian and she may say something negative to you about this. If so, do not pay any attention to her, for I am the one who is hurting and I want this."

As I completed the induction, the phone rang. I told the patient, "Just allow the ringing of the phone and my answering it to add to your relaxation." I answered the phone, "This is Mrs. Doe's room. As she is in therapy, please call back in 30 minutes," and hung up the phone.

When the procedure was completed, I walked out of the room and there was her daughter standing in front of the door with arms folded over her chest. She said, "What have you been doing to my mother?" I explained that I had taught her mother relaxation, self-hypnosis, and pain reduction. She responded, "I am a born-again Christian." Before she could continue, I raised my hands and said, "Praise the Lord, so am I." She was speechless, so I continued, "I will bring you some information on hypnosis, but regardless of how you feel about hypnosis, your mother has found it very helpful in the reduction of pain."

Some would say that there is no place in religion for hypnosis. I believe that hypnosis and religious faith can work hand in hand to bring about a better life. Jesus said in St. John 10:10, "I am come that you may have life and have it more abundantly."

Christianity includes many different denominations. Which denominations support hypnosis and which do not? Please explain why some traditions do, and some don't.

John Court

This is not easy to answer. In general the Catholic tradition has no problem with hypnosis. The Anglican tradition also has no problem. Lutherans have varied: some for, some against. Seventh Day Adventists used to be against it but appear to be changing.

It is mostly the smaller Bible-based and fundamentalist churches, and especially Pentecostals, who have taught against hypnosis. They have largely been teaching from second and third hand writers who have observed some aspect of hypnosis but without personal study of the subject.

Apart from the biblical evidence, the other major issue that has caused this is that some of the less orthodox traditions such as Christian Science have favored hypnosis, and so the orthodox seek to create distance.

Paul Durbin

Each one here comes with his/her own history: religiously, personally, and professionally. I come to you as a Christian Minister who looks upon hypnosis as a valuable tool of counseling. Coming from a religious profession and working in a church-related hospital for 30 years, I was often asked, "Why does one of religious faith need hypnosis?" or "How can you use hypnosis? Isn't there a conflict between religious faith and hypnosis?" I believe that these questions can be responded to by referring to the statement of Jesus in John 10:10, "I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." Hypnosis is one of the gifts of God which help people experience the "more abundant life."

Hypnosis is neither anti-religious nor pro-religious. It can be used for good or bad, depending on the hypnotist and the subject. Today, most religious groups accept the proper ethical use of hypnosis for helping people.

The Roman Catholic Church has issued statements approving the use of hypnosis. In 1847, a decree from the Sacred Congregation of The Holy Office stated, "Having removed all misconceptions, foretelling of the future, explicit or implicit invocation of the devil, the use hypnosis is indeed merely an act of making use of physical media that are otherwise licit and hence it is not morally forbidden provided it does not tend toward an illicit end or toward anything depraved."

The late Pope Pius give his approval of hypnosis. He stated that the use of hypnosis by health care professionals for diagnosis and treatment is permitted. In 1956, in an address from the Vatican on hypnosis in childbirth, the Pope gave these guidelines:

(1) Hypnotism is a serious matter, and not something to be dabbled in. (2) In its scientific use, the precautions dictated by both science and morality are to be used. (3) Under the aspect of anesthesia, it is governed by the same principles as other forms of anesthesia. This is to say that the rules of good medicine apply to the use of hypnosis.

Except for exceptions noted, no other Protestant or Orthodox Churches have any laws against the proper-ethical use of hypnosis. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no opposition to the use of hypnosis in the Jewish faith when it is used for the benefit of mankind. Many of the Eastern faiths, such as Buddhism, Yoga, Shintoism, Hinduism and others, approve the use of hypnosis and they often use hypnosis in their worship. Islam has no opposition to hypnosis that I have been able to discover.

Hypnosis should not be condemned as anti-religious just because some people misuse it. Some oppose hypnosis because the say it is used by the occult, but do they condemn prayer because prayer is used for occultist purposes? Hypnosis can be a very helpful tool in counseling. Without apology and when appropriate, hypnosis can be used for growth, health and the benefit of people.

Are there any Christian denominations where hypnosis is absolutely forbidden? (We want to make sure that no one purchases our CDs and then subsequently regrets his or her purchase due to this reason.)

John Court

There are certainly some strong prohibitions in some Christian books, but the readership is, I think, restricted to fundamentalists.

Paul Durbin

Exceptions are Christian Science, Seventh-Day-Adventist and some individuals of various churches.

In recent years, the Seventh-Day-Adventists have lessened their resistance by using relaxation therapy and suggestion therapy. A hypnotist by the name of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby greatly helped Mary Baker Eddy overcome an illness and she used many of his teachings and techniques in developing the Christian Science Church. Though Quimby used hypnosis to help her, she denounced hypnosis while using its techniques.

Though many in various churches opposed to hypnosis are using the principles of hypnosis (relaxation, concentration, suggestion, repetition) in their healing services, they denounce hypnosis. For those who oppose hypnosis on religious grounds, I remind them of the words of Baptist Van Helmont, "Hypnosis is a universal agent . . . and is a paradox only to those who are deposed to ridicule everything and who ascribe to Satan all phenomena which they cannot explain."

Is hypnosis a form of mind control?

John Court

It can be, and in stage hypnosis, obviously is.

In clinical work the control is negotiated between therapist and patient so that control is largely with the patient, who is then invited to allow the therapist to work within clearly identified ethical boundaries. There is also self hypnosis, which emphasizes the point that ultimately the control of the mind is with the person in trance (either self-induced or delegated to the therapist). Certainly clinical hypnosis is about enabling the patient to gain greater control of the mind; that is, empowering, not taking control away.

Paul Durbin

Hypnosis is no more mind control than watching TV, listening to a political speech, or attending a worship service. It is my belief that a person will not do anything under hypnosis that is against his/her will.

There is a story about Milton Erickson going to his secretary and telling her that he was tired and wanted to rest so anyone called, she was to say that he was out of the office. She agreed to do this for Dr. Erickson. Some days later he put her in a hypnotic state and make the same request. She responded that she could not. He asked her "Why?" and she responded, "Because it would be a lie." She had stronger moral resolve under hypnosis than in the normal waking state.

There is one area where there is a danger, and that is in what I would call "brainwashing," which can be accomplished in or out of hypnosis. It consists of a person being bombarded with suggestion time after time, day after day.

Many therapists of the past 30 years produced false memories for their clients by telling them that they would never get well until they admitted that they were sexually abused as children even though they could not remember it. They would have them imagine what might have happened, and even used guided imagery to help them remember. The results from many were the recovery of false memories which brought havoc to the client and family of the client. I have had several articles published on the subject of "False Memories," and one can find articles on my website by me and others on this subject.

Does someone who uses hypnosis for themselves risk punishment in some divine way?

John Court

No.

Paul Durbin

I certainly do not believe that one risks divine punishment for using hypnosis, or I would not use it in my counseling. Some may risk criticism from their church, but not from God.

You have used hypnosis with many devout Christians. Do you have any examples of people who initially feared hypnosis that ended up benefiting?

John Court

Yes, often. My book (Hypnosis, Healing and the Christian [Eugene, OR: Resource Publications, 2002]) contains a number of examples of client experiences, published with their permission.

Paul Durbin

While a hospital chaplain and hypnotherapist, I had some people who feared hypnosis either on a personal basis or religious basis. Often a physician would send me a referral to work with a patient who was from a Pentecostal-type church. Many said, "Is it alright for me to call my pastor to see if it is OK?" In each case, their pastor said that it was OK. I had been a chaplain at Methodist Hospital in New Orleans for 6 years before I began practicing hypnotherapy, so the pastors knew me and so did not fear me working with their members.

It has been our position that hypnosis actually gives a person more control as opposed to less control. What are your views on this?

John Court

Agreed.

Paul Durbin

I totally agree. It gives the person the power to use what he or she already possesses but has not been able to control. People gain control over bad habits, control over fears and phobias, and the list goes on.

I know this is a personal question and just your opinion, but do you see any reason why a person would not try hypnosis only because he or she is a Christian? Please explain.

John Court

I know of people who do adopt that position. They have been told Christians must not be hypnotized because that would be to relinquish their free will to another person. If that view can be shown to be false, then it is possible to proceed.

I am saddened at how many Christian people feel unable to accept hypnotic-based interventions, when they could be very helpful in dealing with physical and emotional issues. Christians will also often report with surprise that the experience is spiritually beneficial, as it is possible to incorporate prayer and meditation into the therapeutic process.

Paul Durbin

I can see a person who would not use hypnosis because of his/her church position or on their personal understanding.

As an example, I was referred to a lady for pain management who wanted her pain medication long before the required time. I told her that I had been referred by her physician to help her reduce pain with hypnosis and she said "No, I am a Christian." I talked with her about that and even explained some of the common misconceptions about hypnosis. I told her that hypnosis was a normal experience that we pass through many times a day, but she said "No." So she just hurt until her drugs were due.

We have heard that people are concerned that hypnosis can override a person's "will" and/or create space for evil spirits to enter. What are your thoughts on this?

Paul Durbin

The vast majority of research disagrees with the above statement. A person in hypnosis will not do anything against his/her will. They may do things that they would not normally do, but would do if the situation were such as to entice them to do it.

For a physician, it is not unethical to prescribe drugs to stop pain, but it is unethical for a physician to intentionally set up a situation where the patient becomes dependent on that drug so the physician can make more money.

I am a theologically conservative United Methodist Christian and ordained clergyperson of the United Methodist Church. Hypnosis happens all the time: watching television, driving your car, being involved in a worships service, just before going to sleep, and just after waking up. Anything can be used unethically, but that is a problem of the person involved, be he clergy, physician, fireman, policeman, business person, wife, husband, teacher, or hypnotherapist. But don't condemn the profession or the role for the unethical ones among us, or we would have no professions.

People who have been smoking for years, no longer smoke due to hypnotherapy and at a much higher rate than patches, gum or drugs. People are released from fears in a few sessions that have been going to therapy for years. People in pain have had pain reduced or eliminated. Babies have been born to moms who did not have to take any drugs, a positive for both baby and Mom. Cancer patients have been able to take chemo with some of the side effects and have been helped to reduce the pains of cancer and even be healed of cancer. Burn patients have been able to have 3rd degree burns reduced to 2nd and 2nd to 1st when cared for by a hypnotherapist within the first few hours following burns, and to undergo painful procedures following burns with a great reduction of pain. These are blessings from God to be used to help relieve suffering emotionally and spiritually.

For more information about our interviewees

You can read more about either John Court or Paul Durbin online. Here are the links:

John Court

Paul Durbin

Our stance on hypnosis and faith

The Hypnosis Network feels that if you belong to a group that does not accept hypnosis, then you should not use the programs. Your spiritual views are more important than any benefit you might receive from hypnosis.

To read more about this perspective, and how to listen to the content of a recorded hypnosis program to check it for yourself without undergoing a hypnotic trance, see our separate article on "Hypnosis and Faith".

Hypnosis Is Not a Secret Anymore

"I should have done it years ago. It's amazing – I didn't even want cigarettes any more."Matt Damon, describing his hypnosis experience to Jay Leno The Tonight Show, December 2004

"Hypnosis can help adult patients control other forms of pain, relieve gastrointestinal problems, stimulate weight loss, clear up skin problems, and accelerate the healing of bone fractures and surgical wounds." Consumer Reports, January 2005

"Hypnosis is not mind control. It's a naturally occurring state of concentration; it's actually a means of enhancing your control over both your mind and your body." Dr. David Spiegel, Assoc. Chair of Psychiatry Stanford University School of Medicine

"Hypnosis has gained credibility in the past five years because of research using the latest brain-imaging technology. Studies show hypnosis can help treat a multitude of disorders." Business Week, February 2004

"Hypnosis can help. A growing body of research supports the ancient practice as an effective tool in the treatment of a variety of problems, from anxiety to chronic pain." Newsweek, September 2004

Hypnosis and Headache Pain: The Research

In a study conducted by Anderson (1975), migraine patients treated with hypnosis had a significant reduction in the number of attacks and in their severity compared to a control group who were treated with traditional medications. The difference did not become statistically significant until the second six-month follow-up period. In addition, at the end of one year, the number of patients in the hypnosis group who had experienced no headaches for over three months was significantly higher.

In a controlled trial conducted by Olness (1987), self-hypnosis was shown to be significantly more effective than either propranolol or placebo in reducing the frequency of migraine headaches in children between the ages of six and twelve years of age.

In a research conducted by Schlutter (1980), hypnosis was also found to be effective in dealing with the relief of tension headache.

Alladin (1988) reviewed the literature on hypnosis, identifying fully a dozen different hypnotic techniques that have been used in the treatment of chronic migraine headaches. Of these, hypnotic training emphasizing relaxation, hand warming (which, according to Anderson, 1975) seems the simplest method of establishing increased voluntary control of the sensitive vasomotor system) and direct hypnotic suggestions of symptom removal have all been shown to be effective in reducing the duration, intensity and frequency of migraine attacks during a ten-week treatment course and at thirteen-month follow-up when compared to controls.

A study (Gutfeld, G. and Rao, L., 1992) was conducted on 42 patients suffering from chronic headaches. These patients, all of whom had responded poorly to conventional treatments, were split into two groups. One received hypnotherapy to relieve their daily headaches; the rest acted as a comparison group. The hypnotherapy group experienced reduced frequency and duration of headaches, cutting the intensity by about 30%. "These results are impressive in such a difficult, hard-to-treat group of patients," commented Egilius Spierings, M.D., Ph.D. director of the headache section, division of neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alladin, A. (1988). "Hypnosis in the Treatment of Severe Chronic Migraine. In M. Heap (ed.), Hypnosis: Current clinical, Experimental and Forensic Practices. London: Croom Helm. pp. 159-166.

Anderson, J.A., Basker, M.A. & Dalton, R. (1975). "Migraine and Hypnotherapy." International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 23, 48-58.

Gutfeld, G. and Rao, L. (1992). "Use of Hypnosis with Patients Suffering from Chronic Headaches, Seriously Resistant to Other Treatment," As reported inPrevention, 44, 24-25.

Olness, K., MacDonald, J.T. & Uden, D.L. (1987). "Comparison of Self-Hypnosis and Propranolol in the Treatment of Juvenile Classic Migraine." Pediatrics, 79, 593- 597.

Schlutter, L.C., Golden, C.J. & Blume, H.G. (1980). "A Comparison of Treatments for Prefrontal Muscle Contraction Headache." British Journal of Medical Psychology, 53, 47-52.

Tagged as: hypnosis for painhypnosis headachehypnosis research

Hypnosis and Pain Reduction: The Latest Research

University of Iowa News Release March 14, 2005

 Brain Imaging Studies Investigate Pain Reduction By Hypnosis

Although hypnosis has been shown to reduce pain perception, it is not clear how the technique works. Identifying a sound, scientific explanation for hypnosis' effect might increase acceptance and use of this safe pain-reduction option in clinical settings.

Researchers at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and the Technical University of Aachen, Germany, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to find out if hypnosis alters brain activity in a way that might explain pain reduction. The results are reported in the November-December 2004 issue of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

The researchers found that volunteers under hypnosis experienced significant pain reduction in response to painful heat. They also had a distinctly different pattern of brain activity compared to when they were not hypnotized and experienced the painful heat. The changes in brain activity suggest that hypnosis somehow blocks the pain signal from getting to the parts of the brain that perceive pain. "The major finding from our study, which used fMRI for the first time to investigate brain activity under hypnosis for pain suppression, is that we see reduced activity in areas of the pain network and increased activity in other areas of the brain under hypnosis," said Sebastian Schulz-Stubner, M.D., Ph.D., UI assistant professor (clinical) of anesthesia and first author of the study."The increased activity might be specific for hypnosis or might be non-specific, but it definitely does something to reduce the pain signal input into the cortical structure."

The pain network functions like a relay system with an input pain signal from a peripheral nerve going to the spinal cord where the information is processed and passed on to the brain stem. From there the signal goes to the mid-brain region and finally into the cortical brain region that deals with conscious perception of external stimuli like pain.

Processing of the pain signal through the lower parts of the pain network looked the same in the brain images for both hypnotized and non-hypnotized trials, but activity in the top level of the network, which would be responsible for"feeling" the pain, was reduced under hypnosis.

Initially, 12 volunteers at the Technical University of Aachen had a heating device placed on their skin to determine the temperature that each volunteer considered painful (8 out of 10 on a 0 to 10 pain scale). The volunteers were then split into two groups. One group was hypnotized, placed in the fMRI machine and their brain activity scanned while the painful thermal stimuli was applied. Then the hypnotic state was broken and a second fMRI scan was performed without hypnosis while the same painful heat was again applied to the volunteer's skin. The second group underwent their first fMRI scan without hypnosis followed by a second scan under hypnosis.

Hypnosis was successful in reducing pain perception for all 12 participants. Hypnotized volunteers reported either no pain or significantly reduced pain (less than 3 on the 0-10 pain scale) in response to the painful heat.

Under hypnosis, fMRI showed that brain activity was reduced in areas of the pain network, including the primary sensory cortex, which is responsible for pain perception.

The imaging studies also showed increased activation in two other brain structures — the left anterior cingulate cortex and the basal ganglia. The researchers speculate that increased activity in these two regions may be part of an inhibition pathway that blocks the pain signal from reaching the higher cortical structures responsible for pain perception. However, Schulz-Stubner noted that more detailed fMRI images are needed to definitively identify the exact areas involved in hypnosis-induced pain reduction, and he hoped that the newer generation of fMRI machines would be capable of providing more answers.

"Imaging studies like this one improve our understanding of what might be going on and help researchers ask even more specific questions aimed at identifying the underlying mechanism," Schulz-Stubner said."It is one piece of the puzzle that moves us a little closer to a final answer for how hypnosis really works.

"More practically, for clinical use, it helps to dispel prejudice about hypnosis as a technique to manage pain because we can show an objective, measurable change in brain activity linked to a reduced perception of pain," he added.

In addition to Schulz-Stubner, the research team included Timo Krings, M.D., Ingo Meister, M.D., Stefen Rex, M.D., Armin Thron, M.D., Ph.D. and Rolf Rossaint, M.D., Ph.D., from the Technical University of Aachen, Germany.

University of Iowa Health Care describes the partnership between the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and UI Hospitals and Clinics and the patient care, medical education and research programs and services they provide. Visit UI Health Care online at www.uihealthcare.com.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa Health Science Relations, 5135 Westlawn, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1178

Tagged as: hypnosis pain, hypnosis research

How Effective Is Hypnosis in Relieving Pain?

Hypnosis is a state of altered awareness in which we can become absorbed in more relaxing thoughts, ideas, images and feelings, and more easily distracted from negative or painful ones. Many people who benefit from hypnosis respond well to suggestions about feeling less pain, more comfort, increased energy, better sleep, and having rapid healing outcomes. Only about 10-20% of the general population does not receive good results from hypnosis; this group may benefit more from biofeedback and other methods.

There are many published, well-controlled research studies that focus on the use of hypnosis with surgery. In a recent review of 18 of these studies1, the overall result was that most patients treated with hypnosis have moderate to significantly better surgical outcomes including reports of less pain, use of fewer pain medications, and faster recovery. For example, medical hypnosis for orthopedic hand surgery, which is typically very painful, showed benefits that included significantly less post-surgery pain and anxiety, and fewer complications2. In a different study, 339 patients undergoing thyroid and parathyroid neck surgery, were divided into two groups. One group had hypnosis and an intravenous medication that kept them conscious while the other group was given general anesthesia. The hypnosis group had less pain, used fewer pain medications, and had shorter hospital stays3. In a similar study of 241 patients who underwent invasive medical procedures4, those who received pre-surgical instruction in self-hypnosis had less pain and anxiety than those who did not receive self-hypnosis instruction. In summary, a year 2000 review of published articles in the field of hypnosis concluded that "the research to date generally substantiates the claim that hypnotic procedures can ameliorate many psychological and medical conditions." 5

There has also been evidence that hypnosis may affect the way that pain is processed in the brain. In a recent study, volunteers who plunged their hands into hot water were measured by a PET scan. Later, they were hypnotized and told that the water would not seem as painfully hot. During hypnosis, the PET scan was readministered, showing significantly less activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, the part of the brain that is involved in expanding feelings of emotional distress and can also influence the inhibition of pain. On the other hand, the PET scan data obtained during hypnosis showed no decrease in activation in the somatosensory cortex region which is involved in processing the sensation of pain.6 These results suggest that even though the brain may continue to register the sensation of pain, hypnosis seems to help patients shift their experience of pain away from distress and suffering.

Hypnotic intervention has also been used successfully with many types of specific pain. In the treatment of burn patients, hypnosis has been used to reduce the pain associated with debridement (the scrubbing away of burned tissue to give new tissue a chance to grow) and wound cleaning, to modulate anxiety related to burn procedures, and to enhance coping styles such as repression and intellectualizing.7 With cancer patients, hypnotic suggestion helps to reduce the suffering related to many painful procedures such as the administration of chemotherapy and treatment-related throat pain and nausea. Hypnosis can also help to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches, and to relieve tension headaches8. In the area of dentistry, hypnosis is used to reduce orofacial pain held in the muscles and jaw, and pain, distress, and anxiety related to specific dental procedures such as root canals and extractions. Other significantly effective applications of hypnosis include reduction of anxiety and physical pain related to invasive medical procedures including endoscopies, intubation, catheter discomfort, and blood transfusions.

References

1 Montgomery, G.H., DuHamel, K.N., and Redd, W.N. (2000). A meta-analysis of hypnotic analgesia: How effective is hypnosis? International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 48, 138-153.

2 Mauer, M.G., Burnett, K.F., Ouellette, E.A., Ironson, G.H., & Dandes, H.M. Medical hypnosis and orthopedic hand surgery: Pain perception, postoperative recovery, and therapeutic comfort. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 47, 144-161.

3 Defechereux, T., Meurisse, M., Hamoir, E., Gollogly, L., Joris, J., & Faymonville, M.E. (1999). Hypnoanesthesia for endocrine cervical surgery: A statement of practice. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 5, 509-520.

4 Lang, E.V., Benotsch, E.G., Fick, L.J., Lutgendorf, S., Berbaum, M.L., Berbaum, K.S., Logan, H., & Spiegel, D. (2000). Adjunctive non-pharmacological analgesia for invasive medical procedures: A randomized trial.Lancet, 355, 1486-1490.

5 Montgomery, G.H., David, D., Winkel, G., Silverstein, J.H., and Bovbjerg, D.H. The effectiveness of adjunctive hypnosis with surgical patients: A meta-analysis. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 94, 1639-1645.

6 Rainville, P., Duncan, G.H., Price, D.D., Carrier, B., & Bushnell, M.C. Pain affect encoded in human anterior cingulated but not somatosensory cortex.Science, 277, 968-971.

7 Patterson, David. (1996). Burn pain. In Joseph Barber (Ed.), Hypnosis and Suggestion in the Treatment of Pain, pp. 267-302. New York: Norton.

8 Barber, J. (Ed.). (1996). Headache. In J. Barber (Ed.). Hypnosis and Suggestion in the Treatment of Pain, 158-184. New York: Norton.

 

Hypnosis and Healing

Hypnosis helps healing: Surgical wounds mend faster

By William J. Cromie Harvard University Gazette

Marie McBrown was invited to test whether or not hypnosis would help heal the scars from her breast surgery. Marie (not her real name) and 17 other women underwent surgery to reduce their breast size.
It's a common operation for women whose breasts are large enough to cause back and shoulder strain, interfere with routine tasks, or prompt social and psychological problems. The pain and course of healing from such surgery is well-known, and a team of researchers headed by Carol Ginandes of Harvard Medical School and Patricia Brooks of the Union Institute in Cincinnati wanted to determine if hypnosis could speed wound healing and recovery.

"Hypnosis has been used in Western medicine for more than 150 years to treat everything from anxiety to pain, from easing the nausea of cancer chemotherapy to enhancing sports performance," Ginandes says. A list of applications she provides includes treatment of phobias, panic, low self-esteem, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, stress, smoking, colitis, warts, headaches, and high blood pressure.

"All these functional uses may help a person feel better," Ginandes continues. "I am also interested in using hypnosis to help people get better physically. That means using the mind to make structural changes in the body, to accelerate healing at the tissue level."

Four years ago, Ginandes and Daniel Rosenthal, professor of radiology at the Harvard Medical School, published a report on their study of hypnosis to speed up the mending of broken bones. They recruited 12 people with broken ankles who did not require surgery and who received the usual treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In addition, Ginandes hypnotized half of them once a week for 12 weeks, while the other half received only normal treatment. The same doctor applied the casts and other care, and the same radiologists took regular X-rays to monitor how well they healed. A radiologist who evaluated the X-rays did not know which patients underwent hypnosis.

The result stood out like a sore ankle. Those who were hypnotized healed faster than those who were not. Six weeks after the fracture, those in the hypnosis group showed the equivalent of eight and a half weeks of healing.

How to Hypnotize

Not everyone is convinced by the results. Some experts claim that the differences can be explained by the extra attention — the increased psychological support — given to the hypnotized patients. So when she was ready to try hypnosis again on 18 breast surgery patients, Ginandes randomly separated them into three groups. All got the same surgical care by the same doctors. Six received standard care only, six also received attention and support and from a psychologist, and six underwent hypnosis before and after their surgery.

Hypnosis sessions occurred once a week for eight weeks. Psychological soothing took place on the same schedule.

Ginandes did not put the patients to sleep by swinging a watch like a pendulum while the patients lay on a couch. "That only happens in the movies," she laughs. "In hypnosis, people don't lose control and go into a zombie-like state where they can be made to do things against their will. They don't have to lie down, you can enter a state of hypnosis standing up, even standing on your head. Patients don't even go to sleep, rather, they enter a state of absorbed awareness, not unlike losing oneself in a good book or favorite piece of music."

While in this state, Ginandes offered suggestions that were custom-tailored to different stages of surgery and healing, Before surgery, the suggestions emphasized lessening pain and anxiety. "You can even suggest to a patient that she can reduce bleeding during surgery by controlling her blood flow," Ginandes notes. Overall, the suggestions focused on things such as expectation of comfort, decreased inflammation, diminished scar tissue, accelerated wound healing, return to normal activities, and adjustments to self-image.

The women received audio tapes of these sessions so they could practice at home.

At one week and seven weeks after surgery, nurses and doctors participating in the study visibly assessed and measured the wounds of all three groups without knowing which group the women were in. They took digital photographs for three physicians to review. Each patient also rated her own healing progress and how much pain she felt on scales of zero to 10.

The result was clear. Marie McBrown and the women who had undergone hypnosis healed significantly faster than the others. Those who received supportive attention came in second.

From hooey to hurrah

The researchers reported these results in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. This report, of course, doesn't prove conclusively that hypnosis will accelerate the healing of wounds. The biggest limitation of the study involves the small number of patients, which makes it difficult to generalize the results to other types of wounds. Then there is the possible effect of expectation, the belief of some patients that hypnotism will work. It's the same effect seen when people who take a sugar pill for a backache do as well as people who take medicine. It's going to require more studies involving many more people to get the majority of doctors to shout hurrah instead of hooey.

Ginandes agrees. "Our study underscores the need for further scientific testing of hypnosis," she says. "Subsequent studies might clarify unresolved speculations about the mechanisms by which hypnotic suggestion can trigger the physical and psychological effects that we see."

She and her colleagues suggest future experiments to compare the effects of simple hypnotic relaxation versus "targeted suggestions for tissue healing." They would also like to see more work done using hypnosis for people suffering from other kinds of wounds, such as foot ulcers caused by diabetes.

Nevertheless, Ginandes believes that the study of healing after breast surgery "breaks the ground for studying a broad and exciting range of new adjunctive treatments. Since clinical hypnosis is a noninvasive, nondrug treatment, finding that it can speed healing of wounds and other conditions could lead to fewer visits to doctors' offices and faster return to normal activities. Also, further investigation might confirm our supposition that the mind can influence healing of the body."

 

Talking to the Amygdala: Expanding the Science of Hypnosis

By Muriel Prince Warren, DSW Abstract: Recent brain research indicates that it is possible to talk to the amygdala, a key part of the brain that deals with certain emotions. The inner mind is concerned with emotion, imagination and memory as well as the autonomic nervous system which automatically controls our internal organs. By talking to the amygdala, an experienced hypnotherapist can relax the autonomic nervous system shutting down, or curtailing the trigger that sets off secretion of the adrenal and pituitary glands. This gives the body an opportunity to rebuild its immune system in many chronic illnesses.

When a patient is in a hypnotic trance the amygdala automatically shuts down the rapid alert system and turns off the stress hormones epinephrine, cortocotropin, and glucocorticoids. I have tried to talk to the amygdala in a number of critical cases including a 22-year-old woman with diabetes and a fear of hypodermic needles, 40-year-old male with osteoscarcoma and prostrate problems, and a 75 year-old man with kidney failure. In each case, the technique of relaxation through hypnosis has proven a highly effective tool in giving the body a chance to heal itself through its own inherent wisdom system. This is the part of the mind that knows how to make you breathe and send oxygen to your blood cells.

David Barlow of the Boston Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders claimed in a Newsweek article (Feb. 24, 2003) that it is actually possible to talk with the amygdala, a key component of the brain that deals with emotions like fear. Since this idea was consistent with the basic tenets of hypnosis, it intrigued me. "Hypnosis is a way to access the untapped power of the mind and alter brain functions. In this state of intense relaxation and concentration, the mind is able to focus on positive suggestions which can be carried out at a future time. These subliminal messages are surprisingly powerful.

"The mind is like an onion. The outer layer, or conscious mind, deals with intelligence, reality, and logic. The inner mind is concerned with emotion, imagination, and memory, as well as the autonomic nervous system which automatically controls our internal organs (i.e., how we breathe, send oxygen to our blood cells, or walk without using the conscious mind.) The internal mind is on autopilot, reacting to the dictates of the pleasure principle. It seeks pleasure and avoids pain" (Warren, 2003, pp. 175-6).

It is these characteristics that make hypnosis a highly effective therapeutic tool in dealing with a wide spectrum of mental and physical disorders. When a therapist is doing hypnosis, the amygdala is turned down. Therefore, I call this "talking to the amygdala." The hypnotist can actually relax the autonomic nervous system, shutting down the usual "fight, flight, or freeze" response and curtailing the trigger that sets off secretion of the pituitary and adrenal glands. This gives the body a chance to build up its immune system and reduce trauma (Frank and Mooney, 2002) in many chronic illnesses (i.e., irritable syndrome, bulimia, cancer, high blood pressure, and Parkinson's disease.) Even the Wall Street Journal (Friedman, 2003) has documented how hypnosis has entered the mainstream and is using trance states for fractures, cancer, and burns and speeding recovery time.

Dr. David Spiegel, Stanford University researcher, speaking at the 54th Annual Conference of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, November, 2003, in Chicago reminded us that although we don't fully understand how it works, there is significant evidence that hypnosis can be effective in helping people reach into their own unconscious resources to solve problems normally beyond their ability. Not only does it work, but it often succeeds where modern medicine has failed.

That evidence continues to pile up. Hypnosis is now being used in dentistry, fertility, childbirth, allergies, eating disorders, headaches and improved academic and sports performance. Eleanor Laser, PhD. assists physicians like Elvira Lang, MD by performing hypnosis and analgesia during operations at the Harvard and Iowa University Medical Schools. Hypnosis is not sleep, but an altered state of consciousness in which a person accesses that part of his or her mind that is capable of adjusting the problem without the conscious, thinking mind directing it.

In addition to being a psychotherapist, author, researcher, and educator in private practice in Rockland County, New York, I am also an experienced hypnotherapist. So I decided to put David Barlow's statement to the test. Patients don't have to know where the amygdala is located and what it does. The unconscious mind knows. The unconscious mind knows how to work without the conscious mind directing it. That's one thing I have learned from years of conducting hypnotherapy. You can rely on the patient's unconscious mind to come up with the answers, while the therapist contributes positive suggestions.

First, I did a little research on the amygdala and was surprised to find that tremendous progress has been made in just the past few years in our understanding of the brain and how it works. I was also amazed that no one has put it all together in one place. So I thought I would conduct my own experiment.

The Amygdala:

The amygdala is located on either side of the middle of the brain known as the Limbic System. There are two of them, each 1.5 centimeters – the size of a walnut. The amygdala is critical for certain kinds of negative emotions, particularly fear, but it can also provide an important link to creativity and increased intelligence Richard J. Davidson, Director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and the W. M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison has studied this area of the brain and mind-body interaction since 1999. He explains that many parts of the brain work together to produce complex behavior such as emotions (Gyatso, T. and Goleman, D. 2003). It was found that the amygdala plays a key role in the circuitry that activates emotion, while the prefrontal cortex does much of the regulation. Evidence suggests that regions of the left frontal cortex play an important role in positive emotions while the right frontal lobe plays that role in certain negative emotions.

Another key part of the brain is the hippocampus, a long structure directly behind the amygdala which has been linked to memory. The hippocampus is essential for the appreciation of the context of events. Some emotional disorders such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression involve abnormalities in the hippocampus. In both these disorders, it was found that the hippocampus actually shrinks.

The amygdala, the hippocampus, and the frontal lobes (p. 193) are all extensively connected with the body, in particular with the immune system; with the endocrine system which regulates hormones; and with the autonomic nervous system that regulates heart rate, blood pressure and other functions.

The brain provides a complex system of feedback circuits involved in the reaction to stress and trauma. This process starts (Sapinsky, 1993) with the actual or perceived threat of death or injury that activates the higher reasoning centers in the cortex. The cortex, in turn, sends a message to the amygdala, which is the principal mediator of the stress response. The amygdala then releases cortocotropin-releasing hormone to stimulate the brain stem to activate the sympathetic nervous system by way of the spinal cord. This triggers the adrenal glands, located atop of the kidneys, to release epinephrine and glucocorticoids. These two hormones act on the muscles, heart, and lungs to prepare the body for the "fight," "flight," or "freeze" response. When the stress becomes chronic, glucocorticoids induce the locus coeruleus to release nor epinephrine that makes the amygdala produce even more CRH and other stress hormones as the reaction escalates.

Dr. Hillary P. Blumberg, and a team of researchers at Yale University (Scanning a Brain, New York Times, Dec. 30, 2003) have found that the amygdala and hippocampus are much smaller in teenagers and adults with bipolar disorder. That finding may provide doctors with a new tool for early diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. Teenagers and adults with bipolar disorder are at high risk for suicide.

Recovery function is the time it takes for a person to come back to a quiet baseline condition of the brain after being provoked by an emotion as in a traumatic event. Certain people have a prolonged response and others return to the baseline very quickly. It has been shown that people with quick recovery function have less activation in the amygdala. The amygdala and hippocampus in their brains are larger and a more normal size than those of anxious people. These people show more activation in the left prefrontal cortex. They report that their everyday experience is filled with feelings of vigor, optimism, and enthusiasm (Gyatso, T. and Goleman, D. 2003, p. 197).

Other Research:

Other research projects have centered on the memory which has been linked to adrenaline, the hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to anxiety, stress, and fear. Dr. Jim McGaugh at the University of California at Irvine demonstrated that rats injected with adrenaline just after learning a task had enhanced retention (Friedman, 2003) Dr. Larry Cahill also at Irvine shows that blocking the effects of adrenaline could prevent emotional arousal from enhancing memory. That implies that any emotionally charged situation that causes adrenaline release will produce stronger memories.

Dr. David Barlow of Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, claims that we can actually talk to the amygdala and reduce stress in our minds and bodies. As a hypnotherapist, I know that the unconscious mind is best addressed by hypnotic language in a trance state.

I was further encouraged by numerous scientific studies in recent years showing that the hypnotized mind can exert a real and powerful effect on the body. Hypnosis is increasingly being used today to help women give birth without drugs, for muting dental pain, treating phobias and severe anxieties, helping people lose weight, stop smoking, or even improve their performance in athletics or academic tests (Wall Street Journal, Waldholz, 2003). The stage was set for my first trial.

Three Cases:

My first example involves a patient who feared an upcoming operation and the possibility of his blindness or death. He explained that he was a professional golfer, and had been diagnosed with osteoscarcoma. His physician had just found a tumor the size of a golf ball behind his left eye. He had been warned that he had a slim chance of retaining his eyesight and having the tumor removed. Furthermore, there was a real possibility that he would not make it through the operation.

We had five consecutive sessions during the week before his operation. The patient told me that he was a multimillionaire at age 40. All he wanted was to play golf, and his wife would not let him. He was deeply depressed and without a "causa sui" (a reason for living) (Becker, 1983, p. 119), and often dreamed of dying. Dr. Norman Shealy, a Harvard-Trained neurosurgeon and researcher, and many others have concluded that the immune system becomes compromised by depression, stress, anger, and guilt, leading to many diseases including cancer.

In each hypnosis session, I relaxed the patient's amygdala, shutting down the fear and enhancing the outcome. I did not explain to the patient that I was talking to his amygdala, but under hypnosis in a trance state, the amygdala shuts down the stress hormones, giving he patient an opportunity to rebuild his immune system. I am not a golfer. But I suggested that when the surgeon drilled into his skull, he would hit a hole in one and the tumor would pop out. On the day of the operation, the patient showed no fear of the procedure. When the surgeon made the initial incision just behind the eye, the tumor simply rolled out of his head without further intervention. The patient arrived at my office the following day with his eyesight intact and nothing but a band aid covering the incision. The tumor was sent to Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic for analysis. To this day, the surgeon and his colleagues don't understand what happened. They think they made an error in diagnosis. The tumor was just not as serious as they originally thought. This patient has decided to become a golf coach, thereby reducing his depression and finding a, "causa sui." His immune system was now functioning well. About six months later, he began having difficulty with his prostrate. Because of their constant fighting, his wife turned to smoking pot which made her amorous. His amygdala was activated by her sexual demands and the fear that he would not be able to perform.

The prostate is a male sexual gland that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the beginning of the urethra. The gland secretes a thin opalescent fluid that forms part of the semen.

An activated amygdala doesn't wait around for instructions from the conscious mind," explains Claudia Haub (Newsweek, Feb. 24, 2004, p. 46). Once it perceives a threat it can trigger a body wide emergency response within milliseconds. Jolted by impulses in the amygdala, the nearby hypothalamus produces a hormone called Corticotrophin Releasing Factor, or CRF, which signals the pituitary and adrenal glands to flood the bloodstream with epinephrine, adrenaline, nor epinephrine and cortisol. These stress hormones then shut down nonemergency services such as digestion and immunity, and direct the body's resources to fighting or fleeing. The heart responds, the lungs pump, and the muscles get an energizing blast of glucose. The stress hormones also act on the brain , creating a heightened awareness and supercharging the circuitry involved in memory formation.

In autoimmune diseases, the immune system is confused and attacks the body. Hypnotherapy can help stimulate healthy immune system functioning where only foreign invaders or mutant cells are attacked. A general understanding of how autoimmune diseases operate is helpful to patient and therapist alike. Sometimes pictures of the disease process and immune system help to facilitate the internal changes necessary for healing or remission.

This patient underwent tests which indicated a PSA of 2.4 ug/L. We began hypnosis focused on his prostrate. In a quiet, relaxed state, I asked him to locate the pipe that controlled his prostate gland, reminding him that the back of his mind knew better than I just how to put it in working order. His PSA level has now been reduced to 1.66 ug/L. (The normal range is 0.0 to 4.0.)

Perhaps even more dramatic is the case of a 75-year-old man with kidney failure who was facing the prospect of dialysis. This patient had been through three heart attacks and showed an allergic reaction to the contrast or dye used in angioplasty. His kidney function, as measured by the level of creatinine in his blood, had declined to about 20-25% of normal. Using the same technique of inducing trance and reducing all stress hormones, I asked the patient to visualize himself in a healing garden, and using all of his senses, imagine through the powers of his own pure subconscious mind — which knows better than I do — sending healing energy to the parts of his body that need it most. In a sense I was using his own intuition to empower him. After three sessions of hypnosis focusing on improvement of his kidneys, blood tests showed his creatinine level was reduced from 3.0 to 2.0, equivalent to approximately 50% of normal and a 100% improvement. Although his kidneys are not perfect, dialysis is no longer necessary. We are now working on his carotid artery which shows a partial blockage.

Serious medical malfunctions are not the only areas susceptible to the power of hypnosis. This case involved a 16 year-old girl who was failing math with a 53 average despite attempts to tutor her. After three months of hypnosis once a week, her average climbed steadily to an amazing 85. Through hypnosis, I was able to shut down the stress hormones that can impair memory and taught her how to anchor those feelings of calmness. Eventually, she was able to perform her own self-hypnosis prior to scheduled tests at school. I helped her to realize that her brain was like a computer, only better. In fact, it was the prototype for all manmade computers. We went over the fact that in the first five years, she learned more than at any other time in her life. She learned a language, to tell one person from another, to distinguish different objects, to begin mastery of her ABC's, how to color, brush her teeth, and many other things. All of this was data she was able to program into her brain before she was five years old. Now that she was 16, those tasks slipped in to her subconscious mind. Just like breathing or sending oxygen to her blood cells, she didn't have to think with her conscious mind about how to do it.

The same principle holds true for math, science, and anatomy. Only now, it is much easier. Data we store in our computer brain can be retrieved just the way we retrieve the method for tying our shoelaces. First, the patient is given a simple way to anchor the feeling of calmness, perhaps by simply placing his pointer finger and thumb together, putting her into a state of self-hypnosis so the stress hormones do not interfere with her memory bank. Then she is told to tackle the easiest questions first, giving the patient a feeling of success. Success breeds success. Reducing stress hormones and strengthening the ego combined with desensitization helps patients with school and test-taking.

I can't claim that every case is an absolute success, but I can say that more and more and with the perseverance of my patients, I have been getting better and better results.

As Stephen Kahn and Erika Fromm have told us, therapists go through change every day. The profound transformation in my work came about with the understanding of how hypnotherapy works. Until then, I was confident it worked, but I didn't understand how. That understanding has reassured me and made it possible for me, in turn, to reassure my patients. As continuing research unlocks the secrets of the brain, hypnosis will emerge, breaking the barrier between art and science. There are other cases, some more critical than others, but they all end the same way. In all cases, even the patients find it difficult to accept that hypnosis was effective in eliminating the problem. They sometimes would prefer to think that the original diagnosis and the laboratory tests had been wrong. Since it often appears so simple, hypnosis may not get the credit it deserves. The main thing is that the problem that brought the patient to me has been solved. METHOD:

Let me clarify what I mean when I say "talking to the amygdala." When I hypnotize a patient, the amygdala normally shuts itself off. The body and mind are at rest. There is no fight, flight, or freeze response, and all stress hormones are shut down. The patient is constantly reassured that he/she is in control, and that the patient's unconscious mind will intuitively know where to direct the healing power. The critical point is that the patient's brain knows how to solve the problem even if the patient doesn't consciously know that he knows.

The procedure is no different in principle from any hypnosis session, and consists of six discrete steps: (1) Set-Up, in which the subject is reassured of his/her control and offered the choices of staring at a spot on the ceiling, opening or closing their eyes, etc.;

I often tell them that I don't want them to go into a trance too fast or too slow. It is all up to the patient. This reinforces their sense of control; (2) Induction, direct or indirect using parallel process narratives to reinforce the realization of the power of the brain, in which the patient enters the trance state and goes to a deeper and deeper level. An example of parallel process narrative might be Erickson's famous story in which a horse wandered into his family's yard when Ericksen was a young man. The animal had no identifying marks, (Rosen, 1982) but Ericksen offered to return the horse to its owners.

In order to accomplish this, he simply mounted the horse, led it to the road, and let the horse decide which way he wanted to go. He intervened only when he horse left the road to graze or wander in to a field. When the horse finally arrived at the yard of a neighbor several miles down the road, the neighbor asked Erickson, 'How did you know that that horse came from here and was our horse?' Erickson said, 'I didn't know – but the horse knew. All I did was keep him on the road.' pps.46-47.

The analogy is obvious. Like the horse who knew his way home without intervention, the unconscious mind knows instinctively how to solve the problem; (3) Talking to the amygdala, in which the therapist uses metaphors and ego strengthening suggestions to facilitate healing intuitively like trees that are barren in winter and flourish in spring. I sometimes suggest they can marvel at the metamorphosis that took place overnight You know that your pure subconscious which is active day and night can repair, rejuvenate, and regenerate creating new energy and sending its intuition to the part of the body that need it most. You may be amazed or surprised where it sends it first. My voice will disappear while the back of your mind – your pure subconscious -0- allows you to do the work. When you are ready to continue, you can let me know w by wiggling your finger. This is known as ideamotor signaling. Even though the patient may not have consciously heard what I said, his or her unconscious mind heard me. This suggests that a call on the patient's unconscious mind to solve the problem, assuring the (4) Post-Hypnotic Suggestion, in which the patient is reassured that he/she will awake feeling physically well and refreshed with no ill effects from the trance. I often give them a post-hypnotic trigger, on the form of words or anchors that help them stay calm so the healing can continue. An example might be the words "easy control." Another anchor would be to put their pointer finger and thumb together anytime during the day they feel the need to calm down; and (5) Return, in which the patient is brought gradually to full alertness. Then we discuss their experience and how it felt.

References

Becker, E. (1973). The Denial of Death. New York: The Free Press. Frank, D. and Mooney, B. (2003). Hypnosis and Counselling in the Treatment of Chronic Illness. New York: Crown House Publishing. Friedman, R.A. Traversing the Mystery of Memory. New York Times. December 30, 2003. p. 5. Gyatso, T. (Dali Lama) and Goleman, D. (2003). Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? New York: Bantam Books. Hammond, D.C., Ed., (1990). Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors. New York: W. W. Norton and Company. Laser, E. and Lang, E. (1996). Methods of Non-Pharmalocologic Analgesia: A Sourcebook for Practitioners. The Methods of Non-Pharmacologic Analgecis Workshop, University of Iowa Hospital.. Myss, C. and Shealy, N. (2002). The Halographic View of Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit, Session 4. (CD-ROM). The Science of Medical Intuition. Sounds True. Boulder, CO. Rosen, S. (1992). My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton Erickson. New York: W. W. Norton & Co, Saplinsky, R. (1993). The Vicious Cycle of Stress. Scientific American, pp. 81-91. Scanning a Brain for Bipolar Root. (December 30, 2003). New York Times. Spiegel, David. (2003). Presentation at the 54th Annual Conference of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, November, 2003, Chicago, IL. Waldholz, M. Altered States: Hypnosis Goes Mainstream. Wall Street Journal, Oct. 7, 2003. Warren, M. P. (2004). Trauma: Treatment and Transformation. New York: IUniverse.

Helpful hypnotherapy

Published: Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 9:15 p.m.

Regarding the article "A closer look at hypnosis, first-hand":

I thank the Herald-Tribune and Thomas Becnel for the informative article on hypnosis, first-hand. It will go a long way to help demystify clinical hypnosis, as what most of the public is exposed to is stage hypnosis (purely entertainment), and the stuff of Hollywood movies (mostly outrageous exaggerations). And thanks also to hypnotherapist Cynthia Kasper for doing such a good job in explaining how modern hypnosis works and how it is a powerful intervention to increase self-confidence, enable changing long-standing habits like smoking, and improve sports performance.

As a certified master practitioner of hypnosis, I have ample evidence of how well it can work to: increase test scores in school and also on mandated standardized tests; lower golf scores; decrease marathon running time; and stop smoking. It can also help in a number of other examples.

Your paper's approach, a random selection of a hypnotist by a typical new client who is skilled in reporting accurately what he experienced, is refreshing and well timed.

Arthur Emrich

Sarasota

Revival Of “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever” w/ Gender & Race Twist Coming To Broadway

A revival of the musical On A Clear Day You Can See Forever is coming to Broadway this fall, although this one will be with a major twist. But first, the original, which was made into a 1970 film starring Barbara StreisandYves Montand, directed by Vincente Minnelli, made its Broadway debut in 1965, and centers on a psychiatrist (male) who hypnotizes a florist (female) in an effort to help her quit smoking; but during the hypnosis, the woman reveals an alternate, former version of herself, as a late 18th century free-spirited English woman. After repeated sessions, the shrink starts to fall for this alternate character, revealed only while the florist is under hypnosis, and who mayor may not exist. And to further complicate matters, the florist, as herself, starts to fall for the shrink. Make sense?

Of course, hi-jinx and hilarity ensue.

Now the twist here is that, in the upcoming Broadway revival, a contemporary version, the florist will be male instead of female, and the alternate/former self he reveals to the shrink under hypnosis, and who the shrink gradually falls for, will bea dazzling and self-possessed 1940s jazz singer named Melinda Wells.” Oh, by the way, she’s black.

And like the original production, the doctor “finds himself swept up in the pursuit of an irresistible and impossible love affair with this woman from another time and place, who may or may not have ever existed.”

I read that this reimagined version was workshopped at Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater last summer, and the role of Melinda Wells, the dazzling and self-possessed 1940s jazz singer,was played by Anika Noni Rose (For Colored GirlsDreamgirls).

For the upcoming Broadway version, the role of the psychiatrist has already been cast - Harry Connick Jr - but the fictitious (or is she?) black woman he falls for and pursues, who’ll play opposite Connick, has yet to be. No word on who’s on the short list, though I’d imagine Rose would be; but what do I know.

The New York Post’s theater section suggests Montego Glover (also a black stage actress, last seen in Memphis, where she coincidentally played a character in a complex, complicated interracial coupling) for the role.

Anywho… an interesting twist on the story that I thought worth highlighting. We could see another black Hollywood actress heading to Broadway this fall (Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson are already signed on to star in Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop).

And a film adaptation isn’t entirely out of the question, is it?

 

Astral Projection Music Download Helps Project The Realms Of The Human Psyche At Hypnosistosis.com

New York (OPENPRESS) June 28, 2011 -A revolutionary breakthrough for mental health issues and conditions that haunt the modern world, hypnosis is seen as an alternative to psych medications and treatment centers for mental disorders ranging from depression, to hyper tension and even to assist with addiction. The practice of hypnosis is a widely accepted revolutionary healing guide that taps into the subconscious and transforms the mind into the tools that will set people up for a successful, happy and fulfilling life.

Aimed at helping people find answers to their self-hypnosis and meditation sessions, Hypnosistosis.com underscores that by staying on top of the latest cutting edge treatments, people can rid of whatever is holding them back from realizing their full potential.

"The power of the mind is a useful tool to help better ourselves without the use of any external assistance. It can help people empower themselves as a person and their lifestyle", explains Christopher Cohen, contributor at Hypnosistosis.com

Hypnosistosis.com talks about Astral Projection Music, which is believed to ultimately help those with difficulties attaining this state of consciousness. The website defines Astral Projection Music as "Binaural Beat Therapy" which mimics the brainwaves of those who are able to engage in astral projection through meditation only. It creates tonal frequency in the right ear to make a binaural beat that brings brainwaves to that state of astral projection, through which brainwaves can be tuned within the same frequencies that monks and other meditation gurus are able to achieve.

Hypnosistosis.com offers information about IDozers or Binaural Beat MP3s, which are a new form of recreational drug on the market. Neither smoked nor ingested, IDozer is a scientifically dubbed, digital drug recordings that are difficult to find because authorities and the medical field have insisted on labeling idozers with binaural beat therapy.

The information-rich resource for hypnosis, Hypnosistosis.com also offers reviews of various hypnosis home study courses to assist visitors who are turning to the therapeutic arena to address their health problems.

People who believe in taking control of their everyday living amid the stress and panic that daily life brings should visit http://www.hypnosistosis.com and find relevant information about self-help and self-improvement though mind techniques and positive mood enhancing methods.

### Professional Free Press Release News Wire

Looking for an alternative

By Brittany Nelson

Sunday, June 26, 2011

    I lie on a narrow bed as I anxiously await thin needles to be pierced all over my body. Right before my acupuncturist put the first one in to my foot, she said, “This one will hurt the worst.” A tiny pinch later, and it was in. A wave of relief flushed through me as I realized this was going to be no big deal. Being an acupuncture virgin, I slowly started to feel more relaxed as the kind acupuncturist made small talk and the thin needles were sending me into a tranquil haze. Call me crazy. But in my quest for alternative medicine, I’m not alone.

    The National Health Interview Survey defines alternative, or complimentary medicine as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are generally not considered part of conventional medicine.”

    This includes many different remedies and practices, such as homeopathy, herbs, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy and massage. Eastern cultures have been using complimentary medicine for centuries and the trend has been increasing in United States since 1990.

    In 1997, researchers found that alternative medicine use had increased 50 percent since 1990. That number has remained steady until 2002, however yoga and herbal remedy use have increased. According to a 2007 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38 percent of adults use alternative medicine; the most popular being acupuncture, yoga, massage, meditation, and herbal remedies such as echinacea, flaxseed oil and ginseng.

    Holistic living:

    Austin Swick, a junior from Claremont, Calif., said that he rides his bike to work and school every day. He cooks healthy food and uses herbal and homeopathic medicine for his allergies. He lives what he calls a “holistic lifestyle.” Swick said after his allergy shots did not help him, he looked elsewhere. “Bee pollen is more condensed than honey and is great for combating allergies,” Swick said. “Holistic remedies and herbs are way more budget-friendly than going to the doctor. I occasionally use pain relievers, but mostly stick to herbal remedies.” But living holistically not only involves herbal remedies, it involves a lifestyle change. “Our society’s perception of time is a key reason why so many people are unhealthy. They want to grab food on-the-go when people don’t realize how inexpensive and easy it is to eat healthy. I buy common food staples in bulk and cook,” he said. When eating on campus, Swick avoids processed foods and sticks to fresh produce and sushi. Swick also mentioned in order to receive nature’s benefits, people have to be willing to change their diets and habits.“You can’t just take a Vitamin C when you’re sick, you have to take it every day. People don’t want to cross over and experiment with a new kind of lifestyle, but you have to take that risk.”

    Acupuncture:

    Acupuncture has been around for centuries and is still practiced today. Originating in China, acupuncture involves placing thin needles in the skin at certain pressure points that increases the body’s chi, or energy flow.Gina Halsey, Lawrence acupuncturist, said that acupuncture is great for treating pain and enhancing the immune system. “Acupuncture can work as a replacement for pain medication. It works in a different way; it doesn’t just mask the pain, it resolves it.” Acupuncture treats many different ailments, the most common being headaches, chronic pain, asthma, and surgery and injury recovery. Acupuncture also helps other things such as insomnia, anxiety, fertility, and irritable bowel syndrome.

    Hypnotherapy:

    Hypnotherapy doesn’t involve needles, medication or herbs — it involves the mind. According to the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association, hypnosis involves the subconscious mind to remain awake while the body and conscious mind are in a relaxed neutral state. This “awake” subconscious mind is able to receive suggestions to make changes. Stephen L. Griffeth, Ph.D, said that hypnotherapy is great for quitting smoking, insomnia, anxiety, acute pain and fibromalygia, among numerous other complications. Griffeth said hypnosis is great for smokers wanting to quit because it has a 90 percent success rate, where as gums and patches only have a five to 10 percent success rate.

    •  

    'The Hypnotist' unleashes terrifying events

    By 

    Christian DuChateau

    , CNN

    June 26, 2011 4:21 a.m. EDT

    (CNN) -- In the frigid cold of Sweden, police discover a savage triple homicide, a family murdered, a killer still on the loose. There is a sole survivor, a young boy, gravely wounded, his family killed before his eyes.

    Desperate to find the killer, Detective Inspector Joona Linna turns to a retired hypnotist for help. He convinces Dr. Erik Maria Bark to put the boy under hypnosis, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes. But entering the boy's damaged consciousness unleashes a terrifying chain of events.

    Hooked yet? This is the premise of "The Hypnotist," the latest "Nordic noir" title wowing readers around the globe. One of the first things you should know about the chilling debut thriller from the author, Lars Kepler, is there is no Lars Kepler.

    Kepler is the pen name of Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril, a charming married couple from Sweden. Both authors in their own right, their first collaboration has turned into an international sensation. "The Hypnotist" is a best-seller in Sweden and across Europe, with a movie in the works.

    There are already plans to turn "The Hypnotist" into a film.

    Now the novel comes to the U.S., and Kepler, or rather the Ahndorils, have drawn the inevitable -- but in this case, well-deserved -- comparison to Sweden's best-known crime writer, the late Stieg Larsson.

    CNN recently talked to the couple, and the following is an edited transcript.

    CNN: What was the spark behind "The Hypnotist"?

    The Ahndorils: We happened to have several years of direct insight into professional hypnosis, so the idea of using a hypnotist as a key character came naturally to us. Many crime novels are about getting as close as possible to victims and perpetrators. We thought it would be exciting to use a hypnotist, because he can actually step into other people's memories.

    When we decided to write together, we challenged ourselves to transfer a filmic atmosphere into words. We want the readers to feel that they are there, inside the fiction, when they read Lars Kepler, almost believing they can influence the course of events.

    CNN: What do you think about all of the positive international attention?

    Ahndorils: We are of course very happy, but at the same time, we really need a kind of inner calm to be able to write, so we're actually trying hard not to think about the success. "The Hypnotist" has sold to more than 36 countries and has been a best-seller wherever it's been published.

    The director Lasse Hallström is making it into a movie. It's fantastic, but a good friend of ours, who understands the importance of relaxation when you write, gave us a number to a skillful hypnotist!

    CNN: There was a big furor in Sweden to find the real Lars Kepler, so why did you choose a pen name?

    Ahndorils: A pen name is often a way for an author to signal that he or she is writing with a new voice or in a new genre. We've been writers in our own right for several years before we started to write together, and from the beginning we thought it was a great idea to stay secret behind a pen name.

    Then two things happened unexpectedly: First, writing together was the most creative and enjoyable thing we'd ever experienced; and second, the media went crazy when the "The Hypnotist" was published in Sweden in 2009. The whole nation was suddenly searching for the person behind Lars Kepler.

    We tried to hide, but one dark night in August, two journalists with flashlights and cameras found us in our summer house.

    --Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril

    We tried to hide, but one dark night in August, two journalists with flashlights and cameras found us in our summer house. The next day, we packed our three daughters in our car and drove to Stockholm to meet the media and readers.

    CNN: How does your writing partnership work? Are there any special challenges because you are married?

    Ahndorils: If you told a couple who's been together for almost 20 years, and live with their three young daughters in an apartment, that they were going to share a small study for several years and write novels together, they would probably just laugh, no matter how much they love each other.

    We'd tried to write together several times previously, but each time, the cooperation has almost immediately turned into arguments and big fights. It was actually because of this we came up with the idea of creating a brand new writer. Lars Kepler is not Alexander, nor Alexandra. He has a life of his own. And the truth is, since we started to write as Lars Kepler, we haven't had a single fight.

    Many authors who work together write alternate chapters, or divide the characters in the story between them. We don't do that; we write everything together, like two people playing the piano four-handed.

    We discuss the plot all the time -- when we pick up our children at school, when we shop for dinner. We even wake each other up in the middle of the night to discuss turning points. If we were to page through "The Hypnotist" or our sequel, we wouldn't be able to find a single sentence that only one of us wrote. It's all the work of Lars.

    CNN: What kind of research did you do on hypnosis?

    Ahndorils: Alexander's big brother is a professional hypnotist and writes books about practical hypnosis. He was a perfect source. We read a lot of other works about hypnosis, and Alexander was actually hypnotized himself. It was a surprise that hypnosis was truly enjoyable, even though you hand your own choice over to the hypnotist.

    And we were also surprised when we understood that the hypnotist himself goes into a kind of special trance during the sessions. Almost everybody can be hypnotized, except if they don't want to be (such as Alexandra). A person who is being hypnotized is in a state of deepest relaxation and seems to be nearly asleep.

    But if you look at the person's brain activity, you see that the brain is totally awake, extremely active and alert. Deep hypnosis is a very powerful elevator into the subconscious. Sigmund Freud used it for a while but thought it revealed too much too fast.

    CNN: What do you think of the comparisons to Stieg Larsson, and what are your thoughts about the continuing Scandinavian crime fiction craze?

    Ahndorils: In fact, the name "Lars" in Lars Kepler is an homage to Larsson. We have a lot of ideals in common with him. On one hand, crime novels paint a very violent and dark world; on the other hand, they make the failures of society clear and open for discussion, though the riddles should be solved and the perpetrators stopped when you close the book.

    We also share the love for complex characters with Stieg Larsson. Because no matter how interesting the plot is that you create, the story will not be exciting if you don't care about the characters.

    It's not that easy to find a darker place than Scandinavia during the winter. ... It's maybe not that strange we have this strong tradition of crime writing.

    --Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril

    RELATED TOPICS

    One thought we had about the Scandinavian trend concerns the fear of darkness, because the source for all thrillers is that fear. But as a writer, you are almost certain that you can stop the perpetrators and guarantee happy endings. So writing is a way to disarm the fear for a moment, just like a roller coaster transforms the fear of heights into something fun during the ride.

    People have always been afraid of the dark, not only children. ... And the fact is that it's not that easy to find a darker place than Scandinavia during the winter. The sun doesn't even rise for three months in the northern parts. So with all this darkness, it's maybe not that strange we have this strong tradition of crime writing.

    CNN: What's next? Will you continue to work as a team?

    Ahndorils: Our second Lars Kepler novel was published in Sweden in July 2010, and we're deep into the third, which will come out November 11 in Sweden. We have the plot for the fourth book finished, plus a whole lot of exciting investigations, cold cases, mysteries and ideas that we think will be enough for at least eight books.

    Every new book about Detective Inspector Joona Linna is independent and will have different main characters, but Joona is the main character of the series.

    Most writers are really lonely. You can't share your inner world with anybody for years while you're writing a novel. But now, since Lars Kepler appeared, everything is different for us. We don't long for the usual loneliness of a writer after this shared rush of creativity.