When it comes to dealing with stress, many people turn to hypnosis for help. Hypnosis is one of those mysterious things that fascinates most of us. We see movies centered around hypnotic states forcing people to commit a heinous act; we might witness a stage performer making willing volunteers jump around on stage barking like a dog, or waddling around quacking like a duck; we see re-enactments of an eyewitness to a crime being able to recall detailed and subtle characteristics of the event; we see dramatizations of someone put in a deep hypnotic state and regressing to a former life, describing intimate details of events that transpired long before they were born into their present life. So, what’s going on here? Just how magical and mystical is hypnosis?
There’s really not much magical going on here. The power of hypnosis is greatly over-exaggerated in the movies, in advertisements for smoking and weight control, and in other dramatic stage demonstrations. Simply put, hypnosis is a social interaction between two people. One person, the subject, is a highly suggestible type, someone who is willing to cooperate and focus attention on what the other person, the hypnotizer, is saying. The subject responds to suggestions made by the hypnotizer, and is so focused, and with high suggestibility, the subject is willing to tolerate distortions of reality. The subject suspends reality temporarily, and accepts and follows the hypnotist’s suggestions. Remember, however: the subject does not lose control over behavior, generally maintains a sense of self, and is largely aware of what is going on, not in a sleeplike trance.
Consider the following statements. Do you think they are true or false? People cannot lie when under a hypnotic state; one should have greater faith in the details of a traumatic personal event when those details are recovered through hypnosis; if someone has a memory of a trauma when under hypnosis, but no memory when not hypnotized, then the memory must be accurate; hypnosis can be used to recover memories as far back as the time of birth; hypnosis can be used to recover accurate memories of past lives. All of these statements are false. If you missed several of them, though, don’t feel too bad. One study surveyed 860 therapists about these statements and found that the percentages agreeing with the statements, in the order above, were 15%, 47%, 31%, 51%, and 28%.
The fact of the matter is clear: If you want to change some behavior, improve your mood, control your temper, or manage your fears and anxieties—if you want to do any of those things, you’re going to have to work at it! Sorry! There’s no magic bullet. Hypnosis will not fundamentally change your behavior.
One of the most widely used applications of hypnosis is for pain control, and this area is one that has been studied thoroughly in recent years. A safe conclusion is to say that the formal evidence from research investigations shows that up to 75% of those suffering pain experience relief through hypnotic suggestion. Hypnosis has also been found to be an effective substitute for general anesthesia in some surgical procedures. There are, however, several important things to remember: People differ in “hypnotizability.” Psychologists call it “trance capacity.” Basically, that means some people are more suggestible than others and can be hypnotized more easily. It is clear that pain relief is much more likely for those people. Also, hypnosis may be more effective with short-term, acute pain, than with long-term, chronic pain. There is relief for both types of pain, but it appears to be more pronounced for acute pain. Examples would be the pain associated with labor and childbirth, burns, dental work, headaches, and muscle aches. Most important, you must approach the application of hypnosis to pain control with a positive “it will help me” attitude, and a “I’m going to put forth some effort to make it work” resolve. A belief that you will always be ineffective in managing pain will be very counterproductive, and increase the likelihood hypnosis will not work. Of course, this type of positive, can-do approach is essential for success in any type of counseling or psychotherapy. Don’t waste your time in therapy or counseling if you don’t believe the procedure will help you, and if you’re not willing to work hard to produce a positive result. There are no magic wands; if you want something to happen, you must be willing to work for it.
A study by Manning and Wright demonstrates the importance of attitude. They looked at how much pain medication pregnant women used during childbirth. Some women went into the birth experience with very positive attitudes: “I have learned some pain control techniques and they are going to help me.” “I’m going to be able to do this with only minimal medication.” “I’ll feel pain but I can manage it if I remember my training.” Other women were not so positive: “Dope me up; I just can’t handle pain.” “These exercises you have taught me are fine, but I know that once the pain sets in, I want a drug!” The results of the study showed that the women with a positive attitude were less likely to request pain medication during labor and delivery.
We are surrounded by “certified hypnotherapists,” whatever that title means. One should exercise great care and selectivity in choosing a “professional” to help with pain control. Some professionals, such as “psychologists” and “licensed social workers” undergo rigorous licensing procedures; others do not. The bottom line: hypnosis should not be considered a substitute for conventional medical methods of pain control. It can be a useful supplement to medicines, but the role of attitude and suggestibility make it too unreliable to be a sole treatment.
Psychology and Stress 