|
~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Biological Law [8-99*#15//H#13-IV] Selected Articles from The Weisbrod Digest of Seminars Allegorical Hypnotism E-Zines Vol. 1, 2, & 3 from 1999 -ISSN: 1537-2820 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Anything that substitutes for a natural biochemical function will (over time) weaken that inherent ability and therefore increase the necessity for the substitute. Two examples are analgesics and antibiotics. Over time, these two substitutes have reduced both pain tolerance and immunity. In previous centuries, before we had a variety of chemical of analgesics, physicians used various techniques from alcohol to a blow to the skull to increase their patient's pain tolerance. Hypnosis was one such technique. ~
~ ~
Stand-alone therapy [8-99*#16//*#16-IV]One of the problems with hypnotism, like psychotropic medication (e.g. Prozac), it's not an effective stand-alone therapy. Therefore, the terms hypnotherapy or hypnotherapist could almost be considered misnomers. ~
~ ~
Types of suggestion
[8-99*#26//H#13-IX]Making a suggestion, no matter how forcefully phrased is like a shooting star--a blazing stratospheric display that quickly disappears forever. CW The secret to the type of motivation needed for advertising is to invent a suggestion that will stick. There are several ways to do this. Repetition is the most common method, effective but time consuming and therefore very costly. A common method that doesn't work very well is to use humor in an ad. The problem with this technique is folks tend to remember the joke but not the product. A method that producers of commercials hate is the jingle. Perhaps they feel jingle-writing is beneath their talents. But if one can invent a jingle that will play in the consumer's mind like an endless tape, that's a powerful advertising technique. Have you noticed that you remember tunes that you learned years and years ago? Thousands of years ago the jingle, poem, or song was used in the same way we now use radio, TV, and even the Internet. If you wade through my ezines you know I developed the allegory to use with in hypnotism as a way to make ideas stick. I've been in contact with non-smokers who clearly remember my Ivan Allegory from 25 years ago, but little else from the session. Sometimes they even say something like: "Ivan and me are still free!" ~
~ ~
Subliminal & Subconscious
[11-99*#32//H#6-IV]
All through the 1970s and into the 1980s the word subliminal was a buzzword used to sell audio cassettes. These recordings were supposed to have embedded messages below the range of normal hearing, but somehow reached a part of the mind called the subconscious. Subconscious is not a term used very often by behavioral scientists. Subconscious has an absolute meaning that doesn't fit the function of the cerebral brain. The term infers there is consciousness below that which is conscious, which is a contradiction in terms. So usually we speak of cognition as a state of consciousness. If not conscious, it is more accurately referred to as unconscious. Like the word pregnant, there is isn't anything in between pregnant and un-pregnant. Nearly 20 years ago a large sample of so-called subliminal audio cassettes were analyzed and found the "subliminal" messages (in a majority of the cases) were nothing more than gibberish or hissing sounds. In some cases there was nothing at all beyond the verbal or clearly audible music or ocean waves. Any benefits were either produced by the relaxation or, more likely, the placebo (sugar pill) affect. Keep in mind also that the hearing levels vary a lot from individual to individual making it impossible to engineer a generic recording to function within the wide range of auditory abilities. In a recent issue of The Skeptical Inquirer, September/October1999, there was an article which revisited subliminal persuasion. Popular talk-radio physician, Dean Edell, discussed subliminal persuasion on his show and put up a discussion of his website, www.HealthCentral.com. With this media attention, I suspect there will be a brief flurry of subliminal audio cassettes hitting the market. The Skeptical Inquirer is not a peer-reviewed journal, but they usually take their information from reputable journal articles; although a journal search didn't turn up their source. Of course there is a huge amount of information processed by the brain below consciousness. Three major examples are kinesthetic perception (body language), dreaming, and symbolic messages (allegories and metaphors). ~
~ ~
Can hypnosis help etc. etc. etc? [1-00*#36//*#36-IV]I get regular questions something like this: "Can hypnosis help me (get over)(get motivated) (eliminate) (develop)..." Hypnosis is a psycho-therapeutic technique. So the answer would be the same as "Can psychotherapy help me (get over) (get motivated) (eliminate) (develop)..." If psychotherapy would help, so would hypnotism, and vise-versa. Hypnotherapy is popular because it often achieves results more rapidly than traditional psychotherapy. ~
~ ~
The end of my private practice [5-00*#47//*#47-IV] It seemed simultaneous that a private practice clinic, with its skyrocketing overhead, and hypnosis wasn't fun anymore. I felt a little sad because I had planned on either being a hypnotist that practiced psychotherapy, or the other way around, until galloping senility removed that commitment from my recall. But I decided to become a writer since I'd already churned out a couple of moderately successful books. I like that writers could live in a hollow log if they want to and, better yet, anywhere on the planet. I've grown weary of dense concentrations of humans. But the thing I could never forget is how much of my life experience came about by the pressure of figuring things out in a hurry, simply because I knew how to hypnotize folks. In the cigarette smoking area alone I saw more patients in a year than a psychologist or psychiatrist might see in an entire career. And these smokers, because I had this "magical" hypnosis "power," demanded that I cure this long-term, life-threatening problem in ONE session. So, unfair as it seems, one does their best. And, if results are to be produced in such a sink-or-swim manner, a lot must be figured out. In my time, the second most popular walk-in client was someone wanting to lose weight. Even hypnotherapists are allowed a little more slack because weight loss happens over a relatively long time--nonetheless, clear evidence of impending success must somehow be demonstrated within three to five sessions -- so a lot must be learned there as well. In the late 60s, early 70s, the only thing I knew for sure was the accepted methods of treatment didn't work. I did stage hypnosis to learn those unyielding techniques; I did surgical anesthesia techniques, which seemed somehow the pinnacle of what could be accomplished with hypnosis; and I kept extending my education through traditional channels. I started my new career offering the courses I had put together over my years of practice, as well as adapting my graduate study programs, using a mail-order venue. Then the World-Wide Web and the Internet intruded itself into my consciousness. Four years ago (1996), and nearing sixty, I jumped into this high-tech venue with both feet. The point of this is the hypnotist part of me is always very close to the surface of everything I write. So it seems natural to close out the hypnotist part of my life by rewriting a course encompassing that part of my life--to once again offer a course called Structures of Hypnotism, aka, Hypnotism 100, 200, & 300. I have never been able to leave things as they were...this is a complete rewrite, and I go into a lot more depth in such areas as diagnostics and the paleo-anthropological aspects of treatment. How come? I learned a great deal about these two areas since the original "Structures" was written. ~
~ ~
Q & A re: Medical Hypnosis? [6-00*#49//H#2-III]Question: Do you know of a good course in medical hypnosis? AskCarl: The only medical hypnosis course that I would recommend would be from a traditional medical program For example, Hypno-anesthesia would require training as an RN, midwife, or anesthetist. And even then, one could only practice within that specialty. In the 1970's I had hospital privileges for surgical anesthesia, but it was because I was one of the few in town that had surgical experience, and several of my early patients were physicians, which helped in the credibility department. As far as I know, most of the people that do hypnosis as anesthesia, or (more often) as an adjunct to chemical anesthesia, are nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologists. Here's something I talk about in my program. Folks make a huge mistake (I think) of believing their success lies in some sort of peer-group approval system. And then, along comes the turf battles, as well as the "informed" ripping off the "uninformed" and, in the case of associations, the incompetent protecting the incompetent. (I realize that's a bit harsh.) The real power rests in your clientele. If you're well-liked, and you provide a worthwhile service, nobody can touch you--usually associations and diplomas (unless from an accredited college or university) are not worth the paper they're printed on. ~
~ ~
Thoughts on Somnambulism [6-00*#49//H#2-IV] Here's something interesting to think about. All hypnotists know that a percentage of the population is referred to as somnambulists. In simple terms, that's a tendency to walk while sleeping, usually acting out a dream, and come awake amnesic for much of the experience. In hypnosis it's the same state, but achieved from the waking state rather than the sleeping state. Hypnotists aren't the only ones that produce somnambulism from the waking state. Some religious and healing speakers also produce somnambulism. Some charismatic speakers, usually with esoteric and mystical topics, create the somnambulistic state. Chanting is perhaps the oldest form used to bring about a somnambulistic state. Let me pose this in the form of a question: How many of the folks that you hear on talk radio, such as the variety made popular by Art Bell, had their belief system altered by some form of somnambulism? ~
~ ~
Individualism vs Humanism [7-01
H#4//H#4-I] Going back 30+ years to my grad school days, I have always taken the position against what was then called the Humanistic Movement. "Humanistic" sounds warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? and it is....kind of. In a nutshell, it carries with it the implication that all humans are basically good. "Bad" humans are those that somehow had been damaged in their formative years. I belonged to a minority opposition group to this psychological school of thought. My anti-humanist friends and I loved to annoy our intellectual foils by saying things like: "Hitler probably just needed more hugs!" ...and they would counter by calling us shallow and mean-spirited. The humanist concept held that there was no such a thing as a psychopath or sociopath at birth, and the movement had a lot to do with the elimination of these terms from the psychologist's lexicon. Humanists believed there was no such thing as the "bad seed." (I think at least the Genome Study is going to prove that notion to be incorrect.) When I tried to categorize myself in those days, I found there wasn't a dichotomy (to humanism) that would work for me. It was a good lesson in the inherent problems with two-value thinking. Recently, computerized brain imaging has identified differences (for example) in the limbic system of those who seem to have no conscience, or unrestrained violent urges. We missed a huge opportunity, along these lines, by not doing a neurological study on Timothy McVeigh, not to mention the missed opportunity of dragging out of him possible conspirators...who could very well be making plans to again demonstrate their point of view. My position was that many systems need to be examined before a generalized judgment can be made: There is psychology, physiology, neurology, anthropology, sociology, paleontology, and more. The term "individualism" is as near as I could come to a term that describes my philosophy. The problem has always been that "individualism" often connotes isolationism and selfishness--but, as I use it, it refers to none of these things. One of the reasons we have too many repeat crimes, such as the school shootings, is we refuse to learn from previous experience. With the school shootings we cry over and over again, "how could this happen?" The cry from the McVeigh bombing: "How could anyone commit such a horrible act?" And then we destroy the very possibility of learning the answer to that question. And now, sadly, we have the infanticide of Andrea Yates. No doubt we will deal with this in a similar unenlightened manner. As we continue to bleat these "how-comes," copycat McVeighs are out there making plans, and we haven't learned enough to recognize them, let alone stop them. And lotsa hugs ain't gonna do it. ~
~ ~
Deja vu & Reincarnation [7-00*#50//*#50-IV]
In the early 1970s I was used as a hypnotist in a university project nicknamed "The Bridey Murphy Phenomenon." The designers of this protocol developed a hypothesis that "something" was tucked away in the human brain that linked us to the past. They wanted to identify what/where it was, or show it to be only figments of fertile imaginations. They were, of course, interested in the "deja vu" (been there before) and reincarnation experiences that many people had experienced at some level. Some of the experiences that were brought out using hypnosis were verrrry strange...way beyond figments of imagination. The math department came up with one possible way of looking at such things that to this day makes sense. If the number of possible interconnections in one brain was reduced to a number it had been calculated that it would be a string of typewritten zeros stretching out 6.5 million miles; (here's another) there are more possible neurological interconnections than atoms in the universe. (That was the kind of stuff they did when computers would mostly crunch numbers.) Anyway, based on that alone, the odds were, given this immense number of possibilities, that neurological tracings with nearly exact information might now and then "brush up" against one another enough to provide such a deja vu effect. The mind (in a split second) would then kind of "fast forward" and link this information with the present with an instant resolution. In other words, the brain would be running past memories and present reality at exactly the same instant--and this obviously would cause some rather strange feelings. Think of the number of possibilities in a deck of cards and then multiply that by gazillions and... well, you can see where I'm going with this. Of course, there are many explanations -- this is just the one that I cling to. ~
~ ~
More on Deja vu [6-01H#4//H#4-IV]Hypnotists have gotten a lot of mileage out of the "Deja vu" thing (I've been here before). When Deja vu happens, it brings a visceral a sensation and this allows the locic of a metaphysical phenomena--and it's not an easy conclusion to debate one way or the other. Here are three possibilities to consider: (1) Deja vu is an accident in which a perception "bumps up" against nearby neuron storage that jars lose consciously forgotten memories. These memory tracings mix into the active perception providing an added dimension. (2) We are experiencing a memory from precognition. This concept works within some Parallel Universe ideas. (3) We've had a previous life, and by chance we have crossed a previously traveled pathway. ~
~ ~
From WDS-E-Zine Allegorical
Hypnotism #4 July 2001
This first part
of this was motivated some time back when several newsgroup
hypnotherapists argued that a hypnotherapist should not be required to
understand the mechanics of a diagnosis. Apparently, they saw it as
medical treatment.AskCarl: Making a diagnosis is incorrectly thought of as treatment. Making a diagnosis is more of a deductive decision-tree process in which some labels are attached from observance of symptoms. It's based 100% on the medical model, and if you disagree with the medical model you will certainly disagree with the process of making a diagnosis. My position is the medical model, from the standpoint of treatment, is flawed, and is becoming increasingly so. On the other hand, I think the science behind it (including diagnostics) is excellent. My second point is more mechanical. By rejecting the concept (and the study) of the diagnosis, you are also rejecting the work done by the medical doctor with many of the clients you will end up seeing in your practice. You will not have the insight to a physician's thoughts as to what ails the patient. I believe that by not knowing the language of the diagnosis it's possible to do a disservice to the patient. However, just knowing the language of the diagnosis doesn't suggest you would treat based on this knowledge. But what would you do if a patient walks in with an insurance form with numbers such as 348.4 and 78600. The patient might tell you that he has headaches due to family stress. Probably you would ask if the patient had been seeing a doctor, but this could be passed off as "they couldn't find anything wrong with me." If you treated this person for stress headaches, wouldn't you want to know that the numbers above clearly indicate brain compression, and the five digit number would indicate brain imaging procedures had been done? Many patients are in denial, and don't want to accept such a diagnosis. So my position is it's a personal decision to "not treat" based on Western medicine, but I wouldn't extend that to justify "not knowing." Remember, hypnosis has its origins in Western Medicine. ~
~ ~
QUESTION from M.M."Carl, I have not contributed to this NewsGroup recently and don't know what model of hypnotherapy you practice. Also may I ask, in your mind what are the varied models of hypnotherapy that exist? [and M.M. listed the following models.] Analytical, Behavioral, Cognitive (NLP), and Neurological." M.M. then went on to say: "It has been (M.M's.) observation that many people desiring to train in hypnotherapy are often not offered a clear picture of what model of therapy the methods they practice fall under. M.M. AskCarl: Hi MM! *whew* difficult questions. Lessee... I worked as a technical hypnotist in the 60s and after I earned my first grad degree, I started working in a clinic with MDs and PhDs. But in my early days, I dealt with the left-overs, which was smoking, weight control, some phobia. Of course at first I did whatever it took to show some kind of results. The clinical setting had a great influence on me, and it was interesting to have at my disposal all the tools MDs have available--I even did some Narco-Analysis w/ S. Amatol & Scopolamine. The approach then was, I guess, Analytical. The belief, however, that psychiatrists are Freudian is not correct. Their training is typically medical (diagnostically separating mental disorders from a physical-caused disease manifesting as mental disorders) and then a blend of psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs. Psychiatrists are not trained in psychotherapy, as are psychoanalysts. Psychologists usually use a blend of psychological testing, and (often) eclectic psychotherapy. There was a lot of interest (during the 70s and 80s) in E. Berne's work with Transactional Analysis. Berne was analytically trained, so I guess TA would be considered Analytical. When I learned a new technique, I simply blended it into what I was already doing--a long list. In my doctoral dissertation, I wrote a a couple of tests, and did a lot of statistical work with a thousand previous cases. ~
~ ~
Bad moods/goals=wrong-side-of-bed[7-01H#7//H#7.VII] "Subconscious Failures May Explain Some Bad Moods." In a study presented at a meeting of the American Psychological Society, the relationship between subconscious goals and mood was studied using 109 college students. July 10, 2001 NEW YORK (Reuters Health)
People sometimes attribute their bad moods to getting up on the wrong
side of the bed. But one researcher has come across a better
explanation for unexplained grumpiness.Mysterious bad moods, she found, may arise when people fail to meet goals they do not even know they have. Those times when we are down but cannot explain why may result from our failure to reach expectations that are ingrained in our psyche, according to Tanya Chartrand, a researcher at Ohio State University in Columbus. She has dubbed these down times "mystery moods," and her recent study of college students reveals that sometimes they are triggered by unachieved "nonconscious" goals. [end quote] ~
~ ~
I included this because it seemed a good jumping-off point for some
productive thinking.I assume Dr. Cartrand is using the term subconscious somewhat generically--it's not a useful term neurologically. For example: I can't remember what I had for dinner last Wednesday, but the memory traces are tucked away somewhere, which classifies it as "subconscious." If I brought that meal-event back into recall, the memory would become "conscious." So this is a pretty basic cognitive function that doesn't really require a special term. To avoid confusion, I recommend that my students stick with conscious & unconscious. Anyway, her study was pointing out is that when things don't flow along as we would like we become bummed, and if things in general don't rise to our expectations, in time we could slip into a chronic low-grade depression. If a condition such as this continues for an extended period of time the quality of our life could be seriously impaired as our "bad choices" tend to increase, and eventually dominate. This further points out the value of a good interview. A condition of subclinical or low-grade depression takes some experience to diagnose because, unlike acute depression, it's easy to cover up, but once seen clinically, there are many approaches that produce excellent results. In the Reuters Health interview Chartrand summed up: "...frequent unexplained moodiness may lead to depression or anxiety, or shape negative views of the world and stereotypes of other people. Some people who frequently find themselves in bad moods may be able to discover the source by thinking about recent events and how they could have affected their feelings." Reference for the complete study: http://www.psy.ohio-state.edu/social/chartrand.htm In cigarette smoking, the problem structure is so convoluted by politicians, lawyers, and pharmaceutical profit motive, it's amazing anyone is able to quit. Those that do become non-smokers most often do so by ignoring the standard fare of information. ~
~ ~
Allegory & Power [7-01H#7//H#7-IX] When I discovered the use of the allegory with hypnosis back in the early 1970s, I was blown away by the power of story-telling--both in and out of hypnosis. For hypnosis, the allegory is much better than a narrative because the hypnotized person (depending on the depth) will have placed analytical thinking on the back-burner. Analytical thinking is the enemy to the intended purpose of the allegory. A narrative, in which analytical thinking is required, would inhibit deeper levels of hypnosis. ~
~ ~
Can hypnotherapists diagnose? [8-00*#51//H#13-VII]Question: Is it not true that only Medical Doctors (and not hypnotherapist) should diagnose? Don't MDs have a monopoly on diagnosing? Isn't diagnosing a science requiring years of study with the necessity of labs and technicians? AskCarl: Many professionals diagnosis. Psychologists are trained to diagnose through testing. Much of a psychologist's training is diagnostic testing. For some disorders, especially those in the DSM, the MD often relies on the psychologist. Chiropractors diagnose, RNs diagnose (much of their training is in this area), RDs (registered dietitians) diagnose, RPTs diagnose. x-ray techs diagnose. The last time I was in a clinic, I saw a technician over-ride the diagnosis of an MD, and nobody got upset. Of course, the physician has the final word on the assignment of a diagnosis, and on the treatment for that diagnosis. The physician is certainly the primary decision-maker when it comes time to assign a prognosis, which is an estimate on a possible course and outcome of the disease or disorder. But, in any case, an important reason to understand diagnostics is not to diagnosis patients, but to understand a diagnosis that has already been placed on the patient's records, or told to you by a patient. If you ever get in courtroom situation and you have been given the patient records and don't understand the diagnosis, the lawyers will chew you up, and then you my be accused of practicing medicine without a license. If you do make a diagnosis, you can make it as a "working diagnosis," meaning a suspicion, or as internal medicine physicians say; something to be "ruled out." I can't understand why hypnotherapy training avoids training in diagnostics when even teenage Nurses Aids have training in diagnostics. Massage therapists get training in diagnostics. Goodheavens!...a hypnotherapist's training should at least be comparable with a message therapist. If a hypnotherapist mentions they don't diagnose, it should be the same kind of statement as a Family Practice doctor saying they don't do surgery. But that doesn't mean the Family Practice doctor wasn't (or shouldn't be) trained as a surgeon. It is a bit ticklish, I agree with that. You should never say: "I diagnosed the patient with ______." But you can (and should) say: "Has ______ been ruled out?" Or ask if a certain diagnosis has been made? What would happen, for example, if you were treating a patient for what you thought were tension headaches related to workplace stress, but among the numbers on the patient's insurance form was an ICD of something like 357.3 and a procedure code of 61510. I have a hunch, very few hypnotherapists would know the significance of those numbers, but it would indicate the possibility of an extremely serious and possibly a life- threatening condition. I have heard judges make the comment "Ignorance is no defense." In one case a patient was in a denial stage and dumped the physician in favor of a hypnotist, saying he was sure his headaches were stress. Never did the patient discuss the physician's diagnosis, but hoping some of the costs might be defrayed by insurance, he gave the hypnotist a copy of one of the doctor's insurance forms. Since the hypnotist had the insurance form and should have known he was working with a patient that had been scheduled for brain surgery. The family, thinking the hypnotist certainly knew the diagnosis and the seriousness of the condition, went to court to stop the treatment--much to the shock of the hapless therapist. When the patient died, the hypnotist was hauled into court on a civil action, and the court found against him. No matter how you want to define it, hypnotherapy is on the edge of medicine, and diagnostic procedures are a major part of medicine. As in the above case, many would automatically assume you would know at least the basics--at least to the point of reading a basic insurance form. ~
~ ~
My opinion about NLP? [9-00*#52//*#52-III]Question: What do you think of the NLP (Neuro- Linguistic Programing) type of hypnotism? AskCarl: The principles are excellent. The sophisticated concepts of semantics, syntax, and body language are advanced. There are many good techniques such as mirroring and anchoring (see my review of NLP in WDS issues #27, #28, #30). Here's the problem I have with NLP. The best science--and hypnosis is a science--builds on specialized knowledge derived from research, clinical observation, and trial & error. Medicine holds it's place of prominence because the technology dates back 2500 years. A modern jetliner is largely 1950s technology. The Space Shuttle is 1960s technology. When we get a new generation of airliner and space craft, the engineers will incorporated state-of-the-art technology and, as a result, the vehicles will be faster, safer, and more efficient. Note though, even when something is state-of-the-art, much of the technology dates back many decades. For example, even if you are reading this on a shiny-new computer, much of the technology inside could be found in a relic from the 1980s, probably now consigned to a land-fill. Hypnotism has a short history in many ways. It didn't advance very rapidly until 18th and 19th century physicians decided it would be useful as an anesthetic. It took a hit when chemical anesthetics were developed, and another when Sigmund Freud discounted its use in psychiatry. In the first half of the last century, stage hypnotists kept it alive more than physicians. Nonetheless, one can see a development from a scientific perspective by studying its history, and attempting to see the larger picture. I always told my students to think of how each historical figure advanced hypnotism as a science one small step ahead--or in the case of Freud--one step up and two steps back. Then the 1950s and 1960s, along came a sizable group of academically-orientated physicians. These doctors gave hypnotism a huge push forward. It was studied using the scientific method and clinical observation. During this time hypnosis was accepted as a medical procedure--even if the black-sheep of the family. These doctors came along a little late with this, however. The stage hypnotist had prior rights to hypnotism that they weren't willing to give up. Also the stage guys were more skilled than the physician practitioners who actually had to seek them out to learn the practical art of the induction of hypnosis. For this reason, these docs weren't willing to come down very hard on those that had actually been their mentors. For this reason, the so-called "lay hypnotists" were able to carve themselves out a niche. If you can't get rid of stage hypnotists, how are you going to get rid of someone with clinical experience, no matter how skimpy the training? So hypnotism suffers the disadvantage of being fragmented. And NLP is a reflection of this fragmentation. Instead of blending into the previous generations of hypnotism, it has become more of a spin-off from a parent science. When I first studied NLP in the early 1980s, I was sure by this time it would simply be a integral part of hypnotism. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. Do you think the next generation space shuttle would ever get off the ground if it could only utilize the technology of the 1990s? ~
~ ~
Doc's advice--Kill The Messenger
[10-00*#53//*#53-I] Years back, when
I worked in a group practice,
sometimes a patient would leave
a session very angry. It was usually
because something I told them was
in conflict to their cherished belief
system.I remember the day one especially angry patient went to the psychiatrist complaining bitterly about me, and about my ideas. As it was put: "Carl is an idiot." I had lunch with the physician and she said this: (quoting) Carl, you're frequently dealing with people who aren't well educated and not highly intelligent. (unquote) She went on to say that one of the things we learned during our formal education was to analyze things in a non-emotional way. I recalled to her one of my math instructor telling us that his field is particularly valuable in training students to think in an organized and objective way--without emotion getting in the way of logic. My lunch date was an aggressive shrink, always saying that the patient had the right to know the truth, and she continued; These people, she said, have only one system for dealing with adversity and change--with anger and resistance. Their primary operating system is subjective, and when objective facts are in conflict with their belief system, they will subjectively want to put down the person with the conflicting message. She went on to say that their knee-jerk response is to characterize themessenger as an idiot, and therefore the information must be idiotic. The more authority they feel the messenger has, the angrier they will become. It's the only system they have. This technique is sometimes referred to as "Kill the Messenger." We discussed the need to teach patients to think objectively before expecting them to handle objective information. I've tried to incorporate that into all of my programs--just in case. :-) ~
~ ~
Hands-on physical exam [10-00*#53//*#53-V] Do you have an undiagnosed problem? Here's something most physician's believe but you seldom hear. Medicine has some amazing computerized technology, such as the MRI. However, the very best diagnostic tool remains the careful, hands-on physical exam. The computerized technology pays no attention to so many factors principally the verbal feedback of the patient. ~
~ ~
Defense Mechanisms
(identify) [5-01H#1//H#1-VII]Psychotherapists (hypnotherapists) learn to quickly pick out Defense Mechanisms (DMs). Without this skill, they would quickly be led down a path of ego-defenses rather than the problem itself. One technique of Talk-Radio guru's (such as Dr. Laura) is to develop an ability to nail these defenses lightning fast,.and then speak to the agenda behind the DM rather than the statement itself. ~
~ ~
Defense
Mechanisms
This identification process is not
always easy; there are ove two
dozen categories of DMs.
Everyone recognizes
procrastination, rationalization,
and denial, but others are not as
obvious.One DM I occasionally hear from a professional, is a form of discounting. The most common example was utilized by the SitCom writing staff, e.g., one character would say something profound, and the other (with that deer-in-the-headlights look) would quickly reply: "I knew that!" Let me offer this Defense Mechanism list from my "Blocks To Success" program. It might be an interesting exercise to practice offering examples for each. This was originally published in Conceptual Problem Solving (c) 1981 "Absenting Oneself, Amnesia, Compensation, Denial, Displacement, Disassociation, Distorting, Evading, Identification, Interjection, Isolation, Intellectualization, Magical Thinking, Procrastination, Projection, Reaction Formation, Rationalization, Regression, Sublimation, Suppression, Undoing. ~
~ ~
Hypnosis-Produced Recall [5-01H#1//H#1-III]Question: An eight year-old child may have been sexually abused, but in court it gets down to the word of a child vs that of the defendant. Can a hypnosis procedure be useful in this case--perhaps the child could be regressed back to see what really happened. AskCarl: No, Sorry, the courts (correctly) do not accept hypnosis-produced recall as a reliable source of information, comparable to the non-acceptance of lie-detector testing. f course I have no ability to know the specifics of your case, but taking your question at face value, let me offer these suggestions: This non-admissibility is not a weakness of hypnosis, but rather a condition of the human mind in which some cognitive functions often do not separate fantasy from reality. It can be a result of a disorder, such as schizophrenia, for simply a conditioned belief. Sometimes nightmares can become so powerful that they end up recalled as real events. And of course, consider that children accept without question such myths as Santa and the Easter Bunny. The court system, in the type of case you're suggesting, can malfunction by not considering the reliability of a young accuser, which is sometimes lead by an over-zealous psychotherapist, or as result of the conditions mentioned. Sadly, hypnosis has NOT been a "shining star" in this area. And the courts can be driven by such things as a political agenda, or the influence of an outraged but uninformed public. I suggest that you search the growing body of comparable cases and find out the outcome of similar situations (or ask an attorney to do that) ...keeping in mind the legal system is strongly influenced by previous decisions (precedents). I would recommend you avoid any procedures (hypnosis or otherwise) with this child, as it could very well be interpreted by the court as abuse in itself. Any procedures should be court appointed, and accomplished by a psychiatrist or psychologist with a great deal of forensic experience. It's sad but true that more and more people are becoming victims of a too-often run-amok legal system. Being innocent is no longer protection in itself. The best protection is to be Informed. ~
~ ~
Presenting vs important problem
[5-01H#2//H#2-V]
In my private practice
I learned (over and over again) that
patients frequently wanted to make
their personal problem solving
approaches suddenly start to
function. This is after these
approaches had failed them over
and over again. Here is an analogy:
If you wanted to use a hammer to
put a screw into a piece of wood,
would the solution be a bigger
hammer?In the area of weight control, for example, the problem solution is not to be found in diet alone, and the diet itself must be the one suited for the human metabolism. Beyond diet, there needs to be an exercise program that promotes aerobic integrity. In cigarette smoking, the problem structure is so convoluted by politicians, lawyers, and pharmaceutical profit motive it's amazing anyone is able to quit. Those that do become nonsmokers most often do so by ignoring the standard fare of information. ~
~ ~
Allegory/words, images, music
[6-01H#4//H#4-IX]It seems to me that the principles of suggestion take into account a couple of things: (1) the beauty of the spoken word, as in poetry. (2) the beauty of the image that the words activate. What's the difference? I think concept (1) tends to be more speaker-centered, while concept (2) is listener-centered. Of the two, I think listener-centered is far more powerful. Songwriters learn this early. They've had the experience of taking a few simple lines of poetry, added the sounds of rhythm and melody, and transformed it into an a thing of rare beauty. The words may be the message, but it seems the vehicle for the message carries more weight. That's certainly the reason most music will stand alone as an instrumental, while the lyrics seldom can stand alone. This seems to be shifting a bit with the emergence of Rap Music. I wonder where this shift is taking us? We've just lost Chet Atkins, an instrumentalist without peer. As an RCA music producer, Chet had an incredible influence on both the country and pop music fields. He had mused shortly before his death about a concern that music may be becoming too visual. During my years of hypnotizing people, I can't recall too many that were impressed with my words, but there were many that described, with wonder, the mental images that came up, especially when I could offered them an allegory. I have taken my cue from that... but I must admit, as a writer, I put too much energy trying to get my words looking good, without thinking enough about the images the words may be producing. As I get to be a better writer, maybe I can fix that. ~
~ ~
DSM & ICD essential for
diagnosis [6-01H#3//H#3-VII]What can hypnotherapists learn from medical doctors? A physician's training embodies centuries of evolved knowledge. Specifically, the best physicians are also excellent diagnosticians. Most hypnotherapists have on their shelves the latest DSM, a PDR, and something like a Merck Manual, but many don't want to fork over the big bucks for an ICD manual (the damn things cost about $70). If you're in practice, you'll recognize ICD as an acronym for The International Classification of Diseases (The US version is the ICD-9-CM). Every insurance form has a space for a ICD number usually next to the Procedure Code space. If you don't have this basic reference, you'll eventually have problems communicating with a physician, and even reading an insurance form. To save a lot of money, check the used book stores. It's okay if you don't have the latest edition. As a last resort, you will find the ICD-9-CM on the Internet--it's a long file difficult to scroll, but better than nothing. ~
~ ~
Out of the hypnotism loop (Hx)
[6-01H#3//H#3-I] If you've been involved in the hypnotism field for less than ten years, you probably won't recognize my name. Actually, I've always been a low-profile type of person, but for the past few years I have really been out of the loop. During these years I've devoted a lot of time putting my experience into book and audio cassette formats. I was in the psychotherapy field, specializing in hypnotism, for over thirty years, and I've written quite a bit on both hypnotherapy and the behavior sciences in general. So far I've taken very little time off, and retirement is not something I think about--I really like to work. Rather than take up space with bragging rights with a list of publications, I refer you to my "Hypnotism" or "Catalog of Programs" link at my website, or looking at the list of free topics [s n i p p e d] below will give you an idea of my more recent activities. As a subscriber to this e-zine, you'll have access to hundreds of articles, eBooks, and audio cassettes. One, in particular, The Mary Experience has been widely circulated among therapists. BTW, the response to this "Mary" story sometimes was in ALL CAPS! ...my views are not always appreciated. :) Feel free to email me directly with your comments (even if in ALL CAPS!). ~
~ ~
The nature of a hypnotist
[6-01H#3//H#3-IV]
I think the best hypnotists are NOT those that can read the thoughts of someone, but instead are talented at guiding a subject into the imagination--not unlike someone good at telling stories. The less the hypnotized person is aware of the hypnotist, the better. Does that sound a little strange? See if you can relate to this: Talented hypnotists will sometimes have the experience of a patient returning to the non-hypnotized state showing a momentary startle reaction. Occasionally, there's a comment something like: "Gee, I forgot you were a real person... you were more like a voice in my mind." I know it sounds a bit schizophrenic, but really It's because the hypnotist did a good job of supporting the patient's thoughts internally. This allowed the hypnotist's physical presence to split off from the process itself, not unlike the experience of getting engrossed in a good book. To support this, I developed a habit, at the conclusion of a hypnosis process, of attending to paperwork duties, and when I spoke, it would be casual and informal. You must, however, not allow the contrast be too obvious lest it take on a stilted affect. I would usually direct the conversation to small talk as a way to distract from the hypnosis. My purpose was to provide the patient a space to make an adjustment back to my physical presence and office setting. I also wanted to avoid intruding on the hypnosis experience--to keep it separate from any subsequent discussions. This often calls for a little manipulation when a subject wants to debrief their hypnosis experience. I'm sure, when there is no debriefing, the benefits are more intense. The work done in hypnosis will soon slip away from short-term recall, even if only a light state was reached. This technique will dramatize a subject's perception of "hypnotized" vs "waking," and will reduce damaging questions such as: "Was I really hypnotized?" Have you ever observed a seasoned stage hypnotist, as the induction progresses, step out of the spotlight, off to the side? As well as supporting the "disembodied" phenomena, this simple technique keeps the more controlling volunteers from locking on the hypnotist as a target for resistance. Anyway, I digress...back to what we were taking about... It's paradoxical that many taking responsibility for the mental condition of others are frequently locked into subjectivity--into their own identity/ego. One of my checks, since I seldom meet hypnotists in "the flesh" any more, is to analyze email writing. If it's an answer to my initial email, it's interesting to look for some insight to the message they received. A good test is to embed a question to see if it ends up getting answered. Questions, to someone tending toward subjectivity, are often overlooked. Another test is to count personal pronouns (I, me, my). If the message content tends to refer back to the writer, perhaps the communication style isn't as hypnotic as it might be. The worst email I encounter is one that contains some "one-up, one- down" kind of stuff. I think I see more of that than existed in former times-- but perhaps I'm getting into the old... "In my day we useta bla bla bla..." But I do see quite a bit of what guys call "pissing contests"...When I get that, I don't go out of my way to prolong the conversation. (Holysmoke! Look at the number of "I" pronouns in these last two paragraphs... I'd better quit while I'm ahead. :-) >FastScroll< up to the
left-hand column.
|
High-light youthful traits [6-01R#3//R#3-IV] Hypnosis is not something that will motivate you for the sake of motivation. The best use is to high-light what is already there. Let me refresh your memory. When you were a kid did you have something that you loved to do so much that your Mom had to pester and nag to get you to stop and go to bed? And you would plead, "Oh Mom! Plezzzze! ...just let me stay up a little while longer..." For boys, perhaps it was something like building model airplanes and, for girls, something like sewing clothes...you could do it and do it until you fell on your face from exhaustion. If you're lucky, some of that obsession has carried over into adult life. I was that way about creating psychotherapy clinics. I can recall so many times working around the clock laying carpets and building paper-work formats; and even though I would get exhausted, I was never bored. Now, I'm the same way about writing. I am indeed fortunate in that regard. If you want to start an e-commerce business, your chances of success are much greater if you find a product or service that stimulates you to this level. And then, self-hypnosis can double the power. ~
~ ~
Unprofessional hypnotherapists
[6-01*#63//*#63-IV]
Just imagine you
wanted to quit smoking and you
had heard that hypnosis could help.
In the phone book you find the name
of a hypnotist with an office near
you. The friendly voice on the phone
makes an appointment for you, and
at the scheduled time you arrive at
his office. The office is appointed in
good taste and the receptionist is
professional and friendly.She has you fill out a standard intake form. You think you are about to see a very qualified professional...that you are told, is just finishing up with a patient. The patient leaves and you are led into the "doctor's" private office. Up from the desk leaps a young man with a red & blue beanie with a propeller on top and a t-shirt emblazoned with "UP YOURS." He immediately starts yelling at you in a shrill voice that he's the world's greatest hypnotist, which he demonstrates by pointing to a wall full of gaudy certificates... ...well, maybe it's not quite that bad, but when I tried to have some intellectual conversations on some of the "professional hypnotist" NewsGroups, that was the characterization that often came to my mind. I've been working a long time now, and I've done several different kinds of things. Of everything I've done, hypnotism in psychotherapy was by far the most difficult. When I gave up my private practice in the mid-1990s, I was happy to put it behind me. I've heard some entertainers, especially concert vocalists, talking about their profession as I thought of mine. They talk about concerts in which they are expected to produce (let's say) 90% of their performance ability. On special nights they may attain the coveted 100%. If they only reach 80% the critics will comment negatively in their columns, and the entertainer will feel terrible. They will struggle to bring their performance back up to par the next time out. This is one reason many concert entertainers fight to leave their professions--but hooked on the seven-figure incomes. Some end up doing some sort of TV drivel as a way to make an easier living. Some physicians, such as trauma surgeons, also experience a similar kind of stress. ~
~ ~
The Canned Induction [6-01*#64//*64-IV]Most stand-up comedians have written material, but the best of them have learned to blend their monologue into the crowd's response. The audience actually has a leading effect on the timing and rhythm of the presentation. Do you recall the concentration with which (the late) Bob Hope observed his audience? In the similar way, a really good hypnotist has a style of hypnotic induction that can correspond to the thoughts of their subject. (Induction is hypno-lingo for a hypnosis process, and subject refers to the person being hypnotized.) This is not to imply that a hypnotist is a mind-reader, but the skill goes way beyond educated guessing. There are plenty of clues to the thoughts of a subject. Some of these are observable from eye movements, the facial mask, breathing rates, the swallowing reflex, and a condition called lassitude. A canned hypnotic induction is not much better than a tape recorded induction--it takes little skill to read a script or rattle off a memorized spiel. ~
~ ~
Protocols for basic problems
[7-01H#5//H#5-V]
I think one of the most important parts of any kind of therapy, and certainly important for hypnotherapy, is to establish various protocols needed for basic types of problems. These protocols, of course, need to be flexible. It might sound impressive to say that (as a therapist) you approach each case on an individual basis. That seems to me like approaching problems on a "wing and a prayer." It also implies that if you have 500 patients, you'll need 500 possible therapeutic approaches. ~
~ ~
Q&A Trouble getting
hypnotized
[7-01H#5//H#5-III/IV]Question: I had several questions along these lines: I'll lump them together this time: They sounded something like this: "I'm a student hypnotist and I'm having trouble reaching a hypnotized state. My instructor tells me I'm a good subject, but I don't think I am. AskCarl: To begin with, if you don't think you are doing well, you should request my article: The Mary Experience. If this fits, refer to the next section (IV) and see if that offers an alternative. If this is no help, contact me directly and see if together we can figure something out. [s n i p p e d] One of the common problems experienced by some student hypnotists is a mindset of cognitive obsessions when they attempt to be hypnotized. Cognitive dissonance is a phrase frequently used to describe this frustrating situation. Hypnosis requires a focus within the part of the brain that handles internal visualization--the imagination. The analytical function represents a dichotomy between the logic and the imagination, located laterally in the cerebral cortex. What does the student hypnotist do with this frustrating resistance to the very process they want to provide? How can one be an effective hypnotherapist if they are, themselves, a poor subject? I'll offer one possible approach, but first here's a little more background: Some of the knowledge a hypnotist needs is the mechanical function of various types of cognition. This knowledge, of course, exacerbates the analytical thoughts that can block the process of hypnosis. And, adding to the problem, the more one thinks about the dilemma itself, the more analytical one becomes. I've gotten a lot of mileage from the following simple allegory: Think of anything you want, except DO NOT think of a "Purple Polar Bear." See what happens, the harder one attempts to block the image of a purple polar bear (or whatever), the more vivid it becomes. This happens because the right hemisphere of the brain relates so strongly to nouns that a negative modifier (don't, can't, not, etc.) will be ignored. Have you seen that Jack-in- the-Box commercial in which Jack has this huge round clowns head? The commercial's design team utilized a visual principle in which the brain will grab onto an image that appears silly to the logical mind. Can you see the genius in the use of this "Jack" character? Another problem: As an example, consider the difficulty sometimes experienced by surgeons when they require surgery. They have such a clear image of what will take place during their surgery, that they sometimes suffer almost intolerable anxiety-- they are in the rare position of knowing too much. The way to turn this type of dilemma around is to think along these lines: Consider the power of having unique knowledge of the cognitive function of the brain. When you know how thoughts are structured, the trance state is less important. One purpose for hypnosis in psychotherapy is to bypass blocks that stand in the way of solutions. When the problem belongs to the therapist, the solution should be so vivid that a trance is superfluous--blocks shouldn't exist. In any case, for cognitive problems, a trance is more of a shortcut than a necessity. Stated another way: Hypnosis is not therapy, but a tool in therapy. I used hypnosis in every session, not because it was always necessary, but simply because it was expected of me. My patients often gave credit for their success to the hypnosis, but often it was because they followed a functional solution formula that I had provided them. The above one of the many reasons I like using allegories; they block a lot of analysis. It may help to think about the difference between hypnotism procedures used for physiological purposes, as opposed to hypnotherapy. As an example: Think of the differences of a psychiatrist prescribing drugs as opposed to a psychologist doing psychological testing. ~
~ ~
Best college/university for
hypnotherapy [7-01R#5//R#5-IV]
Question: A.H. UK: Can you recommend an institution, college, or University that has the best eduction for hypnotherapy. AskCarl: Gee, I'm sorry. I don't have any firsthand knowledge of the type of schools of which you speak. I think you would do best with the nearest accredited college or university--take all the psychological and sociological course--nurses training is excellent as background training. Other than that, plug "hypnotherapy" into Google (or any search engine) and start writing to each school that comes up. Request the school's curricula, references, and graduates with whom you can correspond One good tip-off to a good school is to request their published materials, especially hypnological research. It should be published in reputable journals. See what they come up with. Be careful... you can spend a lot of money on schools that will not provide you a solid reputation in the field--a bad school is worse than no school at all. Don't fall for the promises that take you from no training at all to a practicing professional in something like six- weeks--those are all a bad idea, in my opinion. The training should be at least two years with the opportunity for two more of either an internship, apprenticeship, or at least something under the direction of a preceptor in an active practice. Much of my psychological training was at the University of Wisconsin, but my hypnotherapy training was empirically gained in a clinical practice, and through publishing a grad school thesis and doing research in hypnotism. The doctoral portion of my training took from about 1982 to 1987, and involved, among other things, publishing two psychological tests. If you don't have an undergraduate degree, do that first. ~
~ ~
Happier as a result of contact
[9-01*#71//R#7-IV]
The first step to
rapport is to say/do things that
will make the subject/client/patient
feel better than before such
contact was made.Here's the most basic example I can think of: Person A: "Hi." Person B: "Gee... you're looking great!" Person A: (smiling) "Well... thank you!" In WDS E-Zine #50, I talked about the most powerful hypnotist I've met--someone I worked with a number of years. He was a man that laughed easily. If he met someone he hardly knew, one got the impression he had just met a long-lost relative. Early in our friendship, I thought it was something he had contrived, but in time, I learned that it came naturally. He was a large man, with a Beaky- Buzzard nose, wavy gray hair, and intense eyes. He didn't seem to have a serious bone in his body, so when he went into his hypnotism mode, the intensity was a surprising contrast. Although, even during his rapid hypnosis procedures, he would laugh and joke with his clients. When a client responded to a really bizarre suggestion he was outwardly delighted. All those hypnotized by this man left the experience feeling the full impact of the power of his personality. I once asked him why he never did a more lengthy procedure, and he replied: "One of these days you must teach me one of those." It's a wonderful learning experience to study folks with natural charisma, and see if we can find things to emulate. The surprising part is the rarity of the charismatic personality. And it's just not that difficult to learn some basic charismatic techniques. Of course the simplest is: "Leave 'em Laughing!" {:^D ~ ~ ~
New Topic: In the early 1970s I was
used as a hypnotist in a university
project nicknamed "The Bridey
Murphy Phenomenon." The
designers of this protocol
developed a hypothesis that
"something" was tucked away
in the human brain that linked
us to the distant past. They
wanted to identify what/where
it was, or show it to be only
figments of fertile
imaginations.They were, of course, interested in the "deja vu" sensation (been there before) and other reincarnation experiences that many people had experienced at some level. Some of the experiences I and the other researchers brought out using hypnosis were VERY strange...way beyond figments of imagination. The math department came up with one possible way of looking at such things that to this day still makes sense. Here it is... First you must consider that if the number of possible inter-connections in one brain was reduced to a number it has been calculated as a string of typewritten zeros stretching out 6.5 million miles. Here's another comparison: there are more possible neurological interconnections than atoms in the universe. (That was the kind of stuff they did when computers would mostly crunch numbers.) Anyway, based on that alone, the odds were, given this immense number of possibilities, that neurological tracings with nearly exact information might now and then "brush up"against one another enough to provide such a deja vu effect. The mind (in a split second) would then kind of "fast forward" and link this information with the present with an instant resolution. In other words, the brain would be running past memories and present reality at exactly the same instant, and this obviously would cause some rather strange sensations. Think of the number of possibilities in a deck of cards and then multiply that by gazillions and... well, you can see where I'm going with this. Of course, there are many explanations; this is just the one that I cling to. ~
~ ~
Image, trust, loyalty, etc.
[10-01H#12//H#12-V]
The idea of using visual images can apply to any form of communication. Do you remember the comic, Stan Freberg? After a blazing show business career, he became a radio executive based on his mastery of the technique of image writing. Here's an area that this sort of writing could be used to a great effect; the personal bio. Folks looking for a lifemate most often use a profusion of adjectives such as honest, loyal, beautiful, and sexy. One good test of an effective bio is to picture yourself at a cocktail party talking to a stranger, and you decided to speak the lines of your bio or profile. If it's based on the usual adjectives, your first-time acquaintance might beat a hasty retreat. Of course with a bio, profile, or classified ad you are writing for an invisible second party. Nonetheless, with a little creative thinking it's possible to use a very short story that will create visual images on the part of the reader. Here's an example: "Well, here I am, hunched over my computer, still sweating from my morning jog, doing my best to imagine what you might want to know about this small, fifty-ish (person)." This mini-story implies the following adjectives: informal technically adept, earthy, athletic, sensitive, appropriate weight, and mature but youthful. Even more important, it creates an instant image of a real person. Using the word above, one "fresh" approach is to earn an "e-living." It's a big lifestyle problem to not have enough money, suffer depression from a boring job, or the anxiety caused by a tyrannical boss. Unfortunately, the rip-off artists are attempting to make e-commerce their own, and the result has been a mistrust of the Internet as a good place to buy. People will use it as a place to "window shop," but when it comes time to buy they still favor their local brick & mortar store. The three essential words for the new entrepreneur are (1) trust (2) performance (3) loyalty. It doesn't make much difference if you're behind the counter of a mom & pop grocery store, or offering a hi-tech service from a state-of-the- art website; you first must make friends with potential customers. The only alternative is a million- dollar advertising budget. But building trust is not enough. When a purchase is made you must perform to the level that customers will brag about your product and service to their friends. From this comes loyalty... and you're on your way! ~ ~ ~
By the way. Several people who
are struggling to make it in the
hypnotherapy profession have
asked me how a profession
dependent on the spoken word
(speaking and hearing), could
possible function within a venue
that appears primarily visual.The venue is important, but far more important is the knowledge behind the service or product. Think of it this way: the makers of computer hardware come and go, but the entrepreneur that created a knowledge base won most of the marbles. The Windows operating system is based on Bill Gates knowledge of the original DOS system. If that doesn't convince you, keep an eye on one of the most powerful auditory specialists in the history of radio, Rush Limbaugh. He apparently is going to lose 100 percent of his hearing, but he seems to be looking at it as a bump-in-the-road along the course of his career. If you could crawl into Limbaugh's thoughts, I'm sure you would find him searching for (and finding) ways to work around this catastrophic hearing loss. [ed note: You probably know that weeks after this went to press, Limbaugh's hearing loss and cochlear implant restoration had a positive effect on his career.] So tell me again what you think the limits are? ~
~ ~
Will the SPEC Scan cause
hypnotism decline? [12-01*#75//R#14-IV] When I first used hypnotism in psychotherapy, the medical docs would refer their pain-in-the-butt patients that they felt would not respond to standard medical treatment. It was believed that those with problems such as weight control, smoking, and various personality problems, just needed to "get off their lazy ass," or with the latter, needed an "attitude adjustment." Little by little, researchers are finding that many of these problems have a biochemistry or neurological base. In WDS E-Zine #75-VII, for example, I talk about the enzyme that manufactures cortisol having a possible link to some forms of obesity. In later issues, I will be writing about the SPEC Scan (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). This technology could provide diagnoses for previously undiagnosed aberrant behaviors. BTW, I have already written something similar in a 1999 WDS E-Zine [Vol. 3, No. 22]. It was regarding the neurological link to the school shootings. I like to think I'm sometimes ahead of the curve a little bit. Anyway, this new cortisol research and SPEC technology could cut into the referrals to the psychotherapist... especiallythose that include hypnosis in their practice. Therapist trap--Two-value obsessions [12-01*#76//R#15-IV] I might as well continue with this "Two-Value" theme. [see later sections re: Two-Value Tricks] One of the things any therapist does (with or without hypnosis) is to identify a patient stuck in a two- value thought process. For example, a women with an abusive husband might say: "George is abusive and I want a divorce. But he earns a good living and I don't want to lose the house in the process. But he makes me feel so bad with his abuse that I can't take it anymore. He treats the kids pretty good and I don't want to take away their father. But I can't live my life with this man, and he's getting worse. But if I..." ...and it can go on and on as would a mental game of ping-pong. No matter what the therapist says on one side of the issue the patient will usually jump to the other side. If the abuse is physical, the therapist might take on the role of a protector of life and force the patient to focus on one side of the issue: in this case, to divorce George. But just as often, it's required for a therapy process to open up a third alternative. Why limit it to three? Because the brain processes information in threes. More than three alternative choices, and confusion is the result. For example, four choices will often be neurologically broken down into two patterns of twos--so instead of having one obsession to deal with, it becomes two. This will cause a depression or anxiety to become worse. That's a common error made by the poorly-trained therapist. Here's the problem. The brain stores up energy exactly like a battery--the brain has an electrical component that makes, for example, the electrical- encephalogram possible. If someone starts thinking in a cyclic pattern (as illustrated above), these thoughts store up energy until they take on a life of their own (an obsession), and these thought patterns are very difficult to get rid of. The human brain, unlike a tape recorder, has no erase function. Another example is the broken-heart syndrome is when there are dehabilitating feelings of rejection that can lead to some level of depersonalization (loss of identity). It often happens that the broken- hearted obsessively dwell on every detail of a lost relationship. This can grow until the obsession is actually stronger than were the feelings of love, and can drive the person to do whatever it takes to reunite the relationship. After a brief "second honey-moon," the reality of the bad parts of the relationship once more surfaces, and the cycle begins again. scroll to the the top of the third column. ~
~ ~
Hypnosis-Produced Recall[5-01H#1//H#1-III] Question: An eight year-old child may have been sexually abused, but in court it gets down to the word of a child vs that of the defendant. Can a hypnosis procedure be useful in this case--perhaps the child could be regressed back to see what really happened. AskCarl: No, Sorry, the courts (correctly) do not accept hypnosis- produced recall as a reliable source of information, comparable to the non-acceptance of lie-detector testing. Of course I have no ability to know the specifics of your case, but taking your question at face value, let me offer these suggestions: This non-admissibility is not a weakness of hypnosis, but rather a condition of the human mind in which some cognitive functions often do not separate fantasy from reality. It can be a result of a disorder, such as schizophrenia, for simply a conditioned belief. Sometimes nightmares can become so powerful that they end up recalled as real events. And of course, consider that children accept without question such myths as Santa and the Easter Bunny. The court system, in the type of case you're suggesting, can malfunction by not considering the reliability of a young accuser, which is sometimes lead by an over-zealous psychotherapist, or as result of the conditions mentioned. Sadly, hypnosis has NOT been a "shining star" in this area. And the courts can be driven by such things as a political agenda, or the influence of an outraged but uninformed public. I suggest that you search the growing body of comparable cases and find out the outcome of similar situations (or ask an attorney to do that) ...keeping in mind the legal system is strongly influenced by previous decisions (precedents). I would recommend you avoid any procedures (hypnosis or otherwise) with this child, as it could very well be interpreted by the court as abuse in itself. Any procedures should be court appointed, and accomplished by a psychiatrist or psychologist with a great deal of forensic experience. It's sad but true that more and more people are becoming victims of a too- often run-amok legal system. Being innocent is no longer protection in itself. The best protection is to be Informed. ~
~ ~
Non-Sequiturs/Card Stacking, etc.[5-01R#2//R#2-IV] I often think about the people from whom I learned so much, and so many of them were non- psychologists. For example, in the 1960s there was plastic surgeon, Maxwell Maltz, M.D. author of "PsychoCybernetics" ...and then biologist, Desmond Morris, author of "The Naked Ape." Then came a whole string of people from disciplines such as physics and anthropology. Lately, much of my reading has been in the field of civil law and, of course, computer and Internet technology. [s n i p p e d] Think about communication skills in general. Here's a sample of things that might benefit someone other than a hypnotherapist. Here are a couple techniques used in the process of hypnotizing. The first one is called "card stacking" and the second is the "non-sequitur." Card-Stacking is a process of offering several obviously true and related statements, and then continuing the flow into a statement that is not true; e.g., A is true + B is true + C is true + D is true + E is true + D (not true) ...but the "true" pattern has been established in a way that the "D" will seem true as well. A Non-Sequitur is hooking together a true statement with a statement that sounds related (but isn't) causing the "trueness" of the first half to rub off on the second half of the statement. This is also a technique we use when we *rationalize; e.g., Since [blank] #1 is happening, then [blank] #2 will soon happen. Examples of *rationalization: "I'm overweight because I love to eat." or "I smoke cigarettes because I enjoy smoking." In both examples the first half of the statement is true and the second half appears true, so together there is a powerful "true" illusion. On close examination, it's clear that two true statements don't necessarily add up as one true statement, hence the non-sequitur effect. ~
~ ~
Presenting vs important problem[5-01H#2//H#2-V] In my private practice, I learned (over and over again) that patients frequently wanted to make their personal problem solving approaches suddenly start to function. This is after these approaches had failed them over and over again. Here is an analogy: If you wanted to use a hammer to put a screw into a piece of wood, would the solution be a bigger hammer? In the area of weight control, for example, the problem solution is not to be found in diet alone, and the diet itself must be the one suited for the human metabolism. Beyond diet, there needs to be an exercise program that promotes aerobic integrity. ~
~ ~
Best college/university for hypnotherapy [7-01R#5//R#5-IV] Question: A.H. UK: Can you recommend an institution, college, or University that has the best eduction for Q&A trouble getting hypnotized [7-01H#5//H#5-III/IV] Question: I had several questions along these lines: I'll lump them together this time: They sounded something like this: "I'm a student hypnotist and I'm having trouble reaching a hypnotized state. My instructor tells me I'm a good subject, but I don't think I am. AskCarl: To begin with, if you don't think you are doing well, you should request my article: he Mary Experience.If this fits, refer to the next section (IV) and see if that offers an alternative. If this is no help, contact me directly and see if together we can figure something out. [s n i p p e d] One of the common problems experienced by some student hypnotists is a mindset of cognitive obsessions when they attempt to be hypnotized. Cognitive dissonance is a phrase frequently used to describe this frustrating situation. Hypnosis requires a focus within the part of the brain that handles internal visualization--the imagination. The analytical unction represents a dichotomy between the logic and the imagination, located laterally in the cerebral cortex. What does the student hypnotist do with this frustrating resistance to the very process they want to provide? How can one be an effective hypnotherapist if they are, themselves, a poor subject? I'll offer one possible approach, but first here's a little more background: Some of the knowledge a hypnotist needs is the mechanical function of various types of cognition. This knowledge, of course, exacerbates the analytical thoughts that can block the process of hypnosis. And, adding to the problem, the more one thinks about the dilemma itself, the more analytical one becomes. I've gotten a lot of mileage from the following simple allegory: Think of anything you want, except DO NOT think of a "Purple Polar Bear." See what happens, the harder one attempts to block the image of a purple polar bear (or whatever), the more vivid it becomes. This happens because the right hemisphere of the brain relates so strongly to nouns that a negative modifier (don't, can't, not, etc.) will be ignored. Have you seen that Jack-in- the-Box commercial in which Jack has this huge round clowns head? The commercial's design team utilized a visual principle in which the brain will grab onto an image that appears silly to the logical mind. Can you see the genius in the use of this "Jack" character? Another problem: As an example, consider the difficulty sometimes experienced by surgeons when they require surgery. They have such a clear image of what will take place during their surgery, that they sometimes suffer almost intolerable anxiety, they are in the rare position of knowing too much. The way to turn this type of dilemma around is to think along these lines: Consider the power of having unique knowledge of the cognitive function of the brain. When you know how thoughts are structured, the trance state is less important. One purpose for hypnosis in psychotherapy is to bypass blocks that stand in the way of solutions. When the problem belongs to the therapist, the solution should be so vivid that a trance is superfluous-- blocks shouldn't exist. In any case, for cognitive problems, a trance is more of a shortcut than a necessity. Stated another way: Hypnosis is not therapy, but a tool in therapy. I used hypnosis in every session, not because it was always necessary, but simply because it was expected of me. My patients often gave credit for their success to the hypnosis, but often it was because they followed a functional solution formula that I had provided them. The above one of the many reasons I like using allegories; they block a lot of analysis. It may help to think about the difference between hypnotism procedures used for physiological purposes, as opposed to hypnotherapy. As an example: think of the differences of a psychiatrist prescribing drugs as opposed to a psychologist doing psychological testing. hypnotherapy. AskCarl: Gee, I'm sorry. I don't have any firsthand knowledge of the type of schools of which you speak. I think you would do best with the nearest accredited college or university--take all the psychological and sociological course--nurses training is excellent as background training. Other than that, plug "hypnotherapy" into Google (or any search engine) and start writing to each school that comes up. Request the school's curricula, references, and graduates to whom you can correspond One good tip-off to a good school is to request their published materials, especially hypnological research. It should be published in reputable journals. See what they come up with. Be careful... you can spend a lot of money on schools that will not provide you a solid reputation in the field--a bad school is worse than no school at all. Don't fall for the promises that take you from no training at all to a practicing professional in something like six-weeks--those are all a bad idea, in my opinion. The training should be at least two years with the opportunity for two more of either an internship, apprenticeship, or at least something under the direction of a preceptor in an active practice. Much of my psychological training was at the University of Wisconsin, but my hypnotherapy training was empirically gained in a clinical practice, and through publishing a grad school thesis and doing research in hypnotism. The doctoral portion of my training took from about 1982 to 1987, and involved, among other things, publishing two psychological tests. If you don't have an undergraduate degree, do that first. Happier as a result of contact [9-01*#71//R#7-IV] The first step to rapport is to say/do things that will make the subject/client/patient feel better than before such contact was made. Here's the most basic example I can think of: Person A: "Hi." Person B: "Gee... you're looking great!" Person A: (smiling) "Well... thank you!" In WDS E-Zine #50, I talked about the most powerful hypnotist I've met--someone I worked with a number of years. He was a man that laughed easily. If he met someone he hardly knew, one got the impression he had just met a long-lost relative. Early in our friendship, I thought it was something he had contrived, but in time, I learned that it came naturally. He was a large man, with a Beaky-Buzzard nose, wavy gray hair, and intense eyes. He didn't seem to have a serious bone in his body, so when he went into his hypnotism mode, the intensity was a surprising contrast. Although, even during his rapid hypnosis procedures, he would laugh and joke with his clients. When a client responded to a really bizarre suggestion he was outwardly delighted. All those hypnotized by this man left the experience feeling the full impact of the power of his personality. I once asked him why he never did a more lengthy procedure, and he replied: "One of these days you must teach me one of those." It's a wonderful learning experience to study folks with natural charisma, and see if we can find things to emulate. The surprising part is the rarity of the charismatic personality. And it's just not that difficult to learn some basic charismatic techniques. Of course the simplest is: "Leave 'em Laughing!" {:^D ~
~ ~
New Topic: In the early 1970s
I was used as a hypnotist in
a university project nicknamed
"The Bridey Murphy Phenomenon."
The designers of this protocol
developed a hypothesis that
"something" was tucked away in
the human brain that linked us
to the distant past. They
wanted to identify what/where
it was, or show it to be only
figments of fertile
imaginations.They were, of course, interested in the "deja vu" sensation (been there before) and other reincarnation experiences that many people had experienced at some level. Some of the experiences I and the other researchers brought out using hypnosis were VERY strange...way beyond figments of imagination. The math department came up with one possible way of looking at such things that to this day still makes sense. Here it is... First you must consider that if the number of possible inter- connections in one brain was reduced to a number it has been calculated as a string of type- written zeros stretching out 6.5 million miles. Here's another comparison: there are more possible neurologicalinterconnections than atoms in the universe. (That was the kind of stuff they did when computers would mostly crunch numbers.) Anyway, based on that alone, the odds were, given this immense number of possibilities, that neurological tracings with nearly exact information might now and then "brush up" against one another enough to provide such a deja vu effect. The mind (in a split second) would then kind of "fast forward" and link this information with the present with an instant resolution. In other words, the brain would be running past memories and present reality at exactly the same instant, and this obviously would cause some rather strange sensations. Think of the number of possibilities in a deck of cards and then multiply that by gazillions and... well, you can see where I'm going with this. Of course, there are many explanations, this is just the one that I cling to. ~
~ ~
Image, trust, loyalty, etc.[10-01H#12//H#12-V] The idea of using visual images can apply to any form of communication. Do you remember the comic, Stan Freberg? After a blazing show business career, he became a radio executive based on his mastery of the technique of image writing. Here's an area that this sort of writing could be used to a great effect; the personal bio. Folks looking for a lifemate most often use a profusion of adjectives such as honest, loyal, beautiful, and sexy. One good test of an effective bio is to picture yourself at a cocktail party talking to a stranger, and you decided to speak the lines of your bio or profile. If it's based on the usual adjectives, your first- time acquaintance might beat a hasty retreat. Of course with a bio, profile, or classified ad you are writing for an invisible second party. Nonetheless, with a little creative thinking it's possible to use a very short story that will create visual images on the part of the reader. Here's an example: "Well, here I am, hunched over my computer, still sweating from my morning jog, doing my best to imagine what you might want to know about this small, fifty-ish (person)." This mini-story implies the following adjectives: informal, technically adept, earthy, athletic, sensitive, appropriate weight, and mature but youthful. Even more important, it creates an instant image of a real person. Using the word above, one "fresh" approach is to earn an "e-living." It's a big lifestyle problem to not have enough money, suffer depression from a boring job, or the anxiety caused by a tyrannical boss. Unfortunately, the rip-off artists are attempting to make e-commerce their own, and the result has been a mistrust of the Internet as a good place to buy. People will use it as a place to "window shop," but when it comes time to buy they still favor their local brick & mortar store. The three essential words for the new entrepreneur are (1) trust (2) performance (3) loyalty. It doesn't make much difference if you're behind the counter of a mom & pop grocery store, or offering a hi-tech service from a state-of-the-art website; you first must make friends with potential customers. The only alternative is a million-dollar advertising budget. But building trust is not enough. When a purchase is made you must perform to the level that customers will brag about your product and service to their friends. From this comes loyalty... and you're on your way! ~ ~ ~
By the way. Several people who
are struggling to make it in
the hypnotherapy profession
have asked me how a profession
dependent on the spoken word
(speaking and hearing), could
possible function within a venue
that appears primarily visual.The venue is important, but far more important is the knowledge behind the service or product. Think of it this way: the makers of computer hardware come and go, but the entrepreneur that created a knowledge base won most of the marbles. The Windows operating system is based on Bill Gates knowledge of the original DOS system. If that doesn't convince you, keep an eye on one of the most powerful auditory specialists in the history of radio, Rush Limbaugh. He apparently is going to lose 100 percent of his hearing, but he seems to be looking at it as a bump-in-the-road along the course of his career. If you could crawl into Limbaugh's thoughts, I'm sure you would find him searching for (and finding) ways to work around this catastrophic hearing loss. [ed note: You probably know that weeks after this went to press, Limbaugh's hearing loss and cochlear implant restoration had a positive effect on his career.] So tell me again what you think the limits are? ~
~ ~
Will the SPEC Scan replace
hypnotism?[12-01*#75//R#14-IV] When I first used hypnotism in psychotherapy, the medical docs would refer their pain-in-the-butt patients that they felt would not respond to standard medical treatment. It was believed that those with problems such as weight control, smoking, and various personality problems, just needed to "get off their lazy ass," or with the latter, needed an "attitude adjustment." Little by little, researchers are finding that many of these problems have a biochemistry or neurological base. In WDS E-Zine #75-VII, for example, I talk about the enzyme that manufactures cortisol having a possible link to some forms of obesity. In later issues, I will be writing about the SPEC Scan (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). This technology could provide diagnoses for previously undiagnosed aberrant behaviors. BTW, I have already written something similar in a 1999 WDS E-Zine [Vol. 3, No. 22]. It was regarding the neurological link to the school shootings. I like to think I'm sometimes ahead of the curve a little bit. Anyway, this new cortisol research and SPEC technology could cut into the referrals to the psychotherapist, especially those that include hypnosis in their practice. ~
~ ~
A therapist trap--Two-valued obsessions [12-01*#76//R#15-IV] I might as well continue with this "Two-Valued" theme. [Reference my eBook Obnoxious Two-Value Tricks] One of the things any therapist does (with or without hypnosis) is to identify a patient stuck in a two-value thought process. For example, a women with an abusive husband might say: "George is abusive and I want a divorce. But he earns a good living and I don't want to lose the house in the process. But he makes me feel so bad with his abuse that I can't take it anymore. He treats the kids pretty good and I don't want to take away their father. But I can't live my life with this man, and he's getting worse. But if I..." ...and it can go on and on as would a mental game of ping-pong. No matter what the therapist says on one side of the issue the patient will usually jump to the other side. If the abuse is physical, the therapist might take on the role of a protector of life and force the patient to focus on one side of the issue: in this case, to divorce George. But just as often, it's required for a therapy process to open up a third alternative. Why limit it to three? Because the brain processes information in threes. More than three alternative choices, and confusion is the result. For example, four choices will often be neurologically broken down into two patterns of twos--so instead of having one obsession to deal with, it becomes two. This will cause a depression or anxiety to become worse. That's a common error made by the poorly-trained therapist. Here's the problem. The brain stores up energy exactly like a battery--the brain has an electrical component that makes, for example, the electrical-\ encephalogram possible. If someone starts thinking in a cyclic pattern (as illustrated above), these thoughts store up energy until they take on a life of their own (an obsession), and these thought patterns are very difficult to get rid of. The human brain, unlike a tape recorder, has no erase function. Another example is the broken-heart syndrome is when there are dehabilitating feelings of rejection that can lead to some level of depersonalization (loss of identity). It often happens that the broken-hearted obsessively dwell on every detail of a lost relationship. This can grow until the obsession is actually stronger than were the feelings of love, and can drive the person to do whatever it takes to reunite the relationship. After a brief "second-honey- moon," the reality of the bad parts of the relationship once more surfaces, and the cycle begins again. ~
~ ~
|