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Lin Peng October 24, 20111

To: Mrs. Vicky Brain

From: Lin Peng

Date: October 24, 2011

Subject: Proposal regarding the use of hypnosis as a legitimate medical

therapy rather than prescribing medical pills to ill patients, in

conjunction with Group 4: Science

Purpose

The therapeutic healing practice of hypnosis is a powerful tool to overcome our

weaknesses from undesired behaviors to bad habits as well as converting one to live a

healthier and better lifestyle. Hypnotherapists can effectively help to alleviate improved

lifestyle by reducing psychological, emotional and physical sufferings or terminal

illnesses. According to William Coes article, Expectations and hypnotherapy in the

1993, edition of American Psychological Association, Hypnosis has been used as a

legitimate therapeutic tool in medicine, dentistry, and psychotherapy (Coe). As a student

majoring in psychology, I have always been intrigued by the healing practice of

psychotherapy. Upon further research, I was enlightened and more intrigued when I

found out the use of hypnosis as a form of therapy. In one of the Psychology Today

articles, Hypnosis: The Power of Trance by John Ryder Ph.D. statedThe use of

hypnosis is based on scientific research on what techniques work and the artistic skill of

pacing a patient in a trance and communicating the specific goals of the session

effectively (Ryder).

Hypnotherapy can be traced all the way back to the ancient Egypt, China, Greece,

and Rome. In the late 18th

century, doctor Franz Anton Mesmer finally introduced the use

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hypnosis to the modern western world. Over the years, hypnosis has been characterized

as a mystical, strange, and subjective phenomenon (Coe). The practice of hypnosis has

proven to have many wonderful benefits due to successful patients testimonials but the

inability to measure and quantify them causes many scientists to believe hypnosis is not

real. However, drugs, for example, appear at times to be no more effective than the

patients expectations of the treatment. In fact, the importance of expectations

overshadow the effects of the specific treatments that one claims to have administered,

such curative effects are called placebo effects. According to the article, Clinical

hypnosis as a non-deceptive placebo in the 1999, edition of American Psychological

Association, Dr. Irving Kirsch says, Placebos are sham treatments given to please

patients rather than to cure them (Kirsch). Nevertheless, hypnotherapy is intended to treat

psychological treatments without the use of any pharmaceutical drugs. Hence, within the

context of medical research, hypnosis is a placebo effect (Kirsch).

The success from using hypnosis depends on how the techniques are utilized,

most importantly whether or not if a person is willing to cooperate. It is important for a

hypnotherapist to considera patients faith and motivation for improvement of self, in

order to maximize their therapeutic potential. Subsequently, a patient does not lost

control but remains aware of their immediate surroundings and the words being said to

them. When applied properly, the patient, based on the overall expectation of the

treatment will be convinced that the particular procedure will alleviate their suffering,

which ultimately will maximize the probability of success. For example, while writing a

drug prescription, physicians may say, Take this and you will feel better, suggesting

the drug is most definitely effective, thereby raising the clients expectations (Coe).

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Conversely, the placebo effects play a basic principle in expectancy of human experience

and behavior. When people expect changes in their own responses and reactions, their

expectations can produce those changes (Kirsch).

Certainly, expectancy and trust are powerful psychological factors on which the

outcome of treatment depends. Moreover, hypnosis is one solution to the dilemma of

maximizing patients therapeutic outcome expectancies without deception. The label

hypnosis induces the procedures of clanging gongs, flashing lights, applying pressure to

subjects heads, suggesting relaxation, and suggesting alertness (Kirsch). Administered

drugs that are found to be independent of its specific ingredients, by the same token of

inert drugs or preparations which produce the same effect, the drugs are considered to be

a placebo. Similarly, the effects of hypnosis on suggestibility are independent of any

specific component or ingredient is certainly akin to placebos (Kirsch). According to

Kirsch, it is possible to produce all of the suggestive effects of hypnosis by giving

subjects placebos and telling them the medication produces a hypnotic state (Kirsch).

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Topics:

The increase of hypnosis in physical performance; the increase of hypnosis in better

memory performance; the different techniques of hypnosis; the practice of hypnosis as

being some kind of dark magic; Can hypnosis be fully employed by modern medicine?

Can hypnosis lead to a new age of spirituality?

Note:

Under the typically public view, the use of hypnosis does not work because it is

considered as subjective yet it is merely a myth. People who oppose this point of view

contend that hypnosis is a form of entertainment as shown by the media; one can lose

complete control over itself, and it is an evil phenomenon of opening doors to evil spirits.

Clearly, it is simply misunderstood by people in general as the fully do not understand the

actual facts of hypnosis.

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Bibliography/Works Cited:

Coe, William C. "Expectations and hypnotherapy." Handbook of clinical hypnosis. 73-

93. American Psychological Association, 1993. PsycBOOKS. EBSCO. Web. 26

Oct. 2011.

Kirsch, Irving. "Clinical hypnosis as a nondeceptive placebo." Clinical hypnosis and self-

regulation: Cognitive-behavioral perspectives. 211-225. American Psychological

Association, 1999. PsycBOOKS. EBSCO. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Ryder, John. "Hypnosis: The Power of Trance."Is Hypnosis Really an Altered State of

Consciousness? Psychology Today, 05 May 2009. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.

.

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