History

We've certainly come a long way. Or have we? Ever wonder what basic tenants of hypnosis are the same as they were a century ago? Can you spot hypnosis disguised as other "miracle modalities" from the nineteenth century? Are you able to discuss the development of hypnosis through the decades, what they had plain "wrong" back when, and why the modern shifts in models and techniques are more effective?

If these kinds of questions have ever crossed your mind, and if you have a few minutes until your next client appointment, you might want to check out all of the free ebooks on Hypnosis available on Google Books. You can read them on your desktop, laptop, and now also on your iPad or phone using the Google Books app.

http://books.google.com/ebooks?q=hypnosis&as_brr=4

Explore centuries of hypnosis literature, discover where some of the most persistent (and annoying) myths about hypnosis originated, and brush up on your fodder for sparkling party conversations by browsing scores of books dating from the early 1800's through the 1970's. Newer titles are available for purchase as ebooks, too.

I've always found one of the most amazing uses of hypnosis to be in the area of pain control. The idea that full surgery can be done without any anesthesia has always been, in my opinion, one of the most impressive applications of hypnosis.

I've often mentioned to clients or audiences that hypnosis was used in many surgeries in the 1800's, especially noted in the Civil War for amputations. Not only would the operation be pain-free, but the survival rate was much higher and healing much faster with patients that had hypnoanesthesia.

That's why I was so pleased to find the article, "Hypnosis as Sole Anesthesia for Major Surgeries: Historical & Contemporary Perspectives," which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Oct 2008. It is not only an excellent reference on the history of hypnoanesthesia, focusing on the two most noted surgeons that used it in the Victorian age, but the author also covers modern cases, applications and results of hypnoanesthesia from his personal experience.