Hypnosis in the News

Epoch Times has this nice, short article on the history and notables of using hypnotherapy to research past lives.

Approaches to Reincarnation Research

I liked it for its concise content and giving a number of researcher names and books that make threads to follow to learn more (Google those!)

Science News brings us an article from October 2009 by Susan Gaidos titled, THE MESMERIZED MIND.

The article does a nice job of dismissing some of the common Hollywood myths about hypnosis while also talking about how labs and studies are now using hypnosis as a tool to study the brain. There is a great image comparing the brain activity of a hypnotized person vs. the same task and responses from a non-hypnotized brain.

You know the good old "stuck hand" routine? They've mapped it to neural activity and paths in the brain in real-time. From the article:

By rerouting motor signals to the precuneus, hypnosis appeared to decouple the typical relationship between brain areas that generate the signals for hand movement and the areas that carry out such movements. Subjects who were not hypnotized and were asked to fake paralysis showed no such disconnect between these regions.

A fascinating read, and well worth adding to your bibliographic references for clients researching hypnosis, or perhaps as a link on your web site under the "About Hypnosis" page.

If you haven't seen the Discovery Channel's show, "Mythbusters", you probably should just to see what the buzz is all about. The series has been on for several years now, and is just getting more popular.

The show tests myths and urban legends using science, experimentation and direct experience. The results are documented on video as well as rated by the show's chief lab coats as either "Plausible", "Busted" or "Confirmed".

A few years ago, the show had a segment on using hypnosis to improve memory and recall. Here's the clip, courtesy of YouTube.

Hypnosis could help children with emotional breathing problems, article in the Examiner dated Feb 14, 2010

This same study was also the subject of an article in the South Asia Mail, dated feb 13, 2010:
Hypnosis can ease symptoms of respiratory diseases among kids

An excerpt from the South Asia Mail article:

Ran D. Anbar, professor of paediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University, New York, recommends hypnosis as a treatment option when a child's respiratory symptoms appear to have a psychological component.

Anbar points to symptoms like difficulty in breathing, disruptive cough, hyperventilation, noise on inhaling such as a gasp or squeak, and difficulty swallowing despite normal lung function as possible indications for the use of hypnosis to supplement medical therapy.

In this article from BleacherReport.com, Randy Couture - a title-sweeping champion accredited with making Mixed Martial Arts a pop-culture explosion in the last 15 years - says hypnosis is one of his training tools. He credits his mental toughness and strength to a regimen of mental training and hypnosis. From the article:

“I’ve learned to listen to my body more. I rest more and train smarter. Beyond the physical, the mental is critical. I started mental training skills back when I was a wrestler. Visualization, positive thinking and hypnosis are all tools that I have used.

Learning that your mind controls everything, your body does what the mind tells it to. Athletes in particular have a voice in their head that can turn negative...questioning their training and questioning themselves. Learning that you can shut that off and control it is something that I’ve focused on over the years.

Read the BleacherReport article on Randy Couture
Article date: Feb 2, 2010

Though there are no details in the article, it implies a technique of a "virtual gastric band", which seems to be a hypnosis session with post-hypnotic suggestions of a surgically implanted band around the stomach.

The article in the Times of India:
Slim trance, the best for weight loss

It does name Sheila Granger as the hypnotherapist reporting the experiment, and a Google search turned up her blog, complete with a blog post explaining the treatment and the results of her 5-week group trial.

The Bluffer's Guide to hypnosis, Jan 4, 2010

"Everything you need to know for a dinner conversation about ... Hypnosis and the unconscious mind" is a short article that humorously explains some of the myths and truths about hypnosis and hypnotherapy to a wide audience.

From the web site women.timesonline.co.uk, Jan 4, 2010, "Life and Style, Women" section.

Susan Hepburn has a free audio session online in conjunction with this article about her "Hypnodiet" system. The audio includes a full, concise pre-induction talk, as well as a full gradual relaxation induction and short session.

Reader comments section is included. The headline of "Think yourself slim with our hypnodiet podcast" draws some criticism in the comments, while other comments give approval and thanks for the free session.

With an online video as well, you see how one appearance of a stage hypnotist in St. Louis, MO went on January 4, 2010.

The TV station is KDSK.

http://www.drcutler.com/stress/study-explains-why-antidepressants-are-in...
Story date: Nov 3, 2009

Gene research finds no connection between stress and depression, mentions this article, and that many anti-depressants are focused on calming stress-chemicals in the body.

The article also says:

According to WebMD, alternative therapies like acupuncture, massage therapy, hypnosis and relaxation techniques are believed to be helpful in treating depression.

Author: Mark Vavoulis
Source: drcutler.com. Study is by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.