Does Hypnosis Really Work?

The skeptics are definitely fighting a losing battle as documented proof of the effectiveness of hypnosis, both in ancient times and in our time, is mounting daily.

Here Are Some Facts You May Not Be Aware Of!

Ancient Egyptian, Greek & Persian cultures all have documentation describing trance-inducing procedures used over 2,500 years ago.

Hypnotism was commonly practised in England during the nineteenth century. It was not unusual to read in birth announcements, from the newspapers of the day, that a baby was born, ". painlessly, during mesmeric trance".

Dr James Esdaile (1808 -1859), a Scottish surgeon working in Calcutta, India, performed over 300 operations - including stomach surgeries and amputations - using hypnosis as the only form of anaesthesia.

Today:

• Elite professional sportspeople use hypnosis to enhance their ability in their chosen sport.
• Law enforcement agencies use hypnosis to help witnesses recall vital details of crimes, including licence plate numbers.
• Medical professionals use hypnosis as the sole form of anaesthesia for a range of surgeries and dentistry work.

Even Government Associations Have Approved Hypnosis!

In 1892, the British Medical Association (BMA) commissioned a team of doctors to undertake an extensive evaluation of the nature and effects of hypnotherapy. They reported:

"The Committee, having completed such investigation of hypnotism as time permitted, has to report itself satisfied of the genuineness of the hypnotic state."

They further added, "The Committee is of the opinion that, as a therapeutic agent, hypnotism is frequently effective in relieving pain, procuring sleep, and alleviating many functional ailments (i.e., psycho-somatic complaints and anxiety disorders)." (British Medical Journal, 1892)

In 1955, the Psychological Medicine Group of the BMA commissioned a Subcommittee, led by Prof. T. Ferguson Rodger, to deliver a second, and more comprehensive, report on hypnosis. The Subcommittee consulted several experts on hypnosis from various fields, including the eminent neurologist Prof. W. Russell Brain, and the psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion. After two years of study and research, its final report was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), under the title 'Medical use of Hypnotism'. It reported:

"The Subcommittee is satisfied after consideration of the available evidence, that hypnotism is of value and may be the treatment of choice in some cases of so-called psycho-somatic disorder and psychoneurosis. It may also be of value for revealing unrecognized motives and conflicts in such conditions. As a treatment, in the opinion of the Subcommittee, it has proved its ability to remove symptoms and to alter morbid habits of thought and behaviour. In addition to the treatment of psychiatric disabilities, there is a place for hypnotism in the production of anaesthesia or analgesia for surgical and dental operations, and in suitable subjects it is an effective method of relieving pain in childbirth without altering the normal course of labour."

In 1958, the American Medical Association similarly conducted a report on hypnotherapy and likewise approved hypnosis as a legitimate therapeutic tool in the treatment of certain illnesses.

"Articles In Journals, Magazines And Newspapers Worldwide, Confirm Hypnosis Works!"

The following are excerpts from several well-known publications;

".hypnosis is increasingly being used to help with everything from quitting smoking to recalling lost memories." Sam Donaldson
-Primetime Live, 12/95

"Researchers at Harvard University have found it diminishes the need for anesthesia during invasive procedures such as angioplasty and breast reconstruction and speeds post-operative healing."
-Business Week, 2/04

".clients who learned self-hypnosis lost twice as much weight as those who didn't." [description of average result of 18 studies done in the mid-nineties]
-Oprah Magazine, 8/04

"When you're overweight, there is a conflict between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind says, "I know I want to lose weight,' " he said. However, the subconscious mind tosses up roadblocks such as emotional eating. Hypnosis can help get the two parts of the mind together." Philip Shenefelt, associate professor of medicine at the University of South Florida
-Tampa Tribune, 8/04

".that [hypnotic] suggestion will be planted in a deep level in his mind .helping him tap into some useful physical and psychological resources." Carol Ginandes, Phd clinical psychiatry instructor
-Harvard Magazine, 11/03

"A dozen studies have found that self-hypnosis effectively reduces migraine attacks in children and adolescents."
-Consumer Reports, 2/93

"[Hypnosis] can help relieve symptoms, reduce pain and even sometimes speed healing. It's also been effective in changing unhealthy behavior."
-National Women's Health Resource Center, 11/03

".hypnosis is effective in alleviating chronic pain associated with various cancers. Hypnosis can also be a part of the treatment program for irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory conditions of the mouth, temporomandibular disorders, and tension headaches, the panel concluded."
-National Institute of Health, 10/95

"Hypnosis, once scorned as wizardry more appropriate for the stage than a doctor's office, has gained respect among medical professionals. Many view it as an efficient tool for treating problems not caused by serious disorders."
-Business Week, 2/91

"The word hypnosis comes from the Greek word for sleep," says Dr. Hoover. "But actually, you are not asleep, you are focused and have more self-control. Researchers have done EEGs of persons in trances that showed their brains were highly alert and focused." Dr. L. Dean Hoover psychiatrist
-The Capital (Annapolis, MD), 4/04

"Hypnosis has moved out of magic shows and into operating rooms. Some bold surgeons are using hypnotic suggestion rather than conventional anesthesia, while other doctors contend it can alleviate anxiety, staunch bleeding, hasten healing and even clear up rashes and warts."
-Newsweek 11/86

".in the past few decades the phenomenon has enjoyed an increasing amount of scientific interest, as well as widespread clinical application for an array of medical and psychological purposes, from removing warts to retrieving memories long buried in the unconscious."
-Psychology Today, 1/02

"Six weeks after the fracture, the hypnosis group healed to an extent that would normally take 8 ½ weeks."
-Harvard Magazine, 11/03

"Both hypnosis groups lost an average of 17 pounds in six months. The control group put on half a pound." -Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment:
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1986

".one-way analyses showed the hypnosis group to be significantly more healed than the usual care controls. Results of this preliminary trial indicate that use of a targeted hypnotic intervention can accelerate postoperative wound healing and suggest that further tests of using hypnosis to augment physical healing are warranted." -"Can medical hypnosis accelerate post-surgical wound healing?" Results of a clinical trial, Department of Psychology, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 4/03 "In a study of 241 patients, who underwent operations to open clogged arteries, it was found that people who were hypnotized fared better and used less pain medication."
-Boston Herald, 4/2000

"Hypnosis. What comes to mind when you hear the word? A caped magician swaying a pocket watch before his subject's eyes? Someone barking like a dog? What should come to mind is this: A smoker chucking the cigarettes forever; a dieter finally losing those persistent pounds; a woman giving birth without drugs or severe pain. Welcome to the real world of hypnosis."
-The Capital (Annapolis, MD), 4/04

"A hypnotist can't make you do anything you don't really want to do. There's nothing spooky about it."
-Business Week, 2/9

"Hypnosis and guided imagery have no adverse side effects"
-Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8/04

"People who were hypnotized while undergoing surgery without a general anesthetic needed less pain medication, left the operating room sooner and had more stable vital signs than those who were not, according to a study in this week's issue of The Lancet medical journal."
-Associated Press, 4/04

"Studies reported in 1986 in the Journal of Clinical Psychology and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology showed hypnosis to be an effective tool in losing weight and keeping it off."
-Cox News Service, 1/02

"Today, hypnosis--or hypnotherapy--is becoming a respected alternative for an array of conditions. It has long been used to help people quit smoking and overcome fears, such as the fear of public speaking, but now the practice is branching out into new areas."
-Better Homes and Gardens, 2/04

". cutting-edge research has revealed that subjects under hypnosis perceive colors differently. You can see it on brain scans. And there are lots of new uses." Diane Sawyer
-Good Morning America, 6/02

"We believe that passengers will be entranced with this new service." Virgin chairman Richard Branson on Virgin Airlines' new in-flight hypnosis offering.
Press release - Virgin Atlantic, 4/04

"As a relaxation technique, hypnosis can help reduce your stress. It's also used to relieve phobias, lessen anxiety, break addictions and to ease symptoms of conditions such as asthma or allergy. Using hypnosis can help patients control nausea and vomiting from cancer medications and morning sickness, reduce bleeding during surgery, steady the heartbeat and bring down blood pressure." -National Women's Health Resource Center, 11/03

"Imagine that when you eat, you feel satisfied sooner and therefore lose weight more rapidly. Imagine that the pain after heart-bypass or dental surgery feels merely like mild pressure. Imagine that your skin rash is clearing up. Recent clinical studies suggest that hypnosis.can indeed help motivated people accomplish those health goals." -Consumer Reports on Health, 2/04

"Many patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, a painful disorder that does not generally respond well to conventional treatments, have found relief through hypnotherapy. Now British researchers say the benefits can last five years or longer."
-The New York Times, 10/03

"Unfortunately, stage hypnosis is real hypnosis. It creates the illusion that there is a loss of control, which is not true. All of the people who are being hypnotized on stage are wide-awake. They know exactly what they are doing. But it's usually done in poor taste, and it really scares people."
-Boston Globe 2/02, quoting Ted Benton of Winchester Hospital's Community Health Institute in Woburn

"Practitioners note that hypnotherapy works only for patients who are committed to the goals."
-Boston Globe, 2/02

".In a study of 241 patients, who underwent operations to open clogged arteries, it was found that people who were hypnotized fared better and used less pain medication."
-Boston Herald, 4/2000

"But science now knows the reality of hypnosis, where the subject temporarily suspends his normal way of looking at the world, not in a trance-like sleep, but rather extreme concentration." Diane Sawyer
-Good Morning America, 6/02

"Now a new study in the current issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry offers evidence that hypnotized individuals do, indeed, experience distinct changes in brain function that mere role-playing would not account for."
-All Things Considered, NPR 8/2000

Why does it work? "Because the patients are in an altered state, solely focused on the message, soaking it up, rather than in a psychological mode in which they can trivialize or ignore it," Dr. David Spiegel, psychiatry professor and medical director of the Complementary Medicine Clinic at Stanford University
-Washingtonian, 3/02