The Use and Value of Hypnosis
The Use and Value of Hypnosis
Joe Franklin
General Psychology 1
Dr. Ralph Sneed
July 19, 2005
The Use and Value of Hypnosis
The practice of hypnosis has been credited to Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer, whose research in the 1700s became the basis for modern hypnosis. Believing there was a magnetic fluid in the air to be absorbed by the body 's nerves through breathing, Mesmer used magnets, and later his hands, to increase circulation of this fluid by diminishing blockages caused by disease. Later, the University of Nancy 's Hippolyte Bernheim emphasized the psychological nature of hypnosis, shifting perceptions to include both physical and cognitive applications of hypnosis. By the 1920s, psychologist Clark L. Hull suggested the human nature of hypnosis. According to Piccione (2005a), "the determining factor of successful hypnotism was the subject 's imagination, and that some subjects were more responsive than others." Since 1958, the American Medical Association has voiced its support in the education and formal training of therapists in hypnosis as a method of alternative medicine (Piccione, 2005a). The process of hypnosis is a matter of mind over body, involving a deep, focused concentration on a thought or image ("Hypnosis," n.d.). According to the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (2005), the hypnotherapist usually applies one of three methods: mental imagery, suggestion, or exploration of the unconscious, depending on the subject 's personal need requirements. An alternative to clinical hypnosis is self-hypnosis, taught by a trained therapist and self-led. When properly led, hypnosis can be used as an aid in "unlearning" negative acquired behaviors. Reinforcement of constructive visions during hypnotherapy can help bring about positive changes in behavior. Piccione (2005b) states that the uses of hypnosis vary widely, ranging from stress relief to stuttering modification to relieving pain associated with abuse. As
Joe Franklin
General Psychology 1
Dr. Ralph Sneed
July 19, 2005
The Use and Value of Hypnosis
The practice of hypnosis has been credited to Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer, whose research in the 1700s became the basis for modern hypnosis. Believing there was a magnetic fluid in the air to be absorbed by the body 's nerves through breathing, Mesmer used magnets, and later his hands, to increase circulation of this fluid by diminishing blockages caused by disease. Later, the University of Nancy 's Hippolyte Bernheim emphasized the psychological nature of hypnosis, shifting perceptions to include both physical and cognitive applications of hypnosis. By the 1920s, psychologist Clark L. Hull suggested the human nature of hypnosis. According to Piccione (2005a), "the determining factor of successful hypnotism was the subject 's imagination, and that some subjects were more responsive than others." Since 1958, the American Medical Association has voiced its support in the education and formal training of therapists in hypnosis as a method of alternative medicine (Piccione, 2005a). The process of hypnosis is a matter of mind over body, involving a deep, focused concentration on a thought or image ("Hypnosis," n.d.). According to the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (2005), the hypnotherapist usually applies one of three methods: mental imagery, suggestion, or exploration of the unconscious, depending on the subject 's personal need requirements. An alternative to clinical hypnosis is self-hypnosis, taught by a trained therapist and self-led. When properly led, hypnosis can be used as an aid in "unlearning" negative acquired behaviors. Reinforcement of constructive visions during hypnotherapy can help bring about positive changes in behavior. Piccione (2005b) states that the uses of hypnosis vary widely, ranging from stress relief to stuttering modification to relieving pain associated with abuse. As
References: American Society of Clinical Hypnosis: Information for the general public. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2005, from http://www.asch.net/genpubinfo.htm Cambridge hypnotherapy – uses of hypnotherapy in medicine and psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2005, from http://www.cambridgehypnotherapy.co.uk/hypnosis_uses.html Davis, J., & Nazario, B. (2004). Hypnosis goes mainstream. Retrieved July 10, 2005, from WebMD: http://m.webmd.com/content/Article/87/99423.htm Gravitz, M.A. (1988). Early uses of hypnosis as surgical anesthesia. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 3, 201-208. Retrieved July 12, 2005, from PubMed database. Hockenbury, D., & Hockenbury, S. (2003). Psychology (3rd ed.). New York: Worth Publishers. Hypnosis. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2005, from http://my.webmd.com/hw/alternative_ mdicine/tp21260.asp Piccione, R.A. About hypnosis. Retrieved July 14, 2005a, from http://hypnosis.lifetips.com/cat/ 60300/about-hypnosis/index.html Piccione, R.A. Coping with stress and anxiety using hypnosis. Retrieved July 14, 2005b, from http://hypnosis.lifetips.com/cat/60409/coping-with-stress-and-anxiety-using-hypnosis/ index.html Strauss, E., & Vogin, G. (2001). Hypnosis for pain. Retrieved July 14, 2005, from WebMD: http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/141668_50697.htm