Growing evidence of unwanted consequences of hypnosis in experimental, clinical and entertainment settings is reviewed. Adverse effects are common, may be physiological or psychological, and are mostly short-lived. Facilitating factors include high hypnotizability and cognitive and personal involvement, although effects secondary to hypnosis such as deactivation and anxiety may cause reactions ...

This paper studies an appropriate pharmacokinetic (PK) model for hypnosis control based on effect-site anesthetic concentration. For maintaining hypnosis, methods to keep plasma or effect-site concentration of propofol, an anesthetic drug, calculated using PK models at a target level are often used. In order to realize a desirable hypnosis control by such methods an accurate estimation of propo...

Hypnotherapeutic interactions can be mapped on a continuum from formal hypnosis to hypnotic conversation. Unlike the structured forms of formal hypnosis, hypnotic conversation relies upon utilizing the client's responses, both verbal and non-verbal, to facilitate therapeutic process. In this paper, we illustrate this continuum with a series of anecdotal clinical examples starting with formal hy...

During the past 30 years hypnosis has become recognised as a useful adjunct to traditional medical therapies, and has become part of mainstream medicine. Hypnosis societies provide training for health professionals to obtain registrable qualifications. The modality has been incorporated in the management of many medical conditions and diseases, with opportunities for symptom control, building c...

A prospective controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of an analgesic cream (eutectic mixture of local anesthetics, or EMLA) with a combination of EMLA with hypnosis in the relief of lumbar puncture-induced pain and anxiety in 45 pediatric cancer patients (age 6-16 years). The study also explored whether young patients can be taught and can use hypnosis independently as well as w...

Time distortion is a well known phenomenon of hypnosis. Perhaps less well known are the distortions to temporal judgement that are exhibited by patients with Parkinson’s disease or schizophrenia. Both these classes of patient also suffer from hallucinations, which of course can be induced in hypnosis. It is argued that these are not chance parallels; they can all be accommodated by Gray’s (1995...

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and viability of hypnosis before and during a gastrointestinal endoscopy. Six Gastroscopies and 22 colonoscopies were carried out under hypnosis in a group of patients. The patients ranged in age from 20 and 67 years and have a history of previously incomplete and poorly tolerated examinations or expressed an active demand for sedation. For 6 of...

Study 1 compared overweight adult women smokers (n = 50) and nonsmokers (n = 50) in an hypnosis-based, weight-loss program. Smokers and nonsmokers achieved significant weight losses and decreases in Body Mass Index. Study 2 treated 100 women either in an hypnosis only (n = 50) or an overt aversion and hypnosis (n = 50) program. This multicomponent follow-up study replicated significant weight l...

Empirically supported therapy (EST) has become a major focus and trend for mental health practice. When hypnosis is involved, this may mean satisfying a standard that is entirely too narrow in its emphasis. In this article "efficacy"-based research in clinical practice is contrasted with "effectiveness" -focused research, and they are discussed from the perspective of hypnosis. When clinicians ...

Hypnosis and biofeedback are cyberphysiologic strategies that enable subjects to develop voluntary control of certain physiologic processes for the purpose of improving health. Self-hypnosis has been used with and without biofeedback for a wide range of therapeutic applications, and both laboratory studies and clinical trials have shown it to be effective in improving symptoms and outcomes in v...