| January 2011 - English |
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The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis
A Stranger in the Looking Glass: Developing and Challenging a Hypnotic Mirrored-Self Misidentification Delusion Abstract: This article describes a study that used hypnosis to temporarily recreate mirrored-self misidentification, the delusional belief that the person in the mirror is a stranger. Following a hypnotic suggestion to see a stranger in the mirror, high hypnotizable subjects described seeing a stranger with physical characteristics different to their own. Whereas subjects’ beliefs about seeing a stranger were clearly false, they had no difficulty generating explanations for the stranger’s presence. The authors tested the resilience of this belief with clinically inspired challenges. Although visual challenges (e.g., the hypnotist appearing in the mirror alongside the subject) were most likely to breach the delusion, some subjects maintained the delusion across all challenges. Findings are discussed in light of the dominant theory of delusions and highlight the advantages of using hypnosis to explore delusional beliefs.
Chronic Low-Back Pain Modulation is Enhanced by Hypnotic Analgesic Suggestion by Recruiting an Emotional Network: A PET imaging study Abstract: This study aimed to characterize the neural networks involved in patients with chronic low-back pain during hypnoanalgesia. PET was performed in 2 states of consciousness, normal alertness, and hypnosis. Two groups of patients received direct or indirect analgesic suggestion. The normal alertness state showed activations in a cognitive-sensory pain modulation network, including frontotemporal cortex, insula, somatosensory cortex, and cerebellum. The hypnotic state activated an emotional pain modulation network, including frontotemporal cortex, insula, caudate, accumbens, lenticular nuclei, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Direct suggestion activated cognitive processes via frontal, prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortices, while indirect suggestion activated a widespread and more emotional network including frontal cortex, anterior insula, inferior parietal lobule, lenticular nucleus, and ACC. Confirmed by visual analog scale data, these results suggest that chronic pain modulation is greater with hypnosis, which enhances both activated networks.
Effects of Self-Hypnosis Training and Cognitive Restructuring on Daily Pain Intensity and Catastrophizing in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Pain Abstract: Fifteen adults with multiple sclerosis were given 16 sessions of treatment for chronic pain that included 4 sessions each of 4 different treatment modules: (1) an education control intervention; (2) self-hypnosis training (HYP); (3) cognitive restructuring (CR); and (4) a combined hypnosis-cognitive restructuring intervention (CR-HYP). The findings supported the greater beneficial effects of HYP, relative to CR, on average pain intensity. The CR-HYP treatment appeared to have beneficial effects greater than the effects of CR and HYP alone. Future research examining the efficacy of an intervention that combines CR and HYP is warranted.
Do Standards for the Design and Reporting of Nonpharmacological Trials Facilitate Hypnotherapy Studies? Abstract: The design and quality of 30 recent hypnotherapy trials (years 2000–2008) were assessed using the checklist for evaluating a report of nonpharmacological treatment (CLEAR-NPT). Randomization was adequately reported in 53% of studies. The masking of participants and care providers is not feasible in hypnotherapy studies. Assessor masking is rarely introduced in RCT (27%). Reporting and quality of published hypnotherapy trials need to be improved. Investigators may consider using CLEAR-NPT to evaluate study quality but attention should be paid to document intervention adherence, standardization of cointerventions, participant and care-provider expectations and beliefs, and, finally, hypnotizability.
On the History of Dissociative Identity Disorders in Germany: The Doctor Justinus Kerner and the Girl From Orlach or Possession as an “Exchange of the Self” Abstract: The history of hypnosis is closely linked to the theme of possession; one such link is that the forerunner of hypnosis, animal magnetism, replaced exorcism in 1775 when Franz Anton Mesmer testified against Father Johann Joseph Gassner´s exorcism. Modern authors have noted remarkable similarities between states of possession and dissociation. The treatment of possession by animal magnetism and exorcism represents the special romantic–magnetic therapy of the German medical doctor Justinus Kerner in the early 19th century. This paper describes the man, his methods, and his thinking and presents one of his most famous case studies, the girl from Orlach, which, by today’s standards, was a true case of dissociative identity disorder (DID). This paper describes how contemporary principles of treatment were used and controversial issues about the nature and causes of DID were discussed 175 years ago.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Hypnosis with 3D Virtual Reality Animation on Tiredness, Mood and Salivary Cortisol Abstract: Case studies suggest hypnosis with a virtual reality (VR) component may be an effective intervention, although few follow-up randomized, controlled trials have been performed comparing such interventions with standard hypnotic treatments. Thirty-five healthy participants were randomized to self-hypnosis with VR imagery, standard self-hypnosis, or relaxation interventions. Changes in sleep, cortisol levels, and mood were examined. Self-hypnosis involved 10 20-min. sessions visualizing a healthy immune scenario. Trait absorption was also recorded as a possible moderator. Moderated regression indicated that both hypnosis interventions produced significantly lower tiredness ratings than relaxation when trait absorption was high. When trait absorption was low, VR resulted in significantly higher engagement ratings although this did not translate to demonstrable improvement in outcome. Results suggest that VR imagery may increase engagement relative to traditional methods, but further investigation into its potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy is required.
Hypnotic Responsiveness: Expectancy, Attitudes, Fantasy Proneness, Absorption, and Gender Abstract: This study examines the effect of providing information linking participants' attitudes toward hypnosis with later hypnotic performance. Using total scale scores from McConkey's Opinions About Hypnosis scale, as well as subscale scores, the authors found a weak association between attitudes and performance among 460 student participants; however, the correlation was unaffected by prehypnotic information specifically connecting attitudes and performance. A brief, 3-item measure of hypnotic expectancies generated the strongest correlation with hypnotic responsiveness. The authors also found that the association between fantasy proneness and hypnotizability was unaffected by the order of scale administration. Finally, the study highlighted gender differences across measures of fantasy proneness, absorption, expectancy, and hypnotizability. |