Hypnosis in the News

Psychodermatologists and Skin Ailments

by Brian David Phillips • August 1, 2005

Natasha Singer presents a very good overview of the work of Psychodermatologists and Skin Ailments in the New York Times. Nice article, overall . . . but some big time problems with certain elements. Self-hypnosis or autosuggestion should not take months to learn. Really, come to me and I will teach you how to do…

Hypnosis Works . . . plain and simple . . . if you let it . . .

by Brian David Phillips • August 1, 2005

Fairly straightforward overview of some “expert” opinions on hypnosis . . . you’re getting very sleepy: hypnosis may help you control pain, addictions, even lovesickness — but only if you let it: Holy cow, the human mind is fascinating. Don’tcha think? We’ve been studying that sucker for years, and it remains mostly unexplored and little…

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna . . .
. . . a film based on neuro-linguistic programming . . .
. . . more like, a film pretending to be about NLP that isn’t

by Brian David Phillips • August 1, 2005

A bit of a buzz about the Indian film, “Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna . . . the promotional bits are claiming the film is a drama about the science of Neurolinguistic Programming . . . well, maybe . . . but what is described as NLP isn’t really what NLP is . . . a…

Smoking Causes Premature Aging and DNA Damage . . .
. . . more incentive to quite

by Brian David Phillips • June 16, 2005

A recent British study conclusively proves that smoking causes premature aging. This is not simply anecdotal experience but measured both subjectively and objectively. There is tracked and obvious DNA damage caused by smoking. The DNA damage is less for exsmokers than for current smokers so there are reasons to quit. There is similar damage to…

Hypnosis and Imagery for Hot Flashes

by Brian David Phillips • May 26, 2005

Hot flashes from menopause, cancer or operation difficulties, drug side effects, and other sources have been shown to respond well to hypnosis and focused trance style imagery . . . Many Using Hypnosis to Treat Hot Flashes: Kay Dolzel, hypnosis patient: “The hot flashes just come in wave after wave after wave, just usually from…

Hypnosis Helps Healing . . . Harvard study

by Brian David Phillips • May 23, 2005

A study out of Harvard University confirms that hypnosis helps healing . . . not just relaxation and stress reduction but actually accellerates the rate for physical mending. All these functional uses may help a person feel better,” Ginandes continues. “I am also interested in using hypnosis to help people get better physically. That means…

Child Hypnosis cited as New Kidney Disease Treatment

by Brian David Phillips • May 22, 2005

It’s not really new to those of us who are familiar with it, but it is very definately growing as an accepted and effective treatment modality . . . child hypnosis cited as new kidney disease treatment: For children who suffer from kidney disease and have to face the painful prospect of blood tests and…

Victims push to regulate hypnotists

by Brian David Phillips • May 11, 2005

It looks like the “professions” will be using this case to push for inappropriate control over hypnosis while the so-called hypnosis organizations will be at each other’s throats to assign blame . . . cictims push to regulate hypnotists . . . this is a single incident that is being made into a rallying cry…

Hypnosis and Child Birth . . . another positive study

by Brian David Phillips • May 11, 2005

Yet another study with positive conclusions regarding the use of hypnosis, suggestion, and focused trance for childbirth . . . hypnosis helpful for pregnancy and childbirth: Marion Andrew, a senior consultant anaesthetist at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, says women having their first child who learn self-hypnosis in the lead-up to labour are…

Mind-Body Medicine

by Brian David Phillips • May 6, 2005

Sandra Donaoldson has a nice overview on Mind Body Medicine . . . a general introduction to some of the forms (missing a number that are becoming more known at the moment), albeit some of the generalizations miss the major divisions in approach . . . for instance, hypnosis is NOT just about suggestive therapy…

Paul McKenna . . . nerd, cold, dysfunctional intimacy . . .
. . . . but a great hypnotist

by Brian David Phillips • May 6, 2005

Elizabeth Day has some wonderful things to say about Paul McKenna but she peppers all the praise with some odd bits how I healed my inner nerd. He has yet to produce a manual on how to get a personality, which might be because he doesn’t really have one. . . . . . .…

Self-Hypnosis Effective On Hay Fever Symptoms

by Brian David Phillips • May 2, 2005

Good news for those who suffer from hay fever or similar allergic responses . . . Self-Hypnosis Effective On Hay Fever Symptoms: group of researchers of the University of Basel, Switzerland, has performed a randomized controlled trial on the use of self-hypnosis (which was likely to induce relaxation) on a hay fever symptoms. Many people…

Stage Fright . . . trancework

by Brian David Phillips • April 25, 2005

Lyn Gardner writes in the Guardian Unlimited that not all right on the night. The piece discusses stage fright and how some actors have overcome it . . . of particular interest is Daryl Hannah’s success with hypnosis in overcoming her own stage anxiety. While the article does not intend to, it over simplifies some…

Want to Get in the Zone and Stay There? . . .
. . . focused trance and sports imagery

by Brian David Phillips • April 21, 2005

Hyperbole aside . . . using focused trance techniques such as creative visualization, hypnosis, guided imagery, and the like really does work wonders for sports improvement . . . Attention Serious Athletes, Coaches and Parents of Athletes – Want to Get in the Zone and Stay There? . . . Are you tired of losing…

Hypnosis Works for Pain Control

by Brian David Phillips • April 19, 2005

Seth-Deborah Roth discusses a study that demonstrates Hypnosis Works for Pain Control. She included the attached table in her piece that clearly shows that the reduction in rating by patients when using hypnosis is far superior to the other compared methods of accupuncture, morphine, and pacebo. Actually, it is quite startling a difference to those…

When I count to 10 . . .
. . . you will be enlightened

by Brian David Phillips • April 14, 2005

Alana D. Chips writes a favorable essay on hypnosis . . . when I count to 10, you will be enlightened . . . however, while informing and advocating for hypnosis, she includes a few misconceptions of her own. Hypnosis is not a state between awake and asleep, that would be the hypnoidal state which…

Hypnosis Helps Habit Cough

by Brian David Phillips • April 3, 2005

This looks promising . . . hypnosis helps habit cough . . . Not all coughs are created equal. In children, there’s something called a habit cough. Drug therapies are typically not effective for this type of cough. An alternative treatment may help nix the nagging habit. It started as a bad cold and turned…

Hypnosis For IBS . . .
. . . controversial?
. . . . . . NOT!

by Brian David Phillips • March 29, 2005

Local 10 on Florida, has a blurb regarding Hypnosis For IBS. While it’s great that they are giving some coverage to this very important treatment modality folks need to know about (IBS hist more and more people every year), this comment is a bit off-center: Hypnosis For IBS . . . Hypnosis is a controversial…

More Ado About Nothing . . .
. . . of HypnoTheRapist and client sexual conduct

by Brian David Phillips • March 29, 2005

More reflection regarding the Hypnotists Facing Tighter Scrutiny…. post (also posted here). In the Omnigrads group associated with this blog, the question was asked . . . "Just a thought. I wonder how may other professional have had sex with their clients?" A lot. There are also some very profound examples of this. One of…

Hypnosis . . . for changing bad habits . . .
. . . stop smoking to much much more . . .

by Brian David Phillips • March 28, 2005

A nice piece on how hypnotherapy can really help: She tried the patch. She tried the gum. She even went cold turkey. None of it worked for New Iberia resident Theresa Flash, who had been smoking about two packs of cigarettes a day for 35 years. But, for the last five months, she’s been cigarette…

Hypnotists Facing Tighter Scrutiny….

by Brian David Phillips • March 24, 2005

See my post at the Omni Hypnosis Training Center Open Blog for a link to the article on hypnotists facing spell of scrutiny which was recently posted to the Omnigrads email discussion list for graduates of the various Omni Hypnosis Training Center certification programs (as anyone who knows me or who has read even a…

Hypnosis for Relaxation . . .
. . . check your stress at the door

by Brian David Phillips • March 21, 2005

Ray Routhier writes of his experience with a hypnotist for stress relief and relaxation . . . check your stress at the door. The account is a first-hand description of his earlier misgivings and misimpressions and then a description of the session itself and how much it helped him. I had hoped to fall into…

Suggestion without Hypnosis . . .
. . . take your clothes off and crawl around on all fours . . .
. . . . . . and don’t mind me taking all these photos

by Brian David Phillips • March 20, 2005

As we’ve been discussing on a number of email lists the case of the British hypnotist working in the US who had inappropriate consensual sexual relations with his clients, I thought folks might be interested in a case where the use of waking suggestion is very obvious . . . a bit of Cialdini’s law…

Painless Childbirth . . .
. . . hypnobirthing and other focused trance alternatives

by Brian David Phillips • March 12, 2005

Laura Turner writes about a new childbirth method touted for the Times. Actually, it’s not really a new method, it’s been around for quite some time but as a lot of folks just can’t wrap their heads around the idea that a woman doesn’t actually have to suffer during childbirth, it seems new. Asia Carrera,…

Have a Laugh!
it’s good for your heart

by Brian David Phillips • March 8, 2005

This should not come as a big shocker to anyone, but laughter boosts blood vessels. Basically, a recent study has shown that people who are stressed are causing damage to their heart and arteries but those who were shown a funny film that caused laughter had less stress and therefore less damage but there were…