There’s a new documentary series about Alternative Therapies on BBC that looks well worth a looksee:

There’s something altogether objectionable about a virtual stranger numbing your face then drilling into your back teeth while asking you where you’re going on holiday. Well, imagine having a cavity drilled and filled or a molar wrenched out while under no anaesthetic whatsoever.  The only thing numbing the pain is the soothing voice in your ear telling you to imagine blue skies, not to concentrate on the torture in your mouth.  Welcome to the extraordinary world of hypnotherapy.  Half a million people in Britain use hypnotherapy every year. It’s claimed it can help with smoking, obesity, tinnitus, weight loss, phobias, allergies, anxiety and even breast enlargement.  But what do we know about hypnotherapy and hypnosis?  And how are scientists trying to discover its effectiveness?  In the first in a new series, professor Kathy Sykes from Bristol University embarks on a journey to explore the three popular alternative therapies – hypnotherapy, reflexology and meditation. Travelling across the UK, Europe and Canada, she follows patients pinning their hopes on hypnotherapy.  Richard, a policeman, wants to quit smoking, Nicola wants to eat less chocolate, and Mandy wants teeth implants without anaesthetic. Kathy has a go at being hypnotised as she tries to understand more about the science behind the hypnotic "trance". And she slso talks to Peter Whorwell who is pioneering hypnotherapy for people with irritable bowel syndrome.  This series is a must-see for anyone interested in learning about alternative therapies.

Looks like we won’t get the series here, but those in the UK should take a peek and let the rest of us know how it turns out.

All the best,
Brian

Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [phillips@nccu.edu.tw]Certified Hypnotherapist
President, Society of Experiential Trance
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com