HYPNOSIS
HARVEY DONDERSHINE, MD, JD
OVERVIEW
HYPNOTIZABILITY
HYPNOSIS
DSM IV
DISSOCIATION
INDUCTION
TRANCE
USES & CAVEATS
MYTHS

ANYONE CAN BE HYPNOTIZED

HYPNOSIS CAN RECOVER THE PAST

PEOPLE TELL THE TRUTH IN A TRANCE

HYPNOSIS IS DANGEROUS

HYPNOSIS IS HARD TO DO

HYPNOSIS IS A THEAPY
HYPNOSIS
 DEFINITION
 INTERPERSONALLY EVOKED REVERISBLE
DISRUPTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS , MEMORY,
PERSONALITY. RESULTANT “DISSOCIATED”
MENTAL STATE IS OFTEN CALLED TRANCE.
 THEORIES
 DIVISION WITHIN CONSCIOUSNESS
 SOCIAL INFLUENCE (PLAY ACTING)
 DIRECT ACTIVATION OF MEMORY SYSTEMS
BYPASSING EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OF MIND
TRANCE & DISSOCIATION
 TRANCE AND DISSOCIATION ARE SIMILAR PHENOMENA
 TRANCE EVOKED BY A RITUAL
 DISSOCIATION STIMULUS EVOKED
 NON CLINICAL FORMS
 CLINICAL FORMS

PROVOKED BY STRONG EMOTION

PROTECTIVE FUNCTION
REVIEW




DISSOCIATION (TRANCE) IS FOCUSED CONCENTRATION
CAN BE SPONTANEOUS OR CUED
HYPNOSIS IS FACILITATING CUE
FOCUSED CONCENTRATION DIFFERS FROM NONFOCUSED CONCENTRATION
 DIFFERENCE REFLECTED IN CONSCIOUSNES
TRANCE CHARACTERISTICS
 HEIGHTENED CONCENTRATION
 INCREASED FOCAL AWARENESS
 PERIPHERAL NEGLECT
 HEIGHTENED CAPACITY FOR FANTASY
 INCREASED SUGGESTIBILITY
 SUSPENSION OF CRITICAL JUDGMENT
 LOSS OF CONTEXTUAL DEFINITION OF EXPERIENCE
HYPNOTIZABILITY
 CAPACITY FOR TRANCE
 PREDICTABLE DISTRIBUTION IN POPULATION
 GENERALLY STABLE OVER TIME
 OFTEN IMPLIES PERSONALITY TRAITS
 CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINED ATTENTION
 ABSORPTION INTO ACTIVITIES AND MOODS
 EMOTION-BASED RECALL
MEASURING HYPNOTIZABILITY
HYPNOTIC INDUCTION PROFILE*

CLINICAL TOOL

TAPS INNATE CAPACITY

USE RITUAL TO INDUCE TRANCE

TEACHES SELF-CUING SYSTEM

YIELDS NUMERIC MEASURE OF HYPNOTIZABILITY

EYE-ROLL: 1 to 4

TRANCE : 0 to 10
* Trance
and Treatment: Clinical Uses of Hypnosis. Spiegel & Spiegel (1979)
HIP SCORES BY DIAGNOSIS *
DIAGNOSIS
N
SCORE
SD
PTSD
65
8.04
2.24
NORMAL CONTROLS
83
7.23
2.24
SCHIZOPHRENIA
23
3.99
3.19
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER
15
4.06
3.30
AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
56
5.76
3.19
MISCELLANEOUS DIAGNOSES
18
5.96
2.85
* Am.
J Psychiatry 145:3, March 1988
DSM IV
 ASD/PTSD/COMPLEX PTSD
 AMNESIA
 FUGUE
 DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER
 DEPERSONALIZATION DISORDER
 SOMATIZATION DISORDER (CONVERSION)
INDUCTION
 PUT SUBJECT AT EASE
 EMPLOY A RITUAL
 NARROW FOCUS OF ATTENTION
 INTRODUCE SUGGESTION
 TEACH CUT-OFF SIGNAL
 ASSESS POST HYPNOTIC STATE
CLINICAL USES

DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT PLANNING

RELAXATION TRAINING

ANTI-TRANCE TRAINING

TRAUMA MEMORY WORK


IMAGINAL EXPOSURE AND DESENSITIZATION

COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING

ASSIST CONSTRUCTION OF NARRATIVE
OTHER
 GRIEF WORK
 PAIN MANAGEMENT
 HABIT CONTORL
 ENHANCE MOTIVATION
CAVEATS
 NEED INFORMED CONSENT
 BEWARE SYMPTOMS IN SEARCH OF A TRAUMA
 TAKE CARE TO AVOID INADVERTENT HYPNOSIS
 DON’T USE HYPNOSIS TO CREATE FALSE MEMORIES
 EASY TO INSERT, HARD TO EXTRACT
 HYPNOSIS INCREASES BELIEF BUT NOT ACCURACY
 GET LEGAL ADVICE IF PATIENT NEEDS TO TESTIFY