Alternative Therapies - Hypnotherapy 1 of 6 - BBC Health Documentary Series

---

We here review behavioral, neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies of hypnosis as a state, as well as hypnosis as a tool to modulate brain responses to painful stimulations. Studies have shown that hypnotic processes modify internal (self awareness) as well as external (environmental awareness) brain networks. Brain mechanisms underlying the modulation of pain perception under hypnotic conditions involve cortical as well as subcortical areas including anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices, basal ganglia and thalami. Combined with local anesthesia and conscious sedation in patients undergoing surgery, hypnosis is associated with improved peri- and postoperative comfort of patients and surgeons. Finally, hypnosis can be considered as a useful analogue for simulatingconversion and dissociation symptoms in healthy subjects, permitting better characterization of these challenging disorders by producing clinically similar experiences.

Neurophysiol Clin. 2014 Oct;44(4):343-53. doi: 10.1016/j.neucli.2013.09.006. Epub 2013 Oct 29.

Vanhaudenhuyse A(1), Laureys S(2), Faymonville ME(3). Author information: (1)Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B30, Allée du 6 Août n(o) 8, 4000 Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: avanhaudenhuyse@ulg.ac.be. (2)Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B30, Allée du 6 Août n(o) 8, 4000 Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: steven.laureys@ulg.ac.be. (3)Department of Algology, University Hospital of Liège, Sart Tilman B35, 4000 Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: mfaymonville@chu.ulg.ac.be.

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Posted: 01/08/2015

Articles from the TimBrunson.com blog Phobias of the mind A phobia is a special type of fear. This anxiety disorder represents a persistent fear of an object or situation. As such it is a learned mental health disorder that also may be addressed effectively with hypnotherapy. Like other anxiety disorders, when a phobia is installed in the brain it is due to it an initial sensitizing event, which the person's brain failed to appropriately accommodate. Although a phobia can develop at any time during a person's life, the worst ones are those that occur when a child's brain is still immature. In those situations, a child's hippocampus is seemingly... The Bright Side of Being Shy The people I’ve encountered claiming to have shyness problems usually have it all wrong. Typically there concern is that they are afraid that everybody is talking or thinking about them. Therefore, when they are in a crowd they have the overwhelming concern that they are the center of attraction. This means that every fear and concern that they have about themselves tends to come to mind immediately. This is too much for them to handle. So they suddenly have the desire to crawl into their shell and avoid people – or at least crowds. What I’ve noticed is that these people – who... Attracting your love One of the most natural human instincts is to seek an ideal mate. There are many factors that come into consideration. Many of them involve instinctual biological urges and an innate desire to find someone who meets very distinct criteria regarding height, shape, and symmetry – factors that we often call beauty. Generally, a man is looking for a woman who is able to bear children. And, a woman is normally more attracted to someone who can provide safety and security. Often this means that a woman is seeking a man who displays physical prowess. However, I’ve noticed how intellect and financial...