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Gil Boyne on Hypnotherapy Regulation
Mesmer minus magic: hypnosis and modern medicine
The implications and effects of the French commission that passed judgment on Mesmer's work is examined in light of the pioneering role of hypnosis as the first Western conception of a psychotherapy, the ancient philosophical debate between idealism and empiricism, and the conflict in modern medicine between biotechnological emphasis on cure and the need for care as many previously terminal illnesses are converted to chronic diseases. The panel's report is interpreted as negative about the literal theory of animal magnetism but actually supportive of the potential therapeutic power of suggestion and "positive thinking." This aspect of hypnosis is described as a forerunner of modern cognitive therapies of depression and other illnesses. The panel exerted a constructive effect in applying scientific method and rigorous evaluation to hypnotic treatment, an application of Enlightenment philosophy that presaged the Flexner era in modern medicine. Both hypnosis and medicine ultimately benefited.
Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5718, USA. dspiegel@leland.stanford.edu
Let's face it. Everyone has to deal with stress. However, how do we know that our stress level is so excessive that it affects our health and a bad sort of way? I am focusing here of what is known as negative stress. Generally, this occurs when a person's ability to handle a situation is exceeded by the perceived difficulty. For many people this motivates them to look within and find resources, which may be used to increase their level of performance and confidence. For others, stressful situations may cause them to automatically cower, become defensive, and do their best to hide and avoid....
There are those among us who we admire for their ability to perform a particular skill with a high level of expertise. We wish that we could likewise train our mind and body to achieve in such a way. However, we feel that somehow they are special. Perhaps it is because they started young in life. Or, it could be because they had the opportunity to spend thousands of hours perfecting their abilities. This too often leads to feelings of hopelessness as you quickly begin to feel that such performance will always be beyond your grasp.
Like many other phobias, a fear of heights can be overcome. I know this personally, because it is a phobia that I suffered most of my adult life. Although I did not realize it until I was in my early 40s, it started when I was only four years old. It was then that I observed by older sister fall off a cliff behind our house in France. My father, with the time was a young airman, and several of his friends were able to rescue her. However, during my teen years I began discovering that I had a very significant hesitancy whenever I was asked to do anything involving heights. During my early...
