The 4 components of hypnosis (1 of 4)

 4 Components of Hypnosis - #1

I have listed four (4) components of hypnosis here. This is not to suggest that there are only four (4) components. Others may well describe different factors/components. I have listed these out here purely for the purpose of helping others better understand hypnosis as I teach in in the training courses I conduct. These components are:

1.    Suggestion – beliefs / patterns of behaviour

2.    The subconscious / unconscious

3.    Mind-Body connection
- Body is robotic

4.    Imagination: Visualization (Imagery) & Feeling

 In this entry, I will be covering the first of the four.  The rest will come with subsequent entries to this blog.

1. Suggestion – beliefs / patterns of behaviour

One of the best definitions of hypnosis I have come across is: “The Art and Science of Suggestions.”

It is both an Art and a Science.

“Art” means something intuitive, imprecise, and subjective, a skill cultivated through practice and imagination. “Science” means something researched, measured, and objective."

"Art and Science are really inherently intertwined entities"

(from https://www.yalescientific.org/2013/02/the-art-and-science-of/) 

Hypnosis is all about giving (and receiving) suggestions. From birth to death, we are all faced with this. This is all part of socialization. Most developmental psychologists and sociologists would agree that socialization begins from conception (not birth). From the moment our parents are aware of our existence, the process of socialization already begins. This process of socializations is simply the setting of expectations for and conditioning of the child.

As we grow, we are shaped by our experiences – good and bad – the suggestions, labels, and descriptions given to us about us. A parent/teacher/significant individual may “suggest” to us we are lazy or smart or hardworking or a thief etc. Whatever the label, one may grow to “accept” and integrate what has been described.  You may be familiar with the term “self fulfilling prophecy.” These then go on to form our belief system as well as our patterns of behaviour - our ego identity.

You may also be familiar with the word “placebo.” Not many, however, have come cross the word “nocebo.”  Both these two words are merely forms of suggestions, and they form two sides of a coin.

Placebo
“A placebo is anything that seems to be a "real" medical treatment -- but isn't. It could be a pill, a shot, or some other type of "fake" treatment. What all placebos have in common is that they do not contain an active substance meant to affect health.” (Extract from: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect#1)

 

Nocebo
The nocebo, on the other hand, is just the opposite of the placebo. Sort of an evil twin you might say. While the placebo produces a positive response/result, the nocebo does just the opposite. “It’s what happens when you’re given a sugar pill, are told it's a drug that has terrible side effects, then start to exhibit those symptoms.” (Extract from: https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/is-the-nocebo-effect-hurting-your-health#1)

“Whenever you look at any randomized control trials, it’s surprising how similarly the side-effect profile for the placebo often mirrors the side-effect profile for the active [treatment]... It’s the power of the imagination. If you ask someone to imagine a visual scene in their minds, you can see on an MRI that their occipital lobes -- the parts of their brains involved with vision -- are activated. If you tell people to imagine doing some physical activity, you’ll see the motor cortex showing activation. Just imagining something is happening is enough to activate those portions of the brainassociated with that thought, or worry, or pain.” (John Kelley, Ph.D., deputy director of Harvard Medical School's Program in Placebo Studies & Therapeutic Encounter.)
(https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/is-the-nocebo-effect-hurting-your-health#1 )

While both of these phenomena (the placebo & nocebo effect/response) should be demonstrative of the power of the mind or one’s imagination/expectation – many still view it as scam or fake.  Perhaps the reason (or one of the main reasons) for this is because of how we define the term placebo/nocebo.  Largely led by the medical model/view, the term placebo is described as:

A.      “The mind can even sometimes trick you into believing that a fake treatment has real therapeutic results, a phenomenon that is known as the placebo effect.” (https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-placebo-effect-2795466)

B.      “a placebo -- a fake treatment, an inactive substance like sugar, distilled water, or saline solution” (https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=31481)

C.      “A placebo is a medical treatment or procedure designed to deceive the participant of a clinical experiment.” (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306437.php)

D.     The American Society of Pain Management Nursing define a placebo as "any sham medication or procedure designed to be void of any known therapeutic value" (Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo)

There are many more sites you can search and find similar descriptions and definitions. While I do not suggest that the authors of these articles or individuals involved in the writing and dissemination of these information have “evil intent,” I am suggesting that – even without knowing it – they propagate the idea that placebo = fake. Therefore any response (positive or negative) is necessarily fake. In addition, a sugar pill which may be as effective as the drug it is supposed to replicate and 10 times less expensive is thrown out because it is considered “fake.”