Hypnosis Hypnosis sleep Hypnosis comes from the Greek

Hypnosis

Hypnosis & sleep • “Hypnosis" comes from the Greek word hypnos which means sleep • Is it sleep? • You don’t go through stages of sleep (1, 2, deep sleep, REM) • You experience alpha waves (deeply relaxed state) 2

What is Hypnosis ? Hypnosis is a procedure: • involving cognitive processes (like imagination) • subject is guided by a hypnotist • subject responds to suggestions for changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings, & behaviors 3

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Defining Hypnosis • Psychologists hold a wide variety of opinions on how to define hypnosis and on how hypnosis works 5

Two Components of a Hypnotic Procedure • It is useful to think of a hypnotic procedure as consisting of two phases or components: • Hypnotic Induction • Hypnotic Suggestions 6

What is a Hypnotic Induction ? First phase: Subject is guided through suggestion to relax, concentrate, and/or to focus his or her attention on some particular thing 7

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Hypnosis based on suggestibility Do you feel a need to yawn? Second phase: Suggestibility is when someone coughs, yawns, laughs, or checks a cell phone, and then others do the same once they see someone doing these behaviors 9

Try it out! 10

What is a Hypnotic Suggestion ? • Subject is guided to undergo changes in experience EXAMPLES: • Experience a motor movement • Subject is told he or she will not be able to do some particular thing and then is asked to perform the prohibited behavior • Experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts or feelings. 11

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Discovering Psychology http: //www. learner. org/series/discoveringpsychology/14/e 14 expand. html (Begin 11: 53) 13

Discovering Psychology 14

Common Myths about Hypnosis • People in hypnosis lose control and can be made to say or do whatever the hypnotist wants • People may not be able to come out of hypnosis • Hypnosis only affects weak-willed or gullible people • Hypnosis reliably enhances the accuracy of memory • Hypnosis enables people to re-experience a past life • Hypnosis depends primarily on the skill of the hypnotist • NONE OF THESE ARE TRUE 15

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Based on suggestibility… 20% high hypnotizable…what about you? 17

Creative Imagination Scale The more you focus and “get into it” the better the experience will be! Test 1 Test 2 18

Test 1 In the first test, you were asked to imagine that one, two, and then three dictionaries were being piled on the palm of your hand. Compared to what you would have experienced if three dictionaries were actually on your hand, what you experienced was : 0 1 2 3 4 __________________________ 0% 25% 50% 75% 90+% Not at all A little Between a Much the Almost the same little & much the same exactly the same 19

Test 2 In the second test, you were asked to picture yourself lying under the sun on a beach and becoming very relaxed. Compared to what you would have experienced if you were actually relaxing on a beach, what you experienced was: 0 1 2 3 4 __________________________ 0% 25% 50% 75% 90+% Not at all A little Between a Much the Almost the same little & much the same exactly the same 20

Creative Imagination Scale Wilson & Barber • Scores based on your own analysis of how close the imagined experience came to what would have been felt if it had been real • Intro Psych Students in college: Means 1: 2. 2 (arm heaviness) 2: 2. 7 (relaxing on beach) 21

History of Hypnosis • Anton Mesmer, German physician…heard of “mesmerize? ” Invisible fluids act according to the laws of magnetism “Animal magnetism” Disease was a result of “obstacles” Broken during trance states First a magnet, then his hands alone 22

Therapeutic technique FREUD • Treat somatic symptoms • Hypnotic suggestions used to reverse symptoms to be reversed. (e. g. , : “Your arm is calm again and will no longer spasm. ”) • Gave access to repressed memories • Free association replaces (more reliable) 23

TWO Theories: #1: induce an altered state of consciousness (TRANCE theory) #2: induction is a social cue that prompts the subject to engage in hypnotic behaviors 24

Theory #1: Trance theory • Ernest Hilgard • Under hypnosis, part of the mind enters an altered state of consciousness…consciousness divided • “Hidden Observer” (remains aware ) • Other part of the mind open to hypnotic suggestions 25

Evidence? • The Hidden Observer Experiments: Ice bath 26

Evidence? • Ice bath experiments #1: Hypnotized part: Feels no pain Report pain as ‘ 1’ on scale of 1 - 10 #2: Hidden observer Pushes the button (reports feeling pain)

A Sociocognitive take on Trance theory The hidden observer is created and enacted by the subject in response to the hypnotic instructions given by the experimenter. (Spanos & Burgess, 1994) • Nicolas Spanos 28

Social-Cognitive Theory Normal Consciousness • They are awake (not a special “trance”) SOCIAL: Playing a ROLE…”a good subject” “I want to be a ‘good subject. ’” “I don’t want to embarrass myself. ” COGNITIVE: Subjects interpret behavior during hypnosis as involuntary “Hypnosis ritual” creates expectations in subjects. They behave the way they THINK they are supposed to 29

Evidence? Spanos’ research 2 groups of students were given a lecture as to what to expect during hypnosis • 1: told spontaneous arm rigidity common • 2: were told nothing about arm rigidity During Hypnosis: • 1: showed spontaneous arm rigidity • 2: not one arm became rigid • Conclusion: What you expect, is what you get! 30

Evidence? • Can resist hypnotic suggestions • Just as responsive to suggestions as when wide awake & exercising on an exercise bike as when hypnotized • Can produce all phenomena associated with hypnosis (hallucinations & insensitivity to pain) with no hypnosis

Evidence? Voluntary behavior 32

Use today? • Entertainment • Pain control • Improve sleep…PRIMARY benefit is RELAXATION 33

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Some Clinical Problems Thought to Be Responsive to Hypnosis • Acute and Chronic Pain • Phobias • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder • Eating Disorders • Dissociative Identity Disorder • Obesity • Performance Anxiety 35

Therapeutic uses of hypnosis • Can be effective as a part of treatment for depression & anxiety Controversy: • 1990’s used to find repressed memories of abuse • 1991 Roseann Barr • Innocent people wrongly accused • Now better understood that memory is HIGHLY suggestible…hard to tell what is real or fabrication 36

Hypnotherapy: repressed memory One Case 1969 crime, George Franklin convicted of murdering Susan Nason based on “eyewitness testimony” of daughter Eileen Franklin; sentenced to life (1990) Exonerated 1996

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Memory? Eyewitness testimony: • No effect OR it can distort recall (“false memories”) • May inflate confidence in memory • Not admissible in court

Relaxation: PRIMARY benefit Autogenic Training • Similar to self-hypnosis • Mind has power over the body • Use that power to produce a relaxation response • ACTIVE thinking: • YOU actively REPEAT certain thoughts in your mind

Physical sensations associated with relaxation response: • Heaviness in limbs • Warmth in limbs • Slower heart beat • Slower and deeper rhythm of breathing, AND • Coolness on forehead

Autogenic training • FOCUS on each sensation • Repeat them • IMAGINE them occurring in your body • YOUR BODY makes them real

Let’s get comfy… 43

Self-hypnosis: autogenic training 1. Posture check: sit comfortably or lie down 2. FOCUS on breathing, deep & controlled • INHALE: through nostrils • EXHALE: through mouth • Take 5 deep, slow breaths (4 counts in/10 out) 3. Eyes closed 44

“Waking” Up • Say to yourself: “When I count to three I will wake up, and when I wake up I will feel great. I will feel terrific. I will feel better than I have ever felt before. “ • Then count to yourself…one, two, three • Let’s practice!

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Reflection 1. Was autogenic training effective for you? Explain. 2. Did you like this experience? Explain. 3. Would you try this technique again? Explain. 48