A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis | Page 7

they
would never voluntarily divulge to anyone. This is the real danger they
see in hypnosis. To protect themselves from it, they attack it. It is much
like the fanatic vice crusader who militantly attacks sin in order to
alleviate his own feelings of guilt stemming from the fact that vice
actually attracts him.
Fear of hypnosis takes different forms, but basically it is the fear of
revealing one's true feelings. An employee, for instance, at a gathering
which included the employer he dislikes, would never volunteer as a
subject for hypnosis if the occasion arose. He would be afraid he would
do or say something which might endanger his position. Hypnosis for
him would be "dangerous" because he would be afraid to take the
chance. The truth is, however, that this individual would be taking no
chance. The hypnotic state is not a confessional period. The subject is
aware at all times of what he is saying. If the subject does not wish to
pursue a line of questioning, he tells the hypnotist. If the hypnotist
persisted further along this line, the subject would shake off the
hypnotic state.
Another misconception about hypnosis is the widely held belief that the
subject is unconscious. This represents a threat to the security of the
individual. Actually, the hypnotic state is a period of extreme
awareness in which the subject is hyperacute. Furthermore, the subject
is not asleep, nor is he in a trance state in the correct meaning of that

term. He is in an altered state of awareness with his faculties and
reasoning ability intact. Inducing hypnosis merely creates a mood or
state in which the powers of suggestibility are heightened.
When the general public and the medical profession become familiar
with the true nature of hypnosis, we shall have a greater acceptance and
utilization of this power. It is a slow process but one which will finally
evolve. In the final analysis, I believe the only danger that exists is in
the mind of the individual who fears hypnosis because of whatever
subjective qualms he has about his own emotional involvement in the
hypnotic process.
Of course, all persons using hypnosis for the alleviation of pain should
consult their family physician. Pain is nature's way of indicating that
something is wrong with the organism. It would be foolish to suggest
that a pain in the stomach will disappear when this may be a sign of a
needed appendix operation. The same may be said of constant migraine
headaches. It must be determined that the headache is not a symptom of
a brain tumor or some other pathological condition. It may be of
interest to know that hypnosis is presently being used to relieve pain in
terminal cancer patients. There is an excellent article on this subject,
and I recommend it to doctors reading this book. It is called "The Use
of Hypnosis in the Case of the Cancer Patient" which appeared in the
January 1954 issue of Cancer.[1]
[1] At the same time, I would highly recommend the booklet, Helping
the Dying Patient and His Family, published by the National
Association of Social Workers, 2 Park Avenue, New York 16, New
York. Price: 75 cents.
There are at present several thousand dentists throughout the country
using hypnosis. They have formed their own society and publish a
quarterly journal, The Journal of the American Society of
Psychosomatic Dentistry. One of the best books in this field is called
Dental Hypnosis Handbook by Jacob Stolzenberg, D.D.S.
An excellent article is "Danger! Hypnotherapist at Work" by M.
Abramson.[2] The author reviews briefly the pros and cons regarding

the medical use of hypnosis. He concludes: "It is the author's opinion,
based on an extensive personal experience of over 15 years, that the use
of hypnotherapy by a physician or dentist who has been properly
trained and who uses this technique strictly within his field of
competence carries with it no more (and probably less) 'danger' than the
use of many other techniques of treatment used in medicine today."
[2] Bull. Hennepin Co. Med. Soc., 1960, 31:101-106
Chapter 3
Is Hypnosis the Answer?
Dr. George Estabrooks, professor of psychology at Colgate University
and author of the book, Hypnotism, made the following two statements
in a paper called "The Future of Hypnosis" given as part of a program
on "The Nature of Hypnosis" at the annual meeting of the American
Psychological Association in 1959:
"It would be well to sound a word of caution against certain attitudes
which have become prevalent and which can be well illustrated in the
field of medicine. In this respect, direct suggestion is under the ban. For
example, a dictum, 'Never remove the symptom unless the cause is
understood,' is much emphasized. Its validity is greatly open to
question, since much of