Hypnosis

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="127015b3.jpg"> <div> <B>Hypnosis</B><B>  |  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://help4self.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://help4self.net"><B>Home</B></A></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=155 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id109.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anxiety Disorder">Anxiety Disorder</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Best Prescription for Depression ">Best Prescription for Depression    </A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Communication that Helps">Communication that Helps</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Depression Flu">Depression Flu</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Depression Talk Therapy">Depression & Talk Therapy</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Get Real and Your Relationship Will Too">Get Real and Your Relationship Will Too</A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800000000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Hypnosis</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Insomnia">Insomnia</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Irrational Ideas">Irrational Ideas</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Is Prozac Magic?">Is Prozac Magic?</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Managed Costs and Mangled Care">Managed Costs and Mangled Care</A></div> <div> <A HREF="ocd_in_a_poem.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OCD in a Poem">OCD in a Poem</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleepy?">Sleepy?</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staying In Love">Staying In Love</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stay Married for the Kids?">Stay Married for the Kids?</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Suicide: Unanswered Questions">Suicide: Unanswered Questions</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> HYPNOSIS CAN LEAD TO FALSE MEMORIES</div> <bR> <div> There has long been great deal of mystery about using hypnosis.  There are sometimes outrageous claims made about the benefits of hypnosis as well as times of dramatic public presentations about making people do things while their under hypnotic trance.  Yet, there are also claims made about the clinical uses of hypnosis.  I would like to offer some information about hypnosis that you may not have heard.  I hope this brings some insight into the discussion as well as alerts individuals about unwise uses of hypnosis.</div> <bR> <div> Clinicians who use hypnosis for promoting the recollection of memories often do so because of their belief that the technique enhances memory recall.  They often believe this is especially true of traumatic events.  Many may even worn patients of the risk of lost memories in the belief that such a warning will prevent lost memories from forming.  However a recent comprehensive review of clinical literature raises serious questions about the use of hypnosis even when such warnings are given.  Here are some of the findings from that review:</div> <bR> <div> 1.  Studies of hypnosis have found that the technique does not recall accurate memories any better than other common methods such as simply asking people to try their best to remember.  However, hypnosis can produce many or more false memories than other techniques.</div> <bR> <div> 2.  Hypnosis is not particularly any more useful in uncovering traumatic memories.  Some studies have specifically tested how people recall emotional and arousing events and found that hypnosis does not improve peoples recall of such traumatic events.  Therefore when dealing with past traumatic incidents it is not necessary to use hypnosis as a way of addressing the past promise.</div> <bR> <div> 3.  Even warning clients about the risk of developing false memories during hypnosis will not eliminate false memories from developing.  In a recent study twenty eight percent of the study participants were induced to form a false memory even though they had been warned about the risk of forming false memories.  Nearly forty four percent of the study participants who were not warned about false memories developed such false memories during the study procedure.  The researcher from the study suggested that "the answer to the question of whether hypnosis should be used to recover historically accurate in psychotherapy is "no"."  </div> <bR> <div> For individuals who are entering into psychotherapy, they have to place a degree of trust in the therapist with whom they are working.  It is also natural and healthy to also maintain an awareness of one's own feelings of comfort and/or discomfort.  If a therapist suggests using hypnosis, the client always has the choice to decline, especially since other methods are effective.  However, if a client is dealing with issues of past abuse or the possibility of past abuse, hypnosis can actually be detrimental.  Research has established that hypnosis can lead to the formation of false memories.  A memory, even when false, can cause substantial personal distress.  A false memory can also lead to allegations against other people that are without merit but cause substantial distress to others.  A good rule of thumb for individuals dealing with issues of abuse, do not participate in hypnosis.     </div> </td> </tr></table></body>