[LUM#5] The Healing Brain

[LUM Magazine] - Published on April 11, 2017 in Science and Society

Exploring the human brain’s natural abilities to promote healing: that is the promise of medical hypnosis. This rapidly growing approach is finding its place in all healthcare disciplines.

Forget about turbans, pendulums, and other “sleep, I command you” routines. Far removed from these spectacular stunts, hypnosis has now become a therapeutic tool in its own right, widely endorsed by many doctors.“Our practice is the polar opposite of this ‘vaudeville hypnosis’ that conveys a completely false image of hypnosis. It perpetuates the myth of one person’s power over another, which bears no resemblance to reality,” explains Isabelle Nicklès, director of the interuniversity degree program “Clinical and Therapeutic Medical Hypnosis, ” a unique program in France offered at the University of Montpellier.

For the specialist, hypnosis is far from being synonymous with surrendering one’s will to a third party:“The person under hypnosis remains an active participant throughout the session; the practitioner merely guides them.” To go where?“Toward a specific state of consciousness and altered attention—a state that is triggered within the context of a relationship of trust and empathy with another person, in this case the therapist,”explains the specialist. There’s nothing paranormal about it:“This so-called dissociative state is entirely physiological; we’re simply helping the brain enter a natural state for which it is genetically programmed. We’re actually tapping into a brainfunction of which we’re unaware.”

A natural state

For Isabelle Nicklès, hypnosis is simply a unique form of neuro-psycho-physiological communication that makes it easier to access the unconscious resources of the human being. This is because the brain holds untapped potential that can be of great help in the context of a therapeutic process. “The human body possesses largely untapped self-healing abilities that can be stimulated through hypnosis, which thus contributes to the mind’s power over the body, ”explains the specialist. It is a tool that does not replace traditional medicine but has a valuable role to play as a complementary approach across all medical fields.“It should be viewed as an enhancer and accelerator of treatment,”the doctor summarizes.

Since the program was established in 2008, a large number of healthcare professionals have been trained in medical hypnosis—including doctors, midwives, anesthesiologists, dentists, and clinical psychologists—and an ever-growing number of practitioners are taking an interest in this approach. Hypnosis has, in particular, found its place in the operating room—for example, at the Montpellier Cancer Institute, where patients scheduled for certain surgeries can benefit from hypnosis sessions.“In practice, either the patient receives a relaxation hypnosis session just before conventional general anesthesia, or the practitioner uses a technique known as hypno-sedation as an alternative to general anesthesia: the practitioner sits next to the patient and talks to them throughout the procedure to create what is called an ‘augmented virtual reality system.’ “This method significantly reduces emotional stress, which is actually the most important factor in the perception of pain,” explains the specialist. If the surgery allows it and thanks to this “hypno-sedation,” patients no longer need to undergo general anesthesia: they receive only a local or regional anesthetic on the area to be operated on, accompanied by a mild intravenous sedative.

Processing Accelerator

Hypnosis-based support in the operating room has, in fact, proven effective: studies show that it reduces medication-related side effects and also leads to shorter hospital stays and a faster return to work for patients. “If it were used systematically, hypnosis could lead to savings of up to 50% on healthcare costs. It is, in fact, officially recognized by the social security system for pain management, though it is not currently reimbursed. It is also recognized bythe French Academy of Medicine, which considers it a ‘non-pharmacological medical technique,’”emphasizes Isabelle Nicklès. Many midwives now offer expectant mothers the option of using hypnosis during childbirth preparation and to facilitate the birth of their baby.

But using hypnosis to manage pain is just the tip of the iceberg. “Unfortunately, hypnosis remains underutilized in the field of mental health. Yet it is highly effective in treating most anxiety and depressive disorders: phobias, addictions, and depression. “Provided it is used by a healthcare professional qualified to treat these conditions!” warns the specialist, who is concerned about the potential risks of the illegal practice of medicine.

Keywords: LUM#5, LUM Magazine, Medicine, Research, Health