By Valerie Nienberg
Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing
Picture a lemon. You're salivating, aren't you?
The physical reaction to a mental image proves a connection between mind and body, says Dr. Harry Stein, a licensed clinical hypnotherapist.
This link is the theory behind hypnotherapy, a form of complementary medicine that harnesses the mind's energy to make positive changes within the body.
"You make the changes, I'm only your guide," Stein told a group of five women during a recent hypnotherapy session at Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Each client, including Carla King, 50, of Stuart, hoped to get a grip on her weight-management issues. She had attended a similar session a number of years ago and was off to a good start, but felt herself slipping and in need of a tune-up.
"The first time, I don't think I was ready for it to work," King said. "It did for a while, but I guess life and issues and things got in the way."
What it is and isn't
The biggest misconception about hypnotherapy is that the client is not in control, Stein told King and the other participants.
"In reality, it's a natural state of mental and physical relaxation in which the person has an increased reaction to suggestion," he said. "You only do what you really want to do or say what you really want to say."
Participants are so aware that it can be a disadvantage in a group setting, because they may be embarrassed to speak out when others are present, he said.
"Have you ever been driving down the road and suddenly you realize that you missed your exit?" he asked. "You wonder, 'Where was I just then?' That's hypnosis."
Stein derided the entertainment hypnotists often seen on TV, but said TV itself is one of the greatest hypnotizers of all time.
For this session, Stein first taught the participants an emotional freedom technique. They tapped various areas of their bodies — their hands, eyebrows, chins, ribs, shoulders — and silently repeated positive phrases.
He likened the practice to "psychological acupuncture," an Eastern practice that uses needles to unlock a person's blocked energy, or "chi."
Stein then led the women through a series of guided images, including a walk down a long hallway and a count from 10 to zero that ended in "deep relaxation."At one point, he asked them to open their eyes and fill out a questionnaire related to their weight-management issues. Each followed silently down the list, answering questions to themselves, some even marking the answers with a pencil.
After they were finished, Stein snapped his fingers. Instantly and simultaneously, their heads rolled forward and their bodies slumped.
From there, Stein repeated things he had said to their conscious minds. "Imagine yourself drinking lots of water, getting exercise," he said. "See yourself eating slowly, enjoying your food. ... See yourself wearing the size clothes you want."
After about 30 minutes, Stein counted to five and the women woke up.
"I could hear you and then for a while I couldn't," one said.
Believing it so
The root of hypnotherapy is finding the source of negative energy and replacing it with something positive, Stein said. "If you have certain beliefs, you will live your life based on those beliefs."
How long it takes to correct those beliefs depends on their severity. "If your favorite teacher called you stupid when you were young, that's a hard thing to let go of," he said.
Stein first noticed the healing power of the mind while practicing plastic surgery. He used relaxation techniques during procedures that used local anesthesia to help patients with discomfort. Today, as a licensed clinical hypnotherapist, he takes the same approach to helping people through chemotherapy treatments or other painful illnesses.
Stein came to Martin Memorial early this year and conducted his first group session in June. He said results so far have been favorable, but skeptics remain.
In fact, the Skeptic's Dictionary devotes an entire Web page to "debunking" hypnosis. "We know that there is a significant correlation between being imaginative and being responsive to hypnosis," it states. "We know that those who are fantasy-prone are also likely to make excellent hypnotic subjects."
Indeed, the therapy isn't a catch-all. People with below-average intelligence may not respond, and those who really don't want to be hypnotized won't be. But whether hypnotherapy is the key to unlocking a subconscious power or nothing but a psychological placebo, it seems to work for those who really want it to.
About a week after her hypnotherapy session, King said her food cravings still existed, but weren't as intense. "My focus on food is not as great as it used to be," she said. "I'm not so consumed about what I'm going to eat."
Hurricane hypnosis
Whether it's to address a specific mental-health problem or just to relax, hypnosis can help hurricane victims with some issues that may surface in the aftermath of recent storms, according to Dr. Henry Stein of Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Relaxation techniques can take you out of your uprooted life and into a serene, safe place, at least for a little while. A more specific session can address problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and fears.
Participants also can learn self-hypnosis and self-relaxation techniques to use whenever they feel the need.
Copyright 2004
Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing
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