Affirmation And Hypnosis - Two Delusions In The Treatment Of "psychosomatics"

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

In order not to waste your time on long prefaces, I will say right away that this note is about:

- how our brain works;

- why repeating affirmations is considered ineffective;

- why it is not so easy to treat someone with "hypnosis";

- if not hypnosis and affirmations, then what?

How our brain works

Thanks to the development of medicine and the ability to conduct hardware studies of the brain, we have known for more than a hundred years that the human brain constantly generates electromagnetic pulses. By frequency of activity, they are divided into the most common alpha (sigma, mu, kappa, tau - the frequency is the same, but in other areas of the brain), beta (gamma and lambda are "concentration" waves), theta and delta rhythms that periodically replace each other. The state in which our body and our own thinking are located largely depends on which rhythms dominate in a particular period of time. The appearance of certain waves in the norm indicates the presence of certain processes, namely:

Beta waves (frequency from 14 to 30 Hz) generated by the brain when a person is in a state of wakefulness, logical thinking, concentration, etc. At this time, we communicate and show all kinds of activity.

Alpha waves (frequency from 7 to 14 Hz) generated by the brain when a person is in a state of relaxation, daydreaming, etc. At this time, doing housework or in transport, we catch ourselves on the fact that we "fell out somewhere", did not notice what was happening, as if we were thinking about something. We learn the same state when falling asleep thinking about business and suddenly starting to see "pictures" or waking up we seem to be still asleep, but already in a dream we realize that we are waking up. When we are inspired by creativity, when we meditate, we are in a state of alpha wave activity. Also Alpha rhythm is predominant in young children.

Theta waves (frequency 4 to 7 Hz) are considered a manifestation of the work of the subconscious. Theta waves become most active during sleep, when we see pictures, deep trance and hypnosis itself. In this state, pain sensitivity decreases, and this state is also characteristic of drug intoxication. At this time, the brain is synthesizing information and transforming it into what we will later call fresh solutions and ideas).

Delta waves (frequency below 4 Hz) - deep sleep phase. During this time, our brain works exclusively to support the work of vital organs. We do not see dreams and it seems that our brain is completely resting. Although there are studies that at this time our brain works as a receiver and transmitter, in contact with something from the outside. However, with what and how it is not known, and the existing assumptions so far can neither be proved nor refuted.

You probably noted for yourself that these states are not isolated from each other, but on the contrary are closely related and smoothly transition into each other. Translating information to the level of altered states of consciousness looks like this:

Beta level (15 - 29 Hz) - the level of included consciousness, control, concentration, etc.

Beta-Alpha level (14 Hz) - the level of information transition from logical to figurative and vice versa. The state of insight, intuition, and any other states in which the subconscious goes to the level of the conscious. Every day, regardless of the desire of a person, this "path" repeatedly and uncontrollably opens.

Alpha level (6-13 Hz) - the level of non-directive trance. Non-directive (without instructions from the outside) means that being in a state of altered consciousness, a person is fully aware of everything that is happening around. He controls the level of immersion himself, gives himself the settings, works out the solution to certain problems, etc. This level is often referred to as dynamic meditation, auto-training, or controlled relaxation because a person can dive in and out of this state on their own, without outside help.

Alpha-Theta (7 Hz) - the level of directive trance. Directive trance means that in order to work out a question, a person needs deeper levels of subconsciousness, however, in order not to fall asleep and not lose control over the issue being worked out, and in order to get the desired result, the patient needs a “guide”. The guide is a person whom the patient trusts, who is interested in a positive result, and who is trained in the principles of working with altered states of consciousness - a psychotherapist. An example of a directive trance is the so-called. Ericksonian Hypnosis.

Theta (5-6 Hz) - the level of hypnosis. In this state, there is no control of consciousness. A person who was introduced into a "hypnotic sleep" does not control his behavior and is open to all kinds of hypnotic suggestions and attitudes. However, since getting to pure Theta level is not so easy, there is always the possibility that a person will not be hypnotized enough and will be able to sabotage "unwanted" attitudes, or, on the contrary, may simply fall asleep.

"Theta-Delta" (4 Hz) - the level of deep sleep, in which working with the subconscious with the methods available to us is impossible.

Why repeating affirmations is considered ineffective

In essence, affirmation (mood, etc.) is a repetition (confirmation) of a certain positive or corrective psychological attitude. "Arbitrary self-hypnosis according to Coue" can be considered a similar method of affirmations.

In the "treatment" of psychosomatic diseases, it is assumed that the repeated repetition of certain attitudes, opposite to those that led to the development of the disease, helps to level the latter. For example:

Disease: Angina

Possible Cause: Restraining from harsh words, inability to express oneself.

Affirmation for Correction: I drop all limitations and find the freedom to be myself.

However, there are 2 nuances that prevent affirmations from working this way.

1. Real "Psychological reasons" difficult to install and often these are not at all the reasons that we are used to seeing in the tables of the so-called "popular psychosomatics". Accordingly, an erroneous "psychological diagnosis" = an erroneous corrective attitude = the problem is not solved in the right way.

2. Even if this is just a positive formulation "for all occasions" (and even more so if a correctional attitude), then repeated repetition is calculated precisely for the fact that at some point, when a spontaneous transition from Beta to Alpha level occurs, the declared information has a chance to penetrate the subconscious. At the same time, the destructive attitude is not worked out in any way and, in fact, when exactly the change of wave oscillations will occur, nobody knows … This way you can repeat affirmations for a long time, without getting any result - in vain.

Why is it not so easy to treat someone with "hypnosis"

It would seem, yes, what could be simpler, he hypnotized a person and no drug addicts and alcoholics, no panic attacks, obsessions and compulsions, to say nothing of psychosomatosis proper. And at the same time, as it turned out over time, hypnosis was given too much importance, and the results were attributed to, among other things, thanks to the techniques of directive and non-directive trance. When it became possible to study such conditions better, it turned out that often:

- the effect of post-hypnotic suggestion does not persist for a long time;

- often, after the effect of suggestion disappears, patients develop new, additional symptoms;

- it also happened that the effect was partially manifested, and in most cases it was not observed at all.

In part, the ineffectiveness of hypnosis was due precisely to the fact that it is not so easy for the "hypnotist" to introduce and hold a person in the Theta state. Encephalographs and other devices came to the rescue, which helped to track and carry out the deepening process itself, but the situation did not change significantly.

Then the analysis and case studies showed that despite the prevalence of opinion about the miraculous effect of hypnosis, no technique is able to force a person to do what is contrary to his basic attitudes and values … When a hypnotist sets an attitude in roundabout ways, it works until the brain recognizes all the interconnections and then it not only ceases to obey this attitude, but also turns on additional defense mechanisms, which manifests itself in new symptoms.

Thus, if the patient really does not want to get rid of addictions, no amount of hypnosis will force him to do so. The same can be said about psychosomatic diseases of the skin, eyes, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, etc. Which once again confirms the theory of "secondary benefits" associated with them. Until, until the client-patient understands what psychological need is behind the symptoms of the disease, and finds a way to satisfy it other than through the body, no hypnotic attitude will have the expected result.

If not hypnosis and affirmations, then what

Thus, we can replace the state of hypnosis with the method of directive trance, and the state of affirmations (self-hypnosis) with the method of non-directive trance. And in order for them to really work, we need to take on a few introductory arms:

1. The so-called "psychological component" of this or that psychosomatic disease can and should be recognized not through self-diagnosis according to the table, but through the study and analysis by a psychologist-psychotherapist of the personal history of each individual client-patient. Only in this way, you can find out the real destructive attitude, with which it makes sense to work.

2. When working with psychosomatic symptoms, it is first of all important to identify its secondary benefit, or the so-called. communicative function (what he wants to say). Without clarifying this, there is no way to replace the destructive attitude with more acceptable constructive options for reactions and behavior.

3. Having identified the most likely individual psychological cause accompanying or provoking the disorder, it is necessary:

- to weigh what specific methods and tools need to be used (whether work with altered states of consciousness is necessary at all or not, in a directive form or not, remember that a number of patients are prohibited from working with altered states of consciousness);

- draw up a plan of trance suggestion and a behavior correction plan to achieve the intended result;

- develop attitudes that can level the identified individual psychological cause;

- determine together with the client what changes in life need to be initiated and what skills need to be acquired in order to express their needs in a different way, not through the body.

Proceeding from the position that psychosomatic disorders, as complex disorders, are solved by an integrated method, including medication, and not just by replacing the attitude.

4. Use effective methods of working with altered states of consciousness.

In the case of directive trance, these are techniques of deep immersion similar to the method of Ericksonian hypnosis, the method of H. Silva, NLP and classical medical hypnosis itself, with preliminary diagnostic and analytical study of the case (see above)

In the case of non-directive trance, instead of “random affirmations”, it is necessary to teach the client-patient techniques of auto-training or controlled relaxation, so that they can independently enter themselves into the “Alpha state” and work through each specific situation. (In non-directive trance techniques, a psychologist or psychotherapist teaches the client-patient the very procedure for entering the state, drawing up a "plan" of work and competently exiting the state). For work with the body, the following can be useful: Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation, Schultz's autogenic training, etc. For work with installations, the method of H. Silva and specially developed by a psychologist-psychotherapist, according to the identified problem, an auto-training plan, dynamic meditations and similar techniques, etc.

Of course, I cannot list all the directions and methods of directive and non-directive trance. It is likely that I have never even heard of some of them) However, in any case, it is important to understand that specialists who help to learn controlled relaxation or specialists who use the directive trance method must have appropriate specialized training. The work that has a direct impact on the subconscious has too many nuances to be carried out simply "out of interest."