Dynamics of Hypnotic Analgesia

Pain, Dissociation and Posttraumatic Growth

“…Some cases are reported where under hypnosis, a patient (his "hidden observer") was able to remember on pain and described the course of an operation performed under anesthesia of which he had no conscious memory. In these reported cases the hidden observer described the experience of pain in such a way as would be experienced by somebody else (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Nogrady, McConkey, Laurence, & Perry, 1983;Wolfe & Millet, 1960). This phenomenon was confirmed also by Levinson (1967) and Cheek (1959Cheek ( , 1964aCheek ( ,b, 1966 also in cases when anesthesia was induced pharmacologically.…”

“…Main results at this time show that perceiving pain or other stimuli from an environment may influence information processing in the CNS without awareness however it may be recalled later (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Nogrady, McConkey, Laurence, & Perry, 1983;Wolfe & Millet, 1960;Hilgard, 1986;Bob, 2008). These dissociated states are related to multiple rerepresentations of the interoceptive images of the physiological condition of the material body that include also pain stimuli.…”

“…Investigation of sensing pain in hypnosis shows that information about pain, due to cognitive modulation leading to analgesia or anesthesia, is either not accessible or less accessible to the conscious mind, but may be recalled later. According to some findings it may be present at a subliminal level and a memory of it may be recalled during hypnosis (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Nogrady, McConkey, Laurence, & Perry, 1983;Wolfe & Millet, 1960;Hilgard, 1986). Hilgard (1986) called this subliminal level "the hidden observer".…”

“…In many cases it becomes the center of the treatment for the integration of the personality (Alison, 1974;Putnam, 1989;Saley, 1988;Gabel, 1989;Bob, 2004) and similarly as the hidden observer in hypnosis is able to recover traumatic and painful accidents and has important clinical utility (Watkins & Watkins, 1979-80;Watkins, 1993;Lynn, Maré, Kvaal, Segal, & Sivec, 1994). Although the evidence of the hidden observer is controversial (Lynn, Maré, Kvaal, Segal & Sivec, 1994;Kirsch & Lynn, 1998), these findings influenced the interest about the study of perceiving pain without conscious experiencing of it that was observed also in patients after prefrontal lobectomy (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Melzack & Cassey, 1968). It led to definition of two levels of pain phenomena, first represents informational dimension called "sensory pain" and second concerning the experiencing of it is called "suffering pain" (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Melzack & Cassey, 1968).…”

“…Although the evidence of the hidden observer is controversial (Lynn, Maré, Kvaal, Segal & Sivec, 1994;Kirsch & Lynn, 1998), these findings influenced the interest about the study of perceiving pain without conscious experiencing of it that was observed also in patients after prefrontal lobectomy (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Melzack & Cassey, 1968). It led to definition of two levels of pain phenomena, first represents informational dimension called "sensory pain" and second concerning the experiencing of it is called "suffering pain" (Chertok, Michaux, & Droin, 1977;Melzack & Cassey, 1968). These definitions implicate two levels in the processing of pain stimuli, first that is accessible to subject awareness and the second which is not and exist on the subliminal level.…”