Essentials of clinical hypnosis: An evidence-based approach.

Lynn, Steven Jay; Kirsch, Irving

doi:10.1037/11365-000

Cited by 102 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 359 publications

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“…In many areas of medicine and psychology it has become apparent that unconscious agendas and decisions, usually based upon past traumas and developmental events, can engender disease and discomfort states, as well as impairing movement in the direction of the restoration of health (Lynn & Kirsch, 2006;Nash & Barnier,2008;Heap, 2012;Brann, Owens & Williamson, 2012). There is no reason therefore, to assume that refractory obesity is exempt from having aetiologies derived from such hidden unconscious barriers.…”

Section: Obesity and Its Current Clinical Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However the increasing number of clinical textbooks and papers attesting to the validity and efficacy of the hypnotherapeutic approach for many physical and emotional disorders is evidence of a "sea change" in attitude which is tending towards giving hypnosis a more respectable and accepted image (Lynn & Kirsch, 2006;Barabasz, Olness & Boland, 2009;Heap, 2012;Brann, Owens and Williamson, 2012). Nevertheless, as Hunt and Ernst (2009) have indicated, there still remains a significant absence of valid scientific evidence offered as to the efficacy of hypnotherapy for weight control.…”

Section: Hypnotherapy -The Universal Solution To Obesity?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unconscious Agendas in the Etiology of Refractory Obesity and the Role of Hypnosis in Their Identification and Resolution:A New Paradigm for Weight-Management Programs or a Paradigm Revisited?

Entwistle¹,

Webb²,

Abayomi³

et al. 2014

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

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Hypnosis has long been recognised as an effective tool for producing behavioural change in the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia. Despite many studies from the latter half of the last century suggesting that hypnosis might also be of value in managing obesity situations, the efficacy of the hypnotherapeutic approach for weight reduction has received surprisingly little formal research attention since 2000.This review presents a brief history of early clinical studies in the use of hypnosis for weight reduction; and describes an hypnotherapeutic approach within which a combination of instructional/pedagogic, and exploratory therapeutic sessions can work together synergistically to maximise the potential for sustained weight loss. Hypnotic modulation of appetite and satiation associated peptides and hormones levels may yield additional physiological benefits in type-1 and type-2 diabetes. Between 1959 and over 40 reports were published specifically describing the use of hypnosis for weight reduction (Table 1). The studies varied in size from >100 participants (Goldstein, 1981;, through smaller trials of 20-75 patients, down to those quoting individual case studies (Hanning, 1975;Munro, 1989, ;. Amongst the earliest descriptions of use of hypnosis in a medical situation to treat obesity was Brodie (1964) who (rather contentiously) would tell his obese patients that they had the equivalent of a "fat cancer" that had been growing inside them for years and which needed removal by their learning to eat properly, through the use of his hypnotic therapy. He claimed great success with this personalised approach to treating over 525 patients, but as was the case with many of the early studies, Brodie did not employ any control group nor did he publish any numerical data to substantiate this claim, which limits severely any assessment of the true efficacy of his non-conformist approach. 2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS FOR OBESITYMost of the authors listed in table 1 employed a sociocognitive or authoritarian approach, utilising varying combinations of suggestion, imagery, anxiety reduction, aversion, covert sensitisation and self-directed programming to facilitate changes in eating habits, usually with apparent benefit in reducing weight in their subjects. However a more analytical or exploratory approach was taken by , , Munro (1989) and , with evident success also. Induction approaches were predominantly progressive relaxation or eye gaze fixation, either in groups or individually, with devices such as hand levitation being used to enhance the depth of hypnosis and hence increase the benefits of the hypnosis sessions (Goldstein, 1981). Some studies additionally taught participants self-hypnosis and/or provided hypnosis tapes for home use.It is difficult to accurately evaluate the claims made by many of these reports as only 17 out of the 43 studies listed incorporated a control cohort, and in only 9 studies were patients followed-up after their hypnosis-induced weight loss to monitor for weight regain, ...

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Section: Obesity and Its Current Clinical Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hypnotherapy -The Universal Solution To Obesity?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Unconscious Agendas in the Etiology of Refractory Obesity and the Role of Hypnosis in Their Identification and Resolution:A New Paradigm for Weight-Management Programs or a Paradigm Revisited?

Entwistle¹,

Webb²,

Abayomi³

et al. 2014

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

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“…For example, Alladin (2006aAlladin ( , 2007Alladin ( , 2008, Chapman (2006), Golden, Dowd, and Friedberg (1987), Lynn and Kirsch, (2006), Tosi and Baisden (1984), and Zarren and Eimer (2001) integrated CBT with hypnosis in treating depression. There is some empirical evidence for combining hypnosis with CBT.…”

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confidence: 99%

Evidence-Based Hypnotherapy for Depression

Alladin

2010

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

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“…That said, it would be worthwhile to test Barrios's concentration spiral technique induction and others, which are quite ingenious, and take advantage of naturally occurring phenomena without dramatic environmental manipulations, and evaluate his methods for using self-hypnosis and posthypnotic suggestions. However, research to date has consistently failed to demonstrate the superiority of one induction method over another (Lynn, Neufeld and Mare, 1993;Lynn and Kirsch, 2006). This state of affairs should come as good news to clinicians: inductions that require special training or equipment, or that are complex and esoteric in nature are not necessary to produce clinically signifi cant outcomes (Lynn and Kirsch, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, research to date has consistently failed to demonstrate the superiority of one induction method over another (Lynn, Neufeld and Mare, 1993;Lynn and Kirsch, 2006). This state of affairs should come as good news to clinicians: inductions that require special training or equipment, or that are complex and esoteric in nature are not necessary to produce clinically signifi cant outcomes (Lynn and Kirsch, 2006). It is also true -and Barrios seems to concur -that hypnotic suggestibility can be meaningfully increased by procedures that increase people's motivation to respond to suggestion, demystify hypnosis, encourage imagination and correct interpretation of suggestions, and foster an active, rather than a passive response set to suggestions (see Gfeller and Gorassini, in press).…”

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confidence: 99%

The sociocognitive and conditioning and inhibition theories of hypnosis

Lynn

O'Hagen

2009

Contemporary Hypnosis

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has contributed a useful theory of hypnosis (Barrios, 2001), as well as a more recent commentary ) that compares and contrasts the 'sociocognitive, dissociation/neo-dissociation, and response expectancy perspectives' with his theory of hypnosis based on principles of conditioning and inhibition. All too rarely do theorists provide an analysis of their approach vis-à-vis competing accounts, so we applaud Barrios's efforts in this regard. Our commentary will focus on his recent discussion of the sociocognitive theory of hypnosis, rather than on his observations regarding biofeedback, placebos, faith healing and other phenomena presented in a second commentary on his theory (Barrios, 2007b).Sociocognitive theories reject the traditional view that hypnotic experiences require the presence of an altered state of consciousness. Rather, the same social and cognitive variables that determine mundane complex social behaviours are said to determine hypnotic responses and experiences. Still, sociocognitive theories of hypnosis are not monolithic, as Barrios's commentary might be taken to imply: they are differently nuanced and variously emphasize participants': (a) enactment of the social role of a hypnotized person (William Coe, Theodore Sarbin); (b) attitudes and beliefs about hypnosis, fantasy involvements and motivated engagement with imaginative suggestions (T.X. Barber); (c) cognitive strategies, goal-directed activities and interpretation of suggestions (John Chaves, Nicholas Spanos, Graham Wagstaff); and (d) expectancies, response sets and automatic responses in everyday actions (Irving Kirsch, Steven Jay Lynn).Barrios distinguishes sociocognitive theory from the response set theory and the response expectancy theory of hypnosis. However, the latter perspectives sit fi rmly in the camp of sociocognitive theory (Lynn, Kirsch and Hallquist, 2008). Moreover, response set theory -which emphasizes the automaticity of responses -and response expectancy theory, are related yet distinct perspectives. Kirsch and Lynn, 1997, 1999;Lynn, 1997) developed response set theory collaboratively as an extension of Kirsch's (1991) response expectancy theory and Lynn's (Lynn and Rhue, 1991) integrative model. Given that Barrios explicitly acknowledges the important role of expectancies and beliefs about hypnosis, as well as motivation and imagination, his theory falls under the broad umbrella of sociocognitive approaches, despite the fact that Barrios argues that in some circumstances, it is possible to speak of an hypnotic state.Barrios notes that both his perspective and sociocognitive theory 'discuss the importance of the part played by individual differences' in responding to suggestions. However, a primary task of any theory of hypnosis is to account for individual differences in suggestibility. Barrios contends that the age of the subject and the prestige of the hypnotist in the eyes of the subject contribute to individual differences, yet are variables neglected in sociocognitive theories. It is true that participants' age has n...

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Essentials of clinical hypnosis: An evidence-based approach.

Cited by 102 publications

References 359 publications

Unconscious Agendas in the Etiology of Refractory Obesity and the Role of Hypnosis in Their Identification and Resolution:A New Paradigm for Weight-Management Programs or a Paradigm Revisited?

Unconscious Agendas in the Etiology of Refractory Obesity and the Role of Hypnosis in Their Identification and Resolution:A New Paradigm for Weight-Management Programs or a Paradigm Revisited?

Evidence-Based Hypnotherapy for Depression

The sociocognitive and conditioning and inhibition theories of hypnosis

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