Hypnosis and the Remediation of Pain An Ancient Tool for Modern Medicine.

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Hypnosis, Hypnotism, Pain, Brain, Guided Imagery, Nerves, Hypnobus, Mediation, Analgesia, Hyperalgesia, Alodynia, Chronic, Acute, Mesmer, Franz A., Erickson, Milton, Ronning, Geofrey, Omni Hypnosis, Homeopathic, Trance, Biofeedback, Pretalk, Medicine

Area of Concentration

General Studies

Abstract

The study of pain has intrigued mankind for as long as there has been intelligent curiosity. Pain is a primal, learned, social condition with little continuity between different individual�s perceptions, tolerances or responses. Pain signals are physiologically analogous to long-term memory configurations in that they are formed by NMDA and glutamate using very equivalent neural patterns. Mankind has sought to moderate discomfort via pharmaceuticals. The introduction of drugs into the system is an attempt to balance (or unbalance) those compounds the body requires to maintain the status quo. Before fancy drugs and herbal concoctions, there were only the powers of authority, faith, and one�s own mind. Through the practiced use of guided imagery, more commonly known as hypnotism, it is demonstratively possible to restore harmony and relieve (or completely remove) discomfort in the body. Hypnotism is no longer demoted to circus side-shows and has returned as a tool in the modern medical practitioner�s repertoire. Hypnosis has grandly recovered from past ridicule and social snobbery and has �gone mainstream� to become an acceptable and respected method of successfully treating a myriad of physical and mental ailments and conditions.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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