Altered states of consciousness

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Altered states of consciousness

• 2 Hypnosis

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Hypnosis

• This is an example of stage hypnotism
• What is going on here?
• Are the subjects asleep?
• Do they know what they are doing?
• Is this an ASC?

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Hypnosis the history

• Mesmerism Franz Anton Mesmer 1734-1815
• Studied medicine at University of Vienna
• Interested in the influence of the planets on the
  human body

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Animal magnetism

• The language of the times Newtons certain
  subtle spirit' which pervades material bodies and
  is a force for attraction. Newton also writes of
  'electric and elastic spirit'.
• Mesmer termed his effect 'animal gravitation'
  this later became 'animal magnetism'. He believed
  that when the ebb and flow of this magnetic fluid
  within a human was out of harmony with the
  universal rhythm psychosomatic illness could
  result.

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Franzl Oesterlin

• Francisca Oesterlin 20yrs stayed with Mesmers
  during 1770s- acted as critical patient for
  Mesmer like Anna O for Breuer/Freud.
• Symptoms hysterical fever, convulsions,
  vomiting, inflammation of intestines, inability
  to urinate, toothache, earache, despondency,
  hallucinations, trance, fainting, temp.
  blindness, feelings of suffocation, attacks of
  paralysis
• Mesmer observed her attacks and decided it was
  the ebb and flow of universal fluid or animal
  gravitation that was the cause

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The treatment of Osterlin

• Mesmer used magnets to control the flow of the
  fluid with startling results
• It was on July 1774, that my patient having
  suffered another of her attacks, I placed three
  magnets on her, one on the stomach and one on
  each leg. Almost immediately she began to show
  severe symptoms. She felt painful volatile
  currents moving within her body. After a
  confused effort to find a direction, they flowed
  downward to her extremities. Alleviation
  followed and lasted for six hours. A repetition
  of the attack on the following day caused me to
  repeat the experiment with the same success

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Universal fluid

• Mesmer became convinced he could alter the tides
  of the universal fluid and mapped these out on an
  anatomical chart
• Balance of animal magnetism is needed
• Materials other than magnets could be used e.g.
  wood
• Mesmer realised that his touch could act in the
  same way

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Mesmers techniques

• The Baquet a magnetized tub
• Patients would hold the metal bars and animal
  magnetism would be conducted through them
• Objects could store up the universal fluid

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Conclusions about Mesmerism

• Energetic exchange (some kind of subtle energy
  which is involved in illness/health idea
  existent in oriental medicine)
• Placebo (a psycho-social influenceEstimates of
  the placebo effect)
• Altered state of consciousness (hypnosis as a
  true ASC)
• Fraud

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Development of Hypnosis

• Mesmer was subject of royal commission
  investigation-generally discredited
• The trance/sleep aspects were taken on by other
  medics such as James Esdaile, operations
  conducted using hypnosis as anaesthesia
• Hypnosis adopted by depth psychologists following
  Charcot, Freud etc.

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Hypnosis today
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State or no-state

• Arguments over whether simulation of hypnosis can
  produce same phenomena or not as hypnosis
• Orne noted that that there are differences in
  emotions experienced by true hypnotics and
  simulators
• Hilgard argues for a special kind of logic
  displayed in hypnotic state

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Is someone hypnotised?

• Very relaxed state
• Rational/logical faculties suspended (replaced by
  trance logic) oriented towards blurring of
  self/other boundaries
• Physiological changes can happen as a result,
  e.g. blood flow to injuries can be reduced
  (suggests psycho-somatic interplay)

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Hypnosis as ASC

• Phenomena Amnesia, Analgesia, Hyperamnesia
  (recall of forgotten experiences), Feats of
  dexterity and strength, hallucinations, post
  hypnotic effects (response to some cue often some
  time after the suggestion was given).
• Suggests different concept of mind and again high
  interaction with physiological processes

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Is someone hypnotised?

• Reality is to some degree mediated by the
  instructions of the hypnotist (because the usual
  critical faculties are dissociated)
• In very hypnotisable subjects the body acts as if
  the suggestion is true, e.g. burns
• Hypnotic depth is based upon the degree to which
  the subject responds, from partial sensorimotor
  response to full blown sonambulism

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What can hypnosis do?

• Pain reduction stronger than placebo, anxiety
  reducing effect, can still be felt by hidden
  observer, hypnosis stronger than waking
  suggestion, possible brain changes noted in
  relation to hypnosis compared to simulation
• Injury and disease relief Ichthyosis, warts,
  reduced blood flow in injury and surgery,
  suggestions of burns, skin complaints

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What can hypnosis do?

• Changes in bodily structure breast development,
  skin inflammation, skin temperature differences,
  modulation of gastric acid secretion
• Improvements of performance cognition and
  learning, physical performance strength and motor
  skills
• Negative effects most linked with stage
  hypnotists, but some with research studies,
  headache, stiff neck, cognitive distortion or
  confusion

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In general

• Deep absorption leads to exceptional functioning
• Anxiety, pain, and physiological processes can be
  modified
• Creativity processes correlate with hypnotic
  responsiveness
• Hypnotic responsiveness can be cultivated
• Hypnotic virtuosos develop by practice
• Social influence on human capacities

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Hypnosis as anomaly

• Points to a different aspect of mind
  (rational/logical is base measure in our culture)
• Antagonism to reduction of free will and volition
  in our culture, need for control
• Unknown mediators trance, animal magnetism,
  difficulties of measurement
• Points to an embodied mind which psychology
  largely hasnt tackled yet

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Extra reading

• Kirsch, I and Lynn, S. J. (1998)
  Social-Cognitive Alternative to Dissociation
  Theories of Hypnotic Involuntariness. Review of
  General Psychology, 2, 1, 66-80.
• Kirsch, I. and Lynn, S. J. (1998) Dissociation
  Theories of Hypnosis. Psychological Bulletin,
  123, 1, 100-115.