Hypnotic phobias and other neuroses

This is an age of specialisation. The average medical practitioner will prefer to refer patients with serious neurotic conditions to a psychiatrist or psychoanalyst. However, many cases, in which the mental or emotional disturbance is mild or not of long standing, will readily respond to hypnotic treatment. Also, many patients in great need of help have neither the time nor money to undergo a psychoanalysis, or even a series of treatments by a psychiatrist—yet they do need help. For many such cases, hypnotism will be the answer.

In every case involving a neurotic trend, it is desirable to study the patient's history for all possible clues as to the basic cause or causes. Most of these causes will date back to childhood impressions buried deep in the subconscious. Usually, the patient himself will be of little help in locating these psychic causes of the neurotic manifestations of which he complains. The psycho analytical procedure is largely based upon the effort to bring up into the conscious these submerged associations and conflicts. When dragged into the field of conscious memory and viewed objectively, they tend to lose their dominance and the neurotic pattern is broken.

Hypnotic phobias and other neuroses

Frequently, these negative, submerged impressions are quickly located while the patient is under hypnosis. Many patients will describe, in complete detail, incidents which they do not consciously remember, but which are deeply embedded in the subconscious and largely responsible for their neurotic condition. It must be remembered that the subconscious never forgets. In my public demonstrations, I have frequently had subjects give me the name of every teacher they had from the bottom form of their school up to the top. Yet on waking they would be unable to recall the name of a single teacher, or at best but one or two. This ability to call up long-forgotten facts is called regression.

A few examples should suffice. The general pattern will be the same, though the specific suggestions will, of course, be adapted to the particular condition you are seeking to relieve. For a patient suffering from claustro¬phobia, you may find that the patient's unreasoning fear of closed places dates back to the time when, as a small child, he was locked in a dark cupboard by his parent as a punishment. Location of this consciously forgotten experience, and bringing it into the conscious, will tend to break the repressed association. Then again place the patient into a hypnotic state and give suggestions something as follows: "Your fear of closed places has now been destroyed—henceforth, you will experience not fear or distress when in closed places—think how nice it is to be in such a comfortable room—you will feel protected, safe and secure under all such conditions, etc."

In helping a patient to overcome the inferiority complex, after locating as many contributing causes as possible, and helping the patient to face these objectively and resolve to rise above their negative influence, put him to sleep and give suggestions something as follows: "You are developing perfect self-confidence— you believe in yourself and your ability to achieve a worth-while place in life—you will be strong, courageous, self-reliant—you will enjoy meeting people and will converse and work with them with a sense of absolute equality."

Hypnotic phobias and other neuroses