Reliable records say yes. Hypnosis is now recognized as an important tool to treat pain and overcome fears, and can be used to ease the suffering of patients with terminal cancer, reduce fear of dental treatments or face phobias and depression. “The hypnotic state is a mental condition in which the brain exhibits high psychic activity. It is a powerful therapeutic weapon, because the person can disconnect from reality and even see images that do not exist”, says hypnotherapist Odair José Comin, from São Paulo. In hypnotic sessions, the aim is to make the patient relax, either through the classic method of fixing attention on an object or through the words of the hypnotist. When the person is completely relaxed, the hypnotic trance begins, which triggers important brain reactions.
“There is an increase in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which releases well-being stimuli, fighting depression, and noradrenaline, which helps cure diseases by strengthening the immune system,” says psychologist Kátia Maria Takeuti, from São Paulo. Paul. In the deepest trances, it is possible to make very severe pain temporarily disappear. In 1998, this technique was investigated by a group of prestigious American psychiatrists and neurologists. With the use of computed tomography scans, they proved that the human brain can even be deceived by the commands of a hypnotist. Throughout the 20th century, however, hypnosis was seen with skepticism and even with some disbelief, mainly because of the actions of charlatans, who performed in public squares, transforming possible therapy into magic shows. Today, this type of show is banned in many countries.
“Nobody is hypnotized against their will, but the misuse of the technique can be dangerous. Therefore, before treatment, it is important to know if the professional has specialization in the area”, says Odair.
The oldest known compilation of medical texts is the Ebers papyri, produced in Egypt. Among the hundreds of remedies and suggestions for curing all kinds of illnesses, there are records of priests who induced their patients into a hypnotic state to relieve pain.
11th Century – SAVING IMAGINATION
The Arab physician and philosopher Avicenna wrote The Book of Cures, a pioneering treatise on the health of the mind. Avicenna believed that many illnesses could be cured by the patient’s will and persuasion. These concepts are the basis of hypnosis and autosuggestion.
18th Century – MAGNETISM AND MUSIC
Considered the forerunner of scientific hypnosis, the Austrian psychiatrist Franz Mesmer argued that a kind of animal magnetism was capable of curing people. In his treatments, he combined the use of magnetized iron with relaxing music. Mesmer fell into disrepute in 1784 when it was proved that animal magnetism did not exist.
1998 – DECISIVE PROOF
A team led by doctors at Harvard University, in the United States, saw, for the first time, the behavior of a hypnotized brain. In a trance, volunteers looked at a black-and-white picture and said it was in color. The CT scan showed that the area of the brain responsible for color had been activated by the suggestions of a hypnotist.
19th Century – MISTAKEN BAPTISM
Reformulating Mesmer’s theory, the English physician James Braid stated that hypnosis was a kind of sleep state of the nervous system. In fact, it was later discovered that in the hypnotic state there is intense brain activity. But the term “hypnosis” – derived from Hypnos (Greek god of sleep) – was launched by Braid in 1843 and became popular
1910s – BRAIN SELF-DEFENSE
The first specialist to study hypnosis from a neurophysiological point of view was the Russian physician Ivan Pavlov. In his research on conditioned reflexes, Pavlov discovered that hypnosis is a natural response of the central nervous system to protect the brain from some situations in which there is excessive external stimulation.
1920s – HEALING BY THE MIND
Paralyzed by polio and given up by doctors, American psychiatrist Milton Hyland Erickson used mental concentration techniques to regain movement. Regarded as the father of modern hypnosis, he revolutionized treatment sessions by leaving patients free to experience sensations on their own, not just those suggested by the therapist.
multipurpose tool
Read too:
– What is hysteria?
– What is schizophrenia?