| The Stoic Lucius Seneca once wrote: "It is | | | | Paul Ekman, Professor Emeritus at the |
| part of the cure to want to be cured." | | | | University of California at San Francisco, is |
| | | | a pioneer in the study of emotions and facial |
| This simple observation reflects our current | | | | expressions. His research on more than 200 |
| understanding of the relationship between | | | | kinds of smiles demonstrated that you could |
| mind and body. There is a close correlation | | | | actually alter your emotional state and |
| between physical actions and mental states. | | | | immune system by smiling or frowning. When |
| Certain actions can impact our mental | | | | Ekman's research subjects were trained to |
| attitudes and our mental attitudes influence | | | | control their facial muscles and voluntarily |
| our physical being because the mind and body | | | | form smiles, their physiological processes |
| constantly talk to one another. The brain | | | | altered immediately and their hormones |
| sends all that it thinks and perceives to the | | | | changed drastically. |
| rest of the body. | | | | |
| | | | So when you smile, you alter your blood |
| An extreme example of this interconnection | | | | chemistry. The natural opiates in your system |
| can be seen in the effects of voodoo. In the | | | | and your neuropeptides change. These |
| 1940s, Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon | | | | chemicals are located not only in your brain |
| spent several years collecting examples of | | | | but in your stomach and intestines. |
| "voodoo death" -- case histories of men and | | | | |
| women who died as a result of being the | | | | What does this have to do with hypnosis? |
| recipient of a curse, an alleged supernatural | | | | |
| visitation or the breaking of some tribal or | | | | Hypnosis is the most powerful tool we possess |
| cultural taboo. Cannon concluded that humans | | | | for changing thoughts and attitudes. It is a |
| could die from "the fatal power of the | | | | trance state characterized by relaxation, |
| imagination working through unmitigated | | | | extreme suggestibility and |
| terror." Another researcher, Dr. J.C. Barker, | | | | hyper-attentiveness. The subject is fully |
| in Scared to Death -- a collection of case | | | | conscious, but chooses to focus internally |
| histories of individuals who had willed | | | | while ignoring external stimuli. |
| themselves or others to death -- concluded | | | | |
| that voodoo-like death results "purely from | | | | Hypnosis allows one to access the |
| extreme fear and exhaustion...essentially a | | | | subconscious mind directly. In this relaxed, |
| psychosomatic phenomenon." | | | | hyper-attentive state, the subject |
| | | | experiences the hypnotist's suggestions as if |
| How is it possible for thoughts to impact the | | | | they were real. If told that his or her |
| body so drastically? | | | | tongue has swollen to double its normal size, |
| | | | the subject will have difficulty talking. If |
| It is possible because the central nervous | | | | told that his/her hands are glued together, |
| system and the body's immune system are | | | | the subject cannot pull them apart. By the |
| hard-wired together. In 1981 neurobiologist | | | | same token, the subject is receptive to |
| David Felten and a team of researchers at the | | | | suggestions that are designed to change |
| Indiana University School of Medicine found | | | | destructive thought patterns and habits such |
| the first concrete example of the mind/body | | | | as anxiety, depression, stress, smoking and |
| connection -- a bridge between the body's | | | | eating disorders. |
| immune system and the central nervous system | | | | |
| that is under control of the brain. While | | | | A potent example of hypnosis' power to affect |
| tracing nerves to bone marrow, lymph nodes | | | | physiology through the brain connection is |
| and the spleen, Felten's team discovered a | | | | its medical use. Since all pain is |
| network of nerves leading to blood vessels as | | | | transmitted through the brain, the pain |
| well as to cells of the immune system. They | | | | associated with surgery or medical conditions |
| found that nerves in the thymus and spleen | | | | responds well to hypnosis. Hypnosis is an |
| terminated near clusters of lymphocytes and | | | | effective anesthesia for surgeries, dental |
| mast cells, which help control immune | | | | procedures, childbirth and migraines. It also |
| function. In other words, the brain | | | | helps patients to manage nausea and symptoms |
| absolutely communicates with immune-system | | | | from chemotherapy by enhancing control over |
| cells. | | | | their body responses. |
| | | | |
| This establishes a close correlation between | | | | The mind/body connection is the key to why |
| a person's mental state and physical | | | | hypnosis can be used so successfully to |
| reactions. You can generate an emotion simply | | | | manage our physiology. Hypnosis gives us the |
| by going through the appropriate muscle | | | | power to alter our mental attitudes for the |
| movements. For example, if you clench your | | | | better; this in turn positively impacts our |
| fist and scowl, you will begin to feel anger. | | | | physical being. |
| Force yourself to laugh and you will begin to | | | | |
| feel good. The specific muscle action is an | | | | In light of this potent interplay between |
| integral part of the corresponding emotion. | | | | mind and body, we would do well to take |
| You cannot hold your features in the | | | | seriously the old Cole Porter song: |
| expression of one emotion and call up the | | | | "Accentuate the positive; eliminate the |
| feeling of a different emotion at the same | | | | negative; latch on to the affirmative." And |
| time. It is impossible to do. | | | | enjoy happy body chemistry as your reward! |
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