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