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