Tim Brunson DCH

Welcome to The International Hypnosis Research Institute Web site. Our intention is to provide quality information to clinicians and the general public concerning hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and other mind/body modalities. We intend to expand our coverage to include such topics as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), energy psychology and medicine, and other related topics. While our intention is to provide quality information derived from valid sources, including peer reviewed literature concerning significant research, this site is not presented as a source of medical or psychological advice. Clinicians wishing to expand their scope of practice or protocols based upon presented information should perform due diligence prior to use. It is our sincere hope to stimulate interest in these topics and to contribute to the evolution of the science of hypnosis. -- Tim Brunson DCH

Critique of claims of improved visual acuity after hypnotic suggestion

Posted At : November 25, 2006 1:47 AM | Posted By : Tim Brunson DCH
Related Categories: Optometry
Psychological approaches to improving vision present an enticing alternative to invasive procedures and corrective lenses; hypnotic suggestion is one such technique. During the past 60 years, multiple studies have documented improvements in the vision of myopic individuals after hypnotic interventions.

Given the increasing interest in behavioral and alternative approaches, we have reviewed the pertinent studies to evaluate their validity. We delineate various shortcomings in these reports, including potential methodological caveats, problems with experimental controls, and controversial data interpretation. Overall, the data do not seem to support hypnosis as a viable option for significant long-term improvement of myopia. However, hypnosis can increase one's subjective feeling of enhanced visual acuity by affecting higher cognitive functions, such as attention, memorization, and perceptual learning, which could influence performance on visual tasks.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, USA. ar2241@columbia.edu

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Print | Send | del.icio.us | Linking Blogs | 319 Views
TrackBacks
There are no trackbacks for this entry.

Trackback URL for this entry:
http://www.hypnosisresearchinstitute.org/trackback.cfm?B9A9EC49-C09F-2A3B-F6D3D09EE201EC34

[Add Trackback]
Comments

There are no comments for this entry.

[Add Comment]
© 2000 - 2008The International Hypnosis Research Institute, All Rights Reserved.

Contact