Hypnosis: Medicine of the Mind

by Michael D. Preston, JD, Ph.D.

A book review by: Tim Brunson DCH

Dr. Preston's intent to present clinicians with a comprehensive, yet concise A through Z manual for hypnosis clinicians is clearly accomplished in his book, Hypnosis: Medicine of the Mind. Indeed, this well thought out book will benefit readers regardless of their level of expertise. He presents the reader with sufficient background to appreciate the foundations of hypnosis in historical practice and delves expertly into an attempt to link modern findings in neurology to the actual practice of hypnotherapy.

One cannot help but to be impressed by the common sense and expertise of the author. This level of authority cannot be achieved without substantial experience, study, and research. It should be obvious that Dr. Preston's level of ability and wisdom makes him an appropriate mentor and trainer for others.

The content of the book is compact, yet extensive. I particularly appreciated his excellent scripts, which were closely related to specific steps in the hypnotherapeutic process. I found his attempt to link his theory and practice of hypnosis to cognitive functions and neural substrates to be a refreshing approach. In particular I appreciated that following his chapter on the brain he referenced Georgetown University professor Richard Restak, Ph.D., on of my personal heroes. Lastly, his chapters on hypnosis with addictions and special treatments were brilliant and should be developed into stand-alone books.

Should this book be re-written, I would like to see him include footnotes, references, and a bibliography. In its present form, it is written as a professional book without all the trappings that would give it substantially more credibility. Unfortunately, it comes across as a testament to one person's authority and well-founded opinion rather than what would be expected of such an endeavor. Further documentation would have also bolstered his chapter on the history of hypnosis. Frankly, in that regard I found too many inconsistencies with other parts of the book, with other publications, and with original source material. And, while I deeply appreciated and welcomed his attempts link hypnosis and cognitive functions and neurology, new research is coming out so fast that I see this as another area that a re-write could take advantage.

In all, this is a fantastic book by a very established and competent practitioner. Hypnosis: Medicine of the Mind is a strong contribution to the field. A serious clinician book will benefit from a study and application of the information and concepts presented in this book.