Change, Intial Sensitizing Event, and Hypnosis

As a therapist I consider not only the how the memory (or gestalt) was encoded during a Initial Sensitizing Event (ISE), but what effect that the event had and has on the person both physiologically and mentally. If the event is traumatic enough to cause stress, the fight and flight defense mechanism will lead to increased cortisol flow, IL-6 fluctuations, and eventual adrenal fatigue. Mentally/Neurologically, dominant "brain maps" may be created, which perpetuate an overactive anterior cingulate (ACG), result in a continual looping (such as in PSTD) and create further mental dysfunction as the ACG will compete for energy resources (hemoglobin and oxygen, specifically).

To say that we merely need to address the ISE through hypnosis is both an overstatement and an understatement. There is initially a need to quiet the ACG through relaxation and rhythmic breathing (increase serotonin flow). This helps rebalance the brain and reduces dysfunction. The synchronous Alpha created at this point is very beneficial. On the other hand, too many therapists miss the second step. New behaviors/brain maps need to be installed to help "inoculate" both the mind and body from a recurrence. EMDR and EFT are helpful at this point in that through the use of neuronal artifacts they help restructure brain organization (which I call the "brain signature"). Still this is not enough. There is a need to re-map new experiences in the brain to replace the old. Dopamine and ACH flow from the basil ganglia are critical. However, if the patient has been facing chronic stress, such as with PSTD, the flow of these neurotransmitters may have been depleted to the point of fatigue. At this point the therapist can use guided imagery and hypnosis rich in emotive content. (Also, meds and possibly electro-stimulation have proven useful in extreme cases.) I am considering the role of mental games (such as Fast ForWord, which can be found at www.SciLearn.com), kinesiology, arcade video games, etc. (Parts therapy and the trademarked Timeline Therapy also address this situation. However, if find that those protocols are best in the less serious situations.)

In summary, tackling ISE with stress and trauma situations is a much more complex situation that most hypnotherapists, psychologists, and counselors normally think. There are two distinct steps. The first one addresses the dysfunction caused by the ISE by calming the mind and body. The second is a re-programming stage which requires open-focused attention and dopageneric and ACH-related stimulation in order to rebuild new brain maps which will compete with and eventually replace the old.

The next concept that applies here how epigenetics apply. Rossi addressed this his amazing book The Psychobiology of Gene Therapy. In that book he postulates how numinous stimulation, which I mention as part of stage two, also serves the role of reprogramming human nature through mutating genes. This supports my insistence that there must be a second stage to the treatment.

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