by Tim Brunson, PhD

There is a tremendous amount of scientific research within the published literature indicating that remarkable hidden potentials exist within the neuro-physiology of a typical human being. Noteworthy conclusions are easily derived by reviewing projects regarding mental pathologies – such as autism, the savant syndrome (i.e. idiot savant), and stroke recovery – the constant record-breaking athletic performance in competitions like the Olympics, and stories regarding ordinary people performing extraordinary feats under life-threatening stress. It is very obvious to even the most casual observer that there is much more to the human experience than we would like to admit. These potentials lie dormant within each and every human. Yet despite the propensity to resist change, social conditioning, and a tendency toward mediocrity, there is a yearning for greatness (or at least for a unique quality). Meanwhile, individuals and entire social systems insist on suppressing – and even frequently crucifying – those whom they feel deviate from the bland and normal. Nevertheless, in addition to the numerous clues found in mainstream research literature, there is a wealth of evidence of a desire for extra-ordinary human potential and desire for change in the pop culture as well.

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Breast cancer radiotherapy can be an emotionally difficult experience. Despite this, few studies have examined the effectiveness of psychological interventions to reduce negative affect, and none to date have explicitly examined interventions to improve positive affect among breast cancer radiotherapy patients. The present study examined the effectiveness of a multimodal psychotherapeutic approach, combining cognitive-behavioral therapy and hypnosis (CBTH), to reduce negative affect and increase positive affect in 40 women undergoing breast cancer radiotherapy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either CBTH or standard care. Participants completed weekly self-report measures of positive and negative affect. Repeated and univariate analyses of variance revealed that the CBTH approach reduced levels of negative affect [F(1, 38)=13.49; p=.0007, omega(2)=.56], and increased levels of positive affect [F(1, 38)=9.67; p=.0035, omega(2)=.48], during the course of radiotherapy. Additionally, relative to the control group, the CBTH group demonstrated significantly more intense positive affect [F(1, 38)=7.09; p=.0113, d=.71] and significantly less intense negative affect [F(1, 38)=10.30; p=.0027, d=.90] during radiotherapy. The CBTH group also had a significantly higher frequency of days where positive affect was greater than negative affect (85% of days assessed for the CBTH group versus 43% of the Control group) [F(1, 38)=18.16; p=.0001, d=1.16]. Therefore, the CBTH intervention has the potential to improve the affective experience of women undergoing breast cancer radiotherapy.

J Clin Psychol. 2009 Apr;65(4):443-55. Schnur JB, David D, Kangas M, Green S, Bovbjerg DH, Montgomery GH. Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029-6574, USA. julie.schnur@mssm.edu

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a diverse group of health care practices and products that fall outside the realm of traditional Western medical theory and practice and that are used to complement or replace conventional medical therapies. The use of CAM has increased over the past two decades, and surveys have shown that up to 44% of patients with epilepsy are using some form of CAM treatment. This article reviews the CAM modalities of meditation, yoga, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, nutritional and herbal supplements, dietary measures, chiropractic care, acupuncture, Reiki, and homeopathy and what is known about their potential efficacy in patients with epilepsy.

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2009 Jul;9(4):313-8. McElroy-Cox C. Columbia Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Columbia University, Neurologic Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. cam18@columbia.edu

Clinical biofeedback procedures are highly effective ameliorating a variety of symptoms that range from urinary incontinence to hypertension as well as assess a person's somatic awareness by making the invisible visible. The paper reviews the biofeedback process and some psychosomatic applications. Psychosomatic patients often demand more skills than just attaching them to the equipment. Successful treatment includes a) assessing physiology as a diagnostic strategy, b) explaining the illness processes and healing strategies that are congruent with patients' perspective, c) reframing the patients' illness beliefs, and d) psychophysiological training with homework practices to generalize the skills. This process is illustrated through the description of a single session with a patient who experienced severe gastrointestinal distress and insomnia.

Peper, E., Harvey, R., & Takebayashi, N. (2009). Biofeedback an evidence based approach in clinical practice. Japanese Journal of Biofeedback Research, 36(1), 3-10.

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