Full Title: Epistemological implications of near-death experiences and other non-ordinary mental expressions: Moving beyond the concept of altered state of consciousness.

During the last decades an increasing interest has developed in the so-called altered state of consciousness (ASCs); among these, near-death experiences (NDEs) are one of the most intriguing and debated examples. NDEs are deep and universal experiences with a clear phenomenology and incidence, while some of their features challenge the current views of human consciousness (focused on neural circuits and based on the concept of mind as a byproduct of brain circuitry) with relevant epistemological and historical implications. The origin of the ruling mechanist-reductionist paradigm can be traced back to Descartes' radical separation of res cogitans and res extensa and the conflict between the nascent science and the Inquisition; this led to removing the subjective properties of mind from the field of scientific interest, relegating them to philosophy and theology in order to enable the development of modern science. However, the physics of the 20th century has eventually moved beyond the classical paradigm, permitting a profound renewal of scientific interest in the mind. Modern research on NDEs has contributed to reopening the debate surrounding the Cartesian separation, the mind-brain relationship and the nature of consciousness. It is now time to reappraise the relevance, strengths, and weaknesses of the available scientific interpretations of NDEs, their relationship with other ASCs, as well as the very concept of ASC; the latter looks to be ill-founded, suggesting the need for: (a) a revision of the conventional approach to subjective phenomena, including both the third- and first-person perspective; and (b) a deep reflection on the possible links between different non-ordinary mental expression, as regards both their phenomenology and mechanisms from a non-pathological perspective. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Med Hypotheses. 2015 Jul;85(1):85-93. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.04.004. Epub 2015 Apr 11. Facco E(1), Agrillo C(2), Greyson B(3). Author information: (1)Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Italy; Inst. F. Granone - Italian Center of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (CIICS), Turin, Italy. Electronic address: enrico.facco@unipd.it. (2)Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Italy. (3)Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, United States.

by Tim Brunson, PhD

During my initial hypnotherapy training, my instructor strongly emphasized that we should always inform our subjects that they could not be hypnotized against their will. Yet over the next couple of decades this claim was constantly contradicted by a string of knowledgeable authorities. These hypnotists imparted technique after technique that proved capable of changing a person's internal representations, emotional states, and behavior completely without the knowledge or pre-approval of a hypnosis subject. After years of active clinical practice, teaching, and writing I have witnessed the power that the hypnotic operator has over others. Even though such an admission may run counter to the dogma that is regularly espoused by the major international organizations, all one has to do is to witness an unintended arm catalepsy during a clinical session or observe a negative hallucination occurring during a stage hypnotist's performance to fully accept my conclusions.

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by Robert DeMaria DC, DABCO, FASBE, NHD

Are you taken back by the Title? I know, you've heard it before, if you take this proprietary product that comes from the mountains of Asia, Africa or South America you can see improved cholesterol levels in days. All that without changing your diet! Sound to good to be true, well from my nearly thirty years of being a Natural Doctor, it really is too good to be true.

Eudo Erasmus the author and expert in the area of fat metabolism in his book, "Fats That Kill, and Fats That Heal", said "There is no other substance as widely publicized by the medical profession – and no bigger health scandal. Cholesterol can strike terror into the minds of misinformed people. The cholesterol scare is BIG business for doctors, laboratories, and drug companies". I just thought I would start this off with a BANG for all of you that are new to understanding how the body works. People do have heart attacks with normal cholesterol, while they are on drugs that trick the body in having them become low. This is a very serious issue and I thought it was time for you to know the real truth.

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Confabulation-fabricated or distorted memories about oneself-occurs in many disorders, but there is no reliable technique for investigating it in the laboratory. The authors used hypnosis to model clinical confabulation by giving subjects a suggestion for either (a) amnesia for everything that had happened since they started university, (b) amnesia for university plus an instruction to fill in memory gaps, or (c) confusion about the temporal order of university events. They then indexed different types of memory on a confabulation battery. The amnesia suggestion produced the most confabulation, especially for personal semantic information. Notably, subjects confabulated by making temporal confusions. The authors discuss the theoretical implications of this first attempt to model clinical confabulation and the potential utility of such analogues.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015 Jul-Sep;63(3):249-73. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2015.1031037. Cox RE(1), Barnier AJ. Author information: (1)a Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.

Founder and director of the Sound Therapy Center of Los Angeles, Mr. Perry has been in private practice as a sound therapist and vibrational healer since 1992. He has garnered international acclaim by conducting healing sessions, classes, and workshops in England, Italy, Egypt, and Japan, as well as in most major cities across the United States.

Mr. Perry's unique sound healing work has recently been featured on television's nationally broadcast CNN, CBS News, The Roseanne Show, Strange Universe, America's Talking, Alive and Wellness, TBS and Health Watch-CLTV Chicago, as well as numerous radio programs around the country. Mr. Perry has also been producing and hosting "Heart Touch", his own popular, leading edge radio and television show in Los Angeles, now going into its 10th year of broadcast.

In 1993 he published the Correlative Healing Chart for Sound Therapy, which is popularly used by healers and sound practitioners worldwide. Mr. Perry is renowned, as a speaker/lecturer, teacher, consultant, overtone singer and recording artist. He has recorded four full-length, all vocal, vibrational healing music CD's.

Mr. Perry has also just released a comprehensive six hour sound healing instructional program, "The Secrets to Healing with Sound and Toning", which has recently been released for national distribution. . Currently he is working on his long awaited book on sound healing, Voicing Your Soul.

For more information, visit www.wayneperry.com.

Despite the apparently definitive findings of the Christensen (2005) survey of published members of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH), disagreement about which term best describes the capacity to experience hypnosis and theoretical preference has continued. SCEH, although international, represents primarily North Americans. Preferences of international clinicians and researchers were inadequately represented, so the authors surveyed preferences from attendees of the International Congress of the International Society of Hypnosis in 2012 in Bremen, Germany. The term trance, translated as trance capacity or trance ability for this study, was overwhelmingly preferred over the other options. Hypnosis was recognized as an identifiable state by 88.46% of respondents, whereas only 11.54% viewed it as a sociocognitive phenomenon (role-play, expectancy, etc.).

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015 Jul-Sep;63(3):284-93. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2015.1031536. Munson SO(1), Trenkle B, Gallawa R. Author information: (1)a Washington State University , Pullman , USA.

by Tim Brunson, PhD

The credibility of any profession or trade relies on a set of generally accepted standards, which lead to a common understanding as to what the public should expect. Educational institutions that train such people, licensure authorities, academic accreditation bodies, and associations and organization of peers generally function to create an aura of officialdom leading to the unquestioned acceptance of those who endeavor to practice any field.

Even though there tends to be a multitude of self-styled authorities proclaiming their right to pontificate the "litmus test" for a given field, their acceptability tends to reside less with their vociferousness and more with their compliance with the methodology normally expected by credibility-giving entities. Unfortunately, the field of hypnotherapy is currently falling short. Competing schools and organizations are proffering their own view of standards while failing to realize that their efforts have little similarity to those employed by other trades and professions. Based upon extensive review and deliberation, The International Hypnosis Research Institute would like to attempt to rectify this.

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Impaired attention may impede learning of adaptive skills in ADHD. While manipulations that reduce competition between attentional processes, including hypnosis, could boost learning, their feasibility in ADHD is unknown. Because hypnotic phenomena rely on attentional mechanisms, the authors aimed to assess whether stimulants could enhance hypnotizability in ADHD. In the current study, stimulant-naïve patients seeking treatment for ADHD-related symptoms were assessed with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS) at baseline and during methylphenidate treatment. Methylphenidate dose and SHSS increase were negatively correlated with baseline SHSS scores. Upon reaching effective doses, mean SHSS scores increased significantly. All patients who had been poorly hypnotizable at baseline demonstrated moderate-to-high hypnotizability at follow-up. The data support methylphenidate enhancement of hypnotizability in ADHD, thus highlighting novel treatment approaches for this disabling disorder.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015 Jul-Sep;63(3):294-308. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2015.1031547. Lotan A(1), Bonne O, Abramowitz EG. Author information: (1)a Hadassah - Hebrew University Medical Center , Jerusalem , Israel.

Roch Preite is a member in good standing of the National Guild of Hypnotists and a member of the National Federation of Hypnotists. He has submitted an article to be published in the Journal of Hypnotism, and will be a frequent contributor to that publication. He is currently working towards his Board Certification.

He did his Hypnosis Certification training at the New York Awareness Center on 72nd Street in New York City.Because of his personal life experience he is uniquely qualified to work with people who want to lose weight or who have already achieved their goal weight and wish to maintain it.

His easy to talk to, and open manner makes his interaction with his clients always a pleasant experience. His reassuring voice and hypnotic tone when "in session", reach his clients on a deep subconscious level easily and quickly making achieving the deepest hypnotic states attainable for most all subjects.

Roch Preite subscribes to the policies and principals of the National Guild of Hypnotists code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Each client will receive a copy of their "Bill of Rights" as set forth by the Guild.

For more information, visit www.pendulumhypnosis.com.

Deborah Faithrose, Certified Hypnotist, Certified Instructor, Professional Speaker

As a result of building a successful speaking career which began in 1986, Deborah became aware of the power of the subconscious mind.

She began to study "waking hypnosis" as it applies to hypnotic writing, hypnotic speaking, and hypnotic marketing.

As she began to use waking hypnosis on advanced levels, she realized how hypnosis can also help people with life challenges, such as, weight loss, smoking cessation, and self confidence.

She successfully completed hypnosis certification courses at Genesis Hypnosis Center in Arlington, Texas and has been helping clients change their lives in many positive ways. Deborah learned at an early age that sometimes laughter is the best way to handle life's tough challenges. For this reason, she has integrated highly entertaining stage shows into her hypnosis skills and services.

Deborah has continued to strengthen her knowledge of the subconscious mind through advanced seminars and classes with graphology being among her modalities of study both for entertainment and therapy.

Most recently, Deborah was honored with a master level certification in Neuro-Linguistic Psychology by National Federation of NLP.

For more information, visit www.deborahfaithrose.com

Assessment of hypnotizability can provide important information for hypnosis research and practice. The Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) consists of 12 items and was developed to provide a time-efficient measure for use in both clinical and laboratory settings. The EHS has been shown to be a reliable measure with support for convergent validity with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (r = .821, p < .001). The current study examined the factor structure of the EHS, which was administered to 252 adults (51.3% male; 48.7% female). Average time of administration was 25.8 minutes. Four factors selected on the basis of the best theoretical fit accounted for 63.37% of the variance. The results of this study provide an initial factor structure for the EHS.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015 Jul-Sep;63(3):335-45. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2015.1031550. Elkins GR(1), Johnson AK, Johnson AJ, Sliwinski J. Author information: (1)a Baylor University , Waco , Texas , USA.

by Alfred A Barrios, PhD

In my book Understanding Hypnosis: Theory, Scope and Potential (Barrios, 2009), I present an explanation for the cause of schizophrenia that derived from my theory of hypnosis (Barrios, 2001). Based on this explanation, I also present a possible cure for schizophrenia using hypnosis. This article will be a presentation of these very same ideas.

I would like to begin by giving you a brief overview of my theory of hypnosis, focusing especially on how the theory explains hypnotic phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions.

To begin with, I define hypnosis as a state of heightened belief produced by a series of positively-responded-to-suggestions. With each positive response the belief factor is increased (belief in what the hypnotist is suggesting). And I define belief as concentration on a thought to the exclusion of anything that would contradict that thought. Thus, in a state of heightened belief, any stimuli either sensory or cognitive that might contradict the suggestion given by the hypnotist are automatically blocked off. This highly focused state of mind then is capable of amplifying images to the point of becoming hallucinations, and amplifying thoughts to where they can become delusions.

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

Within the arenas of genius, mastery, and brilliance lay the seeds of evil and destruction. Understanding this is vital to the practice of any healing or helping profession. Consider two medical doctors who could easily be considered extremely capable and effective in their chosen endeavors. One was Albert Schweitzer, who won the 1953 Nobel Prize for his "Reverence of Life" philosophy; the other, Josef Mengele, the Nazi SS physician, who was called the "Angel of Death." Despite the good achieved by the former and the despair caused by the latter, it is very easy to recognize that both had a high level of competency. What I wish to explore is whether the achievement of mastery facilitates the simultaneous probability of significant good and bad outcomes and what we can do to influence the results. Hopefully, the recognition of dichotomy will increase the likelihood that transformation will benefit an individual and mankind as a whole.

As a somewhat arm-chair-neurologist, I equate mastery as a physical state in which the requisite areas of the brain are enhanced with thicker neural networks. This increased capability allows violinists to play at the expert level, golfers to improve their handicaps, languages to be mastered quickly, and culinary delights to be produced on a regular basis. On the other hand, when these substrates are enhanced, all of the capabilities related to that substrate become available at an increased level. These capabilities are functional tools. There is no assurance that the end result will always be desirable. The problem is that the increased level of functioning provides the potential for both positive and negative results.

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To examine the role of hypnotic suggestion in identity in past-life regression, 2 experiments were conducted at the request of Korea's major national television companies. A real historical person and a fictional character were selected as past-life identities. After hypnotic induction, a past-life regression suggestion was given. While counting backward to past-life, the suggestion of a specific identity was interspersed 3 times. In 5 of 6 subjects, the same past-life identity that had been suggested was produced, with relatively rich content accompanied by emotional and historical facts identical to the suggested identity. This study found that it was quite simple and easy to manipulate past-life identity. The role of suggestion in the formation of past-life memories during hypnosis is crucial.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015 Jul-Sep;63(3):365-72. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2015.1031557. Pyun YD(1). Author information: (1)a Pyun Neuropsychiatric Clinic , Seoul , South Korea.

Lois Prinz, CH, CI, Certified Hypnotherapist and Certified Instructor of Hypnotism through the National Guild of Hypnotists is considered by thousands of successful clients a catalyst for self-empowerment and personal change. Serving and assisting others through transition and self-empowerment for over two decades, Lois is an Advanced Master NLP (NeuroLinguisticProgramming) Practitioner and brings to her clientele intuitive hypnotic counseling skills mixed with a genuine personal touch. She skillfully utilizes ESM (Emotional Self-Management), and dynamically pairs Clinical Hypnotherapy with NLP and ESM.

Additionally, Lois Prinz is the lead trainer for the state licensed, nationally-approved, National Hypnotherapy Training Center and yearly oversees 650 hours of training and continuing education provided by some of the nation's best hypnotherapy trainers.

Lois is also a certified member of International Medical and Dental Hypnosis Association. She is a Registered Behavioral Therapist with American Association of Behavioral Therapists as well as Dr. Knight's International Registry of Hypnotists. Lois also holds a specialty certification in Complementary Medical Hypnotherapy and in 2002 founded National Hypnotherapy Training Center adjunct to the Center For Hypnosis in Albuquerque NM. She is the creator and vocal talent of over 25 CDs modeling the best of hypnotic protocol and languaging and advertises as a provider with the prestigious Psychology Today.

For more information, visit www.HypnotherapyTrainingCenter.com

BACKGROUND: Although chronic pain is common among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), little is known about the utilization and patients' perception of the effectiveness of pain treatments in MS. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to: (1) identify specific treatments currently used for pain relief by adults with MS; (2) examine patients' perceptions of the effectiveness of each of these treatments; and (3) examine rates of health care utilization, specifically provider and emergency department visits, for pain. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: One hundred twenty-five community-dwelling participants with MS and pain completed a postal survey that measured demographics, MS disease, pain, pain treatments, perceived effectiveness of treatments, and health care utilization. RESULTS: The majority (89.6%) of the sample reported use of a variety of and multiple pain treatments (range = 1-19, median = 9.0, mean = 9.0, SD = 4.2); few were rated as providing pain relief. Non-prescription pain relievers were the most commonly reported treatment. Physical treatment modalities were also common. The treatments that were reported by patients to provide the greatest pain relief, such as hypnosis, nerve blocks, and marijuana, were not those that were the most frequently used. Overall, 75% reported at least one visit to a provider for pain in the past six months; participants made, on average, 9.7 visits for pain during this same time period. Emergency department visits explicitly for pain were reported by 11% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that pain is inadequately treated from the perspective of persons with MS and results in a high level of health care utilization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Author information: (1)Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: ehde@uw.edu. (2)Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA. (3)Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle, Seattle, WA, USA. (4)River Valley Psychological Services, Issaquah, WA, USA. Disabil Health J. 2015 Jul;8(3):452-6. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2015.03.001. Epub 2015 Mar 14. Ehde DM(1), Alschuler KN(2), Osborne TL(3), Hanley MA(4), Jensen MP(2), Kraft GH(2).

by Tim Brunson, PhD

The enemy to learning, health, and other human transformation is an inelastic and fixed sense of ego. Hypnosis is a primary tool designed to promote change through the seeking to dissolve the prison in which many subjects have incased their egos. The sense of self that is indoctrinated into most of humanity is also related to the maintenance of disharmonious states, which can also be termed as pathologies and illnesses.

Any cursory review of human history will disclose a ubiquitous effort to establish a firm, unchanging sense of self. Writers and thinkers such as Joseph Campbell have even implied that mythology and even the "invention" of religion may serve to satisfy this need. While this article will not question the validity of spirituality or cosmological beliefs, I will recognize that there has always been an urge for individuals to "find themselves." Likewise, communities and organizations also display a tendency to rapidly develop a culture and identity – to which they jealously cling.

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A Book Review by Tim Brunson DCH

If you are a clinician serious about offering a weight reduction program and you have only one book in your library, Judith Pearson's The Weight, Hypnotherapy and YOU Weight Reduction Program must be it. This is the comprehensive A-to-Z manual for handling clients who are suffering from our present obesity epidemic. Based upon recent secondary research, Dr. Pearson has compiled the best "how to" guide for clinicians that I've seen for quite some time. This book provides a turn-key guide complete with protocols, scripts, a limited explanation of various NLP techniques, and even provides a CD with client handouts.

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

In the late 18th century the German Idealist philosopher Friedrich von Schiller said that "It is the union of the unconscious and reflection that makes the poetic artist." That one phrase revolutionized how humanity viewed conscious awareness. He introduced the idea that in addition to our conscious awareness that there was another level that was actively working in the background. While he was merely a philosopher – rather than a scientist – his concept of a below-the-awareness consciousness quickly seeped into the lexicon of the rational researcher as an a priori assumption of the existence of an unconscious mind, which is a term often interchangeable with the idea of a subconscious mind. Nevertheless, while few doubt its existence, few have substantially explored its functioning and how it perceives and processes external perception.

One such researcher is Norman F. Dixon, PhD, of the University College, in London. He has conducted extensive research into how our mind passively processes perception. He concluded that our senses allow our mind and body to rapidly accept and adapt to both internal and external entities and events. Accelerated learning advocates, such as Paul R. Scheele, MA, of Learning Strategies Corporation in Minnesota, have applied Dixon's work to a variety of self-development programs, many of which tend to claim accomplishments that quickly receive the attention of skeptics. Regardless, the preconscious processing concepts proposed by Dixon and adopted by Scheele are based upon the premise that our neurophysiology is capable of perceiving and processing millions of bits of information each and every second. They claim that respecting this natural human ability allows learning to occur much more rapidly than in occasions when a subject should limit learning to their much slower aggregate conscious awareness, which tends to be retarded or throttled by a miniscule ability to processes information.

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