A psychotropic placebo can help people resist the misinformation effect, an effect thought to be caused by a shift to more stringent source monitoring. When this shift occurs has been unclear. To address this issue we gave some people - but not others - a phoney cognitive-enhancing drug we called R273. Shortly afterwards, everyone took part in a misinformation effect experiment. To gather evidence about source monitoring we surreptitiously recorded time to read the misleading postevent narrative, and response time at test. Our findings suggest that people shifted to more stringent source monitoring at test. Moreover, people with higher working memory capacity (WMC) performed better than people with lower WMC - but only when they were told they had received R273, a finding that fits with research showing that WMC can confer advantages in situations demanding effortful control, but not when automatic heuristics suffice.

Memory. 2008 May;16(4):410-9. Parker S, Garry M, Engle RW, Harper DN, Clifasefi SL. School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.

Integrative medicine has been defined in several ways. For some it is a discipline that combines such approaches to the resolution of disease as acupuncture and homeopathy, meditation and imagery with more familiar and accepted health practices, such as surgery, pediatrics, and oncology. For others it is about cultivating awareness and sensitivity beyond symptoms to the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient. But, integrative medicine is more than the weaving together of techniques, or understanding the intimate interaction of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human experience. It is about rethinking the task of medicine and the infrastructure of relationships and beliefs that have limited its power to serve all people.

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2008 Aug;22(4):767-73, x. Remen RN. Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal, Box 316, Bolinas, CA 94924, USA. drrachel@commonweal.org

A Hebrew version of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A) was administered to 283 subjects. Results were compared with those obtained for the English original administered in the United States, Canada, and Australia, as well as with versions translated into Swedish, Romanian, Italian, Finnish, Danish, Spanish, and German. Mean scores were similar to the Canadian and Australian, though lower than the others. No differences were found between males and females. Pass rates for individual items were similar or lower than elsewhere. Item reliability was similar to the other non-English versions. The author speculates that the slightly lower scores obtained may be due to the larger group of subjects present in each session. Overall, the Israeli data are congruent with the reference samples.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):384-93. Lichtenberg P. S Herzog Memorial Hospital, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. licht@cc.huji.ac.il

by Jack Elias,

Developing mindfulness and awareness can be like riding a rapids. It is easy to talk about, but actually to do it requires inner strength, stamina. The way to develop inner strength is to take every opportunity to practice it, bit by bit. Opportunities continually present themselves. Constantly practice breaking state and acting independently of the urge of habitual thought and behavior.

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By Prof Tam Llewellyn-Edwards

This article is controversial – and is intended to be so. However, it is not written simply to cause controversy but rather to stimulate thought and to draw practitioners, whatever their preferred therapeutic modality, to re-consider their treatment of patients, and the system they use to apply that treatment. Read it through fully and think about it before condemning it.

The article makes the hypothesis that the method and modality used in treatment is not of great importance, and may not even be relevant. Rather, it is suggested that the success of any particular treatment rests not on the treatment given, but in part (if not entirely) on the intent of the therapist.

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Hypnotist perceptions of participant cues and behaviors were investigated in an in-depth phenomenological study focusing on the influence of participant hypnotizability and hypnotist style. Two hypnotists and 124 participants (63 hypnotizable and 61 nonhypnotizable) took part. Two modifications of the Experiential Analysis Technique (EAT) were employed. One version involved a new modification where both hypnotist and participant took part together in the EAT session. The second version involved the EAT with the hypnotist alone as per an existing modification of the technique. Results extend earlier work pointing to the active, sentient nature of hypnotist involvement and highlight the particular importance of first impressions in shaping hypnotists' perceptions of participant hypnotizability. Results point to difficulties inherent in the hypnotist role. Findings overall support devoting increased attention to the nature of hypnotists' involvement and its implications for understanding relational processes in hypnosis.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):394-424. Whitehead S, Noller P, Sheehan PW. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. prgordon@bigpond.net.au

Children are more easily hypnotized than adults, and hypnotherapy as a method responds to the general developmental needs of children by addressing their ability for fantasy and imagination. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are tools with which to assess and develop protective factors, and enhance positive adjustment. Meta-analyses and overviews have demonstrated the effect of hypnotherapy in paediatric disorders like asthma, chronic and acute pain, and in procedure-related distress in cancer patients. We wanted to examine the use and benefits of hypnotherapy when applied to child psychiatric disorders. A review of a literature search from PubMed, PsychINFO and the Cochrane databases revealed 60 publications, mostly case reports based on 2-60 cases, addressing the use of hypnotherapy in various child psychiatric conditions. Findings indicate that hypnotherapy may be useful for a wide range of disorders and problems, and may be particularly valuable in the treatment of anxiety disorders and trauma-related conditions. In conclusion, knowledge of hypnosis is useful in clinical practice and hypnotherapy may play an important role as an adjunctive therapy in cognitive-behavioural treatment and family therapy. Additional qualitative and quantitative studies are needed to assess the place for hypnosis/hypnotherapy in child psychiatry.

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;13(3):377-93. Huynh ME, Vandvik IH, Diseth TH. Section for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. huynh.melanie@gmail.com

by Annette Bergstein, CHt

Is there something that you want to do or accomplish but think of every reason not to get started? You know you have the skill, ability and desire but something stops you from moving forward. A little voice in your head says "I can't do that!", "I'm not good enough!" or "I could fail and make a fool of myself!" Yes – it's self-sabotage at work; sub-conscious self-destruction. Your state of internal affairs!

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by Jack Elias

I had a powerful dream this month. In my dream a "person" was approaching me with great hostility. His face was cut out revealing a sharp-toothed reptilian face with hate-filled eyes inside what now was clearly just a human body-suit hiding this monster. I held my ground, faced it and felt its rage, but it clearly was not in a mood to work anything out.

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This paper presents a highly edited version of a videotape made in 1980 by Marion Moore, M.D., showing Milton H. Erickson and Moore demonstrating novel, activity-dependent approaches to hand-levitation and therapeutic hypnosis on their subject, Ernest Rossi. Erickson's naturalistic and utilization approach is described in his very direct and surprising induction in a trance challenged patient. These novel, and surprising inductions are examples of how Erickson was prescient in developing activity-dependent approaches to therapeutic hypnosis and psychotherapy several generations before modern neuroscience documented the activity-dependent molecular-genomic mechanisms of memory, learning, and behavior change. Erickson describes a case where he utilized what he called, "The General Waking Trance" when he "dared" not use an obvious hypnotic induction. It is proposed that the states of intense mental absorption and response attentiveness that are facilitated by the general waking trance are functionally related to the three conditions neuroscientists have identified as novelty, enrichment, and exercise (both mental and physical), which can turn on activity-dependent gene expression and activity-dependent brain plasticity, that are the molecular-genomic and neural basis ofmemory, learning, consciousness, and behavior change. We recommend that the next step in investigating the efficacy of therapeutic hypnosis will be in partnering with neuroscientists to explore the possibilities and limitations of utilizing the activity-dependent approaches to hypnotic induction and the general waking trance in facilitating activity-dependent gene expression and brain plasticity.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Oct;51(2):185-200. Rossi E, Erickson-Klein R, Rossi K. Ernest@ErnestRossi.com

by Tim Brunson DCH

The combination of the collapse of the US housing and credit market, and rapidly rising unemployment has collectively triggered an unhealthy reaction within the masses and our appointed and elected officials. At a time when our higher brain functions should prevail - individually in our leaders and collectively in our populace - we are experiencing an unfortunate tendency to react using our most primitive and inappropriate tendencies.

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by Prof Tam Llewellyn-Edwards

In this short article we are to consider the methods a therapist could use to foster cognitive shifts in the client to encourage them to change their view on life without leading them into some preconceived view on life which may be the way of the therapist.

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This paper presents a highly edited version of a videotape made in 1980 by Marion Moore, M.D., showing Milton H. Erickson and Moore demonstrating novel, activity-dependent approaches to hand-levitation and therapeutic hypnosis on their subject, Ernest Rossi. Erickson's naturalistic and utilization approach is described in his very direct and surprising induction in a trance challenged patient. These novel, and surprising inductions are examples of how Erickson was prescient in developing activity-dependent approaches to therapeutic hypnosis and psychotherapy several generations before modern neuroscience documented the activity-dependent molecular-genomic mechanisms of memory, learning, and behavior change. Erickson describes a case where he utilized what he called, "The General Waking Trance" when he "dared" not use an obvious hypnotic induction. It is proposed that the states of intense mental absorption and response attentiveness that are facilitated by the general waking trance are functionally related to the three conditions neuroscientists have identified as novelty, enrichment, and exercise (both mental and physical), which can turn on activity-dependent gene expression and activity-dependent brain plasticity, that are the molecular-genomic and neural basis ofmemory, learning, consciousness, and behavior change. We recommend that the next step in investigating the efficacy of therapeutic hypnosis will be in partnering with neuroscientists to explore the possibilities and limitations of utilizing the activity-dependent approaches to hypnotic induction and the general waking trance in facilitating activity-dependent gene expression and brain plasticity.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Oct;51(2):185-200. Rossi E, Erickson-Klein R, Rossi K. Ernest@ErnestRossi.com

The hypnosis community may be buying into a neuroscience fad concerning brain laterality. Accustomed to deflating folkloric claims about hypnosis, researchers and practitioners of hypnosis have come to appreciate the danger of lingering myths and the importance of dispelling legends. Tales are ubiquitous, however, and claims relating to the left or right hemispheres require both context and substantive data. Here we sketch the gist of brain laterality findings and their relevance to the hypnosis community.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Oct;51(2):201-8. Raz A, Schwartzman D, Guindi D. McGill University, Clinical Neuroscience and Applied Cognition Laboratory, Inst. of Community & Family Psychiatry, SMBD Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Cote Ste Catherine Rd., Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E4, Canada. amir.raz@mcgill.ca

by Jack Elias

Some tips and insights to overcome fearful thoughts and emotional states that cause you to contract from others and from your own sense of resourcefulness and joy:

1) Leap! Liberation and empowerment always come dressed in paradox. If you find yourself contracting and holding back and holding on, don't spend time stewing. Just give! Give your money, give your time, give your attention to others (especially outside your family). Disregard the fearful objecting thoughts of lack and limitation and just do it.

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by Tim Brunson DCH

The number one mistake that trainers and speakers make is their failure to tailor their message and teaching style to fit their audience. While they may find that the majority of the audience appreciate how they communicate their message, most will also find that a few individuals adversely react to their presentation. This problem most likely is the result of an inability for the speaker to judge the average balance between being predictable and clear versus providing excitement and effectively using ambiguity as a learning tool.

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In 2 experiments, the authors created a hypnotic analogue of delusions of misidentification and explored their impact on autobiographical memory. In Experiment 1, to establish the paradigm, high and low hypnotizable participants were given a suggestion to become someone similar or dissimilar to themselves. In Experiment 2, to further test the paradigm and to examine autobiographical remembering, highs were given a suggestion to become a same-sex sibling, administered 2 challenges to the temporary delusion, and asked to generate autobiographical memories. For high hypnotizable participants, the suggested delusions of misidentification were compelling and resistant to challenge. During these temporary delusions, participants generated specific autobiographical memories that reflected previously experienced events viewed from the perspective of the suggested identity. These findings highlight the instrumental value of hypnosis to the investigation and understanding of delusions and autobiographical memory.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2009 Jan;57(1):1-32. Cox RE, Barnier AJ. Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. rcox@maccs.mq.edu.au

Positive and negative affect generated while using the Phenomenology of Consciousness--Hypnotic Assessment Procedure (PCI-HAP) on a sample of drug and alcohol users were predicted using several variables. The results were then cross-validated on a second, smaller sample. The results suggest that, although some negative affect was reported, the PCI-HAP was more likely to generate positive, rather than negative, affect. Positive affect was related to the vividness of a suggested hypnotic dream during hypnosis and also hypnotic depth; these findings were replicated upon cross-validation. Although negative affect correlated with the Dissociative Experiences Scale scores and falling asleep, these results did not replicate upon cross-validation. Mild transient negative effects (e.g., headache) were reported by about 10% of the participants in a smaller, second sample. Implications of the results are discussed.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2009 Jan;57(1):64-93. Pekala RJ, Kumar VK, Maurer RL Sr, Elliott-Carter N, Moon E, Mullen K. Coatesville Veterans Administration Medical Center, Coatesville, Pennsylvania 19380-2765, USA. Ronald.Pekala@med.va.gov

by Tim Brunson DCH

What is it like to be really good at something? Some people call the best athletes, scientists, scholars, authors, and craftsmen masters. So, let me rephrase my original question. What does it take to be a master or to achieve mastery in a skill or profession?

You may think that you have to be the smartest. This is not true. Quite to the contrary. Some of the world's most prestigious masters have an IQ of less then 50. Some even have an IQ less than 25. By the way, some one with an IQ less than 50 is clinically termed an imbecile or idiot, two terms that are not necessarily politically correct.

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The study investigated hypnosis-related electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence and power spectra changes in high and low hypnotizables (Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale) induced by a virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) induction system. In this study, the EEG from 17 participants (Mean age = 21.35, SD = 1.58) were compared based on their hypnotizability score. The EEG recording associated with a 2-minute, eyes-closed baseline state was compared to the EEG during a hypnosis-related state. This novel induction system was able to produce EEG findings consistent with previous hypnosis literature. Interactions of significance were found with EEG beta coherence. The high susceptibility group (n = 7) showed decreased coherence, while the low susceptibility group (n = 10) demonstrated an increase in coherence between medial frontal and lateral left prefrontal sites. Methodological and efficacy issues are discussed.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2009 Jan;57(1):94-116. White D, Ciorciari J, Carbis C, Liley D. Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia.

Freud's early paper Psychical (or mental) treatment, first published in a family reference book for educated lay persons, was reproduced in the Gesammelte Werke with a stated publication date of 1905. This date was subsequently called into question owing to certain parts of the subject-matter (the use of hypnosis and suggestion in 'mental treatment'), and the contribution was erroneously assigned, for instance by James Strachey, to the year 1890. This error is corrected in the present paper. Furthermore, the existence of a second edition of this reference book, which contains an addition to Freud's text and appeared in 1918-19, has previously gone unnoticed. The first edition had been published in 1905-6. Freud's contribution must, however, have been written at an appreciably earlier date. The probable time of its genesis is discussed. Freud's new text is reproduced (in English translation) for the first time in an appendix to this paper.

Int J Psychoanal. 2008 Aug;89(4):827-43. Fichtner G. Institut für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin, Goethestr. 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. gerhard.fichtner@uni-tuebingen.de

Integrative medicine has been defined in several ways. For some it is a discipline that combines such approaches to the resolution of disease as acupuncture and homeopathy, meditation and imagery with more familiar and accepted health practices, such as surgery, pediatrics, and oncology. For others it is about cultivating awareness and sensitivity beyond symptoms to the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient. But, integrative medicine is more than the weaving together of techniques, or understanding the intimate interaction of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human experience. It is about rethinking the task of medicine and the infrastructure of relationships and beliefs that have limited its power to serve all people.

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2008 Aug;22(4):767-73, x. Remen RN. Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal, Box 316, Bolinas, CA 94924, USA. drrachel@commonweal.org

Children are more easily hypnotized than adults, and hypnotherapy as a method responds to the general developmental needs of children by addressing their ability for fantasy and imagination. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are tools with which to assess and develop protective factors, and enhance positive adjustment. Meta-analyses and overviews have demonstrated the effect of hypnotherapy in paediatric disorders like asthma, chronic and acute pain, and in procedure-related distress in cancer patients. We wanted to examine the use and benefits of hypnotherapy when applied to child psychiatric disorders. A review of a literature search from PubMed, PsychINFO and the Cochrane databases revealed 60 publications, mostly case reports based on 2-60 cases, addressing the use of hypnotherapy in various child psychiatric conditions. Findings indicate that hypnotherapy may be useful for a wide range of disorders and problems, and may be particularly valuable in the treatment of anxiety disorders and trauma-related conditions. In conclusion, knowledge of hypnosis is useful in clinical practice and hypnotherapy may play an important role as an adjunctive therapy in cognitive-behavioural treatment and family therapy. Additional qualitative and quantitative studies are needed to assess the place for hypnosis/hypnotherapy in child psychiatry.

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;13(3):377-93. Huynh ME, Vandvik IH, Diseth TH. Section for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. huynh.melanie@gmail.com

Three articles of special interest to the hypnosis community recently appeared in the general scientific and medical literatures. The first paper is a thoughtful review of the clinical applications of hypnosis in pediatric settings. The second article reports the findings of a randomized, controlled trial of hypnosis for burn-wound care, carried out at the University of Washington Medical School. The third article describes an innovative EEG laboratory case study tracking the cortex functional connectivity of a highly hypnotizable subject across various baseline and experimental conditions. These three articles are sturdy examples of how hypnosis illuminates (and is illuminated by) medical and psychological science.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):463-9. Nash MR, Levy JJ, Tasso A, Perez N. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0900, USA. mnash@utk.edu

RATIONALE: Imaginative suggestibility, a trait closely related to hypnotic suggestibility, is modifiable under some circumstances. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is commonly used for sedation in dentistry and is reported to be more effective when combined with appropriate suggestions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether nitrous oxide inhalation alters imaginative suggestibility and imagery vividness. METHODS: Thirty participants were tested twice in a within-subjects design, once during inhalation of 25% nitrous oxide and once during inhalation of air plus oxygen. Before the study, participants' expectancies regarding the effects of nitrous oxide were assessed. Participants were blinded to drug administration. During each session, participants were verbally administered detailed measures of imagination and suggestibility: the Sheehan-Betts Quality of Mental Imagery scale and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form C, minus the hypnotic induction. RESULTS: Imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability (imagery vividness) were both elevated in the nitrous oxide condition. This effect was unrelated to participants' expectations regarding the effects of the drug. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrous oxide increased imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed with respect to the effects of N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists and to other pharmacological effects upon suggestibility and imagination.

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Dec 5. Whalley MG, Brooks GB. Hypnosis Unit, Department of Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK, matwhalley@gmail.com.

This experiment aimed to create a laboratory analogue of déjà vu. During hypnosis, 1 group of high hypnotizables completed a puzzle game and then received a posthypnotic amnesia suggestion to forget the game (PHA condition). Another group of highs were not given the game but received a posthypnotic familiarity suggestion that it would feel familiar (PHF condition). After hypnosis, all participants were given the game and described their reactions to it. Whereas 83% of participants in both conditions passed their respective suggestions, more in the PHF condition felt a sense of déjà vu. An EAT inquiry revealed that they experienced sensory fascination and confusion about the source of familiarity, akin to everyday déjà vu. These findings highlight the value of using hypnosis as a laboratory analogue of déjà vu and provide a framework for investigating clinical manifestations of this phenomenon.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):425-50. O'Connor AR, Barnier AJ, Cox RE. University of Leeds, United Kingdom. aoconnor@wustl.edu

Hypnotist perceptions of participant cues and behaviors were investigated in an in-depth phenomenological study focusing on the influence of participant hypnotizability and hypnotist style. Two hypnotists and 124 participants (63 hypnotizable and 61 nonhypnotizable) took part. Two modifications of the Experiential Analysis Technique (EAT) were employed. One version involved a new modification where both hypnotist and participant took part together in the EAT session. The second version involved the EAT with the hypnotist alone as per an existing modification of the technique. Results extend earlier work pointing to the active, sentient nature of hypnotist involvement and highlight the particular importance of first impressions in shaping hypnotists' perceptions of participant hypnotizability. Results point to difficulties inherent in the hypnotist role. Findings overall support devoting increased attention to the nature of hypnotists' involvement and its implications for understanding relational processes in hypnosis.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):394-424. Whitehead S, Noller P, Sheehan PW. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. prgordon@bigpond.net.au

There is broad agreement that a phenomenon we call "hypnosis" exists. However, there is no generally accepted definition of hypnosis. A brief historical overview of the use of hypnosis in healing practices demonstrates how it evolved willy-nilly, and like Topsy, "just growed" into its current status in medicine, psychiatry, psychology and dentistry. The mechanisms underlying hypnosis and how hypnosis differs from other cognitive states are almost totally unknown. With the exceptions of suggestions for pain control, current concepts of high, medium, low or non-hypnotizability do not reliably predict clinical outcomes for most medical, psychiatric or dental disorders. We do know that it is relatively easy to reliably evaluate hypnotizability, but other than choosing volunteers or subjects who will or will not exhibit traditional hypnotic phenomena, we rarely know what to do with that evaluation with actual clinical patients. Four case studies, representative of many others, chosen retrospectively from a practice that spans 45 years, illustrate how traditional or modern hypnotizability assessment is irrelevant in the clinical setting. Although the four patients differed obviously and vastly in hypnotizability, they all benefited from the use of hypnosis.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):57-67. Sutcher H.

Psychotherapy can be conceived as a symbolic drama in which patients can experientially realize their capacity to change. Methods derived from hypnosis can empower therapy without the use of formal trance. A case conducted by Milton Erickson is presented and deconstructed in order to illuminate Erickson's therapeutic patterns. A model is offered for adding drama to therapy, and the model is placed into a larger model of choice points in psychotherapy.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):41-55. Zeig JK. Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA. jeff@erickson-foundation.org

In 2008, the 50th anniversary of ASCH, hypnosis is used increasingly for healthcare applications in hospitals, clinics, and psychotherapy practice. A substantial body of research demonstrates the efficacy of hypnosis as part of the integrative treatment of many conditions that traditional medicine has found difficult to treat (e.g., Pinnell & Covino, 2000; Elkins, Jensen, & Patterson, 2007). The practice of hypnosis in healthcare has been altered and centrally influenced by the rapid growth of technological medicine in the 1950's, the AIDS epidemic and development of psychoneuroimmunology, revolutionary developments in genetics and neuroimaging technology, and the progression from alternative to integrative medicine. We have come to develop more detailed expectations about the beneficial effects of hypnotic interventions for health problems. We have also come to know that in these populations hypnosis can lead not only to reduced anxiety but also specifically altered physiological parameters.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):13-27. Weisberg MB. Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic, St. Paul, MN 55114, USA. mbw@drmarkweisberg.com

The aim of the experiment was to investigate whether the peculiar attentional/imagery abilities associated with susceptibility to hypnosis might make postural control in highly hypnotizable subjects (Highs) that are less vulnerable to sensory alteration than in individuals with low hypnotic susceptibility (Lows). The movement of the centre of pression (CoP) was monitored in Highs and Lows during alteration of the visual and leg proprioceptive input. The two groups responded differently to eyes closure and to an unstable support and the CoP movement was generally larger and faster in Highs. The stabilogram diffusion analysis indicated a different set point in Highs and Lows and suggested that the former are more independent of specific sensory information than the latter, likely due to different abilities in sensory re-weighting and/or peculiar internal models of postural control. The results are discussed within the general perspective of high pervasiveness of the hypnotizability trait, which modulates cognitive, autonomic and somatic functions.

Exp Brain Res. 2008 Aug 16. Santarcangelo EL, Scattina E, Carli G, Macerata A, Manzoni D. Department of Human Physiology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy, enricals@dfb.unipi.it.

This study investigated the effects of manipulation of attention on verbal priming in highly (Highs) and low (Lows) hypnotizable individuals. Priming was evaluated via the word-stem completion task (WSCT). The experimental paradigm consisted of one condition in full-attention and in two conditions with colored words in which attention was directed, respectively, only to the color and to both color and word. No significant differences between Highs and Lows were found in none of the three attentional conditions. However, during encoding in full-attention, Highs showed shorter reaction times (RTs) than Lows. This is in accord with previous evidence of faster simple and choice RTs in Highs than in Lows, and suggests hypnotizability-related differences in arousal, likely driven by a different cognitive control activity. Also, Highs' self-report of interference of color-naming on word-reading suggests possible differences between Highs and Lows in cognitive activity related to mental effort.

Arch Ital Biol. 2008 Mar;146(1):21-33. Castellani E, Sebastiani L. Department of Human Physiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

William Gregory was descended from a long line of academics. Although he graduated in medicine, he had earlier determined on a career in Chemistry but more particularly to succeed Professor Thomas Charles Hope in the Edinburgh Chair in that discipline. At various times during the 1830s and 1840s he studied Chemistry at Giessen in Germany under Professor Justus Liebig and was closely associated with him over the succeeding years, translating and editing in all seven of his books. Gregory taught initially in London, at the Edinburgh Extra-mural School, in Dublin, at the Andersonian University, Glasgow and as Mediciner and Professor of Chemistry in Aberdeen. In 1844 he was appointed to the Chair of Chemistry in Edinburgh and remained in this post until his death in 1858. Shortly after he graduated he joined the Edinburgh Phrenological Society (he was initially its Secretary and later President) and took a particularly active role in the meetings of this Society and in the Aberdeen Phrenological Society. He was also interested in the phenomena of Mesmerism and Mesmero-Phrenology, despite the agitation and scorn of many of his academic colleagues both in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh.

J Med Biogr. 2008 Aug;16(3):128-33. Kaufman MH. professor.kaufman@yahoo.co.uk

BACKGROUND: The invocation Namu Amida Butsu (Nembutsu), voices the hope of rebirth into Amida's Pure Land. In the Nembutsu, Buddhists imagine that they are absorbed into Amida's Pure Land. Shiritori, a Japanese word chain game, is a common task used to activate language related regions in Japanese. The purpose of this study was to identify the regions activated during praying of the Namo Amida Butsu (Nembutsu), and the reciting of Buddhist scriptures (Sutra). MATERIAL and METHOD: Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to identify the regions activated by the Nenbutsu, the Sutra and the Shiritori in eight highlytrained Japanese monks. RESULTS: The task of repeating the Nenbutsu activates the medial frontal gyrus, which is mainly related to mental concentration and visuospatial attention, similar to the areas activated by meditation. The task of reciting the Sutra activates the left lateral middle frontal gyrus, the right angular gyrus, and the right supramarginal gyrus, which are related to visuospatial attention also involved in the area activated by meditation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that different types of meditation in Japanese Buddhism showed different brain regional activation. The Nenbutsu activated the prefrontal cortex, and the Sutra activated the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right parietal cortex.

Shimomura T, Fujiki M, Akiyoshi J, Yoshida T, Tabata M, Kabasawa H, Kobayashi H. Dept. of Neurosurgery, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Oita, 879-5593, Japan. Turk Neurosurg. 2008 Apr;18(2):134-41.

Health professionals' beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis may make them reluctant to use it or even to foster misapplications and iatrogenic uses of hypnosis. The Valencia Scale on Attitudes and Beliefs toward Hypnosis-Therapist version (VSABH-T) is a specific instrument to evaluate therapists' attitudes and beliefs. The aims of this study are to evaluate the 8-factor structure of the VSABH-T proposed from a confirmatory perspective. The sample comprised 1,661 licensed psychologists who are members of the Spanish Psychological Association for the initial test and 787 for the retest. Results confirmed the 8-factor structure obtained in a previous exploratory study, namely: Fear, Memory, Help, Control, Collaboration, Interest, Magic, and Marginal. The scale also showed adequate psychometric properties, including good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Jul;56(3):281-94. Capafons A, Espejo B, Mendoza ME. University of Valencia, Spain. antonio.capafons@uv.es

The 1950's rivalry between Milton H. Erickson, MD, and David Elman created an intellectual schism in the world of hypnotherapy. The friction between the psychiatrist and the former stage hypnotist has left an enduring legacy of distrust and name calling between various factions. This problem belies the benefit that could exist should the adherents of their legacies could just for a moment start exploring the similarities rather than remaining dogmatically mired in the differences.

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by Edward J. Longo CCH RBT

The principle of penetrating the subconscious mind is as simple as offering a positive suggestion, a new thought, or a different truth. This is where the memory functions at its very best. The subconscious mind is programmed like an endless tape, implanted within the complex synapses and cells of the brain. Actually, you become what your subconscious mind thinks. Then, our thoughts and beliefs transform us into our character and give us our physiological makeup.

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The psychological issues facing medical and surgical patients suffering from traumatic injuries are numerous and varied. These injuries may occur in the settings of armed conflict, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or accident. The goal of preventing or decreasing significant and disabling psychiatric comorbidity can be the objective and assignment of a Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service (PCLS) within the hospital setting. A comprehensive trauma consultation service could be designed to assist the entire medical complex in its response to various events. The needs of the patient, the patient's primary support group, and the medical staff must be considered in the development of a treatment strategy for the setting of a traumatic event. This article describes the integration of a Preventive Medical Psychiatry Service (PMP) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) into a traditional PCLS. The PMP model is built upon the biopsychosocial model and psychodynamic developmental concepts.

J Am Acad Psychoanal Dyn Psychiatry. 2007 Winter;35(4):555-73. Wain HJ, Gabriel GM. Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA. Harold.Wain@na.amedd.army.mil

Negative reactions to placebo medications -- sometimes called "nocebo effects" -- are well documented. Similar responses can be induced in suggestible patients when providers use language that tends to increase patients' stress and negative expectations. Several common "language traps" are examined and alternative ways to communicate with patients are suggested.

Am J Nurs. 2008 Mar;108(3):52-7. Schenk PW. Clinical Psychology, Private Practice, Tucker, GA, USA. drpaulschenk@earthlink.net

We conducted two studies to examine how interviewers' nonverbal behaviors affect children's perceptions and suggestibility. In the first study, 42 8- to 10-year-olds watched video clips showing an interviewer displaying combinations of supportive and nonsupportive nonverbal behaviors and were asked to rate the interviewer on six attributes (e.g., friendliness, strictness). Smiling received high ratings on the positive attributes (i.e., friendly, helpful, and sincere), and fidgeting received high ratings on the negative attributes (i.e., strict, bored, and stressed). For the second study, 86 8- to 10-year-olds participated in a learning activity about the vocal chords. One week later, they were interviewed individually about the activity by an interviewer adopting either the supportive (i.e., smiling) or nonsupportive (i.e., fidgeting) behavior. Children questioned by the nonsupportive interviewer were less accurate and more likely to falsely report having been touched than were those questioned by the supportive interviewer. Children questioned by the supportive interviewer were also more likely to say that they did not know an answer than were children questioned by the nonsupportive interviewer. Participants in both conditions gave more correct answers to questions about central, as opposed to peripheral, details of the activity. Implications of these findings for the appropriate interviewing of child witnesses are discussed.

J Exp Child Psychol. 2008 May;100(1):17-39. Epub 2008 Mar 7. Almerigogna J, Ost J, Akehurst L, Fluck M. Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. jehanne.almerigogna@port.ac.uk