Stress
When Every Medical Test Was Normal but the Pain Was Real
Exploring Hypnosis for Persistent Symptoms That Resist Easy Explanations During the Civil War, physician Silas Weir Mitchell began seeing soldiers with a strange and disturbing complaint. Some had lost an arm or leg, yet they still felt pain, itching, cramping, or pressure in the missing limb. The limb was gone. The pain was not. At…
Read MoreThe Patient Who Felt Calm Before the Operating Room Doors Opened
How Pre-Surgical Hypnosis May Reduce Anxiety and Improve the Recovery Experience In 2006, researchers at Yale University observed something unexpected outside an operating room. Seventy-six adults awaiting outpatient surgery were divided into three groups. One group received standard care. Another received supportive attention. The third participated in a brief hypnosis session focused on comfort and well-being.…
Read MoreThe Elderly Man Who Reclaimed His Memory
How Hypnosis Helped an Aging Brain Find Its Way Back In 1991, I met with a gentleman named Ben, a retired accountant in his late seventies who had become increasingly frustrated by his declining memory. He wasn’t suffering from advanced dementia. He was able to recognize family members. But he was trapped in a frustrating…
Read MoreThe Gamer Who Pressed Pause on His Life
How Hypnosis Helped Break an Obsessive Video Gaming Habit In 1981, a little-known event occurred that caught psychologists by surprise. A young man named Jeff Dailey died after playing the arcade game Berzerk. Witnesses reported that after achieving a high score and experiencing intense excitement, he collapsed from a heart attack. While the incident was rare,…
Read MoreHow a Teacher Beat Social Anxiety with Hypnosis
A case from the early 2000s involving a middle school teacher who nearly quit her career because she could not face people. In 2003, a middle school English teacher, known here as “Laura” to protect her privacy, was on the verge of leaving the profession she loved. Her lesson plans were excellent. Her students performed…
Read MoreThe Mental Block That Prevents Home Organization Success
In 1947, the Collyer brothers in Harlem were found in their home surrounded by over 100 tons of collected items. Newspapers, books, furniture, and even dismantled machinery filled every room. What began as an intention slowly became entrapment. Their story remains one of the most extreme and least understood examples of hoarding behavior. But most cases…
Read MoreStep-by-Step Guide: From Dog Fear to Dog Friend
Ethan could not be within 30 feet of a dog without panic setting in. No bite history or traumatic event anyone could point to. Only a body that reacted before his mind could catch up: Heart racing Hands shaking Eyes scanning for escape His parents tried logic: “The dog is friendly.” They tried exposure: “Let’s just…
Read MoreHow Mental Barriers Stopped This Athlete Until One Breakthrough Moment Changed Everything
A professional basketball player suffered a severe ankle injury that should have healed within months. Physically, the medical scans showed the joint had recovered. The ligaments were stable. Strength had returned, but something strange happened. Every time he tried to jump, cut, or drive toward the basket, his body hesitated. It was not pain. It was something else.…
Read MoreHow This Amazing 65-Year-Old Quit Smoking in Just 20 Minutes
How Medical Hypnosis Helped a Lifelong Smoker Walk Out Free of Cravings In 1986, I began using hypnosis for smoking cessation in the hospital setting. This past weekend, I found one case which involved a man in his mid-60s who had smoked since adolescence, for over 50 years. He agreed to hypnosis only because surgery…
Read MoreHow a Woman Left an Abusive Relationship Using Hypnosis
How trauma-informed hypnosis helped a survivor reclaim agency, safety, and self-trust In 1987, a clinical case circulated among trauma researchers in my town; it was not in the headlines, nor in textbooks. A woman in her early 30s had returned to the same abusive partner seven times. Each time, she could clearly explain why she…
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