The Role of Hypnosis In Recovery From Cancer

Research has proven that a positive mental attitude supports the healing mechanisms of the body. Full recovery from cancer is a reality for millions and it can be for you too. Early detection and high technology medicine can tip the scales of survival in a person's favor; and, above all, research has proven that a positive mental attitude supports the healing mechanisms of the body. Hypnosis can maximize the resources of the body-mind-spirit self for addressing health and other issues of life that build strength of character and a peaceful life.

While no single factor is responsible for cancer, emotional distress has an effect on the causation and prognosis of the disease. In an insightful address to the American Cancer society in 1959, President Pendergraass stated:

Whatever has caused your cancer, it is self-defeating for you to blame yourself or inherited genes. Hypnosis will help you to experience hope and neutralize negativity by implanting a new attitude of determination and optimism. Hypnosis will also help you to get on the right track with your health in strengthening your immune system by quitting smoking, changing diet, or other related habit changes.

The American Medical Association approved hypnotherapy as a valid medical treatment in 1958.  the American Cancer Society endorses hypnotherapy as a means of reducing pain, promoting relaxation, reducing stress and improving quality of life.  Hypnosis should not be thought of as a cure-all.  It cannot cure cancer or any other serious disease.  However, since the mind/body connection has been proven to have such an impact on health, hypnosis has been shown to be an excellent compliment to traditional treatment.

There are some studies and there are some encouraging results from these that hypnosis can probably improve the survival of cancer patients.  But at the moment there isn't enough evidence

Dr Christina Liossi

The Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which is one of the leading treatment centers in America, has a section on their web site for cancer.  Click on this link to find out their thoughts on Hypnosis and other information on cancer treatment.

http://www.nebraskamed.com/cancer/hypnosis.cfm

Here is more information on hypnosis and cancer from the UCSD Cancer Center's web site:

http://cancer.ucsd.edu/Outreach/PublicEducation/CAMs/hypnosis.asp

The BBC offered this report on pain reduction on cancer patients with hypnosis:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3642764.stm

Hypnotherapy Sessions for a Tumor
Tim Wilon, C.H.  

This client had a non-malignant breast tumor at the age of 22. She'd been burdened with this tumor for 3 years despite all types of healing modalities ranging from both Western and Eastern backgrounds.  So, why not I thought.

I decided to do just phase I first to build up my client's confidence in trance.  She responded so well, I anchored this trance followed by some Direct suggestions.

She felt amazingly well and said she didn't want to come out of trance...so, knowing how receptive she was to hypnosis I decided decided to move on to phase II. 

I can't remember the details of that session but we followed the feeling to many events in her life and finally settled at what I thought may have been an ISE (Initial Sensitizing Event) at 3 years of age. Again, I can't remember the details but it had to do with a perception of life that she must be the perfect little girl or she would not be able to feel her parents love...Well, parents (even with good intentions) sometimes have an expectation of their children that the child can never ever truly meet and this leaves a perception in the child that she's never good enough, creating an emptiness inside of her that needs to be filled somehow some way no matter how destructive it may physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually it can be. 

This was the case with this particular client.  So, I used informed child technique in Hypnosis to help her get the clarity of the events in her life as she released a wide spectrum of emotions.