Summary: <br> WHAT IS HYPNO-ANESTHESIA? FASCINATING!<br> Introduction<br> Perhaps one of the most impressive demonstrations of the power of the mind is that of anesthesia. Hypnotists have traditionally pierced the cheeks, pinched to the point of bleeding, and immersed the hands of hypnotized people into freezing water for extended periods of time. These “experiments” have been carried out in laboratories, under controlled conditions, and by stage hypnotists alike, all apparently without eliciting much reaction from their subjects. Clearly, the view of actual blood dripping from a hypnotized person who is not screaming with pain must be impressive to those watching hypnosis shows.<br> Definition of hypno-anesthesia<br> The term “hypno-anesthesia” refers to the induction of anesthesia using hypnosis. Hypnosis is a mental state of connection between the conscious and unconscious portions of the mind. Finally, “anesthesia” comes from the Greek and can be translated as “absence of sensation”.<br> Medical anesthesia<br> Medical anesthesia encompasses three features: analgesia, or the absence of pain, muscular relaxation, which prevent autonomic, reflexive, contractions, and amnesia, sedation or full unconsciousness. In medical general anesthesia, for instance, the patient is asleep and unaware, relaxed and devoid or reflexive contractions, and free of pain or other sensations.<br> The very first public demonstration of medical anesthesia happened in 1846. A story I often share with students is how the dentist Dr. William Morton (1819 – 1868) is historically credited with the discovery of the first successful anesthetic, although that credit may have cost him his life because of the fierce battles that followed his application for a patent.<br> It took a while before the technique of ether inhalation was perfected, and made available to general surgeons. The trick was to induce enough anesthesia to make surgery possible, without depressing respiration to the point of killing the patient.<br> Before the mid 19th century some surgeons did operate using hypnotic anesthesia, most notably Dr. James Esdaile (1808 – 1859) who is reputed to have performed over 5000 surgeries using only hypnosis for anesthesia.<br> Hypno-anesthesia for routine surgery<br> Performing surgery under hypnotic anesthesia is possible, but much more complex than the use of modern chemical anesthesia. There are more skilled anesthesiologists at surgical centers in the United States today than hypnotists capable of inducing the kind of hypnosis needed for surgery. Furthermore, chemical anesthesia takes a few minutes to induce and the patient does not need to understand, cooperate, or believe in anything in order for it to work. Hypnotic anesthesia for use with routine surgery in the United States today is, therefore, practically not used.<br> Common uses of Hypno-anesthesia<br> Considering the ready availability of chemical anesthesia, not just for surgery, but also over the counter analgesics, why do modern hypnotherapists talk so much about hypno-anesthesia? Consider these situations:<br> <br> <br> Emergency pain, such as in accidents, or the pain experienced before medical care is available or possible <br> Chronic pain that either does not respond to medications, or pain that requires toxic levels of medications for amelioration<br> Emotional or psychological pain<br> Dental pain, either before the dentist is available, or during dental procedures<br> Childbirth<br> <br> <br> All of the situations above can generate a great deal of suffering to afflicted individuals, yet all of them can be ameliorated with the use of hypnosis. What makes hypnosis in all of the above examples great is that the hypnotist does not even need to be present. It is possible to work with a person, and through something called post-hypnotic suggestions, help that person help himself for years.<br> One inherent advantage of the use of hypnosis for
