A conceptual review of the psychosocial genomics of expectancy and surprise: neuroscience perspectives about the deep psychobiology of therapeutic hypnosis

Electrodynamics of clinical hypnosis

This paper reconstructs and attempts to verify hypotheses made by Leonard Ravitz, Ernest L. Rossi, and Milton H. Erickson, during their research on the influence of hypnosis on the human electromagnetic field. Original charts measured electrodynamic voltage differences of 44 subjects. These voltage differences from Ravitz, Erickson and Rossi's research were digitalized and analyzed with statistical software to check the significance of four hypotheses about ways hypnosis influences the individual's electrodynamic recording. The results of this analysis of the magnitude of the subject's electrodynamic tracing were: (1) there was a statistically significant difference between the prehypnotic condition and hypnosis; (2) there was a statistically significant difference between hypnosis and posthypnotic condition; (3) there was no significant difference between posthypnotic and prehypnotic condition; and (4) there was a statistically significant correlation between an induction of catalepsy and alterations in the electrodynamic tracing. The significance of these findings is discussed with applications to Rossi's 4-Stage Creative Cycle.

A Psychosocial Genomics Pilot Study in Oncology for Verifying Clinical, Inflammatory and Psychological Effects of Mind-Body Transformations-Therapy (MBT-T) in Breast Cancer Patients: Preliminary Results

Several studies have highlighted the key role of chronic inflammation in breast cancer development, progression, metastasis, and therapeutic outcome. These processes are mediated through a variety of cytokines and hormones that exert their biological actions either locally or distantly via systemic circulation. Recent findings suggest that positive psychosocial experiences, including psychotherapeutic interventions and therapeutic mind-body protocols, can modulate the inflammatory response by reducing the expression of genes/proteins associated with inflammation and stress-related pathways. Our preliminary results indicate that a specific mind-body therapy (MBT-T) could induce a significant reduction of the release of different cytokines and chemokines, such as SCGFβ, SDF-1α, MCP3, GROα, LIF, and IL-18, in the sera of breast cancer patients compared to a control group, suggesting that MBT-T could represent a promising approach to improve the wellness and outcome of breast cancer patients.

Hypnosis as Sole Anesthesia for Dental Removal in a Patient with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Despite a number of studies on hypnosis as analgesia and anesthesia in several medical conditions, case studies on patients with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) are still relatively few. This case study is about a female patient with MCS who underwent dental removal using hypnosis as the sole anesthesia. The paradigm in which we work is psychosocial genomics of clinical hypnosis. We used the mind-body transformations therapy, one of the clinical methods of the psychosocial genomics paradigm. In order to induce not only effective analgesia and anesthesia but also a condition of well-being, problem-solving, effective coping and self-empowerment in our patient, 3 different hypnotic protocols were used in a multidimensional approach. Although further research is needed, our work might open up new scenarios for the application of hypnosis as sole anesthesia in conditions such as MCS.

The Bioinformatics of Integrative Medical Insights: Proposals for an International Psycho-Social and Cultural Bioinformatics Project

We propose the formation of an International Psycho-Social and Cultural Bioinformatics Project (IPCBP) to explore the research foundations of Integrative Medical Insights (IMI) on all levels from the molecular-genomic to the psychological, cultural, social, and spiritual. Just as The Human Genome Project identified the molecular foundations of modern medicine with the new technology of sequencing DNA during the past decade, the IPCBP would extend and integrate this neuroscience knowledge base with the technology of gene expression via DNA/proteomic microarray research and brain imaging in development, stress, healing, rehabilitation, and the psychotherapeutic facilitation of existentional wellness. We anticipate that the IPCBP will require a unique international collaboration of, academic institutions, researchers, and clinical practioners for the creation of a new neuroscience of mind-body communication, brain plasticity, memory, learning, and creative processing during optimal experiential states of art, beauty, and truth. We illustrate this emerging integration of bioinformatics with medicine with a videotape of the classical 4-stage creative process in a neuroscience approach to psychotherapy.

Gene expression, neurogenesis, and healing: psychosocial genomics of therapeutic hypnosis

The historical lineage of therapeutic hypnosis in James Braid's "psychophysiology", Pierre Janet's "physiological modification", and Milton Erickson's "neuro-psycho-physiology" is extended to include current neuroscience research on activity-dependent gene expression, neurogenesis, and stem cells in memory, learning, behavior change, and healing. Three conditions that optimize gene expression and neurogenesis--novelty, environmental enrichment, and exercise--could integrate fundamentals of the theory, research, and practice of therapeutic hypnosis. Continuing research on immediate-early, activity-dependent, behavior state-related, and clock gene expression could enhance our understanding of how relaxation, sleep, dreaming, consciousness, arousal, stress and trauma are modulated by therapeutic hypnosis. It is speculated that therapeutic and post-hypnotic suggestion could be focused more precisely with the time parameters of gene expression and neurogenesis that range from minutes and hours for synthesizing new synapses to weeks and months for the generation and maturation of new, functioning neurons in the adult brain.