Efficacy of hypnosis in the treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV) in women: rural and urban samples

An unanticipated allergic reaction to a hypnotic suggestion for anesthesia: a brief communication and commentary

During a demonstration of hypnotically induced anesthesia and following a suggestion for a Novocain-like numbness, a totally unanticipated and dramatic swelling of 1 cheek appeared. The participant had forgotten to inform the psychologist that she had experienced the identical reaction to Novocain when she received an injection a few weeks earlier. The swelling was quickly removed by a countersuggestion based upon a simulated injection of the antidote previously administered by the dentist. This case report is relevant to current research and theorizing on the interaction of hypnosis with the immune system. The fact that it was retrospectively recognized as a single-case time-series B-A-B design significantly enhances its scientific value beyond that afforded by the traditional case report.

Cognitive hypnotherapy with bulimia

Research on the efficacy of hypnosis in the treatment of bulimia nervosa has produced mixed findings. This is due in part to the interplay between the characteristics of people with bulimia and the wide variety of hypnosis interventions that have been employed. Several authors have noted that methodological limitations in hypnosis research often make evaluation of treatment efficacy difficult. Many of the studies extant provide insufficient information regarding the specifics of participants' hypnotizability, the hypnotic induction, or the hypnotic suggestion(s) employed. Such limitations preclude replication and clinical implementation. This article reviews the literature with replicable methodologies and discusses the implications for evaluating treatment efficacy.

Treatment of HPV with hypnosis--psychodynamic considerations of psychoneuroimmunology: a brief communication

There is increasing evidence that the hypnotic cure of warts (infection by the human papilloma virus or HPV) results from activation of an immune response, but whether this is cellular or systemic is unknown. The hypnosis can be by direct suggestion or analytical hypnotherapy when indicated. The evidence is reviewed, and 4 clinical cases suggesting cellular immune response are presented.