Researchpaper

RyanFairbanks
10/5/2014
MeditationHLTH1240

Usingmeditationforpainrelief.

Meditationistheartofthoughtlessawareness.Whenbeinginadeepmeditativestate
yourmindisneutralisedwithoutreducingalertnessandeffectiveness.Whenapersonisina
deepstateofmeditationthereisafeelingoftimelessness.Thepersonmeditatingcanallow
themselvestogointoadeepstateofhypnosis.Somestudiesshowthatusingmeditationto
reachthisstateofhypnosisapersoncanalleviatepainthattheyarecurrentlyfeeling.

Thinkingofhypnosis,onemightthinkofamanusingparlortrickstohavehissubjectsdo
thingsunderhiscommand.Butclinicalormedicalhypnosisismuchdifferentandcanactually
beappliedtotreatpsychologicalorphysicalproblems.Whenapersonallowsthemselvestobe
inahypnoticstatetheconsciouspartofthebrainistemporarilytunedoutasthepersonfocuses
onrelaxationandletsgoofdistractingthoughts.Apersoncanbringthemselvestothisstatewith
thepowerofmeditationwhenapersonrelaxesthemselvesduringmeditationtheycanhypnotize
themselvestonotfeelpainortobeinanotherplace.

Iwouldliketofocusonatypeofrelaxationtherapythatcanbeconsideredmeditation
knownassystematicmusclerelaxationorJacobsonrelaxation.Whendoingthistechniquethe
individualslowlytensing,brieflyholdingandthenreleasingeachmusclegroupinabottomup
fashion.Startingwiththemusclesinthetoesmovingupwardtothehead.Thispracticeisvery
similartothebodyscanswehavedonehereinclasswiththedifferencehoweverofusingvisual
imageryandbodyawarenesstoachieverelaxationalongwithtensingandrelaxingthemuscle
groupsfrombottomtotop.Anexamplescriptofthismeditationcanbefoundhere:
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Progressive_Muscle_Relaxation.pdf
Myresearchjournalisondifferentpatientswithmanytypesofchronicpaindiseasesthat
usetheJacobsonrelaxationtechniqueswithfeasibleresults.(Jacobson,E.(1996).Theorigins
anddevelopmentofprogressiverelaxation.JournalofBehaviorTherapyandExperimental
Psychiatry,119123.RetrievedOctober2,2014,from
http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/altrelaxationtherapy#1)Thelinkprovidedoutlines
thewaythateachstudywasranforeachpatient.TheJacobsonrelaxationtechniquesisusedin
theformofaudiotapesorgrouptherapytotreatpatientswithchronicpain.Eachstudyinvolved
theJacobsonsrelaxationtechniquesandisgradedAFaboutthequalityoftheresultsofthe
study.ThehighestreceivingaBratingistheresultofanxiety/stressreductionusingthis
relaxationtechnique.

Iwouldliketoreturntothetopicofhypnosisforthesenextfewparagraphs.Inmy
investigationofhypnosisIfoundthatapersonskilledinhypnosiscantakesomeoneor
themselvesintoatrancetothepointthattheydonotfeelpain.Thishasbeendonewithabritish
manwhoreportstoCBSnewswithadescriptionofthesurgeryandhisselfhypnosispriortohis
handsurgery.Theresult,statedbyAlex,themanwhounderwentthesurgerysaidthathedidnot
feelpainduringthesurgery.Thiswasaremarkableexampleofhypnosistoalleviatepainina
currentstate.Inrecentyearshypnosisisbeingmoreandmorethoroughlyinvestigatedasareal
wayofreplacinganestheticsduringsurgeries.(Hypnosis,NoAnesthetic,ForMan'sSurgery.
(2008,April22).RetrievedOctober3,2014,from
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hypnosisnoanestheticformanssurgery/)
Hypnosisisaverycomplicatedandusefultoolineliminatingpaininpatients.Clinical
hypnosisisanobjectivebasedtypeofhypnosisthatisusedtorelievepaininapatientthatis
currentlyinpain.ThisstoryIamgoingtoexplaincomesdirectlyfromthebookHypnotherapyan
ExploratoryCasebookbyMiltonErickson.Awomandyingofterminalcancerwasbroughtto
Ericksonsofficeinanambulance.Shewasindesperatepainsomuchsothatdrugsnolonger
diminishedit.ShewasskepticalabouthypnosisandimmediatelymadeEricksonawareofthis.
HeproceededtosayMadam,IthinkIcanconvinceyou.Andyouknowhowmuchpainyouare
suffering,howuncontrollableitis.Ifyousawahungrytigerwalkingthroughthatdoorway,licking
itschopsandlookingatyou,howmuchpainwouldyoufeel?Shewasapparentlystunnedbythis
unexpectedquestionandsaid,Notabit.Infact,I'mnotfeelinganypainnoweither.Hypnosis
useswhatisalreadywithintodistractthemindfromthephysicalattributesofpainand
overcomethepsychologicalaspectsofpain.Whenthiswomanusesthepropertyofdistracting
associations(thetiger)sheisabletotakeherselfintoahypnoticstateandkeepherpainaway
fromhermindbyalteringherframeofreferencetoanimaginarytigerthatdistractsherfromthe
pain.

Ericksonisveryskilledinhypnosisandreachingastateofhypnosissogreatthat
extremechronicpaincanbeignoredrequirestheskillofapersonotherthanyourselftoputyou
intothattypeoftrance.However,selfinducedhypnosisispossiblebyfollowingthesesteps.
Enteringhypnosisismuchlikepreparingforameditation,oneshouldbeinacomfortableplace
withcomfortableclothingon.Setyourintentionperhapstoquitsmokingortorelieveaspecific
stressor.Afterthisstepitistimetorelieveyourselfofallfeelingsofstress,fearandanxiety.At
thispointyoushouldhaveyoureyesclosedandyouwillbegindoingthestepstobegina
Jacobsonrelaxation,recognizingtensioninyourbodyandmakingthemusclesfromyourtoes
uptoyourheadtenseandafterwardsrelaxed.Atthispointyourbodyandmindarerelaxedand
youarereadytobeginvisualization,beginwithvisualisingsomethinginsignificantperhaps
holdingalemonandbitingthelemon.Realizehowrealyourvisualizationhasbecomeandbring
yourselftomoremeaningfulvisionsthataretowardsthegoalofyourhypnosis.Perhapsyour
homeworkflyingawayinthebreezeoryourselfrunningoffpoundsofweight.Onceyouhave
reachedcompleterelaxation,appreciatethisfact.Imagineyourselfatthetopofaflightofstairs
thatishalffilledwithwater,walkdownthestairwayandfeelyourfeettouchthewaterand
continueyourwaydownuntilyouarecompletelysubmergedinthewater.Atthispointyouwill
feelthatyouareweightlessandincontrolofyourvisualizationyoumaybegintofeelnumband
feelyourheartracebutcontinuedownthestaircaseandreachthebottom.Yourintentionatthe
beginningofthehypnosiswillnowariseatthebottomofthestaircasewhenyouarecompletely
submergedinthewater.Atthispointyoucanachieveyourgoal.Whenyouareatthebottomof
thestaircaserepeatyourgoalorcreatetheobjectorgoalyouwanttoobtain.Repeatitaloudto
yourselfandpreparetobringyourselfbacktorealitybyexitingthewaterinthestaircase.

Meditationandhypnosisgohandinhand.Usingrelaxationtechniquestounitethebody
andmindcanmakeyourealizeyourpowersofvisualizationandallowyoutopassbarriersyou
couldntwithjustyourconsciousself.Meditationbringsoutthepoweryouhavewithinyouto
surpassanyobstacleandappreciateeverythingyouhave.Enteringastateofmindfulness
revealsthepresentmomentandhowmuchpoweryouhaveoverexperiencingyourmoments.
EverypersonInmyopinionneedstoexercisemeditationtounderstandyourtrueunconscious
self.Reflectionofselfisvitaltoachievingeverythingyouaremeanttoandacceptingwhereyou
areandwhenyouare.
Citations
Hypnosis,Meditation,andRelaxationforPainTreatment.(n.d.).RetrievedOctober3,
2014,from
http://www.webmd.com/painmanagement/hypnosismeditationandrelaxationforpaintr
eatment?page=2
(Hypnosis,NoAnesthetic,ForMan'sSurgery.(2008,April22).RetrievedOctober3,
2014,fromhttp://www.cbsnews.com/news/hypnosisnoanestheticformanssurgery/).
(ResearchJournal)(Jacobson,E.(1996).Theoriginsanddevelopmentofprogressive
relaxation.JournalofBehaviorTherapyandExperimentalPsychiatry,119123.
RetrievedOctober2,2014,from
http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/altrelaxationtherapy#1)
JacobsonRelaxationscript
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Progressive_Muscle_Relaxation.pdf
(Book)HypnotherapyanExploratoryCasebookbyMiltonErickson
http://codenlp.ru/books/hypnotherapy.pdf
HowtoPerformSelfHypnosis.(n.d.).RetrievedOctober3,2014,from
http://www.wikihow.com/PerformSelfHypnosis