Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

I suffer from chronic pain and my doctor referred me to a pain clinic that uses hypnosis. People at my church believe that hypnosis is bad. Can you help?

Answer

Some fundamental religions do look upon hypnosis as something evil, claiming that it opens the mind to the influence of the devil. Sadly, such beliefs prevent some persons from accessing what can be a very useful tool in a person's battle with chronic pain.

As best I can tell, these negative beliefs originate from some otherwise common misconceptions about hypnosis. Some persons, influenced perhaps by films such as "The Manuchurian Candidate", fear that hypnosis can be used to make a person do something against their will. The reality, however, is that the person being hypnotized maintains control and can even discontinue the trance experience if he or she becomes uncomfortable.

A related misconception is that the unconscious is the doorway for the devil. This seems to be based on the fairly common experience of having disturbing dreams of either violent or sexual nature. Such dreaming, however, is quite normal and should not be taken as literal statements about one's wishes and desires. Dreams should be understood as symbolic.

Hypnosis can be sued as a very effective adjunct in the management of pain. Approaches include the use of hypnosis for relaxation as well as the development of mental imagery which can counteract the negative aspects of pain. Other persons can be helped via hypnosis to distance themselves from their pain. Psychologist Harold Crasilneck of Dallas, Texas has devoted a lifetime to the practice of pain management and has demonstrated again and again the power within the unconscious mind to provide relief pain.

If you have concerns about the use of hypnosis in helping you with pain, ask questions. Ask about procedures. Verify the therapist's credentials. Membership in the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, while not a guarantee, insures you that the therapist has had a high level of training in the use of hypnosis and has been credentialed as competent. Discuss your spiritual concerns as well. If the therapist dismisses them, perhaps you need to work with someone else. However, if the therapist responds to your concerns respectfully and is willing to proceed with hypnosis in a slow cautious manner until you feel more assured about being in control, then I would encourage you to give it a try.

My own personal belief is that the God of my understanding has given us many capabilities to help us deal with many problems and that much of that capability exists within our unconscious minds. Whether through dream work or through the unconscious ability to provide anesthesia, he range of gifts each of us is provided is truly impressive. To provide us with those capabilities and then deem it bad to use them would be a cruel joke, wouldn't it?

03/14/98

Richard B. Patterson is a clinical psychologist in private practice in El Paso, TX. He is the author of three books on psychology and spirituality.