Hypnosis is used in therapy because it allows direct access to the subconscious mind where all the forcing functions reside. These forcing functions are what cause our problems. Hypnosis itself is an altered state of consciousness, which has some collateral effects, one of these is its usefulness in pain control. These effects are analgesia and anesthesia.  Analgesia is the elimination of pain and anesthesia is the elimination of all sensation.

 The degree to which analgesia and anesthesia occurs is dependent upon the hypnotic trance depth that the subject can reach.  There are many methods of judging trance depth, but the most commonly used are: Davis-Hubbard (30 levels); LeCron-Bordeaux (50 levels); Stanford Scale (12 levels) and the Arons Depth scale (6 levels).  The Arons Depth Scale is used by the NGH and is what I use in my practice. At one time only three levels were considered important, Light/Medium/Deep.  This was found to be inadequate because greater degrees of differentiation were needed to determine levels needed to accomplish dental work, surgery, childbirth and even Regression and Spirit Releasement Therapy.

Under the Arons Depth Scale, analgesia will begin to occur at Stage-4.  This stage is also the beginning of the Amnesic stages.  Subjects will actually forget their name, address, etc.  The subject will not feel pain, but will feel touch.  Stage-4 subjects can undergo dental work and most minor surgery without discomfort.

Stage-5 is the beginning of somnambulism and complete anesthesia.  The subject will feel neither pain nor touch.  Positive hallucinations, where the subject sees things that are not there, will also occur at this stage.  Stage-6 subjects experience profound somnambulism, anesthesia and negative hallucinations, where they will not see or hear things that actually are there.  Beyond Stage-6 are the Hypnotic Coma which is now called “Ultra-Depth” or the Esdaile Level.

Surgery can be performed without discomfort in Stage-5 and up level subjects.  Dr. Esdaile, a British surgeon, performed thousands of major surgeries on patients in India in the 1800’s when he noted that patients under chemical anesthesia had a very high mortality rate.  Under hypnotic anesthesia, the mortality rate was very greatly reduced.

Not everyone can reach the Stage-5 trance depth. In my practice, it is about 70%.   Everyone has a trance depth that they can reach, and this depth is not usually reached during the first few hypnotic episodes. It can take up to 12 hypnotic episodes to reach maximum depth. These episodes may consist of self-hypnosis as well as external hypnosis. I know people who quite easily have root canals under self-hypnosis. I have read and heard about people who have had open-heart surgery under hypnosis.  Surgeons are beginning to take note of hypnotic anesthesia because of patients who cannot tolerate chemical anesthesia. 

Fortunately, much hypnotherapy can be done on subjects in the very light stages (Stages-1-3) and at least 95% of all people can easily obtain these depths. The only people who cannot be hypnotized are: Idiots (IQ under 70); Psychotics (with Psychotics we often cannot find a reality to work in) and those who have fear of hypnosis. This is because all hypnosis is self-hypnosis and you won’t do something to yourself if you are afraid of it. In hypnosis, you are always in control. If you want out, just think about it and you are out. It is that easy.  Isn’t it wonderful that accomplished hypnotherapists can accomplish miracles with such a simple modality.

Dr. Skillas is a Board Certified Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist and Certified National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) Hypnotherapy Instructor. Call 404-252-4540 for details.