V. Hypnosis, Biofeedback,

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V. Hypnosis, Biofeedback, Meditation
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A. What is Hypnosis?

• 1. Form of altered consciousness in which people
  become highly suggestible to changes in behavior
  thought
• 2. A hypnotist guides directs person into
  thinking about things he or she is usually
  unaware of
• 3. Hypnosis shifts our perceptions but doesnt
  put people to sleep
• 4. During hypnosis, a person is highly receptive
  responsive to certain internal external
  stimuli
• 5. Relationship between hypnotist participant
  should involve cooperation

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B. Uses of Hypnosis

• 1. Entertainment
• 2. Medical
• 3. Therapeutic
• Posthypnotic amnesia people report forgetting
  events that occurred while they were hypnotized
• Posthypnotic suggestion suggested things for
  their participants to remember/forget or how to
  behave when trance is over
• Hypnotic analgesia reduction in pain reported by
  patients after they have undergone hypnosis

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B. Uses of Hypnosis

• 1. Can be used to reduce smoking/eating improve
  athletic performance
• 2. Age Regressionfocuses on past lives
  (controversial)
• 3. Heightened memory physical/sexual abuse
  crimes (cant use in court)
• 4. Pain reduction phantom limb

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C. Theories of Hypnosis

• 1. Role theory states that hypnosis is not an
  alternate state of consciousness
• Some people are more easily hypnotized than
  others
• People with higher hypnotic suggestibility share
  some characteristics
• Have richer fantasy life
• Follow directions well
• Able to focus intensely on a single task for a
  long period of time
• 2. State theory- points out that hypnosis meets
  some parts of definition for an altered state of
  consciousness
• Become more or less aware of our environments
• Some report dramatic health benefits from hypnosis

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C. Theories of Hypnosis

• 3. Ernest Hilgard explained hypnosis through his
  dissociation theory
• Hypnosis causes us to divide our consciousness
  voluntarily
• One part or level of our consciousness responds
  to suggestions of hypnotist, while another part
  or level retains awareness of reality
• Example He asked hypnotized participants to put
  arm in an ice water bath
• They reported no pain
• However, when Hilgard asked them to lift their
  index finger if any part of them felt pain, most
  participants lifted their finger

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D. Biofeedback

• 1. Technique in which a person learns to control
  his or her internal physiological processes with
  help of feedback
• 2. Feedback makes learning possible
• 3. Uses machines to tell people about very subtle
  moment-to-moment changes in the body
• 4. From this, people can learn to change their
  physiological processes

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E. Meditation

• A person focusing on his or her attention on an
  image or thought with goal of clearing the mind
  producing relaxation or inner peace
• 2. Approaches of meditation
• Transcendental meditation- involves mental
  repetition of a mantra, usually Sanskrit phrase
• Lasts for 15 to 20 minutes
• Mindfulness mediation- was developed from a
  Buddhist tradition
• Focuses on the present moment
• Breath meditation- is a concentration on ones
  respiration
• 3. Been found to help lower blood pressure, heart
  rate, respiration rate