Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator

YOU ARE GETTING SLEEPY, VERY SLEEPY….THE DANGERS OF HYPNOSIS

October 20th, 2015

42398177_sRecently a court in Florida sided with the families of three students who died after their principal hypnotized them. The principal who was hypnotizing the students to help them deal with such things as test anxiety, trouble concentrating and dealing with pain held no license to practice therapeutic hypnosis. He had been told several times by the district’s school board that he was not to hypnotize students.

The former principal admitted to hypnotizing more than 75 students, staff and others between 2006 and 2011. Among those who were hypnotized, three of those students died in 2011; two from suicide and one was in a fatal car accident after apparently self-hypnotizing to deal with pain from a toothache, a technique the principal had taught the teenager to overcome pain during football games.

In general, hypnosis is usually a benign experience, but there are risks. In this case, I suspect that the posthypnotic effects of suggestion were in play.

Hypnosis is defined in the GOOGLE dictionary as the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover suppressed memories or to allow modification of behavior by suggestion, has been revived but is still controversial.

Hypnosis by a trained professional, who is aware of the possible side effects, is generally safe. Licensed professionals are trained to anticipate, minimize, recognize and treat the occurrence and severity of the side effects. Side effects and complications of hypnosis can include unexpected feelings, unexpected trance-like state, delusional thinking, depression, suicidal thoughts, a crisis of identity, impaired memory and changes in personality. Physical side effects include nausea, dizziness and insomnia.

Hypnosis that is conducted by a trained therapist or health care professional is considered a safe, complementary and alternative medicine treatment. Studies as early as 2005 suggested that hypnotists can strongly influence the behavior of their subjects. I believe that hypnosis does work for certain habit disorders, addictions such as smoking, and possibly compulsions. Hypnosis should only be done by licensed and experienced people, and under no circumstance should anyone, including a high school principal, be doing it.

Parents of student killed in hypnosis scandal speak out
Board OKs settlement over principal who hypnotized students

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.