5 th May 2004- "The History of Hypnotherapy" by Barnaby Lawrence
This was the Probus Club of Ewell Summer Ladies Lunch, about 65 members and friends attended at the Cuddington Golf Club, where our speaker was Barnaby Lawrence (left) a professionally qualified clinical Hypotherapist. He started his presentation in a light hearted vein and in a very topical
fashion managed to get all the men to vote to join the Boat Trip which our social secretary had been advising the ladies to attend. But he soon moved onwards to the more serious matters of his discipline, outlining the positive aspects.
Barnaby gave us a potted history of the various practices that have been established in many countries over a long period of time. Indeed he stated that the use of hypnosis for healing can be traced back to 3,000 BC and the times of ancient Egypt where the earliest known hypnotic sessions were recorded on stone tablets, ancient writing from Chinese culture and perhaps even the Bible make allusions to the use of these techniques.
In Europe in the 18th century a Viennese physician called Franz Mesmer practised hypnosis using a mixture of conventional medical methods and the use of magnets; he obtained a number of remarkable cures and listed in his first published report, cures for epilepsy, hysteria, and fitful fever. Many of the people who took part in these sessions reported being 'cured' or feeling 'better' and, unsurprisingly, orthodox medical practitioners attacked Mesmer's methods of treatment.
Barnaby then told us about India where James Esdaile made experiments whilst in charge of a hospital, his operations were carried out with only the use of hypnotism techniques - there was no anaesthetic used. Over a three year period Esdaile carried out thousands of painless operations, many of these were major operations and included amputations without any other form of anaesthetic except hypnosis, the introduction of ether and chloroform virtually ended his methods.
In the 19th century, a man called James Braid was to give the practise a new name of hypnotism. The origin of the word comes from the Greek word Hypnos, meaning sleep.
Our speaker highlighted the situation in the later stages of the world wars where soldiers were suffering the traumas which became known as "Shell Shock" which did not respond to traditional medicine, but never the less filled hospital beds. Hence Hypotherapist were given the opportunity to exploit their skills with great results and gradually the medical profession came to accept their contributions. It is interesting that even wars can have a positive side.
Our speaker outlined a theory that the brain is divided into two distinct areas for data storage, part is the "world" image stored from past experiences, likes and dislike by which we form our ideal standard. The other part is the situation database, which is always in communication with the ideal, either excepting or rejecting. Hypnosis is able to separate one from the other and hence influence the other with prejudices. Hence feedback from pain sensors on the body can be reduced if the brain can interrupt the database which should indicate pain, by overriding this with the command to feel no pain.
Hypnotherapy in the 2000s has become accepted as an alternative medicine becoming more accepted by orthodox medicine as a tool that does effect cures in previously incurable cases. Likewise Barnaby said that Hypnotherapy is not an alternative to tradition medicine or treatment or vice versa.
Hypnotherapy is able to effectively cure many problems, e.g. scared of spiders, or snakes, or going outside or even being in confined spaces, hypnotherapy can cure that problem - not for just a week or a month - permanently. Our speaker highlighted the cause can sometimes be attributed to past experience and gave a humorous personal case history involving himself as a baby and his fear of heights.
In the mid 50's support for the teaching of the therapeutic use of hypnosis in medicine finally came from the British Medical Association, and the American Medical Association. Today, an International Society of Hypnosis co-ordinates and assesses standards and practices of professional hypnotists across the world.
Barnaby then gave the fellowship a chance to raise questions of concern, the first being surely the hypnotic spell needs an object such as a silver watch being swung in front of the clients face. The reply being that James Braid a Scottish surgeon working in Manchester found that some experimental subjects could go into a trance if they simply fixated their eyes on a bright object, like a silver watch.
Our speaker said this was true but the principle reasons was that the client became self focused and hence separates the two functions of the brains databases.
Another question, was it really a case of mind over matter, and the answer being yes this was the simple way of explanation but a full understanding of this complex function had not been established.
This was a thought provoking presentation, nicely balanced between, theory, case studies, history, and practical demonstration. For example at one stage all the members and guests were with their eyes shut, with outstretched hand with one hand turned upwards and being verbally convince that this supported a very heavy mass whilst the other was being uplifted by a helium balloon. On opening their eyes the hand holding the load should have been lower than the other should, only each individual knows what happened. Our only regret is the official photographer also had his eyes closed otherwise we may have had some interesting images on this site!
After a vote of thanks from Ken Robinson the membership responded with a hearty round of applause.
Mollie Sullivan responded on behalf of all the ladies present and duly thanked the gentlemen of the Probus Club of Ewell for the lovely lunch and the excellent arrangements under the careful control of Richard Whittington
The President David Wood thanked all those who attended, duplicating the thanks to both the speaker and those who helped in all the arrangement. He thanked all those who had contributed to his charity, for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for which the sum of £175 was raised.
More information about Barnaby Lawrence, just CLICK the left logo.