THE SCIENCE BEHIND HYPNOSIS

Hypnotherapy, or the use of hypnosis to help patients change their behavioral patterns or emotional states, can be difficult to understand. At times, it can seem like magic. Indeed, the use of hypnosis in performance has done a disservice to a treatment method that is actually scientifically sound and has been officially recognized as an effective treatment technique by both the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association since 1950.

In a recent study, researchers reviewed the MRI scans of 24 patients, 12 who were easily hypnotized and 12 who were not. The study revealed that while all subjects had similar activity in the part of the brain that is used when idle, the easily hypnotizable subjects had more activity in the parts of the brain that control decision-making and prioritization.

Scientists are optimistic that the research can lead to improvements in the accessibility and effectiveness of hypnotherapy. According to one doctor, at least 25% of his patients that wanted hypnotherapy were unable to be hypnotized. Hopefully, this research will change all that.

The supervised detoxification and residential treatment program at Asana Recovery utilizes a wide variety of different therapy options in order to ensure that the unique and specific needs of each individual patient can be met effectively. Call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more about our facilities and find out whether our comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment program is right for you.