| As a clinical hypnotherapist, I occasionally receive | | | | case. An example of a presuppositional question |
| requests from my clients to help them remember | | | | might be, "Where did he touch you?" when it hasn't |
| something they've forgotten, or to help them forget | | | | been established that the client was touched at all. A |
| something they no longer wish to remember. It's not | | | | more neutral question would be "And then what |
| always possible or advisable to fulfill these requests. | | | | happened?" |
| The idea of using hypnotherapy to manipulate | | | | Careless wording in hypnotherapy may lead to a |
| memory is more complex than most people realize. | | | | phenomenon called "false memory." False memory |
| The general public seems to have much confusion on | | | | occurs when the client produces a memory of |
| the subject. I'd like to clear that confusion with this | | | | something that did not happen, and believes it to be |
| article. | | | | true, especially since it emerged during hypnosis. Just |
| Remembering | | | | because a memory emerges in hypnosis, does not |
| First, let's talk about whether hypnosis can facilitate | | | | make it true. Some clients are very compliant in |
| memory. People want to remember things they have | | | | hypnosis and are likely to go along with leading |
| forgotten for a number of often legitimate reasons. | | | | instructions and presuppositional questions, producing |
| Here are some reasons I've heard:oPeople want to | | | | inaccurate recall. Even with the most scrupulous |
| remember where they left some item that they | | | | instructions and questions, false memories can |
| cannot find.oPeople want to search through their past | | | | emerge. Sometimes clients want to remember |
| to discover the original cause of seemingly inexplicable | | | | something so badly that the mind actually fabricates |
| and troubling emotions, thought patterns, or | | | | a memory to satisfy the desire. A hypnotherapist |
| behaviors. This is often the case when people | | | | should never vouch for the accuracy of truthfulness |
| suspect they may have suppressed memories of | | | | of a memory that a client produces through |
| childhood abuse, or when people want to explore | | | | hypnotherapy. |
| "past lives". Many believe that by uncovering the | | | | In the case of remembering events that may |
| "cause" of the problems, they will be "cured" or at | | | | constitute the origin of troubling behaviors, thoughts |
| least they will understand themselves more | | | | or emotions, there are additional considerations. First, |
| fully.oPeople want to remember what happened | | | | when no memory emerges, it doesn't mean nothing |
| when they have a "gap" in time. For example, during | | | | happened, and it doesn't mean the individual cannot |
| a fever, or while inebriated, or under the effects of | | | | change. People make significant changes in their lives |
| certain drugs, people may lose memory. When they | | | | without always understanding the origins of their |
| recover their senses, they might wonder what | | | | problems. Second, human problems might result from |
| happened while their minds were incapacitated.oIn | | | | other factors, not just past events. Biology, cultural |
| legal cases, people may want to remember the | | | | influences, brain chemistry, and genetics can play a |
| details of a crime they have witnessed, in order to | | | | role. Third, sometimes the basis of the problem is an |
| give a more accurate report to the police or more | | | | omission--and no memory exists for something that |
| complete testimony to the courts. In legal cases, | | | | didn't happen. A lack of validation and affection can |
| forensic hypnotherapy is often employed by | | | | be as emotionally damaging to a child as criticism and |
| hypnotherapists specifically trained in eliciting | | | | belittling. |
| information for legal purposes. | | | | Finally, when it comes to lost memory, perhaps it is a |
| Can hypnosis really help in these kinds of cases? The | | | | survival mechanism that the mind can mercifully block |
| answer is "Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no." | | | | out a memory of trauma or tragedy. I recently met |
| It is a myth that the human brain stores every | | | | a man who asked my professional opinion about this. |
| memory of everything that has ever occurred to the | | | | His niece was assaulted in her home by an intruder, |
| individual. There is no scientific way to prove that | | | | who beat her severely. After months of medical care |
| every memory is stored intact for a lifetime. It is far | | | | and recovery, she is doing well, with no memory of |
| more likely and logical to conclude that the brain | | | | what happened that night. Her psychiatrist concluded |
| maintains memories based on whether they are | | | | that it is unnecessary for her to recall the trauma, |
| recent, useful and frequently recalled, and eventually | | | | and to insist that she do so would be unkind and |
| deletes those that are not. This theory makes sense | | | | perhaps unethical. Did I agree? Under the |
| due to the fact that most of us forget far more | | | | circumstances, yes. |
| than we remember. It would simply overload the | | | | Forgetting |
| brain to have to remember every detail of every | | | | Next, allow me to discuss how hypnosis can facilitate |
| waking moment of our lives. | | | | forgetting and the ethical considerations involved. |
| Another myth is that memories are stored accurately | | | | Over the years I've had a few clients tell they |
| and intact. Memory erodes and changes over time. | | | | wanted hypnotherapy in order to forget something |
| Memory is almost never completely accurate. The | | | | painful. It can be done. Again, hypnotizability, |
| mind retains bits and pieces of memories and then | | | | motivation, and rapport are all factors in how well |
| fills in the rest. Memory blurs and changes over time. | | | | someone can be hypnotized and how completely one |
| The ability to accurately remember is affected by | | | | will follow the instruction to forget something. |
| many variables, such as the meaning of the event, | | | | Stage hypnotists often give their volunteers |
| and your mental and emotional state at the time. You | | | | instructions for temporary amnesia--say, failure to |
| might recall your vacation in vivid detail, if it was just | | | | recall one's address, or middle name, or the number |
| last week. How well do you remember a vacation | | | | between six and eight. As long as the instruction is |
| you took ten years ago? Just because someone | | | | not threatening, the hypnotized individual will often |
| "remembers" an event via hypnosis doesn't mean the | | | | comply. At the end of the show, the stage hypnotist |
| memory is accurate or complete. | | | | always tells the volunteer that he or she will once |
| Hypnotherapy may or may not be effective in | | | | more recall the information. |
| retrieving a memory. One person may recover a | | | | Hypnotherapy is different. The goal is not to |
| memory in just one session of hypnotherapy, while | | | | entertain, but to change people's lives for the better. |
| another may require several sessions. The ability to | | | | I've had mainly two types of requests for forgetting. |
| recover a memory in hypnosis depends on a number | | | | One I often encounter is from someone who has |
| of factors. One factor is the client's degree of | | | | just gone through a painful break-up. One man told |
| hypnotizability. Hypnotizability (the ability to access | | | | me that the thought of his former girlfriend caused |
| the hypnotic state) varies among individuals. Another | | | | him so much anguish that he wanted to totally erase |
| factor is the motivation of the client. A client may be | | | | her memory from his mind. I've also met some |
| less amenable to hypnosis if he or she feels | | | | people who have told me they want to forget that |
| conflicted about recovering the memory. For | | | | they ever smoked, so they can stop smoking and |
| example, suppose an individual want to remember | | | | never be tempted so smoke again. |
| the details of early childhood abuse at the hands of | | | | In every case, I have refused on ethical grounds. |
| an unknown assailant, and at the same time, | | | | Here's why. The mind stores information like a |
| suspects or fears that the assailant may be revealed | | | | database stores data. Much of the information is |
| as a loved family member. A person wanting to | | | | cross-linked to other pieces of information. Delete |
| reveal what happened during a "gap" in time may | | | | one category of information and other, cross linked |
| worry that he or she will remember something | | | | information becomes incomplete and confusing. |
| embarrassing or shameful. | | | | Associative memories may be lost as well. Suppose |
| Another factor is the skill of the hypnotherapist. | | | | Joe does forget Jane via hypnosis. What happens |
| Hypnotherapists do best when they can put their | | | | when he encounters her one day on the street and |
| clients at ease, adjust procedures to the needs and | | | | she begins to talk about her memories of their |
| preferences of the client, and maintain the flexibility | | | | relationship? What happens when he finds a card or |
| to work with a wide variety of client personalities. | | | | letter in his drawer with her signature at the bottom? |
| Hypnotherapists must also have a repertoire of | | | | Suppose Sam forgets he was ever a smoker, but |
| trance-induction methods so that if a client is not | | | | can't account for the lighters in his desk and |
| responsive to one method, another method can be | | | | briefcase. Will Joe and Sam think they are going |
| used. | | | | crazy? |
| Finally, when it comes to recovering memories, the | | | | It's not a good idea to purposely remove memories, |
| hypnotherapist must be careful with wording the | | | | even painful ones. Besides, there are other ways to |
| instructions and questions to the client in trance. The | | | | get over a break-up or stop smoking. It's still possible |
| hypnotherapist should make every effort to avoid | | | | for hypnotherapy to help in both cases. |
| "leading" instructions or "presuppositional" questions. | | | | Conclusion |
| Let's say, for example, that during hypnotic | | | | Tampering with memory via hypnosis is a delicate |
| regression, the client reports a memory of being in a | | | | and uncertain business. There are no guarantees. |
| room with an adult and feeling afraid. At the point, it | | | | Please understand this when you go looking for a |
| would be inappropriate for the hypnotherapist to say, | | | | hypnotherapist to help you remember something. |
| "Give me the name of this man" The instruction | | | | Additionally, for your own piece of mind, don't ask a |
| assumes that the person is a man, and that the client | | | | hypnotherapist help you to forget something of vital |
| should know his name, when perhaps neither is the | | | | significance in your life. |