Hypnosis, hypersensitivity and mood: some interactions between mind and body

Abstract

Hypnosis has been used as a treatment modality to change physiological functioning almost since it was discovered. Particularly, it has been used in the treatment of psychosomatic illnesses. A series of studies was planned to explore the use of hypnosis within the context of recent advances in the field of psychoneuroimmunology. Type I hypersensitivity reactions were chosen as indicators of immunological functioning in allergy. Study One: This study using modern methodology and statistical analyses set out to test the hypothesis that it was possible to decrease reactions to histamine by hypnotic suggestion. Five subjects, all asthmatic and untrained in hypnosis, were given three hypnotic sessions where they were asked to control their reactions to histamine. These sessions were to be compared to three baseline sessions. A decrease in reactions was noted on the second administration of histamine calling into question studies that relied on a two session comparison. On subsequent sessions much unexplained variance was encountered, with the day upon which the sessions took place contributing significant amounts of the variance, giving rise to questions about what could cause these day to day changes. Study Two: Given the results of Study One, a method was subsequently devised in which serial, five-fold dilutions of allergen or histamine were administered to the subject's forearm with a standard Osterballe-type prick lancetter and reactions were recorded photographically on slide film. Areas were determined by computer-assisted image analysis. Seven healthy volunteers were tested for 8 sessions (testing included Profile of Moods Scale and Brief Mood Rating questionnaires, blood pressure, pulse and skin temperature). Mean wheal size and titration gradient data from allergen reactions correlated strongly with the psychological factor of liveliness but not irritability, although no manipulation of mood was involved. A stepwise regression analysis accounted for 61% of the variance of the allergen data, and 31% was from the liveliness factor alone. Thus, the more lively the subject felt, the smaller was the allergic response. The third study looked at a sample of 117 adult New Zealand subjects who volunteered to be tested with the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (Form A). 38 of these people also were tested on a second test used to assess hypnotisability, the Creative Imagination Scale. Results indicated that the CIS can be administered with a minimum of preamble negating the value of special "think-with" instructions. It appears from the evidence in this study that both the CIS and the HGSHS:A measure characteristics that are stable over the years since the tests were first published. Reassuringly, they both can be used throughout the adult age group, with neither age nor sex testing differentially. The means and standard deviations were found to be similar to those of university aged students from various countries and cultures around the world over the years. The two hypnotisability tests were found to be correlated with each other but on a factor analysis each loaded separately giving evidence that the two tests are assessing different but related abilities. Study Four was an intervention study using 38 subjects who participated in a control session and cognitive-hypnotic intervention session that used the skin test methodology developed in Study Two. When the results of the two sessions were compared, significant decreases were found in the size of the wheals after skin testing with allergen or histamine. The hypnotic method employed in this study used three specific procedures that appear to have contributed to the high success rate: challenge to the assumption that the subject has 'no imagination', self-generated scenes and the entire process had the seriousness removed so there was little or no fear of failure. Again, the significance of mood variables was considerable in ameliorating the skin test responses, and hypnotisability was a significant factor in predicting success at being able to use the intervention. Overall, these four studies have revealed that hypnosis can be used to change at least one aspect of physiological functioning, reactivity to skin tests. Mood variables have emerged as important mediators, with implications that mood should be assessed whenever physiological variables are being measured.