Article on hypnosis and its uses from 1945

Oct 11

Posted in Background

Here’s an interesting thing, on a blog which reproduces articles from old magazines: Do Our Soldiers Fear Hypnosis?

Hypnosis was used to good effect after both world wars and the Korean War for what is now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder but was then referred to by terms such as “shell shock” or “battle fatigue”. The article from 1945 does a good job of outlining the state of the art at the time, debunking the popular myths (which, sadly, are all still with us), and describing hypnoanalysis and post-hypnotic suggestion. As such magazines tend to, it overstates the potential of the latest “scientific breakthroughs”, but it’s more overstatement than inaccuracy; it certainly is possible to help people with PTSD, asthma and anxiety (I’m not sure about epilepsy) using hypnosis.

Our methods have certainly improved in the past 60 years, though:

It’s easy enough to describe the procedure of the hypnotist, which hasn’t varied a great deal since the discovery of the art. Everyone knows how the hypnotist puts the subject in a dimly lighted room, seats him in a comfortable chair, tells him to look fixedly at one object, and then repeats over and over again in a steady monotonous voice the suggestion that he go to sleep.

The work of Dave Elman in the 1960s and others since has given us much better hypnotic induction methods.

The promise of machines to produce hypnosis, mentioned in the article, hasn’t really been fulfilled – there are such machines, but they aren’t more effective than a human voice. I suppose it’s only natural for a magazine called Mechanix Illustrated to be excited about machines, but for therapeutic effects, there’s nothing like contact with a fellow human being.

And for a bit of fun on the same site, have a look at the combination of surprising accuracy and woeful inaccuracy in a 1968 article predicting life in 2008. It’s remarkably correct about computers and communication technology, completely misses the mark on transport, and is sociologically and ecologically unsophisticated:

The housewife simply determines in advance her menus for the week, then slips prepackaged meals into the freezer and lets the automatic food utility do the rest. At preset times, each meal slides into the microwave oven and is cooked or thawed. The meal then is served on disposable plastic plates. These plates, as well as knives, forks and spoons of the same material, are so inexpensive they can be discarded after use.

Sadly, another prediction has also failed to materialize: “Heart disease has virtually been eliminated by drugs and diet.” Overestimating human rationality is the great failing of popular futurism.

And we’re nowhere near this one, though some progress has been made:

No need to worry about failing memory or intelligence either. The intelligence pill is another 21st century commodity. Slow learners or people struck with forgetfulness are given pills which increase the production of enzymes controlling production of the chemicals known to control learning and memory. Everyone is able to use his full mental potential.

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