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Reversing Rogue Trances: The Dehypnosis of the Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered, and Befuddled

Richard P. Kluft, MD, PhD

Recent research and a review of classic studies reveals that unwanted effects of hypnosis, especially those associated with failed or incomplete realerting, are more common than has been generally appreciated. Newer approaches to assessing alertness, such as the Howard Alterness Scale (2008), have demonstrated that many subjects who appear realerted and believe themselves to be completely out of hypnosis in fact are experiencing residual trance phenomena, and actually are in unrecognized states of alert hypnosis. Further, the study of over 30 colleagues who have experienced unwanted phenomena during workshop hypnosis, phenomena which may develop into serious adverse effects, demonstrates that over 90% are able to hide both their initial and increasing distress. Only the problems of those who are surprised by their experiences or completely overwhelmed become obvious to others, and 100% of a series of ASCH/SCEH members stated that they would hide rather than report any psychological distress they experienced in workshop settings. Therefore, the safety of hypnosis would be much improved by mastering how to identify residual trance phenomena and a repertoire of techniques to effect dehypnosis in difficult situations. This workshop will teach participants how to use the Howard Alterness Scale and how to apply 15 strategies for realerting those whose trances resist initial dehypnosis efforts.

Most negative effects of hypnosis are associated with failed or incomplete dehypnosis. Therefore, the identification and resolution of such situations will enhance the safety and effectiveness of hypnosis in both workshop and clinical settings. But it is very difficult to identify residual trance elements in subjects who appear alert and represent themselves to be alert. The practitioner who learns to benchmark a subject's baseline prehypnotic alertness with the Howard Scale will be able to detect any failure to return to the benchmarked alert state, and will know which subjects require further interventions to help them become completely alter. Mastering 15 approaches to resolve these residual trance elements will equip workshop faculty members and clinicians to resolve the residual trance elements which they identify, and provide them with valuable tools to address more obvious rogue trances; i.e., those "stuck" in hypnosis.