Whe
n
I
learne
d
hypnosi
s
a
s
a
residen
t
man
y
year
s
ag
o
I
wa
s
skeptica
l
abou
t
it
s
valu
e
i
n
psychiatric
evaluatio
n
an
d
treatment
.
Bu
t
i
t
ha
s
begu
n
t
o
com
e
int
o
it
s
ow
n
i
n
recen
t
years
,
an
d
i
s
th
e
metho
d
of
choic
e
i
n
th
e
managemen
t
o
f
man
y
psychopathologies
.
O
f
course
,
a
s
wit
h
othe
r
methods
,
success depend
s
no
t
onl
y
o
n
th
e
skil
l
o
f
th
e
practitione
r
bu
t
also
,
t
o
a
grea
t
degree
,
o
n
th
e
dispositio
n
o
f
the
patient
.
Thus
,
th
e
hypnotizabilit
y
o
f
th
e
subjec
t
i
s
routinel
y
determine
d
befor
e
treatmen
t
i
s
initiated.
Th
e
Stanfor
d
tes
t
i
s
use
d
mos
t
ofte
n
fo
r
thi
s
assessment
.
I
t
take
s
les
s
tha
n
a
n
hou
r
an
d
provide
s
a
measur
e
o
f
th
e
patient'
s
abilit
y
t
o
concentrate
,
hi
s
responsiveness
,
imagination
,
an
d
willingnes
s
to
cooperate
.
Subject
s
ar
e
rate
d
o
n
a
scal
e
o
f
zer
o
t
o
twelve
,
th
e
highe
r
number
s
indicatin
g
th
e
greatest
hypnoti
c
susceptibility
.
Psychiatri
c
patients
,
a
s
wel
l
a
s
th
e
genera
l
public
,
averag
e
abou
t
seve
n
o
n
this
test
.
I
hav
e
know
n
a
fe
w
tens
.
pro
t
obtaine
d
a
scor
e
o
f
twelve.
M
y
purpos
e
i
n
usin
g
hypnosi
s
i
n
prot'
s
cas
e
wa
s
t
o
uncove
r
th
e
traumati
c
even
t
whic
h
ha
d
le
d
t
o
his
hysterica
l
amnesi
a
an
d
delusion
.
Whe
n
ha
d
thi
s
inciden
t
occurred
?
M
y
bes
t
gues
s
wa
s
Augus
t
17
,
1985,
approximatel
y
fou
r
year
s
an
d
eleve
n
month
s
earlier.
Th
e
pla
n
wa
s
simpl
e
enough
:
t
o
tak
e
pro
t
bac
k
t
o
hi
s
childhoo
d
an
d
carefull
y
brin
g
hi
m
u
p
t
o
th
e
time
o
f
th
e
putativ
e
traumati
c
event
.
I
n
thi
s
wa
y
I
hope
d
no
t
onl
y
t
o
determin
e
th
e
circumstance
s
tha
t
le
d
to
whateve
r
catastroph
e
ha
d
apparentl
y
befalle
n
him
,
bu
t
als
o
t
o
ge
t
som
e
informatio
n
o
n
th
e
background
an
d
characte
r
o
f
m
y
patient.
PRO
T
seeme
d
t
o
b
e
i
n
goo
d
spirit
s
whe
n
h
e
arrive
d
i
n
m
y
examinin
g
roo
m
and
,
whil
e
h
e
wen
t
to wor
k
o
n
a
pomegranate
,
w
e
chatte
d
abou
t
Waldor
f
salad
s
an
d
th
e
infinit
e
numbe
r
o
f
possible
combination
s
o
f
frui
t
juices
.
Whe
n
h
e
ha
d
finishe
d
hi
s
snac
k
I
turne
d
o
n
th
e
tap
e
recorde
r
an
d
aske
d
him
t
o
relax.
"
I
a
m
completel
y
relaxed,
"
h
e
replied.
"Good
.
Al
l
right
.
I'
d
lik
e
yo
u
t
o
focu
s
you
r
attentio
n
o
n
tha
t
littl
e
whit
e
spo
t
o
n
th
e
wal
l
behin
d
me." H
e
di
d
this
.
"Jus
t
sta
y
relaxed
,
breath
e
deeply
,
i
n
an
d
out
,
slowly
,
i
n
an
d
out
,
good
.
No
w
I'
m
goin
g
to
coun
t
fro
m
on
e
t
o
five
.
A
s
th
e
number
s
increas
e
yo
u
wil
l
fin
d
yoursel
f
becomin
g
mor
e
an
d
mor
e
drowsy,
you
r
eyelid
s
becomin
g
heavie
r
an
d
heavier
.
B
y
th
e
tim
e
I
ge
t
t
o
fiv
e
yo
u
wil
l
b
e
i
n
a
dee
p
sleep
,
bu
t
you
wil
l
b
e
abl
e
t
o
hea
r
everythin
g
I
say
.
Understand?"