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Global Health Econ Sustain Hypnosis: Refiguring health care practice

6.1. Misconception about efficacious use not precipitate a waking or trance state of hypnosis and

The use of hypnosis in treatment in health care requires that thereby maintains the everyday sense of judgment and
patient acquires knowledge about themselves, others, and/ thus the waking state of/by oneself and/or of/by another.
or the physical environment, given that such knowledge is Accordingly, the occurrence of the trance and waking state
necessarily multidisciplinary (including interdisciplinary), of hypnosis cannot be prevented: Put differently, it can only
as distinct from unidisciplinary in nature, and is the be continued, discontinued, or precipitated, and this with,
reason that its efficacious use in health care requires its or without, awareness, thereof. In its utilization, hypnosis
multidisciplinary, and not unidisciplinary, use. is also free of content.
Given the nature and quality of knowledge in 7.1.2. Content-free
multidisciplinary (including interdisciplinary) health Although hypnosis entails suggestion, its occurrence is not
care – about the human anatomy, physiology, mind, and determined by the nature (i.e., content) of the suggestion
interaction (others and/or environment) and, in the case per se, but rather the timing (i.e., how or process) of the
of illness or disease, the treatment, thereof – Munro (1917) suggestion, that is, suggestion when everyday judgment is
advocated that the efficacious use of hypnosis in health suspended. That its occurrence is not determined by the
care necessarily required its multidisciplinary use. nature of the suggestion, itself, is the reason hypnosis is – a
Consideration will now be given to what can be learned process (Bateson, 1972; Phipps, 2019a; Vorster, 2003; 2011;
about the possible utilization of hypnosis in health care Watzlawick et al., 1967; 1974; Watzlawick & Weakland,
and, therein, the possible advancement of the practice of 1977) that is – content-free.
multidisciplinary health care, itself. Whereas the nature (i.e., content) of the suggestion

7. Utilization of hypnosis: Refiguring the does not determine the occurrence of hypnosis, it does
practice of multidisciplinary health care determine its possible beneficence and non-maleficence.
In understanding how hypnosis may be utilized to 7.1.3. Knowledge
promote the practice of multidisciplinary health care, a Hypnosis, as noted previously, can effect rapid, profound
comprehensive examination of the principles deriving learning. The reason for this is that, in hypnosis, the
from the foregoing discussion is well beyond the scope of person(s) can acquire information or learn about
this discussion. Therefore, only a few essential principles themselves, others, and/or the physical environment
will be identified here as they refer to, and beginning with, that enables them to interact more effectively – and,
the phenomenon of hypnosis in general, followed by its thus, adapt and evolve within their (physical and/or
utilization in multidisciplinary health care, and lastly its social) environment. A caveat, though, is that it is the
utilization in psychology, that is, psychotherapy. accuracy or inaccuracy of this acquired information

7.1. Hypnosis in general that either increases or decreases their ability to perceive
more accurately, themselves, others, and/or the physical
7.1.1. Utilization environment and, thereby, enabling them to interact
As is evident from the foregoing discussion – that either more or less effectively within their (physical and
human communication necessarily involves two aspects social) environment both now and – should a similar
of communication simultaneously, namely, report such interaction, foreseeable or unforeseeable, arise – in
(content) and command or suggestion (relationship) – the future. Put differently, therefore, it is the nature of the
communication necessarily incurs suggestion and, given suggestion that determines the possible beneficence and
that it is not possible to not communicate, it is similarly non-maleficence of the occurrence of hypnosis. Therefore,
not possible to not suggest. The occurrence of suggestion, it is not the occurrence of hypnosis, per se, but rather the
then, cannot be prevented: It can only be utilized in so far occurrence of its utilization in health care, especially, that
as what and how it occurs, including whether it is with, or promotes the beneficence and non-maleficence, thereof.
without, conscious awareness, thereof.
7.2. Utilization in health care
Similarly, hypnosis is a form of suggestion, namely,
the occurrence of a timeous suggestion that precipitates a 7.2.1. Multidisciplinary
trance or waking state of hypnosis of/by oneself and/or of/ Whereas the utilization of hypnosis in health care promotes
by another. This is distinct from waking suggestion, another the beneficence and non-maleficence, thereof, its utilization
form of suggestion, which is the occurrence of suggestion in multidisciplinary – as distinct from (independent,
that, on account of its other/different timeous nature, does uncoordinated) unidisciplinary – health care promotes

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1713