Hypnosis In Contemporary Medicine

The Mayo Clinic is known all over the world and since 1926, its monthly journal “The Mayo Clinic Proceedings” has published many articles covering a range of topics related to science and clinical research, laboratory medicine and physicians worldwide contribute to its writings.

Dr James Stewart, M.D., from the Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida wrote an article called Hypnosis In Contemporary Medicine, which was published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2005. This article is still one of the most comprehensive articles on the subject of medical uses of hypnosis and evaluates the clinical trials involving hypnosis.

Dr Stewart has described the article content as:

To determine whether hypnosis has a role in present-day medicine, this review evaluates relevant clinical trials involving hypnosis. Some important case reports and reviews are included to give insight into the current and past practice of hypnosis in medicine by professionals. This review pertains to the use of hypnosis for conditions not believed to be primarily psychological (e.g., depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorders, and phobias), although the potential for a psychological basis exists for many of these conditions. The intent of this review is to stimulate greater interest in and understanding of the art and science of hypnosis.

This article will be of great interest to both the public and hypnotherapists alike and is well worth a read.