Hypnosis as a natural cure for insomnia

The enormous sale of sleeping pills in this country indicates the huge number of people troubled with this condition. Such sedative pills are manufactured by the billions, their sale being entirely unregulated in many states. Instead of this, we can offer this information under this challenging statement: hypnosis can be a cure for insomnia.

 lnsomnia ranges in degree from an occasional episode due to worry, overeating or change in sleeping habits to the insomniac condition-a neurosis with insomnia as the chief symptom displayed. Some who may suffer to a marked extent are merely victims of a bad habit and perhaps autosuggestion.

 But insomnia may have an organic genesis as well as a psychologic. There may be a lesion of the sleep-producing centers of the brain. Inflammatory or toxic conditions of the body may be responsible. Boils or any painful condition may result in wakefulness, and extreme fatigue may have the same effect.

 The pattern of sleep is largely a matter of habit. When habit patterns are upset, sleep becomes difficult, as is often seen when one makes a trip or sleeps in a strange bed. A pre-occupied or worried mind, and sometimes nervousness, tends to keep one awake and disturbed emotions produce the same result.

   When insomnia results from a neurosis, hypnotherapy is conducted as for any other neurosis. The condition may be difficult to relieve, owing to strong resistances. The insomniac may have a fear of sleep or of being unconscious. Subconsciously he does not want to sleep. Like the hysteric, he is perhaps subconsciously well satisfied with his condition as it elicits sympathy and attention which may be part of his neurotic needs. When an insomnia sufferer cannot be hypnotized, it may be advisable to resort to narcosis; however, this may lead to increased dependence on barbiturates if the patient has been using them for relief.

 Milder cases of insomnia often yield readily to hypnotic treatment. Causes should be learned and dealt with but bad sleeping habits may be replaced through hypnotic suggestion with a pattern of sound normal sleep. Direct posthypnotic suggestion may be given of sound sleep to come at a certain time or whenever the patient goes to bed and is ready for sleep. Depending on circumstances and the sufferer's personality, autohypnosis may be useful for continued treatment. The subject is then taught to hypnotize himself and to pass at will from hypnosis into deep normal sleep. This is often found very effective.

Insomnia and hypnotic laws

 The Law of Concentrated Attention

When spontaneous attention is concentrated on an idea, it tends to realize itself.

The subconscious mind which is sought during hypnosis and this part of the mind is more easily reached if there is no conscious attention. This important point is to be noted in connection with our remarks on attention.

The Law of Reversed Effect

 Whenever anyone is in a state of mind in which he thinks, "I should like to do this but I cannot," he may wish as much as he pleases, but the more he tries, the less he is able.

The result of this Law is seen in the person with insomnia who tries to go to sleep. The harder he tries, the more wide awake he becomes. A similar situation arises in the induction of hypnosis. The more the subject tries to cooperate actively -the harder he tries to become hypnotized-the less chance there is of inducing the trance, sine e passive or directed co-operation is essential.

This law must be remembered when phrasing a suggestion-for instance, in the test where the subject is told to try to open his eyes but that he cannot because they are glued together. The harder he tries, the tighter they stick.

Coué said, "When the imagination and the will are at war, the imagination invariably wins. The force of the imagination is in direct ratio to the square of the will." This is so in principle, although it is not apparent how the mathematical relationship was figured.

Suggestion and insomnia

Like Baudouin and Coué, Frederick Pierce made an extensive study of suggestion and added another principle termed The Law of Dominant Effect. An idea always tends to-wards realization, according to Pierce. At any given time there is available in the brain only a certain amount of energy which is always attracted to the strongest emotional wish-feeling then present. Thus, when a person is experiencing the emotion of pleasure and danger intrudes, danger is stronger and subdues the pleasure instinct, which disappears-:instantly if the danger is great. To achieve the greatest result from a suggestion, it must be attached to an emotion of the instinct group having such energy capacity as to surmount any other then likely to be active in the mind. The desire for success is an excellent motivation for use in connection with suggestion.

An emotion can best be aroused by employment of a visual image, a description or a story, emphasizing the content of the emotion rather than the feeling. This is noted, too, by Schilder and Kauders. As they point out, if acceleration of the heart beat is sought, suggestion is strengthened by having the subject visualize some terrifying concept. For overcoming insomnia, a visual image of being asleep combined with a suggestion to go to sleep helps to bring realization of that state.

The functioning of suggestion can be compared to the cutting of a sound track on a phonograph record. With the proper presentation of a suggestion, a deeper track is cut and acceptance becomes more certain. Actually the correct presentation of a suggestion causes a reorganization of thoughts and emotions which leads to a more ready acceptance of the idea. All human emotions, such as anger, fear, anxiety, disgust, love, hunger, serve to influence the mind. All are potent in result. Hence a greater effect can be obtained by combining suggestion with an emotion, deepening the impressed idea by stimulating an emotion which will tie in with it.