Editorial

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis,  Jan 2003  by Frederick, Claire

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As we look at this issue of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, there can be no doubt that we are in the twenty-first century. Each article here in some way reflects something of the dramatic shifts that are taking place in our scientific world. We should not be surprised to see questions, discoveries and controversies reflected here as they have always been party and parcel of the history of science. This issue opens with a challenging piece of research on the effects of hypnosis via the hypothalamopituitary-adrenal axis on specific cytokine secretion by T-cell subsets. Gary Wood and his co-investigators at the University of Southern California also detail the panoply of procedures they used. This is most important for anyone who wishes to replicate this project. We are delighted to be able to share this significant work with our readers.

In similar twenty-first century fashion we take another step into the world of possible relationships between therapeutic hypnosis and genomic expressions with Ernest Rossi. He can be one of the more controversial figures in hypnosis today as he stretches out into the new psychobiology with his intriguing questions and speculative syntheses. Rossi's important role is not to give us answers, for his conjectures and wonderings are zooming far in advance of what is known (as he reminds us). His central role, rather, is to ask us to get into new arenas, to step out of our boxes, and to stand with wonder, curiosity, and amazement before the "Copernican revolution," the paradigm shifts that are occurring with our growing knowledge about cellular memory, genomic expression, and the plasticity of cells.

We also find controversy in the form of a treatment approach for substance abuse within this volume. Bart Walsh has taken a courageous stance in presenting the Utilization Sobriety method for the treatment of substance abuse. This method relies heavily on what we already know about the mind-body relationship and the power of clinical hypnosis to ignite deep unconscious healing in ways that can appear to be paradoxical. How many readers will use his method? What will they discover? What will the "Substance Abuse community" think about it? We wonder how the scientific hypnosis community could collect clinical efficacy data about such a method. In the information age it seems like a possible project.

Inspired by the growing (and scientifically buttressed) practice of facilitating procedures by helping patients produce and utilize self-guided imagery, Philip Shenefelt reviews the literature for such interventions and shares with us both the details of a case in which the patient was helped to use self-guided imagery that allowed her to tolerate a procedure she feared. He has also supplied his scripts for helping patients who are anxious or uncomfortable during dermatologic procedures.

Shirley McNeal breaks new ground in hypnotically facilitated psychotherapy as she presents the first case in which Ego State Therapy is used for the successful treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She considers the "narcissistic spectrum" and shares case material that both reflects the psychodynamics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the helpfulness of Ego State Therapy in the resolution of a character disorder. McNeal has advanced the literature on developmental repair and hypnosis with this unique article.

In this issue Julie Linden reminds us that the more things change, the more they remain the same. She brings us two enchanting tales of enchantment: play therapy with two children that is notable for its metaphorical language. She takes the reader through the world of archetypes and assists our understandings of how they can be healing. She concludes by posing a question that is most important. Is this kind of play therapy hypnosis? In an age where debates concerning the nature of hypnosis continue to be as be vigorous, if not heated, as they were in the previous, century Linden tells us what she thinks and does so in a succinct way that kindles our own thoughts about a topic that is as lively in this century as it was in the last.

In one of our attempts to join the twenty-first century on a practical level, the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis is now accepting online submissions of material for consideration and utilizing an online review process whenever possible. Currently we are using rather old fashioned (twentieth century) ways to do this. In the future, we hope to be able to allow direct web site submission.

Claire Frederick, Scientific Editor

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