fascinator3@bigpond.com

On 10 Dec 2005 13:36:36 -0800, "Deep Trance" <deeptrance@webtv.net>
wrote:

>
>
>Hannah Schroeter wrote:
>
>>
>> Hello!
>>
>goodgutgut@yahoo.com <goodgutgut@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Now that you are grown up and removed from the source of the abuse,
>have you ever thought that if you could forget the last five years,
>you'd be even better. Or do you think your ongoing improvement
>requires that you remember everyithing? If you can't forgive, isn't it
>better to forget? I actually think that would solve the problems in
>some cases and life would be "lighter."
>>
>Some consider dissociation as spontaneous self-hypnosis to exactly that
>effect. But in the end, many dissociatives who have no/few abuse
>memories have many problems because of the abuse anyway.
>>
>I know that myself. Highly dissociative, very few abuse memories, but
>still trouble.
>>
>The problem with dissociation is that the things aren't gone, just
>separated out in some way.

If you accept classical psychology there is a difference between the
psychological defenses of "repression" and "supression".

"Repression" is a subconscious phenomenon. For instance, if patient
"X" suffers from "claustrophobia" [ a fear of closed places] they may
have been locked in a dark closet when they were a child.

This presents them with a problem: A loved parent has probably caused
them to be locked up, which sort of sets up a love/hate relationship
with the parent responsible. So they try to "resolve" this conflict
by _not_ blaming the parent, but associating the fear of the dark with
small closed spaces. This is repression, and the patient, client, or
subject has absolutely no conscious idea of the origin of the
claustrophobic symptoms.

On the other hand, the conscious mind can also "suppress" the
information. So then the kid knows who is responsible, tries to
avoid thinking about it, but may eventually dislike or even hate the
responsible parent.



> The feelings can be separate from the facts
>in the dissociated memory, which might be either "lost" or may occur
>without feelings attached (I could tell about some kind of abuse I
>suffered and show no feelings about it, just as if I was a news speaker
>telling about somebody else's experiences). And the feelings can occur
>without the "facts" or without images etc. attached.
>>
>Not necessarily an improvement perhaps, in the long term?

Would agree with your estimate. In one way, just a different problem.
Still, generally speaking, it is easier to work through "suppression"
than "repression".

.....Which, unfortunately, can be almost as bad.

>>
>Even if it might've helped me/us survive back then.

Are you talking about siblings or possibly MPD [Multiple Personality
Disorder?]

The latter was once thought rare, but we now know that it is far more
common than previously thought. Can recommend some books if you
like, but rapidly running out of time for this session.

Could I, as a hypnotherapist, tell you to "forget" all your problems?
Sure, just as if you were a smoker could suggest that you would stop
smoking by suggesting that you would become violently nauseated if you
tried to smoke a cigarette.

However, this "aversion therapy " "treatment" wouldn't necessarily
work for everyone. Far better to try to deal with the underlying
addicition and/or anxiety.

Whereas it is possible to induce "memory loss" in a good hypnotic
subject, client, or patient, it is much like using ECT
[Electroconvulsive Therapy] to deal with depression.

The brain works on potentials of a few millionths of a volt, so
applying 60 to 80 volts to the temples of a patient is, IMHO, sort of
like kicking your TV set or computer if it doesn't work. :-)

.....But to answer your question, hypnosis can be used to induce memory
loss, just as it is possible to reformat the hard drive on your home
computer. Whether it is a good idea or not is a different question,
though!


>>
>Kind regards,
>>
>Hannah.
zadoc@invalid.com