International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis - E-Lib FK UWKS

104 INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS
have impetigo she is half-convinced. After two re-enactments of this scene I get
the best of it); she caresses without fear the imaginary child. The sensitivity of the
left eye reappears without dif®culty, and when I wake her up, Marie sees clearly
with the left eye' pp. 436±440).
Contemporary examples also demonstrate the intentional hypnotic reconstruction
of memory. Baker & Boaz 1983), for instance, reported the hypnotic treatment
of a 30-year-old woman's severe dental phobia. During hypnotic regression, she
described being taken to the hospital for a tooth extraction at 9 years of age and
becoming terror stricken during the procedure; she could not recall being
comforted by anyone. The clinician suggested that as the client thought about being
taken into the operating room, she would remember the doctor holding her and
stroking her forehead and telling her that she would not be afraid. The client said
that she could hear the doctor comforting her, and subsequently reported that her
fear was diminished as she re-experienced going into the operating room. Asecond
session involved hypnotic age regression, and repetition of the suggestion that the
doctor was comforting her; again, the client reported reduction of her anxiety.
During follow-up, she recalled the implanted material as original memory, without
awareness of either the construction of the suggested pseudomemory or the trauma
associated with the original memory. Thus, the use of hypnosis assisted in the
creation of a new memory. The client became committed to the accuracy of the
memory to the extent that the constructed events were indistinguishable from
the original event and integrated into the understanding and knowledge that the
client developed about herself.
Returning to the issue of recovered memory of childhood abuse, Smith 1996)
presented the case of `Cindy' whom he successfully treated by helping her to
recover and deal with an apparent memory of being abused by neighbours during
childhood. Cindy presented with serious depression, suicidal ideation, and obsessional
behaviour; even after admission to a psychiatric hospital, her treatment
progressed with no apparent improvement. Although Cindy could recall a college
rape incident and an abortion two years later, she had no memories of childhood
abuse. However, the referring psychiatrist suspected that some traumatic sexual
event may have occurred in childhood. To explore this, and to help Cindy access
and master her emotions about present and past experiences, Smith introduced
hypnosis into the treatment programme. Across a number of sessions, Cindy was
hypnotically age regressed to childhood; during a regression to 8 years of age, she
recalled being invited to a neighbour's house, told to undress, encouraged to touch
herself and another girl, being fondled by a male neighbour, and having photos
taken. She also recalled similar events from 12 or 13 years of age that involved
being threatened with a knife. The recall of these events helped her to make sense
of the emotions associated with those events, and in her view helped her to
understand some of her current problems. By the end of treatment, Cindy's overall
functioning had improved substantially and these treatment gains were maintained
at a 5-year follow-up.