Going Under Hypnosis Before Going into Surgery
Turns out that hypnosis, once thought to be a hocus-pocus parlor trick, may now be considered a legitimate surgical tool
SUBSCRIBE TO 60-Second Mind
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath…
Imagine you are on a beach, hear the waves.
You are feeling very relaxed, very sleepy…
Hey wait. Not so fast.
I mean, you don’t want to fall into a hypnotic state just anywhere, right?
Interestingly, research published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows there might be one place where the magic of hypnosis pays off: on the operating table.
The clinical study showed that women who went under hypnosis just before breast cancer surgery reported less pain, nausea, fatigue and emotional stress. More surprising, they required less anesthetic during surgery.
Psychologists hypnotized the patients for 15 minutes. Subjects were asked to close their eyes and imagine each muscle relaxing, as they were guided to their “special place”. The idea is that hypnosis redirects the patients' focus so deeply that they don’t feel the pain as much.
Hypnosis also led to less time in the O.R. which led to a surprising cost savings of about $700 per patient.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
