Synopses & Reviews
An oil-rig worker is hypnotized by another doctor to break his cigarette habit, but instead develops a false pregnancy. A woman with a morbid fear of flying recalls only under hypnosis that she was once a budding pilot during WWII. A placid mother of seven goes after her son with a butcher knife, and when analyzed reveals the many multiple personalities hidden within. These and other stories vividly illustrate why hypnotherapy has become one of the most exciting emerging fields in psychiatry. Like Oliver Sacks before her, Deirdre Barrett explores the boundaries of human consciousness through careful, lively reporting of individual cases in her practice.
Dr. Barrett also examines the inherent strengths and limitations of hypnosis and discusses the theory that hypnotherapy may plant false memories in some patients. A final chapter offers advice for those considering hypnotherapy, including ways to tell a credible therapist from a charlatan.