Hypnosis is now being used by doctors, dentists and therapists to help cure or relieve a wide range of illnesses, personality problems and emotional and psychological conditions.

It has been used to treat phobias and many nervous symptoms; the help people give up smoking, alcohol and drugs; to overcome shyness, stammering, uncontrollable blushing, nail biting and certain allergies; to curb weight problems (both obesity and anorexia); to help overcome impotence, frigidity and other sexual difficulties; in dentistry as a substitute to local anaesthetics and to counter needle-phobia, tooth-grinding and excessive salivation; to alleviate pain and insomnia; to achieve relaxation in pregnancy and childbirth; and also in the treatment of behaviour problems and in crime detection.

Originally published in 1981, in this book, the late Dr David Waxman a medically qualified therapist who had practised hypnosis for over twenty years at the time of writing and who had lectured on the subject throughout the world explains exactly what hypnosis is; gives a concise history of its practice; discusses the scientific theories about it and how it is used today; and describes what it can and cannot do and when and how it is best used. "

Daydreaming, our ability to give 'to airy nothing a local habitation and a name', remains one of the least understood aspects of human behaviour. As children we explore beyond the boundaries of our experience by projecting ourselves into the mysterious worlds outside our reach. As adolescents and adults we transcend frustration by dreams of achievement or escape, and use daydreaming as a way out of intolerable situations and to help survive boredom, drudgery or routine. In old age we turn back to happier memories as a relief from loneliness or frailty, or wistfully daydream about what we would do if we had our time over again. Why is it that we have the ability to alternate between fantasy and reality? Is it possible to have ambition or the ability to experiment, create or invent without the catalyst of fantasy? Are sexual fantasies an inherent part of human behaviour? Are they universal, healthy, destructive? Is daydreaming itself destructive? Or is it a force which facilitates change and which can even be harnessed to positive advantage? In this provocative book, originally published in 1975, the product of the previous twenty-five years of research, the author debates the nature and function of daydreaming in the light of his own experiments. As well as investigating what is a normal 'fantasy-life' and outlining patterns and types of daydreaming, he describes the role of daydreaming in schizophrenia and paranoia, examines the fantasies and hallucinations induced by drugs and also the nature of altered states of consciousness in Zen and Transcendental Meditation. Among the many topics covered, he explains how it is possible to help children enlarge their capacity for fantasy, how adults can make positive use of daydreaming and how people on the verge of disturbed behaviour are often unconscious of their own fantasies. Advances in scientific methods and new experimental techniques had made it possible at this time to monitor both conscious daydreaming and sub-conscious fantasies in a way not possible before. Professor Singer is one of the few scientists who have conducted substantial research in this area and it is his belief that the study of daydreaming and fantasy is of great importance if we are to understand the workings of the human mind.

Why is the moving image so important in our lives? What is the link between the psychology of Jung, Freud and films? How do film and psychology address the problems of modernity? Visible Mind is a book about why film is so important to contemporary life, how film affects us psychologically as individuals, and how it affects us culturally as collective social beings. Since its inception, film has been both responsive to historical cultural conditions and reflective of changes in psychological and emotional needs. Arising at the same moment over a century ago, both film and psychoanalysis helped to frame the fragmented experience of modern life in a way that is still with us today. Visible Mind pays attention to the historical context of film for what it can tell us about our inner lives, past and present. Christopher Hauke discusses a range of themes from the perspective of film and analytical psychology, these include: The Face, The Shadow, Narrative and Story, Reality in Film, Cinema and the American Psyche, the use of Movies in the Psychotherapy Session and Archetypal themes in popular film. Unique to Visible Mind, six interviews with top film professionals from different departments both unlocks the door on the role of the unconscious in their creative process, and brings alive the reflexive critical thinking on modernity, postmodernity and Jungian psychology found throughout Visible Mind. Visible Mind is written for academics, filmmakers and students who want to understand what Jung and Freud's psychology can offer on the subject of filmmaking and the creative process, for therapists of any background who want to know more about the significance of movies in their work and for film lovers in general who are curious about what makes movies work.

Investigating the question 'can theology, description of the divine reality, be made truly scientific?', this book addresses logic and human knowledge alongside experimental religion. An important philosophic work by a prolific theologian also known for his later court case regarding conscientious objection, this book describes how it is possible to relate theological theory with religious experience of the divine the way that the sciences relate to human acquaintance with things and people in social experience.

This book looks at dreams from a 21st century perspective. Taking inspiration from Freud 's insights, the contributors pursue psychoanalytic interest into both neuroscience and the modern psychoanalytic consulting room. The chapters cover laboratory research on dreaming alongside the modern clinical use of dreams and link together clinical and empirical research integrating classical ideas with the plurality of psychoanalytic theoretical constructs available to modern researchers. Dreams are created and psychoanalysts writing about dreams have traditionally represented the cutting edge of clinical and theoretical development. This book is no exception to this and many of the contributions, as well as the epistemological positions taken by the writers, represent a kind of radical openness to new ways of thinking about the clinical situation and about theory, which will be necessary for psychoanalysis as a discipline in the coming years. In line with the ambition of the editors of the volume, the book represents an integration of theories and disciplines, which creates the scientific context for modern psychoanalysis. Linking clinical research to extra-clinical research via the royal road of dreaming runs through all the contributions which cover dreaming as it sheds light on clinical conditions such as depression, trauma or dreams as they form a core aspect of clinical work, be that as a co-construction or as shared play between therapist and patients. The book provides insight through dreams to understand mental function in all clinical situations and across all conditions.

Consciousness concerns awareness and how we experience the world. How does awareness, a feature of the mental world, arise from the physical brain? Is a dog conscious, or a jellyfish, and what explains the difference? How is consciousness related to psychological processes such as perception and cognition? The Science of Consciousness covers the psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience of consciousness. Written for introductory courses in psychology and philosophy, this text examines consciousness with a special emphasis on current neuroscience research as well as comparisons of normal and damaged brains. The full range of normal and altered states of consciousness, including sleep and dreams, hypnotic and meditative states, anesthesia, and drug-induced states, as well as parapsychological phenomena and their importance for the science of consciousness is covered, as well as the 'higher' states and how we can attain them. Throughout the text attempts to relate consciousness to the brain.

This book integrates cognitive therapy with hypnotherapy and provides principles and illustrations of hypnotic routines that can be used in changing cognitive self-statements, cognitive processing distortions, and tacit cognitive structures. It extends the imagery work previously used in cognitive therapy into a complete and comprehensive hypnotherapeutic approach to help people change negative and self-defeating cognitions into more positive and adaptive ones. Dr. Dowd demonstrates the use of cognitive hypnotherapy in treating various disorders, in reconstructing memories, and in helping normally healthy individuals overcome blocks to more effective performance.

The study of consciousness is recognized as one of the biggest remaining challenges to the scientific community. This book provides a fascinating introduction to the new science that promises to illuminate our understanding of the subject.

Consciousness covers all the main approaches to the modern scientific study of consciousness, and also gives the necessary historical, philosophical and conceptual background to the field. Current scientific evidence and theory from the fields of neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, brain imaging and the study of altered states of consciousness such as dreaming, hypnosis, meditation and out-of-body experiences is presented. Revonsuo provides an integrative review of the major existing philosophical and empirical theories of consciousness and identifies the most promising areas for future developments in the field.

This textbook offers a readable and timely introduction to the science of consciousness for anyone interested in this compelling area, especially undergraduates studying psychology, philosophy, cognition, neuroscience and related fields.

There have been many previous books on the physiology of dreaming, the history of dream interpretation, and the meaning of specific dream symbols. But there have been relatively few books exploring the moment-by-moment process of interpreting dreams. This book guides you through this interpretive process, and illustrates how dreamwork promotes emotional, relational, and spiritual transformation. It explores how working with dreams enhances our emotional life, deepens our capacity for relationship, and helps us gracefully navigate change and transitions. The author shows that dreamwork is a natural antidepressant, is effective in transforming anger, bereavement, couples conflicts and impasses, and aids the process of individuation. The book explores archetypal themes and complexes, synchronistic experiences and spiritual awakening in dreams, and representations of the body in dreams. The final chapter, "Taming Wild Horses", explores animal dream symbolism and its importance for enhancing our human sexuality. The book also describes the Dream Mandala, a method of self-transformation through the union of opposites - the charged polarities of the personality.

Dreams have always been important to humanity, but in modern times we have lost the ability to understand what our dreams are telling us. In The Dreamer's Odyssey, the author provides a step-by-step guide to help the individual interpret and work through their own dreams. It can also be used by counsellors and other professionals to give them an understanding of the basis of Jung's dream analysis. The 10 week guide has been adapted from the courses that the author, Jacquie Flecknoe-Brown, has run successfully for many years. Closely linked to the theory of C. G. Jung, each chapter includes an interpreted dream relevant to the weekly content. It also includes analysis of dream-theory, and interpretation of mythical material to illustrate theoretical points. Working with dreams and their images helps us to be more conscious of ourselves, our shadows, our opposites, and our purpose. Dreams can ease our burdens, help us problem-solve, improve our memories, and enlighten us. The dream is a natural, and living phenomenon - working to understand our dreams will have an effect on many aspects of our lives.

**Featured on BBC Radio 4's A Good Read** 'A profound meditation on language and loss and time, and on how we construct ourselves through stories. And it's painful. And it's beautiful. And I love it.' NATHAN FLIER Samantha Harvey's insomnia arrived, seemingly, from nowhere; for a year she has spent her nights chasing sleep that rarely comes. She's tried everything to appease it. Nothing is helping. What happens when one of the basic human needs goes unmet? For Samantha Harvey, extreme sleep deprivation resulted in a raw clarity about life itself. Original and profound, The Shapeless Unease is a startlingly insightful exploration of memory, writing and influence, death and grief, and the will to survive. 'A delight to read... ineffably rewarding' OBSERVER 'Easily one of the truest and best books I've read about what it's like to be alive now, in this country' MAX PORTER 'How can a book about a sensual deprivation be so sensuous and so full? ... it seemed to give my sleep resonance and poetry. What a beautiful book.' TESSA HADLEY

Modern hypnosis can be traced back to the 18th century and during this period mesmerism, as it was then known, was a healing practice which spread throughout Europe and North America. Since then hypnosis has been treated primarily as a psychological phenomenon and theories about hypnosis are grounded in mainstream psychology and its related disciplines. Most recently it has been subject to extensive clinical trials to investigate its therapeutic effectiveness. In their comprehensive introduction to this invaluable collection the editors trace the historical development of hypnosis, providing an excellent review of the theories that have tried to explain how hypnosis works and reflecting on the cultural and scientific attitudes and practices that prevailed at various times. They have selected the most important previously published papers that reveal how a scientific approach to understanding hypnosis as a psychological phenomenon has emerged over the last 70 years. They have also included a selection of reports on clinical applications and on legal and forensic issues. As such this volume will prove an invaluable reference resource for researchers and students already in the field and new scholars interested in learning more about hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy is arguably the oldest modality of psychological therapy, at least in the modern sense. Psychologists have long attempted to conceptualize hypnosis in terms of cognitive and behavioral processes and the term cognitive-behavioral approach to hypnosis was first coined in 1974 by Theodore Barber, and his colleagues, one of the most prolific and influential researchers in the field of hypnosis. Since then cognitive research on hypnosis has continued to evolve alongside the assimilation of modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques within the framework of hypnotherapy and vice versa. This book explores the historical and conceptual relationship between hypnotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT). It proceeds to offer a modern cognitive conceptualization of hypnosis, based on the writings of James Braid the founder of hypnotherapy and drawing upon modern cognitive-behavioral research on hypnosis. The author carefully explores the combination of hypnosis with both cognitive and behavioral interventions and ways in which methods can be adapted in the light of therapeutic principles derived from both fields. The book aims to provide a comprehensive core text for the practice of cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy and to facilitate further dialogue between practitioners of hypnosis and CBT."

"In social dreaming the dreamers tell their dreams to others. Although individuals are necessary to dream, the dream is not just a personal possession for it also captures the political and institutional aspects of the dreamers' social context and how these are present or laced into their struggles for creativity, meaning and ordinariness. The meaning of the dream is expanded and developed through free association, amplification and systemic thinking to give voice to the echoes of thinking and thought that exist in the space between individuals' minds in the shared environment." -- W. Gordon LawrenceThis introductory text explores the phenomenon of social dreaming, a concept first introduced at the Tavistock Institute in 1982. Social dreaming gives an opportunity to share a dream with others and the dream is then further developed by free association and discussion. The focus is on the dream and the social context of the dreamers, rather than the individual dreamers. Dreams often reflect the social environment of the dreamer and thus prove to be a useful tool when examining the group dynamics. It can be used to identify possible problems within that group and to create common ground among the participants. Solutions can be found in unexpected ways when a person's inner thoughts are discussed in the social context he/she belongs to. Social dreaming has been used in business organiations, churches, hospitals and even schools.The author offers various examples of dreams narrated and explored in groups and their applications in the social setting. His extensive experience and knowledge on the subject are combined with an easy-to-understand language in this important text on social dreaming.

No matter how you birth your baby, feel calm and safe with hypnobirthing "This woman is a great healer and birth expert. This book will be brilliant." Russell Brand Your Baby, Your Birth is a truly modern hypnobirthing book for ALL births. In-demand hypnobirthing coach Hollie de Cruz provides you with the skills and tools to make any birth feel safe, calm, connected and empowering. Drawing on her experience working with new mums, including Fearne Cotton and Giovanna Fletcher, Hollie de Cruz helps you prepare for a positive (not 'perfect') birth experience and approach motherhood with confidence in yourself and your instincts. Your Baby, Your Birth will teach you: - That birth is safe - listen to your body, embrace the changes, prepare your mind and relax during pregnancy - Exercises and breathing techniques for labour and birth for you and your birth partner, along with guided meditations to keep you calm and engaged - How to trust your instincts, understand your body and baby, and make informed decisions throughout your pregnancy and beyond Hollie de Cruz, creator of the award-winning yesmum positive affirmation cards, is renowned for demystifying hypnobirthing and her down-to-earth, realistic approach is highly sought after. Whatever kind of birth you are planning, let Hollie de Cruz provide you with a set of deep relaxation, mindfulness and meditation tools for an empowering experience.

The first book to provide a method for using social dream drawing in a group context. Includes a dozen illustrative drawings. Features guidance on facilitating groups and ethical advice.

Discover this profound account of Huxley's famous experimentation with mescalin that has influenced writers and artists for decades. 'Concise, evocative, wise and, above all, humane, The Doors of Perception is a masterpiece' Sunday Times In 1953, in the presence of an investigator, Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gram of mescalin, sat down and waited to see what would happen. When he opened his eyes everything, from the flowers in a vase to the creases in his trousers, was transformed. Huxley described his experience with breathtaking immediacy in The Doors of Perception. In its sequel Heaven and Hell, he goes on to explore the history and nature of mysticism. Still bristling with a sense of excitement and discovery, these illuminating and influential writings remain the most fascinating account of the visionary experience ever written. WITH A FOREWORD J.G. BALLARD

Lucid dreaming, the skill of recognizing that you're dreaming within a dream, has a vast potential to not only improve the content of your dreams but also to quell anxiety and improve confidence during your waking life. Leveraging both scientific research and two decades of personal experimentation, this book provides everything readers need to know in order to begin lucid dreaming for the first time and to improve the frequency, control, and clarity of existing lucid dream experiences. Personal anecdotes and dream journal entries from the author help clarify points of confusion and motivate readers. This book focuses heavily on the connections between lucid dreaming, mindfulness, and anxiety, and on the myriad benefits lucid dreaming can have while you are awake. Whether you have never had a lucid dream before, or you want to improve the quality and frequency of your lucid dreams, the techniques provided here will make the process simple. With the skill of lucid dreaming, your dreams will become your own personal playground, laboratory, artist studio, or spiritual center. What you gain from such a journey is up to you.

A brief, radical defense of human uniqueness from acclaimed philosopher Roger Scruton In this short book, acclaimed writer and philosopher Roger Scruton presents an original and radical defense of human uniqueness. Confronting the views of evolutionary psychologists, utilitarian moralists, and philosophical materialists such as Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett, Scruton argues that human beings cannot be understood simply as biological objects. We are not only human animals; we are also persons, in essential relation with other persons, and bound to them by obligations and rights. Scruton develops and defends his account of human nature by ranging widely across intellectual history, from Plato and Averroes to Darwin and Wittgenstein. The book begins with Kant's suggestion that we are distinguished by our ability to say "I"-by our sense of ourselves as the centers of self-conscious reflection. This fact is manifested in our emotions, interests, and relations. It is the foundation of the moral sense, as well as of the aesthetic and religious conceptions through which we shape the human world and endow it with meaning. And it lies outside the scope of modern materialist philosophy, even though it is a natural and not a supernatural fact. Ultimately, Scruton offers a new way of understanding how self-consciousness affects the question of how we should live. The result is a rich view of human nature that challenges some of today's most fashionable ideas about our species.

If you are interested-even curious about your nightly dreams and you would like to know what researchers from psychology and neuroscience can now tell us about dreams, this is your book. The author, a dream researcher himself, has published many studies on dreams and has been a practicing psychotherapist as well. Open the book and you will see that it is very readable. The science is presented in a non-technical question-and-answer format. Want to know about dreaming in color, what affects your recall of dreams, what most people dream about, those puzzling, sometimes troubling recurrent dreams, the experience of lucid dreaming, or the new advances in the treatment of nightmares? It's all in here, along with a discussion of the approaches that have been used to try to interpret dreams-- from the ancient Assyrian dictionaries uncovered by archaeologists to modern dream dictionaries, to the free association technique of Sigmund Freud, the different approach offered by Carl Jung and the explorations of the author in using real incidents that are brought to mind by dreams, probing their meaning to the individual in an objective way-a technique that has been successfully used in research studies.

Offering the perspectives of some of the most respected thinkers in transpersonal psychology and consciousness studies, this book explores the farther reaches of knowing, both ourselves and the world, described here as transpersonal, post-conventional, or spiritual. The contributors' work is presented from their own authentic knowing, whether through personal narrative or through conceptualization informed by such knowing. They explore what "knowledge" can consist of as it stretches beyond conventional objective observation and analysis.

A fascinating exploration of the nature of consciousness This engaging and readable book provides an introduction to consciousness that does justice both to the science and to the philosophy of consciousness, that is, the mechanics of the mind and the experience of awareness. The book opens with a general discussion of the brain and of consciousness itself. Then, exploring the areas of brain science most likely to illuminate the basis of awareness, Zeman focuses on the science of sleep and waking and on the science of vision. He describes healthy states and disorders-epilepsy, narcolepsy, blindsight and hallucinations after stroke-that provide insights into the capacity for consciousness and into its contents. And he tracks the evolution of the brain, the human species, and human culture and surveys the main current scientific theories of awareness, pioneering attempts to explain how the brain gives rise to experience. Zeman concludes by examining philosophical arguments about the nature of consciousness. A practicing neurologist, he animates his text with examples from the behavioral and neurological disorders of his patients and from the expanding mental worlds of young children, including his own. His book is an accessible and enlightening explanation of why we are conscious.

First published in 1994. Some episodes of depression can even be prevented, but the greater focus in this book is on responding to the experience of depression that is already present in the afflicted individual. This book represents an effort to make the extremely complex and subjective experience of depression one that can be better understood and more effectively treated. It does not represent a school of therapy in a singular way. Rather, it promotes the recognition of the diversity of human experience such that an emphasis on anyone approach will seem obviously self-limiting.

Tracing evidence of mind-altering substances across a diverse range of ancient cultures, this collection explores how and why past civilizations harvested, manufactured, and consumed drugs. Case studies examine the use of stimulants, narcotics, and depressants by hunter-gatherers who roamed Africa and Eurasia, prehistoric communities in North and South America, and Maya kings and queens. Offering perspectives from many different fields of study, contributors illustrate the wide variety of sources and techniques that can provide information about materials that are often invisible to archaeologists. They use advanced biomolecular procedures to identity alkaloids and resins on cups, pipes, and other artifacts. They interpret paintings on vases and discuss excavations of breweries and similar sites. Uncovering signs of drugs including ayahuasca, peyote, ephedra, cannabis, tobacco, yaupon, vilca, and maize and molle beer, they explain how psychoactive substances were integral to interpersonal relationships, religious practices, and social cohesion in antiquity.