Profile

Mind over matter and holistic healing

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-10 09:40

Hypnosis can be an effective treatment for some complaints as Dr Barry Disch explains

Dr Barry Dirsch applies an acupuncture needle prior to hypnotizing a patient. Wang Jing / China Daily

Dr Barry Disch is a 53-year-old American working as a TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) doctor at Beijing United Family Hospital. He tells METRO about his use of hypnotism in his treatments.

METRO: For those who don't know much about hypnosis, it appears a mysterious form of "mind control". What exactly is hypnosis?

Disch: It's a way of relaxing and helping someone learn how to focus their energy and their thoughts better. It's being aware of their physical body and their mind's internal conversation, and by using hypnosis influencing that.

METRO: How do you use hypnosis in your work?

Disch: Hypnosis is one of a set of tools I use to work with patients to overcome whatever problems they may have. It's never quite hypnosis alone that solves the problem, but when used in conjunction with other techniques, it can be quite powerful.

People who come to me have spiritual, physical and emotional problems. You cannot address just one without addressing all of them, I use hypnosis to help with the spiritual aspect of their problems.

METRO: Can you control someone using hypnosis?

Disch: Someone is not going to do something, or allow me to do something, that they wouldn't already be prepared to do on his or her own. When you see people doing mass hypnosis in front of an audience, they are selecting people that are best for the show. They are the kind of people who don't mind goofing off or being silly in front of people.

METRO: What kind of problems can you help solve?

Disch: I've used hypnosis to help people with chronic pains, and people who want to quit smoking or lose weight, but it can be used for a variety of purposes.

I've even hypnotized people to help them learn Chinese better.

METRO: When most people think of hypnosis, they imagine a stern-looking man swinging a pendulum, how far from the truth is this?

Disch: I mainly use something called Eriksonian hypnosis, which uses stories, metaphors and gestures to have an impact on what people think and their behavior.

There is no pendulum involved in this style, but a style called induction often uses a physical object in front of the person to help them focus so that they can relax.

METRO: What do you say to those who criticize hypnosis?

Disch: Well, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. Maybe they don't really understand what hypnosis is. I am not changing someone, I am helping that person change themselves. It's just a tool to help someone become more aware.

METRO: What is the strangest condition you've ever treated?

Disch: I used to employ hypnosis in association with other techniques while I was working at a chronic pain clinic.

One day a lady came in with what we call "phantom leg pain". She had been a cancer patient and they were forced to cut off one of her legs but she was having excruciating pain in a leg that wasn't there.

METRO: Did it work?

Disch: Yes, extremely well. She came in for one session and never had to come back.

METRO: How did you first get interested in hypnotism? When was the first time you were hypnotized?

Disch: I first got interested in hypnosis when I split up with a girlfriend at the age of 21.

I didn't want to repeat the same problems I had with her and I was a little depressed, so I went to a cheap psychologist, in the 1970's it only cost about $5-10 an hour. The hypnotist told me that I should learn self-hypnosis. So I began practicing as a way to relax, to make me feel better and less depressed.

METRO: Where did you learn hypnosis?

Disch: I spent several years studying TCM as well as hypnosis at the California Acupuncture College, now called the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, it is now one of the biggest TCM colleges in America.

METRO: Tell me about your first time hypnotizing someone?

Disch: I was kind of scared, a little bit nervous, because it was new to me. I had done it on myself quite a bit but doing it to yourself is different than doing it to someone else.

METRO: Have you ever hypnotized someone using Mandarin?

Disch: I've tried on several occasions. While it works sometimes, usually I fail miserably. What ends up happening is that during the hypnosis process I say something the wrong way and the person begins laughing, breaking the rhythm. I hope to be able to do it one day.