[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak||no_popup[/img]I recently went on a three-day cruise with my wife to her high school reunion, and I talked with many people there about hypnotherapy. Everyone enjoyed having his handwriting analyzed, and a great time was had by all.
One woman suffered a stroke six years ago, losing all feeling and movement in her right arm and leg. During the handwriting analysis, she felt a connection with me. She wondered if hypnotherapy could help her regain use of her non-functioning limbs.
I said there would be no harm in trying if she was willing to agree that if there were no positive results she would not think hypnotherapy was useless hokus-pokus. She accepted the terms.
I needed to see if there was any improvement in her condition while she was in hypnosis, to determine if there was a real physical cause (obviously there was) and if the subconscious was able to find a way to move the limbs and restore feeling.
Locating True Power
Some clients have complained of tics in different places on their bodies. In hypnosis, I instructed them to create their tics and then stop them. In each case, they were able to do this. Realizing they had control over the tics, the tics went away. I felt the same principle may work for the stroke victim. However, never having tried this before, I was uncertain about the outcome.
When the lady came to visit me, I set about hypnotizing her.
In hypnosis, I asked her to attempt to move her limbs, to visualize it. She had tears in her eyes. It was clear to me she could see and feel herself moving her limbs. She truly believed her limbs were moving.
In reality, when I asked her to move her arm, it moved, but, only a fraction of an inch. Rather rather than go up and down, she moved her arm backward and forward. Same with her leg. This was an excellent start, and she agreed.
Can You Sustain It?
Most importantly, when she came out of hypnosis, she said that for the first time in years she felt part of her arm. She was amazed at this small success. Unfortunately the feeling did not last long. But there was hope.
Excited, she wanted to explore hypnotherapy further with the understanding that in the end she might not be any better off physically.
I understand that when a stroke occurs, pathways used by the brain to create the movements we need to make are damaged. Therefore, movement ceases.
I believe the subconscious has learned to move our bodies, and it sends the signals to the brain to have the movements occur. We walk, talk, tie our shoelaces, write and eat, all without conscious thought.
Using this as a basis, I instructed the subconscious to find new pathways within the brain to accomplish the movements that until now were not possible. I wanted to wait a week or two to see if the subconscious had made progress.
The two weeks have yet to pass.
If the subconscious can find a new pathway, she could regain movement and/or sensation. If this happens, stroke victims all over the world could have significant new hope.
This may be pie in the sky thinking. But my client and I are excited.
We shall see, and I will keep you informed.
A clinical hypnotherapist, handwriting analyst and expert master hypnotist, Nicholas Pollak may be contacted at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net
