Hypnosis on the Home Front
Authored by Richard Van Wagner, Consulting Hypnotist
About two years ago my youngest son, then age 13, asked me whether I could help
him with a wart that he had on the side of his big toe. You see, he had as many
teenage boys perhaps would, neglected to pay any attention to the growth until it
became so obvious that his mother noticed. From that point the typical mother-son
volley of “What is that?” countered by the oblivious “What is what?” followed. It
was a dialogue that culminated in the dad, who in this case happens to be a hypnotist
being asked if he could...help. Like father like son I suppose, as I too had not
paid the growth the least bit of attention; after all, I have a hard enough time
keeping my own toenails trimmed much less paying attention to somebody else’s feet.
Yet, when I was called to recognize that there was something that needed attending
to, a problem that is, I said what any father/hypnotist would after stomaching the
shock at the size and utter unattractiveness of the thing... I casually said, “Uh
sure” while quietly appreciating the fact that that thing wasn’t attached to my toe.
There’s no doubt, in my mind, that in my career as a hypnotist I had traversed
a wide field of issues that have ranged from behavioral and emotional crisis to helping
clients cope-with and manage major health concerns, however, I had never tackled
warts in particular. I remember thinking that it seemed that one of my trainers
had spoken to the effectiveness of hypnosis in ridding the body of warts and I knew,
or at least I thought I knew, that often warts grow because the body does not recognize
the virus as an invader. A few minutes later I had my youngest son in my hypno-recliner,
relaxed and in a medium level hypnotic trance. I then asked if he would allow the
most creative part of who and what he was to search the entire parameter of his body
as if it was an enormous wall and see if he could find the area that represented
the wart. He was quiet for a bit and finally he announced that he found it. I said
good and then asked him to survey the area and get an idea as to whether it could
be repaired. When he said sure, I remember asking him to call forward any workman
that could help him undertake the project. He was once again quiet for a bit and
then said a “Blue Guy” was there. I asked him to question the “Blue Guy” and see
if he could do the required repair work to get the wall back to normal. This too
was followed by a pause and ultimately an affirmation. With the repair site in view
and workman close by I then asked if my son could supply the scene with all the
necessary materials to make the repair as well as anything in particular that the
workman might need such as food and water so that he could work at his best. This
took some silent time, but after a bit my son said everything was set so I asked
him if he would share with the workman both his appreciation for the help as well
as letting him know that we would check back in with him after a while to see how
things were coming along. This done, I utilized some direct-suggestion to enhance
the healing process and then brought my son out, chatted with him for a bit, he seemed
surprised that the workman was blue, but never the less we were done with the session.
A week later we thought we saw some color changes in the toe wart, and we wanted
to reaffirm that the work was progressing so once again my son made himself comfortable
in the hypno-recliner and he was soon “on site” checking out the progress of his
reconstruction project. I asked him if he would chat with the workman and see how
he thought how things were going, as well as, to find out if Blue Guy needed any
additional materials. I also asked my son if he would make his own appraisal of
the progress to make sure both he and the blue workman were on the same page. I
remember there was a few minutes of silence and that eventually he said that he was
done with all that I asked. I said great, and then mentioned that he should be sure
to provide the workman with plenty of food and water so he wouldn’t get hungry or
thirsty. Once again it was time to begin the short direct-suggestion part of the
session but before I did I paused to ask about the rate of repair progress and while
both my son and the Blue Guy were on the same page as progress was being made my
son seemed to feel it would take awhile to finish the job at the current rate. Personally
I was happy with the idea that progress was being made, but in the tone of my son
I could sense that he wanted things to get done a little quicker. So I simply interjected
that if my son wanted to he could to talk to the Blue Guy and besides telling him
how much he appreciated the work he was doing that he could also tell the Blue Guy
that if he had any friends that would like to help him on the wall project that they
would be more than welcome. This seemed to be appreciated by the Blue Guy and then
having made my direct-suggestions focused on health, balance and the body’s ability
to heal smoothly and efficiently without effort I finished up the session.
As anyone with teenagers knows life can be busy so for the next couple of weeks
following the second session we didn’t think too much about “The Wart” or the “Blue
Guy(s).” By the time we did pay attention about four weeks had passed since our
first session and our discovering the wall that needed repair. What we found was
a wart-less toe, in fact it was difficult to tell the hideous thing had ever been
attached. Now as a father I was thrilled, as hypnotist I was wishing I had taken
photos of the process, never the less the results spoke for them self and two years
later my son’s toe remains growth free.
This brings us to late July of this year and my eldest son, who is soon to be
16, shows me his thumb which keeps hurting when he plays the piano and accordion.
I looked at it and mentioned that it looked like some kind of fungus so I gave him
a tube of ointment and ask him to apply it regularly to see if it will help. He
does but after a week he says it is not getting better and it is really affecting
his piano playing so we take the six foot four inch young man in to see his pediatrician
for the first time in several years; the diagnosis… a hangnail that got infected
with a side dish, so to speak, of wart. The doctor prescribed a week of antibiotics
and then she went on to offer several options that would take care of the wart. Of
course being a family inundated with hypnosis-talk for years now my wife discussed
the use of hypnosis to remove the wart, which our doctor approved of and we pursued,
after all, if it worked on “The Toe” the thumb should be a cinch. This time I figure
wasn’t going to miss my chance to picture the results. Feel free to glance at the
pictures and the results speak for themselves, but never the less I’m going to share
the steps we took for those may want to know. In all I had three formal sessions
with my son for his wart-thumb, the first was about 30 minutes with the two follow
ups took 15 to 20 minutes max. Much like the first session I had with my younger
son I asked if the parameter “brick” wall could be scanned to see if any abnormalities
could be noted…same concept different wording as with a near 16 year-old technological
terms rule. After a bit he replies that he’s found the area that we’re looking for
and then I ask if he can denote the difference between the good/healthy bricks and
the unhealthier brick/cells. Without hesitation he says he can I then ask if he
can call forward anyone who could help him with the rebuilding project. A few moments
latter he says yes that there are five helpers there…I learn latter on that these
helpers look like “blobs.” I then asked him to take some time and share his appreciation
for their help as well as provide the materials to rebuild the wall, brick by brick…
cell by cell… removing the abnormal bricks/cells and replacing them with the highest
quality cell/bricks available. I also mention that all the materials needed would
appear as needed and that the old discarded brick/cells will be disposed of easily
and efficiently. I then offered a visual of the purest clear water, amply supplied,
to help the workers stay refreshed. Also mentioned was also another bucket with
a brush in it in which the workers can coat the new bricks to keep them looking shiny…
new... healthy. I then asked him to relax a few more moments while I offered some
direct suggestion cues that would allow the “repair work” to naturally and continuously
move forward until completion. The first session ended quietly and with bedtime
approaching my son turned in for the night and I headed to my room to read. The following
nights we had a short session right before bed; we checked on the wall’s progress,
which he could visualize easily and while checking with his helpers he again showed
appreciation for their work and made sure that they were supplied with everything
they needed to continue their work. I followed with the usual direct suggestions
of healing…cell by cell brick by brick smoothly… cleanly etc. By the third night
my son found that his thumb was feeling a lot better, probably the antibiotics helping
I assumed, and while we didn’t actually plan it this way we had our final formal
session focused on the wall/wart. The session went smoothly and ended with my interjecting
in the final stages that effortlessly and without conscious intent that the healing
would continue breath by breath.
Busy as usual a week or so passed and with the infection gone playing the piano
was pain free so we didn’t focus on having another session together I simply asked
that as he lay down to sleep if he would venture over to the wall (wart wall that
is) in his dreams and check things out. The next morning, when prompted, he said
that it looked like 85 percent of the repair work was complete. This sounded good
to me and I was certainly happy to have the house filled with his music again as
well as having pictures of the progress he was making with his thumb. A few nights
later we used the same dream method and when I asked about how much of the work was
done he confidently said, “93 percent.” I asked if he felt like the wall was going
to be completed soon he said yeah and that was pretty much the end of our focus on
the task at hand…literally, I couldn’t pass that one up, sorry.
Ultimately I know this exercise in wart removal was far from being a perfect
case study as to the effectiveness of hypnosis in the removal of warts, however,
the pictures, the process, as well as, the time frame point to significant positive
results. My oldest son did, after all, first see his doctor on July 23rd and I’m
finishing my final edit of this piece August 22nd to the accompaniment of some beautiful
piano music…thumb keys included.
In closing I can’t help but think, if I extrapolate these results, a wee bit
further…okay a lot further, I not only stand as a witness to the benefits of hypnotic
intervention, and how effective the body can be at accomplishing the desires of one’s
mind, I’m also allowed to question the extensive possibilities that exist within
the grasp of the mind-body connection. In this particular case I utilized hypnosis
as a doorway through which both of my sons moved to turn off external stimuli so
they could focus more easily inward to effect their own healing. However, I have
to give the credit where it is due, and I openly attest that it was my sons who did
the necessary work. In the end however, such an extrapolation allows the suggestion
that nature offers each of us a diverse and powerful healing potential when our intent
and purposes are directed in an active and focused way. I suppose it’s from this
perspective that the question as to whether such healing is limited comes to mind.
While I know there is a large distance between resolving a wart issue, whether it’s
preventing someone playing piano or merely a hideous toe growth that can makes one’s
mother demand action, and a more serious health or behavioral problem, yet, I have
to recognize the creative potential that the mind-body connection certainly seems
to hold. Don’t take my word for it, just wonder “What if” and take another glance
at the pictures, if you still want a second or even third opinion I guess we could
always ask for the Blue Guy or Blobs to comment.
Note: I’m sure that astute observers will notice tremendous difference between
the thumb photos day six and sixteen. The question as to where the rough and bumpy
surface skin disappeared to, I have only one answer…it fell off in the pool while
my two sons and their friend were being teenage boys… need I say more?
RVW
