Introduction: Dependence of a person’s autonomic reactions from consciousness, how it is achieved

It is well known that the autonomic nervous system is usually not under the control consciousness. Man can’t directly control the narrowing or expansion of blood vessels, change the blood flow or arterial pressure.  

But there are a number psychotherapeutic techniques, the main or intermediate goal of which is to achieve bodily relaxation, increased blood flow, limb warming, and more. There methods are different kinds of suggestions and self-hypnosis that successive used in modern psychotherapy.  Thus, doctor or patient consciously controls the vegetative reactions of the organism with different level of success.  Such vegetative reactions we will in the future be called controlled. Success of controlling can be significantly increased making vegetative reaction a conscious purpose of procedure and using feedback (R.F.Schmidt and G.Thews) to directly monitor the success of the results..

Let’s explain this in an example of treatment of essential arterial hypertension.  In order to reduce pressure, it is necessary to achieve maximum relaxation of the body (which will result in relaxation of the muscles of vasculature), which is the immediate purpose of the procedure, and the effectiveness of the procedure is determined by the level of reduction of systolic pressure after its execution. For decreasing pressure it’s necessary to achieve maximum relaxation of body (it’s effect will be relaxation of vessel’s musculature) and it is immediate aim of procedure, but efficiency of realization is defined by level of decreasing systolic pressure result of its execution. If, for example, a patient with arterial hypertension does self-hypnosis (Alman, 1983) for body relaxation in order to lower blood pressure, then regular measurement of pressure after performing the exercises will allow him to quickly determine the most effective formulas and their sequences for relaxation and corresponding pressure reduction.

 This effectuation radically changes psychological situation for patient: a} hypertension leave off uncontrolled problem; expressions for relaxation becomes expressions of decreasing pressure but not immediately. Achieving this goal radically alters the psychological situation for the patient: a) high blood pressure ceases to be an unmanageable problem; b) relaxation formulas become pressure reduction formulas, although they do not explicitly mention this.

Conscious Controlling Severalty Autonomic reactions in the case of treatment of hypertension

Goal of process: relaxation of musculature of the arteries, their expansion and, accordingly, lowering blood pressure.

Condition of the organism that achieves the goal: muscular relaxation of limbs and body.

Goal metrics: blood pressure values ​​(tonometer readings).

Self-hypnosis formulas for relaxation: “My left (right) arm is relaxed, my left (right) lag is relaxed, my body is completely relaxed”.  If necessary, formulas can be more detailed: fingers, wrist, forearm, arm.  Further overall relaxation and tranquility are suggested: “My body is completely relaxed, I’m relaxed and tranquil, I’m before sleep. Patient must feel suggested relaxation.

The self-suggestion session can last several minutes and should end with a blood pressure measurement with a tonometer, so the patient can evaluate the effectiveness of the process and improve their skills. After measuring and evaluation of its result the next self-suggestion session can be begin. Sequential decreasing pressure from session to session argues about success of process. Systematic works allow organism to restore ability of self-dependent regulation arterial pressure exclusively by autonomic reaction.

Conscious Controlling Severalty Autonomic reactions in the treatment of chronic neuralgia

Goal of the process: to stop the onset of chronic neuralgia and the pain that accompanies it.

State of organism, which provide achieving goal: warming and raising the temperature of the feet, back, and face (in the case of trigeminal neuralgia).

Goal metrics: stopping pain associated with chronic neuralgia.

Self-hypnosis or suggestion formulas:

1. Initial suggestion – suggestion formulas for relaxation (similar to hypertension treatment).
2. Intermediate suggestion – suggestive formulas of feeling heaviness in the feet, back, face (they are most effective when relaxation immerses us in a half-sleep state close to trance): “I feel my thumb of foot become heavy, heaviness extends to the other toes, whole right foot becomes heavy, I feel it press against the floor (bed)”, in the same way we suggest weight in the back and the face.
3. Ultimate suggestion - suggestion formulas to increase the temperature of the feet, back, face: “The toes becomes warm, heat increases and expands to all foot, all foot becomes warm, heat expands to entire leg…”. Suggestion is continued to appearance stable sensation of warm, after this we must go to the next object – back: The back becomes warm, heat becomes stronger and expends to all back” and so on. The next will be suggestion heat of face.

If the patient has achieved a persistent feeling of warmth, the pain of a chronic neuralgia almost ceases immediately. Successful mastering of self-suggestion techniques allows in the future at emergence of an attack to pass immediately to suggestion of heat that allows to stop pain very quickly. The result of regular cessation of attack by internal self-heating is a decrease in their frequency over time. It is also important for patients to be aware of their ability to independently control the course of the disease and promptly stop its attacks.

Conscious Controlling Severalty Autonomic reactions in the case of treatment of radiculitis

Goal of process: to cure the exacerbation of radiculitis, to stop the pain.

State of organism, which provide achieving goal: warming and raising the temperature in the spine, back and other places of pain.

Controlled indicator of effectuation:  Controlled indicators are divided into two groups. The first group - direct indicators, that must be achieved during session of self-suggestion (conscious controlling).  This indicator is a stable feeling of warm at the sites of pain appearance during the attack. The second group is indicators of the quality of the treatment process. In our case this indicator is the cessation of pain during different moves, that change position of the spine.

Treatment of exacerbation of radiculitis by self-suggestion (suggestion), from my experience, is the most effective in two cases:

1. When immobilization of the patient is carried out as carefully as possible after the first attacks of pain, the patient is in a supine position on a flat comfortable surface. Obviously, the traumatic component in the process of inflammation of the nerve processes in this case is minimal.
2. In the case when the pain is not yet felt or is felt very weakly, but the patient, who has the appropriate experience and sensations, understands that the attack can begin with any careless movement. In this case, the suggestion can be carried out in any comfortable position (sitting, standing, lying), but it is better, of course, in a supine position. The aim of suggestion in this case is prevention of radiculitis attack and pain, which accompanies it.

Self-hypnosis or suggestion formulas for relaxation:

1. Initial suggestion – suggestion formulas for relaxation (similar to the treatment of hypertension).
2. Intermediate suggestion – formulas of self-suggestion of feeling heaviness in areas of pain:  back, especially in the areas of spine and lumbosacral (they are most effective when we are relaxed and are in a half-asleep state close to trance): “I feel heaviness in the field of lumbosacral (spine), heaviness is increasing and expanding to all areas of pain, all areas becomes heavy, I feel it pressing me to the surface of the bed”, and so on.
3. Ending suggestion formulas of self-suggestion to increase the temperature in places of pain: back, lumbosacral and area of spine. The suggestion formula will look like this: “I feel warm in … (the places of pain), this warm place expands, it covers the entire area of ​​pain, the heat increases, the feeling of warm becomes stronger and stronger and more comfortable” and so on. Suggestion is carried out until a stable feeling of warmth at the site of pain.

In the case of suggestion to relieve an attack of radiculitis (case 1) with timely immobilization, when the patient lies on a flat surface and the pain is absent at this moment or manifested only in certain body positions, the suggestion is made until a clear feeling of warmth at the site of pain, this feeling need to be maintained for about an hour. After that, the pain in the supine position does not occur practically and you can carefully try individual movements, to sit or get up. But most of the time you need to suggest heat in a supine position, especially going to bed. In 10-15 hours you can try to start an active life, while maintaining the restrictions on lifting weight and sharp movements of the spine.

In the case of suggestion in order to prevent an attack of radiculitis, suggestion is carried out until a stable feeling of warmth and for 10-15 minutes after that. The suggestions should be repeated several times during the day, this is enough to avert the attack. During the day you can (but not have to) maintain weight lifting restrictions.

The process of treating radiculitis is most effective when the suggestion treatment is performed from the first attack. During the treatment of the first attack, the patient's ability to cause heat at the site of pain is formed, which allows to stop the next attacks quickly, and then only to prevent them. Over time, this becomes unnecessary due to the cessation of attacks.

Conscious Controlling Severalty Autonomic Reactions to Remove Papilloma

All the examples of conscious use of the autonomic reactions listed above are difficult to document and, of course, the effectiveness of the proposed method can be questionable. But the example of papilloma removal is supported by photographs that illustrate the removal process at its various stages. In addition, it is important that two papillomas were removed at intervals of several years, which would allow to reject the hypothesis about the randomness of the author's results.

The goal of the process: to remove the human papilloma.

The state of the organism that ensures the achievement of the goal: an increase in blood flow to the area around the papilloma, an increase in temperature in the area (suggestion of warm), the existence of a feeling of hostility of the papilloma to the body and the body to the papilloma (as result of suggestion).

Controlled goal achievement metrics: Immediate Indicators: a feeling of heaviness and heat in the area around the papilloma and possible redness of the ski around the papilloma.

Indicators of achievement of the goal: exfoliation and dropout of papilloma, skin cleansing.

Self-hypnosis or suggestion formulas:

1) Initial suggestion - self-suggestion formulas for relaxation (similar to the treatment of hypertension).

2) Intermediate suggestion - self-suggestion formulas of heaviness in the area around the papilloma - increased blood flow to that area (they are also most effective when relaxation immerses us in a semi-sleep state close to trance): "I feel heaviness in the area around the papilloma. the heaviness increases, extends to a certain depth in the area around and below the papilloma, the heaviness increases, I feel like this area presses against the body beneath it”, and so on...

3) Final suggestion:

a) Self-suggestion formulas to raise the local temperature: "I feel the heat in the area around the papilloma, this heat intensifies, deepens under the skin, becomes more palpable" and so on...

b) Hostility Suggestion Formulas: "I feel the papilloma is different to my body, it is different and alien, my body sees the enemy in it, it is hostile to the papilloma."

c) Formulas and techniques for enhancing the effect of the patient's body on papilloma. Raise your right hand to the papilloma, point the forefinger at it, while it can touch the papilloma or be at a distance of 5-10 mm from it: "I feel the energy flow from the end of the finger on the papilloma, it kills the papilloma, this action is amplified, the flow of energy is stable and powerful,” and so on.

Photos

Case 1 (suggestion formulas 1, 2, 3a, 3b were used)

Case 1 Photo 1

Papilloma a month after exfoliation, 6.08.2012.

Case 1 Photo 2

More than a year has passed since the treatment, 30.10.2013.

Case 1 Photo 3

View today of the area of skin where there was a papilloma, 01.08.2020.

Case 1 Photo 4

Papilloma two weeks after treatment begins, 26.05.2019.

Case 1 Photo 5

More than a year has passed since the treatment, 01.08.2020.

Case 2 (suggestion formulas 1-3 were used)

Case 2 Photo 1

Papilloma before treatment, 11.05.2012.

Case 2 Photo 2

Stage of exfoliation of the papilloma, the tumor disappears, 08.07.2012 (the image is rotated 90 degrees clockwise).

Conclusion

The results of the author showed the possibility of transforming auxiliary methods of treatment into the main ones under the condition of increasing their efficiency. To increase the effectiveness of self-suggestion or suggestion, a list of autonomic reactions of the body and their required level, providing this increase, was determined. An algorithm for producing and controlling the body's autonomic reactions through feedback has also been proposed, which is more efficient than traditional methods of suggestion.

An important psychological result of this approach in the case of self-suggestion is the creation of the patient's skills of independent conscious control of their own autonomic reactions, which, in turn, allows conscious control of the body. The possibility of such controlling creates an original basis for the development of treatment procedures, which was demonstrated by the author.