Imagery for Pain Relief: A Scientifically Grounded Guidebook for Clinicians Book

Foreword by Ernest Lawrence Rossi xiii

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xix

1 Pain: A Primer 1

Varieties of Pain 4

Pain in Modern Medicine: Round Pegs and Square Holes 6

What Causes Pain? 12

Gate Control 13

Personality Factors 15

Behavioral Learning Factors 19

Coping Behavior 24

Attentional-Perceptual Dynamics 25

Beliefs 27

Schema 29

Affect 31

The Sick Role 31

2 Imagery: More Than Make-Believe 35

Pink Space Bears and Other Contents of the Imagination 36

Ancient Spiritualism 40

The Dualist Revolution of René Descartes 44

Revival: Imagery in Psychology and Modern Medicine 47

Jung's Active Imagination 49

The Cognitive Revolution 51

Full Circle 52

Types of Imagery 58

The True Nature of Imagination 59

3 Imagery for Pain Relief: How Does It Work? 61

Science, Scientism, and Modern Pain Practice 62

Does Imagery Work? 63

Shades of Gray: Understanding Clinical Research 64

And the Winner Is...? 67

Imagery versus Hypnosis 69

"Everybody Is Special, Just the Way They Are" 72

How Does Imagery Work? 77

Self-Organizing Biopsychosocial Systems: The Operating Room of the Inner Physician 82

Room of the Inner Physician 82

Classical Systems Theories 83

Complexity, Overdetermination, and Fractal Geometry 85

Self-Regulation 86

Homeostasis and Far-from-Equilibrium Dynamics 88

Bifurcation Theory 89

Information Entropy, the Edge of Chaos, and Health 90

Imagery as Shadow Experience 93

The Triple Code Theory 94

The Imagery-Sensory Lexicon of Experience 96

Imagery as a Schema Portal 98

Pain and Imagery: How It Works 98

4 The Process of Image Therapy 101

The First Session 102

MotivationEnhancement 115

Imagery Skills Training 120

The Active Phase of Treatment 122

5 Pain Management: Simple Techniques 131

Subtle Conversational Imagery 132

Relaxation 133

Favorite Place 134

Other Places: Beaches, Mountains, and Gardens 135

Mental Rehearsal 139

Other Behavioral Imagery Techniques 141

Simple Transformational Imagery 144

Glove Anesthesia 146

Displacement 147

Direct Diminution of Sensations 147

Dissociation 149

Incompatible Imagery 150

6 Pain Management: Deeper Techniques 153

The Ball of Pain 153

Mind-Controlled Analgesia 154

Opening Around Pain 155

Emptying the Sandbag 156

Spreading the Pain 157

Radiant Light 158

Inner Journeys 160

Inner-Body Travel 160

Journey as Metaphor 167

7 Pain Management: Deepest Techniques 171

Ericksonian Hypnotherapy 172

Theoretical Framework 175

Basic Principles 179

Basic Techniques 183

Inner Advisor 188

Dialogue with Pain 192

Focusing 196

Theoretical Framework 197

Basic Procedure 198

Case Example 201

Eidetic Imagery 204

Clean Language and Metaphor: The Work of David Grove 206

Basic Procedures 207

Case Example 215

Comparative Analysis 220

8 Imagery for Children in Pain 225

Developmental Factors 227

The Family System 233

Effective Approaches to Treatment 237

Abdominal Pain 237

Headaches 239

Procedural Pain 241

Techniques 243

The Painbrush 243

The Dolphin 244

Candles 246

General Guidelines 247

Suggestion 1: Keep It Simple. 247

Suggestion 2: Provide Options. 248

Suggestion 3: Don't Just Talk, Play! 248

9 The Gift of Pain and Suffering 251

The Encounter 253

The Clinician 253

The Gift 254

References 259

Subject Index 277

Author Index 285