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Written by a dear hypnotherapy colleague of mine, Denis Ridgeway:

In my work as a Hypnotherapist, I have been fortunate to meet some unforgettable characters. Bill is one that stands out above all others.
If ever there was a man that reminded you of Santa Claus on his off time, that was Bill. His face glowed when he laughed and his size would fill out a Santa costume perfectly. He was a very jolly man who always had a joke and a laugh that brought a instant smile.

Bill’s son had contacted me to help his father with two major problems. He was a diabetic, the disease had already caused amputation of his legs and caused what is known as phantom pain syndrome. This happens when the mind does not recognized that the limb has been removed, and forces the subject to feel pain as if it is still there. His disease had also caused neuropathy, in both hands. This caused unbearable pain and limited use of his hands. To control this pain the doctor had given Bill heavy pain medication. When his son contacted me , Bill was taken 26-30 pills a week. The object of the Hypnosis sessions was to reduce the pain so that he could take less medication. I contacted his doctor and after receiving his permission I scheduled the first appointment.

I would need to treat him at his home because of his limited mobility. He was a excellent subject and responded to my suggestion for relaxation eagerly. I proceeded to direct him in to deeper Hypnosis. Suddenly, he began to sway back and forth. Next, came the most horrible sound that I have ever heard in my life. If you ever combined all the screams from every horror movies that you had ever seen and added a thousand cats who’s tails had been caught in a fan, it would not come close to what I was hearing. The hair on neck stood straight up and my whole body became ridged. “ Dear Lord I’ve killed this man “ instantly when through my mind. I quickly regained my senses and immediately checked on my Hypnotized client. There he sat perfectly normal with a big smile on his face, while still making this horrible sound. His faithful dog who was always by his side had run for cover. I immediately asked Bill to stop whatever he was doing and the room grew silent once again. I regained what was left of my composure and began the suggestions to ease his never ending pain. Then I taught him how to use self hypnosis anytime it was needed to reduce the pain.

Bill came out of Hypnosis feeling wonderful and in less pain than he had been in years. I renewed all the instruction that I had given him and then went over today’s session. Not wanting to alarm him I asked if he remember anything unusual during Hypnosis. “ Why yes, I remember while I was so relaxed I heard a radio with my favorite song playing, it was so beautiful that I had to sing along with it as loud as I could “. Not in a million years would I have guessed that what I heard was singing. I know from my training that each person reacts to Hypnosis in a different way. I do not believe that this response has ever been noted from a individual. I am very happy to report after Hypnotizing thousands of people this has never happened again.

Bill continued his treatments with good results. He was able to use Self Hypnosis to reduce his pain medication from the 26-30 pill a week, down to 6 a week. His life had been filled with pain and misery. He was always grateful for the helped that I had given him. Several years ago Bill lost his battle with the disease which had plagued his life.

After Bill’s death his son brought me a jacket. It wasn’t fancy nor was it expensive. “ Dad wanted you to have this ‘to thank you for helping him” his son said. It has been many years and I still have the jacket, every time I wear it I think of him. He had a quick wit and a smile that melt your heart, but he was one person who should never tried to sing.

This article was posted on The Guardian in London UK on February 18th 2002:

“How hypnosis can colour the mind”

Monday February 18, 2002
The Guardian, London, UK

US scientists have been able to peer inside the brain to watch hypnosis in action. The research could settle a 200-year-old debate about whether hypnosis is a genuine psychological state or stage show gimmickry.
A high proportion of adults can be hypnotized, although there has always been an argument about the nature of the experience. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to watch changes in brain function in volunteers who were highly hypnotisable.
They were told to perceive colour, whether or not they were being shown colour. The areas of the brain used to register colour then fired up. Activity in the same area declined when the patients were told to see "grey" objects, even if they were being shown a coloured grid.
"When they believed they were looking at colour, the part of their brain that processes colour vision showed increased blood flow," he told the American Association for the Advancement of Science yesterday. "This is scientific evidence that something happens in the brain, that doesn't happen ordinarily, when people are hypnotized," Professor Spiegel said.
The study once again raises questions about a role for hypnosis in pain relief. "There are tremendous medical implications," he said. He and colleagues monitored brainwave patterns while applying electrical shocks to the wrists of volunteers.
Children could easily be hypnotized: the capacity often disappeared with maturity. Hypnosis had proved helpful in painful treatment that required catheters in the bladders of children who could not be given anaesthetics. The children were asked to focus on a visit to Disneyland. The treatment was less distressing, and over 20 minutes sooner.
"Hypnosis is a state of aroused attentive focal concentration with a relative suspension of peripheral awareness. It is a mental state that is something like looking through the telephoto lens of your camera, which you see with great detail, but you are less aware of the context," he said.
"You can shift into the hypnotic state in a matter of seconds. It is not sleep, it is a form of highly focused attention," Prof Spiegel said.
He argued that every doctor should be taught simple techniques of hypnosis. It did not take control from the patient; instead it helped enhance self-control. "So you can teach people to manage their anxiety, how to manage their pain, and they are grateful for it."