Potential Deleterious Effects of Hypnosis in the Clinical Setting

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Abstract
The use of hypnosis for coping with a patient's distress, anxiety, and/or pain during the performance of any clinical intervention may carry deleterious effects. This is especially true when the operator has not received a sufficiently broad training in all ramifications implicit in the use of hypnosis. Improper utilization of suggestive procedures and/or wording of suggestions, improper handling of spontaneous reactions, faulty dehypnotization, and the lack of adequate psychopathological knowledge by the hypnotist are only some of the factors that may be at the root of some consequences. Although these complications can occur in any clinical situation, we have chosen the dental setting for this discussion. Proper safeguards are recommended.

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