The study examines the use of hypnotic audiotapes designed to affect study habits and attitudes. It is assumed that exposure to the hypnotic audiotapes will improve study habits and attitudes. It is further expected that exposure to the audiotapes will improve students' self-concepts and adjustment to college work, as well as reduce anxiety. Previous studies are cited which indicate that hypnosis has had a positive effect on learning. Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective means of changing specific behaviors.

Text in Afrikaans / Aangesien depressie en angs hedendaags so 'n ingrypende invloed het op mense se lewens en hulle lewenskwaliteit, is daar 'n dringende behoefte aan 'n dinamiese, korttermyn en gerigte terapie om so gou as moontlik by die werklike onderliggende oorsake van die depressie en angs uit te kern. Hierdie studie het ten doel om die gebruik van hipnoterapie in die hantering van depressie en angs by adolessente en volwassenes te ondersoek. Tydens die studie word aangetoon dat die mediese hipnoanalise model 'n geskikte benadering is om as diagnostiese tegniek en terapeutiese intervensie, die oorsprong van depressie en angs aan te spreek. Emosionele probleme soos depressie en angs se oorsprong lê dikwels by foutiewe persepsies wat ontstaan tydens insidente in die kindertyd. Aangesien die persoon se breinprosesse in daardie stadium nag nie goed genoeg ontwikkel is om te besef dat die bedreiging verby is nie, word sulke persepsies nie verwyder nie. Elke persoon analiseer 'n nuwe stresvolle situasie of bedreiging vanuit sy persepsies en verwysingsraamwerk uit die verlede. Tydens 'n stresvolle insident is die depressie- en angslyer in die gewoonte om vanuit 'n depressiewe en angsvolle verwysingsraamwerk te dink en op te tree. Hierdie wyse van dink en optree is volgens sy onbewuste beter vir sy oorlewing van die stresvolle situasie, as wat denke en optrede vanuit 'n verwysingsraamwerk van die werklike onderliggende probleem sou wees. Die mediese hipnoanalise model is in staat om, tydens regressie, die ou foutiewe gedagtepatrone te verander deur die onderliggende gedagte, wat probleme veroorsaak, bloot te lê en te verwyder. Sodoende word die werklike onderliggende probleem blootgelê en verwyder. Die persoon word vry van foutiewe persepsies van die verlede en in staat om te dink en in die toekoms op te tree volgens die nuwe, akkurate persepsies. Deur hierdie meganismes, bewys mediese hipnoanalise homself as 'n geskikte terapeutiese ingreep om depressie en angs suksesvol aan te spreek. / In the light of the far-reaching effects that depression and anxiety have on the lives and the quality of people's lives, there is a need for a dynamic, short term and directed therapy in order to determine the real underlying causes of depression and anxiety as soon as possible. This study aims to examine the use of hypnotherapy in the treatment of depression and anxiety with adolescents and adults. During the course of this study, it is shown that the medical hypnoanalysis model is well suited as a diagnostic technique and therapeutic intervention for treating the origins of depression and anxiety. The origin of emotional problems like depression and anxiety, often lies in the faulty perceptions that have been formulated during childhood incidents. Since the brain processes are not yet as developed as they will become in adult life, the conscious mind does not realize that the threat ceased to exist, and can therefore not remove such perceptions. Each person analyses new stressful situations from the perspective of his own perceptions and the frame of reference of the past. A person suffering from depression and anxiety is in the habit of generating depressive and anxious ways of thinking and acting when confronted with a new stressful situation. The subconscious mind considers these ways of thinking and acting as the best way of surviving the stressful situation, better than ways of thinking and acting from the frame of reference of the underlying problem. The medical hypnoanalysis model can detect and remove the real underlying problem by regressing the person to the time of the incident, thus correcting the old patterns of thinking and acting. The person is freed from past false perceptions, and can think and act according to his new, corrected perceptions. Through use of these mechanisms, medical hypnoanalysis has shown itself to be well suited to the treatment of depression and anxiety. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

In this study, the use of hypnosis in the treatment of chronic low back pain is described in terms of Ecosystemic thinking, as opposed to traditional conceptualisations of hypnosis. Six case studies were used. Each is described in detail, as well as the therapeutic rationale behind each case, in order to present the reader with an understanding of the thinking behind using Ecosystemic hypnotherapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / This study aims to explore the utilisation of hypnosis and hypnotherapy in providing therapeutic support to two primary school children who experience emotional difficulties. The purpose of this study is to ascertain what the emotional experiences of children are during the process of Ericksonian hypnosis and hypnotherapy. I attempted to utilise an Interpretive/Constructive paradigm, as it acknowledges that individuals construct their own realities based on their personal experiences and perceptions. In line with this perspective, the Ericksonian approach accepts and utilises whatever individuals bring with them into therapy in a respectful and gentle manner. The research design consisted of two case studies. I requested that parents of both participants complete a background questionnaire. This was followed by an unstructured interview with the parents and class teachers. Another unstructured interview was warranted in both cases. I utilised the assessment criteria according to Geary's Process model to identify the various hypnotic phenomena in each case. I used the hypnotic phenomena to assist with structuring therapeutic goals. The symptom behaviours and beliefs also impacted on other aspects of the participants' lives. Various themes emerged and linked with the therapeutic use of these phenomena, I attempted to address the problems by utilising the process model of Ericksonian hypnosis. The themes that emerged during data analysis were verified and categorised during data production. A variety of hypnotherapeutic techniques was utilised to help participants gain mastery and control of their respective realities. The Ericksonian Diamond model was utilised to tailor all interventions to the unique needs and developmental level of each participant. The findings of this study indicate that Ericksonian hypnosis and hypnotherapy is a powerful intervention strategy that yields positive results in a relatively short period of time with young children. It was found that this therapeutic strategy could be utilised as a main course or an adjunct to other therapeutic interventions. My study concludes by acknowledging the limitations and provides recommendations for future research.

In this study, the use of hypnosis in the treatment of chronic low back pain is described in terms of Ecosystemic thinking, as opposed to traditional conceptualisations of hypnosis. Six case studies were used. Each is described in detail, as well as the therapeutic rationale behind each case, in order to present the reader with an understanding of the thinking behind using Ecosystemic hypnotherapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The goal of this study is to point out the influence of earlier experiences, and in particular the experiences in utero, on the identity formation of the adolescent. Although the identity problem is generally associated with the development during the adolescent years, the researcher strives to point out the relation between identity problems as they manifests in later years, and the intra-uterine experiences. The research view this problem from three different angles: i. A study that examines the identity problem as it occurs during adolescence, as well as the causes of the problem. This study points out the main characteristics of the identity problem, as well as the way it manifests during the adolescent years. ii. A study of psycho-neurobiological models offers an explanation of the influence of memory on behaviour. This study gives the neurological explanation of how and why the very first experiences that are encoded in memory, have a distinct and prevailing influence on the behaviour of the individual. The encoding of memory takes action as soon as there is sufficient neurological development - this occurs at some stage in the development of the fetus in utero. The behaviour is not controlled by the past experiences, but by the perceptions and associations that are formed during encoding of memory. iii. A description of regressive therapies that enable the researcher to retrieve the memory from the subconscious mind, and reframe the perceptions and associations that were formed through earlier experiences, in order to change the behaviour. Two types of therapies are discussed - hypnosis and kinesiology. A qualitative study is performed on three respondents. This study points out the significance of the intra-uterine experiences on the development of the identity problem as it manifests in later years. It also indicates the fact that, although the past experiences can never be changed, the perceptions and associations that were formed during the encoding of the memory of the experience can be changed through reframing. The reframing of the experiences and the reformation of perceptions and associations have a definite and positive effect on the behaviour of the individual. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the meaning that psychotherapeutic patients associate with their self-esteem in order to contribute to a better understanding of what these patients' views of low and high self-esteem entail. A study of literature was conducted to expose different aspects of the term 'self-esteem' from several theoretical approaches. Furthermore, the substructure of the hypno-therapeutic approach (of which the medical hypno-analytical model was the main approach) was especially analysed to ground the psychotherapeutic treatment received by the research participants. Eleven research participants were involved in the study according to the extreme, as well as the confirming and disconfirming case methods of sampling. They were selected on the basis of homogenous characteristics, namely: white, Afrikaans-speaking men in the low to high average socio-economic sphere. This study was done within a qualitative or interpretive paradigm - the study therefore focuses on the understanding (verstehen) of the meaning individuals attach to their self-esteem and not on the explanation (erklärung) thereof. The data gathering techniques were the basic individual interview, the self-esteem induction and observation. The textual data, transcribed from audiocassettes, was analysed qualitatively with the help of the ATLAS.ti-program according to the principles and procedures of grounded theory (including open, axial and selective coding). Data analysis led to, amongst other things, the co-construction of 23 categories (with numerous subcategories) of which the central phenomenon was identified as 'low self-esteem'. Relations could be drawn between the core category and other categories and the following storyline, which could suggest a possible theory, was conceptualised: -Negative suggesting in the patient's past leads to low self-esteem, which is unhealthily handled within his emotional problematics by means of a negative thinking scheme for which therapy is received from a medical hypno-analytical perspective to treat the negative labels in order to facilitate attachment of positive meaning to his self-esteem. The meaning(s) ascribed by psychotherapeutic patients to their self-esteem seem to be, in accordance with the post-modern spirit of the age (Zeitgeist), holistic in nature. / Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om die betekenis wat psigoterapeutiese pasiente met hul selfagting assosieer, kwalitatief te ondersoek ten einde 'n bydrae te maak tot 'n beter begrip van wat psigoterapeutiese pasiente se siening van lae en hoe selfagting behels. 'n Literatuurstudie is uitgevoer om die onderskeie aspekte met betrekking tot die begrip 'selfagting' vanuit verskillende teoretiese benaderings te belig. Verder is die onderbou van veral die hipnoterapeutiese benadering (waarvan die mediese hipnoanalitiese model die hoofbenadering was) ge-analiseer om die psigoterapeutiese behandeling wat die navorsingsdeelnemers ontvang het, te fundeer. Elf navorsingsdeelnemers is volgens die ekstreme, sowel as die bevestigende en niebevestigende gevallemetodes van steekproeftrekking, by die studie betrek. Hulle is op grond van homogene eienskappe gekies, naamlik: blanke, Afrikaanssprekende mans binne 'n laag tot hoog gemiddelde sosio-ekonomiese sfeer. Hierdie studie is binne 'n kwalitatiewe of interpretatiewe paradigma gedoen - die studie fokus dus op die verstaan (verstehen) van die betekenis wat individue aan hul selfagting heg en nie op die verklaring (erklarung) daarvan nie. Die data- insamelingstegnieke was die basiese individuele onderhoud, die selfagtinginduksie in hipnoterapie en observasie. Die data is as tekstuele data, wat vanaf klankkassette getranskribeer is, op kwalitatiewe wyse met behulp van die ATLASJi-program aan die hand van die beginsels en prosedures van gegronde teorie (waaronder oop, aksiale en selektiewe kodering) ontleed. Data-ontleding het onder andere gelei tot die ko-konstruksie van 23 kategoriee (met talle subkategoriee) waarvan die sentrale verskynsel as 'lae selfagting' geidentifiseer is. Verbande kon tussen die kernkategorie en ander kategoriee getrek word, en die volgende gekonseptualiseerde storielyn wat op 'n moontlike teorie kan dui, is gekokonstrueer: - Negatiewe suggerering in die pasient se verlede lei tot sy lae selfagting wat hy binne sy emosionele problematiek deur middel van 'n negatiewe denkskema ongesond hanteer en dan psigoterapie ontvang vir die behandeling van sy negatiewe etikette sodat 'n positiewe betekenisgewing aan sy selfagting vanuit 'n mediese hipno-analitiese perspektief gefasiliteer kan word. Die betekenis(se) wat die psigoterapeutiese pasiente aan hul selfagting gee, blyk, in ooreenstemming met die postmodernistiese tydgees, holisties van aard te wees. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / The aim of the study is to describe the ecology of ideas in a family after the traumatic experience of a child. The focus is on developing a new context through which set meanings can expand. Therapeutic conversations and flexible hypnotic techniques, as part of a co-constructured process, are the "instruments" through which new ideas can be formed. The epistemological and theoretical framework of the study is postmodern, social constructionist ideas. Modernistic explanations are provided to fit in with the postmodern "both/and" focus of the study. A social constructionist position implies that the focus is placed on the multiple trauma perceptions of the family and social-cultural domain. Symptoms are viewed as part of the meaning systems in the family. The interconnection between dominant and non-dominant trauma stories is explained. Themes and relationship patterns are exposed and described according to the researcher's own epistemology, reflections and interpretations of the literature. / Clinical Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Dissociation is commonly associated with sexual crimes or other forms of trauma where a person experienced a threat to the existence or survival of the self. During dissociation the ego may split in such a way that ego-states (subselves or segments of the greater personality) form to encapsulate feelings of guilt, pain, fear, and anger. If dissociation is severe, sufferers will have no conscious recollection of the sexual trauma as it is deeply repressed in the subconscious. This may result in symptoms/pathology later in life. Research indicated that hypnosis (due to its dissociative nature) is favourable as treatment modality for pathology/symptomatology associated with trauma and dissociation. This research study investigates the development of ego-states during experiences of sexual trauma and hypnosis (especially Medical Hypno-analysis and Ego-State Therapy) as effective treatment modality within the field of psycho-education. It proposes a hypnotherapy model where the diagnostic tools as indicated by the Medical Hypno-analysis model, are being used to determine the existence of repressed memories related to sexual trauma. The therapeutic processes as indicated by the Ego-State Therapy model, are being used to resolve and work through the core repressed traumatic experiences through the mobilization of associated and related ego-states. This study presents four case studies and discusses their clinical diagnostic procedures and therapeutic processes. The case studies illustrate that certain symptomatology/pathology experienced later in life may be the result of repressed memories and the formation of maladapted ego-states earlier in life when sexual trauma was experienced. Highly charged emotional and negative beliefs were set in the ego-states and could only be disarmed from their destructive content through regressions and hypnotherapy. A detailed discussion of the proposed hypnotherapy model and its application and concerns regarding its application within the field of psycho-education are also presented. The results of this study indicate that the proposed hypnotherapy model (the combination of Medical Hypno-analysis and Ego-State Therapy) can be used effectively and successfully when working with survivors and symptomatology/pathology associated with sexual crimes. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.

In this study, the use of hypnotherapy in high-risk pregnancy is explored from an ecological systems perspective through two case studies. Each case study is described in detail. They explore the experiences of two women during their pregnancy and giving birth, with specific reference to the pregnancy risks and their use of hypnotherapy. The study provides the reader with an in-depth understanding of the use of hypnotherapy before, during and after birth. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)