Hypnotic exploration of amnesia after cerebral injuries

Abstract

Amnesia resulting from cerebral injury i not always absolute. Retrograde amnesia can, to some extent, dimininh spontaneously. Further, barbiturates are known to sometimes influence posttraumatic amnesia. Cases are reported in which amnesia resulting from cerebral injury has been canceled by hypnosis. The present paper concerns 20 cases of fairly serious head injuries where, after recovery, anterograde and retrograde amnesias were explored by hypnosis. In 7 of these cases residual amnesia appears to have been canceled during deep hypnosis. The duration of the post-traumatic coma or amnesia did not seem to have an efiect on the outcome of hypnotic exploration. The problem calls for further investigation both in theory and practice.