A Comment on an Alleged Association between Hypnosis and Death: Two Remarkable Cases

Abstract

Dr. Ewin recently reported his research on two “remarkable” cases where hypnosis performed by a lay hypnotist was allegedly associated with the death of the subject. Commentary is provided about both cases. In the first case, it seems clear that the death was co-incident to the hypnosis. In the second case, Dr. Ewin speculates that hypnosis may have been related to the subject's death following her experience in a stage hypnosis show. Instead, we propose that the alerting suggestion used to terminate the hypnosis (that “the subjects would feel 10,000 volts of electricity through the seat of their chairs”), not hypnosis per se, was inappropriate and may have specifically adversely affected this particular subject due to her phobia regarding electricity. Legal ramifications of these cases regarding the issue of informed consent are raised. It is concluded that these cases do not imply a duty to warn subjects/patients that one possible negative consequence of undergoing hypnosis is death.

Saimin ni yoru shi eno komento: Reigai-teki 2 jirei

Saikin, Ewin hakase wa, saimin ga hikenja no shiboh to musubi tsuite iru kano yoh na 2tsu no “reigai-teki “ jirei kenkyu o houkoku shita. Kono ryohou no jirei ni komento o kuwaeta. Dai 1 no jirei wa, shirouto saimin-ka ga okonatta saimin ni yotte shiboh shita koto wa meihaku to omowareru. Dai 2 no jirei ni tsuite Ewin hakase ga, kochira demo shirouto saimin-ka ga okonatta butai saimin shou ni sanka shita hikenja ga, sonogo shiboh shita noga saimin to kanren ga atta to suru koto ni gimon o nagekakeru atarashii bunseki o shimeshita. Wareware wa mushiro, jijitsu ga shimeshite iru noha, saimin shuketsu ji ni yoku mochii rareru keikai-anji(“Saimin-ka ga “oyasumi” to iu to, hikenja wa koshikakete iru isu kara 1-man boruto no denki o kanjiru de shou”) ga fu-tekisetsu de atta noto, kanojo ga kanden-kyohfu de atta tameni, kono hikenja ni sorega tokuni sayou shita nodewa naika to teian shita. “setsumei to goui” no kanten kara, korera no korei ni tsuite no hou-teki giron o toriage ta. Korera no jirei wa, hikenja/kanja e, saimin taiken no hitei-teki na kanousei no aru ketsumatsu no hitotsu toshite shiboh suru kotomo aru to keikoku suru gimu o tomonau koto o iu mono dewa nai to ketsuron zuketa.

Key Words:

• Hypnosis
• death
• prolactin
• alerting suggestion and informed consent