Spiritual healing in palliative care with clinical hypnosis: neuroscience and therapy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Palliative care is a holistically oriented philosophy and a model of medical care for patients with life limiting illness. By nature, its care is team-based and quality of life is its objective for patients and families facing life-threatening illness. This care requires timely and accurate assessment and treatment of physical, psychosocial and spiritual symptoms. Responses to these unmet needs can overwhelm patients and loved ones, robbing them of hope for meaningful relief of suffering. Clinical hypnotic approaches can identify and explore the nature of these needs; however, referrals to the spiritual interventions in palliative care are typically made late in the illness trajectory of such illness. Substantial scientific evidence supports early and open access to spiritually directed therapies, including meditative and cognitive techniques, including clinical hypnosis. Spiritual therapies often integrate aspects of effective psychological and meditative approach therapies. These approaches have many shared qualities, including their cognitive orientation, inward focus, inclusion of some rituals, and shared goals of providing emotional support by focusing upon a safe inner space for mental, psychological, and spiritual exploration during days that are full of challenge and threat. This paper reviews The neuroscientific features of inner consciousness, including its role in suffering and in accessing states of mind that relieve suffering; details salient meditative and hypnotic approaches appropriate for palliative settings of care; discusses core principles and orientations shared by effective approaches; and proposes early integration of hypnotic training as a coping skill and a platform for spiritual exploration, as desired.