The use of hypnotic age progressions as interventions with acute psychosomatic conditions.

Abstract

Patients with the physical manifestations and physiological disturbances engendered by serious psychosomatic conditions often present with special needs in therapy. On a conscious level, these patients may have pessimistic views of the future, including the specter of imminent death, which, for some, is a real possibility. In this paper we review four clinical cases in which hypnotic age progressions reveal the patients' deepest positive hopes for survival and serve as ego-strengthening, integrating, and prognostic tools in the face of ominous symptoms of physical distress.