Implications of Barber's Three Dimensional Theory of Hypnosis

ORIGINAL ARTICLES Implications of Barber’s Three Dimensional Theory of Hypnosis Marty Sapp, Ed.D. Recently, Barber has presented a three dimensional paradigm of hypnosis. He proposed that there are three hypnotic types of clients- the fantasy-prone, amnesic-prone, and positively-set. This paper discusses the major theoretical implications of this new paradigm, and, if Barber is correct, his new theory should bridge a gap between the special process (state) and nonstate theorists. Finally, only research will determine if Barber’s new theory will actually unify the previous disagreements between the state and nonstate theorists. (Sleep and Hypnosis 2002;4(2):70-76) Key words: hypnosis, Barber’s three dimensional theory, fantasy, amnesia INTRODUCTION Sarbin (3) viewed hypnosis as a dramaturgical metaphor and he employed role theory to arber (1) proposed that there are three explain hypnosis. Hypnosis was conceptualized Bhypnotic types of clients that he identified as role taking behavior, and not role-playing as the fantasy-prone, amnesic-prone, and behavior, since role-playing suggests a sham. positively-set. Before a discussion of the three Sarbin emphasized how a client enacts the role of types of clients is presented, it is important to how a hypnotized client is supposed to behave. provide the reader with a background of Moreover, Sarbin stressed the contextual Barber’s earlier theoretical position. In the variables that communicate social demands and 1950’s, Theodore Sarbin was one of the first these shape the client’s expectations of how a theorists to reject the state notion of hypnosis, hypnotized client is supposed to enact the role of and Theodore X. Barber (2) was the second being hypnotized. major theorist to reject the state of notion Barber rejected the state or altered-state hypnosis. Even though both theorists viewed notion of hypnosis because he found that several hypnosis as a social psychological construct, variables affected hypnotic responsiveness, and each theorist rejected the state notion of he found that hypnosis could be elicited without hypnosis for somewhat different reasons. a hypnotic induction. Moreover, he found that From University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Educational defining a situation as hypnosis and increasing Psychology Counseling Area, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA clients’ expectations could produce hypnosis. In Address reprint requests to: Marty Sapp, Ed.D., University of addition, he found that the motivation and Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Educational Psychology, 2400 E. expectations of clients increased hypnotic Hartford Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA Tel.: (414) 229-6347 Fax: (414) 229-4939 suggestibility. Interestingly, Barber did not E-mail: [email protected] describe any personality traits of hypnosis (4-6). Accepted February 7, 2002 Finally, both Sarbin and Barber believed that 70 Sleep and Hypnosis, 4:2, 2002 M. Sapp hypnosis could be explained without a had spontaneous amnesia for hypnotic proposed altered state of consciousness. And situations, and all clients showed consistent contextual variables like defining a situation as and total posthypnotic amnesia when it was hypnotic and goal-directed behavior served as a suggested. When Barrett compared responses of theoretical basis for hypnosis. In summary, the fantasy-prone and amnesic-prone, she did neither Sarbin nor Barber viewed hypnosis as not find that the fantasy-prone experienced an unusual state of consciousness. The next will spontaneous amnesia. The fantasy-prone and discuss how Barber developed the notion of the amnesic-prone clients even differed in how they fantasy-prone client. responded to posthypnotic suggestions for amnesia. For example, when amnesia was FANTASY-PRONE suggested to the fantasy-prone clients, one- third failed the item and two-thirds had partial Wilson and Barber (7) interviewed 27 women recall or knew that they could counter the who were chosen from a large group of excellent posthypnotic suggestion. hypnotic clients; however, these women had the When the fantasy-prone and amnesic-prone following commonalities within their clients were dehypnotized, Barrett also found backgrounds: an extensive history of make- marked difference between the two groups. For believe and fantasy, vivid memories and images example, the fantasy-prone clients smiled when dating back to the age of 3, and the ability to they were dehypnotized; in contrast, the affect the body through the mind. For example, amnesic-prone clients appeared confused and a number of these women were able to attributed their experiences to the skills of the experience pseudocyesis or false pregnancy. This operator, while the fantasy-prone clients led to a stoppage of their menstrual cycles, attributed their experiences to their bloating of the abdomens, morning sickness, and imaginations. craving for certain foods. Moreover, many of The fantasy-prone clients and amnesic- these women believed when they were children prone clients even differed in the way they that their dolls were alive; they believed in experienced hallucinations. For example, the angels, fairies, and countless forms of fantasy-prone clients knew that they had supernatural beings. In addition, most of these elicited their hallucinations and they women were encouraged to develop their remembered the hypnotist’s suggestions for fantasies by their parents, and these fantasy- hallucinations. Oddly, the amnesic-prone prone women learned to escape into fantasies. believed that their hallucinations were real and Finally, these were women who scored very could not remember the hypnotist offering highly on standardized measures of suggestions for hallucinations. hypnotizability. The section will describe the In terms of memory, there were also next highly hypnotizable type of client, the differences between Barrett’s two groups. Most amnesic-prone. of the amnesic-prone did not have memories before the age of 5, and 40% could not AMNESIC-PRONE remember life events before the ages of 6 and 8. And, as previously stated, the amnesic prone Barrett (8,9) researched 34 highly hypnotics clients demonstrated general forgetfulness in clients from a population of participants. their daily lives. Strikingly, all of Barrett’s Interestingly, she found that certain clients had fantasy prone clients had vivid memories before amnesia for hypnosis. Moreover, these clients the age of 3 and most had memories before the were generally amnesic throughout their daily age of 2. Clinicians should be aware, with the lives. Specifically, 60 percent of these clients amnesic prone clients, that many reported Sleep and Hypnosis, 4:2, 2002 71 Implications of Barber’s Three Dimensional Theory of Hypnosis having been abused. Specifically, the amnesic symptoms. Second, he would bring prone reported to have been beaten, battered, unconscious experiences into conscious and they experienced sexual abuse and awareness, thus causing association or psychological abuse during childhood. integration within the personality and resolving In summary, Barrett’s amnesic prone clients dissociation. Finally, he used hypnosis to were not fantasy prone, and the amnesic prone increase clients’ ego-strength (4,10). clients only reported narrow and mundane According to Hilgard’s neodissociation fantasies about their futures. In addition, the theory, hypnosis is an altered state of amnesic prone clients could mainly experience consciousness due to the incomplete fantasies by becoming absorbed or dissociated dissociation among cognitive systems, such as in the fantasies of others through books, plays, the separation of conscious mental activities of and so on. Barrett referred to the amnesic prone the mind from unconscious mental activities. clients as dissociators, because they had an Moreover, Hilgard theorized that clients external locus of control. Barrett’s amnesic experienced dissociation as an altered state of prone differed from her fantasy prone clients. consciousness due to an amnesic barrier that Interestingly, her amnesic prone clients exits between the conscious and unconscious required an extensive hypnotic induction and mental activities (11). In contrast, according to they experienced the typical loss of muscle Woody and Farvolden’s (12) dissociated control tone, and lethargic movements-which are theory, hypnosis is the result of the restraint of indicative of clients who report experiencing the frontal lobe of the brain, not the result of hypnosis as an altered-state of consciousness. conscious and unconscious awareness divided Finally, Barrett’s fantasy prone clients by a communication of amnesic barrier. imaginations had an internal locus of control, The dissociated control theorists have and they did not require and extensive hypothesized that the forebrain hypnotic induction to elicit hypnosis. (telencephalon), which controls subcortical The skilled clinician may be asking, "Which structures, is involved with the elicitation of theoretical positions of hypnosis support the hypnosis. Woody and Bowers (13) assumed notion that clients become dissociated during that the multiplicity of mental processes is hypnosis?" Historically, Jean Martin Charcot normal and that functions of higher (1825-1893), during the late 1800’s, found that consciousness coordinate multiple levels of clients experiencing hysteria had experienced a mental control, and that hypnotic suggestions trauma and that the trauma had caused clients’ weaken executive control over sub brain ideations to dissociate or split off from systems; and

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