How Did I Become Involved in Hypnosis?

Welcome to this blog regarding hypnosis.  My name is Ran D. Anbar, MD, and I am the President and Founder of Center Point Medicine.  In this first blog entry I want to share about my introduction to the world of hypnosis. 

In the spring of 1997, when I was practicing as a pediatric pulmonologist, I took a call from a pediatrician about a patient he wanted to refer to me.  “Paul is one of the most allergic patients I have ever met,” he told me. 

Paul had almost died twice from eating a milk product.  Once when he was 7 and the other time when he was 17.  In addition to having a life-threatening food allergy, he also suffered from asthma.  Once he told me, “Lately, when I’ve been smelling cheeseburgers, I’ve developed asthma attacks.” 

I thought this was a strange symptom.  But, I thought, perhaps a milk molecule is wafting through the air and this is triggering his asthma (which I later found out could not happen.)  “Go see your allergist,” I suggested. 

A Spark of an Idea 

Then I thought a bit more.  “Imagine eating a cheeseburger,” I suggested, which is something Paul could never do in real life.  Within seconds Paul began showing signs that he was having trouble breathing.  He was struggling to inhale and appeared scared. 

“Stop it!” I exclaimed.  And he did. 

I knew very little about hypnosis at the time but wondered if there could be something hypnotic going on.  So, I said, “Imagine a glass plate covering your hand.”  He nodded.   “Now, tell me if you can feel me touching you,” I said as I touched his hand.   

“No,” he said, appearing surprised.  I took out my pocketknife (which the airlines later confiscated) and pressed the corkscrew into his palm.  “Do you feel this?” I asked. 

“No!” he said. 

“Whoa, that’s amazing,” I said.  “This must be hypnosis.  I don’t know if it’s you or me who is causing this to happen, but it’s worth finding out about.” 

Immediately, I started thinking.  If you can think your way into disease can you think your way out? 

This was my rather dramatic introduction to hypnosis.  In future blog posts I will share what I’ve learned about our amazing inner powers that can be tapped into by most everyone through hypnosis, and can be used as instruments of healing. 

Take Home Message 

It is very likely that you or a person you know can benefit greatly from use of hypnosis.  You can learn more about this amazing tool by becoming a regular reader of this blog, exploring the Center Point Medicine website, or reading some of the many published books and articles about this topic.   

References 

• Anbar RD (ed).  Functional Symptoms in Pediatric Disease: A Clinical Guide.  New York, NY: Springer, 2014. 

• Kohen DP, Olness N.  Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy with Children, 4th ed.  New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. 
• Reznick C.  The Power of your Child’s Imagination:  How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success.  New York, NY:  Penguin Group, 2009. 
• Temes R.  Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hypnosis. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2004. 

About Center Point Medicine 

You can learn more about Center Point Medicine, hypnosis, and other great topics by following us on social media or heading over to our website. New blogs are added weekly. A list of all current blogs can be found HERE.

For medical professionals looking to open their own Center Point Medicine office providing pediatric counseling and hypnosis services to your local community, please follow this LINK to learn more about our franchising opportunities. 

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Author

Ran D. Anbar, MD Ran D. Anbar, MD, FAAP, is board certified in both pediatric pulmonology and general pediatrics, offering hypnosis and counseling services at Center Point Medicine in La Jolla, California, and Syracuse, New York. Dr. Anbar is also a fellow and approved consultant of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Dr. Anbar is a leader in clinical hypnosis, and his 20 years of experience have allowed him to successfully treat over 5,000 children. He also served as a professor of pediatrics and medicine and the director of pediatric pulmonology at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, for 21 years.