Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
From: David@longley.demon.co.uk (David Longley)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!peernews.demon.co.uk!longley.demon.co.uk!David
Subject: Re: Thought Question
References: <9504080348596.The_Win-D.chris000@delphi.com> <3m6a15$fil@life.ai.mit.edu> <calvin-1004950800030001@slc12.xmission.com>
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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 20:36:55 +0000
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In article <calvin-1004950800030001@slc12.xmission.com>
           calvin@xmission.com "calvin" writes:

> In article <3m6a15$fil@life.ai.mit.edu>, minsky@transit.ai.mit.edu (Marvin
> Minsky) wrote:
> 
> > In article <9504080348596.The_Win-D.chris000@delphi.com>
> chris000@delphi.com (Chris x) writes:
> >  [...]
> > 
> > >Why? An experiment that has been duplicated several times has the subjects
> > >under hypnosis being told that they are about to be touched with a red hot
> > >metal object.  They are then touched with an ice cube.  Many subjects 
> > >blister within seconds, and complain of the burning sensation after the
> > >sessions.  The hypnotist has changed their perception the environment, 
> > >and this is all that matters, not the *real* or *subjective* environment,
> > >if such a thing exists.
> > 
> > Even if this were true, which I doubt (see if you can find 'several'
> > such reports in refereed journals) why would this be more significant
> > than a person's ability to move a finger at will?
> 
> The reason this is more significant is because there is no causal link
> between the blister causing ice cube as there is with the nerve/muscle
> connected finger.   How can the body be damaged just by thinking about
> it?  Moreover, how would you create 2nd degree burn blisters without a
> heat source?  
> 
> I too would really like to see a good reference.
> 
> -calvin
> 
HYPNOTICALLY INDUCED BLISTERING (More on Cognition vs Behaviour)

Here are a few abstracts I found when searching for (hypnos*  and 
blist*)  or (hypnos* and burn*). The last abstract is  relatively 
old, but it made me think of the UCS-UCR relationship. A  blister 
is usually a UCR to an aversive UCS, so if one were to perform  a 
standard  classical conditioning paradigm, with say a  relatively 
non  noxious stimulus such as pin prick or even a warm air  blast 
followed by a laser burn, could one condition a blister?

It seems to me that this is the appropriate technology to use  to 
answer  these  questions once and for all. The above  search  was 
restricted to between 1974 and 1994. A manual search through  the 
journals  of  the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s may well reveal  what  is 
needed.

We  have reasonably good empirical illustrations  of  conditioned 
insulin  secretion  to the neutral qualities  of  'food'  (smell, 
taste  etc.),  and this does not surprise us as  these  are  good 
anticipatory  CRs  which make our system work as  it  should.  In 
fact,  it was argued long ago by Dewey (1896) that all  reflexive 
behaviour was 'reflexive' in the circular sense - ie designed  to 
address the conditions of its elicitation. This is not refuted by 
Pavlov's  work  and  was  of course  the  key  theme  of  Hullian 
Psychology.  The generalisation decrements that there are  amount 
surely   to  the  constraints  which  exist  on  the   range   of 
conditioning. We are only surprised when examples are cited  such 
as  talk  -> blister. In fact, any animal designed to  make  such 
remote  associations  would  probably  have  been  selected   out 
millennia ago.


The early history of hypnotic skin marking and blistering.
Gauld,-Alan-O.
U Nottingham, England
British-Journal-of-Experimental-and-Clinical-Hypnosis;  1990  Oct 
Vol 7(3) 139-152

Reviews  the  history  of  alleged  hypnotic  skin  marking   and 
blistering  from  about  1785 to the early 20th  century.  It  is 
concluded that the available evidence from this period  warranted 
the belief that such phenomena sometimes occurred. However, there 
were  also  occasional  examples  of  their  occurrence   through 
suggestion  without  hypnosis. 


Note   sur  l'hallucination  et  le   symptome   psychosomatique. 
(Hallucinations and psychosomatic symptoms.)
Roussillon,-Rene
Revue-Francaise-de-Psychanalyse; 1989 Mar-Apr Vol 53(2) 705-711

Discusses  the psychoanalytic theory of symptoms as traces  of  a 
traumatic  historical or prehistorical event revived by  deferred 
action   with  such  intensity  that  its   hallucinatory   force 
reproduces the physical trauma itself. R. Rousillon presents  the 
example  of a hypnotically conjured burn, actually  appearing  on 
the  hand  of the hypnotized S, and the case history of  a  young 
male analysand, whose 3-stage memory traces of an early childhood 
and  adolescent  trauma  were  converted  into  physically   real 
psychosomatic    symptoms.    The   phenomenon    of    "negative 
hallucinations"  (e.g.,  Ss walking over hot  coals  without  any 
physical  effects) is also discussed. (English, German &  Spanish 
abstracts)  (0  ref) 

Psychical   factors  in  infectious  disease  and   immunological 
response.
Oker-Blom,-Nils; et-al
U Helsinki, Finland
Psychiatria-Fennica; 1981 Suppl 195-196

In  a  study with 6 strongly tuberculin positive  individuals,  2 
groups of blisters were injected with saline and 2 with  purified 
protein  derivative of tuberculin (PPD). Ss were  hypnotized  and 
told that one of the regions was injected with saline and another 
with  PPD.  They  were also told, however,  that  another  region 
actually  injected  with PPD was injected with  saline  and  vice 
versa. Hypnosis increased numbers of cells in saline blisters but 
reduced numbers in blisters injected with PPD. Some cells reacted 
to  the  PPD in vitro in the wrong way  after  hypnosis.  Results 
suggest  that  hypnosis  may  be  influential  in  directing  the 
migration of immuno-competent cells. 

Hypnotically   "reliving"  a  prior  burn:  Effects  on   blister 
formation and localized skin temperature.
Spanos,-Nicholas-P.; McNeil,-Conrad; Stam,-Henderikus-J.
Carleton U, Ottawa, Canada
Journal-of-Abnormal-Psychology; 1982 Aug Vol 91(4) 303-305

60  Ss  who  had previously been burned  were  "hypnotically  age 
regressed"  and  given  both suggestions  to  "relive"  the  burn 
experience  and suggestions that a blister was forming.  Although 
17  Ss  reported vividly imagining the burn events,  none  showed 
localized   skin-coloration  changes  or  evidence   of   blister 
formation.  Moreover, skin temperature measured  before,  during, 
and after age regression indicated no overall suggestion effects. 
Nevertheless, 1 S did show differential skin-temperature response 
to  the  suggestion.  This S had showed  only  moderate  hypnotic 
susceptibility   on   the  Harvard  Group   Scale   of   Hypnotic 
Susceptibility.   (10  ref)  

Experimental psychosomatics: Blistering.
Chertok,-L.
Ctr  de Medecine Psychosomatique Dejerine, Lab d'Hypnose,  Paris, 
France
Annales-Medico-Psychologiques; 1977 Jun Vol 2(1) 1-13

The  possibility  of producing skin-blisters by  direct  hypnotic 
suggestion is little understood theoretically. The literature  is 
reviewed  and  a case is described as the  basis  for  discussing 
possible mechanisms by which such phenomena might come about: (1) 
an   augmentation  of  the  perceived  stimulus  intensity,   via 
suggestion, with an appropriate autonomic reflex response; (2)  a 
modification   of  voluntary  efferent  physiological   processes 
resulting  in changes sufficient to produce skin vesication;  (3) 
the  somaticizing  of  a  generalized  tension-state,  as  in   a 
psychosomatic  disorder;  or (4) a modified  pattern  within  the 
unconscious  imagination  with a  consequent  somatic  expression 
similar  to the symbolic representation of  unconscious  conflict 
demonstrated  by  hysterias. Only a systematic approach  such  as 
that  described  for this controlled experiment can  provide  the 
data  needed  to  choose  among  these  possibilities.  There  is 
insufficient  evidence  available to permit  anything  more  than 
conjecture  as to the mechanism involved. (English  summary)  (32 
ref)  

Hypnotic  suggestions  for  blister  formation:  Subjective   and 
physiological effects.
Johnson,-R.-F.; Barber,-Theodore-X.
Medfield Foundation, MA
American-Journal-of-Clinical-Hypnosis; 1976 Jan Vol 18(3) 172-181

Reports  that  2  of 40 student nurses who  were  given  (a)  the 
suggestion that the back of one hand had been burned accidentally 
and  (b) repeated suggestions that a blister was  forming  there, 
exhibited skin changes. None of the Ss developed a blister. It is 
suggested  that  future research focus on Ss with  either  highly 
sensitive  skin  or a previous history of skin injury.  (37  ref) 


- 
David Longley
