| In the Phantom of the Opera, strange inexplicable | | | | anger. You started the Harvester with your mind full of |
| things happened in an opera house that were | | | | that same anger that you had directed at your wife. |
| attributed to a phantom. No one could see him and yet | | | | You were so pre-occupied that you did not see the |
| he was there. By the end of the opera, the phantom | | | | cover to the working parts of the Harvester was not |
| was revealed to be a real live person that existed and | | | | there and you had the accident. Are you with me so |
| breathed like any other human being. | | | | far?" |
| Phantom limb pains are also inexplicable. They exist, | | | | "Yes." |
| yet there is no real substance to them. The pain is | | | | "As the accident happened, you were still blaming your |
| sometimes extremely intense and yet there is no way | | | | wife for your bad luck, but subconsciously you knew |
| of knowing what the cause is. In other words, the pain | | | | that was wrong. In other words, you were feeling guilty |
| is like a phantom. | | | | as the accident happened and even more guilty if you |
| For example, a leg is amputated and yet the 'missing' | | | | blamed your wife at a later date for 'causing' the |
| leg can still be felt as though it was there and often | | | | accident by arguing with you." |
| there is pain in the area of the missing limb. | | | | "But, I don't blame my wife for the accident. I admit that |
| Ask a doctor what causes the pain and he will come | | | | the thought passed my mind that if I had not argued |
| up with all sorts of theories that claim there is no pain | | | | with her, the accident would not have happened, but it |
| and it is simply in the mind. Tell that to someone who is | | | | wasn't her fault, it was all mine." |
| suffering the excruciating agony of Phantom Limb Pain | | | | "Ok, I accept that, so in reality, you actually blame |
| and he or she will simply say, 'It still hurts like hell!' and,, | | | | yourself and feel guilty because you are now no |
| of course, it still remains there, hurting and hurting and | | | | longer the man you used to be. Possibly you also |
| hurting!!! | | | | blame yourself for all the suffering your accident has |
| Is there a treatment? Yes and no! | | | | caused your wife?" |
| Conventional medicine practitioners do not have a | | | | "That sounds more like it," he replied rubbing his chin, |
| treatment. How can they as they don't know what | | | | "as I actually can feel the guilt as we speak." |
| causes it? And, taking pain killers hardly has an effect, | | | | I sat silently for a while letting him think of what I had |
| unless it is a placebo (imaginary) one. | | | | said. After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, |
| As far as the doctors and physicians are concerned, | | | | I continued by asking him if he could accept that 'guilt' |
| it's your tough luck. Yet there is a treatment. | | | | feelings lie in the mind and using hypnosis may be able |
| But before I tell you about it, let me tell you a true story | | | | to get into the mind and help remove the guilt feelings. |
| from my Hypnotherapist's Case Book which I use as a | | | | He agreed and that was the beginning of the therapy I |
| teaching aid on my Hypnotherapy Courses. | | | | used to remove the guilt feelings. |
| The Story: | | | | End of story. |
| Looking sad with stooped shoulders, my next client | | | | Now some of you more experienced in the implanting |
| limped into my consulting room. He had the look of a | | | | of suggestions in the mind of a client, may raise your |
| defeated soldier, rugged face and an air of dejection. | | | | eyebrows. But, let me say that I accept that this |
| "How can I help?" I asked. | | | | unfortunate man may have accepted what I had said |
| "It's the pain Doctor Shields. The pain in my left leg. It is | | | | as true only because he saw me as an 'authoritive' |
| driving me crazy and I can't get any relief from it." | | | | figure. |
| "Ok, do you mind if I looked at it?! | | | | We all know that if a doctor tells you that you have an |
| "If you could see it, I wouldn't mind. But, it isn't there. It | | | | illness that you were unaware of, there is a high |
| was cut off after an accident I had in a combined | | | | probability that you will accept what the doctor says |
| harvester." | | | | as being true and the illness, if it did not exist, may |
| "Tell me about it." | | | | even manifest itself within your body. However, in this |
| "It was a year ago. I work on farms and one morning I | | | | case there was a ring of truth about it. But even if my |
| had a row with my wife but still had to go to work. | | | | theory was not true, it was obvious that the |
| You see, I was going through a bad patch at the time | | | | Unconscious Mind had accepted 'guilt' as the cause of |
| as my wages are very low and I had some money | | | | the pain, as the end result eventually proved. |
| problems. I love my wife to pieces and as they say, | | | | The Cause: To understand the cause of Phantom |
| 'You always hurt the one you love.' | | | | Limb Pain, you have to accept that we all have both a |
| I remember banging the door as I left and feeling very | | | | spiritual and a physical body that are identical and linked |
| angry, not just with my wife, but with the whole world | | | | directly through the Unconscious Mind. In other words, |
| at the way life was treating me." | | | | you have physical arms and identical spiritual arms. The |
| "I then got into my Harvester, started the engine, put it | | | | spiritual body cannot be seen as it vibrates too quickly |
| in gear and then started to collect the corn. I hadn't | | | | for the physical eye to see it, but it exists. |
| noticed that the grill covering the 'working parts' had | | | | The physical body, in the main, functions as a result of |
| been removed and without realising it, I put my left foot | | | | physical actions, e.g. heart circulating blood, and it is |
| on the floor and it went straight into the gears." | | | | controlled by the Unconscious Mind, as is the spiritual |
| "The bottom part of my leg was totally mangled and | | | | body. Take away part of the physical body and the |
| my lower leg had to be taken off." | | | | spiritual counterpart continues to exist as it cannot be |
| He continued, "That's about it really except that about | | | | destroyed. |
| a week or so after the amputation, I started getting | | | | As the spiritual body is totally controlled by the |
| terrible pains in the part of the leg that wasn't there. I | | | | Unconscious Mind (sometimes called the 'Subconscious |
| could still feel the leg and even tried to stand on it | | | | Mind') it will either accept the loss of the physical part |
| sometimes, but it is just empty space, but the pain has | | | | or it will react in whatever way it thinks appropriate. An |
| got worse and I don't know how much more I can | | | | example being, producing pain or even denying the loss |
| take." | | | | so the victim still feels the missing limb, or part of it, is |
| After asking more questions, I used hypnosis and | | | | there. |
| established the pain at a 9 out of 10 level. I then asked | | | | Some of us have experienced the excruciating pain |
| him if he believed in the human spirit? | | | | the Unconscious Mind can produce. It cannot be |
| His reply was, "No, not really. I think this world is | | | | compared to physical pain as it is so intense and |
| everything. I don't think we have a spirit just a body. I | | | | cannot be relieved with pain killers. Those of us who |
| have never been religious and have no interest in God | | | | have lost a loved one through death or divorce, will |
| or anything like that." | | | | know exactly what I am talking about. That kind of |
| "That's not a problem," I said, "but are you willing to | | | | pain is felt in the Spiritual Body and cannot be |
| listen to a theory that would explain why you have the | | | | measured or treated with pain killers. If the |
| pain. A theory that requires you to accept that besides | | | | Unconscious Mind believes that pain is the only way to |
| having a physical body, you also have an identical | | | | handle the loss of a limb, that pain will almost always |
| spiritual body?" | | | | be extremely intense. |
| The gloom surrounding him suddenly lifted and he | | | | The Treatment: The treatment is to deal with the |
| looked enthusiastic. | | | | Unconscious Mind and not try a treatment that is only |
| "I would believe anything, if you can help me Dr. Shields. | | | | effective on the physical body. Look for anything that |
| If you can get rid of the pain, I would think of that as a | | | | may cause the pain that is in the Unconscious Mind. |
| miracle, and that's religious isn't it?" | | | | Guilt is a common cause. Masochism is another. |
| "OK, so let's get down to brass tacks and call the pain | | | | Self-punishment is yet another. The list can go on and |
| by it's real name. It's real name is 'guilt'." | | | | on, but a good therapist will find the cause and deal |
| His jaw dropped. "Why should I feel guilty about the | | | | with it. |
| pain?" | | | | Using the 'pain reduction technique' of relaxation and |
| "No, that is the wrong way around. It is not guilt as a | | | | grading the pain from one to ten, could be used initially |
| result of the pain, it is the pain as a result of the guilt. | | | | to ease the pain a little. I teach this method to my |
| You see, when you argued with your wife, and had | | | | students asking the client to take control of the pain |
| the accident, my guess is that you felt guilty. It's just as | | | | and reduce the initial intensity number through a |
| though you had the accident as a result of your anger | | | | relaxation method. |
| and that is unacceptable to your personality. Is that | | | | Always remember, pain cannot be felt if the muscles |
| starting to make sense?" | | | | in the pain area are relaxed. This equally applies to |
| "Not really." he replied. | | | | Phantom Limb Pain. Produce relaxation in the missing |
| "Ok, think of it this way. You argued with your wife | | | | limb and the pain signals to the brain will lessen or |
| whom you love very much. You realised, perhaps | | | | disappear. But, to remove Phantom Limb Pain |
| subconsciously, that it was not her fault and you were | | | | permanently, the root cause has to be dealt with. |
| simply using her as a 'whipping boy' to get rid of your | | | | |