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