Sleep and Health Journal

One feature of the new integrative medicine movement is the physician's attention to the patient's narrative biography – the patient's telling of their story. I work in such a clinic. We have medical residents work with our physicians. One universal comment them make when comparing their other rotations to their rotation in our clinic is the time our physicians spend talking with and listening to our patients. We spend 2-3 times the amount of time with patients other physicians spend in their practices.

We all admire geniuses and their work. For most of us these incredible people are in the far past or far away. But some of the persons with the most unbelievable abilities might be among us in our time. I was very fortunate to personally meet two of the most incredible people with extra-sensorial abilities: Michael Kuny and Wolf Messing - humans with scientifically proven super-human abilities. Sleep & Health had published in the past some materials about Wolf Messing, but we had difficulties to find credible information about Michael Kuny until recently, when we learned that Michael M. Kunin, the son of Michael Kuny, now lives in New York, and has published a book about his father: The Phenomenon of Michael Kuny. Michael M. Kunin himself is one of the most distinguished artists and art historians in Russia and the USA. He was among the most innovative theatrical producers in the Soviet Union. He is a professor of the art of acting and has written several internationally known manuals about the science and art of staging. He was the Science Secretary of the Ministry of Culture in the USSR and the President of Education Committee of the Ministry of Culture in Czechoslovakia.

Doctor Oster is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice. A faculty member of the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Dr. Oster teaches doctoral students in the areas of psychopathology, professional issues and practice, clinical hypnosis, behavioral medicine, health psychology, psychological testing, forensic psychology, and psychotherapy. Besides his teaching duties he oversees the school's Certificate in Clinical Hypnosis program. His practice interests include clinical hypnosis, health psychology and behavioral medicine, psychotherapy, consultation, supervision, psychological and diagnostic assessment and forensic evaluation.

Marc I. Oster, Psy.D., ABPH
President-elect, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (2002)

The public often has questions about hypnosis. In spite of being well educated and informed, many people, including professionals, harbor misconceptions about what hypnosis is and is not. The article below will address the most common of questions I'm often asked. What is Clinical Hypnosis?