During the Second World War, hypnosis was widely used in many American army hospitals to treat psychological battle trauma, e.g. anxiety, fears, phobias, and dissociation. The techniques used were reported to have achieved good results.

. 2000 Jul;48(3):324-35; discussion 336-41. doi: 10.1080/00207140008415250.

During the Second World War, hypnosis was widely used in many American army hospitals to treat psychological battle trauma, e.g. anxiety, fears, phobias, and dissociation. The techniques used were reported to have achieved good results.

J G Watkins ¹Affiliations expand

• PMID: 10902297
• DOI: 10.1080/00207140008415250

In a large Army hospital during World War II, a full-time program in hypnotherapy for battle trauma cases was developed. Symptoms included severe anxiety, phobias, conversions, hysterias, and dissociations. Many hypnoanalytic techniques were used, especially including abreactions. Good therapeutic results were frequent, as demonstrated by typical cases. There was no evidence that the abreactive procedure tended to retraumatize patients or initiate psychotic reactions.

Review Psychiatr Med

. 1992;10(1):149-67.

C P Colosimo ¹Affiliations expand

• PMID: 1549749

This chapter will describe the use of clinical hypnosis in the military. As a result of the studies that were done during the Vietnam conflict, the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and hypnotize ability was made. The author concludes that combat traumas enhance hypnotic potential in some veterans, and that veterans with excellent hypnotic potential begin to problem solve better preparing for a healthier post-war transition.