The Weekend University

Clinical Hypnosis: The Future of Addiction Treatment? — Dr David Spiegel

22 snips
Jul 10, 2025
Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist and professor at Stanford University, shares his expertise in clinical hypnosis. He discusses its groundbreaking applications for treating addiction and trauma while introducing his REVERI app, designed to empower users through self-hypnosis. The conversation delves into the neuroscience behind hypnosis, including dissociation and cognitive flexibility. Spiegel shares transformative case studies, emphasizing personal empowerment and the potential of hypnosis in reshaping narratives around addiction for a brighter future.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Trauma and Loss of Agency

  • Trauma's core is loss of agency, not fear or pain.
  • Helping patients accept their lack of control during trauma relieves inappropriate guilt.
ANECDOTE

Healing Childhood Trauma by Hypnosis

  • A woman raped as a child saw herself soothing her younger self during hypnosis.
  • This shifted her view, relieving guilt and lifting her depression significantly.
ANECDOTE

David Spiegel's Personal Hypnosis Uses

  • David Spiegel used self-hypnosis to control pain after shoulder surgery without medication.
  • He hypnotized himself to improve his water skiing technique by repeating instructions to his body.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app