Some Research That Proves These Claims...

The scientific research is conclusive. If you are capable of entering a moderately deep state of hypnosis (something 70% of the population can achieve), then hypnosis can help you to reduce the intensity of an allergic flare-up. It can also help you to control any emotions that might make it worse. And it might even be able to help you to grow out of an allergy by pin-pointing the emotional event that first triggered your allergic reaction. Here is a summation of some of these studies...

Modulation Of Type I Immediate And Type IV Delayed Immunoreactivity Using Direct Suggestion And Guided Imagery During Hypnosis. Allergy Volume 44(8): 537 – 542. Zachariae R, Bjerring P, Arendt-Nielsen L.

Eight highly hypnotizable volunteers were recruited for this study where it was found that when these subjects were given suggestions while in hypnosis to decrease their reaction to a histamine prick test, there was a significant reduction in the inflammation of the skin when compared to a control group. This study confirmed numerous anecdotal reports that hypnotic suggestions can decrease inflammation and other allergic skin reactions.

Abreaction During Systematic Desensitization Under Hypnosis for Food Allergy [translated from Japanese]. Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine 34(4) pp.329-333 1994. Junko I, Yoichi M, Hiroyuki A, Hideki T, Tetsuya N.

The authors of this paper state that it is well known that some food allergies are heavily influenced by psychological events and that fear and anxiety can play a role in this process. Then they describe the case of a 52-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital because of an allergic reaction caused by eating fish. She had only recently developed this allergy and when the authors of this study used hypnosis to uncover the cause, they found it was linked to the fear and anger she felt towards her ex-husband and her children's attempt to get her to reconcile with him. After this fear and anger was released during hypnosis she no longer continued to have an allergy to fish.

Effect of Self-Hypnosis on Hay Fever Symptoms - A Randomised Controlled Intervention Study. Psychother Psychosom 2005;74:165-172. Langewitza W, Izakovicb J, Wylerc J, Schindlerd C, Kissa A., Bircherb AJ.

Seventy-nine subjects who were moderately to severely allergic to birch pollen and grass were taught how to practice self-hypnosis to decrease their allergic reactions and increase their feelings of well-being. The researchers managed to follow 52 of them over the next two years (or two complete allergy seasons). After the first allergy season was over, the subjects reported that they experienced (on average) a 29.2 % reduction of their symptoms and a 26.2% improvement in their overall well-being, when compared to a control group. And while there were no further improvements between the first and second year of the study, the gains that were made the first year were maintained.

Increase and Decrease of Delayed Cutaneous Reactions Obtained By Hypnotic Suggestions During Sensitization Studies On Dinitrochlorobenzene and Diphenylcyclopropenone. Allergy Vol. 48(1):6 -11. Zachariae R, Bjerring P.

Sixteen highly hypnotizable subjects were recruited to test how their skin reacted to two drugs (DNCB and DCP). They were randomly assigned to two groups. Using a combination of direct suggestion and guided imagery, hypnosis was used to heighten the immunological response to these drugs in one group and to reduce it in the other group. They were then sent them home and only brought back one month later for the actual skin-prick test where the researchers found a significant difference in the allergic skin reaction between these two groups. Proving that hypnosis can both increase and decrease an allergic reaction.

Skin Reactions to Histamine of Healthy Subjects After Hypnotically Induced Emotions Of Sadness, Anger, and Happiness. Allergy Vol. 56(8):734 – 740. Zachariae R, Jørgensen MM, Egekvist H, Bjerring P.

The authors of this study begin by noting some of the anecdotal reports that claim emotions can increase allergic reactions. In an attempt to verify this, they recruited 15 highly hypnotizable subjects and gave them each a histamine prick test and then measured the size of the flare-up on the subject's skin at specific intervals. They then repeated this after hypnotizing these subjects and inducing three emotions: sadness, happiness and anger. Happiness and anger did not cause any real changes. However, when they hypnotically induced feelings of sadness they found that there was a significant increase in the allergic reaction.