Under the hypnotic knife
Although it’s safe to say we’re unlikely to see open-heart surgeries or transplants carried out solely with hypnotic pain alleviation, there are plenty of examples of hypnosis managing pain during less invasive procedures. In 2014 Alama Kante, a Guinean singer based in Paris, underwent surgery to remove a parathyroid gland tumour from her throat. Although this wasn’t a lifethreatening condition, without treatment the singer’s career may have come to an end. A world first at the time, Kante underwent the surgery without anaesthesia and instead entered a hypnotic trance-like state during the procedure. This would allow her to sing during the critical moments of the surgery so that the surgeons could make sure that they did not damage her vocal cords. The surgery was a success, while Kante was blissfully unaware as she envisioned far-away Senegal.