HYPNODRAMA, A SYNTHESIS OF HYPNOSIS AND PSYCHODRAMA, A PROGRESS REPORT

Abstract

Herewith follows a brief description of the origin of the Hypnodramatic Technique. Hypnodrama is a synthesis of psychodrama and hypnosis. The idea of hypnodrama came to Dr. Moreno through an accident. In the summer of 1939 the late Dr. Bruno Solby brought a young woman for treatment. She suffered from paranoid delusions accompanied by nightmares, every night the devil came to vist her. She was unable to get into a psychodramatic re-enactment of the incident. After trying the self-directed technique and methods of mild prompting without results he became highly directive; this put the patient unexpectedly into a hypnotic trance. Dr. Moreno decided to try a psychodrama under these novel cimcumstances. With the aid of two male auxiliary egos the patient was able to portray two meetings with the devil, one as it had happened the night before, one as she expected it to happen the following night. Apparently hypnosis operated as a "starter" and spurred her spontaneity.