Hypnosuggestion in Correction of Homosexual Desire: a Case from Clinical Practice

Abstract

Male patient M., 17, a student of the 11^th form, consulted on his mother’s request. He felt sex drive mainly to males. If conventionally generalized sexual desire can be accepted as 100%, the proportion of his homosexual and heterosexual components was 75% to 25%. At that time he masturbated using homosexual (in 90% of cases) and heterosexual (in 10% of cases) fantasies (he imagined sexual intercourses). During all his previous life he had had 3 heterosexual and 3 homosexual intercourses. At the time of his first consultation the patient regarded homosexuality and bisexuality as the norm, but under influence of his parents and having comprehended possible negative consequences of homosexuality (absence of his own family and children in the future, his position in his parents’ family) he changed his opinion and agreed for correction of homosexuality. The state of that young man at the moment of his visit to us could be assessed as mostly homosexuality, but with inclusion of the heterosexual component. The provided correction included: (1) cognitive influences targeted at strengthening of the patient’s opinion that it is normal to be heterosexual, the latter making it possible to start a family, have children as well as be fully adapted in the society; (2) formation of the normal sexual behavioural stereotype: we recommended the patient to use only heterosexual fantasies during masturbation, while homosexual fantasizing was absolutely prohibited; (3) carrying out of 9 sessions of hypnosuggestive therapy, which was regarded as the basic corrective technique (the contexture of hypnotic sessions was supplemented with the cognitive and behavioural components). Analysing the dynamics of subsidence of the homosexual component of libido in the patient, we can state that the occurrence of obvious positive shifts was strikingly rapid, much more rapidly than expected. For example, as early as after the first hypnotic session the proportion of the heterosexual and homosexual components of libido was, respectively, 60% to 40%, while at the time of his first visit, as we have already mentioned, it was 25% to 75%. After the second session of hypnosis the above proportion already approximated 95% to 5%, and after the third hypnotic session the homosexual drive was completely neutralized. Nevertheless hypnotic sessions were continued with a gradual reduction of their frequency. They were carried out in order to fix the achieved results and exclude any possible recurrences. An interview with the patient 1.5 months after the end of therapy confirmed sustainability of the obtained results.