Can Certain Sounds Induce Anesthesia in Humans?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the possibility of inducing a state similar to anesthesia in humans through specific sounds or voices. Participants explore the theoretical and practical implications of sound as a potential anesthetic, including comparisons to hypnosis and chemical anesthetics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the feasibility of using sound alone to induce anesthesia, expressing skepticism about its effectiveness.
  • Another participant suggests that hypnosis, which can involve sound, may lead to a state of insensitivity, but emphasizes the extensive training required to achieve this effect.
  • There is mention of the effectiveness of chemical anesthetics, which have largely overshadowed hypnoanaesthesia, yet some argue it may still have a role in pain management for specific cases.
  • A participant shares a personal experience of falling asleep while listening to a specific sound, implying a subjective effect but not providing a generalizable conclusion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether sound can induce anesthesia. There are competing views on the effectiveness of sound versus chemical methods and the role of hypnosis.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the limitations of current understanding regarding the mechanisms by which sound might influence states of consciousness and the dependency on individual experiences and training in hypnosis.

marokay
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Hello,
I would like to know whether it is possible to cause a person to enter deep sleep (state as an anesthetic by drugs) by using a specific voice or sound ...
Thanks.
 
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Why do you imagine this might be possible?
 
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marokay said:
Can sound anesthetize humans?
No, I don't believe sound alone can achieve that.
I would like to know whether it is possible to cause a person to enter deep sleep (state as an anesthetic by drugs) by using a specific voice or sound ...
Thanks.
Do you have something specific in mind?

We can seem to achieve this using hypnosis, e.g., with the snap of his fingers a hypnotherapist can send his patient into an insensitive anaesthetised state. But be aware that this impressive feat can be achieved only after many dozens of hours of hypnotherapy to bring the patient to this mastery of his body, and to implant the trigger signal.

Chemical anaesthetics are now so effective and relatively safe that they have pushed hypnoanaesthesia into the category of little more than a curiosity. But there remains a potential contribution it could make in pain management, particularly where a patient must undergo regular painful procedures that could justify the time invested in learning hypnoanaesthesia, cases such as daily dressing changes on burns victims or people with a genetic fragile skin disorder, or children requiring multiple injections or blood sampling over the course of every day.
 
marokay said:
Hello,
I would like to know whether it is possible to cause a person to enter deep sleep (state as an anesthetic by drugs) by using a specific voice or sound ...
Thanks.

This worked for me. It's over 7 minutes long but I wasn't able to stay awake for it all.

 
Last edited:

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