This book is dedicated to the role of imagination as a means of healing. The author—a theoretical physicist, depth psychologist, psychotherapist and medical hypnotherapist—has compiled and critically evaluated the scientific literature on psychogenic healing in mind-body medicine (MBM), expanding it with new data and insights based on decades of experience. The spectrum covered ranges from simple relaxation to psychoneuroimmunology and to self-healing through imagination. Since psychoneuroimmunology—an evidence-based foundation for psychogenic responses of the human organism, such as relaxation, the placebo/nocebo effect, or medical hypnosis—rarely makes explicit reference to imagination, the author introduces the concept of consciousness medicine as an umbrella term for mind-body medicine.

He explains the psychoneuroimmunological connections of imagination and develops a simple, generic six-dramatic-elements method for the practical application of medical hypnosis using metaphors for self-healing. His concept is illustrated through concrete examples from clinical practice. The guiding principle of his findings can be summarized as follows: “All healing is ultimately self-healing, and imagination can optimize this process.”

Gary Bruno Schmid, PhD, “Psychomathemedicus” and recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who (27.08.2019) is also featured in WhoISHWho in Hypnosis. He lives with his family in Zurich, Switzerland, where he runs a psychotherapeutic practice specializing in medical hypnosis.