Abstract
This psychoneuroimmunological study examined the effects of visualization, or mental imagery, on immune system response, specifically, on depressed white blood cell (WBC) count in 20 medical patients. Subjects were 10 females and 10 males and included medical patients diagnosed with cancer, AIDS, viral infections, and other medical problems associated with depressed WBC count. Results indicated significant increases in WBC count for all patients over a 90-day period, after a predicted initial decrease in WBC count. No significant age or sex differences were found.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Achterberg, J. (1985). Imagery in healing. Boston: Shambala.
Ader, R., Felten, D. L., & Cohen, N. (Eds.), (1991). Psychoneuroimmunology (2nd ed.). San Diego: Academic Press.
Adler, C. M., & Hillhouse, J. J. (1996). Stress, health, and immunity: A review of the literature. In T. W. Miller (Ed.), Theory and assessment of stressful life events (pp. 109–138). Madison: International Universities Press, Inc.
Alexander, F. (1950). Psychosomatic medicine. New York: W.W. Norton Co.
Barber, T. X. (1978). Hypnosis, suggestions, and psychosomatic phenomena: A new look from the standpoint of recent experimental studies. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 21, 13–27.
Barber, T. X. (1984). Changing unchangeable bodily processes by (hypnotic) suggestions: A new look at hypnosis, congnitions, imagining, and the mind-body problem. Advances, 1, 7–40.
Beers, M. H., & Berkow, R. (Eds.). (1999). Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories.
Benson, H. (1979). Mind/body effect: How behavior medicine can show you the way to better health. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Crasilneck, H. (1982). A follow-up study in the use of hypnotherapy in the treatment of psychogenic impotency. The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 25, 52–61.
Dillon, K. M., Minschoff, B., & Baker, K. H. (1985). Positive emotional states and enhancement of the immune system. International Journal of Psychiatry Medicine, 15, 13–18.
Egbert, L. D., Battit, G. E., Welch, C. E., & Baratlett, M. K. (1964). Reduction of postoperative pain by encouragement and instruction of patients. New England Journal of Medicine, 270, 825–827.
Fawzy, F. I., Kemeny, M. E., Elashoff, R., Morton, D., Cousins, N., & Fahey, J. L. (1990). A structured psychiatric intervention for cancer patients: II. Changes over time in immunological measures. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47, 729–735.
Games, Paul A. (1971). Multiple comparisons of means. American Educational Research Journal, 7, 531–565.
Glaser, R., & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. (1994). Handbook of human stress and immunity. San Diego: Academic Press.
Gruber, B. L., Hall, N. R., Hersh, S. P., & Dubois, P. (1988). Immune system and psychologic changes in metastatic cancer patients while using ritualized relaxation and guided imagery: A pilot study. Scandinavian Journal of Behavioral Therapy, 17, 25–46.
Gruber, B. L., Hersh, S. P., Hall, N. R., & Waletzky, L. R. (1993). Immunological responses of breast cancer patients to behavioral interventions. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 18, 1–22.
Hall, N. R. S., Anderson, J. A., & O'Grady, M. P. (1994). Stress and immunity in humans: Modifying variables. In R. Glaser & J. K. Kiecolt-Glaser (Eds.), Handbook of human stress and immunity (pp. 183–215). San Diego: Academic Press.
Jacobsen, E. (1929). Electrical measurements of neuromuscular states during mental activities: Imagination of movement involving skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology, 91, 597–608.
Jasnoski, M. L., & Kugler, J. (1987). Relaxation, imagery, and neuroimmunomodulation. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 496, 722–730.
Keller, S. E., Shiflett, S. C., Schleifer, S. J., & Bartlett, J. A. (1994). Stress, immunity, and health. In R. Glaser & J. K. Kiecolt-Glaser (Eds.), Handbook of human stress and immunity (pp. 217–244). San Diego: Academic Press.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Glaser, R., Willinger, D., Stout, J., Messick, G., Sheppard, S., Ricker, D., Romisher, S. C., Briner, W., Bonnell, G., & Donnerberg, R. (1985). Psychosocial enhancement of immunocompetence in a geriatric population. Health Psychology, 4, 25–41.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Strain, E. C., Stout, J. C., Tarr, K. L., Holliday, J. E., & Spicher, C. E. (1986). Modulation of cellular immunity in medical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 9, 5–21.
Luthe, W. (1970). Autogenic therapy. VI. Research and theory. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Luthe, W., & Schultz, J. H. (1969a). Autogenic therapy. II. Medical applications. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Luthe, W., & Schultz, J. H. (1969b). Autogenic therapy. III. Applications in psychotherapy. New York: Grune and Stratton.
McDaniel, J. S. (1996). Stressful life events and psychoneuroimmunology. In T. W. Miller (Ed.), Theory and assessment of stressful life events (pp. 3–36). Madison: International Universities Press, Inc.
McGrady, A., Conrad, P., Dickey, D., Garman, D., Farris, E., & Schumann-Brazezinski, C. (1992). The effects of biofeedback-assisted relaxation on cell-mediated immunity, cortisol, and white blood cell count in healthy adult subjects. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15, 343–354.
Pearsall, P. (1987). Superimmunity. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Peavey, B. S., Lawlis, G. F., & Goven, A. (1985). Biofeedback-assisted relaxation: Effects of phagocytic capacity. Biofeedback and Self Regulation, 10, 33–47.
Pelletier, K. R., & Herzing, D. L. (1989). Psychoneuroimmunology: Toward a mind-body model. In A. A. Sheikh & K. S. Sheikh (Eds.), Healing east & west (pp. 344–394). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Rider, M. S., Achterberg, J., Lawlis, G. F., & Goven, A. (1990). Effect of immune system imagery on secretory IgA. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 15, 317–333.
Rider, M. S., & Achterberg, J. (1990). Effect of music-assisted imagery on neutrophils and lymphocytes. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 14, 247–257.
Rossi, E. L. (1986). The psychobiology of mind-body healing. New York: Norton.
Samuels, M., & Samuels, N. (1975). Seeing with the mind's eye: The history, techniques and uses of visualization. New York: Random House.
Schneider, J., Smith, W., & Whitcher, S. (1984, October), The relationship of mental imagery to white blood cell (neutrophil) function in normal subjects. Paper presented at the 36th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, San Antonio.
Schultz, J. H., & Luthe, W. (1969). Autogenic therapy. I. Autogenic methods. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Schultz, J. H., & Luthe, W. (1959). Autogenic training. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Schwartz, M. S., (Ed.). (1995). Biofeedback: A practitioner's guide (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Seyle, H. (1974). Stress without distress. New York: J.B. Lippincott.
Shaw, W. A. (1940). The relaxation of muscular action potentials to imaginal weight lifting. Archives of Psychology, 247–250.
Siegel, B. S. (1986). Love, medicine and miracles. New York: Harper & Row.
Simonton, O. C., Matthews-Simonton, S., & Creighton, J. (1978). Getting well again. Los Angeles: Archer.
Zachariae, R., Dristensen, J., Hokland, P., Ellegaard, J., Metze, E., & Hokland, M. (1990). Effect of psychological intervention in the form of relaxation and guided imagery on cellular immune function in normal healthy subjects. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 54, 32–39.
Zachariae, R., Hansen, J. B., Andersen, M., & Jinquan, T. (1994). Changes in cellular immune function after immune specific guided imagery and relaxation in high and low hypnotizable healthy subjects. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 61, 74–92.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Donaldson, V.W. A Clinical Study of Visualization on Depressed White Blood Cell Count in Medical Patients. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 25, 117–128 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009518925859
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009518925859