Archaeologists have found skulls dating back as far as 7000 years that show evidence of trepanation (also known as trephining). A cut has been made in the skull. Some of the skulls show bone growth, suggesting that people were able to survive the procedure. What these early surgeons were attempting to accomplish remains a mystery. Paul Broca hypothesized that one purpose was to treat convulsions in infants, perhaps due to a belief that convulsions were caused by evil spirits.
While researching for the 3rd edition of Discovering Behavioral Neuroscience, I was surprised to see that there was actually a DIY Trepanning community. This movement was initiated by Bart Huges of the Netherlands in the 1960s. In 2000, the BBC reported a case of a young woman who drilled a hole in her own head in an effort to treat her chronic fatigue syndrome. The woman made the attempt after contacting Peter Halvorson, head of the International Advocacy Group for Trepanation.
Why in the world would anyone do this? Advocates for the procedure suggest that having a hole in your skull “improves blood circulation,” but needless to say, medical evidence for this is scarce. While trepanation has other roles in neurosurgery, such as in treating some subdural hematomas, the medical community would certainly not advocate for people doing this on their own.
Not for the faint of heart (or stomach) is an hour-long documentary showing DIY trepanning called “A Hole in the Head.” Although this procedure is not legal in the UK, it apparently is not illegal in the US.
My personal take on this is that self-trepanning might be related to self-injurious behavior. Huges’ experiences, though, suggest that it might be some type of search for an altered state of consciousness or extreme experience-seeking behavior. Huge was such a remarkable advocate of recreational drugs that he named his daughter Maria Juana. At any rate, I think this is an activity that most logical people “would not try at home.”
15 Comments
BrittanyNelson · January 9, 2016 at 2:27 pm
I was very surprised to learn about DIY trepanning in lecture. I agree that is seems to be an excessive form of self harm that should not be allowed in the US. It seems too risky for benefits that have not been extensively researched or proven. I personally am weary of the altered state on consciousness this procedure may produce, as Huges suggested as his primary motive.
Laura Freberg · January 9, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Hi, Brittany.
It has been awhile since I looked at this topic, and our discussion in class inspired me to read more about it. I wasn’t able to find much on the legality, so maybe others will have more luck. All I could find is that it’s not okay in the UK but is apparently okay here in the US! Weird!
jessicametzinger · January 14, 2016 at 11:14 am
I couldn’t believe that people still did this when you mentioned it in lecture. I looked it up, and just like you said, it seems to be to improve blood circulation. You would think that with modern technology, people wouldn’t be doing things like this, especially by themselves! I feel like there are probably a lot of better alternatives to improving blood circulation that don’t involve drilling a hole through your head. It also seems weird that it’s legal here, especially if it’s illegal in other countries.
hannahphelps · January 18, 2016 at 12:29 pm
In learning about DIY trepanning in class, I assumed it was an experiment that was out-of-date; I am very surprised to learn that people still would try this achieve an altered state or treat swelling, etc. In looking it up, I found that there is even an International Trepanation Advocacy Group (http://www.trepan.com) with a website and newsletters that explain the benefits of trepanning, backed by studies and videos. I find this all to be such an oddity and seemingly risky. I think both the danger in this and the fact that there always could be another solution to a neurological issue trepanning attempts to help makes for DIY trepanning to be a poor idea.
rzehnder · January 22, 2016 at 9:46 pm
I was looking up some of the history on trepanning and was surprised to find the even hippocrates tried his hand in trepanning, It’s crazy that even the ‘father of western medicine’ used this technique. He describes it in his writing “On wounds of the head.” (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096758689990677X)
Minnie · January 24, 2016 at 10:19 pm
No pun intended, but I feel that trepanning is all in your head, in other words it’s an odd way of thinking of a placebo. From what I have read and been told, trepanning has been used by patients who believe the technique will work, therefore, effecting the outcome of their injuries/issue. There is no medical research supporting or discrediting this treatment necessarily, however, so how can we deny people from using this? Although different in many ways, trepanning reminds me of lobotomy in that it was used to treat people where most were harmed but few benefited from. I believe that is where trepanning is at right now, there have been more coincidental successes than realistic failures. Furthermore, maybe there is more success with trepanning in modern time because when it was first introduced (centuries ago?), there was no proper drill or clean utensils. I feel with cleaner, sanitary, and better precautions to surgeries nowadays, the success for trepanning is more significant than it was. I do want to see a procedure for trepanning, but perhaps in the far future when I don’t have such a fear for drills in skulls.
annaliseconroy · March 6, 2016 at 11:07 pm
Hi there Dr. Freberg,
I remember discussing this group of people during lecture and being extremely disturbed! I agree that it could be a form of self injurious behavior, but an extreme one at that. Performing this kind of procedure on yourself is extremely dangerous because of the delicate brain that lies beyond the skull and the high risk for infection with a wound that large. Feeling the need to engage in such behavior must be a desperate, last resort attempt at relieving the issue at hand.
vimorris@calpoly.edu · April 13, 2016 at 3:36 pm
The practice of trephining is painful enough to hear about when discussed in lecture. I can’t imagine having the strength to give oneself the procedure. However I would agree as Dr. Freberg mentions in the post that DIY trephining is related to self-injurious behavior. I’m curious to know how they decided where to insert the hole as well as how big to make it? If the practice of trephining is legal in the U.S., I wonder if there has ever been a law proposed to restrict citizens from carrying out the practice?
jaoliva@calpoly.edu · April 17, 2016 at 3:20 pm
I have always thought the practice of trephining is very interesting but I never thought anyone could do this it to themselves. A few question come to mind after reading this such as did the woman who drilled into her own head really get relieved after doing so? How is it that you know where to even drill? I had always been under the impression that drilling into the brain could lead to permanent damage to those areas so this post has definitely made me want to learn more about this practice.
caitlin.colladay · April 29, 2016 at 8:15 pm
I remember talking about trepanation in my abnormal psychology class earlier this quarter. Trepanation was seen as a way to “cure” abnormal behavior in ancient times. They thought that by drilling holes in the skull, the demons that were making you abnormal would be forced from the body.
While reading this, I was amazed that people who did this were able to survive. How did the “surgeon” know how deep to drill or where to drill. Reading now about how people do this to themselves today freaks me out. While I can understand how parts of the brain control different things, and similar to how neurosurgery as a last resort can help people suffering from sever diseases, performing this on yourself seems dangerous. I feel that people who do that have some sort of hallucination or delusion telling them to do that and not simply doing it for self harm.
victoriatonikian · May 17, 2016 at 1:50 pm
I think it is very interesting that this practice is still around, to the point that there is even a Advocacy Group for the procedure and those that are interested in it. I think this is a perfect example of how even when technology has still advanced to a point where most people are well aware that this practice is not safe, people continue to do it. This reminds me of a type of body modification that relates to when people carve into their skin to gain scars in a certain shape, almost like a tattoo. I feel like those that are interested in body modification would be very interesting in this practice in the same light, although it is obviously against doctors and professionals recommendations.
bailey_arthur · June 1, 2016 at 3:35 pm
Trepanning with all the current technology seems a little bit outdated to say the least. However, that certain medical professionals still endorse trepanning makes me curious if there are actual results behind the procedure and that there is even an advocacy group. Even with results, it seems like the damage that could possibly be done during the procedure. This seems like it would be a desperate last resort in order to increase blood circulation. I just feel with current medicine, technology, and knowledge that this procedure is really not necessary and that is why it is illegal in countries. I also wonder if the results that come from trepanning are more due to the belief of relief rather than actual medical results. It would be curious to research more studies done on trepanning and its results.
brittanymertzel · November 5, 2016 at 3:17 pm
Trepanning has always been an interesting topic to me; someone can cut into their skull and still survive. Yes I totally understand why this was a practice 7000 years ago… because there hadn’t been research of any kind to find the cause of “evil spirits”. In this day and age, so many more studies have been developed and tested to provide answers and treatments, yet trepanning is still being practiced? It is hard to defend the side against trepanning because of the minimal tests (who would want to be tested?) that have been conducted, however, I do not see any positive effects in it. I am especially astonished at the woman who drilled a hole INTO HER OWN head! That doesn’t seem right. In any case, I would not condone this behavior and hope that people realize the negative side effects that dramatically outweigh the positive.
Charlene Niku · December 5, 2016 at 11:01 am
Simply thinking about trephining is disturbing as is; the fact that there were, and still are people who practice such a dangerous task is scary. I can’t believe that people would even practice trephining on themselves. It just seems too dangerous and an excuse for people to self harm. Also, I am surprised that trephining is legal in the US. Although I would trust an expert surgeon and feel more comfortable with him or her doing the procedure rather than some ordinary person, I still fear that there is too much that could go wrong. If someone is so desperate that he or she resorts to trepanation, I would be very worried and suggest that the person receives support and medical help from another source. However, there is a reason physicians spend so much time in school and residency to be able to perform procedures on other people. If trephining did have to occur, I would stray away from the DIY, and trust the professional.
Amy Edelstein · May 14, 2017 at 12:31 pm
As I was reading this post, I couldn’t help but relate the idea of trepanning to the practice of acupuncture. Although trepanning and acupuncture differ in how extreme they might be, some people who are unfamiliar with acupuncture might question why one would stick needles in their body to help cure their pain in their arm or relax their distressed state of mind. As stated in the article, advocates for the trepanning procedure suggest that having a hole in your skull “improves blood circulation”, which is a similar concept to acupuncture, as the needles are precisely put in specific parts of the body to improve blood circulation. Having a father who is an acupuncturist has opened my mind to these varied medical procedures, as opposed to the western medical practices. Furthermore, I am not advocating for the extreme, harsh, and scary practice of trepanning, as cutting our skulls open just makes me feel sick to my stomach. However, I am saying that it is important to research and learn more about the many medical practices that are out there in our world, as some might absolutely benefit certain people (like acupuncture).