Trepanation

18th century French illustration of trepanation ()

Trepanation, also known as trephinning or trepanning, is a form of surgery where a hole is cut into the skull, leaving the membrane around the brain intact. Modern trepanation movements hinge on the belief that the procedure increases blood circulation to the brain. Believers suggest that capillaries in the brain operate on a higher metabolism which results in a higher state of consciousness.

Trepanation has been carried out for non-medical reasons, including religious and mystical practices. Some trepanation advocates believe the procedure to have spiritual benefits, but it is generally not practiced by doctors without a medical indication. Illegal in the United States and Europe due to the risk of blood clots, brain injuries and infections, trepanation procedures can lead to meningitis or death.

Evidence of trepanation has been found in pre-historic human remains from Neolithic times onwards, per cave paintings indicating that people believed the practice would cure epileptic seizures and mental disorders. Furthermore, Hippocrates gave specific directions on the procedure from its evolution through the Greek age.

The operation is illustrated above in a painting by the artist Hieronymus Bosch entitled The Cure for Folly: Trepanning, alternatively entitled The Stone Operation.

See also

• Skeptic's Dictionary entry about Trepanation
• International Trepanation Advocacy Group
• Diary of a trepannee, circa 2000