Treatment of phobias and mental disorders with the help of hypnosis and meditation
Revista de Neuro-Psiquiatría June 22, 2026 Liana Spytska
A systematic review of literature from 2018 to 2023 examined the therapeutic potential of hypnosis and meditation as non-pharmacological adjuncts for managing phobias and mental disorders. Hypnosis may alter cognitive and perceptual processing, reducing stress, pain, and anxiety symptoms, with neuroimaging studies indicating changes in brain regions involved in attention, emotion regulation, and pain perception. Mindfulness meditation has been linked to improvements in psychological resilience and emotional regulation, as well as structural brain changes related to cognitive and affective functions. Both practices show promise as complementary tools within cognitive behavioral frameworks, particularly for phobias, post-traumatic stress, and generalized anxiety, though further validation through randomized controlled trials is needed.