Investigating Pain Perception During Focused Hypnotic Analgesia: Local and Remote Effects.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis May 27, 2026 Amélie Johnson, Clara Bourgy, Marine Dupuis et al.
Focused hypnotic analgesia (FHA) can selectively reduce pain in a targeted body part without affecting other areas. In 40 healthy participants, brief heat stimuli were applied to both arms before, during, and after a hypnotic suggestion targeting one arm. During FHA, pain intensity and unpleasantness decreased significantly for the protected arm compared to before and after, while the unprotected arm showed no change. Ratings differed between arms only during the suggestion. These effects occurred regardless of participants' hypnotizability. The findings indicate FHA modulates both sensory and emotional pain components and can spatially restrict its analgesic effects.