Hypnotic phenomena and altered states of consciousness: a multilevel framework of description and explanation
Contemporary Hypnosis September 1, 2003 Sakari Kallio, Antti Revonsuo 133 citations
There is broad agreement that hypnotic suggestions alter subjective experience, not just observable behavior, but no consensus exists on the theoretical explanation for these experiential changes. The debate between 'state' and 'nonstate' views centers on whether a special internal state is necessary to explain hypnosis. Placing this disagreement within a multilevel explanatory framework reveals that the conflict is about the appropriate level of description for the phenomenon. A novel multilevel approach is proposed to generate empirically testable hypotheses about hypnosis, aiming to integrate hypnosis research with multidisciplinary consciousness studies.