The American journal of clinical hypnosis
October 1, 2016
Devin B Terhune, Etzel Cardeña
53 citations
Inductions are widely considered the starting point of hypnosis, yet their actual role is poorly understood and often oversimplified. Drawing on research into suggestibility, spontaneous experience, brain activity, and cognition, this article argues that the value of inductions is more nuanced and uncertain than commonly assumed. Some components of standard inductions clearly boost suggestibility, while others show no clear benefit. The effect of inductions on suggestibility varies depending on the type of suggestion and how it is measured, and the reasons for this variability remain unknown. Examining these effects through the lens of individual differences in high hypnotic suggestibility and componential models may open new research directions. The article advocates for practical, theory-driven optimization of inductions.
The American journal of clinical hypnosis
October 1, 1997
R L Maurer, V K Kumar, L Woodside et al.
46 citations
Listening to 15 minutes of monotonous drumming before hypnosis produced a higher subjective trance level than drumming after hypnosis, though the order did not affect objective trance scores. The average trance level during drumming alone fell in the medium range of susceptibility. Participants with higher trance scores were more likely to report relaxed feelings and shamanic-type experiences in their narrative accounts.
The American journal of clinical hypnosis
July 1, 2010
Graham F Wagstaff
21 citations
A commentary discusses two papers by Pekala and colleagues that examine relationships among trance or altered state effects, suggestibility, expectancy, hypnosis, and hypnotism. The first paper reviews these concepts and introduces the PCI-HAP assessment instrument. The second empirically tests whether these concepts predict hypnotic depth scores, concluding that multiple processes are involved in hypnotism, while hypnosis itself consists only of altered state or trance effects. The commentary raises methodological, semantic, and conceptual issues, arguing that many problems in defining hypnosis-related terms could be clarified by historical context. It suggests difficulties in identifying origins of hypnotic experiences may stem from insufficient attention to suggestion and expectancies and over-reliance on induction procedures.
The American journal of clinical hypnosis
January 1, 2016
Ronald J Pekala
7 citations
A review article demonstrates that empathy is deeply involved in the psychology and neurophysiology of hypnosis and the self. Hypnosis is a subjective experience for both client and research participant. To better assess the mind during hypnosis, more precise phenomenological descriptors are needed. Noetics, defined as a method to comprehensively quantify the mind, can help understand hypnosis, empathic involvement theory, and the brain/mind/behavior interface, similar to how fMRI and qEEG quantify the brain.
The American journal of clinical hypnosis
February 5, 2025
Kaloyan S Tanev, Carolyn Daitch
1 citation
Hypnosis, an early mind-body therapy, is well-suited for PTSD because the disorder itself is a mind-body problem. Hypnosis can calm patients, reduce emotional reactivity, and help change maladaptive beliefs. When combined with cognitive behavioral therapy approaches, hypnosis may amplify their effects. The article describes hypnotic techniques for each PTSD symptom cluster and compares hypnosis with mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Adding hypnosis to established PTSD treatments like Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy can boost their impact, expanding the therapeutic options for clinicians.