How "Real" is Hypnosis?

Before and after one of my Hypnotic Experience shows I’m often asked by audience members if hypnosis is real.  Has the volunteer truly entered an alternate state of consciousness?  Or are they simply playing along with a suggestion?

It’s a fair question, and academic and medical researchers have yet to provide a definitive answer.  Here is a nice write-up of the findings of a recent study conducted at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex.

Candidly, the conclusion reached through the study is a bit opaque and still leads much in doubt.

"This study does not tell us whether hypnotically suggested actions are genuinely involuntary, or whether it is the person's own experience of the action that changes,” said Peter Lush, one of the researchers. “However, our interpretation of the results is that hypnotically suggested involuntary actions are voluntary actions that are experienced as involuntary." 

So…how do I answer the question about the validity of hypnosis?

Hypnosis is as real as the volunteer wants it to be. 

Are they volunteers truly hypnotized?  Science remains unsure.

Stanford Researchers Explore "Reality" of Hypnosis

Is hypnosis real or simply a person’s desire to play along with the hypnotist?

That question was tackled head on in a new study published last week by researchers at Stanford University.  The article below published by the New York Times is a good write-up of the findings, which I suspect will lead to more exploration of this topic.

Stanford's Dr. David Spiegel

Stanford’s Dr. David Spiegel, one of the researchers, told the New York Times, “I think we have pretty definitive evidence here that the brain is working differently when a person is in hypnosis.”

Is Hypnosis All in Your Head?  Brain Scan Suggests Otherwise

New York Times (July 29, 2016)

Brain Effect of Hypnosis

Psychologists and researchers continue to conduct interesting tests to assess what happens in the brain when a person is in a state of hypnosis.

A just published study conducted by Hull University in the United Kingdom found that hypnosis "primes the brain to be open to suggestion.”

Take a read of this BBC article entitled Hypnosis has a Real Brain Effect for more on this new research.

Emotional Visualization

Visualization of emotions in the human body.  (Source: PNAS.org)

Anger...resentment...anxiety...love...empathy...joy...it's well understood that our emotions have a physiological effect on us.

Finnish researchers recently published visualizations of how emotions look inside of our bodies.  It's based on interviews with more than 700 participants, each of whom was shown different pictures of facial expressions, words, movies and stories.  

The emotional impact is both immediate and lasting, which is why strategies and tools (such as hypnosis) to manage how we perceive and control our environment are so important. 

It's also why Bobby McFerrin's song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" is so popular.

It's All Personal with Hypnosis

There are incredibly smart researchers studying the science of hypnosis.  What exactly happens to the brain?  Why are some people more suggestible than others?

Here is an interesting quote from a recent study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine and published in the Archives of General Psychiatry:

“Hypnosis is described as a trance-like state during which a person has a heightened focus and concentration…it works by modulating activity in brain regions associated with focused attention.”

I’ve practiced self-hypnosis for nearly a decade, taught the process to more than 100 people and, during the past three years, performed my “Hypnotic Experience” show for nearly 1,000 guests.  I had no idea my induction technique was modulating brain regions.

Candidly, it doesn’t concern me much.  That’s because I am more focused on helping people realize the positive outcomes achieved through hypnosis – stress management, self-confidence and esteem, academic and career performance, and physical well-being.

Yet, I also recognize many of the attendees at the events where I perform seek more than just the experience of hypnosis.  They have a sincere interest to better understand a process often defined by misconceptions.

My performance this evening for DC Global Adventurers is a wonderful example.  Readers of this blog know I’ve struck up an intimate relationship with this 1,800+ person social group because of the respect I have for its founder and the high caliber of people I’ve met at her meet-ups.

You can read recaps of my previous presentations of hypnosis to this group here and here.

About 20 exceptional professionals gathered at my Tysons Corner office for an introduction to hypnosis.  Although the room was a bit cramped (and warm), the induction was smooth and resulted in most of the attendees drifting gently into a state of relaxation and focus.

We then invested nearly 30 minutes in a fascinating Q&A session and discussion of what it felt like to be hypnotized.  Here are a few highlights:

--When asked to visualize a relaxing scenario (i.e. lying on the beach), many pictured themselves with a loved one or close friend, rather than alone.  It’s obvious the desire for social engagement permeates the subconscious mind.

--For some, the pace of my induction was too quick, while others found it just right.  

--My countdown methodology of alternating between three, five and, in one instance, ten also threw some off because of a lack of consistency.  I’ve heard this before and may need to alter my approach.

--And finally, nearly every attendee reported a unique experience when hypnotized.  There was some constants, such as feelings of being relaxed, comfortable, energized and confident.  Yet, the actually experience of hypnosis is clearly a personal one.

The researchers at Stanford provide us with a plausible reason why, “The brain is complicated, people are complicated.”

Each hypnotized guest reported a unique experience when asked to visualize themselves lying on a beach.

Research Reports on Health Through Hypnosis

The initial five minutes of my "Hypnotic Experience" show are perhaps the most important part of the performance. 

My pre-talk is both entertaining and informative as I define hypnosis and set expectations of what's to come during the show -- for both the volunteers and the audience.  I also overview the the emotional and physical benefits derived from the practice of self-hypnosis.  (Yes...I teach self-hypnosis in a small group setting or one-on-one.)

It's at this time I typically share with the audience that with the exception of modest bout of stomach flu earlier this year I have not been sick in three years.  No colds.  No infections.  Nothing.

I practice smart health and hygiene by eating right, sleeping well at night, frequently washing my hands and visiting doctor.  Yet, I'm also convinced my good fortune is the result of mitigating the impact of stress through hypnosis.

Now there is legitimate research from Ohio State University that supports this notion.  A new study recently published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that "hypnosis and related relaxation techniques can actually prevent the weakening of the immune response that often follows periods of acute stress."

There's a nice overview of the research and its findings in this article entitled "Hypnosis May Prevent Weakened Immune System, Improve Health." 

I encourage you to keep eating an apple a day, take your vitamin C and drink plenty of water.  Plus, you may want to explore incorporating self-hypnosis into your wellness routine.  You'll be healthier and happier this winter.   

 

Image Source:  Definition of Wellness

Are You Easily Hypnotized?

The easily hypnotized share common characteristics.  Photo:  John Arrowwood Hypnotherapy.

I quickly learned upon launching my study of hypnosis that some people rapidly fall into a hypnotic trance, while others fail to ever achieve a high level of suggest-ability.  

Here's a link to an interesting article published yesterday in the Los Angeles Times' Health Section that explores that very issue:

Could Hypnosis Help You?  Yes, If You Have the Brain For It

A research team from Stanford University scanned the brain of 12 individuals who are highly hypnotizable and then compared the results to scans of 12 people who are not easily hypnotized.  The brains proved to be similar in characteristics, yet those from the hypnotizable group demonstrated a higher level of activity in a region of the brain that is active when the mind is at rest.

Psychiatrist David, Spiegel, one of the authors, summed up the findings when he explained to the LA Times the easily hypnotized "can harness their minds to imagine something about themselves -- and make it so."

When performing at an event, party, festival or outing the challenge I face is how to effectively identify the easily hypnotizable when seeking volunteers.  I employ a couple of different methods which include:

1) An introductory talk to explain hypnosis, its positive benefits and how it is an effective tool for those with a strong and creative mind (i.e. artists, writers, athletes, students, etc.).  This is designed to establish comfort and trust between the hypnotist and the crowd.

2) A demonstration of the power of visualization that involves "heavy/light hands" and "magnet hands" scenarios.

I watch closely to see who in the crowd responds well and then I select them if they volunteer.  As this Stanford University research indicates, I typically choose a set of volunteers whose brains all share common characteristics.

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