Immediate Effects of Hypnosis, Mindfulness Meditation, and Prayer on Cold Pressor Outcomes: A Four-Arm Parallel Experimental Study.
Journal of Pain Research January 1, 2022 Alexandra Ferreira-Valente, Benjamin P Van Dyke, Melissa A Day et al.
A single 20-minute session of hypnosis or mindfulness meditation, but not Christian prayer, produced small reductions in pain intensity and small increases in pain tolerance during experimental cold pressor pain in 232 healthy adults. Hypnosis showed a medium effect on pain tolerance compared to an attention control. Small within-group improvements in heart rate variability were also seen after hypnosis. Christian prayer yielded small, non-significant positive effects. The findings suggest that brief hypnosis and mindfulness meditation may be useful for acute pain self-management, with hypnosis slightly more effective.