The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2017
Enrico Facco
39 citations
Hypnosis and meditation share common features including induction through focused attention and the ability to intentionally control biological and mental processes, but they differ in scope: hypnosis is used pragmatically for specific therapeutic goals, while Eastern meditation pursues broader philosophical aims of liberation from suffering and illusion.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2020
Giuseppe De Benedittis
16 citations
A new model combining chaotic complex systems theory and quantum mechanics aims to resolve the mind-body dichotomy. The mind-body interface is described as a chaotic system governed by quantum probability. Neuronal activity exhibits chaotic patterns relevant to the mind-body relationship and trance. While quantum consciousness theory remains controversial because quantum physics typically applies to subatomic scales, not macrostructures like the brain, quantum cognition applies quantum formalism to model cognitive phenomena such as human information processing, overcoming limits of Cartesian dualism. Hypnosis, as a state of consciousness, relates to hypnotic cognitive functioning rather than structure.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2024
Mélanie Louras, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Rajanikant Panda et al.
8 citations
Combining virtual reality with mind-body therapies such as meditation, mindfulness, relaxation, and hypnosis can reduce pain in both healthy volunteers and patients. A scoping review of 43 studies found that the combination is feasible, well-tolerated, and potentially useful for decreasing pain, and also improves anxiety, mood, and relaxation. However, insufficient research and a lack of multidimensional studies limit full understanding of their potential. More randomized controlled trials with usability evaluations are needed to incorporate these approaches into routine clinical practice.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2020
Ian E Wickramasekera
3 citations
Dzogchen meditation, practiced for over 1,200 years by Bonpo and Buddhist yogis, uses meditation and yogic exercises to help practitioners awaken from illusions of self and reality that cause suffering. Its philosophy and practice closely resemble hypnosis, employing hypnotic-like techniques such as selective attention, visualization, and posthypnotic suggestion to facilitate advanced insights into the nature of mind. The phenomenological and psychophysiological effects of Dzogchen are comparable to those of hypnosis. Additionally, theoretical similarities exist between Dzogchen and several hypnosis theories, including ego state therapy, neo-dissociation, sociocognitive, and Ericksonian approaches.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2024
Peter L N Naish
2 citations
Hypnosis is sometimes called an altered state of consciousness, but the paper questions what unaltered consciousness is. It argues that free will is an illusion, so it should not be present in the waking state; thus hypnosis may be a more accurate state of consciousness. The sense of free will arises from an experience of agency, which is often absent in hypnosis. The paper discusses how hypnotic, illusory perceptions develop but notes that these processes do not clarify the hard problem of consciousness. It concludes by evaluating the possibility that phenomenal consciousness involves feedback loops that turn simple stimulus registration into aware experiences.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
July 21, 2025
Cameron T Alldredge, Meredith Vagner, Chris E. Corlett et al.
1 citation
Mystical experiences, marked by unity, transcendence, and a noetic quality, show therapeutic potential in clinical psychology. A new framework centers on the experience itself, requiring a non-ordinary state of consciousness for profound impact. It identifies three pre-state factors: invitation, context, and individual aptitude. After the experience, integration is a necessary mediating factor for beneficial change.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
May 15, 2025
Chris E. Corlett, Cameron T Alldredge, Gary R Elkins
1 citation
A standardized hypnosis intervention designed to produce a mystical experience was tested for feasibility and acceptability. Ten college students, all in the mid-to-high range of hypnotizability, received a hypnotic induction and suggestions for a mystical experience in a setting similar to psychedelic drug research. The intervention proved feasible and acceptable, with a composite acceptability score of 9.45, no dropouts, and all participants willing to participate again. Seventy percent of participants met criteria for a complete mystical experience on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire. The results are encouraging but require replication with a larger sample.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2025
Aminata Bicego, Naji Alnagger, Etzel Cardeña et al.
1 citation
Auto-induced cognitive trance (AICT) can produce mystical-type experiences in healthy individuals, with 29% of participants reporting such experiences during AICT compared to none during a rest condition. The study examined twenty-seven people who could self-induce AICT, measuring their religious and spiritual practices and paranormal beliefs beforehand. Participants completed five conditions including rest, imagination, and AICT with or without auditory stimulation. The intensity of the AICT experience and features resembling near-death experiences were linked to mystical-type experiences only during AICT. This is the first demonstration that AICT, a technique distinct from hypnosis or meditation, can induce mystical-type experiences outside life-threatening situations.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2025
Gary R Elkins
This special issue explores the intersections between psychedelic experiences, mystical states, and hypnosis, addressing key questions about their similarities, differences, and clinical utility. It examines whether mystical experiences can be facilitated without drugs, the role of suggestion in psychedelics, and the potential of hypnosis and meditation to induce such states. The collection also investigates how psychedelics and hypnosis might enhance creativity and spiritual growth. By presenting thought-provoking answers, it deepens understanding of these non-ordinary states of consciousness and their therapeutic implications.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
July 6, 2026
Zahra Sadeghi, Ali Khamseh
Cluster B personality disorders involve emotional dysregulation and rigid interpersonal patterns and are hard to treat. This trial tested mindful hypnotherapy (MH), which combines mindfulness and hypnosis, against an active control using cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy skills. One hundred twenty adults with histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, or borderline personality disorder received eight weekly individual sessions. MH led to significantly greater reductions in histrionic, narcissistic, and antisocial symptoms compared to the control. No significant difference was found for borderline personality disorder symptoms. MH appears effective for three of the four Cluster B disorders, but its effect on borderline personality disorder remains unclear.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
July 6, 2026
Moniek Vidia Pramestri, Kwartarini Wahyu Yuniarti, Frederick Travis et al.
Unregulated negative emotion raises burnout risk by 67%, impairing performance and causing physical symptoms. Hypnotic guided imagery (HGI), a deep relaxation intervention, aims to shift negative to positive emotion, but its physiological basis is unclear. This feasibility study tested HGI's effects on emotional valence and arousal in employees with burnout, using electroencephalography (EEG). Valence was measured by frontal alpha asymmetry; arousal by the frontal beta/alpha ratio. Participants were randomly assigned to HGI (n=19) or control (n=13). EEG analyses showed no significant changes, while self-report indicated increased positive and reduced negative affect in the HGI group. Discrepancies may stem from small samples and variability, highlighting the need for methodological rigor in EEG-based intervention studies.
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.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2026
Kevin Sheldrake, Yesesvi Konakanchi, Zoltan Dienes
The micro-phenomenological interview technique was used to explore the moment-to-moment experiences of people responding to imaginative suggestions designed to temporarily alter their perception of reality. Seven participants received three suggestions each and were interviewed, generating four hypotheses. Testing these with six new participants supported three: moderate responders used goal-directed fantasies while high responders did not; low responders did not report active sabotage; and both high and moderate responders appeared unaware they were generating the suggested behaviors and cognitions. These findings require confirmation in a quantitative study and may inform understanding of the mechanisms behind phenomenological control.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2026
David R Patterson, M Elena Mendoza
Chronic pain affects millions and costs billions in healthcare and lost productivity; medical interventions often fail, and opioid use poses serious risks. Hypnosis shows promise but is frequently applied incorrectly. The authors propose a biopsychosocial model for pain management centered on hypnosis, presenting eight psychotherapy modules informed by hypnosis, meditation, and motivational interviewing. These modules cover biopsychosocial assessment, motivational interviewing, cognitive interventions, hypnosis, meditation, activity, psychological factors, and sleep. Linear progression through modules is not expected, and attention to each varies by patient. The goal is to manage rather than cure pain, with success defined by increased movement, productivity, and life satisfaction, not solely pain reduction.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2025
Etzel Cardeña
Hypnosis and psychedelic alterations of consciousness share many similarities, including overlapping predictors like absorption and openness to experience, and comparable experiential changes such as altered bodily sensations, imagery, and transcendent phenomena. However, psychedelic experiences typically last longer, are less controllable, more intense, and carry a greater potential for both negative outcomes and positive long-term effects. The paper argues that states of consciousness should not be defined by their preceding contexts and that hypnosis, psychedelic research, and clinical work should be more integrated than they have been recently.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2025
Katherine Scheffrahn, Cameron T Alldredge, Morgan Snyder et al.
Smartphone apps that deliver hypnotherapy vary widely in quality. A systematic review of app stores identified 679 unique hypnosis apps, of which 168 met inclusion criteria. The most common targets were sleep (56.0%), relaxation/meditation (54.8%), and stress (36.9%). Only 20.2% of apps indicated the developer or hypnosis provider was trained in hypnosis, 7.7% included claims of evidence-based treatment, and just four apps reported inclusion in a clinical efficacy trial. Although hypnotherapy apps have potential, apps based on evidence-based protocols and empirical research remain limited.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2022
Eniko Kasos, Krisztian Kasos, Emese Józsa et al.
A nonrandomized comparison examined whether exercise produces states of consciousness similar to active-alert hypnosis (AAH). Runners, spinning-class participants, AAH subjects, and a control class completed the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. Runners and spinners scored higher than controls on altered experience and altered state of awareness, similar to AAH participants. Runners scored highest on rationality, while the AAH group scored lowest on self-awareness. On volitional control, spinners and controls scored higher than runners and the AAH group. The findings suggest exercise may induce hypnotic-like states that could increase responsiveness to a coach's suggestions.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2020
Michael Lifshitz, Joshua Brahinsky, T M Luhrmann
Scientific research on contemplation has disproportionately focused on mindfulness, which involves disengaging from words and images to experience the present moment. However, contemplative traditions more commonly use words, images, and intentions. This paper presents ethnographic research on Integral Transformative Practice (ITP), a syncretic tradition from the Human Potential Movement, focusing on the practice of "affirmations" where practitioners imagine future possibilities to actualize spiritual goals. The authors argue this opens new avenues for psychological research on the role of words and images in contemplation.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
January 1, 2008
Peter J Adams
People who report mystical or religious experiences tend to be more responsive to hypnotic suggestion. Eighty-one participants completed measures of hypnotic susceptibility and mysticism. Those with high mysticism scores were significantly more hypnotizable than those with low scores. The language strategies used to describe mystical experiences resemble those used to induce hypnosis, suggesting a shared psychological mechanism. The authors call for further research into the connection between openness to mystical experience and susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion.
The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis
October 1, 2007
Herbert Spiegel
Hypnosis has evolved from being viewed as a mystical experience or sleep state to a psychological shift in concentration that activates preexisting neurophysiological circuitry. Hypnotizability exists on a spectrum with biological and psychosocial components. When the Hypnotic Induction Profile shows synchrony between these components (an intact flow), psychotherapy is the primary treatment, with medication secondary or unnecessary. When there is a lack of synchrony between biological factors (measured by the Eye-Roll sign) and psychosocial responsivity (a nonintact flow), medication becomes primary, with varying degrees of psychosocial support.