Modulating the Default Mode Network Using Hypnosis
Quinton Deeley, David A Oakley, Brian Toone, Vincent Giampietro, Michael J Brammer, Steven C. R. Williams, Peter W Halligan
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis March 24, 2012 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2012.648070 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study with brain imaging Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Hypnotic induction |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Citations | 149 |
| Key findings | Hypnosis was associated with reduced activity in the default mode network and increased activity in prefrontal attentional systems during passive visual stimulation. |
Abstract
Debate regarding the neural basis of the hypnotic state continues, but a recent hypothesis suggests that it may produce alterations in the default mode network (DMN). DMN describes a network of brain regions more active during low-demand compared to high-demand task conditions and has been linked to processes such as task-independent thinking, episodic memory, semantic processing, and self-awareness. However, the experiential and cognitive correlates of DMN remain difficult to investigate directly. Using hypnosis as a means of altering the resting ("default") state in conjunction with subjective measures and brain imaging, the authors found that the state of attentional absorption following a hypnotic induction was associated with reduced activity in DMN and increased activity in prefrontal attentional systems, under invariant conditions of passive visual stimulation. The findings that hypnosis and spontaneous conceptual thought at rest were subjectively and neurally distinctive are also relevant to understanding hypnosis itself.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 36
- A neurophenomenological approach to non-ordinary states of consciousness: hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics Trends in Cognitive Sciences December 22, 2022
- The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences: Hypotheses from Evolutionary Psychology Frontiers in Neuroscience September 28, 2017
- Hypnotic induction is followed by state-like changes in the organization of EEG functional connectivity in the theta and beta frequency bands in high-hypnotically susceptible individuals Frontiers in Human Neuroscience July 24, 2014
- Modelling psychiatric and cultural possession phenomena with suggestion and fMRI. Cortex April 1, 2014
- Nuances and Uncertainties Regarding Hypnotic Inductions: Toward a Theoretically Informed Praxis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis October 1, 2016
and 31 more in the library
Cites 3
- Interrupting the "stream of consciousness": an fMRI investigation. Neuroimage February 15, 2006
- Functional connectivity in the resting brain: A network analysis of the default mode hypothesis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 27, 2002
- Hypnosis modulates activity in brain structures involved in the regulation of consciousness. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience August 15, 2002