Experience of Responding to Imaginative Suggestions: A Micro-Phenomenological Interview Exploratory Study.
Kevin Sheldrake, Yesesvi Konakanchi, Zoltan Dienes
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 2026 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2026.2657927 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Participants responding to imaginative suggestions |
| Intervention | imaginative suggestions |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Automaticity Higher order thoughts Hypnosis Hypnotic suggestions Imagination Imaginative suggestions Involuntariness Metacognition Micro-phenomenological interview Phenomenological control |
| Key findings | High and moderate responders to imaginative suggestions appear unaware they are generating the suggested behavior and cognitions. |
Abstract
The micro-phenomenological interview is a technique for investigating phenomenology in detail during an activity lasting seconds to minutes. Here, we applied it to understanding the moment-to-moment experiences of subjects responding to imaginative suggestions that were aimed at temporarily altering perceived reality through deployment of phenomenological control. Our intention was to generate novel hypotheses that could be tested in a future study. We presented three suggestions individually to seven participants, and then interviewed them about their experiences, with the qualitative findings generating four independent hypotheses. We repeated the process with six new participants and found that the data supported three of the hypotheses. These were that although moderate responses involved goal-directed fantasies, high responses appeared to not; that responses scored low did not involve reports of active sabotage; and that high and moderate responders do not appear to be aware they are generating the suggested behavior and cognitions. These hypotheses will need confirming for generalizability with a quantitative study. If confirmed, these results will bear on the mechanisms underpinning phenomenological control.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences Cardiac arrest survivors | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 34 |
| Phenomenology and Sequelae of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Use Psychiatrists who had taken MDMA | 1992 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Evoking the ineffable: The phenomenology of extreme sports. Extreme sports participants across three continents, including BASE jumping, big wave... | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 15 |
| Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N-dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience. Naturalistic inhaled N,N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community | 2022 | Qualitative analysis | n = 3,778 |