Elevated Incidence of a Sensed Presence and Sexual Arousal during Partial Sensory Deprivation and Sensitivity to Hypnosis: Implications for Hemisphericity and Gender Differences
S. G. Tiller, Michael A. Persinger
Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 1994 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1994.79.3f.1527 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 48 |
| Population | 24 normal young women and 24 normal young men |
| Measures | Spiegel's Hypnosis Induction Profile, Vingiano's right hemisphericity measure |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | Women reported significantly more experiences of a "presence" than men in a setting emphasizing hypnosis and partial sensory deprivation. Presence experiences correlated positively with Spiegel's Hypnosis Induction Profile scores, and among women, attributing the experience to ego-alien sources correlated with right hemisphericity. Both sexes showed a significant association between presence experiences and sexual arousal. |
Abstract
As predicted by the vectorial cerebral hemisphericity hypothesis, 24 normal young women reported significantly more experiences of a "presence" than did 24 normal young men within a setting that emphasized hypnosis and partial sensory deprivation. The incidence of these experiences was positively correlated with scores on Spiegel's Hypnosis Induction Profile, while the attribution of the chamber experiences to ego-alien sources was correlated with the magnitude of (Vingiano's) right hemisphericity for the women only. Both sexes exhibited a significant association between the experience of a presence and sexual arousal.