Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a natural psychophysiological state of selective attention and focused receptive concentration, with a relative suspension of peripheral awareness. An individual’s natural ability to enter a trance state (hypnotic capacity or hypnotizability) will determine whether a given subject will require assistance to enter and use his or her hypnotic capacity. In fact, hypnotizability is a stable and measurable trait, which is widely and naturally distributed throughout the normal population. As such, individuals are likely to experience variable trance-like states at different times in their daily lives, depending on their natural hypnotic capacity. The hypnotic experience may be understood as involving three main factors: absorption, dissociation, and suggestibility. There are several scales available to assist in measuring an individual’s hypnotic capacity. In this chapter, the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) is discussed, which is the most widely used clinical scale and the various life experiences which have been linked with variations in hypnotizability. The potential use of hypnosis in the clinical setting is also discussed, specifically addressing the medical and psychiatric conditions for which there is evidence of hypnosis usefulness in effecting positive change. Finally, the current understanding of the neurophysiology of hypnosis is discussed.