EEG Alpha Methodologies and Hypnotizability: A Critical Review

Perlini, Arthur H.; Spaños, Nicholas P.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1991.tb01989.x

Cited by 42 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 73 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There is evidence for a higher proportion of occipital alpha waves in high suggestibles as compared to lows (e.g. London et al, 1968;Bakan and Svorad, 1969;Engstrom et al, 1970;Ulett et al, 1972;Morgan et al, 1974;Edmonston and Grotevant, 1975), but this fi nding was not replicated by some other studies (Barabasz, 1983;Perlini and Spanos, 1991).…”

Section: Hypnosismentioning

confidence: 78%

Plasticity changes in the brain in hypnosis and meditation

Halsband

Mueller

Hinterberger

et al. 2009

Contemporary Hypnosis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Neuroscientifi c evidence interprets both hypnotic trance induction and different meditation traditions as modifi ed states of consciousness that emphasize attention, concentration and the letting go of thoughts, but they differ in terms of sensory input, processing, memory, and the sense of time. Furthermore, hypnosis is based on the suggestibility of a person and meditation on mindfulness; therefore it is not surprising to fi nd differential brain plasticity changes. We analysed shared and non-shared neural substrates using electroencephalography (EEG), positron emission tomography (PET), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Most pronounced EEG changes were in deep as compared to light hypnosis (step-by-step induction) and in arm levitation where suggested movement was perceived as external. In a within-subject-design changes in brain activity during hypnosis and Tibetan Buddhist meditation were compared. High amplitudes in alpha frequency bands were most pronounced with meditation at frontal positions and with hypnosis in central and temporal locations. Signifi cantly greater activity in theta 2 band was observed only with hypnosis in both hemispheres. PET cerebral activation patterns of imagery-mediated learning were analysed in hypnosis in a withinsubject-design. Compared with baseline the learning of high-imagery words was associated with (i) more pronounced bilateral activation in the occipital cortex and prefrontal areas and (ii) improved memory performance. Visual illusion in hypnosis was studied with fMRI, analysed with Granger Causality Mapping, showing changes in the effective connectivity relations of fusiform gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex and intraparietal sulcus. Little is known about the neurobiological basis of the process of enhancing cognitive and emotional traits in meditation. In a longitudinal fMRI study attention abilities through intensive Soto-Zen meditation were investigated before (baseline), after training (6 months) and at follow-up (9 months). After six months differences were observed in the left inferior and left superior frontal gyrus; after 9 months activations in the left precuneus. Taken together, the fi ndings advance understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie hypnosis and meditation. Further studies with a greater sample size are needed to explore the differences and commonalities of hypnosis and different meditation techniques.

show abstract

Section: Hypnosismentioning

confidence: 78%

Plasticity changes in the brain in hypnosis and meditation

Halsband

Mueller

Hinterberger

et al. 2009

Contemporary Hypnosis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Early results were contradictory, however, with some studies reporting enhanced right occipital or occipital-parietal alpha (Crawford, Meszaros, & Szabo, 1989;MacLeod-Morgan, 1982;Ulett, Akpinar, & Itil, 1972), others reporting diminished bilateral occipital alpha (Saletu, 1987), and still others reporting no alpha changes in frontal, parietal, or occipital derivations during hypnosis (Meszaros & Banyai, 1978;Tebecis, Provins, Farnbach, & Pentony, 1975). This research was further confused by similarly contradictory relationships obtained between alpha EEGs and hypnotic susceptibility (Crawford & Gruzelier, 1992;Perlini & Spanos, 1991). Ina comprehensive critical review of the literature up to 1990, Perlini and Spanos (1991) found little support for an alpha-hypnotizability relationship, such serious methodological flaws in most of the hypnosis research as to render conclusions untenable, and no alpha differences between hypnotic and non-hypnotic conditions in the few well-designed and controlled studies.…”

Section: Electrophysiological Alterations During Hypnosis For Egoenhamentioning

confidence: 89%

Electrophysiological Alterations during Hypnosis for Ego-Enhancement: A Preliminary Investigation

Stevens

Brady

Goon

et al. 2004

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

EEG activity at the midfrontal (Fz) region was recorded during pre- and postbaselines, live hypnotic induction, arm levitation and progressive relaxation (PNR) deepening, and therapeutic ego-enhancing suggestions among 60 college student volunteers, previously screened with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C. Comparisons across conditions for delta, theta, alpha, and beta activity were made between low, moderate, high, and very high hypnotizable groups. Results indicated (a) significant increases in theta EEGs across the hypnosis process with a peak at PNR and a drop in theta thereafter to termination, with highs showing significantly more dramatic effects than moderates; (b) a similar inverted U-shaped pattern for beta EEGs across hypnosis conditions, with very highs significantly higher in beta power than moderates and lows, and with highs significantly higher than moderates; (c) general profile differences between the highs for theta and the highs and very highs for beta in comparison to the moderates and lows, with peak theta and beta power occurring during ego-enhancing suggestions for more highly hypnotizable participants; (d) a drop in alpha EEGs across the trance process with a return to baseline after hypnosis, with moderates showing significantly lower alpha power; and (e) an increase in delta power across conditions to PNR and then a decrease to post-hypnosis baseline, with moderates significantly lower than highs.

show abstract

“…As for the relationship between hypnotizability/hypnosis and relaxation, EEG studies have considered only short rest periods between suggestions as relaxation periods (De Pascalis, Ray, Tranquillo and D'Amico, 1998), or they did not investigate the possibly related changes in autonomic variables (Sabourin, Cutcomb, Crawford and Pribram, 1990;Perlini and Spanos, 1991;Graffin, Ray and Lundy, 1995;Williams and Gruzelier, 2001;. On the other hand, the modifications in autonomic and metabolic variables considered in Benson's definition are rather non-specific, because they can be observed in other conditions, i.e.…”

Section: What Is Relaxation? (Does Relaxation Exist?)mentioning

confidence: 97%

Hypnotizability as an adaptive trait

Santarcangelo

Sebastiani

2004

Contemporary Hypnosis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reviews our studies on the hypnotizability/hypnosis-related modulation of the mind-body connection during relaxation and mental stress, considered as the extremes of the wakefulness cognitive-autonomic arousal. The concept of relaxation is discussed according to the observation that similar self-reports of relaxation and autonomic states may correspond to different EEG patterns in low (Lows) and highly hypnotizable subjects (Highs). Results obtained during mental stress are discussed in the light of a possible adaptive role of hypnotic susceptibility as a natural protection against cardiovascular hazard; in fact, only Highs can actively suppress the cardiovascular responses evoked by a moderate mental stress. All together, findings show that the body can differentially act to similarly experienced relaxation and mental stress and suggest for hypnotizable individuals an evolutionary advantage

show abstract

EEG Alpha Methodologies and Hypnotizability: A Critical Review

Cited by 42 publications

References 73 publications

Plasticity changes in the brain in hypnosis and meditation

Plasticity changes in the brain in hypnosis and meditation

Electrophysiological Alterations during Hypnosis for Ego-Enhancement: A Preliminary Investigation

Hypnotizability as an adaptive trait

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About