Hypnosis Applications in Psychological Research

Abstract

It is proposed that hypnosis leads to altered cognition, affect, or motivation as reflected by changes in 1) reality orientation, 2) attention and awareness, 3) imagery, 4) dissociation, 5) suggestibility, and 6) mind-body interaction. Hypnosis may be used as an experimental method to effect such cognitive, affective and motivational changes in order to pursue research in learning, personality, physiological, and social psychology. Examples of possible applications of hypnosis are provided. The influence of individual differences in hypnotic responsivity on research also is discussed.

Measurement of responses to suggestions for relaxation by means of indirect and direct tests

“…Furthermore, scientists might apply these scales in their research projects -similar to the use of hypnosis procedure as research tool (see Holroyd, 1992). It is often assumed that the applied techniques lead to signifi cantly improved performance in different areas, e.g.…”

Trance States and Accessing Implicit Memories: A Psychosocial Genomic Approach to Reconstituting Social Memory during Religious Rituals

“…Inducing patients into altered states for therapeutic purposes goes back to the work of Franz Anton Mesmer a little over two centuries ago, antidating the advent of modern psychology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis. 14 Since that time, a large body of evidence has accumulated demonstrating the significant improvement in treatment obtained when patients are in hypnotic (altered) states (see Greenfield, in press; Barber, 1999Barber, , 1984Ewin, 1984;Holroyd, 1992;Marmer, 1959;Ley and Freeman, 1984;Moore and Kaplan, 1983;Ruzyla-Smith et al, 1995;Rossi, 2002Rossi, , 1993.…”