Indexing the relationship between self‐hypnosis and hetero‐hypnosis

Abstract

Self‐hypnosis and hetero‐hypnosis were compared through the use of a continuous, concurrent measure of hypnotic experience. Twenty‐three high‐hypnotizable subjects were asked to turn a dial to indicate the strength of their experience across the suggestion, test and cancellation phases of an ideomotor item (arm levitation) and a cognitive item (age regression) during self‐hypnosis and hetero‐hypnosis. Differences between self‐hypnosis and hetero‐hypnosis depended on the item being experienced, as well as on the phase of the item. The findings are discussed in terms of using convergent methodologies to investigate self‐hypnotic phenomena. Copyright © 2001 British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis