ABSTRACT In 1995, Kirsch and colleagues published an influential meta-analysis (k = 20, N = 577) which found that CBT enhanced with hypnosis (CBTH) was superior to CBT alone by at least d = .53. However, a lack of full replication and the emergence of new empirical studies prompted this updated analysis. A total of 48 post- (N = 1,928) and 25 follow-up treatments (N = 1,165) were meta-analyzed. CBTH

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the feasibility of Attention Restoration Theory (ART)-driven hypnotherapy to address cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Six participants with CRF completed the study. Participants completed measures of fatigue and pain pre- and posttreatment of 5 sessions of ART-driven hypnotherapy, each of which followed a treatment manual. Results indicate that participants experienced

ABSTRACT This study investigated multisensory integration in 29 medium-to-high (mid-highs) and 24 low-to-medium (mid-lows) hypnotizable individuals, classified according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form A. Participants completed a simultaneity judgment (SJ) task, where an auditory and a visual stimulus were presented in close proximity to their body in a range of 11 stimulus onset

ABSTRACT Excessive pain during medical procedures is a pervasive health challenge. This study tested the (additive) analgesic efficacy of combining hypnotic analgesia and virtual reality (VR) pain distraction. A single blind, randomized, and controlled trial was used to study 205 undergraduate volunteers aged 18 to 20. The individual and combined effects of hypnotic analgesia (H) and VR distraction

ABSTRACT The Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C), is the most commonly used measure of hypnotizability. In Persian (Farsi), there was a lack of a valid test for hypnotizability. The norms for different language versions of the SHSS:C are important for evaluating the cross-language validity of the measure and determining the ability to compare research findings using the SHSS:C samples

ABSTRACT Emotional distress, communication, and dyadic coping difficulties are common among cancer patients and their partners. Hypnosis-based interventions can improve emotional distress in patients. We designed a group intervention combining self-hypnosis and self-care techniques. We hypothesized an effect of the intervention on emotional distress, conjugal communication, and dyadic coping, considered

ABSTRACT Despite an explosion of mobile app offerings for management of pain and anxiety, the evidence for effectiveness is scarce. Placebo-controlled trials are the most desirable but designing inactive placebo apps can be challenging. For a prospective randomized clinical trial with 72 patients in a craniofacial pain center, we created an app with self-hypnotic relaxation (SHR) for use with iOS and

ABSTRACT Hypnotizability refers to “An individual’s ability to experience suggested alterations in physiology, sensations, emotions, thoughts, or behavior during hypnosis” (Elkins, Barabasz, Council, & Spiegel, 2015). Research has demonstrated that most people are hypnotizable and that individual differences in hypnotizability exist. In recent years, there have been important advances on perspectives

ABSTRACT There seems to be a natural, human ability to alter one’s experience that already exists – prior to and apart from any hypnotic induction. Individual differences in this ability range from low to high and are largely commensurate with the person’s assessed hypnotizability. More importantly, these preexisting, individual differences in the ability to alter experience seem to be the “substrate”

ABSTRACT This review addresses multicomponent theories of hypnotizability by focusing on 3 important exemplars from the history of hypnosis research: E. R. Hilgard’s (1965) Hypnotic susceptibility; R. E. Shor’s (1962) Three dimensions of hypnotic depth; and T.X. Barber’s (1999) A comprehensive three-dimensional theory of hypnosis. Taken together, they illustrate the variety of hypnotic phenomena examined

ABSTRACT The most well-established finding gleaned from decades of experimental hypnosis research is that individuals display marked variability in responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions. Insofar as this variability impacts both treatment outcome in therapeutic applications of hypnosis as well as responsiveness to suggestions in experimental contexts, it is imperative that clinicians and researchers

ABSTRACT The Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) was developed as a brief, yet thorough, assessment of a person’s level of trait hypnotizability and their potential to experience a hypnotic state. The HIP quantitatively and qualitatively measures hynotizability by evaluating biological and sensorimotor experiences designed to assess 3 fundamental observable and measurable components of hypnosis: absorption

ABSTRACT The Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) is a standardized assessment of hypnotizability featuring a validated 0–10 scoring system, that does not factor in posthypnotic amnesia. Using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), we compared the 10-point scoring system with a new 12-point system that includes the posthypnotic amnesia item in independent samples of individuals with fibromyalgia (n = 98)

ABSTRACT Standard hypnotizability scales require physical contact or direct observation by tester and participant. The authors addressed this limitation by developing and testing the remote Hypnotic Induction Profile (rHIP), a hypnotizability test derived from the Hypnotic Induction Profile that is completed by telephone. To assess the validity of the rHIP, 56 volunteers naïve to hypnotizability testing

ABSTRACT The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A), is commonly used to test hypnotizability. There is still some controversy about what exactly hypnotizability is and whether and how it can be measured, especially by the HGSHS:A. Furthermore, a wider clinical use is limited, requiring a testing time of more than 1 hour. We analyzed the German HGSHS:A version for its factorial

ABSTRACT Hypnotizability assessment can inform hypnotic interventions, and studies on brief hypnotic inductions suggest that it may also confer therapeutic benefits. However, hypnotizability is rarely assessed in clinical practice due to limitations of current measures. The Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) improved upon such limitations and has been shown to be a very reliable and valid hypnotizability

ABSTRACT This project aimed to assess the consistency of hypnotizability over repeated assessments when measured by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C (SHSS:C), and the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) and to contrast score distribution and pleasantness of these scales. University students were administered either the SHSS:C or the EHS twice with a one-week delay by separate experimenters

(2021). Abstracts from the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 71st Annual Conference. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: Vol. 69, Hypnotizability: Theory, Research, and Future Directions, pp. 162-167.

ABSTRACT This case study examined the effects of a clutch-based hypnotic intervention on the performance and experience of a senior PGA tour golfer. The intervention encompassed hypnosis, regression imagery, a trigger control technique, and a preshot routine. Golf performance data were analyzed using a single-subject design. The results indicated that the player’s mean stroke average decreased from

(2020). Hypnosis: New Generation Articles. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: Vol. 68, New Generation Research, pp. 409-411.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial disease that may have a psychosomatic component. In this study, the authors aimed to measure the effect of hypnosis on AD in a clinical setting. Patients with AD who never had systemic treatment were offered hypnosis sessions. Twenty-seven patients with AD and a mean age of 34.5 years participated in a mean of six hypnosis sessions (range 2 to 16). AD severity

Many survivors of acute respiratory failure suffer from mood disorders following discharge from the hospital. We investigated the feasibility of intensivists delivering psychological support based on positive suggestion (PSBPS) to 20 intubated patients to reduce their psychological distress. Thirteen patients completed follow-up surveys. Of those, 9 remembered the intensive care unit physician talking

A novel, heuristic model based upon chaotic complex systems theory and quantum mechanics is proposed to overcome the dichotomy between mind and body. The mind–body interface represents a chaotic system, ruled by the probability principle, as shown in quantum mechanics. Neuronal activity shows many patterns of chaotic behavior, and applications of chaotic patterns seem to be relevant for research regarding

There has been increasing clinical interest in active-alert hypnosis (AAH). However, relatively few studies have been devoted to studying its properties systematically. The present study compared the subjective experiences of subjects (31) and hypnotists (5) during AAH, using Pekala’s Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI), the Dyadic Interactional Harmony (DIH) scale and the Archaic Involvement

Physiological monitoring provides a useful access into the patient’s affective state during hypnotically assisted therapeutic sessions. Physiological monitoring identifies autonomic dysregulation and can also display the process of restoring autonomic regulation via hypnosis and other quieting strategies. Commonly used modalities for physiological monitoring are identified, and clinical illustrations

Counterterror measures put communities in a state of alertness for several years. Jewish schools in Europe respond with higher security measures, going through transformations in their daily routines and environments, marked by security rituals. Anticipating the trauma creates extreme situations that polarizes the sense of agency and alters the state of consciousness, having a collective impact. Analyzing

This article describes Ericksonian family constellation work with metaphoric objects. This method is based on using metaphorical objects that can represent relevant characteristics of a person, history of a situation, and/or solutions to problems. This method can be utilized in an individual or group format. The development of this method was influenced by methods developed by Bert Hellinger, Milton

The aim of this study was to develop a standardized hypnotherapeutic group program for stress reduction, test its feasibility, and measure its preliminary pre- to postintervention effects. In this prospective, single-arm feasibility study, healthy adult participants with self-assessed increased stress levels received 5 weekly group hypnosis sessions plus audio recordings. Twelve persons (10 females

The purpose of this pilot study was to characterize test anxiety among first-year medical students at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and to test clinical hypnosis as a possible intervention. The “Prüfungsangstfragebogen,” a shortened and revised German version of the Test Anxiety Inventory, was used to estimate test anxiety. It was administered 3 times: at the commencement of winter term 2017/18

This study investigated the effect of a single hypnosis intervention on shooting performance in a 10-meter air rifle competition. Eight shooting athletes from the Swiss national team participated in the experiment; an A-B-A single case study design was used, with 2 baseline measurements. The results suggest that for 3 athletes the hypnosis intervention had a small positive effect on their performance

(2020). In Memoriam: Dabney M. Ewin, M.D., 1925-2020. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: Vol. 68, New Generation Research, pp. 530-536.

(2020). 2020 Reviewer Acknowledgment. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: Vol. 68, New Generation Research, pp. 1-1.

This study investigated the effect of a single hypnosis intervention on shooting performance in a 10-meter air rifle competition. Eight shooting athletes from the Swiss national team participated in the experiment; an A-B-A single case study design was used, with 2 baseline measurements. The results suggest that for 3 athletes the hypnosis intervention had a small positive effect on their performance

The purpose of this pilot study was to characterize test anxiety among first-year medical students at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and to test clinical hypnosis as a possible intervention. The “Prüfungsangstfragebogen,” a shortened and revised German version of the Test Anxiety Inventory, was used to estimate test anxiety. It was administered 3 times: at the commencement of winter term 2017/18

Physiological monitoring provides a useful access into the patient’s affective state during hypnotically assisted therapeutic sessions. Physiological monitoring identifies autonomic dysregulation and can also display the process of restoring autonomic regulation via hypnosis and other quieting strategies. Commonly used modalities for physiological monitoring are identified, and clinical illustrations

Hypnosis has primarily been used to treat individual problems. Occasionally, it has been applied to couples’ problems such as infertility. We present a transcript of a treatment session of Dr. Milton Erickson in which he works with a married couple and interpret his techniques. We emphasize the following principles. Dr. Erickson’s assessment was brief, just long enough to determine a general target

This study examined hypnotizability-related modulation of the cortical network following expected and nonexpected nociceptive stimulation. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in 9 high (highs) and 8 low (lows) hypnotizable participants receiving nociceptive stimulation with (W1) and without (noW) a visual warning preceding the stimulation by 1 second. W1 and noW were compared to baseline conditions

The popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) appears to be increasing, especially among college students. We surveyed 146 undergraduate and graduate students with the CAM Health Belief Questionnaire and obtained credibility and frequency ratings for a select group of CAM therapies: yoga, meditation, massage, chiropractic medicine, biofeedback, hypnosis, acupuncture, spirituality/religion

It may be that individuals who are interested in hypnosis will volunteer for hypnosis experiments or practice hypnosis. Do these “hypnosis-prone” individuals differ from hypno-neutral, nonhypnosis-prone individuals? If so, could one speak of a personality type, the homo hypnoticus? This study reports on 3 samples of individuals where there was no indication of hypnosis or no interest in hypnosis (NONHYP:

Despite a number of studies on hypnosis as analgesia and anesthesia in several medical conditions, case studies on patients with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) are still relatively few. This case study is about a female patient with MCS who underwent dental removal using hypnosis as the sole anesthesia. The paradigm in which we work is psychosocial genomics of clinical hypnosis. We used the mind-body

This study resumes and reevaluates the research on emotional functional autonomy developed by Vittorio Benussi in the 1920s, using hypnosuggestive methods. Four fundamental human emotions were studied in hypnosis: hope, happiness, despair, and unhappiness. Participants received training aimed at experiencing neutral hypnosis, characterized by the absence of any suggested images or suggested cognition

Beyond hypnotizability, there may be different styles of experiencing hypnosis relevant to both basic research and clinical practice. Previous research has demonstrated the presence of inward attentive and dissociative subtypes among more highly hypnotizable individuals during a group protocol. With a sample of undergraduate students, we successfully replicated the presence of these 2 subtypes among

This study aimed to describe the potential influence of repetitive hypnotic inductions on hypnotizability, presentation of change dynamics, and comparison of 2 types of assessment. Six subjects underwent 5 subsequent hypnotic procedures. Ratings of response to hypnotic suggestions included self ratings by subjects and ratings by observers. The suggestion effects were evaluated using a 0-to-3 rating

Secure God attachment is related to less psychological distress and greater well-being, while insecure God attachment is associated with higher levels of psychological distress and various forms of maladaptive coping. Cognitive resistance may arise, however, when therapists directly address insecure attachment beliefs through overt cognitive-behavioral techniques. Based on principles of the dual process

Pain is a significant public healthcare challenge. There is growing support for the use of music and suggestive techniques as adjuvant pain treatments. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the effects of music listening combined with relaxation suggestions compared to music alone and silence on experimental pain, and (2) to explore the potential mechanisms of music-induced analgesia. Sixty-six

Mindfulness is often associated with meditation. This article presents a distinction between meditation-based mindfulness and Langerian mindfulness. Focusing on Langerian mindfulness as a distinct mode of mindfulness, this article argues how Langerian mindfulness may be used in clinical hypnosis to develop a more radical transformation of consciousness. While meditation-based mindfulness plays a significant

Dzogchen meditation has been practiced by Bonpo and Buddhist yogis for at least 1,200 years. Dzogchen utilizes methods of meditation and yogic exercises that are said to help one fully awaken from illusions of self and reality that cause suffering in life. The philosophy and experiential practice of Dzogchen is very similar to hypnosis. Dzogchen techniques utilize hypnotic-like practices of selective

The science of contemplation has focused on mindfulness in a manner quite disproportionate to its use in contemplative traditions. Mindfulness, as understood within the scientific community, is a practice that invites practitioners to disattend to words and images. The practitioner is meant to experience things as they "really are," unfolding here and now in the flux of embodied sensations. Yet the

Initially inspired by Buddhist philosophy and practice, mindfulness has become ubiquitous in psychotherapy, counseling, and popular psychology. Several mindfulness interventions have been developed and investigated, many of them attaining strong empirical support for a variety of conditions. However, the authors argue that mindfulness interventions should not be used uncritically and indiscriminately

The feasibility of mindful hypnotherapy (MH) intervention for stress reduction was investigated in a randomized trial. Forty-two college-age participants with elevated stress were randomized into MH intervention or wait-list control condition. MH participants completed an 8-week intervention with 1-hour individual sessions and self-hypnosis audio recordings for daily mindfulness. Results indicated

Mindfulness has been transformed over recent years from a spiritual practice to a method of clinical intervention. This is a new evolutionary step in applying mindfulness in ways that move it much, much closer to the related domain of hypnosis. Both approaches now share a goal-oriented, purposeful clinical pragmatism. This contribution is an "op-ed" piece regarding the author's view of the distant

A distinctive feature common to many contemplative practices is a focus of attention and procedure of induction toward achieving an altered state of consciousness. In recent years, practices like mindfulness have become increasingly popular, and there has been increased interest in the relationship between hypnosis and mindfulness-based practices as well as other contemplative practices including meditation

Pediatric hypnosis emerged during 1960s and 1970s with pioneers Franz Baumann, Josephine Hilgard, Karen Olness, and Gail Gardner. Forty years later, it's matured as a separate, distinct field within hypnosis. Informed by childhood development, this treatment approach is child-centred, imaginatively focused, fundamentally optimistic, and inclusive of parent, family, and other systems in children's lives

While slow-wave sleep (SWS) is fundamental for maintaining health and well-being, it is typically reduced with stress or age. The authors have previously reported that hypnotic suggestions before sleep increased SWS duration and slow-wave activity (SWA) during a midday nap in hypnotizable younger and older women. To test generalizability, they investigated this effect across 8 hours nighttime sleep

The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A), is widely used as a measure of suggestibility to screen participants for research purposes. To date, there have been a number of normative studies of the HGSHS:A, the majority of which originate from Western countries. The outcomes of these Western studies are summarized, and variations in methodologies are described and discussed

Hypnotic-focused analgesia (HFA) was produced in 20 highly hypnotizable subjects receiving nociceptive stimulations while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI pattern in brain cortex activation while receiving a painful stimulus was recorded both during nonhypnosis and during HFA. The scanning protocol included the acquisition of a T1-weighted structural scan, 4 functional

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) degrades the endogenous endocannabinoid (eCB) anandamide and might be involved in the response to suggestions of analgesia in subjects with high hypnotizability scores (highs). Since the A allele of the FAAH C385A polymorphism (rs324420) is associated with lower FAAH activity, it was studied in 21 highs, 66 low hypnotizable individuals (lows), and 172 individuals not

This study aimed to understand how psychological mindedness, attitudes toward hypnosis, and expectancy of hypnotizability are related to hypnotizability. Ninety-one undergraduate students were given measures pertaining to attitudes toward hypnosis, psychological mindedness, and self-ratings of expectancy of hypnotizability. The subjects were then administered the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS)

This study examined if participants respond to different types of suggestions, including hypnosis, uniquely or similarly. This study used 9 suggestibility measures and hypothesized a 3-factor model. It was hypothesized that hypnosis, Chevreul's pendulum, and body-sway would load on the first factor; the odor test, progressive weights, and placebo on the second factor; and conformity, persuasibility