This same region seems to disconnect from another area responsible for self-reflection and daydreaming-which may be why hypnotized people aren’t worried about who they are or what they’re doing. During hypnosis, activity in a brain region that helps people switch between tasks quiets down, Spiegel says. “We do it all the time,” Spiegel says of entering and exiting these mental states, “but in hypnosis you do it more.”īrain-imaging studies have helped to illuminate what happens inside the hypnotized brain, though much still remains a mystery. A user can access recordings that guide them into a hypnotized state, after which they’re given suggestions or statements that lead them toward a goal the person selects before the session. In 2020, he co-founded Reveri, a subscription-based self-hypnosis app that’s structured a lot like Calm or Headspace. Like meditation practice, many people are capable of doing hypnosis on their own, Spiegel says. It’s also reminiscent of what happens during meditation, except instead of training people to tune into the present moment, hypnosis makes them more receptive to suggestion. It’s similar to a “flow state,” Spiegel says, or an altered state of consciousness in which a person is so immersed in a given activity, their focus narrows and their sense of time shifts. This state of deep relaxation isn’t particularly difficult for most people to dive into or emerge from. If done right, the patient’s physical surroundings will melt away. Then, the hypnotherapist will conjure that imagery-focusing, for example, on the salt spray of the ocean, seagulls calling overhead, and sun-kissed skin-to help the person go deeper into the calming visualization. (Not everyone is equally susceptible to hypnosis, but research has found that about two-thirds of adults are.) The hypnotherapist will talk with them about what sort of sensory experiences make them feel safe, like a lakeshore retreat or a beach vacation. Today, a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other healthcare professional certified in hypnotherapy will first screen a potential client for their ability to be hypnotized using a validated suggestibility scale. But physicians have continued to test and teach the technique over the centuries with great success, Spiegel says. James Braid popularized the term “hypnosis.” Braid’s central discovery-that concentration can guide the brain toward a more suggestible state-was and remains controversial. It’s been used in various forms for centuries, but it wasn’t until 1843 that the Scottish surgeon Dr. David Spiegel, a Stanford University psychiatrist and leading researcher of hypnosis. Hypnosis creates “a non-judgmental immersive experience,” says Dr.
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