When Daniel Kaluuya’s character in the 2017 horror film Get Out is hypnotized by the very creepy Catherine Keener to quit smoking against his will, we all wonder. I felt fear from deep within.
Although it’s unlikely that you can secretly induce a trance state by stirring tea with a spoon, hypnosis may help patients with chronic pain.
Scientists raise the possibility of hypnosis
A new study conducted by Stanford Medicine researchers shows that the ability to hypnotize, a trait that persists into adulthood, can be temporarily hypnotized by less than two minutes of electrical stimulation of specific areas of the brain. It is said that it can be increased.
This breakthrough could potentially make hypnotherapy-based treatment available to more people.
“We know that hypnosis is an effective treatment for a variety of conditions and disorders, especially pain,” said Afik Furman, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry and lead author of the study. Ta. “But we also know that not everyone benefits from hypnosis in the same way.”
Hypnosis itself is not inherently scary
Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique often used to help individuals relax, focus their mind, and access their subconscious mind. In a clinical or therapeutic setting, hypnosis is usually a safe and controlled process guided by a trained professional.
In the realm of hypnotizability, approximately two-thirds of adults have some level of hypnotic susceptibility. 15% of people are susceptible to hypnosis. They score him a 9 or 10 on the standard 10-point scale of hypnotizability.
Dr. David Spiegel, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and senior author of the study, has been researching hypnotherapy for many years.
“Hypnosis is a state of high concentration of attention, and the more effective the hypnosis, the better the chances of successful results from hypnotic techniques,” says Dr. Spiegel.
Several years ago, Dr. Spiegel and his team used brain imaging to understand how hypnosis works in the brain.
They found that people who are more susceptible to hypnosis have stronger brain areas, namely the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (involved in thinking and decision-making) and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (involved in recognizing stimuli and signals). I discovered that there is a connection.
“It stands to reason that people who can naturally coordinate their activities between these two areas are better able to focus,” Spiegel explained. “It’s because you’re focusing and adjusting your distraction system.”
They conducted hypnotherapy on 80 people.
In the new study, researchers led by Dr. Spiegel and Dr. Nolan Williams, who is also a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, studied 80 participants with fibromyalgia, a pain condition that can be treated with hypnotherapy. A study was conducted targeting the.
To alter the hypnotic effects, half of the participants received transcranial magnetic stimulation, a non-invasive neurostimulation technique, while the other half received a sham treatment.
The neurostimulation group showed a significant increase in hypnotic ability that lasted approximately 1 hour.
The researchers plan to investigate different neurostimulation doses to further enhance the hypnotic effects, recognizing the potential to influence properties that have remained unchanged for decades.
The study was published in the journal natural mental health.
About the editor
Sejal Sharma Sejal is a Delhi-based journalist currently focusing on reporting on technology and culture. She specifically covers artificial intelligence, the semiconductor industry, and is passionate about helping people understand the power and pitfalls of technology. Outside of work, she likes playing badminton and spending time with her dog. Please feel free to email me for pitches or feedback on her work.
