[mindsetalex]

The state vs non-state discussion is still ongoing. The Stanford study linked above highlighted that there is a change in brain activity during hypnosis but there is also evidence for the non-state theories around expectancy, perception etc.

When I say 'state', I don't necessarily mean a distinct cognitive state, instead, I'm describing the characteristics: heightened suggestibility induced by expectation and focused attention.

[TrinaryWorksToo]

https://sci-hub.tw/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1...

This has interesting information on how little of a state there really is. > If trance simply refers to whatever happens after hypnosis, then it could signify most anything, as each individual’s personal experience is unique, and responses to hypnosis are cued mostly by suggestions and very little, if at all, as we have noted, by the presence of the hypnotic induction (Lynn, Laurence, & Kirsch, 2015). If the term trance implies that the purported state somehow increases suggestibility, then this definition is circular, as hypnotic responsiveness can at once indicate the presence of a hypnotic trance and be explained by it (see Braffman & Kirsch, 1999; Lynn & Green, 2011; Sarbin & Coe, 1972).

One of the more interesting developments I've seen, such as in this systematic review of hypnosis literature, is that different phenomena have different suggestibility, and that hypnotic scales are really unreliable, as people do not fit on a straight line from non-suggestible to suggestible.

I'm also fascinated that the Carleton Skills Training Program (CSTP) can improve suggestibility, so testing for it may not be the right approach, but you might rather find people who are self-taught.

One thing that I found really interesting is that there's some evidence for a region in our brain responsible as to whether we percieve a thought as automatic (e.g. not starting in our consiousness), called the parietal operculum. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207144.2019.16...

This essentially leads to one possibility that hypnosis is little more than a kind of imagination that engages this region versus any other.

[mindsetalex]

Interesting review! I agree that the use of the word 'trance' isn't accurate nor beneficial for describing hypnosis.

I found their conclusion interesting: "We have argued that hypnosis does not produce a trance or ASC clearly distinguishable from nonhypnotic experiential states, but that hypnotic interventions, nevertheless, can initiate a broad array of alterations in consciousness". So essentially they're arguing that although it's not a distinct altered state of consciousness, it can trigger changes to consciousness?

I haven't heard of the CSTP - will definitely check it out, thanks! Could imagine a world where you use techniques such as these at the beginning of a program to enhance the effectiveness of the program.

I wouldn't necessarily take that away from the study - acting on the same brain area doesn't necessarily mean it's 'kind of imagination', instead that it could just work on similar brain areas as automaticity (or perceived automaticity).