Evidence of the Hypnotic State Found

Researchers have found evidence for the existence of a hypnotic state -- the key was in the glazed staring eyesA multidisciplinary group of researchers from Finland (University of

Researchers have found evidence for the existence of a hypnotic state -- the key was in the glazed staring eyes.

A multidisciplinary group of researchers from Finland (University of Turku and Aalto University) and Sweden (University of Skövde) has found that strange stare may be a key that can eventually lead to a solution to this long debate about the existence of a hypnotic state.

Hypnosis as an Alternative to Anesthesia?
Doctors in Belgium are offering hypnosis to patients as an alternative to general anaesthesia before conducting minor operations

One of the most widely known features of a hypnotized person in the popular culture is a glazed, wide-open look in the eyes. Paradoxically, this sign has not been considered to have any major importance among researchers and has never been studied in any detail, probably due to the fact that it can be seen in only some hypnotized people.

This study was done with a very highly hypnotizable participant who can be hypnotized and dehypnotized by just using a one-word cue. The change between hypnotic state and normal state can thus be varied in seconds.

The researchers used high-resolution eye-tracking methodology and presented a set of well-established oculomotor tasks that trigger automatic eye behavior. They found the glazed stare was accompanied by objectively measurable changes in automatic, reflexive eye behavior that could not be imitated by non-hypnotized participants.

Hypnosis, Local Anesthesia Combo During Surgery Can Aid Healing Process
Combining hypnosis along with local anaesthesia (LA) for certain types of surgery can aid the healing process and reduce drug use and hospital stay.

In the field of hypnosis research this result means that hypnosis can no longer be regarded as mental imagery that takes place during a totally normal waking state of consciousness. On the other hand, the result may have wider consequences for psychology and cognitive neuroscience, since it provides the first evidence of the existence of a conscious state in humans that has previously not been scientifically confirmed.

Hypnosis has had a long and controversial history in psychology, psychiatry and neurology. For over 100 years researchers have debated if a special hypnotic state exists or whether it is just about using cognitive strategies and mental imagery in a normal waking state. So far, a hypnotic state has never been convincingly demonstrated, and therefore, many researchers regard the hypnotic state to be just a popular myth in psychology.

Brit Boss Uses Hypnosis to Make His Employees 'Think' and 'Feel' Warmth During Freezing Temperatures
A boss in Britain who is adamant about not buying heaters to keep his freezing workers warm, has resorted to hypnosis to make them 'think' and 'feel' warmth during freezing temperatures.

Source-Eurekalert

Tourette Syndrome Patients May Gain Relief With Self-Hypnosis
A new study of children and adolescents with Tourette Syndrome finds that self-hypnosis taught with the aid of videotape training reduced their symptoms and improved their