How hypnotic suggestions work – A systematic review of prominent theories of hypnosis

• Published in: Consciousness and cognition Vol. 123; p. 103730
• Main Authors: Zahedi, Anoushiravan, Jay Lynn, Steven, Sommer, Werner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Direct Verbal Suggestions; Humans; Hypnosis; Hypnotic Suggestions (HS); Hypnotizability; Posthypnotic Suggestions (PHS); Psychological Theory; Suggestibility; Suggestion; Theory; Hypnotizability; Posthypnotic Suggestions (PHS); Theory; Suggestibility; Direct Verbal Suggestions; Hypnotic Suggestions (HS); Hypnosis
• ISSN: 1053-8100; 1090-2376; 1090-2376
• DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103730

•Hypnosis is an established procedure with proven clinical and experimental efficacy.•Hypnotic suggestions have been shown to alter perceptions, actions, cognition, and sense of agency.•Competing theoretical accounts try to address the genesis of subjective, behavioral, and neurophysiological responses to hypnotic suggestions.•Our systematic review reveals that each perspective possesses salient strengths, limitations, and heuristic values.•This review highlights both the necessity of revisiting extant theories of hypnosis and formulating novel evidence-based accounts of hypnosis. In recent decades, hypnosis has increasingly moved into the mainstream of scientific inquiry. Hypnotic suggestions are frequently implemented in behavioral, neurocognitive, and clinical investigations and interventions. Despite abundant reports about the effectiveness of suggestions in altering behavior, perception, cognition, and agency, no consensus exists regarding the mechanisms driving these changes. This article reviews competing theoretical accounts that address the genesis of subjective, behavioral, and neurophysiological responses to hypnotic suggestions. We systematically analyze the broad landscape of hypnosis theories that best represent our estimation of the current status and future avenues of scientific thinking. We start with procedural descriptions of hypnosis, suggestions, and hypnotizability, followed by a comparative analysis of systematically selected theories. Considering that prominent theoretical perspectives emphasize different aspects of hypnosis, our review reveals that each perspective possesses salient strengths, limitations, and heuristic values. We highlight the necessity of revisiting extant theories and formulating novel evidence-based accounts of hypnosis.