Recently, I came across new research from the University of Zurich that looked at the effects of hypnosis on the brain. I remembered hearing about hypnosis in the past, but I had never followed the subject closely. Like many, I assumed it was something on the edge of science — interesting, but not really part of how we understand the human body or behavior in practical terms. It’s not something you’ll find in a physiology textbook, and it doesn’t fit into the structured way we usually think about biology, medicine, or professional life.
What caught my attention this time was the growing number of clinical studies showing that hypnosis can help with real-world problems — especially sleep, chronic pain, and anxiety. These are not isolated cases. There’s now enough consistent data to suggest that hypnosis has measurable effects, and that it might be underused simply because it doesn’t fit into the usual categories. That’s why I decided to take a closer look and share a few examples of current studies. It’s not about promoting anything — just about understanding a part of human experience that is often overlooked, even when the evidence is right in front of us.
I asked ChatGPT to help me explore three questions:
- What clinical studies on hypnosis exist, and how are they funded?
- What changes occur in the brain during hypnosis, based on recent research?
- How might these changes be induced by a practitioner — and how does hypnosis compare to other altered states of consciousness?
This blog post is not scientific research; it reflects a conversation with ChatGPT and is intended for illustrative purposes only.
Examples of Hypnosis related clinical trials registered with ClinicalTrials.gov.
| Category | Trial Name | Sponsor | Participants | ClinicalTrials.gov ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💤 Sleep | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Adolescents With Concussion | University of Washington | 60 | NCT03688984 |
| 💤 Sleep | Mindfulness & Muse-S™ Brain Sensing Device in Fibromyalgia | University of California, San Diego | 30 | NCT04720053 |
| ⚕️ Pain | Hypnosis for Chronic Pain Relief in Cancer Survivors | University of Washington | 100 | NCT03867760 |
| ⚕️ Pain | rTMS to Augment Hypnotic Analgesia | Stanford University | 100 | NCT02969707 |
| 💊 Drug + Hypnosis | Hypnosis for Aromatase Inhibitor–Induced Joint Pain in Breast Cancer | Mount Sinai School of Medicine | 80 | NCT02657993 |
| 💊 Drug + Hypnosis | Hypnosis and Healing Touch for Pain After Spinal Fusion | University of Minnesota | 60 | NCT02409615 |
| 🧠 Other | Self-Hypnosis for Functional Dyspepsia (Stomach Pain) | Loyola University Medical Center | 23 | NCT03884270 |
| 🧠 Other | Virtual Reality Hypnosis for Labor Pain | CHU de Nîmes (France) | 100 | NCT05167383 |
🧠 Brain and Neurochemical Responses During Hypnosis - What Changes in the Brain During Hypnosis (Based on Recent Research, summarized by ChatGPT, illustration only)
| System/Structure | Primary Location | Functional Layer | Response During Hypnosis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default Mode Network (DMN) | Medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus | Neocortex (self-modeling, internal thought) | ↓ Activity → Less self-referencing, reduced inner dialogue |
| Executive Control Network | Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex | Neocortex (executive, task control) | ↓ Inhibition → More open to suggestion |
| Salience Network | Anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex | Mid-layer integration (attention switching) | ↓ Switching → Reduced response to external stimuli |
| Sensorimotor Network | Pre/postcentral gyri, cerebellum | Primary sensorimotor + cerebellar | ↓ Input → Sense of floating, reduced bodily awareness |
| Visual Network | Occipital lobe, visual cortex, parieto-occipital junction | Neocortex (sensory processing) | ↑ Internal visualization, dreamlike imagery |
| Auditory Network | Superior temporal gyrus, Heschl’s gyrus | Neocortex (language/auditory) | ↓ External decoding, ↑ sensitivity to tone/rhythm |
| Limbic Network | Amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex | Paleocortex (emotion/motivation) | ↓ or balanced → Emotional recall, calm |
| Thalamus | Deep center of brain, above brainstem | Subcortical relay | ↓ Sensory gating → Attention turns inward |
| Broca’s Area | Left inferior frontal gyrus (frontal lobe) | Neocortex (motor language) | ↔ May remain active for verbal suggestion |
| Wernicke’s Area | Left superior temporal gyrus (temporal lobe) | Neocortex (semantic language) | ↔ Semantic interpretation shifts to emotional tone |
| Cerebellum | Back of brain, beneath occipital lobes | Cerebellar coordination | ↑ Synchronization of timing, internal rhythm |
| Hypothalamus | Below thalamus, diencephalon | Autonomic control center | ↓ Stress response, hormonal balance |
| Glial Cells (Astrocytes) | Widespread in cortex | Supportive metabolic regulation | ↓ Astrocyte activity linked to reduced external orientation |
| Myo-inositol | Parieto-occipital region (via MRS) | Metabolite, glial/osmotic signaling | ↓ Concentration → Metabolic shift during trance |
🧠 Comparison: Hypnosis and Other Altered States of Consciousness
| State | Effect | What’s Different? | Notable Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypnosis | Focused attention, reduced inhibition, suggestibility | Deliberate, practitioner-guided, often with therapeutic goal | Used in clinics; reproducible brain effects |
| Sleep | Sensory decoupling, dreaming, memory processing | Naturally cyclical; not interactive or suggestible | Dreaming shares features with trance states |
| Meditation | Sustained attention, emotional regulation | Self-initiated; maintains awareness and intention | Neurological effects overlap with hypnosis, but slower |
| Milgram Obedience | Behavioral compliance via social pressure | No brain state shift; social manipulation not altered consciousness | Suggests we follow authority more easily than we admit |
| Out-of-Body (Blanke) | Distorted self-location, disembodiment | Triggered via virtual reality or neurostimulation | Challenges our sense of bodily self as stable |
🧠 How Does a Hypnosis Practitioner Induce Change in the Brain?
A hypnosis practitioner uses a combination of focused verbal suggestion, rhythmic speech, and controlled sensory input (such as voice tone, pauses, or guided imagery) to lead the recipient’s attention inward. This shifts the person’s focus away from external distractions and narrows it onto a single idea, image, or experience. As this focused state deepens, the recipient becomes less engaged in analytical thinking and more open to suggestion — especially if they agree to follow the instructions (even passively). Once this state is reached, the brain enters an altered state of consciousness marked by reduced activity in networks responsible for external awareness and self-monitoring. This is what we call hypnosis: a measurable mental shift, not sleep or unconsciousness, but a cooperative and suggestible condition where perception, memory, or emotion can be temporarily restructured.❓Closing Thought:
Are we too easy to influence and reprogram — not just through hypnosis, but through stories, systems, and authority?
And if ChatGPT can describe hypnosis this well… could it one day learn how to use it?
References:
- de Matos, N.M.P., Staempfli, P., Zoelch, N. et al. Neurochemical dynamics during two hypnotic states evidenced by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sci Rep 14, 29952 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-80795-3
- Snyder M, Alldredge CT, Stork SR, Elkins GR. Feasibility of a Self-Administered Hypnosis Intervention for Improving Sleep in College Students. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2023 Oct-Dec;71(4):297-312. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2023.2249047. Epub 2023 Sep 1. PMID: 37656440; PMCID: PMC10646898.
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