Hypnosis and analgesic suggestions in fMRI

The modern explanations for the phenomenon named “hypnosis” oscillate between the search for specificity of the neurophysiological processes (connected with the idea that hypnosis is a unique, ‘third state of consciousness’, different from wakefulness and sleep) and specificity of interaction between the persons engaged. It still remains uncertain what decides on the appearance of ‘hypnotic’ behaviour, nor what is their link to the phenomenon of ‘suggestion’. Suggesting, the action leading to the induction of hypnosis as well as to the appearance of various spectacular phenomena (within or independently of hypnosis), is an interactive process in its nature. It pertains to the subjectivity of the person, the psychic functions connected with the imaginative processes. The possibility of reducing hypnosis to suggestion alone has been discussed since the time of Bernheim [1, 2, 3]. Similarities and differences between the phenomena of suggestion and hypnosis are still amongst the crucial research problems. Even though the induction of hypnosis, connected with suggestions that concentrate one’s attention on only one source of stimuli, causes an increased susceptibility to suggestion (suggestibility), suggestion and hypnosis appear to be phenomena of a different quality. Differences between individual suggestibility and susceptibility to hypnosis seem to confirm this opinion [1, 2, 3, 4]. Many hypotheses aimed at explaining the phenomenon of hypnosis were found to be false and resulted from taking the effects of open or indirect (hidden) suggestion as phenomena specific for the hypnotic state. Amongst them are a feelJerzy W. Aleksandrowicz*, Marek Binder** Andrzej Urbanik***: *The Chair of Psychotherapy CM UJ; **Institute of Psychology UJ – Psychophysiology Unit; ***The Chair of Radiology CM UJ Cracow, Poland; Correspondence address: Jerzy W. Aleksandrowicz, The Chair of Psychotherapy CM UJ, 14 Lenartowicza St., 31–138 Cracow, Poland; Email: [email protected] Hypnosis and analgesic suggestions in fMRI