Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
06:33
Method for Simultaneous fMRI/EEG Data Collection during a Focused Attention Suggestion for Differential Thermal Sensation
Published on: January 5, 2014
Is high hypnotic suggestibility necessary for successful hypnotic pain intervention?
1University of Hartford, Department of Psychology, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA. milling@hartford.edu
Current Pain and Headache Reports
|May 14, 2008
Summary
Hypnotic suggestibility influences pain relief. While high and medium suggestibility individuals benefit from hypnosis for pain, low suggestibility individuals may need imaginative suggestions instead.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Pain Management
Background:
- Hypnotic suggestibility is a stable individual difference.
- Substantial variations exist in hypnotic suggestibility among individuals.
- Higher suggestibility correlates with greater pain relief from hypnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between hypnotic suggestibility and the efficacy of hypnotic pain interventions.
- To determine if high hypnotic suggestibility is essential for successful pain management through hypnosis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized standardized measures to assess hypnotic suggestibility.
- Analyzed existing research on hypnotic pain interventions across different suggestibility ranges.
Main Results:
- Individuals with high and medium hypnotic suggestibility experience significant pain relief through hypnosis.
- Hypnotic pain interventions are not effective for individuals with low hypnotic suggestibility.
- Low suggestibility individuals may benefit from imaginative analgesia suggestions delivered outside of hypnosis.
Conclusions:
- High hypnotic suggestibility is not a prerequisite for successful hypnotic pain intervention.
- Tailoring pain management strategies to individual hypnotic suggestibility levels is crucial.
- Further research is needed to explore alternative pain reduction techniques for low suggestibility individuals.
More Related Videos
07:28Psychophysically-anchored, Robust Thresholding in Studying Pain-related Lateralization of Oscillatory Prestimulus Activity
Published on: January 21, 2017
06:04Objective Nociceptive Assessment in Ventilated ICU Patients: A Feasibility Study Using Pupillometry and the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex
Published on: July 4, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
01:23Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
01:06Altered States of Awareness
Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain that...
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain that...
01:20Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates
Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A key...
01:22Stages of General Anesthesia
Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
02:07Blind Procedures
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which child was...