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The Power of mind: Blocking visual perception by hypnosis.
B Schmidt1, H Hecht2, E Naumann2,3
1Institute of Psychology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany. schmidt.barbara@uni-jena.de.
Scientific Reports
|July 9, 2017
Summary
Suggestion impacts visual perception by impairing later processing stages, as shown by reduced brain responses (P3b amplitude) and poorer performance in a hypnosis condition. Early visual processing remained unaffected.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology of Perception
- Hypnosis Research
Background:
- Understanding how suggestions influence cognitive processes is crucial.
- Investigating the neural mechanisms underlying suggestion-induced perceptual changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effect of hypnotic suggestion on visual stimulus processing.
- To determine the impact of a suggested visual blockade on performance and brain activity.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a visual stimulus counting task under hypnosis and control conditions.
- Event-related brain potentials (ERPs), specifically N1, P2, and P3b amplitudes, were recorded.
- Correlation between behavioral performance and neural responses was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Hypnosis condition led to a ~20% decrease in counting performance.
- P3b amplitude was reduced by ~37% during hypnosis, correlating with performance deficits.
- Early visual processing components (N1, P2) were unaffected by the suggestion.
Conclusions:
- Hypnotic suggestion selectively affects later stages of visual perception, not early sensory processing.
- The subjective experience of the suggestion's reality influences the magnitude of the effect.
- This highlights the potent influence of the mind on perception.
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