Whispering Hypnosis: Phylogenetically Programmed Behavior and a Pluralistic Understanding of Hypnosis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Hypnosis research has historically featured competing theoretical explanations.
• Current models accept imagination, suggestion, expectation, and trance experience.
• A need exists to integrate a broader framework for understanding hypnotic phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose instinct as a fifth core construct in hypnosis.
• To demonstrate the utility of incorporating instinctual behaviors into hypnotic suggestions.
• To simplify complex hypnotic interactions through a phylogenetic lens.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing discoveries in comparative psychology (e.g., autoshaping, instinctual drift).
• Analyzing the application of suggestions aligned with phylogenetically programmed behaviors.
• Illustrating concepts with clinical vignettes.

Main Results:

• Phylogenetic constructs simplify complex interpersonal dynamics in hypnosis.
• Universal instincts (e.g., attachment, dominance, maternal) can be strategically incorporated into suggestions.
• Suggestions serving phylogenetically programmed behavior enhance hypnotic efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Instinct represents a crucial, yet overlooked, domain in hypnosis.
• Integrating instinctual behaviors offers a more comprehensive model of hypnosis.
• This approach enhances therapeutic applications by leveraging innate behavioral patterns.