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An evolutionary approach to hypnotizability.

Enrica L Santarcangelo1, Giancarlo Carli2, Laura Sebastiani2

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PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Highly hypnotizable individuals may have been naturally selected due to survival advantages conferred by traits like enhanced sensory processing and pain control. These physiological features, linked to hypnotizability, could offer evolutionary benefits.

Keywords:
Heart rate variabilityhypnotic susceptibilityimageryinteroceptionnatural selectionopioid receptorspainsuggestions

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Highly hypnotizable individuals (highs) exhibit unique cognitive and physiological traits.
  • These traits include heightened sensory perception, non-opioid pain control, cardiovascular advantages, and superior interoception.
  • The evolutionary basis for these traits in highs remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose an evolutionary interpretation for the existence of highly hypnotizable individuals.
  • To hypothesize that traits associated with high hypnotizability conferred survival advantages to ancestors.
  • To explore the potential role of these traits in natural selection.

Main Methods:

  • This study presents a theoretical, evolutionary hypothesis.
  • It synthesizes existing experimental evidence on the characteristics of highly hypnotizable individuals.
  • The hypothesis is currently not experimentally verifiable.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with high hypnotizability display enhanced functional equivalence between imagery and perception.
  • They possess non-opioid cognitive control over pain and favorable cardiovascular assets.
  • Greater interoceptive sensitivity is also a characteristic feature of highs.

Conclusions:

  • The unique physiological traits of highly hypnotizable individuals may have been evolutionarily advantageous for survival.
  • These traits could have been selected for during human evolution, with suggestibility as a side effect.
  • An evolutionary perspective highlights the physiological correlates of hypnotizability and their importance in medicine.