Trance states during a mind-body intervention monitored by BIS.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Complementary Medicine

Background:

• Mind-body interventions are increasingly utilized in healthcare for physical and psychological therapy.
• These practices often incorporate elements of trance induction and hypnosis, directing focus to bodily sensations and inner experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if mind-body interventions induce a non-ordinary state of consciousness.
• To test the hypothesis that brain electrical activity during mind-body interventions resembles that of hypnotic induction.

Main Methods:

• Monitored Bispectral Index (BIS), an EEG-derived parameter, during a hypnotic susceptibility test and a modified Feldenkrais mind-body intervention.
• 54 adult volunteers underwent hypnotic susceptibility testing (HGSHS-5) and a 30-minute audio-guided mind-body intervention.
• Analyzed potential influencing factors including age, sex, suggestibility, and time of day using multifactorial analysis and linear regression.

Main Results:

• BIS values decreased significantly during the mind-body intervention, from an awake baseline of 97.5 to 88-92, comparable to hypnosis induction.
• Significant drops in BIS were observed with each break within the intervention, alongside a general decline over time.
• None of the analyzed factors (age, sex, suggestibility, daytime) showed a significant impact on the observed brain activity changes.

Conclusions:

• Mind-body interventions elicit measurable changes in electrophysiological brain activity, serving as a marker for non-ordinary states of consciousness.
• These EEG changes, coupled with internal focus and body awareness, align closely with hypnotic trance characteristics.
• The findings offer objective research approaches to understanding the unconscious processes involved in therapeutic changes within mind-body practices.