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The relationship between hypnotic ideomotor phenomena and psychopathology: A preliminary study
Antonella Ciaramella1,2, Melania Boni1,2, Luisa Fanciullacci3
1GIFT Institute of Integrative Medicine, Pisa, Italy.
The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis
|May 6, 2026
Summary
This study found no link between general psychopathology and hypnotic susceptibility. However, specific hypnotic suggestions, like lowering a hand, correlated with lower scores in Obsession-Compulsion and Depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The link between psychopathology and hypnotic susceptibility is a long-standing debate.
- Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between psychopathology and hypnotic susceptibility.
- To explore the connection between responses to ideomotor suggestions and psychopathological features.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (SHSS) type A.
- Assessed psychopathology using the Symptom Check List 90 Revised (SCL-90-R).
Main Results:
- No significant relationship was found between overall psychopathology and hypnotic susceptibility.
- Subjects responding to a specific suggestion (lowering the left hand) showed lower Obsession-Compulsion and Depression scores on the SCL-90-R.
Conclusions:
- Hypnotic susceptibility and psychopathology are not directly correlated.
- Individual-specific responses to hypnotic suggestions, rather than a general trance state, are key to efficacy.
- A neurobiological hypothesis is proposed for the underlying mechanisms.
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