Hypnosis and lateral cerebral function as assessed by dichotic listening

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Previous research suggested hypnosis could shift brain hemispheric dominance.
• The Frumkin et al. study proposed hypnosis might alter cerebral function lateralization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if hypnosis influences brain hemispheric dominance.
• To replicate and extend the findings of Frumkin et al. using a dichotic listening paradigm.

Main Methods:

• Replication of Frumkin et al. study design.
• Utilized the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (Form C) to categorize participants.
• Administered the Berlin et al. dichotic listening tape under waking and hypnotic conditions.

Main Results:

• Results contradicted Frumkin et al.'s findings.
• Low hypnotizable individuals exhibited a significant reduction in right-ear dominance post-hypnosis.
• This suggests increased right cerebral hemisphere participation in low hypnotizables.

Conclusions:

• Hypnosis may induce lateral shifts in cerebral function, particularly in low hypnotizable individuals.
• Procedural differences, such as hypnotic induction methods and ear attention instructions, may explain discrepancies with prior studies.
• Relaxation and anxiety levels might influence hypnosis-induced hemispheric shifts.