The state of the "state" debate in hypnosis: a view from the cognitive-behavioral perspective

For most of the past 50 years, hypnosis research has been driven by a debate about whether hypnotic phenomena can be best described and understood as the product of an altered state of consciousness. The meanings of some of the pivotal concepts in this debate and the nature of the phenomena that gave rise to them were ambiguous at the outset and led to misconceptions and surplus meanings that have obscured the debate through most of its history. The nature of the posited hypnotic state and its assumed consequences have changed during this period, reflecting the abandonment of untenable versions of hypnotic state theory. Carefully conducted studies in laboratories around the world have refined our understanding of hypnotic phenomena and helped identify the critical variables that interact to elicit them. With the maturation of the cognitive-behavioral perspective and the growing refinement of state conceptions of hypnosis, questions arise whether the state debate is still the axis about which hypnosis research and theory pivots. Although heuristic value of this debate has been enormous, we must guard against the cognitive constraints of our own metaphors and conceptual frameworks.