Primary process, hypnotic dreams, and the hidden observer: hypnosis versus alert imagining

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychoanalysis
• Hypnosis Research

Background:

• Previous studies suggested high-hypnotizable individuals exhibit more primary process mentation during hypnosis than simulators.
• Primary process differences were not found when a 'hidden observer' reported on hypnotic dreams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and extend previous findings on primary process mentation in hypnotic dreams.
• To investigate differences in primary process between high-hypnotizable participants experiencing hypnosis versus those simulating it.
• To examine the role of hidden-observer suggestions in primary process mentation.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 20 high-hypnotizable participants for a dream suggestion condition and 20 for an alertness/imagination condition.
• Assessed primary process mentation in dreams and via hidden-observer suggestions.
• Compared mentation frequencies between hypnotic and non-hypnotic groups.

Main Results:

• High-hypnotizable participants in the dream suggestion group reported more primary process than those in the alertness/imagination group.
• No significant differences in primary process were found for hidden-observer suggestions between groups.
• Dream and hidden-observer response frequencies were similar across hypnotic and non-hypnotic conditions.

Conclusions:

• Findings provide qualified support for a psychoanalytic model of hypnosis.
• Primary process differences are evident in hypnotic dreams but not in hidden-observer suggestions.
• Hypnotizability influences dream mentation, but not necessarily hidden-observer reports.