Peter Naish of the Open University in Milton Keynes, UK, used a standard test of hypnotic susceptibility, combines motor and cognitive tasks, to identify 10 volunteers of each type. He then gave each volunteer a pair of spectacles with an LED mounted on the left and right side of the frame. The two LEDs flashed in quick succession, and the volunteers had to say which flashed first. Naish repeated the task until the gap between the flashes was so short that the volunteers could no longer judge the correct order.

Naish found that hypnotically susceptible volunteers were better at perceiving when the right LED flashed first than when the left one did. This suggested that the left hemisphere of their brain was working more efficiently (visual pathways cross over in the brain, so left controls right and vice versa). In contrast, the non-susceptible people were just as likely to perceive the right LED flashing first as the one on the left.

These differences in the balance of brain efficiency persisted when Naish tried to hypnotise both groups. During hypnosis, the brains of those in the susceptible group seemed to switch “states”, becoming faster at spotting when the left LED flashed first.

The efficiency of the hemispheres remained relatively even in the non-susceptible people. Their performance deteriorated but they didn’t access a trance.

Naish suggests hypnotisability requires temporary right-sided brain dominance, and that this state is more accessible by people with the ability to de-synch hemispherically consciously.

Hypnosis requires hemispheric right-side dominance and asymmetric brains are more susceptible which parallels the theory that hypnosis involves a left to right hemispheric dominance transition.

Naish who uses TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) to temporarily reduce left hemisphere activity found it increases hypnotisability. He states that “people who don’t naturally  access right hemispheric dominant are helped to by reducing activity in their left hemisphere.

This parallels many of the processes used in modern hypnosis. Many pre-recorded “out-of-the-box” hypnosis sessions utilise a two or three voice method of talking to the conscious / dominant left hemisphere to basically amuse and move it out of the way or give it a job… Thus freeing up the second voice to communicate directly to the sub-dominant or right hemisphere and induce hypnosis…
Bravo! we knew this all along though – Right?! …

Popularity: 100% [?]