David Spiegel

Hypnosis is a specific form of brain activity that involves highly focused attention, coupled with dissociation, openness to suggestion, and an enhanced ability to modulate perception.  New evidence regarding the neural activity underlying hypnosis will be presented, including studies employing event-related potentials, PET and fMRI.  Our recent resting state fMRI data demonstrate functional connectivity between the executive control and salience networks among high but not low hypnotizable individuals.  Furthermore, we have found that entering the hypnotic state involves reduced activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus, a key part of the salience network, increased functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key part of the executive control network, and the insula, which processes mind-body control and pain, and inverse connectivity between the DLPFC and the default mode network, which processes self-reflection.  The hypnotic ability to focus attention and modulate perception has clear clinical application, especially in pain and anxiety control.   Randomized clinical trials that we have conducted demonstrate the efficacy of hypnosis in reducing pain, anxiety, somatic complications, and procedure duration during radiological interventions.  Other RCTs show that hypnosis provides relief of chronic cancer pain.  In addition, techniques employing hypnosis are effective in controlling various neuromuscular disorders and PTSD.  Hypnosis is an effective  brain-based skill that can be easily taught for controlling a variety of psychological and somatic problems.