{"id":394,"date":"2023-03-02T20:16:31","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T20:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/other-states-of-consciousness\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T18:18:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T18:18:15","slug":"other-states-of-consciousness","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/other-states-of-consciousness\/","title":{"raw":"Other States of Consciousness: Learn It 1\u2014Hypnosis","rendered":"Other States of Consciousness: Learn It 1\u2014Hypnosis"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Describe hypnosis and meditation<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p>Our states of consciousness change as we move from wakefulness to sleep. We also alter our consciousness through the use of various psychoactive drugs. This final section will consider hypnotic and meditative states as additional examples of altered states of consciousness experienced by some individuals.<\/p>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<h2>Hypnosis<\/h2>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>hypnosis<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>Hypnosis<\/strong> is a state of extreme self-focus and attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3>Uses of Hypnosis<\/h3>\r\n<p>In the therapeutic setting, a clinician often will use relaxation and suggestion in an attempt to alter the thoughts and perceptions of a patient. Hypnosis has also been used to draw out information believed to be buried deeply in someone\u2019s memory. For individuals who are especially open to the power of suggestion, this can prove to be a very effective technique, and brain imaging studies have demonstrated that hypnotic states are associated with global changes in brain functioning (Del Casale et al., 2012; Guldenmund, Vanhaudenhuyse, Boly, Laureys, &amp; Soddu, 2012). It is important to note that some argue hypnosis alone may not be effective in all cases, and it may produce false memories.[footnote]Smith, B. L. (2011, January). <em>Hypnosis today<\/em>. Monitor on Psychology. https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2011\/01\/hypnosis[\/footnote][footnote]Bhandari, S. (2021, September 14). Mental health and hypnosis. <em>Mental Health<\/em>. https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/mental-health\/mental-health-hypnotherapy[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n<p>Hypnosis has come to be viewed with some suspicion because of its portrayal in popular media and entertainment. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between hypnosis as an empirically supported therapeutic approach and as a form of entertainment. Contrary to popular belief, individuals undergoing hypnosis usually have clear memories of the hypnotic experience and are in control of their own behaviors. While hypnosis may be useful for enhancing memory or a skill, these enhancements are often temporary or very modest (Raz, 2011).<\/p>\r\n<h3>The Process of Hypnosis<\/h3>\r\n<figure>\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"325\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23224655\/CNX_Psych_04_06_Hypnotist.jpg\" alt=\"A poster titled \u201cBarnum the Hypnotist\u201d shows illustrations of a person performing hypnotism.\" width=\"325\" height=\"481\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpg\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Popular portrayals of hypnosis have led to some widely held misconceptions.[\/caption]\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p>How exactly does a hypnotist bring a participant into a hypnotized state? While there are variations, there are four main steps to bringing people into\u00a0a state of\u00a0hypnotic suggestibility (National Research Council, 1994). These\u00a0steps include:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The participant is guided to focus on one thing, such as the hypnotist\u2019s words or a ticking watch.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The participant is made comfortable and is directed to be relaxed and sleepy.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The participant is told to be open to the process of hypnosis, to trust the hypnotist, and to \"let go.\"<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The participant is encouraged to use their imagination.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>These steps are conducive to being open to the heightened suggestibility of hypnosis.<\/p>\r\n<p>People vary in their ability to be hypnotized, but a review of available research suggests that most people are at least moderately hypnotizable (Kihlstrom, 2013). Hypnosis in conjunction with other techniques is used for a variety of therapeutic purposes and has shown to be at least somewhat effective for pain management, treatment of depression and anxiety, smoking cessation, and weight loss (Alladin, 2012; Elkins, Johnson, &amp; Fisher, 2012; Golden, 2012; Montgomery, Schnur, &amp; Kravits, 2012).<\/p>\r\n<h2>Theories on Hypnosis<\/h2>\r\n<p>How does hypnosis work? Two theories attempt to answer this question.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>theories of hypnosis<\/h3>\r\n<p>One theory views hypnosis as dissociation, while another theory views it as the performance of a social role.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>According to the <strong>dissociation theory of hypnosis<\/strong>, hypnosis is effectively a dissociated state of consciousness, much like our earlier example where you may drive to work, but you are only minimally aware of the process of driving because your attention is focused elsewhere.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>This theory is supported by Ernest Hilgard\u2019s research into hypnosis and pain. In Hilgard\u2019s experiments, he induced participants into a state of hypnosis, and placed their arms into ice water. Participants were told they would not feel pain, but they could press a button if they did. While\u00a0participants did not report feeling pain, they did, in fact, press the button, suggesting a dissociation of consciousness while in the hypnotic state (Hilgard &amp; Hilgard, 1994).<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>The <strong>social-cognitive theory of hypnosis<\/strong> sees people in hypnotic states as performing the social role of a hypnotized person. As you will learn when you study social roles, people\u2019s behavior can be shaped by their expectations of how they should act in a given situation. Some psychologists view a hypnotized person\u2019s behavior not as an altered or dissociated state of consciousness but as\u00a0that person's fulfillment of the social expectations for that role (Coe, 2009; Coe &amp; Sarbin, 1966).<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"300\"]3981[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Describe hypnosis and meditation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>Our states of consciousness change as we move from wakefulness to sleep. We also alter our consciousness through the use of various psychoactive drugs. This final section will consider hypnotic and meditative states as additional examples of altered states of consciousness experienced by some individuals.<\/p>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<h2>Hypnosis<\/h2>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>hypnosis<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Hypnosis<\/strong> is a state of extreme self-focus and attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h3>Uses of Hypnosis<\/h3>\n<p>In the therapeutic setting, a clinician often will use relaxation and suggestion in an attempt to alter the thoughts and perceptions of a patient. Hypnosis has also been used to draw out information believed to be buried deeply in someone\u2019s memory. For individuals who are especially open to the power of suggestion, this can prove to be a very effective technique, and brain imaging studies have demonstrated that hypnotic states are associated with global changes in brain functioning (Del Casale et al., 2012; Guldenmund, Vanhaudenhuyse, Boly, Laureys, &amp; Soddu, 2012). It is important to note that some argue hypnosis alone may not be effective in all cases, and it may produce false memories.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Smith, B. L. (2011, January). Hypnosis today. Monitor on Psychology. https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2011\/01\/hypnosis\" id=\"return-footnote-394-1\" href=\"#footnote-394-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Bhandari, S. (2021, September 14). Mental health and hypnosis. Mental Health. https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/mental-health\/mental-health-hypnotherapy\" id=\"return-footnote-394-2\" href=\"#footnote-394-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hypnosis has come to be viewed with some suspicion because of its portrayal in popular media and entertainment. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between hypnosis as an empirically supported therapeutic approach and as a form of entertainment. Contrary to popular belief, individuals undergoing hypnosis usually have clear memories of the hypnotic experience and are in control of their own behaviors. While hypnosis may be useful for enhancing memory or a skill, these enhancements are often temporary or very modest (Raz, 2011).<\/p>\n<h3>The Process of Hypnosis<\/h3>\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 325px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23224655\/CNX_Psych_04_06_Hypnotist.jpg\" alt=\"A poster titled \u201cBarnum the Hypnotist\u201d shows illustrations of a person performing hypnotism.\" width=\"325\" height=\"481\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpg\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Popular portrayals of hypnosis have led to some widely held misconceptions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<p>How exactly does a hypnotist bring a participant into a hypnotized state? While there are variations, there are four main steps to bringing people into\u00a0a state of\u00a0hypnotic suggestibility (National Research Council, 1994). These\u00a0steps include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The participant is guided to focus on one thing, such as the hypnotist\u2019s words or a ticking watch.<\/li>\n<li>The participant is made comfortable and is directed to be relaxed and sleepy.<\/li>\n<li>The participant is told to be open to the process of hypnosis, to trust the hypnotist, and to &#8220;let go.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>The participant is encouraged to use their imagination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These steps are conducive to being open to the heightened suggestibility of hypnosis.<\/p>\n<p>People vary in their ability to be hypnotized, but a review of available research suggests that most people are at least moderately hypnotizable (Kihlstrom, 2013). Hypnosis in conjunction with other techniques is used for a variety of therapeutic purposes and has shown to be at least somewhat effective for pain management, treatment of depression and anxiety, smoking cessation, and weight loss (Alladin, 2012; Elkins, Johnson, &amp; Fisher, 2012; Golden, 2012; Montgomery, Schnur, &amp; Kravits, 2012).<\/p>\n<h2>Theories on Hypnosis<\/h2>\n<p>How does hypnosis work? Two theories attempt to answer this question.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>theories of hypnosis<\/h3>\n<p>One theory views hypnosis as dissociation, while another theory views it as the performance of a social role.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>According to the <strong>dissociation theory of hypnosis<\/strong>, hypnosis is effectively a dissociated state of consciousness, much like our earlier example where you may drive to work, but you are only minimally aware of the process of driving because your attention is focused elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This theory is supported by Ernest Hilgard\u2019s research into hypnosis and pain. In Hilgard\u2019s experiments, he induced participants into a state of hypnosis, and placed their arms into ice water. Participants were told they would not feel pain, but they could press a button if they did. While\u00a0participants did not report feeling pain, they did, in fact, press the button, suggesting a dissociation of consciousness while in the hypnotic state (Hilgard &amp; Hilgard, 1994).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>social-cognitive theory of hypnosis<\/strong> sees people in hypnotic states as performing the social role of a hypnotized person. As you will learn when you study social roles, people\u2019s behavior can be shaped by their expectations of how they should act in a given situation. Some psychologists view a hypnotized person\u2019s behavior not as an altered or dissociated state of consciousness but as\u00a0that person&#8217;s fulfillment of the social expectations for that role (Coe, 2009; Coe &amp; Sarbin, 1966).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm3981\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=3981&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm3981&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-394-1\">Smith, B. L. (2011, January). <em>Hypnosis today<\/em>. Monitor on Psychology. https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2011\/01\/hypnosis <a href=\"#return-footnote-394-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-394-2\">Bhandari, S. (2021, September 14). Mental health and hypnosis. <em>Mental Health<\/em>. https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/mental-health\/mental-health-hypnotherapy <a href=\"#return-footnote-394-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":30,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Other States of Consciousness\",\"author\":\"OpenStax College\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/4-6-other-states-of-consciousness\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":364,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"cc","description":"Other States of Consciousness","author":"OpenStax College","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/4-6-other-states-of-consciousness","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7135,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/394\/revisions\/7135"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/364"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/394\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=394"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=394"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}