Trance Stare Led Researchers to
Discover a Genuine Hypnotic State

The debate has gone on by researchers for the past hundred years: whether or not hypnosis really involves an altered mental state unlike the normal wakeful condition, or whether it simply reflects a cognitive state similar to those occurring outside hypnosis. And for that, hypnosis has weathered a long and controversial history in the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neurology.

Many researchers have considered the special, altered hypnotic state as a popular myth in psychology, since, to date, there’s been no reliable way for determining whether a person is faking or simulating hypnosis or is actually hypnotized.

Now, strong evidence for the existence of a genuine hypnotic state has been provided by an international team of researchers from University of Skövde (Sweden), University of Turku (Finland) and Aalto University School of Science. The researchers studied that glazed look in the eyes – the trance stare -- that has often been associated with hypnosis in the popular culture but rarely studied scientifically.

A healthy adult was the focus, one who is known to be highly susceptible to hypnosis, and will immediately respond to hypnotic suggestions. During a hypnotic and waking state, her eye movements were measured with a special eye tracker. When entering hypnosis, her eyes became glazed and her blinking date was significantly reduced. More importantly, the hypnosis created a dramatic reduction in eye movements, beyond the volitional control in healthy adults. None of the thirty control subjects who were tested could mimic these changes in eye movement patterns volitionally, which underlies that hypnosis does indeed involve an altered mental state, associated with cognitive and motor changes far beyond our volitional control.

These findings confirm the existence of a novel mental state in humans which will have a major impact in the fields of psychology and neurosciences.

Robert Galarowicz ND
1 Sears Dr. Fl#3
Paramus, New Jersey (NJ)
Science and Hypnosis

Source:

Sakari Kallio, Jukka Hyönä, Antti Revonsuo, Pilleriin Sikka, Lauri Nummenmaa. The Existence of a Hypnotic State Revealed by Eye Movements. PLoS ONE, 2011; 6 (10): e26374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026374