{"id":66530,"date":"2025-09-28T03:57:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T01:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/?page_id=66530"},"modified":"2025-12-30T12:54:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T10:54:18","slug":"medical-hypnosis-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/medical-hypnosis-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical hypnosis research"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_flex valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><nav class=\"g-breadcrumbs us_custom_83f99ac1 has_text_color separator_icon align_none\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/BreadcrumbList\"><div class=\"g-breadcrumbs-item\" itemscope itemprop=\"itemListElement\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ListItem\"><a itemprop=\"item\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Home<\/span><\/a><meta itemprop=\"position\" content=\"1\"\/><\/div><div class=\"g-breadcrumbs-separator\"><i class=\"far fa-angle-right\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"g-breadcrumbs-item\">Pages<\/div><\/nav><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium with_img\"><div class=\"l-section-img\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Medical hypnosis research fMRI\" data-img-width=\"1200\" data-img-height=\"675\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Medisch-hypnose-onderzoek-FMRI.jpg);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-size: contain;\"><\/div><div class=\"l-section-overlay\" style=\"background:rgba(10,61,98,0.35)\"><\/div><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_flex valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"w-separator size_huge\"><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_huge\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_6df4bc3a has_text_color\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div style=\"max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: left;\">\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 48px; line-height: 1.2; font-weight: bold; color: #ffffff; margin-bottom: 20px;\">Medical hypnosis research<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.6; color: #ffffff; margin-bottom: 30px;\">Neurological evidence: fMRI confirms effectiveness and clinical relevance of hypnosis.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0 0 40px 0; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.8; color: #ffffff;\">\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\">\u2713 International diploma<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\">\u2713 Hands-on learning with lots of practice<\/li>\n<li>\u2713 Directly applicable techniques<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_1\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/in-house-clinical-hypnosis-training\/\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Learn more about in-company training<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_1\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.kit.com\/5ec37c8d0c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Request the white paper<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnhum.2023.1286336\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Scientific research on two states of hypnosis<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_flex valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"wrap hero\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.altmetric.com\/details\/157693133\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-66526 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Medisch-hypnose-onderzoek-top-almetric-score.webp\" alt=\"Medical hypnosis research in top almetric score\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Medisch-hypnose-onderzoek-top-almetric-score.webp 500w, https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Medisch-hypnose-onderzoek-top-almetric-score-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Medisch-hypnose-onderzoek-top-almetric-score-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a>This medical hypnosis research was conducted by the <b>University of Zurich<\/b> in collaboration with <b>OMNI Hypnosis International<\/b> &#8211; a unique combination of academic and practical knowledge.<\/p>\n<p><b>Altmetric score: 278<\/b> &#8211; what does that mean?<br \/>\nAltmetric measures the scientific and societal impact of research (number of times shared, discussed in the media and cited).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span><\/span>278 = <b>elite level<\/b> (comparable to the top &lt;5% of all publications worldwide).<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>38 international news media reported on this study.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Key scientific findings<\/b><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>fMRI shows different brain connectivity patterns between light (HS1) and deep hypnosis (HS2).<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <\/span>Lingual gyrus is a consistently important node in both hypnosis states.<\/li>\n<li>Respiratory rate decreased significantly during hypnosis; heart rate remained the same.<\/li>\n<li>Dave Elman technique has been validated with 50 experienced participants.<\/li>\n<li>University of Zurich + OMNI collaboration confirms both academic and clinical value.<\/li>\n<li>Posterior hot zone (including the lingual gyrus) was clearly activated.<\/li>\n<li>Depth differences in hypnosis are objectively measurable in the brain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Core findings of the fMRI study<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3>Difference between HS1 and HS2<\/h3>\n<p>The fMRI results show that HS1 and HS2 are two different hypnotic states. In understandable language, the study shows that there really are two different hypnotic states &#8211; the somnambulistic state and the deeper Esdaile state. The authors conclude that different hypnosis depths exist, supported by differences in network configurations. In direct comparison of HS1 and HS2, the researchers obtained distinctive connectivity profiles, indicating that HS2 activates a different neuronal pattern than HS1<span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3>Deep hypnosis (HS2) with matches for LSD and propofol<\/h3>\n<p>During deep hypnosis (HS2), changes in somatosensory processing occurred that resembled observations in LSD-induced changes in consciousness. For example, participants described sensations (e.g., extended limbs) that also occur in LSD states. Moreover, previous EEG research (Ihalainen et al.) found similar parieto-occipital connectivity patterns in propofol-induced loss of consciousness. Although pharmacological sedation and hypnosis are not identical, this highlights the corresponding involvement of parieto-occipital networks in HS2. In other words, during deep hypnosis, brain patterns were found that show similarities with states under propofol (anesthesia) and LSD (psychedelics). At the same time, there are also clear differences. What is special is that hypnosis brings about these changes without pharmacological agents, only through mental guidance.<\/p>\n<h3>Lingual gyrus as node in both states<\/h3>\n<p>In our analysis, the <b>lingual gyrus<\/b> was prominently involved in both hypnosis states. This brain region showed significant network changes in all statistical comparisons, consistent with previous findings that the lingual gyrus is a core boundary for hypnotic response. In summary, in both HS1 and HS2, the lingual gyrus acts as a consistent node in altered connectivity.<\/p>\n<h3>Breathing rate decreases, heart rate remains constant<\/h3>\n<p>Against control conditions, during hypnosis, breathing slowed significantly. The average duration of a breathing cycle increased in both HS1 and HS2. At the same time, heart rate remained nearly constant. The authors reported that heart rate (and heart rate variability) did not differ between the hypnotic and control conditions, whereas breathing patterns slowed markedly.<\/p>\n<p><b>Dave Elman induction in 50 experienced participants<\/b><\/p>\n<p>For hypnosis induction, the proven Dave Elman technique was used, adapted to the MRI environment. The study involved 50 healthy participants, all of whom had experience with this methodology. All subjects had received prior training through Hypnosis.NET\/OMNI Hypnosis International and were therefore able to remain in hypnotic states during the fMRI recording.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Cooperation between UZH and OMNI Hypnosis Training Center <\/b>Switzerland<\/h3>\n<p>This study was conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich in cooperation with Hypnosis.NET GmbH\/OMNI Hypnosis International. The participants were trained by OMNI and funding also came from this collaboration. Thus, Hypnose.NET\/OMNI not only provides the hypnosis training, but also co-funded these fMRI studies.<\/p>\n<h3>Activation of the parieto-occipital &#8220;posterior hot zone&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>In both hypnotic states, strong activation occurred in parieto-occipital networks. These areas (including cuneus, precuneus, occipital and lingual nuclei) belong to the so-called &#8220;posterior hot zone&#8221; associated with altered states of consciousness<span><\/span>. In other words, in both HS1 and HS2, the researchers saw increased activity in that posterior brain region that is important for trance-like states.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Different neural networks for HS1 and HS2<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Finally, HS1 and HS2 activated distinctly different neural networks. The data suggest that the deep state HS2 differs from HS1, implying that it is not a trivial difference but a distinct brain configuration. Thus, the authors conclude that HS1 and HS2 should be viewed as two distinct hypnotic states, each with its own connectivity patterns.<\/p>\n<h2><b>From research to practice<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n<p>These scientific insights are not only theoretically relevant but also help to better understand and target hypnosis in clinical practice. The distinction between different states demonstrates why healthcare professionals benefit from clear training and practice in the use of hypnosis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-66519\" src=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Somnambulisme-Esdaile-staat.webp\" alt=\"Somnambulism and Esdaile state paralleled by propofol and LSD\" width=\"647\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Somnambulisme-Esdaile-staat.webp 1200w, https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Somnambulisme-Esdaile-staat-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Somnambulisme-Esdaile-staat-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Somnambulisme-Esdaile-staat-600x338.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 647px) 100vw, 647px\" \/>Clinical implementation medical hypnosis research<\/h2>\n<p>In practice, we often see an entire department attend the one-day MindTalk training. Unity in communication makes an immediate difference: patients feel calmer and teams experience more grip in tense moments.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, some specialists and nurses opt for the <b>four-day HypnoMed training<\/b>, in which they learn to use hypnosis techniques powerfully. This creates a combination of broad communication skills throughout the team and specialist expertise in a core team.<\/p>\n<h3>Effects reported by teams after medical hypnosis training:<b><\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><\/span>Sedation\/pain relief: lower use in selected settings.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Procedure time: more efficient due to fewer interruptions.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Side effects: reported less frequently.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Patient satisfaction: higher due to perceived control and sedation.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Costs: potentially lower due to less medication and shorter hospitalization time.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Team stress: reduced, as patients are calmer and procedures run more smoothly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Experiences of participants<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Doubts beforehand:<\/b> skepticism (&#8220;does this really work?&#8221;), uncertainty whether techniques can be used immediately.<br \/>\n<b>Afterwards:<\/b> skepticism turns into enthusiasm; participants find that the techniques are immediately usable, with lots of practice and clear structure. People also often marvel at the simplicity of application.<\/p>\n<p><b>In practice:<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span><\/span>Rapid deployment at the bedside (language, wake-up hypnosis, self-hypnosis).<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Reduced anxiety and stress in patients.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Better collaboration through shared approach.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span>Desire for follow-up or refreshers to ensure continued application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Training and pathways<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/in-house-clinical-hypnosis-training\/\">HypnoMed<\/a>:<\/b> four-day course in medical hypnosis &#8211; focused on practical application in clinical settings.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/hypnose-opleidingen\/medische-communicatie-opleiding\/\">MindTalk<\/a>:<\/b> one-day workshop on therapeutic communication &#8211; directly applicable for entire teams.<\/li>\n<li><span><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/in-house-clinical-hypnosis-training\/\">In-company program<\/a>:<\/b> customized 30-day program for departments wishing to integrate hypnosis sustainably.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also read the article on<a href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/hypnosis-research-2025\/\"> hypnosis research 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources and links<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>De Matos N.M.P. et al. (2023). <i><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnhum.2023.1286336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Investigating functional brain connectivity patterns associated with two hypnotic states<\/a>.<\/i> Front. Hum. Neurosci. 17:1286336.<\/li>\n<li>Lang E.V. et al. (2008). <i><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2967354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beneficial effects of hypnosis during percutaneous procedures<\/a>.<\/i> J Vasc Interv Radiol. 19(6):897-905.<\/li>\n<li>H\u00e4user W. et al. (2016). <i><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27173407\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Efficacy, Safety and Applications of Medical Hypnosis<\/a>.<\/i> Dtsch Arztebl Int. 113(17):289-296.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.kit.com\/b1629309d8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">White paper medical hypnosis<\/a> &#8211; HypnosisMentor<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.tresorit.com\/l\/EyjHh#H0Uc1iRG-s5BKBOhdGz0fg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Help your child with doctor and dentist visits<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_flex valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><nav aria-label=\"Gerelateerde pagina's\">\n<h2>Discover more<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 12px; margin-top: 16px;\" role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/\">Homepage<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/hypnosis-training\/\">All Courses<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/hypnosis-and-hypnotherapy-training\/\">Hypnosis training<\/a><\/td>\n<td><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/hypnosis-specialty-training\/\">Specializations<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/training-in-medical-hypnosis-for-clinicians\/\">Medical hypnosis<\/a><\/td>\n<td><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/become-a-hypnotherapist\/\">Becoming a hypnotherapist<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/continuing-education\/\">Further training<\/a><\/td>\n<td><a style=\"display: block; padding: 16px 12px; text-align: center; border-radius: 12px; background: #f2a406; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;\" href=\"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wellness-for-inner-balance\/\">Wellness<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HomePages Medical hypnosis research Neurological evidence: fMRI confirms effectiveness and clinical relevance of hypnosis. \u2713 International diploma \u2713 Hands-on learning with lots of practice \u2713 Directly applicable techniques Learn more about in-company trainingRequest the white paperScientific research on two states of hypnosis This medical hypnosis research was conducted by the University of Zurich in collaboration...","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66251,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-66530","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66530"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67500,"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66530\/revisions\/67500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hypnosementor.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}