Conceptual issues in hypnosis research: explanations, definitions and the state/non-state debate

The present paper aims to integrate existing streams of hypnosis research and theory into a broader context. A conceptual framework is presented that illustrates the range of explanatory approaches that are available to describe psychological phenomena in general, and this is applied to the discussion of hypnosis. In doing so, various approaches to hypnosis research are categorized and the scope and limitations of the theories derived from them are considered. The definition of hypnosis is also explored within this framework. The state/non-state debate is reconsidered in the context of the systems approach to states of consciousness described by Tart (1983/2000). Research agendas for hypnosis are clarified, and methodologies and directions for future research are suggested

New paradigms of hypnosis research

In hypnosis, verbal suggestions, in responsive individuals, can lead to remarkable alterations in subjective experiences. These include atypical changes in perception (positive and negative hallucinations), pain (analgesia), memory (amnesia) and the experience of volition. Some behaviours may appear to occur without volitional control (ideomotor suggestion) whilst others occur despite volitional control (challenge suggestion). The considerable effects of hypnotic suggestion on somatic physiology have been successfully applied in the treatment of a variety of medical disorders, i.e. the effects of hypnosis may be observed in phenomenological, behavioural and physiological data. Historically, research paradigms in hypnosis have emphasized methodologies largely restricted to one or another of these possible data sets

Neurosurgery and consciousness: historical sketch and future possibilities

Neurosurgery has played an important role in the development of neuroscience and the science of consciousness. In this paper, the authors reflect on some of the historical contributions of neurosurgeons to the science of consciousness and discuss the ways in which clinical neurosurgery can contribute to the science of consciousness in the 21st century. An approach to the "hard problem" is proposed based on the principles of psychophysics, and the opportunities offered by intracranial recording and stimulation in patients capable of reporting changes in subjective experience are discussed. Such an approach will allow the systematic study and description of the bridging relationships between neurobiology and conscious experience