Hypnosis has ‘real’ brain effect
Researchers from Hull University who conducted an imaging study of hypnotised patients have found that hypnosis can be detected in brain scans.
The images showed that hypnotised participants showed decreased activity in parts of the brain linked with daydreaming or letting the mind wander.
Hypnotherapy has become increasingly popular as a from of alternative therapy in recent years and now many people turn to this efficient and effective treatment for anything from loosing weight and quitting smoking right through to helping Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
However, throughout it’s rise in popularity sceptics have claimed that it has little or no proven effect. This new study proves quite the contrary as images show a difference in the brain patterns of those susceptible to hypnotherapy and those who are not susceptible, with the patterns being absent in the case of the latter.
The researchers from Hull tested how people responded to hypnosis and selected 10 individuals who they considered “highly suggestible” and seven people who did not respond to hypnotherapy other than becoming slightly more relaxed.
Dr William McGeown was the leader of the study and described the results as “unequivocal” because of the facts the changes only occurred in the highly suggestible subjects.
“This shows that the changes were due to hypnosis and not just simple relaxation. “Our study shows hypnosis is real.”
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