Hypnotic enhancement of creative drawing

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis,  Jan 2008  by Wickramasekera, Ian II

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Council, J. R., Bromley, K. A, Zabelina, D. L., & Waters, C. G (2007). Hypnotic enhancement of creative drawing. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 55(4), 467-485. The authors of this study present a very exciting empirical investigation of the potential uses of hypnosis to enhance creativity and artistic expression.

The lead author has previously investigated the uses of hypnosis in similar interventions to enhance dramatic acting skills and other creativity and artistic-related performance skills. The participants in this study were randomly selected to draw under either a condition utilizing hypnosis to enhance creativity or a task motivational group that did not utilize formal hypnotic procedures. Botii groups were asked to produce a baseline drawing before the hypnotic or task motivational instructions. The hypnotic instruction group was given a hypnotic induction and suggestions intended to enhance their creativity. The participants drawings were blindly rated by expert judges of drawing using a rating scale that examined factors like creativity in the participants drawings. Measures of hypnotic ability, absorption, and phenomenological experience were also employed to assess the importance of each measure in predicting the success of the creativity enhancement procedures. The authors found that the participants drawings in the hypnosis instruction group were rated as being significantly more creative than their baseline drawings. The authors also reported that the results were not related to hypnotic ability or absorption levels of the participants. This study is very interesting as it documents an excellent use of hypnosis in positive psychological interventions to help enhance creativity. Interventions such as the one documented in this study could probably be safely and profitably taught to artists, musicians, actors, acting coaches, and other persons who wish to realize and develop their creative artistic expression. Address for reprints: James R. council, Ph.D., North Dakota State University, Psychology Department, 108 Minard Hall, Fargo, ND 58105. Email address: James.Council@ndsu.nodak.edu.

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