Autonomic and EEG correlates of emotional imagery in subjects with different hypnotic susceptibility

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis,  Oct 2004  

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Sebastiani, L., Simoni, A., Gemignani, A., Ghelarducci, B., & Santarcangelo, E. L. (2003). Autonomic and EEG correlates of emotional imagery in subjects with different hypnotic susceptibility. Brain Research Bulletin, 60, 151-160. The autonomie and electroencephalography (EEG) correlates of the response to a cognitive unpleasant stimulation verbally administered to awake hypnotizable and nonhypnotizable subjects were studied.

They were compared with the values obtained during a resting condition immediately preceding the stimulus and with those produced by a cognitive neutral stimulation, also administered after a basal resting period. Results showed hypnotic trait effects on skin resistance, heart and respiratory rate as well as on EEG theta, alpha, beta and gamma relative power changes. The autonomie and EEG patterns observed indicated different strategies in the task execution for hypnotizable and nonhypnotizable subjects and a discrepancy between the autonomie and EEG changes associated to the unpleasant stimulation in susceptible subjects. Results support dissociation theories of hypnosis and suggest for hypnotizable persons an active mechanism of protection against cardiac hazard.

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