Hypnosis Research & Evidence
Hypnosis has been studied across hundreds of peer-reviewed publications — randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, neuroimaging studies, and decades of clinical research. This page is a growing library of that evidence, organized so you can explore the areas most relevant to you.
85+
controlled trials in a single pain meta-analysis
72,000+
participants in the largest smoking-cessation meta-analysis
18,000+
PubMed results for “hypnosis” or “hypnotherapy”
400+
papers on hypnosis from a single leading researcher (Spiegel)
Jump to a Category
Neuroscience of Hypnosis Pain Management & Analgesia Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Well-Being Depression & Mental Health Trauma & PTSD Sleep & Insomnia IBS, Gut Health & GI Disorders Medical Procedures, Surgery & Recovery Women's Health & Menopause Smoking, Substance Use & Habit Change Weight, Eating & Health Behaviour Performance, Focus & Cognitive Function Self-Hypnosis & Digital Hypnosis Hypnotizability & Individual Differences How Hypnosis Works Safety & Clinical Use
Neuroscience of Hypnosis
Neuroimaging and electrophysiology studies examining what measurably changes in the brain during hypnosis — attention and salience networks, functional connectivity, neurochemistry, and hypnotic depth.
de Matos et al. (2023) — fMRI evidence of altered brain connectivity during hypnosis
Niedernhuber et al. (2024) — EEG evidence of hypnosis-related brain network changes
de Matos et al. (2024) — Neurochemical changes during hypnosis (magnetic resonance spectroscopy)
De Benedittis (2021) — Neurophysiology and neuropsychology of hypnosis
Houzé, Streff, Piché & Rainville — Hypnotic suggestion and experimentally induced pain
De Pascalis, Scacchia & Vecchio — Hypnosis, placebo analgesia and pain regulation
Ruzyla-Smith, Barabasz, Barabasz & Warner (1995) — Effects of hypnosis on immune response
Brunel, Rainville & Landry (2025) — Neural dynamics of hypnotic responding
De Pascalis (2024) — Brain functional correlates of resting hypnosis and hypnotizability: Review
De Benedittis (2024) — Hypnotic modulation of autonomic nervous system activity: Review
Halsband & Wolf (2021) — Current neuroscientific findings of brain activity changes after hypnosis
Oakley & Halligan (2013) — Hypnotic suggestion: Opportunities for cognitive neuroscience
Jensen, Adachi & Hakimian (2015) — Brain oscillations, hypnosis and hypnotizability
Hoeft et al. (2012) — Functional brain basis of hypnotizability
Jiang, White, Greicius, Waelde & Spiegel (2017) — Brain activity and functional connectivity associated with hypnosis
Mazzoni, Venneri, McGeown & Kirsch (2013) — Neuroimaging resolution of the altered state hypothesis
McGeown, Mazzoni, Venneri & Kirsch (2009) — Hypnotic induction decreases anterior default mode activity
Deeley et al. (2012) — Modulating the default mode network using hypnosis
Vázquez, Whitfield-Gabrieli, Bauer & Barrios (2024) — Brain functional connectivity of hypnosis without target suggestion
Williams & Gruzelier (2001) — Differentiation of hypnosis and relaxation by EEG theta/alpha frequencies
Batty, Bonnington, Tang, Hawken & Gruzelier (2006) — Relaxation strategies and EEG neurofeedback for hypnotic susceptibility
Braboszcz, Brandao-Farinelli & Vuilleumier (2017) — Hypnotic analgesia reduces brain responses to pain seen in others
Miltner, Franz & Naumann (2024) — Neuroscientific results on control of acute pain with hypnosis and suggested analgesia
Gosseries et al. (2024) — Exploration of trance states: Phenomenology, brain correlates and clinical applications
Pain Management & Analgesia
Hypnosis excels as a non-invasive method for reducing pain — acute, chronic, procedural, surgical, and cancer-related. Evidence spans large meta-analyses down to individual clinical trials across specific pain conditions.
Thompson et al. (2019) — Systematic review & meta-analysis of 85 controlled pain trials
Milling et al. (2021) — Meta-analysis of 42 controlled clinical pain studies
Montgomery, Duhamel & Redd (2000) — Meta-analysis of hypnotically induced analgesia
Montgomery, Duhamel & Redd — Meta-analysis of 18 studies on hypnoanalgesia
Adachi, Fujino, Nakae, Mashimo & Sasaki — Meta-analysis of hypnosis for chronic pain
Jensen (2009) — Hypnosis for chronic pain management: A new hope
Tan, Rintala, Jensen, Fukui, Smith & Williams (2014) — Hypnosis vs. biofeedback for chronic low back pain
Wolf et al. (2016) — Self-hypnosis for experimental dental pain relief
Dorfman et al. (2013) — Hypnosis for HIV neuropathic pain
Donatone (2013) — Focused suggestion with somatic anchoring for pain management
Fors, Sexton & Gøtestam (2002) — Guided imagery for daily fibromyalgia pain
Baird & Sands (2004) — Guided imagery with relaxation for osteoarthritis
Askay, Patterson, Jensen & Sharar (2007) — Hypnosis for burn wound care
Tilburg et al. (2009) — Guided imagery for pediatric functional abdominal pain
Richardson, Smith, McCall & Pilkington (2006) — Hypnosis for pediatric cancer procedure-related pain
Kohen & Zajac (2007) — Self-hypnosis training for headaches in children and adolescents
B., Wallen, Middleton, Ames & Handel (2014) — Hypnosis for sickle cell disease pain
Langlois et al. (2022) — Hypnosis for musculoskeletal and neuropathic chronic pain: Systematic review & meta-analysis
Dorta et al. (2024) — Multimodal benefits of hypnosis on pain, mental health, sleep and quality of life in fibromyalgia: RCT
Jones et al. (2024) — Adjunctive use of hypnosis for clinical pain: Systematic review
Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Well-Being
Hypnosis can reduce anxiety on its own, and evidence suggests its effects are stronger when combined with other psychological treatments.
Valentine et al. (2019) — Meta-analysis of hypnosis for anxiety
Hammond (2010) — Hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety- and stress-related disorders
Volpe & Nash (2012) — Hypnosis for fear of flying
Aviv (2006) — Tele-hypnosis for adolescent school refusal
Kanji, White & Ernst (2006) — Autogenic training to reduce anxiety in nursing students
Chen et al. (2017) — Hypnosis for anxiety in cancer patients: Meta-analysis of 20 studies
Sine et al. (2022) — Hypnosis for pain intensity and anxiety in cancer patients: Systematic review & meta-analysis
Cramer et al. (2015) — Hypnosis in breast cancer care: Systematic review of RCTs
Leo, Keller & Proietti (2024) — Hypnosis for anxiety reduction and implications for cardiovascular disease prevention
Depression & Mental Health
Adding hypnosis to established psychotherapy approaches like CBT can improve outcomes for depression and other psychological targets.
Ramondo et al. (2021) — Clinical hypnosis as an adjunct to CBT: Updated meta-analysis
Milling, Valentine, McCarley & LoStimolo (2019) — Hypnotic interventions for depression symptoms: Meta-analysis
Kirsch, Montgomery & Sapirstein (1995) — Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy: Meta-analysis
Trauma & PTSD
Hypnosis has been used to help patients face and reprocess traumatic memories in a controlled, supported way.
Bryant, Moulds, Guthrie & Nixon (2005) — Hypnosis added to CBT for acute stress disorder
M. (2013) — Hypnosis for PTSD: Evidence-based placebo-controlled studies
Spiegel — Hypnosis in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
Slater (2015) — PTSD managed with hypnosis and the rewind technique in obstetric patients
Abramowitz, Barak, Ben-Avi & Knobler (2008) — Hypnotherapy for combat-related PTSD with insomnia
Sleep & Insomnia
Hypnosis and related techniques have measurable effects on sleep quality, insomnia, and sleep-related distress — often as part of treating a co-occurring condition.
Abramowitz, Barak, Ben-Avi & Knobler (2008) — Hypnotherapy for chronic combat-related PTSD with insomnia
M. (2013) — Hypnosis in 53 children with anxiety disorders, nocturnal enuresis, or insomnia
Lam et al. (2015) — Hypnotherapy for insomnia: Systematic review & meta-analysis
Han et al. (2023) — Mind-body therapies for sleep disturbance among cancer patients: Systematic review & meta-analysis of RCTs
IBS, Gut Health & Gastrointestinal Disorders
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is one of the most well-established clinical applications of hypnosis, with decades of research behind it.
Vasant & Whorwell (2019) — Gut-focused hypnotherapy for functional GI disorders (the Manchester Protocol)
Mulak — Faculty of 1000 evaluation of gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS (1,000 patients)
Holdevici & Crăciun (2012) — Ericksonian hypnosis in somatic disorders (migraines, asthma, GI)
Riehl & Keefer (2015) — Hypnotherapy for esophageal disorders
Palsson (2015) — Hypnosis treatment of gastrointestinal disorders: Comprehensive review
Moser et al. (2013) — Long-term success of gut-directed group hypnosis for refractory IBS
Whorwell, Prior & Faragher (1984) — Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in severe refractory IBS
Adler et al. (2025) — Gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS: Systematic review
Vasant, Paine, Black et al. (2021) — British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on the management of IBS
Medical Procedures, Surgery & Recovery
Hypnosis has been studied for decades to improve outcomes before, during, and after surgery and other medical procedures — including anesthesia use, anxiety, recovery time, and complication rates.
Tigges-Limmer et al. (2024) — Medical hypnosis as adjunctive therapy in heart surgery
Saadat et al. (2006) — Hypnosis reduces preoperative anxiety in adult patients
Delord et al. (2013) — Medical hypnosis for acclimatizing children to non-invasive ventilation
Facco et al. (2013) — Hypnosis as sole anaesthesia for skin tumour removal
Tay — Hypnosis vs. IV sedation in cataract surgery
Untas et al. (2013) — Hypnosis for anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleepiness in hemodialysis patients
Romain et al. (2016) — Hypnosis combined with local anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair
Tefikow et al. (2013) — Meta-analysis of hypnosis in adults undergoing surgery or medical procedures
Mavi (2014) — Self-hypnosis and opioid-sparing effect after pediatric pectus excavatum repair
Guner et al. (2016) — Hypnosis in elective cardiac surgery
Martin, Smith, Newcomb & Miller (2014) — Therapeutic suggestion under anesthesia in pediatric tonsillectomy
Lambert (1996) — Hypnosis/guided imagery in the postoperative course of children
Schnur, Kafer, Marcus & Montgomery (2008) — Meta-analysis of hypnosis for medical procedure distress
Domínguez-Ortega & Rodríguez-Muñoz (2010) — Clinical hypnosis in digestive endoscopy
Ginandes, Brooks, Sando, Jones & Aker (2003) — Medical hypnosis accelerates post-surgical wound healing
Snow, Dorfman, Warbet et al. (2012) — Hypnosis for pain and anxiety during bone marrow procedures
Abdeshahi, Hashemipour, Mesgarzadeh, Payam & Monfared (2013) — Hypnosis for third molar extraction
Szeverényi, Csernátony, Balogh, Simon & Varga (2016) — Positive suggestions reduce need for blood transfusion in orthopedic surgery
Richardson, Smith, McCall, Richardson, Pilkington & Kirsch (2007) — Hypnosis for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting
Holler, Koranyi, Strauss & Rosendahl (2021) — Efficacy of hypnosis in adults undergoing surgical procedures: Meta-analytic update
Noergaard et al. (2019) — Hypnosis for pain and anxiety in invasive procedures: Systematic review & meta-analysis
Lahoud et al. (2025/2026) — Hypnosis for anaesthetists: Systematic review & meta-analysis
Geagea et al. (2023) — Clinical hypnosis for procedural pain and distress in children: Scoping review
Birnie, Noel, Chambers et al. (2018) — Psychological interventions for needle-related pain and distress in children: Cochrane review
Birnie, Noel, Parker et al. (2014) — Distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children: Systematic review & meta-analysis
Women's Health & Menopause
Hypnosis has a strong evidence base for menopausal hot flashes, breast cancer care, and childbirth.
Elkins et al. (2013) — Clinical hypnosis for menopausal hot flashes: RCT
Elkins, Fisher & Johnson (2011) — Hypnosis for hot flashes among postmenopausal women: Study protocol
Johnson et al. (2016) — Hypnotic relaxation therapy and anxiety reduction in breast-cancer survivors
Lawton (2009) — Randomized trial of hypnosis for hot flashes among breast cancer survivors
Pukall, Kandyba, Amsel, Khalifé & Binik (2007) — Hypnosis for vulvar vestibulitis syndrome
Brown & Hammond (2007) — Evidence-based clinical hypnosis for obstetrics, labor and delivery
Landolt & Milling (2011) — Efficacy of hypnosis for labor and delivery pain: Methodological review
Wittels — Faculty of 1000 evaluation of hypnosis for pain management during labour
Potié, Roelants, Pospiech, Momeni & Watremez (2016) — Hypnosis in perioperative breast cancer surgery
Montgomery et al. (2007) — Randomized clinical trial of brief hypnosis for breast surgery patients
Madrid, Giovannoli & Wolfe (2011) — Treating persistent nausea of pregnancy with hypnosis
Catsaros & Wendland (2023) — Psychological impact of hypnosis for pregnancy and childbirth: Systematic review
Buran & Aksu (2022) — Effect of hypnobirthing training on fear, pain and birth satisfaction: RCT
Smoking, Substance Use & Habit Change
Smoking cessation is one of the largest and most-studied applications of hypnosis, with meta-analyses spanning hundreds of studies and tens of thousands of participants.
Meta-analysis of 600+ smoking cessation studies (72,000 participants)
Hasan et al. (2014) — Hypnotherapy vs. nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: RCT
Carmody et al. (2008) — Hypnosis for smoking cessation: Randomized trial
Elkins & Rajab (2004) — Clinical hypnosis for smoking cessation: Three-session intervention
Tahiri, Mottillo & Joseph (2012) — Meta-analysis of alternative smoking cessation aids
Barber (2001) — Integrating hypnotic methods and rapid smoking to facilitate cessation
Johnson & Karkut (1994) — Hypnosis and aversion combined for smoking cessation
Weight, Eating & Health Behaviour
Hypnosis added to behavioural weight-loss treatment produces greater and more durable results than behavioural treatment alone.
Kirsch (1996) — Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments
Performance, Focus & Cognitive Function
Hypnosis has been studied for athletic performance, learning, focus, and cognitive function, including in ADHD populations.
Hiltunen et al. (2014) — Better long-term outcome for hypnotherapy vs. CBT in adults with ADHD
Virta, Hiltunen, Mattsson & Kallio (2015) — Hypnotic suggestions and reaction times in adult ADHD
Pates, Cummings & Maynard (2002) — Hypnosis, flow states and three-point shooting in basketball
Pates (2000) — Effects of hypnosis on golf-chipping performance
Liggett (2000) — Enhancing imagery through hypnosis: A performance aid for athletes
Morton (2003) — The hypnotic belay in alpine mountaineering
Çetin, Çimen & Yetkiner (2016) — Using hypnosis to enhance second language vocabulary learning
De Vos & Louw (2006) — Effect of hypnotic training programs on academic performance
Self-Hypnosis & Digital Hypnosis
App-delivered and remote self-hypnosis is a newer but rapidly growing area of research, with very large real-world usage datasets now available.
Effects of app-delivered self-hypnosis on stress management (84,000+ users)
Hypnotizability & Individual Differences
Not everyone responds to hypnosis identically — but research shows benefit even among those who score lower on standard hypnotizability measures.
Sutcher (2008) — Hypnosis, hypnotizability and treatment
Shared cognitive mechanisms of hypnotizability with executive functioning and information salience
Wieder, Brown, Thompson & Terhune (2022) — Hypnotic suggestibility in dissociative and related disorders: Meta-analysis
Terhune (2015) — Discrete response patterns in the upper range of hypnotic suggestibility: Latent profile analysis
Terhune, Cardeña & Lindgren (2011) — Dissociative tendencies and individual differences in high hypnotic suggestibility
Cleveland, Korman & Gold (2015) — Are hypnosis and dissociation related? New evidence for a connection
Dienes, Brown, Hutton, Kirsch, Mazzoni & Wright (2009) — Hypnotic suggestibility, cognitive inhibition and dissociation
Green, Lynn, Green, Bradford & Rasekhy (2020) — Hypnotic responsiveness and dissociation: Multivariable analysis
How Hypnosis Works
Science shows hypnosis taps into the brain's ability to shift perception and behavior. Neuroimaging reveals altered activity in areas like the anterior cingulate cortex, which links sensory input to emotional responses — effectively “turning down” pain or stress signals. It's not magic. It's the mind's natural potential, unlocked through evidence-based techniques grounded in neuroscience and psychology.
Ruysschaert (2014) — The use of hypnosis in therapy to increase happiness
Hypnosis and mindfulness: Experiential and neurophysiological relationships
Related Research: Mindfulness
Hypnosis and mindfulness overlap in the mental processes they engage — attention, absorption, awareness. The studies below examine mindfulness itself, not hypnosis, and are included as context rather than as evidence for hypnosis specifically.
(1992) — Meditation-based stress reduction for anxiety disorders
Ramel, Goldin, Carmona & McQuaid (2004) — Mindfulness meditation and depression
de Matos, Niedernhuber et al. (2023–2024) — University of Zurich multimodal hypnosis research program
Leo & Wheatcroft (2026) — State or non-state: How a modern understanding of altered states can help redefine hypnosis
Elkins, Barabasz, Council & Spiegel (2015) — Advancing research and practice: The revised APA Division 30 definition of hypnosis
Lynn, Green, Kirsch et al. (2015) — Grounding hypnosis in science: The “new” APA Division 30 definition as a step backward
Lynn, Laurence & Kirsch (2015) — Hypnosis, suggestion and suggestibility: An integrative model
Lynn, Kirsch, Terhune & Green (2020) — Myths and misconceptions about hypnosis and suggestion
Geagea, Ogez, Kimble & Tyack (2023) — Demystifying hypnosis: Facts, historical roots of myths, and what hypnosis is
Zahedi, Lynn & Sommer (2024) — How hypnotic suggestions work: Systematic review of prominent theories of hypnosis
Kirsch & Lynn (1995) — The altered state of hypnosis: Changes in the theoretical landscape
Terhune (2014) — Defining hypnosis: The pitfalls of prioritizing spontaneous experience over response to suggestion
Gandhi & Oakley (2005) — Does “hypnosis” by any other name smell as sweet? The label effect on induction efficacy
Kirsch (1999) — Hypnosis and placebos: Response expectancy as a mediator of suggestion effects
Braffman & Kirsch (1999) — Imaginative suggestibility and hypnotizability: An empirical analysis
Safety & Clinical Use
Clinical reviews, medical-application studies, and professional-use literature that don't fit neatly into a single condition category above, but establish hypnosis as a safe, legitimate clinical tool.
“Hypnosis: The Most Effective Treatment You Have Yet to Prescribe” — clinical review for physicians
Pinnell & Covino (2000) — Empirical findings on the use of hypnosis in medicine: Critical review
Iserson (2014) — An hypnotic suggestion: Review of hypnosis for clinical emergency care
Attias, Shemesh, Shoham, Shahar & Sohmer (1990) — Efficacy of self-hypnosis for tinnitus relief
Shenefelt (2000) — Hypnosis in dermatology
Rucklidge & Saunders (2002) — Efficacy of hypnosis for pruritus in people with HIV/AIDS
Spanos, Williams & Gwynn (1990) — Effects of hypnotic, placebo and salicylic acid treatments on wart regression
Ewin (1992) — Hypnotherapy for warts: 41 consecutive cases with 33 cures
Anbar & Hall (2004) — Childhood habit cough treated with self-hypnosis
Xu & Cardeña (2007) — Hypnosis as an adjunct therapy in the management of diabetes
Diamond, Davis, Schaechter & Howe (2006) — Hypnosis for rehabilitation after stroke: Six case studies
Rama & Napri (2015) — Hypnotherapy to reduce post-stroke muscle tension in Indonesia
Wester & Hammond — Solving crimes with hypnosis
Sugarman, Garrison & Williford (2013) — Hypnosis and biofeedback for autonomic regulation in autism spectrum disorders
van Tilburg, Monis, Braumann, Fleishman & Lamm (2024) — Hypnotherapy as a medical treatment: Evidence-based or pseudoscience?
Wagstaff, Wheatcroft & Jones (2011) — Are high hypnotizables especially vulnerable to false memory effects?
Hilgard & Cooper (1965) — Spontaneous and suggested posthypnotic amnesia
Otgaar, Howe, Patihis et al. (2019) — The return of the repressed: Persistent and problematic claims of long-forgotten trauma
Explore the Evidence Yourself
The effectiveness of hypnosis is well researched, and the evidence is at your fingertips.
How to search: Go to PubMed Central. Enter terms like “hypnosis efficacy,” “hypnotherapy anxiety,” or “hypnosis pain management.” Use filters like “Clinical Trial” or “Review,” and select “Free Full Text” for accessible articles.
More resources: APA Monitor on Psychology for a hypnosis overview, Frontiers in Psychology for meta-analytic evidence, and Google Scholar.
In the Media
Articles about hypnosis you may find interesting:
Uncovering the New Science of Clinical Hypnosis — APA Monitor on Psychology
Altered Consciousness: Studies Reveal Hypnosis Alters Brain Activity and Neurochemistry — Medical Xpress
Conclusion
Hypnosis is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Individual responses vary based on factors such as hypnotic responsiveness, expectations, motivation, the therapeutic relationship, the condition being addressed and how hypnosis is applied.
Hypnosis has been studied for decades across psychology, medicine and neuroscience, with research spanning randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical studies and neuroimaging research.
The evidence continues to evolve, with a substantial body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of hypnosis across a wide range of clinical and therapeutic applications.
Interested in Learning Clinical Hypnosis?
Explore our Clinical Hypnosis Certification and learn how to apply evidence-informed hypnosis techniques safely and effectively in professional practice.
Explore the Clinical Hypnosis Certification →