Hypnosis: Brain Activity and Connectivity Changes Identified

  Stanford researchers using functional MRI have discovered changes in those highly hynotizable while undergoing hypnosis. First, a decrease in brain activity was seen in brain's salience network (dorsal anterior cingulate). Second, an increase in brain connections that help the brain process and control activity in our bodies (connections between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula). Lastly, reduced connections between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the default mode network (medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex).
  This study offers evidence that hypnosis is more than a swinging pocket watch it is a powerful means of changing the way we use our minds to control our body and our perceptions. One example: pain control.
Cereb Cortex. 2016 Jul 28