Hypnosis really changes your mind

[leon_heller]

I've always been very sceptical about hypnosis, hence I was intrigued to see a study conducted by John Gruzelier and mentioned in New Scientist in 2004. As I'm not yet able to post urls, you'll have to find it for yourself with Google: search on 'gruzelier hypnosis' and it should come up third.

I actually knew Gruzelier when I was studying for my psychology degree at Birkbeck, he was a postgraduate there and took us for some seminars in my first year, and I also volunteered as a subject in a couple of his experiments. I don't have any doubts that his methodology is correct, however, I don't agree that his results are due to hypnosis, and am trying to come up with an alternative explanation.

Can anyone else who is sceptical about hypnosis come up with anything?

Leon

 

[paximperium]

Is this the article? http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6385-hypnosis-really-changes-your-mind.html

Can you find the paper about this study because it is not cited in the article?

 

[leon_heller]

Yes, that's the one.

I've emailed Gruzelier, reminding him of when we were at Birkbeck together and asking for a copy. I suppose he subsequently wrote it up for one of the journals, he has had some similar work published in The International Journal of Psychophysiology: see the first Google result.

Leon

 

[paximperium]

It isn't easy to critique a paper based on a press release.

I haven't read a psychology paper in years...mostly biology and medical papers but the standards should as high.

 

[leon_heller]

Requirements for a paper delivered to a BA meeting are much lower than those for a peer-reviewed journal.

Leon