Using suggestion to navigate the mind

New research has revealed how hypnotic suggestion can provide insights into brain mechanisms involved in attention, motor control, pain perception, beliefs and volition.

For more than a century, hypnotic suggestion has successfully been used as a supplementary therapy to treat a wide range of clinical conditions. More recently, hypnosis has attracted a growing interest from cognitive neuroscientists.

In his latest paper, Professor Peter Halligan from the School of Psychology reveals how by employing hypnosis and suggestion, neuroscientists can modify and explore a broad range of human experiences and behaviours.

The paper will be published in the August edition of Nature Neuroscience Review ( NRN). An online version can be accessed here.