How Hypnotic Suggestions Work – A Systematic Review of Prominent Theories of Hypnosis

In recent decades, hypnosis has increasingly moved into the mainstream of scientific inquiry and today is the subject of concerted study on an international basis. Hypnotic and posthypnotic suggestions are frequently and successfully implemented in behavioral, neurocognitive, and clinical investigations and interventions. Despite abundant reports about the effectiveness of suggestions in altering behavior, perception, cognition, and subjective sense of agency (SoA), no consensus exists regarding the mechanisms driving these changes. This article reviews competing theoretical accounts that address questions regarding the genesis of subjective, behavioral, and neurophysiological responses to hypnotic suggestions. We systematically analyze the broad landscape of influential and promising hypnosis theories that best represent our estimation of the current status and future avenues of scientific thinking about hypnosis. We start with procedural descriptions of hypnosis, suggestions, and hypnotizability, followed by a systematic analysis of selected theories of hypnosis. Considering that prominent theoretical perspectives emphasize different aspects of hypnosis, our review reveals that each perspective possesses salient strengths, limitations, and heuristic values. We highlight both the necessity of revisiting extant theories of hypnosis to refine and enhance their adequacy and fertility and the value of formulating novel evidence-based accounts of hypnosis.