title: Hypnosis: a twilight zone of the top-down variety Few have never heard of hypnosis but most know little about the potential of this mind-body regulation technique for advancing science.
abstract: An early form of psychotherapy, hypnosis has been tarnished by a checkered history: stage shows, movies and cartoons that perpetuate specious myths; and individuals who unabashedly write 'hypnotist' on their business cards. Hypnosis is in the twilight zone alongside a few other mind-body exemplars. Although scientists are still unraveling how hypnosis works, little is mystical about this powerful top-down process, which is an important tool in the armamentarium of the cognitive scientist seeking to unlock topical conundrums.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community and Family Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E4, Canada. amir.raz@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raz
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical / Q000502:physiology*; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012586:Science