title: Suggested visual hallucination without hypnosis enhances activity in visual areas of the brain.
abstract: This functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study investigated high and low suggestible people responding to two visual hallucination suggestions with and without a hypnotic induction. Participants in the study were asked to see color while looking at a grey image, and to see shades of grey while looking at a color image. High suggestible participants reported successful alterations in color perception in both tasks, both in and out of hypnosis, and showed a small benefit if hypnosis was induced. Low suggestible people could not perform the tasks successfully with or without the hypnotic induction. The fMRI results supported the self report data, and changes in brain activity were found in a number of visual areas. The results indicate that a hypnotic induction, although having the potential to enhance the ability of high suggestible people, is not necessary for the effective alteration of color perception by suggestion.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Hull, UK.
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: McGeown
authors: Annalena
authors: A
authors: Venneri
authors: Irving
authors: I
authors: Kirsch
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Nocetti
authors: Kathrine
authors: K
authors: Roberts
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Foan
authors: Giuliana
authors: G
authors: Mazzoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D007558:Italy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013404:Suggestion