Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (757 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A state of increased receptivity to suggestion and direction, initially induced by the influence of another person or oneself.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Hypnotism; Mesmerism; Hypnotherapy; Hypnotherapies; Clinical Hypnosis; Hypnosis, Clinical; Hypnoanalysis; Self-Hypnosis.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Mind-Body Therapies; Psychotherapy
- Narrower topics
- Autogenic Training; Suggestion
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 13,263 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Hypnosis” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 1,120 of them (8.4%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 8,827 records.
Reviews account for 1,343 records (10.1%) and meta-analyses for 126. Randomized controlled trials number 792 (6.0%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 8,827 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,674 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,642 |
| 2020 onward | 1,120 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,343 | 10.1% |
| Meta-analyses | 126 | 1.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 792 | 6.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Hypnosis"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in psychiatry and psychology
Research on mental health and behaviour relies on questionnaires, interviews and rating scales rather than physical measurements, so how a condition was defined and measured shapes every result. Many studies are observational or small, placebo responses can be large, and findings in one group or culture may not carry over to another. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; anyone worried about their mental health should talk to a qualified clinician. Check how outcomes were measured, who took part and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trait phenomenological control predicts experience of mirror synaesthesia and the rubber hand illusion | 2020 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 85 | cc by PMID 32978377 · DOI · PMC7519080 |
| Responsiveness of the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS): evaluation a clinical sample | 2018 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 57 | cc by PMID 30577856 · DOI · PMC6303870 |
| Complementary treatment comparison for chronic pain management: A randomized longitudinal study | 2021 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 30 | cc by PMID 34358272 · DOI · PMC8345881 |
| Differences in Immediate and Delayed Suggestibility Among Children With Dyslexia and Controls | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42028666 · DOI · PMC13436488 |
Trait phenomenological control predicts experience of mirror synaesthesia and the rubber hand illusion [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In hypnotic responding, expectancies arising from imaginative suggestion drive striking experiential changes (e.
- Closing excerpt
- The control of phenomenology to meet expectancies arising from perceived task requirements can account for experiential change in psychological experiments.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (105 words)
In hypnotic responding, expectancies arising from imaginative suggestion drive striking experiential changes (e.g., hallucinations) - which are experienced as involuntary - according to a normally distributed and stable trait ability (hypnotisability). Such experiences can be triggered by implicit suggestion and occur outside the hypnotic context. In large sample studies (of 156, 404 and 353 participants), we report substantial relationships between hypnotisability and experimental measures of experiential change in mirror-sensory synaesthesia and the rubber hand illusion comparable to relationships between hypnotisability and individual hypnosis scale items. The control of phenomenology to meet expectancies arising from perceived task requirements can account for experiential change in psychological experiments.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32978377 · DOI · PMC7519080
Responsiveness of the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS): evaluation a clinical sample [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundSWEMWBS is a popular measure of mental wellbeing, shown to be valid in clinical populations.
- Closing excerpt
- Anchor based studies are necessary to confirm that such change represents minimally important change from the perspective of study participants.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (230 words)
BackgroundSWEMWBS is a popular measure of mental wellbeing, shown to be valid in clinical populations. Responsiveness to change has not yet been formally assessed.MethodsAnalysis of data from a clinical sample of 172 clients undergoing up to 4 sessions of cognitive hypnotherapy. Cohen's D effect size (ES), Standardised response mean (SRM), probability of change statistic (P^) were used to evaluate whether SWEMWBS detected statistically important changes at the group level. Cohen's D effect size (ES) and Standard error of measurement (SEM) and were used to evaluate whether SWEMWBS detected statistically important changes at the individual level.ResultsMean (SD) SWEMWBS scores increased from baseline to therapy 4 from 19.28 (3.921) to 23.32 (4.873). At group level, using Cohen's D effect size, improvement ranges from ES = 0.20-1.41 and using SRM, ranged from 0.30-0.88, increasing with number of therapy sessions. (P^) ranged from 0.65-0.8. At individual level, use of Cohens D ES > 0.5 indicated statistically important improvement in 29.9-86.1% cf. 20.1-80.6% using a standard of 2.77 SEM (2.87 points). The lower threshold of 1 SEM (1.03 points) indicated statistically important improvement in 43.0-81.0%.ConclusionSWEMWBS is responsive to change at individual and group level. At individual level a change of between 1 and 3 points meets thresholds for statisticially important change, depending on standard used. Anchor based studies are necessary to confirm that such change represents minimally important change from the perspective of study participants.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30577856 · DOI · PMC6303870
Complementary treatment comparison for chronic pain management: A randomized longitudinal study [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundIn chronic pain, it seems that the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is boosted when it is combined with hypnosis.
- Closing excerpt
- It seems that patients continued to apply the learnt strategies as improvements were observed one year after the treatments had ended.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (273 words)
BackgroundIn chronic pain, it seems that the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is boosted when it is combined with hypnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of self-hypnosis combined with self-care (i.e., a type of CBT) compared to music/self-care, self-care and psychoeducation/CBT and to evaluate their long-term effects.MethodsAn open label randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with chronic pain and was carried out at the University Hospital of Liège (Belgium). Patients were randomized into four groups: self-hypnosis/self-care, music/self-care, self-care, psychoeducation/CBT (7 monthly sessions of 2 hours). Two follow-up sessions were delivered at 6- and 12-month. Levels of pain, fatigue intensity, anxiety, depression, insomnia severity, disability, health locus of control, mental and physical quality of life and attitudes (control, disability, harm, emotion, medical cure, medication, solicitude) towards pain were assessed before and after the treatments, and at follow-up.Results203 patients were randomized: 52 in self-hypnosis/self-care, 59 in music/self-care, 47 in self-care, and 45 in psychoeducation/CBT. No group effect was found. A significant time effect was showed. Directly after the treatment, all groups decreased in pain attitudes and physical quality of life. Perceived control increased. At 6-month, all patients kept their levels of physical quality of life and perceived control, and showed decrease in pain intensity, harm, emotion and medical cure. At 12-month, scores that had change previously remained ameliorated, a decrease in insomnia severity and an increase in internal locus of control were observed.ConclusionsThe present findings are encouraging as they display long-term beneficial effects of complementary biopsychosocial-based treatments in chronic pain. It seems that patients continued to apply the learnt strategies as improvements were observed one year after the treatments had ended.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34358272 · DOI · PMC8345881
Differences in Immediate and Delayed Suggestibility Among Children With Dyslexia and Controls [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dyslexia and suggestibility in children, and the extent to which this relationship is accounted for by performance on Word Tasks.
- Closing excerpt
- The implications for interview practice are significant: special caution is required when interviewing children with "pure" dyslexia, as the absence of co-morbid neurodevelopmental conditions does not preclude vulnerability during investigative interviewing or witness testimony.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (149 words)
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dyslexia and suggestibility in children, and the extent to which this relationship is accounted for by performance on Word Tasks. Participants comprised 95 children with dyslexia and 109 controls. All participants completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS 2), which measures immediate and delayed suggestibility 1 week apart, five different Word Tasks, and a test of non-verbal intelligence. Overall, the findings indicate a nuanced relationship between dyslexia and different components of suggestibility as measured by the GSS 2. This relationship is substantially mediated by poor verbal recall and difficulties in identifying absurd or implausible story content. This represents a novel contribution to scientific literature. The implications for interview practice are significant: special caution is required when interviewing children with "pure" dyslexia, as the absence of co-morbid neurodevelopmental conditions does not preclude vulnerability during investigative interviewing or witness testimony.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42028666 · DOI · PMC13436488
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article A meta-analysis of hypnotically induced analgesia: how effective is hypnosis? [5]
- Research article Hypnosis and clinical pain [6]
- Research article Systematic review and meta-analysis of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents [7]
- Research article The effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental trials [8]
- Research article Sleep in older adults: normative changes, sleep disorders, and treatment options [9]
- Research article Brain correlates of hypnosis: A systematic review and meta-analytic exploration [10]
References
- Lush P, Botan V, Scott RB, Seth AK, Ward J, Dienes Z. Trait phenomenological control predicts experience of mirror synaesthesia and the rubber hand illusion. . 2020. PMID 32978377 · DOI · PMC7519080
- Shah N, Cader M, Andrews WP, Wijesekera D, Stewart-Brown SL. Responsiveness of the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS): evaluation a clinical sample. . 2018. PMID 30577856 · DOI · PMC6303870
- Bicego A, Monseur J, Collinet A, Donneau AF, Fontaine R, Libbrecht D, et al.. Complementary treatment comparison for chronic pain management: A randomized longitudinal study. . 2021. PMID 34358272 · DOI · PMC8345881
- Gudjonsson G, Giostra V, Vagni M. Differences in Immediate and Delayed Suggestibility Among Children With Dyslexia and Controls. . 2026. PMID 42028666 · DOI · PMC13436488
- Montgomery GH, DuHamel KN, Redd WH. A meta-analysis of hypnotically induced analgesia: how effective is hypnosis?. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2000. PMID 10769981 · DOI
- Patterson DR, Jensen MP. Hypnosis and clinical pain. Psychol Bull. 2003. PMID 12848218 · DOI
- Birnie KA, Noel M, Parker JA, Chambers CT, Uman LS, Kisely SR, et al.. Systematic review and meta-analysis of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Psychol. 2014. PMID 24891439 · DOI · PMC4138805
- Thompson T, Terhune DB, Oram C, Sharangparni J, Rouf R, Solmi M, et al.. The effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental trials. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019. PMID 30790634 · DOI
- Gooneratne NS, Vitiello MV. Sleep in older adults: normative changes, sleep disorders, and treatment options. Clin Geriatr Med. 2014. PMID 25037297 · DOI · PMC4656195
- Landry M, Lifshitz M, Raz A. Brain correlates of hypnosis: A systematic review and meta-analytic exploration. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017. PMID 28238944 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.