Hypnotizability and Visual Imagery Inside and Outside Hypnosis: A Replication and Extension

Varga, Katalin and Kekecs, Zoltán and Kasos, Enikő and Besnyő, Zsuzsanna and Gulyás, Erzsébet and Kovács, Ilona (2025) Hypnotizability and Visual Imagery Inside and Outside Hypnosis: A Replication and Extension. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. ISSN 0020-7144 Online ISSN: 1744-5183 (In Press)

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Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between hypnotizability inside and outside hypnosis. Hypnotizability reflects one’s responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions. Imagery vividness seems to be crucial for hypnosis, but the empirical data are inconsistent. We tested 56 participants using the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) for outside hypnosis (trait) imagery, the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) inside hypnosis for state imagery, and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS) for hypnotizability. No significant correlation was found between hypnotizability and trait imagery (r = 0.13). However, moderate correlation was found between hypnotizability and state imagery during hypnosis (r ≈ 0.45). These results suggest that while there might be no or negligible relationship between general imaginative capacity (trait imagery), and hypnotizability, the ability to engage in vivid imagery in specific contexts (state imagery) is associated with higher hypnotic susceptibility. This highlights the importance of context in imaginative abilities during hypnosis and suggests that situational engagement in imagery, rather than a stable trait, influences hypnotic responsiveness.

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