Stress Reduction via Hypnosis? Influence of Hypnosis on the physiological Stress Response

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis are assumed to have positive long-term effects for
successful stress coping. However, so far it is unclear where hypnosis can
instantly influence the physiological stress response. To examine this, 48 participants underwent an acute stressor and a control condition in balanced order.
Beforehand, sixteen participants were hypnotized inducing enhanced stress cop-
ing ability with the posthypnotic suggestion of strengthened stress resilience.
Another group listened to an unrelated non-fictional text receiving the same post-
hypnotic suggestion. A third group received no intervention before the stress and
control procedure. Afterwards, working memory performance was measured via
a 3-back tasks. During the experiment, the electrocardiogram was recorded and
salivary samples were collected for cortisol- and alpha-amylase analyses. Hypnotic suggestibility was assessed a week before the experimental sessions in a
group setting. Preliminary results show a positive impact of hypnosis and post-
hypnotic suggestion on the endocrine and cardiovascular parameters of the stress
response, with reduced cortisol- and alpha amylase levels relative to the control
group. Moreover, power of frequency bands of the heart rate variability spectrum
was altered by hypnosis and posthypnotic suggestion depending on the suggestibility. These results indicate a beneficial immediate modulation the physiological
stress response by hypnosis, reinforcing its application for stress management as
for instance in therapy, coaching and prevention.