Indirect Versus Direct Hypnotic Suggestions — An Initial Investigation:A Brief Communication

Abstract

The clinical use of indirect hypnotic suggestion is purported to be an effective method of trance induction because it allows S a wider latitude of responsiveness than does a traditional hypnotic induction. In the present study, 15 male and 15 female Ss each received a traditional hypnotic induction followed by the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale (SHCS) of Morgan and Hilgard (1978) and an Ericksonian hand levitation induction (Erickson, E. t. Rossi, & S. Rossi, 1976) followed by a rewritten SHCS, utilizing indirect suggestions for each scale item (Indirect Suggestion Scale-ISS). The results revealed no significant main effect differences between hypnotic methods on the behavioral response measure. Ss did report feeling more deeply hypnotized during the indirect hypnotic procedure. High hypnotizable male Ss felt more aware of the hypnotic suggestions and more in charge of their experience when they experienced ISS than they did on SHCS. This difference in self-reported experience may possibly be due to the time differential between SHCS and ISS, with the latter taking approximately one-third longer. Implication and limitations of the study are discussed.