Keeping the idea of alternative healing as a focus of my research, I investigated and looked for a new approach to observing, measuring and recording the depth of the hypnotic state. To begin and conduct this research fifteen people were selected and placed into three different groups. I utilized interviewing techniques that gathered information about personal issues, life experiences, education and motivation for their involvement in the research. An analysis of the information gathered included the search for common trends within the resulting photographs of the three separate groups. Participants were selected and placed into the three groups using the model cited by Roy Udolf.
Personality does play an important part with respect to hypnotizability.
The trust and comfort levels between hypnotist and subject will affect the results of a hypnotic state. As part of the participant selection process, this writer also utilized Spiegel, who cites three personality types with respect to cognitive styles and their affect on hypnotic susceptibility. Spiegel describes the three personality types as the Appollonian the thinker and analytical type, the Dionysion the emotional, living in the present type, and the Odyssean the more moderate of the two. This writer chose participants with the Odyssean quality with respect to their outward signs of motivation and enthusiasm. I considered these aspects the most important part of their personality for involvement in the research project.