Mystical Experience in Hypnosis: a Neurophenomenological Study

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Mystical experience is described as an experience that is unique to everyone, potentially transformative and leaving a mark for many years or even a lifetime. It is characterized by: a loss of self/ego, being with the whole/nature/universe, transcendence, a loss of spatio-temporal reference points, ineffability, peace and joy, a sacred character, and a noetic quality. The mystical experience is one that occurs in the context of non-ordinary states of consciousness such as meditation and the consumption of so-called psychedelic drugs, for example. It would seem, in fact, to correspond to the transformative mechanism of the psychedelic experience. The goal ofthis study is to investigate the possibility of a mystical experience through hypnosis.

Detailed Description
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Anyone interested in taking part in the study will be contacted by telephone or e-mail and offered a face-to-face appointment to carry out the screening (T0). During the appointment, screening (cf. inclusion criteria) will be carried out, socio-demographic data (age, sex, education, nationality, history of hypnosis practice, etc.) and randomization will also take place at this time. At this time, the investigators will assess psychological flexibility and psychologigal well-being, and participants will do a cognitive flexibility task (T1). If people meet the inclusion criteria, the investigators will schedule an appointment for a session to take place roughly a week later. During this session, the investigators will start by reviewing beliefs about hypnosis, assessing participants' expectations of the study, their absorption and dissociation trait, their positive and negative affects and their anxiety. Next, the investigators will perform a 15-minute resting electroencephalographic (EEG) recording. We will then administer the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale. A 30-minute break will be taken. Next, the investigators willperform a hypnotic induction followed by a mystical experience suggestion for the experimental group. The control group will simply receive a reading of the mystical experience suggestion without hypnosis. The rest of the procedure is the same for both groups. EEG activity will be recorded during the mystical experience suggestion (± 15 minutes) in hypnosis and outside hypnosis (ordinary state of consciousness). Directly afterwards, participants will be asked to orally explain their subjective experience during the suggestion of mystical experience. Then the investigators will assess the positive and negative affect in addition to these outcomes: the mystical experience, the ego dissolution, the psychological flexibility, the cognitive flexibility, the altered state of consciousness, the near-death experience, alterness, absorption state, dissociation state, time perception (T2). Three months after receiving the experimental session, participants will be seen again for a follow-up session (T3). During this session, we will ask: Since the experimental session, have you observed any changes in your behaviors, emotions and beliefs? If so, can you tell us about them?. The investigators will assess the positive and negative affects and psychological well-being.

Official Title
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A Neurophenomenological Study of Hypnosis

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Hypnosis
* Behavioral: Control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: at least 18 years old good comprehension of French Exclusion Criteria: Psychiatric history History of neurological disorder Psychoactive medication Addiction Alcoholism

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Control<br>The control group will simply receive a reading of the mystical experience suggestion without hypnosis. | Behavioral: Control<br>* We will propose the neutral reading of a mystical expetience suggestion (based on Lynn & Evans, 2017).<br>|
| Experimental: Experiemental<br>The experiemental group will receive a suggestion of the mystical experience in hypnosis. | Behavioral: Hypnosis<br>* We will propose a hypnotic induction followed by a suggestion of mystical experience (based on Lynn & Evans, 2017).<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mystical experience | The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire will assess the occurrence and intensity of mystical-type experiences. It is comprised of four factors: mysticality, positivity of mood, transcendence of time and space, and ineffability. A mystical experience is defined as having a score equal or above 60% on all factors. | During the procedure | 
| Hypnotizability | The susceptibility one has concerning hypnosis. Will be assessed with the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale. A score : 0-3 : low hypnotizability 4-7: medium hypnotizability 8-11 : high hypnotizability 12 : very high hypnotizability. | During the procedure | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ego Dissolution | The Ego Dissolution Inventory will assess the occurrence of ego dissolution. | During the procedure | 
| Alteration of consciousness | The Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory will allow to empirically quantify the subjective experience in terms of pattern and intensity parameters. It is composed of 53 items consisting of 12 major dimensions (e.g., positive affect), and 14 minor dimensions (e.g., absorption) (annex). Graphs will be constructed to represent the intensity and pattern of relationships between pairs of dimensions. | During the procedure | 
| Psychological flexibility | Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory. | Before the procedure and direclty after the procedure | 
| Cognitive flexibility | Cognitive flexility will be assessed with the Test of Attentional Performance which is an informatized cognitive task. | Before the procedure and direclty after the procedure | 
| Psychological well-being | Psychological well-being will be assessed with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale | Before the intervention and after 3 months | 
| Modification of mood, cognition, emotion and behavior | We will ask an open-ended question Since the experimental session, have you observed any changes in your behaviors, emotions and beliefs? If so, can you tell us about them?. | After 3 months | 
| Phenomenal experience | Phenomenal experience will be assessed by the recording of the narrative experience. | During the procedure |