Clinical trial NCT06017388: Mystical Experience in Hypnosis: a Neurophenomenological Study
Official title: A Neurophenomenological Study of Hypnosis
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Lead sponsor: University of Liege
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-08-30
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: 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: 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.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* at least 18 years old
* good comprehension of French

Exclusion Criteria:

* Psychiatric history
* History of neurological disorder
* Psychoactive medication
* Addiction
* Alcoholism

Primary outcomes:
measure: Mystical experience
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Hypnotizability
timeFrame: During the procedure
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Ego Dissolution
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Alteration of consciousness
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Psychological flexibility
timeFrame: Before the procedure and direclty after the procedure
measure: Cognitive flexibility
timeFrame: Before the procedure and direclty after the procedure
measure: Psychological well-being
timeFrame: Before the intervention and after 3 months
measure: Modification of mood, cognition, emotion and behavior
timeFrame: After 3 months
measure: Phenomenal experience
timeFrame: During the procedure
Other outcomes:
measure: Socio-demographics
timeFrame: At screening
measure: Psychiatric screening
timeFrame: At screening
measure: Beliefs about hypnosis
timeFrame: Before the procedure
measure: Expectancies about the study
timeFrame: Before the procedure
measure: Phenomenal control
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Positive and negative affects
timeFrame: Beforethe procedure, During the procedure, direcly after the procedure, and after 3 months
measure: Absorption trait
timeFrame: Before the procedure
measure: Dissociation trait
timeFrame: Before the procedure
measure: Anxiety state
timeFrame: Before the procedure and during the procedure
measure: Absorption state
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Dissociation state
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Alertness
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Time perception
timeFrame: During the procedure
measure: Near Death Experience
timeFrame: During the procedure
Locations:
city: Liège
country: Belgium
facility: University of Liege
Study officials:
References: