What Hypnosis Looks Like in the Brain: The Stanford fMRI Study
Oct 22, 2026The original paper
Jiang H, White MP, Greicius MD, Waelde LC, Spiegel D. Brain Activity and Functional Connectivity Associated with Hypnosis. Cerebral Cortex, 2017.
Read the original paper on PubMed →
Summary
Researchers at Stanford scanned 57 people in an fMRI machine — some who are highly hypnotisable and some who are not — while they rested, recalled memories, and experienced hypnosis.
In the highly hypnotisable group, hypnosis produced three clear changes: activity dropped in the dorsal anterior cingulate (a region that scans for threat and 'what should I worry about?'); connection strengthened between the prefrontal cortex and the insula (the brain's link between focused attention and body awareness); and connection weakened between the prefrontal cortex and the default-mode network (the 'inner narrator' that keeps commenting on yourself).
Key finding
Hypnosis is a distinct, measurable brain state — less self-monitoring, more focused body awareness.
Why this matters
This is exactly the state we use in the Tranceform Method: the critical, worried part of the mind quietens, and attention can be turned inward to the body, where old reactions are stored.
Research is summarised in plain language for a general audience. Hypnotherapy and energy healing are complementary approaches and are not a substitute for medical or psychiatric care.