Research

Guided imagery hypnotherapy (GIH) is a family of hypnotherapy techniques that involve bringing patients into a light, relaxation-based, self-hypnotic trance, then leading them through active visualization processes that support their therapy-related goals. It has been implicated in reducing anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as fatigue and pain in various clinical populations.

Once the model clusters were identified, we can assess the underlying brain networks and activities by examining independent components (ICs) that were consistently found across the AMICA models in each model cluster. Fig. 5 plots the scalp topography and power spectra of the clusters of ICs in each model cluster corresponding to a dominant GIH stage. Notably, in the central and occipital regions, power in the theta (4 – 7 Hz) and alpha (8 – 12 Hz) range declines during post-session relative to pre-session rest baseline. A similar trend can be observed over the course of hypnosis as well – that is, whereas the induction and early visualization stages are characterized by broadly distributed, pronounced peaks in the alpha and alpha harmonic ranges, little indication of these activities is discernible as the visualization process advances, in keeping with the idea that a broad network of brain systems became increasingly engaged as individuals progressed through the visualization sequence.