Brain scans (fMRI) have revealed areas of the brain that are more active in deep hypnosis than the normal waking state. These areas have previously been associated with evaluating emotional outcomes (anterior cingulate nucleus) and higher lever cognitive processing and behaviour (left side of prefrontal cortex). Peter Naish of Open University:
“The evidence really, really is there. Hypnosis is not miraculous. It is for real. Something is going on. The arch-sceptical view cannot be right”.
The researcher, John Gruzelier of Imperial College London:
“We have a magnificent therapeutic tool which has been ignored because there is no evidence of the mechanism involved. Now we are getting evidence of the mechanism and we now hope people will take it more seriously and develop its effects on cancer and the immune system, pain analgesia and so on”.