New research has revealed how hypnotic suggestion can provide insights into brain mechanisms involved in attention, motor control, pain perception, beliefs and volition.

For more than a century, hypnotic suggestion has successfully been used as a supplementary therapy to treat a wide range of clinical conditions. More recently, hypnosis has attracted a growing interest from cognitive neuroscientists.

In his latest paper, Professor Peter Halligan from the School of Psychology reveals how by employing hypnosis and suggestion, neuroscientists can modify and explore a broad range of human experiences and behaviours.

The paper will be published in the August edition of Nature Neuroscience Review ( NRN). An online version can be accessed here.