Mystical Experience in Hypnosis: a Neurophenomenological Study

NCT ID: NCT06017388

Last Updated: 2023-12-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-01-31

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.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Control

The control group will simply receive a reading of the mystical experience suggestion without hypnosis.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Control

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

We will propose the neutral reading of a mystical expetience suggestion (based on Lynn \& Evans, 2017).

Experiemental

The experiemental group will receive a suggestion of the mystical experience in hypnosis.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hypnosis

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

We will propose a hypnotic induction followed by a suggestion of mystical experience (based on Lynn \& Evans, 2017).

Interventions

Hypnosis

We will propose a hypnotic induction followed by a suggestion of mystical experience (based on Lynn \& Evans, 2017).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control

We will propose the neutral reading of a mystical expetience suggestion (based on Lynn \& Evans, 2017).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Liege

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Bicego Aminata

PhD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Liege

Liège, , Belgium

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Belgium

Central Contacts

Aminata Bicego

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +3243663499

Email: abicego@uliege.be

Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +3243238033

Email: avanhaudenhuyse@chuliege.be

Facility Contacts

Aminata Bicego, PhD

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

2022-213

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id