The continued aim of these studies has been to clarify the nature of hypnotic phenomena and related altered states of consciousness. The hypnotic process provides a meaningful laboratory paradigm to study significant dyadic relationships and aspects of normal and pathological processes involving distortions of cognition, including both memory and attention. We summarize studies conducted over the past year in three areas: (a) subjective changes and selective retrieval strategies during posthypnotic amnesia; (b) hypnosis as a dimension of the accessibility of altered states and cognitive control, and its relation to therapeutic outcome and readiness to change during hospitalization; and (c) differential electrodermal response as an index of lateralized brain function during hypnosis.
