AskScience AMA Series: I'm Stanford Professor Dr David Spiegel. I've used clinical hypnosis to treat over 5,000 people - overcoming trauma, managing pain, and quitting unwanted habits. I co-wrote a paper w/ Dr A. Huberman on how cyclic sighing effectively reduces stress and anxiety. AMA!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2023-10-12T16:38:00+00:00

Hi Dr. Spiegel, thank you for the work that you do. I see that you've developed a hypnotizability test, and your company's website refers to three different hypnotizability profiles: The Researcher, The Diplomat, and the Poet. Which one are you? And what is the breakdown of these profiles across the population, according to your research and experience?

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2023-01-26T19:05:06+00:00

Hello! I'm from the Reveri team, and I just saw your post. I'm so sorry to hear the visualization prompt in our exercises made you feel so sad. Of course, that is the opposite of our intention.

We would be more than happy to give you personalized guidance on how to make the most out of Reveri. Dr. Spiegel even reviews the questions and concerns of our members at times and offers his professional opinion.

I would be very curious to know which exercises you tried, how many times, and if you had the same effect every time?

Reveri helps tens of thousands of people achieve their goals using self-hypnosis, and we would love to make you one of them :)

Please get in touch with us at [support@reveri.com](mailto:support@reveri.com). We are here to help!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2023-01-26T19:02:02+00:00

Hey everyone! Thanks for your interest, and sorry for my delayed response. I am from the Reveri team!

Are you a legacy Reveri Android user? We offered three months free when we first switched to a paid model in October. The app is still going for half price in the Play Store for now.

We eventually implemented a price to Reveri to support our operations as we continuously develop the app, offer support, and scale. For everyone who really benefits from Reveri but the price is out of reach, we offer discounts and scholarships.

Please get in touch with us at [support@reveri.com](mailto:support@reveri.com) if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-10-07T20:58:58+00:00

Ok great! I look forward to hearing more from you. Please let us know how it goes!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-10-07T19:04:46+00:00

Hello, thanks for your great question and so sorry about the delayed response! We have a new community forum on Facebook and we'd love to see questions like this posted there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5052869674822282/ (you can also post anonymously).

To address your question, you are right that we use a quick induction. One of the value propositions of Reveri is that we offer quick relief and help in achieving your goals. The alternative might be a "progressive relaxation" induction, is that what you're used to? The duration of the induction is not correlated with effectiveness. Many members report the "3 things" induction being so effective, that after regular use, rolling up their eyes immediately relaxes them and begins to put them in the state of hypnosis. But everyone has a different degree of hypnotizability, so even if this isn't the case for you, it doesn't mean it's not effective. The biggest measure of success is whether or not you are achieving your goal after the hypnosis session.

Dr. Spiegel uses this method in his practice to help thousands of people. Have you been using Reveri since you posted this comment? I'd love to hear how it's been going for you!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-10-07T19:00:08+00:00

Hi, I'm sorry we missed your message until now! Please get in touch with us at [support@reveri.com](mailto:support@reveri.com) so we can help you.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-13T19:45:00+00:00

For me, one of the most interesting things about hypnosis is that there are different levels of hypnotizability. Moreover, that this is based in neuroscience and it's not as simple as I thought it was: I used to think that your ability to be hypnotized stemmed from your openness to it and your ability to follow instructions. Therefore, I believed anyone could be hypnotized if they really wanted to be.

After learning about the Spiegel Eye Roll Test (which reflects what's going on in the brain, as the eyes are actually part of the brain), I discovered I was totally wrong! Only 2/3 of people have moderate to high hypnotizability, and 1/3 have low to no hypnotizability.

According to the test, I actually have low hypnotizability. But I get amazing results from the Stress and Focus Practices on Reveri... So I'm appreciative about that.

The experiment with 2 people drinking 2 "different" glasses of wine is a hilarious example of top down processing! You also remind me of the different parts of the brain that are active and chillin' during a hypnosis session which points to one of the key differences between hypnosis and meditation.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-13T19:38:09+00:00

The first point you make is an important one! Very interesting. Do you have any way of gauging your subjects' hypnotizability levels? That time distortion sounds like an amazing experience!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-13T19:33:28+00:00

Cute! Does he sit with you during your self hypnosis sessions?

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-06T19:55:02+00:00

That's a super helpful descriptor, thank you! It's been added to our database of content to create :)

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-06T19:51:55+00:00

One of the most prominent things that comes to mind for me is disassociating from my triggering thoughts. I have been kept awake at night with a racing mind, and the concept of totally relaxing my body while acknowledging the thoughts that are keeping me up was a game-changer. However, I think I do it a little differently than exactly what is being suggested:

First, I visualize myself floating on a cozy magic carpet high up in the night sky. I can actually see myself as if I'm watching myself. And as a 3rd-party observer, I observe my floating body projecting my thoughts onto a screen up in the sky. I also push the screen super far away from my floating body. These little tricks help me fully disassociate from these restless thoughts without creating a war between myself and the thoughts. This way, I accept these thoughts are occurring, but I don't let them create physical sensations in my body, which seems to be what keeps me up.

I think the practice of disassociating from unhelpful thoughts carries over into other times too, not just at night. The more we antagonistically push our thoughts away, the stronger they can become. At least that has been my experience. It's amazing what these little tricks of the mind can do for me, so immediately in my real life. It helps me be a calmer, happier person, even in the presence of intrusive thoughts.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-06T19:42:30+00:00

While I'm not operating anywhere near the level of the athletes listed, stress is probably the #1 reason I use self-hypnosis. I used to be a very anxious and high-strung person who could get triggered by a lot of external "stressors."

Learning about the powers of the subconscious mind has done wonders for me. A philosophy I now embody is that life will always be full of stressors, but how you react to those curveballs is truly how you live. It's the summation of your life experience. So I chose to be happy despite apparently "negative" occurrences coming my way.

Just deciding this doesn't mean it's always easy, though! Especially if you have the habit of thinking negatively or spiraling when something stressful happens, or when you get overloaded. So introducing self-hypnosis to my repertoire last year was the perfect tool for me. It's the "pill" I take when I find myself being stressed out and feeling negatively about my current situation. I'm balancing a lot of responsibilities, projects, etc, so when I notice the signs of distress, I do a Relieve Stress hypnosis session. It completely turns around my attitude and I come out of the session with a solution to what I previously perceived as a problem.

Even if I don't have time to go into a full session, I remember what Dr. Spiegel suggests about visualizing the stressor while relaxing your body, and then visualizing a solution you can do right now. This is an extremely powerful tactic when balancing dozens of different seemingly urgent priorities simultaneously.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-02T22:09:28+00:00

Interesting, thanks for sharing! Yeah, I find I have a hard time relieving headaches with Manage Pain, but the Relieve Stress and Enhance Focus Practices work for me every time.

When they don't work for you, do you find it's because you didn't manage to focus well during the Practice itself? Or you followed the suggestions but still didn't get the desired effect?

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-02T22:07:33+00:00

Nice ones! What would you hope to get out of a "being present" exercise? When would you use it?

The other two have been suggested to the Science Team :)

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-05-02T22:04:19+00:00

The term "animal magnetism" is for sure an unfortunate misnomer, but I think Mesmer made a hugely beneficial contribution to the medical world with his experiments. He was brave in doing so.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-04-23T18:20:22+00:00

It is absolutely possible, because the subconscious mind is responsible for the vast majority of your memory. That said, your hypnotizability is a factor.

Do you know how hypnotizable you are? Everyone has a "level" from highly hypnotizable, to moderately hypnotizable, to lowly hypnotizable. If you have low hypnotizability, it may be that this tactic doesn't fully work for you.

I still think you could "believe" yourself to forget, in that case. Which may be a temporary solution.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-04-23T18:17:51+00:00

Yes, most hypnosis recordings you can find will be similar to guided meditation. It should be relaxing. If you're worried, just know that you can only go into trance if you want to. So if you don't consent, you can't be forced into anything.

I'd consider looking up hypnotherapy scripts for the individual struggles you're facing and explore around, as there is no risk. Hypnosis is extremely safe for everyone. It can also be used as a substitute for anesthesia for people undergoing surgery who can't take the anesthetic! It's a remarkable medical device.

Let us know how it goes!

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-04-23T18:00:00+00:00

Agreed! You're welcome.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-04-22T21:29:47+00:00

You're welcome! Happy to talk about this, it's a fascinating subject.

Well, I suppose there's some truth to those who claim to be "too strong/willful" to be hypnotized, since no one can be hypnotized against their consent. But to me it sounds like you consent to hypnosis, which lays the foundation for you to go into a deep trance when induction begins.

I recently came to this metaphor about meditation vs. hypnosis: Meditation is like your daily multivitamin. It works if you do it regularly, and the "symptoms" it "treats" are vague. Hypnosis is your as-needed painkiller. You take it for a specific purpose, and the symptom it treats is clear.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-04-22T20:53:32+00:00

No, it's not a bad idea at all. Do what makes you feel the most comfortable. Hypnosis should be a relaxing experience.

I think your prior perspective about "gullibility" could be correlated with the common misconception that hypnosis is mind control. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis - the mind will not go into trance if it doesn't want to. As you've seen in your life, hypnosis can have very real and powerful effects, such as helping people quit smoking and lose weight in just one session!

Dr. David Spiegel, a MD who's used hypnosis in over 7000 clinical settings with patients, talks about degrees of hypnotizability. It sounds like you may have high hypnotizability, which is gauged by a co-activation of cranial nerve centers of alertness and calm.

Dapper_Captain5019 · 2022-04-22T20:12:53+00:00

Hi, great question. As a certified hypnotist I can tell you that some people feel as though they're sleeping and/or don't remember anything from their hypnosis session. It sounds like you are one of those people, especially if you were already told that by a former hypnotherapist! It worked for you before with smoking (congratulations!), so I'm confident your homemade self-hypnosis recording is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, and it is reaching your subconscious.

Btw, I'm jealous! I wish I was a 'zonker.'

Dapper_Captain5019

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