Dr. David Spiegel

What do I want to be? and so you're to the extent you're engaged in the hypnotic task you're suppressing activity there and that's the football coach dancing like a ballerina you know i don't care i'll just try it anyway and see what it's like now that's silly but if you want people to change

it's a great opportunity to say you know what just try it see what it feels like to be different yeah can you be in the same situation and react to it differently not struggle against it not fight it see what you can learn from it um and so that and that's a part of the brain where activity is suppressed in experienced meditators too that

it's a great opportunity to say you know what just try it see what it feels like to be different yeah can you be in the same situation and react to it differently not struggle against it not fight it see what you can learn from it um and so that and that's a part of the brain where activity is suppressed in experienced meditators too that

The mindfulness tends to inhibit activity in this posterior cingulate default mode area, or I call it the my fault mode network. It's when you're reflecting on what's wrong with you. And so it's a part of the brain that is also affected by psychedelic drugs, this sort of dissolution of the self. comes through disorganization of activity in the posterior cingulate cortex.

The mindfulness tends to inhibit activity in this posterior cingulate default mode area, or I call it the my fault mode network. It's when you're reflecting on what's wrong with you. And so it's a part of the brain that is also affected by psychedelic drugs, this sort of dissolution of the self. comes through disorganization of activity in the posterior cingulate cortex.

There's a new paper in Nature out with some leading neuroscientists who took psychedelics and scanned their brains 18 times over a couple of weeks and found disorganization in that region of the brain. So it's a center for change because you can inhibit your usual views of who you are. And that's something that hypnosis helps you to do.

There's a new paper in Nature out with some leading neuroscientists who took psychedelics and scanned their brains 18 times over a couple of weeks and found disorganization in that region of the brain. So it's a center for change because you can inhibit your usual views of who you are. And that's something that hypnosis helps you to do.

Well, Jay, I would say yes and no. I mean, we're social creatures. We're susceptible of social influence. And, you know, if you engage in the painful act of paying any attention to recent American politics, you'll see that people are influenced by all kinds of things and believe all kinds of things that just flat out aren't true.

Well, Jay, I would say yes and no. I mean, we're social creatures. We're susceptible of social influence. And, you know, if you engage in the painful act of paying any attention to recent American politics, you'll see that people are influenced by all kinds of things and believe all kinds of things that just flat out aren't true.

And it is the case that people in hypnosis, since they're more focused, are more likely to suspend their usual evaluation and judgment of things and see what it would be like if this were true instead of that.

And it is the case that people in hypnosis, since they're more focused, are more likely to suspend their usual evaluation and judgment of things and see what it would be like if this were true instead of that.

and there are people who have been and can be influenced to some extent but you know what people who are highly hypnotizable do that without ever having been formally hypnotized they'll tell you i just you know i the highly hypnotizable people uh tend to be very sensitive to other people they pick up their emotional cues very well um and and they respond often

and there are people who have been and can be influenced to some extent but you know what people who are highly hypnotizable do that without ever having been formally hypnotized they'll tell you i just you know i the highly hypnotizable people uh tend to be very sensitive to other people they pick up their emotional cues very well um and and they respond often

easily putting somebody else's priorities above their own. So does that mean you're more easily influenced? Perhaps, but frankly, I think you're better protected if you understand more about your tendency to do that and you can defend yourself more. So hypnosis is a way of being influenced by other people, but also being influenced by by your own desires and wishes.

easily putting somebody else's priorities above their own. So does that mean you're more easily influenced? Perhaps, but frankly, I think you're better protected if you understand more about your tendency to do that and you can defend yourself more. So hypnosis is a way of being influenced by other people, but also being influenced by by your own desires and wishes.

So I would say it's there, take full advantage of it.

So I would say it's there, take full advantage of it.

Well, on the Reverie app, we have a six-minute hypnotizability test. It's a standard test. I've used it with about 7,000 patients and research subjects in my career. It can be done very quickly. You give a series of hypnotic instructions and see how the person can respond to them. And if you'd like, Jay, I can test your hypnotizability right now.

Well, on the Reverie app, we have a six-minute hypnotizability test. It's a standard test. I've used it with about 7,000 patients and research subjects in my career. It can be done very quickly. You give a series of hypnotic instructions and see how the person can respond to them. And if you'd like, Jay, I can test your hypnotizability right now.

See how you are. I bet your listeners are placing bets on just how hypnotizable you are. I love it. So get as comfortable as you can. Put one arm on either side of the chair. Okay.