| Hypnotic susceptibility, often regarded as a relatively stable individual characteristic, has been found to be related to the personality dimension of absorption. To test the hypothesis that this relationship is a function of the nature of the sensory response to stimulus events and the development of cognitive models pursuant to the processing of that information, a group of hospitalized, chronic pain patients were assessed on the following dimensions: absorption, clinical hypnotic responsiveness, cognitive resistance to interference, and visual automatization.; Results suggest that hypnotic susceptibility is primarily a sensory process. Clinical hypnotizability, represented by a factorial dimension comprised of absorption and clinical hypnotic responsiveness, was predictive of clinical pain relief, through a brief hypnotic treatment intervention.; Findings are considered to provide theoretical support for the clinical techniques of hypnotic induction advocated by Milton Erickson and Ernest Rossi and William Kroger. |
