Hypnosis and the Unhypnotizable

Abstract

Traditional wisdom suggests that responsiveness to treatment with hypnotic techniques varies as a function of hypnotizability as assessed by standardized measures. However, recent evidence suggests that use of naturalistic, nonauthoritarian technique promotes responsiveness to treatment in “unhypnotizable” subjects. Illustration is provided of successful technique with a patient who had chronic cancer pain and who was unresponsive to standard tests of hypnotizability.