Hypnosis depth

Aaronson, B. S. "Hypnosis, Depth Perception, and the Psychedelic Experience." In Tart, C. T. (ed.) Altered States of Consciousness. New York Wiley, 1969a, pp. 263-70. 

BERNARD AARONSON is head of the Section of Experimental Psychology, Bureau of Research in Neurology and Psychiatry, Princeton, New Jersey. He is a well-known investigator in the field of consciousness expansion. Elis article on "Hypnosis, Depth Perception, and the Psychedelic Experience" appears in Charles Tart s Altered States of Consciousness. 

Aaronson, B. S. "Distance, Depth, and Schizophrenia," American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 9, 203-7,1967a. 

A detailed example of self-report scaling of the depth of hypnosi is presented below, it illustrates the idea of depth and the way a common language is established between experiencer and investigator and provides some information about deep hypnosis and its possible transition into another d-ASC enti rely.T21... 

Getting these depth numbers is very important, because every person is unique in his reactions while hypnotized. Some people react at different speeds than others some react to a particular hypnotic experience by going deeper into hypnosis, others sometimes find the depth of their hypnotic state decreased by the same experience. Thus by getting these state reports from you every so often I can tell whether to go a little faster or slower, where to put emphasis in the suggestions I use to guide you, etc. These depth reports are not always what I expect, but it s more important for me to know where you really are than just assume you re there because I ve been talking that way ... 

I m not going to define the depths beyond this, for little is known about them if you go deeper than 40, and I hope you do, i ll ask you about the experiences that go with these greater depths so we may learn more about deep hypnosi s.f 31... 

Remember now that increasing numbers up from zero indicate an increasing degree of hypnotic depth, from the starting point of ordinary wakefulness up to a state in which you can experience anything in hypnosis with complete realism. Your quick answers whenever I ask, "state " will be my guide to the depth of your hypnotic state, and help me guide you more effectively. Always call out the first number that pops into your mind loudly and clearly, whenever I ask, "State " a number on the scale will instantly come into mind and you call it out. 

Self-report scales of hypnotic depth, int. 3. Clin. Exp. Hypnosis, 1970, 18, 105-125. 

Measuring the Depth of an Altered State of Consciousness, with Particular Reference to Self-Report Scales of Hypnotic Depth, in E. Fromm and R. Shor (eds.), Hypnosis Research Developments and Perspectives. Chicago Aldinel Atherton, 1972, pp. 445-477... 

R. Shor, Hypnosis and the Concept of the Generalized Reality Orientation, /4/ m-can Journal of Psychotherapy 13 582-602 R. Shor, Three Dimensions ofHypnotic Depth, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 10 23-38 also in C. Tart, ed.. Altered States of Consciousness . A Book of Readings (New York Doubleday, 1971). 

In the experimental session reported below, I explained to William that the purpose of the session was to find out what hypnosis meant to him personally. Specifically, he was informally interviewed for about an hour to determine what he usually experienced under hypnosis, other than his reactions to specifically suggested phenomena, and, if possible, what depth level, according to the Extended North Carolina Scale, he was at when he experienced these particular things. I then hypnotized him and at each 10-point interval on a depth continuum I asked William to remain at that depth and describe whatever it was he was experiencing. No particular probing was done except for phenomena already mentioned by William the emphasis was on his individual hypnotic experience. William also agreed to attempt to go much deeper than he ever had gone before. 

William s data illustrate some of the practical aspects of studying the depth of a d-SoC, particularly hypnosis. Using the individual subject as a unit, a set of interrelationships of various phenomena with respect to hypnotic depth has been found self-reported depth has ordered observed phenomena in a useful and theoretically important manner. Further research will study this same sort of procedure in other subjects, repeat sessions with some subjects to study consistency, and make initial intersubject comparisons to determine which depth-phenomenology relationships are general and which represent idiosyncratic qualities of subjects. General relationships of phenomena with depth may be found and/or several classes of subjects may be fond and/or several d-SoCs may be identified that have in the past all been indiscriminately termed "hypnosis."... 

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