The Efficacy of Direct Versus Indirect Hypnotic Induction Techniques on Reduction of Experimental Pain

The cold pressor test was used to investigate the efficacy of Rapid Induction Analgesia, a new, indirect hypnotic technique introduced by J. Barber (1977). Rapid Induction Analgesia was compared with traditional hypnosis, relaxation, suggestion without an induction, and a no-treatment control in Ss of high and low hypnotizability. Only traditional hypnosis was found to significantly reduce S's reported pain when compared to the control group Ss, and Rapid Induction Analgesia was not found to be an effective treatment in this study, in contrast to J. Barber's earlier findings.