<p>Hypnotic states are associated with increased theta wave activity. Hypnotically susceptible participants also exhibit hemispheric beta wave asymmetry, but non-susceptible participants do not (Sabourin, Cutcomb, Crawford and Pribram, 1990).</p>

<p><strong>References</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>Sabourin, M. E., Cutcomb, S. D., Crawford, H. J., &amp; Pribram, K. (1990). EEG correlates of hypnotic susceptibility and hypnotic trance: Spectral analysis and coherence. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 10(2), 125-142.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-18T08:06:44.037Z
2015-04-18T08:06:44.037Z
Christian Hummeluhr
<p>There is a really nice and recent <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945212001773" rel="nofollow">review</a> about the current state of research regarding hypnosis, which also cites the resource of another answer here). I will quote here the part about EEG studies but would recommend to read the whole article (if you can't access the article, <a href="http://sci-hub.bz/" rel="nofollow">sci-hub</a> can probably help you).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>3.1. The EEG spectrum</p>
  
  <p>Historically, the most popular approach to understanding the neural
  substrates of hypnosis has been to examine EEG correlates of
  hypnotizability and changes in the EEG spectrum which occur when
  hypnosis is induced (e.g., Lee et al., 2007; for a comprehensive
  listing of studies, see Hinterberger et al., 2011; Vaitl et al.,
  2005). Many of these studies were “fishing expeditions”, conducted in
  the hopes that they would yield interesting results, rather than tests
  of specific hypothesis about the nature or locus of electrocortical
  changes associated with hypnosis. Still, they were not always without
  some theoretical rationale, however weak. For example, in the late
  1960s it was suggested that hypnotizability and hypnosis were
  associated with increased density of alpha activity in the EEG – a
  hypothesis which drew strength from early reports of increased alpha
  density in Zen and yoga meditation, as well as the meditation-like
  experiences once thought to be produced by EEG alpha biofeedback.
  Similar considerations, as well as speculations concerning the
  relevance of 40-Hz activity to focused arousal, perceptual binding,
  and consciousness itself, prompted investigation of the gamma band of
  the EEG (DePascalis, 1999, 2007). Finally, in a manner reminiscent of
  the 19th-century analogy between hypnosis and sleep, the association
  between theta activity and hypnagogic imagery led some investigators
  to focus on this portion of the EEG spectrum (Sabourin et al., 1990;
  Williams and Gruzelier, 2001).</p>
  
  <p>The most thorough of these studies was reported by Ray et al., who
  took advantage of advanced EEG technology to examine alpha, beta, and
  theta activity recorded separately from frontal, temporal, parietal,
  and occipital sites of both left and right hemispheres in hypnotizable
  and insusceptible male and female college students before and after a
  hypnotic induction (Graffin et al., 1995; Ray, 1997). As might be
  imagined, given the 3 × 4 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 design, the results of this
  experiment were quite complex. Analysis of baseline differences,
  before hypnotic induction, revealed higher theta power in hypnotizable
  compared to insusceptible subjects, especially in frontal and temporal
  areas. Hypnotizable subjects showed greater resting alpha activity
  only in the temporal area. The induction of hypnosis decreased theta
  activity in hypnotizable subjects, while increasing it among
  insusceptibles, particularly in parietal and occipital areas. Alpha
  activity generally increased across all sites in all subjects,
  consistent with enhanced relaxation and reduction of visual activity.
  Graffin et al. interpreted the changes in theta as indicative of
  heightened concentration among hypnotizable subjects, but the fact
  that theta activity decreased in hypnotizable subjects and increased
  in insusceptible subjects suggests that, following the induction of
  hypnosis, both groups of subjects were actually in very similar
  cortical states.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I would say the summary is: It's complicated.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-25T00:36:17.037Z
I think it is "just harder to" and in the original studies (Griffin et al. 1995 and Ray 1997) they actually talk about "high and low  susceptible individuals" so I don't know why he refers to them as "insusceptible" here.
awakenting
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-22T16:57:09.217Z
2016-07-22T16:57:09.217Z
awakenting
<p>I am studying hypnotherapy at University and this is what I have learnt.</p>

<p>During the induction stages of hypnosis, the body becomes more and more relaxed and the brain enters changing levels of brain wave pattern.  There are five brainwave frequencies, however there are four main different brainwave patterns when looking at hypnosis.  These are Beta wave pattern, Alpha wave pattern, Theta wave pattern and Delta wave pattern as measured by an EEG (Electroencephalograph).</p>

<p>In the fully engaged and focused state, the brain will show a Beta wave pattern which is  from 15 to 40 cycles per second</p>

<p>In a restful state, the brain will show an Alpha wave pattern which is from 9 to 14 cycles per second</p>

<p>In a deeper state of hypnosis, similar to dreaming and some meditative states, the brain shows a Theta wave pattern which is from 4 to 8 cycles per second</p>

<p>And in the deepest state of hypnosis, the brain shows a Delta wave pattern which is from 1 to 4 cycles per second and it is associated with deep dreamless sleep. The deeper the sleep, the higher the amount of delta waves.</p>

<p>The other brainwave frequency is Gamma (40Hz - 70Hz) associated with Processing of various attended stimuli (visual, auditory, touch) and the grouping of the various features of a given stimulus, particularly visual, into a coherent whole.</p>

<p>An important point is that there is no such thing as a “gamma state” of mind. Gamma waves largely play a supporting – though integral- role in the brain. From an EEG point of view, they will be present mostly while a subject is awake, but they will always be supported by other waves in the beta, alpha, theta, or delta ranges.</p>

<p>Brainwave patterns change in a gradual way.  That is to say that it will not switch immediately from say 27Hz (27 cycles per second - Beta Waves) to 2Hz (2 cycles per second - Delta Waves).  The frequency of brainwaves gradually decreases and increases as required.  The speed of gradual change in brainwave frequency however can be fast or slow depending on the individual and the ability of the hypnotherapist.  During reorientation, the brainwave patterns will gradually increase towards the Beta waves bringing the client back to full state of awareness.</p>

<p>All the above mentioned brainwave frequencies are normally present together in the brain. However, the dominant frequency in the EEG pattern determines what shall be called the current state of the brain. If the amplitude of the alpha range frequencies is highest, then the brain is said to be in the alpha stage. Note, that other frequencies still exist and it is impossible to give any "exact frequency your brain is operating on." However, for simplification purpose, it is often assumed that such a single frequency exists.</p>

<p>In general, we are accustomed to using the beta brain rhythm. When we diminish the brain rhythm to alpha, we put ourselves in the ideal condition to learn new information, keep facts, perform elaborate tasks, learn languages and analyse complex situations etc. Meditation, relaxation exercises, and activities that enable the sense of calm, also enable this alpha state.  Considered as an integral part of the relaxation process before sleep. The alpha frequency band has been studied extensively in meditations of various kinds (like Zen, TM etc) and in almost all cases an increase in the alpha waves has been noted during meditation.</p>

<p>In the Theta state associated with dreams, deep meditation, sleep, and hypnosis, this is seemed to be involved with short-term memory. It is a state of somnolence with reduced consciousness. The theta-state is described by sleep researchers as stage 1 sleep or the twilight state. In this state, subjects pass out of the alert alpha-state into a theta-state in which they lose their sense of lying in bed, though still being awake.</p>

<p>Subjects can be easily awoken from this stage of sleep, and it has many interesting properties. For a brief time as we lie in bed at night, neither fully awake nor yet asleep, we pass through a twilight mental zone like a state of reverie. Many people associate this drowsy stage with hallucinatory images, more fleeting and disjointed than dreams, and compare it to the viewing of a speeded-up, jerky series of photographic slides. A host of artists and scientists have credited the imagery of this twilight state with creative solutions and inspiration for their work.</p>

<p>Meditative states associated with the increased presence of delta waves seem to occur mostly in very experienced practitioners, possibly because entering a delta state and maintaining consciousness at the same time is tremendously difficult.</p>

<p>Sources: <a href="http://www.chrysaliscourses.co.uk/our-courses" rel="nofollow">Chrysalis Courses</a> and <a href="http://www.meditationiseasy.com/instant_meditation/brain_waves_frequencies.php" rel="nofollow">Brain Wave Frequencies</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-16T20:17:51.140Z
2015-02-16T20:17:51.140Z
Chris Rogers
<p>Excellent observations. Read my article online 
The Dream as Posthypnotic 
Command
Here is the Abstract
The posthypnotic command is issued in deep hypnosis when a subject’s brainwaves are in theta mode of 4-7 cycles per second. This is the same frequency that the dream state features. It suggests that dreaming and deep hypnosis are equivalent states.  The word hypnosis, meaning a condition of sleep, suggests that the ancients understood this equivalence. 
    When a subject in deep hypnosis is commanded to execute a certain task at a given time after ‘waking up’, the subject will do so at exactly the designated time. When asked for a reason for his action, the answer will never be correct, for while under hypnosis he was asked by the hypnotist to forget the command. But the subject will certainly have a perfectly rational explanation no matter how absurd the order may have been. 
    This is precisely the case when we are asked to give an explanation for any action we have executed. If my hypothesis is right, our answer to the same question is equally wrong, yet perfectly rational. Indeed, while we have no idea where our motivation arises and where our ideas come from, we are in the same position of darkness as the hypnotised subject. 
    My research in dreams has convinced me that dreams are the source of our inspiration and motivation. Evidence for this comes from creative people who have received ideas from their dreams or have been presented with solutions by them to their problems. Famous scientific discoveries have been made with the help of dreams by Thomas Edison, Kekulé, Otto Loewi and Elijah Howe, for instance. Among the men of creative writing Robert Louis Stevenson stands out, for he deliberately invoked his dreams to provide him with new plots for stories. But he also suspected that the honing and reworking of his dream plots was also done for him by his “Brownies and Little People” of the night. 
    Like the posthypnotic suggestion, the dream has a timing device determining when a dream or part of it should manifest in waking time. Perhaps the most convincing evidence for this is Michael Barnsley’s twenty-year nightmare that taunted him to put the wires of a matrix in order. Since he had no idea of what the matrix was supposed to do, he was naturally unable to solve the problem posed to him. The nightmare only ceased after he met Benoit Mandelbrot who had by then invented a computer program for fractal math, a program that provided all the necessary information for Barnsley to understand the dream that ended the nightmares by providing him with the solution of the confused wires of the dream matrix. This dream gave him the circuitry that led to the invention of image compression software. 
    The wet dream, which occurs at the end of the night of dreams and is a heightened sexual state, indicated by morning erections, shows that the sexual content of the dream forces the dreamer, who by then is free of the nightly muscle inhibitors, to act it out. This leads us to surmise that the sexual aspect of the dream tends to manifest on the dream day. A thorough investigation of this circumstance proved the inference right. This led me to devise a test of the dream’s power to compel us to execute its content. It entails the interpretation of the sexual meaning of the dream and making a prediction on account of it. The corresponding manifestations verify my theory.
    I found support in my view that dreams were posthypnotic commands in the experimentations of Professor Libet, who found that our decisions were made unconsciously up to half a second before we became conscious of them. They demonstrate that our decisions are made unconsciously. There is no better explanation of this process than the dream. In short, the subjects tested by Libet would have dreamt the experiments ahead of time, thus providing them with the appropriate dream memory. It was this that determined the unconscious choices 
of the experimentees, registering half a second before becoming conscious fact. 
The somnambulist provides another factor that supports the hypothesis that dreams are posthypnotic commands. He, like the wet dreamer, is in a state of reduced muscle inhibition and is consequently free to act out his dreams. I realise that there is considerable controversy with regard to the causes of sleepwalking. But the difference between the wet dreamer and the somnambulist is minimal. Indeed, why would the dream state be constrained by muscle inhibition if it were not for the prevention of acting out what the dreamer experiences? Clearly somnambulism is a most illustrative case of dreams being posthypnotic commands. There can be little doubt that the dream is very much a posthypnotic command, signalling that our life is in the hands of a Master Hypnotist of infinite capacity. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-17T07:58:10.773Z
Welcome. Answers should not be copy-pasted material. They should, ideally, be carefully synthesized answers that target the question explicitly.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-17T06:55:53.783Z
2018-05-17T06:55:53.783Z
Kurt Forrer 
<blockquote>
  <p>There does seem to be changed activity in the brain, however. The most
  notable data comes from electroencephalographs (EEGs), measurements of
  the electrical activity of the brain. Extensive EEG research has
  demonstrated that brains produce different brain waves, rhythms of
  electrical voltage, depending on their mental state. Deep sleep has a
  different rhythm than dreaming, for example, and full alertness has a
  different rhythm than relaxation.</p>
  
  <p>In some studies, EEGs from subjects under hypnosis showed a boost in
  the lower frequency waves associated with dreaming and sleep, and a
  drop in the higher frequency waves associated with full wakefulness.
  Brain-wave information is not a definitive indicator of how the mind
  is operating, but this pattern does fit the hypothesis that the
  conscious mind backs off during hypnosis and the subconscious mind
  takes a more active role.</p>
  
  <p>Researchers have also studied patterns in the brain's cerebral cortex
  that occur during hypnosis. In these studies, hypnotic subjects showed
  reduced activity in the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, while
  activity in the right hemisphere often increased. Neurologists believe
  that the left hemisphere of the cortex is the logical control center
  of the brain; it operates on deduction, reasoning and convention. The
  right hemisphere, in contrast, controls imagination and creativity. A
  decrease in left-hemisphere activity fits with the hypothesis that
  hypnosis subdues the conscious mind's inhibitory influence.
  Conversely, an increase in right-brain activity supports the idea that
  the creative, impulsive subconscious mind takes the reigns. This is by
  no means conclusive evidence, but it does lend credence to the idea
  that hypnotism opens up the subconscious mind.</p>
  
  <p>Whether or not hypnosis is actually a physiological phenomenon,
  millions of people do practice hypnotism regularly, and millions of
  subjects report that it has worked on them. In the next section, we'll
  look at the most common methods of inducing a hypnotic trance.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Source: <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/extrasensory-perceptions/hypnosis4.htm" rel="nofollow">How Hypnosis Works at How Stuff Works</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-07T15:13:19.623Z
Unreliable secondary source that does not cite any peer-reviewed literature.  Furthermore, the information is overly general (i.e., no explanation of specific oscillatory states) and hinges on outmoded constructs (left-brain/right-brain B.S.)  I believe this merits a downvote, but I will be happy to re-evaluate if you update your answer with some better research =)
Louis Thibault
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-05T23:12:37.427Z
2014-06-05T23:12:37.427Z
kenorb
<p>What brain wave states are most correlated with deep hypnosis?</p>

<cognitive-neuroscience><hypnosis>
What brain wave states are associated with hypnosis?
user242509
# What brain wave states are associated with hypnosis?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-31)

What brain wave states are most correlated with deep hypnosis?

**Tags:** cognitive-neuroscience, hypnosis


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-04-18. Score: 8

Hypnotic states are associated with increased theta wave activity. Hypnotically susceptible participants also exhibit hemispheric beta wave asymmetry, but non-susceptible participants do not (Sabourin, Cutcomb, Crawford and Pribram, 1990).

**References**

* Sabourin, M. E., Cutcomb, S. D., Crawford, H. J., & Pribram, K. (1990). EEG correlates of hypnotic susceptibility and hypnotic trance: Spectral analysis and coherence. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 10(2), 125-142.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-07-22. Score: 3

There is a really nice and recent [review](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945212001773) about the current state of research regarding hypnosis, which also cites the resource of another answer here). I will quote here the part about EEG studies but would recommend to read the whole article (if you can't access the article, [sci-hub](http://sci-hub.bz/) can probably help you).

> 3.1. The EEG spectrum
>
> Historically, the most popular approach to understanding the neural
> substrates of hypnosis has been to examine EEG correlates of
> hypnotizability and changes in the EEG spectrum which occur when
> hypnosis is induced (e.g., Lee et al., 2007; for a comprehensive
> listing of studies, see Hinterberger et al., 2011; Vaitl et al.,
> 2005). Many of these studies were “fishing expeditions”, conducted in
> the hopes that they would yield interesting results, rather than tests
> of specific hypothesis about the nature or locus of electrocortical
> changes associated with hypnosis. Still, they were not always without
> some theoretical rationale, however weak. For example, in the late
> 1960s it was suggested that hypnotizability and hypnosis were
> associated with increased density of alpha activity in the EEG – a
> hypothesis which drew strength from early reports of increased alpha
> density in Zen and yoga meditation, as well as the meditation-like
> experiences once thought to be produced by EEG alpha biofeedback.
> Similar considerations, as well as speculations concerning the
> relevance of 40-Hz activity to focused arousal, perceptual binding,
> and consciousness itself, prompted investigation of the gamma band of
> the EEG (DePascalis, 1999, 2007). Finally, in a manner reminiscent of
> the 19th-century analogy between hypnosis and sleep, the association
> between theta activity and hypnagogic imagery led some investigators
> to focus on this portion of the EEG spectrum (Sabourin et al., 1990;
> Williams and Gruzelier, 2001).
>
> The most thorough of these studies was reported by Ray et al., who
> took advantage of advanced EEG technology to examine alpha, beta, and
> theta activity recorded separately from frontal, temporal, parietal,
> and occipital sites of both left and right hemispheres in hypnotizable
> and insusceptible male and female college students before and after a
> hypnotic induction (Graffin et al., 1995; Ray, 1997). As might be
> imagined, given the 3 × 4 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 design, the results of this
> experiment were quite complex. Analysis of baseline differences,
> before hypnotic induction, revealed higher theta power in hypnotizable
> compared to insusceptible subjects, especially in frontal and temporal
> areas. Hypnotizable subjects showed greater resting alpha activity
> only in the temporal area. The induction of hypnosis decreased theta
> activity in hypnotizable subjects, while increasing it among
> insusceptibles, particularly in parietal and occipital areas. Alpha
> activity generally increased across all sites in all subjects,
> consistent with enhanced relaxation and reduction of visual activity.
> Graffin et al. interpreted the changes in theta as indicative of
> heightened concentration among hypnotizable subjects, but the fact
> that theta activity decreased in hypnotizable subjects and increased
> in insusceptible subjects suggests that, following the induction of
> hypnosis, both groups of subjects were actually in very similar
> cortical states.

I would say the summary is: It's complicated.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I think it is "just harder to" and in the original studies (Griffin et al. 1995 and Ray 1997) they actually talk about "high and low  susceptible individuals" so I don't know why he refers to them as "insusceptible" here.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-16. Score: 2

I am studying hypnotherapy at University and this is what I have learnt.

During the induction stages of hypnosis, the body becomes more and more relaxed and the brain enters changing levels of brain wave pattern. There are five brainwave frequencies, however there are four main different brainwave patterns when looking at hypnosis. These are Beta wave pattern, Alpha wave pattern, Theta wave pattern and Delta wave pattern as measured by an EEG (Electroencephalograph).

In the fully engaged and focused state, the brain will show a Beta wave pattern which is from 15 to 40 cycles per second

In a restful state, the brain will show an Alpha wave pattern which is from 9 to 14 cycles per second

In a deeper state of hypnosis, similar to dreaming and some meditative states, the brain shows a Theta wave pattern which is from 4 to 8 cycles per second

And in the deepest state of hypnosis, the brain shows a Delta wave pattern which is from 1 to 4 cycles per second and it is associated with deep dreamless sleep. The deeper the sleep, the higher the amount of delta waves.

The other brainwave frequency is Gamma (40Hz - 70Hz) associated with Processing of various attended stimuli (visual, auditory, touch) and the grouping of the various features of a given stimulus, particularly visual, into a coherent whole.

An important point is that there is no such thing as a “gamma state” of mind. Gamma waves largely play a supporting – though integral- role in the brain. From an EEG point of view, they will be present mostly while a subject is awake, but they will always be supported by other waves in the beta, alpha, theta, or delta ranges.

Brainwave patterns change in a gradual way. That is to say that it will not switch immediately from say 27Hz (27 cycles per second - Beta Waves) to 2Hz (2 cycles per second - Delta Waves). The frequency of brainwaves gradually decreases and increases as required. The speed of gradual change in brainwave frequency however can be fast or slow depending on the individual and the ability of the hypnotherapist. During reorientation, the brainwave patterns will gradually increase towards the Beta waves bringing the client back to full state of awareness.

All the above mentioned brainwave frequencies are normally present together in the brain. However, the dominant frequency in the EEG pattern determines what shall be called the current state of the brain. If the amplitude of the alpha range frequencies is highest, then the brain is said to be in the alpha stage. Note, that other frequencies still exist and it is impossible to give any "exact frequency your brain is operating on." However, for simplification purpose, it is often assumed that such a single frequency exists.

In general, we are accustomed to using the beta brain rhythm. When we diminish the brain rhythm to alpha, we put ourselves in the ideal condition to learn new information, keep facts, perform elaborate tasks, learn languages and analyse complex situations etc. Meditation, relaxation exercises, and activities that enable the sense of calm, also enable this alpha state. Considered as an integral part of the relaxation process before sleep. The alpha frequency band has been studied extensively in meditations of various kinds (like Zen, TM etc) and in almost all cases an increase in the alpha waves has been noted during meditation.

In the Theta state associated with dreams, deep meditation, sleep, and hypnosis, this is seemed to be involved with short-term memory. It is a state of somnolence with reduced consciousness. The theta-state is described by sleep researchers as stage 1 sleep or the twilight state. In this state, subjects pass out of the alert alpha-state into a theta-state in which they lose their sense of lying in bed, though still being awake.

Subjects can be easily awoken from this stage of sleep, and it has many interesting properties. For a brief time as we lie in bed at night, neither fully awake nor yet asleep, we pass through a twilight mental zone like a state of reverie. Many people associate this drowsy stage with hallucinatory images, more fleeting and disjointed than dreams, and compare it to the viewing of a speeded-up, jerky series of photographic slides. A host of artists and scientists have credited the imagery of this twilight state with creative solutions and inspiration for their work.

Meditative states associated with the increased presence of delta waves seem to occur mostly in very experienced practitioners, possibly because entering a delta state and maintaining consciousness at the same time is tremendously difficult.

Sources: [Chrysalis Courses](http://www.chrysaliscourses.co.uk/our-courses) and [Brain Wave Frequencies](http://www.meditationiseasy.com/instant_meditation/brain_waves_frequencies.php)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-05-17. Score: -1

Excellent observations. Read my article online
The Dream as Posthypnotic
Command
Here is the Abstract
The posthypnotic command is issued in deep hypnosis when a subject’s brainwaves are in theta mode of 4-7 cycles per second. This is the same frequency that the dream state features. It suggests that dreaming and deep hypnosis are equivalent states. The word hypnosis, meaning a condition of sleep, suggests that the ancients understood this equivalence.
When a subject in deep hypnosis is commanded to execute a certain task at a given time after ‘waking up’, the subject will do so at exactly the designated time. When asked for a reason for his action, the answer will never be correct, for while under hypnosis he was asked by the hypnotist to forget the command. But the subject will certainly have a perfectly rational explanation no matter how absurd the order may have been.
This is precisely the case when we are asked to give an explanation for any action we have executed. If my hypothesis is right, our answer to the same question is equally wrong, yet perfectly rational. Indeed, while we have no idea where our motivation arises and where our ideas come from, we are in the same position of darkness as the hypnotised subject.
My research in dreams has convinced me that dreams are the source of our inspiration and motivation. Evidence for this comes from creative people who have received ideas from their dreams or have been presented with solutions by them to their problems. Famous scientific discoveries have been made with the help of dreams by Thomas Edison, Kekulé, Otto Loewi and Elijah Howe, for instance. Among the men of creative writing Robert Louis Stevenson stands out, for he deliberately invoked his dreams to provide him with new plots for stories. But he also suspected that the honing and reworking of his dream plots was also done for him by his “Brownies and Little People” of the night.
Like the posthypnotic suggestion, the dream has a timing device determining when a dream or part of it should manifest in waking time. Perhaps the most convincing evidence for this is Michael Barnsley’s twenty-year nightmare that taunted him to put the wires of a matrix in order. Since he had no idea of what the matrix was supposed to do, he was naturally unable to solve the problem posed to him. The nightmare only ceased after he met Benoit Mandelbrot who had by then invented a computer program for fractal math, a program that provided all the necessary information for Barnsley to understand the dream that ended the nightmares by providing him with the solution of the confused wires of the dream matrix. This dream gave him the circuitry that led to the invention of image compression software.
The wet dream, which occurs at the end of the night of dreams and is a heightened sexual state, indicated by morning erections, shows that the sexual content of the dream forces the dreamer, who by then is free of the nightly muscle inhibitors, to act it out. This leads us to surmise that the sexual aspect of the dream tends to manifest on the dream day. A thorough investigation of this circumstance proved the inference right. This led me to devise a test of the dream’s power to compel us to execute its content. It entails the interpretation of the sexual meaning of the dream and making a prediction on account of it. The corresponding manifestations verify my theory.
I found support in my view that dreams were posthypnotic commands in the experimentations of Professor Libet, who found that our decisions were made unconsciously up to half a second before we became conscious of them. They demonstrate that our decisions are made unconsciously. There is no better explanation of this process than the dream. In short, the subjects tested by Libet would have dreamt the experiments ahead of time, thus providing them with the appropriate dream memory. It was this that determined the unconscious choices
of the experimentees, registering half a second before becoming conscious fact.
The somnambulist provides another factor that supports the hypothesis that dreams are posthypnotic commands. He, like the wet dreamer, is in a state of reduced muscle inhibition and is consequently free to act out his dreams. I realise that there is considerable controversy with regard to the causes of sleepwalking. But the difference between the wet dreamer and the somnambulist is minimal. Indeed, why would the dream state be constrained by muscle inhibition if it were not for the prevention of acting out what the dreamer experiences? Clearly somnambulism is a most illustrative case of dreams being posthypnotic commands. There can be little doubt that the dream is very much a posthypnotic command, signalling that our life is in the hands of a Master Hypnotist of infinite capacity.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Welcome. Answers should not be copy-pasted material. They should, ideally, be carefully synthesized answers that target the question explicitly.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-06-05. Score: -2

> There does seem to be changed activity in the brain, however. The most
> notable data comes from electroencephalographs (EEGs), measurements of
> the electrical activity of the brain. Extensive EEG research has
> demonstrated that brains produce different brain waves, rhythms of
> electrical voltage, depending on their mental state. Deep sleep has a
> different rhythm than dreaming, for example, and full alertness has a
> different rhythm than relaxation.
>
> In some studies, EEGs from subjects under hypnosis showed a boost in
> the lower frequency waves associated with dreaming and sleep, and a
> drop in the higher frequency waves associated with full wakefulness.
> Brain-wave information is not a definitive indicator of how the mind
> is operating, but this pattern does fit the hypothesis that the
> conscious mind backs off during hypnosis and the subconscious mind
> takes a more active role.
>
> Researchers have also studied patterns in the brain's cerebral cortex
> that occur during hypnosis. In these studies, hypnotic subjects showed
> reduced activity in the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, while
> activity in the right hemisphere often increased. Neurologists believe
> that the left hemisphere of the cortex is the logical control center
> of the brain; it operates on deduction, reasoning and convention. The
> right hemisphere, in contrast, controls imagination and creativity. A
> decrease in left-hemisphere activity fits with the hypothesis that
> hypnosis subdues the conscious mind's inhibitory influence.
> Conversely, an increase in right-brain activity supports the idea that
> the creative, impulsive subconscious mind takes the reigns. This is by
> no means conclusive evidence, but it does lend credence to the idea
> that hypnotism opens up the subconscious mind.
>
> Whether or not hypnosis is actually a physiological phenomenon,
> millions of people do practice hypnotism regularly, and millions of
> subjects report that it has worked on them. In the next section, we'll
> look at the most common methods of inducing a hypnotic trance.

Source: [How Hypnosis Works at How Stuff Works](http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/extrasensory-perceptions/hypnosis4.htm)

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Unreliable secondary source that does not cite any peer-reviewed literature.  Furthermore, the information is overly general (i.e., no explanation of specific oscillatory states) and hinges on outmoded constructs (left-brain/right-brain B.S.)  I believe this merits a downvote, but I will be happy to re-evaluate if you update your answer with some better research =)  

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