Autonomic responses to suggestions for cold and warmth in hypnosis

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether suggestions for co ld or warmth during hypnosis affect fingertip skin temperature. Hypnosis wi thout specific suggestions for cold or warmth ('neutral hypnosis') caused a drop in respiration frequency, however, pulse rate, fingertip skin tempera ture, and electrodermal activity were not affected. The cold and warmth sug gestions decreased and increased fingertip skin temperature, respectively. Compared with the neutral trance phase, the other three autonomic variables measured were also affected by suggestions for cold. However, there was no association between the changes in autonomic variables induced by suggesti ons and hypnotizability scores measured by the 'Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale for Adults'. Fingertip skin temperature was mostly affected when the images used for the cold and warmth suggestions during hypnosis included ex periences of physical temperature and psychological stress or relaxation, i ndicating that the psychological content of the imagery amplified the auton omic response.