EEG Recordings of Experiments in Hypnotic Age Regression

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that certain subjects, highly susceptible to deep hypnosis, display neurological and electrical activity similar to that of a newborn infant. This was accomplished with appropriate suggestions introduced during hypnosis. In this study, four out of five subjects with a high susceptibility to hypnosis showed a remarkable quantity of high amplitude EEG theta and delta waves (2–4 Hz), reaching 50 to 150 microvolts. Coincidentally all subjects demonstrated behavioral and neurological reflex symptoms appropriate to the infancy state. No similar changes were observed with the same subjects who were given identical suggestions, but without hypnotic induction. A second group with only a slight susceptibility to hypnosis were used as controls. Under hypnosis these subjects did not show any change in their EEG patterns or the appearance of any neurological reflexes. The possibility exists that under hypnosis we were able to stimulate the subjects' unconscious memory of infantile reflexes. Under the influence of very deep hypnosis, subjects revived their memory in some unknown way, producing the ascribed reactions and EEG patterns.