While astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is an expert on the outer world, Stanford’s Associate Chair of Psychiatry Dr. David Spiegel is an expert on the inner world. Watch their illuminating conversation about the science of hypnosis.
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“Hypnosis is not about losing control; it's about enhancing control over your mind and body.”
— Dr. David Spiegel on StarTalk
Episode Highlights
In this episode of StarTalk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and his co-hosts grill Dr. David Spiegel on the true scientific nature of hypnosis. A skeptical Tyson asks Dr. Spiegel all the toughest questions about his lifelong practice as a clinical psychiatrist and foremost hypnosis expert.
- Watch Dr. Spiegel break down the neuroscience of hypnosis and how it alters brain activity to enhance focus, reduce pain, and improve mental resilience.
- Discover the surprising ways hypnosis is used in medicine, from pain management to speeding up recovery from trauma.
- Find out what your ability to be hypnotized says about your brain and how the Spiegel Eye-Roll Test can measure hypnotizability.
Show Notes
- 00:00 Introduction: David Spiegel
- 03:15 What is Hypnosis?
- 06:55 Is Everyone Hypnotizable?
- 12:33 The Default Mode Network
- 14:20 Hypnosis for Memory Recovery
- 21:22 Self Hypnosis v. Meditation
- 27:43 Do You Need a Good Voice to Hypnotize?
- 28:40 Hypnosis in Medicine
- 37:10 Decreasing Phobias
- 41:06 Enhancing Performance