Increasing reading and test taking skills with hypnosis and suggestion

Abstract

The present study was undertaken after a review of the literature indicated inconclusive evidence as to the effect of hypnotic suggestions on academic skills. Previous studies often did not use appropriate control groups and incorporated inadequate statistical procedures. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of hypnosis on reading skills and academic success while providing an adequate experimental design and statistical methodology. The general hypothesis was that hypnotic suggestions related to the curriculum of a course for improvement of academic and study skills would facilitate that curriculum to a significant degree. To investigate this hypothesis an experimental research design was developed. Ninety-three male and female students enrolled in a course for the improvement of learning were used as subjects. The subjects were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: (1) control, (2) waking suggestions, (3) hypnotic suggestions. Both pre and post data were collected and a simple one-way analysis of variance was performed on change scores. Matched t-tests were also performed on the significance of pre-post changes. Treatment was performed over a four week period as part of regular classwork, and consisted of listening to taped hypnotic or waking suggestions that were related to the course content and general academic skills. Results indicated that hypnotic and waking suggestions did not facilitate academic skill learning significantly more than class curriculum alone. Pre-post comparisons did indicate significant improvement by all groups on reading, writing, study skills, and spelling variables. Several suggestions for future research were given.