Question

Josefina wants to get an ear piercing and decides to put herself in a hypnotic state during the piercing. Which of the following is MOST likely to be true, according to the 'States of Consciousness' reading?

a) She will feel intense pain during the piercing.
b) She will have no memory of the piercing afterward.
c) She will experience heightened awareness of her surroundings.
d) She will have difficulty falling asleep that night.

Answer 1

Josefina in a hypnotic state during the piercing is likely to experience reduced pain sensation due to the dissociation of consciousness, a form of altered state of consciousness induced by hypnosis.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the 'States of Consciousness' reading, Josefina putting herself in a hypnotic state during the ear piercing is most likely to experience a dissociation of consciousness. This theory suggests that while she may still press a button to indicate pain, as per the experiments conducted by Ernest Hilgard, she would not consciously feel the pain because her attention is diverted. Hypnosis in this context means that she enters an altered state of consciousness where she has a reduced awareness of external stimuli and an increased focus on internal cues or the hypnotist's suggestions, which in this case might include the suggestion that she will not feel pain during the piercing.