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THE RESEARCH, IN NUMBERS

Hypnosis statistics.

What studies measure. What the numbers show.

Updated ·17 selected findingsReferences ↓

Selected findings

Hypnotizability#
19.2%

classified as highly hypnotizable[1]

19 of 99 German adolescents (ages 15–19) scored 9–12 on the Harvard scale. With a stricter cutoff of 10, the proportion was 8.1%. This is not a worldwide population estimate.

Hypnotizability#
r = .71

stability across 25 years[2]

Correlation in hypnotizability among 50 people followed up. This describes the relationship between measurements, not a success rate.

Treatment outcomes#
40.8%

adequate IBS relief at 3 months[4]

Individual hypnosis versus 16.7% with educational supportive therapy. IMAGINE trial: 342 participants in the intention-to-treat analysis. Relief does not mean cure.

Individual hypnosis40.8 %
Control group16.7 %
01

Hypnotizability

↑
Hypnotizability#
6%

variation explained by personality and gender[3]

A model using the five broad personality dimensions and gender explained approximately 6% of variance after adjustment in 285 undergraduates.

02

Treatment outcomes

↑
Treatment outcomes#
49.5%

IBS relief at 12 months with group hypnosis[4]

Adequate relief compared with 22.6% in the control group of the same IMAGINE trial. These figures do not establish superiority over individual hypnosis.

Treatment outcomes#
53.4%

reduction in hot-flash score[5]

After 6 weeks of hypnosis audio versus 40.9% with the sham intervention; 250 women randomized. The score combines frequency and severity. This is not a cure rate.

Hypnosis53.4 %
Sham intervention40.9 %
Treatment outcomes#
15.0%

continuously abstinent from smoking at 12 months[6]

Hypnosis versus 15.6% with cognitive behavioral therapy after six group sessions each; 360 people randomized. CO-validated outcome, with no statistically significant difference.

Hypnosis15 %
CBT15.6 %
Treatment outcomes#
−1.14 cm

less pain during procedures[7]

Mean difference on the visual analogue scale in 6 randomized trials with 811 participants. 95% confidence interval: −1.86 to −0.41 cm; substantial differences between studies (I² = 91%).

Treatment outcomes#
RR 0.43

relative risk of nausea or vomiting after procedures[7]

3 randomized trials, 185 participants; 95% confidence interval 0.25–0.74. Equivalent to 57% lower relative risk, not 57 percentage points fewer people affected.

Treatment outcomes#
73.0%

fewer urgency-incontinence episodes[8]

Median reduction at 2 months versus 88.6% with medication; 152 women randomized. Hypnosis did not meet the prespecified noninferiority criterion at the primary endpoint.

03

Duration & delivery

↑
Duration & delivery#
78.8%

IBS symptom improvement after 6 sessions[9]

178 of 226 participants improved by at least 50 IBS-SSS points; after 12 sessions, 73.9% (164/222). Six sessions met the noninferiority criterion. Each group was assessed at its treatment completion.

Duration & delivery#
40 / 40

MRI scans completed with hypnosis[10]

Selected patients with claustrophobia in a retrospective Swiss study. All 40/40 in the anesthesia comparison group also completed scanning. Small, nonrandomized study; not a general success guarantee.

04

Use & attitudes

↑
Use & attitudes#
7.6%

had previously undergone hypnosis treatment[11]

Self-report in a demographically balanced online survey of 1,000 US adults, 2019. This is not a Swiss usage estimate.

Use & attitudes#
54.9%

would consider hypnosis treatment[11]

Among respondents who had never undergone hypnosis treatment in the same US survey. Willingness is not actual use.

Use & attitudes#
88%

rated therapeutic rapport as very important[12]

Very or extremely important: responses in a 2023 survey of 691 clinicians across 31 countries. Professional opinion, not a measured treatment effect.

05

Research in numbers

↑
Research in numbers#
49

meta-analyses in one umbrella review[13]

The 2024 review covered 261 distinct primary studies. Nine of the 49 meta-analyses received a high methodological quality rating using AMSTAR 2. This is not a count of all hypnosis research.

Research in numbers#
47.7%

of sleep studies reported positive findings[14]

Of 44 studies in a 2023 review: 47.7% positive, 22.7% mixed, 29.5% no impact. Percentages of studies, not patients; not a success rate weighted by study size.

Sources & methodology

A curated collection of published findings, not an exhaustive systematic review. Literature checked on 19 September 2026. Figures refer to the stated samples and outcomes, not to results at Mion Hypnose. Percentages, correlations and effect sizes measure different things and cannot be ranked against each other. Studies and reviews may overlap.

  1. Peter et al. (2015). Norms of German adolescents for the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Original publication ↗
    ↑ classified as highly hypnotizable
  2. Piccione, Hilgard & Zimbardo (1989). On the degree of stability of measured hypnotizability over a 25-year period. Original publication ↗
    ↑ stability across 25 years
  3. Green (2004). Personality correlates of hypnotizability: findings from the NEO-PI-R. Original publication ↗
    ↑ variation explained by personality and gender
  4. Flik et al. (2019). Efficacy of individual and group hypnotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome (IMAGINE): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Original publication ↗
    ↑ adequate IBS relief at 3 months↑ IBS relief at 12 months with group hypnosis
  5. Self-Administered Hypnosis vs Sham Hypnosis for Hot Flashes: A Randomized Clinical Trial (2025). Original publication ↗
    ↑ reduction in hot-flash score
  6. Batra et al. (2024). Hypnotherapy compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation in a randomized controlled trial. Original publication ↗
    ↑ continuously abstinent from smoking at 12 months
  7. Lahoud, Tell Gurary & Elia (online 2025; issue 2026). Hypnosis for anaesthetists: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Original publication ↗
    ↑ less pain during procedures↑ relative risk of nausea or vomiting after procedures
  8. Komesu et al. (2020). Hypnotherapy or medications: a randomized noninferiority trial in urgency urinary incontinent women. Original publication ↗
    ↑ fewer urgency-incontinence episodes
  9. Hasan et al. (2021). Six vs 12 Sessions of Gut-focused Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial. Original publication ↗
    ↑ IBS symptom improvement after 6 sessions
  10. Rizzo et al. (2021). Is hypnosis a valid alternative to spontaneous breathing general anesthesia for claustrophobic patients undergoing MR exams? A preliminary retrospective study. Original publication ↗
    ↑ MRI scans completed with hypnosis
  11. Palsson, Twist & Walker (2019). A National Survey of Clinical Hypnosis Views and Experiences of the Adult Population in the United States. Original publication ↗
    ↑ had previously undergone hypnosis treatment↑ would consider hypnosis treatment
  12. Palsson et al. (2023). Current Practices, Experiences, and Views in Clinical Hypnosis: Findings of an International Survey. Original publication ↗
    ↑ rated therapeutic rapport as very important
  13. Rosendahl, Alldredge & Haddenhorst (2024). Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: a 20-year perspective. Original publication ↗
    ↑ meta-analyses in one umbrella review
  14. Wofford et al. (2023). Systematic Review of Hypnotherapy for Sleep and Sleep Disturbance. Original publication ↗
    ↑ of sleep studies reported positive findings
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