Tim Brunson DCH

Welcome to The International Hypnosis Research Institute Web site. Our intention is to support and promote the further worldwide integration of comprehensive evidence-based research and clinical hypnotherapy with mainstream mental health, medicine, and coaching. We do so by disseminating, supporting, and conducting research, providing professional level education, advocating increased level of practitioner competency, and supporting the viability and success of clinical practitioners. Although currently over 80% of our membership is comprised of mental health practitioners, we fully recognize the role, support, involvement, and needs of those in the medical and coaching fields. This site is not intended as a source of medical or psychological advice. Tim Brunson, PhD

When the brain plays music:

Posted At : January 31, 2008 10:06 AM | Posted By : Tim Brunson, PhD
Related Categories: Music Therapy


Music performance is both a natural human activity, present in all societies, and one of the most complex and demanding cognitive challenges that the human mind can undertake. Unlike most other sensory-motor activities, music performance requires precise timing of several hierarchically organized actions, as well as precise control over pitch interval production, implemented through diverse effectors according to the instrument involved. We review the cognitive neuroscience literature of both motor and auditory domains, highlighting the value of studying interactions between these systems in a musical context, and propose some ideas concerning the role of the premotor cortex in integration of higher order features of music with appropriately timed and organized actions.

Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007 Jul;8(7):547-58. Zatorre RJ, Chen JL, Penhune VB. Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. robert.zatorre@mcgill.ca

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John Overdurf

Posted At : January 31, 2008 1:49 AM | Posted By : Tim Brunson, PhD
Related Categories: Who's Who


John has a degree in psychology and was a Certified Addictions Counselor (C.A.C). His first job in the field, before he even graduated from college, was as a full-time therapist in the Detoxification Unit of a local hospital. He entered graduate school, but became disillusioned with how impractical it was, compared to what he was encountering in the "real world" of mental health and drug & alcohol treatment. After working in the"trenches" in mental health and drug & alcohol treatment, he launched a very successful private practice at age 24. He soon became frustrated with the ineffectiveness of traditional approaches to therapy.

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New Insights Into Neuromodulatory Approaches for the Treatment of Pain.

Posted At : January 31, 2008 1:26 AM | Posted By : Tim Brunson, PhD
Related Categories: Pain Management


Two lines of evidence about the association between the experience of pain and brain state (measured via electroencephalogram or EEG) have recently come to light. First, research from a number of sources suggests a link between brain EEG activity and the experience of pain. Specifically, this research suggests that the subjective experience of pain is associated with relatively lower amplitudes of slower wave (delta, theta, and alpha) activity and relatively higher amplitudes of faster wave (beta) activity. Second, there has been a recent increase in interest in interventions that impact the cortical neuromodulation of pain, including behavioral treatments (such as self-hypnosis training and neurofeedback) and both invasive and noninvasive brain stimulation. Although a direct causal link between experience of pain and brain activity as measured by EEG has not been established, the targeting of pain treatment at a cortical level by trying to affect EEG rhythms directly is an intriguing possibility. PERSPECTIVE: Preliminary evidence suggests the possibility, which has not yet adequately tested or proven, that the experience of chronic pain is linked to cortical activity as assessed via an electroencephalogram. Support for this hypothesis would have important implications for understanding the mechanisms that underlie a number of pain treatments, and for developing new innovative treatments for chronic pain management.

J Pain. 2007 Dec 18 Jensen MP, Hakimian S, Sherlin LH, Fregni F. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.

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Effects of "animal hypnosis" on a rhythmic defensive dominant.

Posted At : January 31, 2008 1:25 AM | Posted By : Tim Brunson, PhD
Related Categories: General


A defensive dominant was created in rabbits using rhythmic electrocutaneous stimulation of the left forelimb at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. After stimulation ended, the latent excitation state was tested using sound stimuli. Animals responded either with increases in non-rhythmic paw muscle activity or with rhythmic twitching of the paw at a frequency close to that of the electrocutaneous stimulation. After hypnotization, the incidence of rhythmic responses to the stimulation testing the dominant focus increased, while the incidence of non-rhythmic responses decreased.

Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2008 Jan;38(1):23-30. Galashina AG, Kulikov MA, Bogdanov AV. Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, bogdav@mail.ru.

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Overture for growth hormone: requiem for interleukin-6?

Posted At : January 31, 2008 1:11 AM | Posted By : Tim Brunson, PhD
Related Categories: Music Therapy


Music has been used for therapeutic purposes since the beginning of cultural history. However, despite numerous descriptions of beneficial effects, the precise mechanisms by which music may improve human well-being remain unclear. METHODS: We conducted a randomized study in ten critically ill patients to identify mechanisms of music-induced relaxation using a special selection of slow movements of Mozart's piano sonatas. These sonatas were analyzed for compositional elements of relaxation. We measured circulatory variables, brain electrical activity, serum levels of stress hormones and cytokines, requirements for sedative drugs, and level of sedation before and at the end of a 1-hr therapeutic session. RESULTS: Compared with controls, we found that music application significantly reduced the amount of sedative drugs needed to achieve a comparable degree of sedation. Simultaneously, among those receiving the music intervention, plasma concentrations of growth hormone increased, whereas those of interleukin-6 and epinephrine decreased. The reduction in systemic stress hormone levels was associated with a significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate. CONCLUSION: Based on the effects of slow movements of Mozart's piano sonatas, we propose a neurohumoral pathway by which music might exert its sedative action. This model includes an interaction of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis with the adrenal medulla via mediators of the unspecific immune system

Crit Care Med. 2007 Dec;35(12):2709-13. Comment in: Crit Care Med. 2007 Dec;35(12):2858-9. Conrad C, Niess H, Jauch KW, Bruns CJ, Hartl W, Welker L. Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. cconrad1@partners.org

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