Huberman Lab Podcast – Essentials: Using Hypnosis to Enhance Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. David Spiegel

Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Andrew Huberman, Ph.D.
Guest: Dr. David Spiegel, Stanford University Psychiatrist and World-Leading Expert on Hypnosis

Episode Overview

This “Essentials” episode distills the most actionable and vital science-based tools and knowledge about hypnosis for mental and physical health and performance. Dr. Andrew Huberman interviews Dr. David Spiegel, a renowned psychiatrist and researcher in the field of clinical hypnosis. Their discussion covers what hypnosis truly is, how it works in the brain, its therapeutic applications—from stress reduction and sleep to trauma recovery, phobias, pain, and beyond—the science of hypnotizability, clinical versus stage hypnosis, and ways people can incorporate hypnosis and self-hypnosis into their daily lives.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Defining Hypnosis ([00:24]–[01:30])

• Dr. Spiegel’s Description:
  • Hypnosis is “a state of highly focused attention. It's something like looking through the telephoto lens of a camera... you see with great detail, but devoid of context” ([00:27] B).
  • Everyday experiences like getting lost in a good movie are similar to hypnosis—a loss of the usual critical evaluation, a deep absorption in experience rather than evaluation.
• Common Misconceptions:
  • Most people associate hypnosis with stage acts (i.e., “losing control”), but clinical hypnosis is about gaining control over mind and body.
  • Quote: “Self hypnosis is a way of enhancing your control over your mind and your body. ... You're able to shift sets very easily. ... That’s a great therapeutic opportunity.” ([01:45] B)

2. Clinical vs. Stage Hypnosis ([01:30]–[02:33])

• Stage hypnosis:
  • “Making fools out of people and you’re using the fact, and that’s what scares people about hypnosis.” ([01:45] B)
• Clinical hypnosis:
  • Focuses on self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and therapeutic benefit—not entertainment.

3. Neural Mechanisms of Hypnosis ([02:33]–[06:13])

• Brain Areas Involved:

  • Reduced activity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC)—less conflict detection, increased focus.

  • Increased connectivity between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the insula—enhanced mind-body control.

    • Notable Experiment: Hypnotized participants imagining food increased gastric acid secretion by 87%.

  • Inverse connectivity between DLPFC and the posterior cingulate cortex—suppressing self-referential processing and enabling cognitive flexibility.

  • Quote: “The brain has this amazing ability to control what’s going on in the body in ways that we don’t think we have ability to control.” ([04:21] B)

4. Applications of Hypnosis ([06:13]–[10:35])

• Attention, Focus, and ADHD:
  • Hypnosis trains the mind to focus and has shown utility in enhancing focus, though effectiveness depends on individual hypnotizability.
  • Quote: “For some people with that disorder [ADHD], training in self hypnosis might help, but we’d have to see how hypnotizable they were and take it from there.” ([06:30] B)
• Stress Reduction:
  • Hypnosis helps dissociate bodily stress reactions from psychological stress, increasing feelings of control.
  • Imagery Technique: Imagine physical comfort even when confronting psychological stressors ([07:39] B).
• Sleep:
  • Hypnosis protocols (including apps) can help with insomnia and sleep depth ([09:10] A).
• Phobias:
  • By enabling safer engagement with feared situations, hypnosis helps create new, positive associations.

5. Mechanisms for Trauma & Phobia Recovery ([10:35]–[16:44])

• State-Dependent Therapy:
  • Hypnosis can rapidly enable desensitization and restructuring of traumatic memories by mimicking the dissociative states in which traumas occur.
  • Case Study: Woman traumatized by assault used hypnosis to process previously inaccessible aspects of her experience, discovering both a heightened threat and her own effectiveness in resisting.
  • Notable Quote: “[With hypnosis] you can do it a hell of a lot faster and more efficiently... sometimes effectively.” ([11:08] B)
• Supporting Studies:
  • Randomized trials suggest adding hypnosis to PTSD treatment can improve outcomes.

6. Hypnotizability: What It Is & How to Assess It ([20:35]–[23:50])

• Measuring Hypnotizability:
  • About 1/3 of adults are not hypnotizable; 2/3 are, with 15% being highly responsive.
  • The Spiegel Eye Roll Test:
    • Look up at the ceiling, close eyelids. Eye rolling upwards (sclera visible) indicates higher hypnotizability; eyes dropping downward (iris visible) indicates lower.
  • Neuroscience of Eye Movements:
    • Eye position and movement are closely tied to states of consciousness.
    • Closing eyes is typically restful; “resting alertness” with focused upward gaze signals internal focus.

7. Self-Hypnosis vs. Clinical Hypnosis ([16:44]–[19:17])

• Clinical guidance is recommended initially—licensed practitioners can discern when mind-body therapies are appropriate.
• Dr. Spiegel's App (Reverie):
  • Provides self-hypnosis routines for pain, sleep, stress, eating, and focus.
  • Even 1–2 minute “refreshers” can yield results for many users.

8. Limitations & Suitability ([19:17]–[20:43])

• OCD & Obsessionality:
  • People with obsessive tendencies (especially OCD) are less likely to be hypnotizable given their strong cognitive control mechanisms.
  • “Their evaluative component of the brain kind of overrides the experiential one.” ([19:23] B)

9. Engaging with Trauma & Phobia Safely ([23:50]–[26:22])

• The value lies not only in exposure but in voluntary and controlled confrontation—the patient chooses when/how to confront distressing material.
• It’s not just about reliving, but redefining and managing the experience.
• Quote: “You want to find a way to feel in control of the access, and to define what happened on your own terms.” ([25:07] B)

10. Adaptiveness of Mind-Body Control ([26:22]–[28:42])

• Hypnosis isn’t about absolute control, but more control. It helps interpret bodily signals and emotional pain as cues for action, not just passive suffering.

11. Special Populations & Group Hypnosis ([28:42]–[30:30])

• Children:
  • Highly hypnotizable; require more structure. Can use hypnosis for procedural pain or anxiety.
  • Study: Children listening to guided hypnosis before medical procedures experienced less pain and anxiety, resulting in quicker procedures.
• Groups:
  • Hypnosis can be successfully conducted in group settings, even among cancer patient support groups.
  • Group hypnosis brings out strong social and therapeutic benefits.

12. Role of Breathing and Body States ([30:30]–[32:15])

• Breath control (especially prolonged exhalation/cyclic sighing) enhances hypnotic relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Breathing:
  • “Breathing is very interesting because it’s right at the edge of conscious and unconscious control... a way for us to demonstrate to ourselves greater ways of modulating our internal state.” ([30:42] B)
• Entering a hypnotic state doesn’t necessarily require stillness; high performers (musicians, athletes) often enter hypnotic-like “flow” states in action.

13. Resources & Finding Reputable Hypnosis Practitioners ([33:15]–[34:11])

• Apps:
  • Reverie (app store, reverie.com)
• Professional Societies:
  • Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH)
  • American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH)
• Seek clinicians who are both licensed in their primary field and trained in hypnosis.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention. … If you’ve had the experience of getting so caught up in a good movie that you forget you’re watching a movie and enter the imagined world, you’re part of the movie, not part of the audience. … That’s a hypnotic-like experience.” – Dr. Spiegel ([00:27])
• “Self hypnosis is a way of enhancing your control over your mind and your body.” – Dr. Spiegel ([01:45])
• “The brain has this amazing ability to control what’s going on in the body in ways that we don’t think we have ability to control.” – Dr. Spiegel ([04:21])
• “It’s not just about the state you get into, but whether or not you brought yourself there voluntarily.” – Andrew Huberman ([24:17])
• “You want to find a way to feel in control of the access and to define what happened on your own terms.” – Dr. Spiegel ([25:07])
• On group hypnosis: "If anything, I think it brings out the best in people's abilities because it's a shared social experience." – Dr. Spiegel ([30:17])
• On breathing: “Breathing is very interesting because it's right at the edge of conscious and unconscious control... a way for us to demonstrate to ourselves greater ways of modulating our internal state.” – Dr. Spiegel ([30:42])

Essential Timestamps

• [00:27] What is hypnosis, everyday hypnotic experiences
• [01:45] Clinical vs. stage hypnosis, misconceptions
• [02:33] Brain networks involved in hypnosis
• [04:21] Mind-body control experiment with hypnosis
• [06:30] Hypnosis for focus, potential for ADHD
• [07:39] Hypnosis for stress reduction and sleep
• [10:35] Narrative and brain state in trauma work
• [11:08] Case study on using hypnosis for trauma
• [17:42] Clinical guidance and transition to self-hypnosis
• [20:35] Hypnotizability and Spiegel eye roll test
• [23:50] Voluntary confrontation and therapeutic exposure
• [26:22] Adaptive mind-body conceptualization, pain modulation
• [28:42] Hypnosis for children
• [30:05] Group hypnosis
• [30:42] Breath as a mind-body bridge
• [33:15] Learning hypnosis, resources
• [34:11] Finding a reputable practitioner

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The discussion is warm, deeply practical, and evidence-based, emphasizing both the neuroscientific underpinnings and broad real-world applications of hypnosis. Both Dr. Huberman and Dr. Spiegel are committed to demystifying hypnosis, separating it from stage trickery, and positioning it as a powerful, research-backed tool anyone can learn—with or without professional guidance. Control, flexibility, and voluntary self-exploration are recurring themes, inspiring listeners to consider hypnosis as a legitimate route to improved mental and physical health.

Further Resources

• Reverie App: reverie.com / App Store
• Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: SCEH.us
• American Society for Clinical Hypnosis: ASCH.net

This episode provides a thorough, actionable blueprint for anyone interested in harnessing hypnosis for performance, healing, or personal growth—grounded in both science and experience.