Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

[JAStewart]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8359170.stm

Hypnosis has a "very real" effect that can be picked up on brain scans, say Hull University researchers.

Thoughts?

[bluesjnr]

An entirely unscientific opinion follows;

I suppose, given that some area of the brain is stimulated by the requests made by the hypnotist to imagine this and feel that; then surely it is being stimulated in the same way that it might be when we think about any given scenario. To me, the fact that the decrease apparently seen in the activity in those parts of the brain that handle day dreaming and letting the mind wander backs up my incredibly weak hypothesis. The subject is being coerced to concentrate.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that these "results" go anywhere near starting off down the road of proving hypnotism works. As the article states

so it was not clear whether the changes in the brain were due to the act of doing the task or an effect of hypnosis.

Makes it look more like a filler piece than scientific journalism.