The “Hidden Observer” as the Cognitive Unconscious During Hypnosis

Császár, Noémi; Scholkmann, Felix; Kapócs, Gábor; Bókkon, István

doi:10.1007/bf03379735

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 73 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In hypnosis, the individual undergoing hypnosis will often describe the events of a memory from a third-person perspective where the person speaking is dissociated from the feelings of the event, known as the hidden observer phenomenon ( Hilgard 2017 ). Furthermore, in the hypnotic state, these hidden observers access information unknown to the individual, often explained by access to information that is latently held in the unconscious depths of the brain ( Császár et al. 2016 ).…”

Section: The Cognitive Theater: Binding Of Experience By Synchronymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hierarchical consciousness: the Nested Observer Windows model

Riddle,

Schooler

2024

Neuroscience of Consciousness

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Foremost in our experience is the intuition that we possess a unified conscious experience. However, many observations run counter to this intuition: we experience paralyzing indecision when faced with two appealing behavioral choices, we simultaneously hold contradictory beliefs, and the content of our thought is often characterized by an internal debate. Here, we propose the Nested Observer Windows (NOW) Model, a framework for hierarchical consciousness wherein information processed across many spatiotemporal scales of the brain feeds into subjective experience. The model likens the mind to a hierarchy of nested mosaic tiles—where an image is composed of mosaic tiles, and each of these tiles is itself an image composed of mosaic tiles. Unitary consciousness exists at the apex of this nested hierarchy where perceptual constructs become fully integrated and complex behaviors are initiated via abstract commands. We define an observer window as a spatially and temporally constrained system within which information is integrated, e.g. in functional brain regions and neurons. Three principles from the signal analysis of electrical activity describe the nested hierarchy and generate testable predictions. First, nested observer windows disseminate information across spatiotemporal scales with cross-frequency coupling. Second, observer windows are characterized by a high degree of internal synchrony (with zero phase lag). Third, observer windows at the same spatiotemporal level share information with each other through coherence (with non-zero phase lag). The theoretical framework of the NOW Model accounts for a wide range of subjective experiences and a novel approach for integrating prominent theories of consciousness.

show abstract

Section: The Cognitive Theater: Binding Of Experience By Synchronymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hierarchical consciousness: the Nested Observer Windows model

Riddle,

Schooler

2024

Neuroscience of Consciousness

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Since hypnosis allows access to the unconscious brain and could modulate unconscious (implicit) information, it could be a significant adjuvant technique that is not used in everyday practice and is basically just being researched [ 10 , 180 , 181 ].…”

Section: Hypnosismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hypnotherapy is particularly effective in children with IBS [ 189 , 196 , 197 ]. The favourable effects of hypnosis on IBS may be because hypnosis allows access to unconscious brain processes that could modulate stress-associated unconscious (implicit) information originating from the ENS [ 9 , 10 , 180 , 181 ] and the mind-brain axis in patients with IBS [ 11 ].…”

Section: Summary With Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%