*1.1.4 Hypnosis and meditation phenomenology*

Sustaining and focusing attention in both meditation and hypnosis lead to similar changes in mental state [21]. In a study involving two groups, Indian Kundalini

#### *Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis*

meditators in one group and highly hypnotizables in the other. Directly, the two studies cannot be compared as they analyzed the data differently; however, both deep self-hypnosis and meditation were associated with alterations in self-awareness, state of awareness, perception, time sense and meaning with changes in imagery, rationality, and vividness due to elevation on Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI), and both processes were accompanied with feelings of love and joy [11].

Comparing the PCI results for medium and deep absorptions (levels 1–2 vs. 3–4) described in Buddhist texts [22] with medium and deep levels of hypnosis [17] are other ways of similarities elaborations. Whether it is hypnosis or meditation, experience tends to be more vivid at medium levels and more aplomb at deep levels [11].
