The Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) is a structured clinical interview and brief hypnotic assessment associated with psychologist Herbert Spiegel. It was designed to help a trained clinician describe how a person responds to a short hypnotic procedure and to estimate that person’s level of hypnotic responsiveness.
The HIP is not simply a personality test, and it is not intended to prove that someone is “hypnotizable” or “not hypnotizable.” Instead, it combines an interview, observation, and a brief induction procedure. The clinician looks at the person’s responses to suggestions and records those responses using a standardized scoring approach.¹
In practice, the HIP may be used to:
Assess a person’s response to hypnotic suggestions
Describe aspects of hypnotic responsiveness
Support clinical decision-making about whether hypnosis may be a useful method
Provide a baseline for discussion or later comparison
Help a clinician tailor language and pacing during hypnotic work
The profile is best understood as a structured assessment of responses in a particular setting, not as a permanent label.
Who developed the HIP?
The HIP was developed by Herbert Spiegel, a psychiatrist and researcher known for his work on hypnosis, dissociation, and clinical assessment. Spiegel’s approach emphasized observable responses to hypnotic suggestions and the person’s manner of entering and maintaining a hypnotic state.
The HIP is often discussed alongside Spiegel’s descriptions of trance capacity, which refers broadly to a person’s ability to experience hypnotic absorption and respond to suggestions. Spiegel also described different patterns of hypnotic responsiveness, including the concept of “trance logic,” in which a person may accept or experience apparently contradictory ideas within hypnosis without treating them as ordinary logical problems.²
These concepts belong to a particular clinical tradition. They should not be treated as the only valid way to understand hypnosis. Contemporary researchers use several methods to study hypnotic responsiveness, including standardized suggestion scales, behavioral observation, self-report, and laboratory measures.
What happens during a HIP?
The exact procedure may vary by clinician and training program, but a HIP generally includes several connected parts.
1. A clinical interview
The clinician begins by asking about the person’s history, current concerns, expectations, prior experiences with hypnosis, and reasons for seeking an assessment. This part is important because hypnotic responses do not occur in a vacuum. Expectations, motivation, attention, trust, the social setting, and the wording of the suggestions can all affect what happens.
A responsible clinician also explains what hypnosis is, what it is not, and what the person can expect. The person should have an opportunity to ask questions and give informed consent.
2. A brief hypnotic induction
The clinician then uses a short induction procedure. An induction commonly directs attention toward an object, bodily sensation, image, or verbal guidance. The person may be invited to focus on a fixed point, relax, notice changes in breathing, or imagine a particular experience.
The induction is not a magical switch. It is a structured way of focusing attention and introducing suggestions. People may experience hypnosis as relaxation, concentration, absorption, imagery, altered bodily sensations, or a combination of these. Some people notice little subjective change while still responding behaviorally to suggestions.
3. Observation of responses
The clinician presents one or more suggestions and observes the person’s responses. Depending on the version and context, observations may include changes in eye position, eyelid behavior, muscle tone, breathing, movement, speech, subjective reports, and responses to suggested experiences.
The clinician is not merely asking whether the person “went under.” The assessment focuses on specific responses and the degree to which those responses appear to occur without deliberate effort.
4. Scoring and interpretation
The clinician records and interprets the responses according to the HIP method. The result is intended to describe the person’s observed hypnotic responsiveness during that assessment.
A score should be interpreted cautiously. It reflects performance under particular conditions, with a particular clinician, using particular instructions. It does not provide a complete account of a person’s imagination, intelligence, honesty, personality, mental health, or capacity to benefit from therapy.
How does the HIP work?
The HIP works by combining focused attention, suggestion, observation, and structured interpretation.
During the procedure, the clinician gives clear instructions designed to guide attention and invite a specific experience. The person listens, concentrates, imagines, notices, and responds. Suggestions may concern movement, sensation, memory, perception, or other experiences, depending on the assessment procedure.
The clinician then evaluates what occurred. For example, the assessment may consider whether a suggested movement happened, whether a suggested sensation was reported, or whether the person displayed observable signs associated with the procedure. The goal is to distinguish among different degrees and forms of response rather than reduce the experience to a simple yes-or-no result.
The HIP therefore works less like a test with a single correct answer and more like a standardized clinical observation. It creates a consistent situation in which hypnotic responses can be discussed and recorded.
Does the HIP measure hypnotizability?
It attempts to assess hypnotic responsiveness, a term often preferred in modern research because it describes what a person does in response to suggestions rather than implying a fixed personal trait. Some literature uses “hypnotizability” to refer to the same general topic.
Research on hypnotic responsiveness has found that people vary considerably in how strongly and consistently they respond to suggestions. Responsiveness is often measured with standardized scales, but scores can be influenced by the assessment procedure, the suggestions used, the person’s expectations, motivation, attention, and the interaction with the hypnotist.³
For that reason, a HIP result should not be treated as an unchangeable ability rating. It may offer useful information, but it is only one source of information.
Is the HIP the same as a standard hypnotizability scale?
No. The HIP and standardized hypnotizability scales are related but not identical.
Research scales, such as the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales, were developed for systematic assessment and research. These scales use a defined series of suggestions and scoring rules. The HIP is a clinical profile associated with Spiegel’s method and includes an interview and observational components.
Different instruments may emphasize different features:
A research scale may prioritize standardized scoring across participants.
A clinical profile may place more emphasis on the person’s presentation and observed manner of responding.
A self-report measure may focus on the person’s subjective experience.
A clinical interview may explore expectations, history, and treatment relevance.
Results from different methods should not automatically be treated as interchangeable.
What does the HIP actually tell a clinician?
A HIP can provide information about how a person responds to a brief hypnotic procedure in a particular clinical context. It may help the clinician consider questions such as:
Does the person readily focus attention on the suggested experience?
Do suggested sensations or movements occur?
Does the person describe the experience as voluntary, involuntary, vivid, unusual, or ordinary?
Does the person appear comfortable with the procedure?
Which forms of suggestion seem most workable?
Does the person maintain attention and follow instructions?
The answers may help guide communication. For example, one person may respond especially well to imagery, while another may respond more readily to concrete sensory instructions. A clinician may use this information to choose language that fits the person’s experience.
However, the HIP does not by itself determine whether hypnosis will resolve a problem, how many sessions someone may need, or which treatment is appropriate.
Does a low score mean that hypnosis will not help?
No. A relatively limited response during a brief assessment does not automatically mean that hypnosis is useless for that person.
Several factors can affect performance:
Nervousness or self-consciousness
Unclear instructions
Distrust or discomfort with the clinician
Low motivation for the task
Strong concern about losing control
Difficulty sustaining attention in that setting
Differences in imagery ability
Fatigue, pain, medication effects, or other temporary conditions
The particular suggestions selected
Cultural or personal expectations about hypnosis
A person may also benefit from hypnotic techniques without showing dramatic responses on a formal assessment. Relaxation, focused attention, imagery, coping statements, and symptom-focused suggestions can be used in therapy even when a person does not experience hypnosis as unusual or highly absorbing.
Conversely, a strong response during an assessment does not guarantee clinical improvement. Treatment outcomes depend on many factors, including the problem being addressed, the quality of the therapeutic relationship, the treatment plan, the person’s goals, and the presence of appropriate medical or psychological care.
Does a high score mean that someone is gullible?
No. Hypnotic responsiveness should not be equated with gullibility, weak-mindedness, low intelligence, or poor judgment.
People who respond strongly to hypnosis may remain aware, think critically, and choose whether to follow suggestions. Hypnotic responding is influenced by attention, expectations, motivation, imagination, social context, and the ability to become absorbed in an experience. It is not adequately explained by a single character trait.⁴
A person can respond strongly to suggestions in one situation and decline to respond in another. People also differ in which suggestions they accept and how they describe their experience.
Can someone resist hypnosis?
Yes. People can decline suggestions, stop participating, open their eyes, speak, move, or end the procedure. Hypnosis does not require a person to surrender control to the hypnotist.
A person may resist because the instructions do not make sense, the setting feels uncomfortable, the goal is unappealing, the clinician has not established sufficient trust, or the person simply does not want the suggested experience. Resistance can also be intentional and appropriate. Consent remains important throughout the assessment.
The clinician should not pressure someone to perform a response or interpret nonresponse as a personal failure.
Is hypnosis an altered state of consciousness?
The answer depends on how the term is defined and which theory is being used.
Some theories describe hypnosis as a distinct altered state involving changes in attention, awareness, perception, and subjective experience. Other theories emphasize ordinary psychological processes, such as expectation, role enactment, focused attention, interpretation, and the social context. Contemporary scholarship includes disagreement about how best to explain hypnosis, and no single account has settled every question.⁵
The HIP does not resolve this theoretical debate. It provides a practical way to observe and describe responses during a hypnotic procedure.
What might a person experience during the HIP?
Experiences vary widely. A person may notice:
Concentrated attention
Relaxation or heaviness
Lightness or unusual body sensations
Changes in time perception
Vivid imagery
Reduced awareness of surrounding sounds
A sense that movement or sensation is happening automatically
No striking subjective change
Greater awareness of thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations
There is no required feeling of deep sleep. The word “hypnosis” can create the mistaken impression that a person must become unconscious. In most hypnotic procedures, the person can hear the clinician and may remember the session clearly.
A person’s subjective report matters, but it is not the only source of information. Some people report a subtle experience while showing clear responses to suggestions; others report vivid internal changes with less obvious outward behavior.
Is the HIP safe?
A properly conducted hypnotic assessment is generally intended to be a low-risk procedure, but no psychological procedure is appropriate for everyone or risk-free in every context.
Possible unwanted experiences may include temporary discomfort, anxiety, embarrassment, confusion about what occurred, or distress related to an unpleasant suggestion or memory. These risks can be reduced when the clinician explains the procedure clearly, obtains informed consent, avoids coercion, uses appropriate suggestions, and allows the person to stop.
Hypnosis should not be used to replace needed medical evaluation or treatment. It also should not be used to encourage confidence in the accuracy of uncertain memories. Memory can be influenced by suggestion, and hypnosis is not a reliable method for recovering historically accurate memories.⁶
People with significant mental health symptoms, trauma-related concerns, neurological conditions, or complex medical issues should discuss hypnosis with an appropriately qualified health professional who understands the relevant risks and alternatives.
Can the HIP recover hidden memories?
No. The HIP should not be used as a method for uncovering supposedly hidden or forgotten facts.
Hypnosis can increase a person’s confidence in a memory without reliably increasing the memory’s accuracy. Suggestions introduced during hypnosis may also contribute to errors or confabulated details. For this reason, professional guidance generally cautions against treating hypnotically recalled material as independently verified evidence.⁶
If a person recalls something emotionally important during or after hypnosis, the material should be approached carefully. A memory can feel vivid and meaningful while still requiring independent confirmation before anyone treats it as factual.
Can the HIP diagnose a psychological condition?
No. The HIP is not, by itself, a diagnostic instrument for conditions such as anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, trauma-related disorders, psychotic disorders, or personality disorders.
A hypnotic response is not a diagnosis. Strong absorption, unusual bodily experiences, or responses to suggestions can occur in people with many different backgrounds. Diagnosis requires a broader clinical evaluation using appropriate professional methods.
Likewise, a clinician should not infer that a person has a disorder simply because the person responds strongly or weakly to hypnosis.
How should HIP results be explained to a client?
A clear explanation should avoid labels that sound permanent or judgmental. A clinician might say that the procedure showed how the person responded to selected suggestions under specific conditions.
A useful explanation can include:
What the procedure measured
What was observed
What the result may suggest
What it does not establish
How the information may affect future treatment
The person’s own experience and preferences
The client should be invited to describe what the procedure felt like. Their account may reveal important information that a score alone cannot capture.
What are the limitations of the HIP?
The HIP has several important limitations.
It is context-dependent
Responses may change with the clinician, setting, instructions, expectations, motivation, and relationship. A single assessment cannot capture every way a person might respond to hypnosis.
It is not a complete measure of treatment potential
A person may respond to suggestions yet receive little benefit from a particular intervention. Another person may show modest responses during testing but find focused attention or imagery useful in therapy.
It should not be interpreted without training
Observation and scoring require knowledge of the method. Casual use of a few hypnotic exercises is not equivalent to conducting a formal HIP assessment.
It does not replace clinical judgment
The result should be considered alongside the person’s goals, history, current symptoms, medical needs, treatment preferences, and informed consent.
Its theoretical interpretation remains limited
The HIP can describe responses, but it cannot by itself establish why those responses occurred. Different theories may explain the same observation in different ways.
What should someone look for in a practitioner?
Anyone considering a HIP should ask about the practitioner’s education, professional license, training in hypnosis, experience with the specific assessment, and plans for using the information.
Helpful questions include:
What is the purpose of the assessment?
What will happen during the procedure?
How will the results be scored and explained?
Will I be able to stop at any time?
How will the assessment affect treatment planning?
What alternatives are available?
How will privacy and records be handled?
For a health concern, it is wise to choose a licensed health professional whose training matches the concern being addressed. Hypnosis training alone does not qualify someone to diagnose or treat every medical or psychological problem.
What is the main takeaway?
The Hypnotic Induction Profile is a structured clinical method for observing and describing a person’s responses to a brief hypnotic procedure. It can offer useful information about attention, suggestion response, subjective experience, and possible treatment preferences.
It is not a mind-control test, an intelligence test, a diagnosis, a guarantee of treatment success, or a method for recovering reliable hidden memories. Its results are most useful when interpreted cautiously by a properly trained professional and discussed with the person who completed the assessment.
The most accurate view is practical: the HIP may help a clinician understand how a person responds to hypnosis in a particular situation, but it is one part of a broader clinical conversation.
Notes
Herbert Spiegel and David Spiegel, Trance and Treatment: Clinical Uses of Hypnosis, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, 1987).
Herbert Spiegel, “The Dissociated Control of Attention,” in Hypnosis: Theory, Research and Practice, edited by J. F. Schenck, relevant publication details requiring verification before use. This claim has therefore been qualified in the article rather than cited as a standalone bibliographic note.
Mark P. Jensen, “Psychological Approaches to Pain Management: A Practitioner’s Handbook,” relevant publication details requiring verification before use. General claims about variability in hypnotic responsiveness are supported in the broader hypnosis literature, but a complete verified note for this specific claim is not supplied here.
Irving Kirsch, “Response Expectancy as a Determinant of Experience,” American Psychologist 40, no. 11 (1985): 1189–1202.
Michael R. Nash and Amanda J. Barnier, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis: Theory, Research, and Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008).
American Psychological Association, Division 30, “Definition of Hypnosis,” revised 2014; and Elizabeth F. Loftus and Jacqueline E. Pickrell, “The Formation of False Memories,” Psychiatric Annals 25, no. 12 (1995): 720–725.