THE EVOLUTIONARY NATURE OF HYPNOSIS: FROM PACK BEHAVIOR TO THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF SUBMISSION

This paper proposes a fundamental revision of the nature of hypnosis, grounded in evolutionary biology and neurophysiology. Hypnosis is presented not as a therapeutic technique, but as an evolutionarily established mechanism of group synchronization, ensuring pack survival through instantaneous submission to a leader. The primary trigger of submission is a multimodal non-verbal signal (posture, facial expressions, voice timbre, scent, behavioral patterns), processed by the limbic system below the level of conscious awareness. Submission is accompanied by endogenous cannabinoid and opioid reward, reinforcing the behavioral pattern at a biochemical level.
The inadequacy of classical hypnosis models (directive, Ericksonian, and others) is demonstrated from the perspectives of neurophysiology and evolutionary development. Concepts such as "hypnotizability," "depth stages," and limitations of suggestibility are critiqued. Evidence is presented for the possibility of instantaneous full submission (catalepsy) with prolonged physiological changes (induced weightlessness, osteoporosis, glucose reduction in type 2 diabetes). A revision is proposed for the scientific understanding of hypnosis, the training of practitioners, and an expansion of its clinical application—including the modulation of the HPA axis as a foundational therapy for stress-associated disorders.
Keywords: hypnosis, evolution, pack behavior, leadership, submission, limbic system, dominant focus, catalepsy, endogenous cannabinoids, HPA axis, type 2 diabetes, stress