Does Hypnotherapy Actually Work? What 261 Studies and 49 Meta-Analyses Tell Us

You already know hypnotherapy works. You’ve seen it with your own eyes — in sessions, in training, maybe in your own life.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: knowing something works and being able to prove it are two very different things.

That’s where the research comes in.

Whether you’re building a practice, having a conversation with a skeptic or trying to help a potential client, being fluent in the evidence isn’t just useful — it’s essential. 

It’s what separates a confident, credible hypnotherapist from one who’s always playing defense.

The good news? The science has never been stronger.

Researchers have now published 49 meta-analyses covering 261 randomized controlled trials on hypnosis. And the findings across anxiety, IBS, pain management, surgical procedures, and more paint a clear picture: hypnotherapy has earned its place as a legitimate, evidence-based therapeutic tool.

In this article, we’ll break down exactly what the research shows — condition by condition — so you can speak to it clearly, refer to it confidently, and use it to serve your clients at the highest level.

Understanding What “Evidence-Based” Actually Means

Before diving into the research, it’s worth understanding how clinical evidence works. This knowledge helps you evaluate any health claim you encounter, not just those about hypnotherapy.

Clinical research operates on a hierarchy of evidence. At the bottom are case reports and expert opinions. Above those sit observational studies. Near the top are randomized controlled trials (RCTs), where participants are randomly assigned to receive either the treatment being studied or a comparison condition.

At the very top sit meta-analyses, which combine data from multiple RCTs to reach more reliable conclusions. When multiple meta-analyses examine the same question, you’re looking at the most robust evidence available.

Researchers use something called effect size to measure how much a treatment actually helps. The most common measure is Cohen’s d. An effect size of 0.2 is considered small. An effect size of 0.5 is medium. An effect size of 0.8 or higher is considered large. For context, a large effect size means the treatment creates meaningful, noticeable differences for most people who receive it.

Why does this matter? Because a treatment might “work” in the sense that people feel better, but the question is whether it works better than doing nothing, better than a placebo, or better than alternative treatments.

With that foundation, let’s look at what the research actually shows.

The Headline Finding: 49 Meta-Analyses, 261 Studies

In January 2024, researchers from Jena University Hospital in Germany and Baylor University in the United States published a comprehensive overview of hypnosis research in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology. Their approach was methodical: they analyzed every meta-analysis of hypnosis published between 2003 and 2022.

The result? They identified 49 meta-analyses encompassing 261 distinct randomized controlled trials. Across these studies, reported effect sizes ranged from essentially zero (d = -0.04) to remarkably large (d = 2.72).

The breakdown of effect sizes tells an important story. About 34.7% of effects were small. Another 25.4% were medium. And 28.8% were large, meaning more than a quarter of the measured outcomes showed substantial benefits from hypnosis interventions.

The researchers found the most robust evidence in two areas: patients undergoing medical procedures (12 reviews covering 79 studies) and patients experiencing pain (4 reviews covering 65 studies). They also found strong evidence for hypnosis with children and adolescents.

This overview provides a foundational picture, but the real insights come from examining specific conditions.

The Evidence by Condition

Anxiety: 84% Improvement Over Controls

A 2019 meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis examined 15 studies with 17 trials of hypnosis for anxiety. The findings were striking.

At the end of active treatment, participants receiving hypnosis reduced their anxiety more than approximately 79% of control participants (effect size d = 0.79). At follow-up assessments, this figure rose to 84% (effect size d = 0.99).

What makes this particularly noteworthy is that the effects actually increased over time, suggesting that hypnosis may teach skills that continue working after treatment ends.

The researchers also found that hypnosis was most effective when combined with other psychological interventions rather than used as a standalone treatment. This aligns with how most evidence-based hypnotherapists actually practice, integrating hypnosis with cognitive-behavioral techniques.

A classic 1995 meta-analysis by Kirsch found that adding hypnosis to cognitive-behavioral therapy substantially enhanced treatment outcomes, with the average client receiving cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy showing greater improvement than at least 70% of clients receiving non-hypnotic treatment.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Guideline-Recommended Treatment

For irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the evidence has reached a level where major medical organizations now recommend hypnotherapy.

The American College of Gastroenterology’s clinical guidelines suggest gut-directed psychotherapy, including hypnotherapy, for treating global IBS symptoms. The British Society of Gastroenterology similarly recommends hypnotherapy for patients whose symptoms don’t respond to first-line treatments. The American Gastroenterological Association now officially recommends brain-gut behavior therapies, including gut-directed hypnotherapy, as integral components of evidence-based IBS care.

The research backing these recommendations spans decades. According to the 2024 Frontiers in Psychology overview, ten meta-analyses covering 19 primary studies have examined hypnosis for IBS, showing improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms, pain, bloating, and quality of life.

A 2024 mini-review in Frontiers in Psychology summarized the current state of knowledge: “Gut-directed hypnosis is one of the rare success stories of hypnosis in medicine. It has been recommended by European and North American gastroenterology guidelines for the management of IBS.”

What’s particularly compelling about the IBS research is its durability. Multiple studies show that benefits persist long after treatment ends, sometimes for years.

Pain Management: 85 Studies, Real Effects

Pain is where hypnosis research has perhaps the longest and most substantial track record.

A large meta-analysis published in 2019 examined 85 controlled trials involving 3,632 participants. The researchers found analgesic effects of hypnosis across all pain outcomes, with effect sizes ranging from 0.54 to 0.76.

For acute pain, particularly in medical and surgical settings, the evidence is especially strong. A 2025 systematic review found that medical hypnosis decreased acute pain by 0.54 standard deviations compared to standard care, a medium and statistically significant effect.

The 2024 Frontiers in Psychology overview identified pain as one of the areas with the most robust evidence, drawing from four reviews covering 65 primary studies.

What’s particularly interesting is how hypnotic suggestibility affects outcomes. The 2019 meta-analysis found that optimal pain relief occurred for people with high hypnotic suggestibility (42% clinically meaningful reductions in pain) and medium suggestibility (29% reductions). Those with low suggestibility showed minimal benefits.

This finding highlights something important: hypnotherapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Individual differences matter, and a skilled hypnotherapist can assess suggestibility and adjust their approach accordingly.

A review in PMC examining controlled prospective trials concluded that “hypnosis interventions consistently produce significant decreases in pain associated with a variety of chronic-pain problems” and that “hypnosis was generally found to be more effective than nonhypnotic interventions such as attention, physical therapy, and education.”

If you want to go deeper into hypnotic pain control, Igor Ledochowski’s Hypnotic Pain Control program gives you the principles and techniques to become a skilled hypnotherapist equipped to help people in chronic and acute pain. Find out more here.

PTSD: Large Effect Sizes, Promising Results

For post-traumatic stress disorder, the research base is smaller but the effects are notable.

A 2016 meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis examined six experimental studies testing hypnosis-based treatments for PTSD. The researchers found a large effect in favor of hypnosis (d = 1.17) at post-treatment.

What’s particularly striking is the durability of these effects. At four-week follow-up, the effect size actually increased to d = 1.58. Long-term evaluations at 12 months continued to show strong effects.

Another meta-analysis examining hypnotherapeutic techniques for PTSD symptoms found an overall Cohen’s d of -1.18, which is statistically significant and large by clinical standards. The researchers calculated that it would take 290 non-significant studies to nullify these findings.

While more research is needed, the existing studies suggest hypnotherapy may be a valuable tool for trauma treatment, particularly for patients who haven’t responded well to other approaches.

Medical Procedures and Surgery: Reducing Pain, Medication, and Recovery Time

Perhaps the most dramatic evidence for hypnosis comes from surgical settings.

At the University Hospital of Liège in Belgium, Professor Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville has pioneered the use of hypnosedation, a technique combining hypnosis with local anesthesia and light sedation. According to the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis, since 1992, her team has performed hypnosedation on over 9,000 patients for procedures including thyroid surgery, breast cancer operations, and other interventions.

TIME Magazine reported that Dr. Faymonville logged more than 5,100 surgeries using hypnosedation, which replaces general anesthesia with hypnosis, local anesthesia, and a mild sedative.

The results have been consistently impressive. According to research published in PubMed, patients using hypnosedation reported less postoperative pain, required significantly less pain medication, had shorter hospital stays, and returned to work faster. In one study, hypnosedated thyroid patients returned to work after approximately 10 days on average, compared to 36 days for those under general anesthesia.

A study published in Acta Chirurgica Belgica found that conversion from hypnosis to general anesthesia was needed in only 1% of cases (2 out of 218 procedures), demonstrating that hypnosedation works reliably for the vast majority of suitable patients.

Quartz reported that the University Hospital Center at Liège has documented more than 12,000 cases where hypnosis was used to treat pain since 1992.

The 2024 Frontiers overview identified medical procedures as the area with the most robust evidence base, with 12 reviews covering 79 distinct primary studies.

What Hypnotherapy Actually Is (And Isn’t)

Understanding the research requires clarity about what hypnotherapy involves.

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often accompanied by deep relaxation. Despite what movies suggest, you remain aware and in control during hypnosis. You cannot be made to do anything against your will.

Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis within a therapeutic context to help people change patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior. Clinical hypnosis is typically provided by licensed healthcare professionals (psychologists, physicians, nurses, social workers) who have additional training in hypnotic techniques.

The research consistently shows that hypnosis is safe. According to the 2024 Frontiers overview, a 2018 analysis of adverse events in registered clinical trials found zero reports of serious adverse events from hypnosis. Some people may experience minor effects like temporary headaches or drowsiness, but serious complications are essentially unheard of.

Importantly, hypnotic suggestibility varies among individuals. As TIME Magazine noted, research suggests about 60% of people are hypnotizable to some degree, with an additional 15% being highly hypnotizable. The remaining 25% show minimal response to hypnotic suggestions. This natural variation affects treatment outcomes and explains why hypnotherapy works better for some people than others.

The Bottom Line

Does hypnotherapy work? The honest answer is: it depends on what you’re using it for.

For anxiety, IBS, pain management (especially acute pain), and medical procedures, the evidence is substantial and growing. Major medical institutions have incorporated hypnotherapy into their guidelines and coverage policies. Effect sizes range from medium to large, and benefits often persist long after treatment ends.

For smoking cessation, weight loss, and some chronic pain conditions hypnotherapy may help some individuals who respond well to hypnosis and hypnotic suggestions. 

What the research makes clear is that hypnotherapy is a legitimate therapeutic tool when used appropriately, by trained practitioners, for conditions where the evidence supports its use. It’s not magic, it’s not mind control, and it’s not a cure-all. But it’s also not pseudoscience.

The 261 studies and 49 meta-analyses tell a story of a therapeutic approach that deserves its place in the evidence-based healthcare toolkit, for the right conditions and the right patients.