Cognitive Trance, Hypnosis and Meditation in Oncology

Hypnosis, Meditation and Cognitive Trance on Cancer Patients: Impact on Quality of Life and Neurophysiology

Patients with cancer often suffer from a symptom cluster, including pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties, emotional distress and cognitive impairments. In oncology settings, there is a growing interest in "mind-body" intervention, to relieve them in a non-pharmacological way. Hypnosis and meditation are two modified state of consciousness shown to positively this symptom cluster. Cognitive trance is also a modified state of consciousness, but is induced by body movements and/or vocalizations. Subjective reports of experts in cognitive trance showed a modification of self, emotion regulation, pain perception, attention and concentration. However, we still need to develop studies to better characterise this particular state of consciousness and its clinical applications. Our randomized-controlled trial aims at comparing both interventions in terms of (1) benefits on cancer patients' quality of life (pain, fatigue, sleep, distress, cognitive impairments), (2) phenomenological/subjective experiences and neurophysiological correlates, and (3) mechanisms involved in patients' responsiveness, based on the biopsychosocial model of hypnosis.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Pain; Cancer; Fatigue; Cognitive Impairment; Sleep Disturbance; Distress, Emotional
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Hypnosis group intervention; Behavioral: Cognitive trance group intervention; Behavioral: Meditation group intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 160
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Liège, Belgium, 4000
    • University of Liege

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥18 years old
• No neurological/psychiatric disorders/history of alcohol or drug abuse
• No current and regular practice of hypnosis, meditation or cognitive trance
• Diagnosis of cancer (all localisations accepted except brain tumours to avoid any effect on EEG data and cognitive impairments)
• Active treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) finished for less than a year.
• Score of at least 4/10 for one of these four symptoms at baseline: pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties, emotional distress.

Exclusion Criteria:

• < 18 year old
• No cancer diagnosis
• Neurological or psychiatric disorder
• Brain tumour ou other tumour with brain metastases
• Active treatments still ongoing or finished for more than a year
• No baseline symptom at 4/10

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Hypnosis; In the hypnosis-based intervention, patients (in groups of approximately 10 participants) will participate in 8 weekly sessions (2 hours each) during which they will benefit from guided hypnosis exercises, and learn how to implement self-hypnosis. They will also receive a CD with hypnosis exercises for home practice. At-home practice is encouraged between sessions.	Behavioral: Hypnosis group intervention; See arm description
Experimental: Cognitive trance; The cognitive trance-based intervention will consist of a two-day workshop in groups of approximately 10 participants, where they will learn how to induce the cognitive trance, with the use of different sound-loops that can induce trance in untrained people in a safe way. After two weeks of home practice, participants will redo a two-day consolidation training. At-home practice is encouraged between sessions.	Behavioral: Cognitive trance group intervention; See arm description
Experimental: Meditation; The meditation-based intervention will consist of 8 weekly sessions (2h45 each) in groups of approximately 10 participants, as well as half a day of intensive practice between the fifth and the sixth session. Participants will learn how to implement self-compassion meditation, through practical exercises proposed during the sessions. At-home practice is encouraged between sessions.	Behavioral: Meditation group intervention; See arm description
No Intervention: Control group; Participants in the control group will not receive any intervention during the whole duration of the study. They will be assessed at the same times and in the same ways than the 3 experimental groups. After the study, they will have the opportunity to participe in one of the 3 interventions if they want to.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Fatigue	Assessed with a questionnaire (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory; MFI-20)	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Pain	Assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) (score range from 0 to 10/10, a higher score indicating a higher pain)	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Sleep difficulties	Assessed with a questionnaire (Insomnia Severity Index; ISI). Score range from 0 to 28, with a higher score indicating higher sleep difficulties.	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Emotional distress	Assessed with a questionnaire (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS). Score range from 0 to 42, with a higher score indicating higher emotional distress	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Perceived cognitive difficulties	Assessed with a questionnaire (FACT-Cog), investigation 4 dimensions (perceived cognitive impairments, score range 0-72, higher score indicating less impairments ; impact of cognitive impairments on quality of life, score range 0-16, with higher scoe indicating less impact ; Comments from others, score range 0-16 with higher score indicating less comments ; perceived cognitive abilities, score range 0-28, with higher score indicating more cognitive abilities)	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Psychological flexibility	Assessed with a questionnaire (Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory; MPFI-24). Score range from 0 to 6 for each dimension (psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility), with higher score indicating higher flexibility or inflexibility according to the dimension assessed.	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Mental Adjustment to Cancer	Assessed with a questionnaire (Mental adjustment to cancer; MAC). 2 summary scores (Summary positive adjustment, score range from 17 to 68, with higher score indicating higher positive adjustmen ; Summary Negative Adjustment, score ranging from 16 to 64, with higher score indicating highr negative adjustment)	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Emotion regulation	Assessed with a questionnaire (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; CERQ). 2 summary scores (adpative regulation, score ranging from 20 to 100, with higher score indicating higher adaptive regulation ; non-adaptive regulation, score ranging 12-60, with higher score indicating higher non-adaptive regulation)	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Empowerment	Assessed with a questionnaire composed of 7 VAS (score from 0 to 10/10, with higher score indicating higher empowerment), based on the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ)	Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Personnality characteristics	Assessed with a questionnaire (Big Five Short Form; BFI-10). 5 scales (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience) with score range 1-5, with higher score indicating a stronger presence of this personality trait.	Assessed before the intervention (T0)
Fantasy Proneness (imaginative experiences)	Assessed with a questionnaire designed by our team investigating the previous imaginative experiences of the participant. 25 true/false items. Total score ranging from 0 to 25, with higher score indicating higher level of fantasy proneness.	Assessed before the intervention (T0)
Expectations and motivation to participate in the chosen intervention	Assessed with 2 VAS (score range from 0 to 10/10, with higher score indicating higher motivation and higher expectations)	Assessed before the intervention (T0)
Personal definition of hypnosis/cognitive trance/meditation	Free text written by the participant	Assessed before the intervention (T0)
Change in the characteristics of a free recall of an intense hypnosis/cognitive trance/meditation episode (or an intense autobiographical episode for the participants in the control group)	Free text written by the participant	Assessed immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Characteristics of the intense memory described above	Assessed with a questionnaire (Memory Characteristics Questionnaire; MCQ). Score range from 8 to 104, with higher score indicating higher degree of details about the memory.	Assessed immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in Mystical characteristics of the intense memory described above	Assessed with a questionnaire (Revised Mystical Characteristics Questionnaire; MEQ-30). 4 scales (mystical, score range 0-75, with higher score indicating a more mystical experience ; Positive mood, score range 0-30, with higher score indicating more positive mood during the episode ; Transcendence of time and space, score range 0-30, with higher score indicating stronger trenscendence ; Ineffability, score range 0-15, with higher score indicating higher ineffability)	Assessed immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in presence during the intense memory described above	Assessed with a questionnaire designed by our team to assess the feeling of presence in the imaginative environment linked to the intense memory reported (hypnosis, trance, meditation or personal memory). 2 scales (Presence in the suggested environment and Interaction with others, score range for each dimension 6-42, with higher score indicating higer presence/interaction).	Assessed immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in the quality of the relationship with the therapist who animated the group sessions	Assessed with a VAS (score range from 0 to 10/10, with higher score indicating better relationship quality).	Assessed immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 3- and 12-month follow-up (T3 and T4)
Change in cerebral activity	Assessed with an electroencephalogram (EEG), during resting state and during hypnosis, trance or meditation, according to the chosen intervention. During the EEG, we will also measure the heart rate (with an electrocardiogram), the body temperature, the body movements (with an electromyogram) and the respiration amplitude.	Resting state : Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 12-month follow-up (T4). During hypnosis, trance or meditation : T1, T4.
Change in heart rate	During the EEG, heart rate will be measured (with an electrocardiogram).	Resting state : Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 12-month follow-up (T4). During hypnosis, trance or meditation : T1, T4.
Change in body movements	During the EEG, body movements will be measured (with an electromyogram).	Resting state : Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 12-month follow-up (T4). During hypnosis, trance or meditation : T1, T4.
Change in body temperature	During the EEG, body temperature will be measured (with a dedicated electrode put on the chest).	Resting state : Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 12-month follow-up (T4). During hypnosis, trance or meditation : T1, T4.
Change in respiration	During the EEG, respiration (amplitude, effort) will be measured (with a dedicated belts put on the torso)	Resting state : Assessed before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 12-month follow-up (T4). During hypnosis, trance or meditation : T1, T4.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Liege
• Collaborators: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege; Bial Foundation; FNRS (Télévie); Fondation contre le cancer
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Olivia Gosseries, PhD, ULiège

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Gregoire C, Marie N, Sombrun C, Faymonville ME, Kotsou I, van Nitsen V, de Ribaucourt S, Jerusalem G, Laureys S, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Gosseries O. Hypnosis, Meditation, and Self-Induced Cognitive Trance to Improve Post-treatment Oncological Patients' Quality of Life: Study Protocol. Front Psychol. 2022 Feb 10;13:807741. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.807741. eCollection 2022.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 26, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 29, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 5, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 6, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 3, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cancer; Quality of life; Hypnosis; Meditation; Oncology; Neurophysiology; Cognitive trance; Phenomenology
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dyssomnias; Parasomnias; Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: Trance-Onco

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No