No specific relationship between hypnotic suggestibility and the rubber hand illusion

In a recent study, Lush et al.1 claimed that they found substantial relationships between hypnotizability and experimental measures of the rubber hand illusion (RHI)2. The authors proposed that hypnotizable participants control their phenomenology to meet task expectations arising from the experimental paradigm. They further suggest that the RHI may or may not be entirely explained by hypnotic suggestions driven by task expectancies and therefore could reflect top-down control of perception, instead of multisensory mechanisms. However, in reanalyzing their data, we observe no significant relationships between hypnotic suggestibility and the RHI when quantified using a control condition in line with standard practice in the field and the authors’ preregistered hypothesis. Furthermore, we note that the relationships the authors describe are weak and observed for a visual hallucination control experience and in the control condition, indicating a general influence of hypnotizability on cognition, rather than sensations that specifically relate to the RHI. Overall, the results from our analyses and Lush original paper fit well with the view that the RHI is a perceptual illusion driven primarily by multisensory mechanisms.

Recommended citation: Ehrsson, H. H., Fotopolous, A., Radziun, D., Longo, M. R., & Tsakiris, M. (2022). "No specific relationship between hypnotic suggestibility and the rubber hand illusion." Nature Communications. 13(1).
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