Non-Verbal Hypnosis and Polyvagal Theory

Why non-verbal hypnosis? In our practice we observe that non-verbal stimulation (gaze, posture, touch, the rhythm of breathing) leads people into a deeper state than verbal stimulation alone. The non-verbal carries more information than words: words are only a map of the experience. Animal hypnosis, too, is entirely non-verbal.

Animal Hypnosis and Catalepsy

This video shows an animal that has become catatonic (a state of animal hypnosis) out of fear of passing cars.

Animal Hypnosis and the Four States

When we study animal hypnosis in the light of polyvagal theory, we find behaviours and nervous-system states shared across species. Four states stand out: catalepsy, somnambulism, lethargy and fascination. Each one corresponds to a specific way in which consciousness and the body respond.

Fascination is more than an intense gaze: it opens the way to deep focus. For a moment the flow of thoughts quiets down and attention gathers on a single point. It reaches the oldest areas of the brain and activates primal instincts regulated by the dorsal vagus (the branch of the vagus nerve that slows the body down and, under threat, can lead to immobility).

Catalepsy is a state of stillness, from a light pause to full tonic immobility (the body stays rigid and motionless, as in an animal that 'plays dead'). This protective response, found both in the wild and in humans, shields the person from overwhelming stress, an effect of the calming action of the dorsal vagus.

Somnambulism, in which actions unfold without conscious guidance, mirrors the process of releasing held emotions and memories. Here polyvagal theory helps us understand how past traumas can be resolved: healing comes through releasing the constraints of the dorsal vagus.

Lethargy brings deep relaxation and can evolve into collapsed tonic immobility (the body becomes limp and heavy), a space for introspection and renewal. This state may combine dorsal and ventral vagal activation (the ventral vagus is the branch linked to safety and social connection), and it marks a return to one's core.

We observed these hypnotic states in our practice well before the polyvagal perspective was available to explain them. Today this perspective offers a useful way to understand how our nervous system produces them. It also shows parallels between human and animal experience, based on biological and emotional mechanisms common to both, and this supports our work of understanding and healing.

Cataleptic States in Humans

In work with the polyvagal mesmeric crisis (the spontaneous release reaction of the body), reaching the state of catalepsy is an important step towards resolving the problem.

Learn the method

Mesmeric Polyvagal Therapy is taught in the courses of Dr. Paret's School (ISI-CNV – Université Européenne): live seminars and online lessons, from the first-level Master to advanced training, with specific expertise in polyvagal hypnosis, trembling, completion of the response and ventral vagal stimulation. Request the programme and the next dates: our first contact is always a WhatsApp message, never a call.

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Research notes

A selection of peer-reviewed studies on polyvagal theory and vagal function that offer a scientific reading of the topics discussed in this article.

Aubert AE, Verheyden B, et al. (2009). Cardiac autonomic regulation under hypnosis assessed by heart rate variability: spectral analysis and fractal complexity. Neuropsychobiology, 60(2), 104-112. In 12 healthy participants, hypnosis was associated with higher normalised high-frequency HRV and a lower LF/HF ratio, without a change in heart rate; the authors note that changes in breathing depth may partly explain the result. https://doi.org/10.1159/000239686

Padilla VJ, Scheffrahn K, et al. (2024). Heart rate variability, hypnosis, and psychotherapy. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 50(2), 289-295. This review summarises how HRV changes during hypnosis and proposes mechanisms through which hypnotherapy may influence the stress response, while calling for randomised controlled trials to confirm these links. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-024-09679-6

Carli G, Farabollini F (2022). Tonic immobility as a survival, adaptive response and as a recovery mechanism. Progress in Brain Research, 271(1), 305-329. Reviewing animal research on tonic immobility (classically called 'animal hypnosis'), the authors argue that it is an adaptive survival response, modulated by environmental risk, and that it may also activate recovery mechanisms after disruptive experiences. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.02.012

Woodruff ML (2025). Tonic immobility and phenomenal consciousness in animals: a review. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1509999. A recent review distinguishing tonic immobility from broader death-feigning behaviour and discussing what forms of awareness may accompany it; it is a cautious reference for the old link between animal immobility and hypnotic phenomena. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1509999

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