Towards a science of internal experience: conceptual and methodological issues in hypnosis and meditation research

Hypnosis and meditation both involve private, subjective experiences. As a result, they can be difficult to investigate in empirical studies. This chapter discusses some of the theoretical and methodological challenges in conducting such research, and ways of addressing these. It focuses, in particular, on four conceptual issues in hypnosis research that the authors believe might also be useful in studying meditation. These are: distinguishing the procedures participants follow from their reported effects; separating participants' trait capacities and contextual influences; considering the interplay between cognitive and social processes; and controlling for demand characteristics. The chapter notes how awareness of these issues may enrich understanding of meditation and help guide research into subjective experience more broadly.