Hypnosis can significantly alter gastric acid secretion, increasing it by up to 87% during an imaginary culinary tour and decreasing it by 40% when thinking of anything but food.

“So um we would they would eat their favorite foods and we found that they increased their gastric acid secretion like by 87%. So their stomach was acting as though it was about to get I mean there was one woman it was so vivid for her that halfway through she said let's stop. full, you know, eating these imagin actual food. No. >> Incredible. >> And then we got them to relax and think of anything but food or drink. And we got like a 40% decrease in gastric acid secretion. So they could and that was DLPFC through the insula telling the stomach you're getting food or you're not getting food. And even we injected them with pentagastrin which triggers gastric acid release. And even then in the hypnosis condition they had a 19% reduction in gastric acid.”