Hypnotizability and time reproduction

Hypnotizability is a psychophysiological trait associated with variations in grey matter volume (GMV) of the cerebellum and insula, regions implicated in time perception. This study investigated the time reproduction of distinct duration intervals in participants with various hypnotizability levels. We studied time reproduction in 40 healthy, right-handed participants of both sexes, assessed for hypnotizability using the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: A. Participants reproduced the visually presented intervals of 1s, 3s, 6s, and 8s (10 trials per duration). We computed relative (RE) and absolute proportional error (AE) and analyzed them using linear mixed-effects models to examine the interaction between hypnotizability and interval duration. Heart rate, sex, state anxiety, and absorption were included as covariates. RE exhibited only a significant main effect of the interval duration, with shorter intervals (1s, 3s) predominantly overestimated and longer intervals (6s, 8s) underestimated. AE revealed an interaction between hypnotizability and interval duration, with a slope differing significantly between 1s (positive trend) and 8s (negative trend) intervals. Covariates did not contribute to differences in timing RE and AE. While the present findings cannot fully disentangle the specific roles of the cerebellar and insular GMV in hypnotizability-related timing difference, the increasing absolute error observed for the shortest interval with increasing hypnotizability suggests a primary role of the cerebellum. Differences in time perception may account for the reported variations in the sense of agency and body ownership associated with hypnotizability.