Dr Amit J Logan
Biography
Dr Amit J Logan is an Integrative Medical Doctor with a dedicated focus on brain and mental health. Recently retired from the Malaysian Armed Forces in 2024, he served in the Special Forces (Commando), Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and was involved in International Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Missions. With nearly two decades of combined experience in the medical field and elite military service, Dr Logan who is a consultant medical hypnotherapist integrates functional medicine with evidence-based brain-focused therapeutic modalities to foster emotional resilience, facilitate behavioural transformation, and optimise overall well-being.
Beyond his clinical practice and ongoing research, Dr Logan is a respected speaker, frequently invited to share his insights and experience in areas such as performance enhancement and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). He also conducts professional development programmes for practitioners in MBIs and Neurofeedback Therapy (NFT).
Research Interest
Altered States, Real Change: The Neuroscience of Hypnotic Suggestibility
What Neurotechnology Reveals About Hypnotic Trance, Cognition, and How It Influences
Therapeutic Outcomes
Abstract
Clinical hypnosis (CH) is gaining traction as an effective intervention for mental health, chronic pain, and overall wellbeing. Traditionally linked to heightened suggestibility, recent advances in neuroscience have begun to uncover the distinct neural dynamics underpinning the hypnotic state. CH has demonstrated efficacy across anxiety disorders, PTSD, anesthesia, and somatoform disorders. Underlying mechanisms may involve
PFC-amygdala-hippocampal regulation, reduced stress hormone responses, and improved cognitive flexibility.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies reveal that hypnosis elicits a characteristic pattern of brain activity, including decreased connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), heightened engagement of the anterior cingulate cortex, and modulation of thalamocortical circuits. Notably, Spiegel et al. (2016) observed consistent downregulation of the dorsal anterior cingulate, affirming the neurobiological distinctiveness of hypnosis.
Emerging neurotechnologies such as mobile EEG (mEEG), brainwave entrainment (BWE), and bio/ neurofeedback now enable clinicians to monitor and deepen hypnotic states with greater precision. These tools are being employed to enhance memory integration, facilitate therapeutic openness, and assist in processing unresolved trauma.
By examining trance states through current neuroscientific frameworks, this presentation demonstrates how clinical hypnosis is now established as a quantifiable, adaptable, and evidence-based therapeutic modality in modern integrative practice.
