Hilgard his colleagues hypnotized participants to believe they wouldnt experience pain when they placed one hand in ice water. Participants were asked to press a response button with the other hand if they felt any pain. What did Hilgard and his colleagues find?

Apart from the fact that Hilgard and his colleagues observed hypnotized people do perceive little or no pain when their arms are stationed in ice water as nearly all touched the key, hw reported that there is a "hidden observer", or a form of split consciousness which one way or the other have an idea of the current occurrence.

The Ice Water Experiment (1977) lead to the Divided-Consciousness Theory by Ernest Hilgard.

The hidden observer theory by Ernest Hilgard proposes that a distinct consciousness is developed in a person mind in the course of a hypnosis as it as the ability of carefully watching the person.

This hidden observer during hypnosis as the ability to carefully watch one and another plus handle the difficulty or stress without any prior knowledge of any kind of negative feelings encountered.