What is a trance?
Even among the most knowledgeable authorities, opinions vary on the best definition of trance. I use the following definition: A trance is a mental state where the conscious mind relaxes its defenses and allows the hypnotist direct access to the subconscious mind. It is also a state where the subject allows the hypnotist’s words to influence their thoughts, feelings, senses and perceptions.
A trance is a natural state that can occur whenever your attention is narrowly focused and relatively free of distractions. Your attention may be focused either internally (on internal self-talk, visual images, or both) or externally (on a task, a book, a movie, etc.). The focus of attention is so narrow that other stimuli in the environment are ignored or blocked out of conscious awareness for a time. During trance, habitual behaviors may be performed without conscious awareness (i.e., behavior performed without mental effort). Examples of common trance states are daydreaming, meditation, or being involved in a really good book or movie.
Forget the stage hypnosis you may have seen and any preconceptions of a “trance.” It’s just focusing on something and not paying attention to distractions. Think about the last time you enjoyed a movie or became engrossed in a good book. You were involved with the action, your imagination was busy, maybe you were affected emotionally, and yet you knew where you were and what was going on around you. You could interrupt it any time without a problem. I don’t use the word “trance” very much, it’s not a useful term.
