I often get asked about how easy it is to enter a trance. Many people wonder whether they have the ability to enter a trance or not. They then get even more worried when the trance is specific, i.e. hypnotic, shamanic or meditative trance. But entering into trance is easy and there’s no reason why you won’t be able to, even though you’ve never formally entered a trance before. Rest assured even animals can do it!
What most people don’t realise is that we all enter into trances several times a day. Have you ever driven on autopilot and been surprised at how you’ve got to a certain point? Perhaps you’ve been totally absorbed in a book and have failed to notice a family member asking you a direct question? Or perhaps you’ve been carried away imagining a hot date with Tom Hiddlestone (or whoever else appeals) and you realise all your work colleagues are looking at you, waiting for your opinion on a matter of great importance? Well all these are examples of how we can slip away naturally into trance at any moment.
Writers such as Stephen Wolinsky go one step further, they say that we are in trances for most of the day. It’s what you or I might call ‘being in the groove’. You know, we might be in the lurve groove:
“Oh Sweetie, Darling….you put the phone down first….”,
“No you…..”,
“No you go first Darling, I can’t put the phone down….”
Perhaps our young lovers undertake another type of trance, known as pseudo-orientation in time, (otherwise known as thinking you’ve fast forwarded to the future), such as when one (or both) start thinking that wedding bells are on the horizon.
Or else, we all enter the ‘what a sweet baby’ groove, (similar to the ‘what a lovely puppy’ trance) involving high pitched voices and gurgling, cooing sounds.
There are so many trance like states that we enter into naturally and we don’t even realise that we are doing it!
More precisely, trance is a state of focused attention. In hypnotherapy, we use hypnosis to help guide someone into trance, often using relaxation methods. It is not difficult to do and most people can easily enter into such a hypnotic trance. Sometimes, worrying about entering a trance can get in the way of entering a trance, so the hypnotist’s skill and you allowing yourself to relax can really help. Self hypnosis is easy too and a good hypnotist will teach you how to take yourself into trance.
It is whilst in such a trance that a hypnotherapist can undertake the therapeutic actions, to help bring about a client’s objectives, often using positive suggestions. One is able to access the unconscious during hypnotic trance, so this can often be really useful in providing insight into a particular problem or issue. This work can be deep, profound and fast acting.
With a shamanic trance, the beat, rhythm and frequency of a drum beat are often used to induce a shamanic trance. (Although some shamans from indigenous cultures will use psychotropic drugs such as Ayahuasca). Shamans call this type of trance entering into a state of non-ordinary-reality, where one can access the wisdom of natural energies around us. This too can be useful for providing insight and healing. It’s whilst in such a trance that we can meet power animals, the spirits of nature or higher beings such as guardian angels or guides.
Lastly, we all know how wonderful meditation can be, (even if we don’t always trouble to do it). Sometimes all we need to do to enter a meditative trance is to relax, close our eyes, still the mind and breeeaaaathhhhhe. See, there you go…
So, please don’t be put off by the term ‘trance’. It is a safe and natural process. Nobody can make you do anything in trance which you don’t want to do. You are still in control. It’s just a space where you can enjoy peace, calm, healing and perhaps focus on bringing positive changes into your life. So if you want to try hypnotherapy or even shamanic journeying, please don’t worry about whether you can enter a trance or not.